brand-spanking new purse.

Happy Labor Day!

This is the purse I've been laboring over for the the past week.  Not that it was difficult or time-consuming, I was just consumed with finding the time to finish it.

All that was needed was adding the closure, handles and lining.  Easy, right?

Right.  It's just that I started working again this week and as I told Pat on my first day (at 9 AM), I'm tired!  I'm not used to being accountable for my time.

Thank goodness for Labor Day...I really needed a holiday to rest!

The purse will be listed on my web site, the rubia.  I should have it posted by this evening.  Or, you can email me or leave a comment with your email at the end of this post.

Update: the purse has sold, thank you for your interest in it.  Stay tuned for a "spooky" giveaway!

feeling lethargic? Wear these and get some action!

Wow. 

Action Pants.  Kind of sounds like a Super-Hero clothing accessory.

I found this pattern over at Sew Mama, Sew!  It's an actual pattern for "Action Pants!"

Do you need a little extra "action" in your life?

**Housewives throughout the land are screaming "NO!  Are you mad?!**

If you're young and cute and are a flat-bellied Sneetch (Dr. Seuss reference), I think these pants would be adorable! 




Here's the description for the super-duper Action Pants:

Women's Action Pants Sizes US4 to US16 ~ Bettsy Kingston PDF Sewing Pattern

Cute and sexy for women who want some fun too. A design of ruffle underwear created for woven cottons. We love fabric, all the way to the inside! A Bettsy Kingston pattern by Benita McGovern.

Once you've made your purchase, you will be sent an email which contains instructions for downloading this pdf pattern.


So, do you think I should order the pattern, make and sell these Action Pants? 

Hello?  Is anyone still here?

My blog just flat-lined.......

ol' ball and chain.

K...I'm still trying to get the web site up and going.  

I'm a prisoner of my own making.

Linking the pages are what's biting me in the proverbial hiney.  

Just my luck, my IT guy is WORKING!  How dare he, when I need him so badly!

My question is this: do I sit here and fool with the darn thing for hours, or move on and do something else? 

Decisions, decisions...

Looking for a different, yet delicious Summer salad?

Here ya go, but please, keep an open mind...

CELERY SALAD

1/2  small onion, thinly sliced

4     stalks celery, thinly sliced

1     tablespoon olive oil

2     tablespoons of parsley (cilantro is good, too)

1     lemon

Soak the onion slices in a bowl of cold water, about 10 minutes. 

Drain the onion and pat dry, then toss with the celery, 1 tablespoon olive oil and parsley. 

Grate the zest from half of the lemon into the celery mixture and squeeze in all of the juice.

Season with salt and pepper and toss.

So I tried this salad and served it with a cheap marinated steak...that's it. 

You'd think the onion would be overpowering, but I guess the cold water bath must wash away the pungency of the onion.

Needless to say, the lemon gave it a fresh, light taste and when it's HOT outside, it makes for a refreshing alternative to heavy mayo-based salads.

They don't call me Julia Child for nuttin!

gadget wristlet

Meet my newest little pouch.  I made a few of these as a test-run, taking them to the Riverside Arts Market to see how they'd sell.  They were cleared out within minutes. 

They're little wristlets, perfect for stashing your camera, cell phone or ipod.  Or, use it to carry your cash, plastic, lipstick and other necessities. 

Right now, I'm working on stock for the show coming up this weekend.  If you're out and about, please stop by our booth for a look and a visit.  We're located down by the river, at the end near the restrooms and food court.  Mention you read the blog and a 10% discount is yours!

Tonight, I'm hosting my ladies from my church group, CRHP Team #10 for a "meeting."  This should be a lot of fun. 

Tune in tomorrow for all the details of our little party meeting!

sitting on asphalt under the bridge.

Come join us under the Fuller Warren Bridge for the Riverside Arts Market on Saturday, November 14th! The weather will be beautiful, there's tons of great deals and entertainment, not to mention the delicious food and Farmer's Market. My prices are reduced for the Market, and I have some really cute and affordable gifts for Christmas. Think of teacher gifts, sisters-in-law items, coworker gift ideas...

Look for the teal & yellow sign marked "The Rubia" (that's me!). We'll be in booth #514...come over and say hello! I want to see you!

success!

Let me tell you, we had a blast at the Riverside Arts Market. This is a photo of our humble, yet charming booth. We had no idea of what to expect from the day and no amount of preparation is adequate until you're actually set up and ready to face the day. I guess you have to stick your proverbial toe in the water to determine what your actual needs are and how to better prepare for the next event. Here is my list for our next appearance at RAM:

We have determined that we definitely need to add tiers, so that items can be properly displayed. MacGyver, get thee to work on that!

