and the winner of the purse is...

Lucky #3!

Pat Kennedy said...

This is too cute, you will have people begging for other holiday themed purses for gifts!

September 8, 2010 11:21 AM


Thanks to everyone who entered.  Keep checking back, as there will be more giveaways in the following weeks. 

For my loyal "Friends" over there in the right-hand margin, I'll be holding giveaways for you, too!  I might just decide one morning to pick a random winner and slap it up on the blog.  So if you're not a "Friend" already, become one today and you'll automatically be entered to win.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

whiney autumn lament.

Hello.

It's still hotter'n heck, hades, h-e-double hockey sticks here in Florida.

Tell me, what does fresh, cool air feel like?

I knew it once, a very long time ago.

Tucked in my bed as the evening settled in, curtains dancing upon the cool autumn air.

...and the breeze would lightly kiss my cheek.

The tree frogs and crickets sang their orchestrated lullaby as a girl drifted off to sleep.

Now all I have are hot flashes in the middle of the night, a damp t-shirt and lizards staring at me through the window. 

...the dog sleeping on the floor at the foot of the bed, dreaming and snoring like an old, craggy sea captain.  Nice.

I miss the dancing curtains and the songs of the night critters.

...Autumn in Florida just isn't the same!

Boo, To You! {A Giveaway}

It's time for a giveaway.

I've been meaning to make something nifty to give away and I think I've got it! 

These little Halloween ghosts and bats, pumpkins and cats, vampires and spiders are too cute.  Not at all evil looking. 

I don't like evil.

There's a nice roomy pocket on the back. 

Perfect for receipts and other stray items.

There's a coordinating key fob to go with the strappy shoulder bag...I seem to have misplaced the hardware to finish the fob.  But I promise, once I find the missing bag of metal, I'll post a photo.

All you have to do to enter a chance at this Halloween fun is leave a comment...that's it.  Please be sure to leave your email address somewhere for me, I'll need to contact you.  If you forget, I'll wait 3 days and randomly select someone else.

If you're a blogger and would like to mention the giveaway on your blog, just slap in another comment...you know the procedure! 

Fun, fun, FUN!

In other news, I had a surprise root canal today.  Lucky me.  Now my head hurts. 

Hey, FYI...don't try applying your lipstick following a dental procedure.  Don't ask me how I know this...you'll end up looking like that old crabby cartoon lady, Maxine.  But in our family, we call that crabby senior "Ruby." 

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!

thou shalt not covet...

I failed to mention that I am now working.

More on that in the months to follow.

Let's just say that as of this week, I am rediscovering how to keep it all going.

I haven't figured it out yet...you'll be the first to know when I do.

Today at work,  these little beauties walked through the door.

Ready....

I don't think I have to tell you how excited I was. 

I mean, really.  How cute are these shoes?

I dragged Jennifer all over to show everyone her AWESOMENESS.  Sorry 'bout that, Jennifer.

I stooped so low as to bring my camera back to work at lunchtime. 

Not blogging these shoes would be totally wrong. 

A plight on the blogging world.

I care that much!

Then there was this:

Nice try...

Sorry, Larry.

Those shoes just don't cut it!

Come back when you can wear some footwear a little more, shall we say, avant-garde!

Pink polka-dot = delicious

Brown moccasin-type/comfortable = b.o.r.i.n.g.

It's too bad that I didn't have my camera yesterday, when Becky was wearing her fabulous pink sweater-set.

No one is safe from my camera...NO ONE!

thwarted by poultry!

How can you not love a gal who wears her bra on the outside of her outfit? 

What a fashion statement!

I'm using this kitschy picture for, the rubia.  Because she is a rubia!  She's sitting over in the right margin.  Click her and she'll escort you over to my web site. 

Speaking of my site, a few of you have asked about it and I'm so happy to tell you that we've experienced success in uploading it.  There was a little glitch, but MacGyver showed up and helped to figure out the problem.  Something about a missing FTP file...

It's going to take a few more weeks to get more items photographed and uploaded to the site, so please check back from time to time to see what's new in the store.

Speaking of new items, I mentioned that I'd have a photo ready for you today.  Once again, I seem to have missed my mark.  I never finished the purse.  Here's the story: I was done-in by chicken piccata.

The weather here in Jacksonville Sunday was, shall I say, like a grey overcast day in Buffalo.  I considered firing up the grill, but there was a risk getting caught in huge threatening tropical rain drops. So I decided to just make dinner easy and make old trusty chicken piccata. Just like Vosco used to make in the old country. 

As I was preparing to pour the wine into the skillet to join a pat of butter and freshly squeezed lemon juice, it seems my arm slipped and  I mistakenly spilled the wine into a lovely wine glass. What's a girl to do when that happens?  Naturally, I drank the spilled vino. 

And then to my utter horror and delight , I once again spilled the wine into my empty wine glass!

So what are the odds of spilling it a third time?  Yeah, you guessed it... 

I had tried to come in and sew in-between the bouts of spilling the wine, but it's really not a great idea to drink and sew.  There are laws against it... 

I am a law-abiding citizen, so I pulled over and parked myself on the couch.  Hence, the nap.

And lack of a finished purse...but soon, soon I will have a photo posted.

Unless I make chicken piccata again and spill the wine. 

on my table.

Since I found my c-c-courage to c-c-cut into uber c-c-cute fabric, I've decided to do something with this lucious piece of gorgeousness. 

The boys will be watching the fights tonight, so I may just hideout and sew for awhile. 

Check back on Monday to see what I've made.

Have a great weekend!

vicious circle.

I've had this fabric for a long time.

I just couldn't decide what to make from it.

The thing with those who sew is this: it's next to impossible to cut into a fabric when it takes your breath away.

