Last updated on March 13th, 2021 at 11:02 pm

Welcome to The Harper Girls!

There’s a joke you may have heard before, it goes something like this:

A mom was preparing the Thanksgiving turkey and before she put it in the oven, she cut the end off of the bird.  Her daughter asked her, “Why did you do that?” The mom answered, “Because my mom always did it that way.” 

So, the little girl asked her Grandma, “Why do you cut the end off the turkey?” Her Grandma said, “Because that’s what my mom used to do”. Luckily, Great Grandma was also there so she asked her the same question. This time she got a different answer, which was, “Because it wouldn’t fit in the pan.”

This joke is really more of a parable. We sometimes go through life doing things without asking why or understanding the relevance of its importance. “New and improved” is always better and we disregard the ways things used to be. We believe there’s a perfect balance of passing down old traditions at the same time you’re creating new ones.

Welcome to “The Harper Girls” Blog.  Dianne (Aunt) and Jen (Niece). In just the last few years we’ve lost some of the special women in our lives. Our mom/grandma Joyce, and Jen’s grandma, Lois. We found ourselves thinking about our family traditions and how much they mean to us.  We realized that if we take the time to reflect and capture these traditions, they will stay alive for generations to come.

Our stories are both individual and intersecting.  We are two different generations but we have both been raised on a common thread of love, laughter, recipes, vacations, swear words, misunderstandings, forgiveness and endless ways to poke fun at each other and ourselves. We each want to share what this blog means to us.  

From Jen

Who we become in our lives stems from the people we surround ourselves with, and those that came before us. Now that I have a daughter, it’s my responsibility to pass down the best qualities from those around me so she can grow as a person. The same would be said if I had a son too! As I get older, I can see the things that make me unique, and some of my best qualities, come from the amazing women in my life. 

I value kindness above all else (my mom is by far the nicest person I know), but I also consider myself independent with a touch of hardass (Grandma Harper was a New Yorker to the bone, who was loving but also DGAF). 

Learning to practice patience while still being a perfectionist (Grandma Senia had six kids, five boys and my mom, which is pure madness. But also loved to cook and bake, and if something wasn’t perfect it went right in the trash). 

I have the drive to do everything and then some (my sister, Brittany, has a full-time job, a side business, endless crafty hobbies and far too many pets). 

And the trajectory of my career was because I saw Aunt Dianne’s amazing career in marketing. I learned firsthand how to be successful and a boss. 

We’re all evolving and learning more about ourselves as we grow. Recently, I’ve learned I really love connecting with and helping people. And my confidence has matured enough for me to realize that maybe I do have something worthwhile to contribute and share with others. 

So, welcome to The Harper Girls. That’s why I’m here. I want to share what I’ve learned with you over my 34 years, and 100+ years of the women before me. From endless internet research on Disney vacations, the gear you need when having a baby, and the best dainty jewelry. To working in marketing and advertising for 12 years, starting from the very bottom and reaching middle-management (and hopefully up from there!). Learning from Grandma Harper how to pass nearly anyone walking too slow in front of you on the sidewalk. And how to make the most amazing vegetable chowder from Grandma Senia. 

Most importantly, if you put good and kindness into the world, it’ll come back to you in tenfold. 

I’m so excited to go on this journey with you – to share different parts of me, and to hear your stories about what makes you, you. Let’s continue to grow and evolve, together. And to have fun and some laughs along the way. 

From Dianne

When my mom died in 2016, I found myself worrying about the traditions that could be lost along with her.  It wasn’t just the big things, it was the small things too, the ones that you don’t really notice at the time. There’s a 1950’s Pyrex pink daisy print casserole dish that my mom always used to serve macaroni and cheese. I never asked her why she only used that dish. But it could have easily been “because my mom always did”. That dish today has become a symbol of comfort. Not just for food but also for my mom’s memory. Jen has that Pyrex dish now, and she serves macaroni and cheese to her daughter Eme from it today.  And so it goes.

My grandmothers also had a great impact on me. My maternal Grandma Rose left home at 16 to be on her own. And not just “on her own”, she first moved from Switzerland to France. From there, she moved to England and then immigrated to America. My paternal Grandma Ina raised two children on her own in Northern Ireland for seven years. My grandfather was working in New York to save enough money to send for them.  Amazing independent women who you’ll hear more about later.

As much as my mom and grandmothers have been an influence in my life, I’ve had my own journey as well.  I had a “milestone” birthday in 2020 – and it was a little jarring to realize that I’ve been on the planet this long.  It was hard for me to write that without wincing (ok, I did wince). And being around that long has given me some of my own stories to tell and wisdom to impart. I’ve had a great career. I’ve lived in a foreign country and traveled extensively. And I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to be a stepmom to three amazing boys (now men) for the last 16 years.  And I recently became a grandma (wincing again). I’ll admit it – I had a tough time with “Grandma”, so I am “GiGi”.

I’ve always believed that the things we learn are meant to be shared, especially the tough lessons.  My thoughts have always been that if I have to go through something that’s difficult, I need to make sure that what I’ve learned can help others in the same situation.  Otherwise, what’s the point?  So my goal has been to help others navigate through it all – from the bad idea of seeing if putting salt on a canker sore can ease the pain to the healing process of keeping a journal with your memories of a loved one.

I’m excited to share my experiences with you, but it can’t be just one way.  We learn through exchanging thoughts and stories, so I want to hear your stories as much as I want to tell you mine.  But on one condition – we all need to laugh along the way. Let’s have some fun!

From Us

We’re so glad to welcome you to The Harper Girls.

So, this is what we plan to do – share and listen.  We have both always loved all things fashion and beauty along with cooking, books, travel, you name it.  We’re going to navigate from the old (like how our mom/grandma only used Vaseline on her face) to the latest in retinol creams for anti-aging today.   It won’t always be pretty – we’ll share the “awkward years”, the bad 80’s hair and our fashion faux pas along the way. And we’ll guide you on how to keep your own family traditions, because generational learning should be preserved, never wasted. 

Curious who we all are?
Learn about Rose Ciofalo here!