Some freestanding display racks need to be purchased, along with stocking-type holders that purses can be hung from on the front of the table. It's very naked looking up there. MacGyver, get thee to the bank!

As a last-minute thought, I decided to include a few aprons I had made last year that have been in storage. You know, filler. Who would have dreamed that those would be my best sellers? Go figure! MacGyver, thank thee for the reminder about thy storage bins.

My newest friend, Ann, joined me and we had a great time! Her felted pouches were greatly admired and her chopstick purse was to die for! So cute and innovative. Ann loves dogs and dogs are encouraged to attend the Market. Every time a dog went by, Ann would go running to talk to and make a fuss over the pooch. Ann doesn't even own a dog, she has cats and yet, she hasn't met a dog she doesn't love. I, on the other hand, own a dog. But I love the babies! So when Ann wasn't off chasing dogs, I was off tickling baby toes. MacGyver, get thee to...never mind, thy dost really want a baby of mine own.

As it turns out, many of the vendors we spoke to said that it was the worst day they've had at the Market. Really? Hmmm...could it have been the 90-something degree weather? The humidity? The fact that there wasn't a stitch of a breeze? Or was it something more sinister, like college football on TV? Or the fact that the vendor next to us suffered a mild stroke as we were setting up? (Oh, my! That was just terrible! He was taken to the hospital and admitted, but he's OK). I was not the dark cloud on the day... I refuse to believe that I have any bad karma whatsoever. We had a delightful, successful experience and we can't wait until our next Saturday at the Market. Hopefully, the weather will be cooler and all of the college football games will be a drag.

At 4 PM sharp, booths were coming down and vendors were anxious to get to a restaurant for an ice-cold mug of Miller Lite, to quench their parched throats. No wait, maybe it was I who was thinking that about the beer. I don't know what the other vendors were thinking, but they really should go home and have something ice-cold to drink. It was hot!

MacGyver, get thee to the truck and load up the stuff...an ice cold beverage awaits thee!

***We'll see you at the RAM on November 14th***

plethora of purses.

off to the Market I go!

I've been busy this week, making pouches, key fobs, wristlets, purses and aprons for the Riverside Arts Market. Whenever I do a show, it always seems as though there just isn't enough "stuff" to sell. And then I go into a frenzy trying to make more. But this weekend is different. This is the big league. The market is under the Fuller Warren Bridge, hosting all kinds of artists and food vendors, entertainment and a small farmer's market...and a very nice crowd. It's still hot here in Florida, but the weather will soon break and there's usually a nice cool breeze coming off the river, providing a lovely atmosphere in which to stroll and take a look at what the local artists are creating. It's a great opportunity to get my name and product out to local shoppers, which means I'll need to update my web site frequently and with new product. Yikes!

Wish me luck, keep your fingers crossed for me, pray to the patron saint of purses. I'm going to need all the help I can get!

*Check back Sunday for pictures of my booth and of the Market.

mad, mad workspace!

I'm in the process of getting ready for the Riverside Arts Market next Saturday. Yikes! There's just so much to do, so very little time! And when it comes to my cutting table, there is absolutely no time to clean it up...if you look closely, you'll see fabric that covers just about every holiday or season. And there's also an empty cereal box, which is for another project. One that I have no time for right now. This morning, I woke up and found a bee in my bonnet, starting yet another little diddy in which to stash your money and other crap that you really don't need, but if you're like me keep, just in case.

These are some of the wristlets I'll be taking with me to the Market to sell. All yummy and pretty fabric. I'll take some photos of my new project tonight. Or tomorrow. Whenever my husband lets me out of my padded cell. If there's any padding left. I might use it in a purse.

day to be a cook!

My friend asked if I could make an apron for her little 4 year-old girl. Oh, melt me! As I jumped over the moon and landed smack right from where I launched, my reply was an excited "yes!" I don't get to sew very often for a little girl, so naturally, I became obsessed with my mission. The only requirement from my little chef's mother was that it involve pink gingham. OK, for certain I am going to require an intervention by the time this is over. I set out to find a pattern and then, joy of joys, shop for the fabric. The gingham? No problem. But what to put with it, what is going to look good with that joyful pink confection? I happened to be at Joann's and as I perused my fabric options, my eyes fell upon some Alexander Henry fabric...the famous fruit pattern. Perfect! What are the odds of Joann's carrying Alexander Henry fabric? I took it as a good omen and the pinks matched up perfectly! A little cutting, a little gathering, sewing and monogramming her sweet initials and it's complete! And adjustable. My little friend can put the apron on and off all by herself! How creative is that? You can find the pattern here. Free. Easy. Sweet. But I'm thinking that maybe, my little friend-chef might need another accessory. Hmmmmm....

blog Party...Woo-hoo!

