Jen A's travel line!!!

I have more ideas than I will ever possibly get to in my lifetime but the GREAT thing about working out someone else's idea is 1- it's not mine so it comes from a different perspective and 2- I actually DO it because someone pays me to :). Jen A. also had the "seriously classic, seriously gorgeous" post purse made all to her specifications and she is my new partner in purse making crime! She gave me such a awesome compliment when she ordered even more bags from me and said "I think I'm addicted!". Loved, loved, loved it!!

Even more exciting is that she got inspired to pick up her knitting that she learned a while back and she MADE me a scarf to say thank you for her bags!!! Reciprocating with handmade items.....hello, can I say heaven for me?? I love her even more by the second!

Onto this actual bag.....she is taking a ski trip and had a list of things that didn't work for her while she was traveling with her young son last time. She knew exactly what she wanted so I got all of the measurements she was wishing for and we poured over fabric together and this is what the final result was. A crossover, hip bag roughly 8 inches tall, 8 inches across and 3 inches wide. There are pockets inside for her phone and small items that she needs to take with her and small pocket outside (but still covered by the flap) to keep her ticket in and her ID. It closes with a big flap and a magnetic snap which will hopefully be very easy to access her essentials in the rush of the airport.

I have been asked many times for specialty bags for travel and I am hoping with Jen's input I will have an entire line of patterns for you to chose from. Stay tuned for the toiletry bag that I am almost finished with as well for Jen- it's so darn cute, I can't wait to see it completed! Since I am entirely UNcreative when it comes to making up names for my bags this whole line will just be Jen. A's travel line and this specific one is her Essential Hip Bag.

I can't wait to work my organic scarf Jen!! Even if it's 70 degrees I am still totally wearing it, I'm not waiting until next winter :).

The cost on this is $45.

A purse for little "S"!!

I have never met little "S"'s mom but I really, really like her via email. She sent me such a kind text message before my little guy has his eye procedure last week- I was so touched that she even remembered!! It doesn't get any better than that!

So, I was thinking of ways to make little "S"'s purse extra special and I started playing around with my scraps and wire and voila- these little, jangly, flower charms were born! They are totally removable if "S" is not that into them but now I am OBSESSED so if you see them popping up on my little girl items just go along with it and take them off when I'm not around :).

"S"- I hope you love this purse made just for you honey!! You sure have a sweet Mommy!

My little girl purses are $18

Make up bags, a StrollerStrides/Wiregrass event and press!!!

I never did get around to posting the rest of my Mommyista make-up bags that I made for my awesome friends so here they are!

I am participating in an event at Wiregrass mall in a few weeks for StrollerStrides! Those of you who know me know that I am a work-out-aholic (although I will post at another time how a personal trainer named "S" has taken me out of my comfort zone and I realize I'm not as strong as I think I am!!) so I was thrilled to be asked to be involved and support fitness for us frazzled women with young children. There will be a free class, raffles (I will raffle something and so will my amazing girlfriend Karen at http://www.thereadingcorner.org/ along with many others) and various things for the kiddos to do.

It's Friday, March 26th-here is more info....

TIME: Registration 8:30
Class 9:00 – 10:00
Entertainment and Fun 10:00

LOCATION: The Shops at Wiregrass
Meet at Centercourt in front of Macy’s
28211 Paseo Drive
Wesley Chapel, FL 33543

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.strollerstrides.net/newtampa

I hope that some of you can make it!

Very exciting news for me lately is that I had a little "press"!! I was so humbled and I loved my interviewer- loved her!! Here is the article-

http://www.examiner.com/x-10270-Pasco-County-Parenting-Examiner~y2010m3d5-Artistic-Pasco-mom-creates-a-stir-with-oneofakind-handbags

My last note is my littlest guy has eye surgery tomorrow morning. We are in Orlando tonight because the surgery is very early tomorrow morning. I can't nurse him after midnight tonight so I'm not looking forward to the wee morning hours :). Please keep him in your prayers that he handles it all as well as a 10 month old can!! Thanks!

Mish mash.....

This is kind of a purse post- kind of not.

I found my daughter the other day going through really old VHS cassettes in a drawer. She (being a part of me) turned the VHS into a purse- who wouldn't think that glossy strip of tape wasn't a perfectly placeD handle for her tiny arm?? Thankfully it wasn't an old video of my childhood. We had an extensive argument following this photo that the VHS definitely was NOT a purse to no avail- she carried it around that way for the remainder of the day......I loose again.

A thing about sweet, wonderful, into-everything, 9 month old babies is that it is very difficult to get anything done with the older children you may have. I pray almost every night that I need to find more balance between baby's needs and my other children's needs....it's exhausting. While playing reading games one long afternoon my 4 year old decided that he had enough (!) of his brother crawling all over his carefully placed writing- after all, Mom was passing out jelly beans for every 3 words spelled!! So he drew a line on his board and wrote "No Mason"....the humor of it all struck me hard. How we all live together....wanting to be together but all needing some space/time/place of our own and none of us getting it :). Life as a family just cracks me up sometimes. The written sign fell on deaf ears and soon "No Masin" was smudged just like all of the other words from being crawled all over but it was so funny to me that I had to document it.

Mommy and me!!!!!

I have been dying to post these bags! I was so thrilled that "M" asked me to make purses for her and her 2 year old daughter- I just loved making them!! I can't help but think about how excited my daughter gets when she has a purse- let alone one that looks like mine. She keeps all of her "lipsticks" in hers and I hope "little M" stocks her tiny purse full of the things that she adores.

When I was making these my daughter begged me to put this long, beaded fringe on "little M's" so it would be "shaky-shaky". I stalled a little but she continued to beg so I relented. Prying the purse out of my daughter's hands was no small task! Thankfully "little M's" mom was an awesome sport about the "shaky-shaky" fringe and hope it was as big as a hit as it was in my house!

I am still laughing at my daughter's tummy poking out of her jeans as she strikes her pose for these photos.

"M"- thank you for letting me go nuts on your bags! I loved adding trims and making something for the both of you.

Mommy "M's" purse is $42 and Little "M's" is $18

I sure wish that I could fit into this dress!!!

My girlfriends are incredibly supportive of my work- like I said in my last post this business would all be nothing without them! My dear friend"C" is one that I think may be more passionate that I am about my work. When I tell her I have an event she will move mountains to be there! I don't know anyone as busy as she is but there is not ONE thing that I have done that she has not rearranged her life to be at and support me. I get really shy about selling my stuff too and she is always right there to bolster me up and get me talking about it....or even better, I let her talk for me :). She is amazing and I love, love, LOVE her!!

She has three beautiful, kind hearted children and her one little girl, "J", is an exquisite, little clone of her mother. "J" drew me a picture the very first time I met her (I still have it) and I've been smitten with her ever since. She is wonderful to my children and loves to play "mommy" when she is around my baby- it's hysterical. She's sharp as a tack and I love spending time with her.

When I saw this fabric at the recent quilting expo (heaven!!!) it stopped me in my tracks because I knew it was perfect for "J"'s Easter dress. I'm so excited that I had to post this but as soon as I get pictures of her IN the dress you will see what I mean when I say this dress screams "J"!!

"J" and "C"- you know how much I care about you!! XOXOXO.

My dresses really range between $45 and $70 depending on the type of fabric and how many ruffles are added. One exactly like this, in this fabric, would be $68. Many other fabric choices will be between $55 and $60.

A convertible strap purse for Lara!! Learning something new every day!

Once again, I get a new request that gives me a little epiphany on what I can do with handbags! When I was going over Lara's "old (pre-Laci Jean)" purse with her and getting her feedback on what she loves and what she would change about it she told me the most important thing was having two different lengths for her straps. One had to be long enough to use as a crossover and then one that she could just yank over her shoulder. Hallelujah! I had never thought about that myself. When it turned out undeniable cute I was even more thrilled!!

The fabric she chose rocks too- I was only going to use it on aprons but it has a great retro-modern thing going on when I used it on this purse.

I was so excited that Lara ordered a bag from me (secretly hoping we could trade services because my kids will love me if they get more KidzClub trips!!!) because I respect her so much for all that she does for her community and local moms. I participated in the KidzClub Holiday Market Night in December TOTALLY at the last minute....I truly was a mini disaster and asked Lara if I could get in on it I think the day before the event. Then I couldn't drop my stuff off at the appropriate time and I even arrived late but not once did she seem annoyed or make me feel unwelcome. She is always warm, helpful and totally supportive. I am sure she understands that running your own business while raising children is like climbing Mount Everest backwards but man, she makes running hers AND helping others at the same time look easy!!

You are a great source of inspiration Lara! Thank you for everything-I truly loved making this for you!!!

Lara's purse is $42 without the crossover handle and $45 with the addition of the extra handle.