It's a party! And as usual, I think I'm going to be a little late! Not matter, this is worth it! There's a beautiful, new book out called, Blogging for Bliss, by Tina Frey. Little Artsy Mama is hosting the cyber- party and she's made some delicious looking cupcakes...mmmm. In the book, Tina offers tips on how to create a blog, how to make it aesthetically pleasing and how to drive traffic to your little spot on the immense web. She's included over 50 bloggers, to inspire you and show you how her tips can help you create a fantastic blog. To join the party, click here. To visit Tina's beautiful blog, click here. And once I buy the book, we'll have a real-time blog renovation, right here! Down with the old, up with the new!

Gotta run and get ready for the party!

banner day.

Two banners from the Museum of Contemporary Art. They're big! The mission?

Recycle the banners, creating products to be sold in the museum gift shop. It totally sparks my creative juices. I already have a few ideas and cannot wait to get started! I'll be posting pictures of what I come up with...but in the meantime, doesn't that Popsicle look delicious?

look ahead.

My favorite class in High School was Art. My teacher, Mrs. Laman, was the best teacher a student could ask for. She was so easy-going and friendly, always encouraging us to develop our own techniques with various mediums. One assignment was to create a useful item out of fabric and adorn the finished product. That was the beginning of my love of textiles. I recall that I made a tote bag and adorning the tote bag was our dear girl, Holly Hobbie. Holly was a 70's icon, much like today's Hello Kitty. She was everywhere and I always loved her simple, homespun sweetness. Without knowing what the technique was called, I appliqued each piece of Holly's clothing to my bag, painted her face onto the tote and finished with braided hair made from yarn. I recall a flower held in her delicate hand...

Fast forward, really fast, to today. My love of textiles hasn't diminished, as proof of all the fabric overflowing in my sewing room. But that's OK, because I am about to get crazy-busy. Yesterday, I carted all of my finished products to the Museum of Contemporary Art's store, to show the manager what I've been working on. One of my recent projects has been mini key-fobs, that you wear on your finger. I took the whole bag, along with a slew of wristlets and a purse that I had made the day before. And that cake pincushion I've posted about. The manager looks through what I bring and then selects what she thinks will sell and I take the "rejects" home with me. Well, to my complete shock and awe, she took it all! I am wiped out. Not to mention that I booked three Saturdays for the Riverside Arts Market in September, November and December.

So if you come to my door for a cup of coffee and a visit, you had better stop and pick up two javas(one for you, one for me) and be prepared to work! Sparks will be flying!

itsy bitsy teeny-weeny, pierced navel bikini...

I'm still basking in the afterglow of our vacation...I'll be posting more on that once the ol' man goes back to work.

Those up there are key rings that I made for my girlfriend. She's giving them to her 20-year old daughter and friends, as little gifts for a casual get-together. The bra is a little pocket, to stash a lip balm or a little cash. They're really cute...

Check back soon for photographs and stories of our "mammoth" vacation.

MOCA mojo!

A purse...

a rendering of a man...

and a museum.

What do these three things have in common? They're existing together, at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) !!!

I received a call from a woman last week, asking if I would be interested in possibly selling my bags and whatnots at the store in the museum. Of course I would! Yesterday, I trekked downtown to meet with the manager of the museum's store, to discuss the business of providing wholesale purses to be featured in the shop. Parking several blocks away from the Museum, I lugged a briefcase and two big purses stuffed with other purses, key fobs and wristlets down the streets of Jacksonville, looking and feeling like an unfortunate tourist giving off the vibe, "Mug me!" (think movie, The Out of Towners). Anyhow, I arrived at my destination all harried and sweaty (100-degrees here, kiddos!) looking soggy and all crazy. Stepping into the ultra-chic contemporary store, I was greeted by a hip and cool-looking young woman, wearing awesome earrings and a darling dress. Young, cool woman/middle-aged, sweaty woman...it's a wonder she didn't turn her nose up at me in that instant and run into the back room! Smiling warmly, she immediately put me at ease. Slapping my Multi-tasker bag on the counter (it's huge!), along with my flamingo tote, I proceeded to unload my wares. She "ooohed" and "aaahhed" over it all, telling me how much she loved each and every item (I'm adopting her!). She rejected only a few items and the rest she kept, at which point we discussed the pricing. I signed some papers, shook hands with my new daughter and left the building, doing that jumping and clicking the heels in mid-air thing. You don't believe me?

And that is what I have been up to, making stuff for my meeting. My sewing room is in shambles and I must now sew and sew and sew...

Thank you, Wanda, for continuing to carry that bright orange and blue (GO GATORS!) bag. And for passing along my number to any and all who comment on it.

And Wanda,

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY!!!

cranium hiccup.

Yes, I do believe the reason all clothes shrink is due to chocolate! Wow, I've been busy this week! I can't believe it's been almost a week since the last time we chatted. I'm working on a new purse, hoping I can finish it tonight and have a picture of it right smack dab at the top of this page by tomorrow. I don't know, though...yesterday I got stuck on its construction for TWO HOURS! I should have popped a piece of chocolate in my mouth... that probably would have helped clear my addled brain. Or not. I even went so far as to email the lovely Anna Maria Horner, the designer of the pattern, for help. After dinner, I finally figured out the elusive step. Upon which I shot Anna another email apologizing for my daftness (yes, I did use that term), informing her that I had ultimately figured it out and to never mind the first email. She graciously replied this morning and said that she was sorry it took her until this morning to answer me. Talk about sweet, she's sweeter than chocolate!

I'm off to finish the bag, assuming I don't get stuck again......calling all chocolate...!

keep it cool, baby.

I am smitten with these coolers. I can't exactly say why, except for the fact that they're so convenient. Great for carrying a smaller supply of beverages. Take it to the pool...to the park, playing tennis, golf, work, the gym (taking in a big breath of oxygen), the beach, shopping, the movies, picnics...you get the idea.

I'm thinking of listing them in my store, but I'd like to offer these to you, my great readers, at a special summer rate: $10.00 for the drawstring carrier (plus shipping) and $8.00 for the tote (plus shipping). Quantities are limited.

If you'd like to place an order, please contact me: girubia@yahoo.com

Have a lovely, safe Memorial Day weekend!

-------------------------------------------------------------

ode to an ensemble.

Goodbye.

Your lovely blooms have brightened my week.

So vibrant, full of color and warmth.

I smile each time I look upon you,

for you remind me of vintage linens

and of my dear grandmother.

And please remember this:

don't get dirty!

Shudders.

thank goodness yesterday is gone & we have a winner!

Congratulations, Mindy! Random has again worked his mathematical magic, choosing you as the winner of this very bright, neon pink cooler. The huge neon green and pink flower pin should look lovely on on of your work ensembles. I'd like to thank all who entered, it's been a lot of fun reading your comments and blogs. Thank you for being my friends.

Yesterday was quite a day...for one thing, I had my new closet installed. I love it! I'm in the process of sorting clothing & deciding which frocks are worthy of residing in my new space. These are important decisions, as I don't want to end up with junk overtaking the closet again. Along with these concerns, I was composing a paper for a meeting I was to attend in the evening. I was completing the final edit and putting some finishing touches on it, trying to lighten it up a bit. Closet, paper, back to the closet, again to the paper...a vicious circle. Then the phone rang and plopping in MacGyver's big chair to chat, I looked out the back window and let out a blood-curdling scream into the receiver. OK, I didn't really scream out loud, I was screaming inside my head and I've gotta tell you, there was an echo (what does that mean to you?). There, on the roof of MacGyver's practically new high-tech garage (not really high-tech, MacGyver doesn't need new equipment to be effective), was a big gnarly tree limb. It had bent the framing and punctured the roof...why, oh why, oh why, oh why, why, why?! Why do the neighbors' trees fall into our nice and neat yard, why won't they just topple in their own yards? Why?!!!!! Water Oaks are just no darned good, I'm telling you!

I never finished the paper. I was late for my meeting. They ridiculed and mocked my shallow excuse (not really, they're all lovely ladies), dashing my hopes that this task would be completed and wiped off my to-do list. So much for hope.

And now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with my closet.

in a clutch.

I made this little clutch over the weekend and today, toted my posterior to the store to purchase that exquisite diamond on the front. The clutch is a nice size, has a cute little handle on the back, is roomy and the colors are cheerful. I'll be posting it on my web site for a reduced price, due to the fact it's the first I've made from that pattern and shhhhh, I need to do some tweaking on the next go-around. I'll definitely be making a few more of these little babies.

Lola's getting ready to start a sew-along, the item we'll be making is some sort of purse. She did come out with a little clue as to what type of purse...a tote bag, of sorts! She's a vault! Won't tell us more than that, the little mynx! She's also shedding weight, what a loser! So if you're inclined to make a purse, head on over for a list of supplies and join us on March 14th! There's a button on my sidebar, go link up and check her out!