But last night, the pretty fabric begged to be made into something.

So I did it.

I transformed it into an apron.

There wasn't enough fabric to make the full apron, as in the picture...so I made a half-apron.  Still so pretty.

Just one thing...

I forgot to attach the pocket.


You know how I said in a previous post that I wasn't going to buy any more fabric?  Apparently, I lied. 

Shhhhh....

At the time I meant it, but I happened to run into an online sale and crikey, I couldn't pass up these precious fabrics:

  

Blenders...

Toasters...

Aprons, potholders anybody? 

Yeah, these are priceless fabrics.  I didn't order much, so if you have any ideas for the fast-approaching holidays, give me a shout. 

'Cause the sewing machine goes into hibernation the second week of December.

And I settle in for my long winter's nap!

ahead of schedule.

Wow. 

My self-imposed projected day of completion was Friday.  Saturday at the latest.

Maybe Sunday. 

Monday, no later than Monday!

But here it is, Thursday, and the bag is finished. 

I did impose a self-punishment in the event I didn't meet my deadline.  I was to post a litany of nice things about my friend Terri, should I fail my mission.  Terri and I have a love/love relationship.  We say ugly things about each other, one trying to outdo the other.  Nothing too mean, just little snipey things.  All said with affection.  We've been doing this for years.  From the day she blew cracker crumbs all over me approximately 11 years-ago, we've been matching wits.

Nit-wits.  

Besides, we apparently amuse our friend Tim and hey, an audience makes it even more interesting.

I may just head on over to Face Book and list a few things about Terri...good or bad, I'm not sure.  I'll figure it out once I get there. 

OK, Connie.  Your bag is ready.  I hope you love it!

*This bag was made from the pattern by Rebeka Lambert, over at her fabulous blog, Artsy-Crafty Babe.  The fabric is from the Amy Butler collection.

guilty pleasure.

Every summer, since it's first airing, I've watched America's Got Talent.

I love the show.

This year, my favorite contestant is Prince Poppycock.  He is my guilty pleasure.

He's unique, creative, different...talented!

I hope he wins.

Excuse me one moment, I need to tell my dad something...

**Dad.  Don't watch this clip.  Just scroll down to my previous post,"Action Pants" and read that one again, OK?**

Thank you for waiting, people. 

And without further ado, I bring you Prince Poppycock!





So there you go. 

I adore the theater!

on my table:

I have placed a moratorium on fabric-buying. 

Unless, of course, someone has requested a special order.

Thankfully, my friend Connie came to my rescue.  Which meant that I had to go buy some fabric. 

I love it when that happens!

Three of those fabrics were already living with me...really.  Not a recent purchase.

We shall begin at the top of the stack:

~the first two fabrics most likely will be a purse.  The colors are gorgeous!
~the third and fourth will be a purse.  Special order.
~the fifth, I do believe, is going to be an apron.  The colors are unbelievably vibrant!

When will I have these completed?  Your guess is as good as mine!  Ha, ha, ho, ho.....

No, really.  I have to complete one purse by the end of the week.  

I can do it!

.....I can, right?

somebody, stop me!

My name is Patti and I have an addciton...

...to these awesome little jewelery pouches!

Crikey!  I can't stop making them!

The the fabrics, the colors...

 There are more pouches, but just how many can I photograph and plop here on my blog?

I need some serious intervention.

Perhaps I should make an apron...?

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.......

little jewelery pouch.

Meet my new jewelery pouches. 

They're round and cute.

You may recall this recent post, in which they were in cut circles and neatly stacked on my cutting table.  A neat cutting table is a new phen...pheono...phenomena 'round here. 

This is a special order for a bridal party...cute little wrapping, I'd say.

I was extremely happy with how these pouches turned out.

And the really neat thing is, the pouch is perfect for transporting jewelery on overnight stays or to take on vacation.  Once the pouch is cinched, nothing is going to escape.

Another view:

Inside are six little pocket that can hold earrings or rings, or chains. 

The bottom has a nice padded flat area to place a bracelet or perhaps a chunky necklace.

Beads were added to the ends of the ribbon, to prevent losing the ribbon completely within the casing.

The pouches are great fun to make.  I see a jewelery pouch in my mother's future...

wind chill vs. heat index.

Here we have the new and improved Wind Chill table.  I'm not quite sure what was wrong with the old graphing, but hey, I'm not one to argue with the egg-heads who create these charts.  I'm lucky if I can remember my multiplication tables. 

Wind chill refers to the temperature your body is telling you what the cold feels like, depending upon the actual outside  temperature and the speed of the wind. 

So if it's 20-degrees outside and the wind is whipping at 5 mph, the temperature might feel like minus 12-degrees to your body.

I'm not  a scientist, so please don't hold me to those exact numbers.

I'm here to tell you that if you live in Northern climates say, Buffalo (giving a shout-out to the land of my birth) and you go outside to shovel your driveway for the 3rd time in one day, once you return inside to the comfort of your warm cozy house, your nose will probably feel like it's going to fall off your face.

And if your nose is still intact, check to make sure both ears are still attached.  Just saying...

And then, there's this:

The hated and despised heat-index.

It works in the same manner as the wind-chill factor.  Only opposite.  But you probably knew that. 

The heat-index is evil.  Very evil.  It makes the outdoors feel like Hades.  And you sweat.  You sweat just thinking about sweating. 

Why did I go from one extreme to the other?

Buffalo to Florida.  North to South. Cold to Hot.  Freezing to Hades. 

Know this: it's easier to snuggle under a blanket and warm up than it is to come in and cool down.  Or to sit in front of a roaring fire, wearing your thermals and 5 other layers of clothing.

Here in Hades, I mean Florida, we push the thermostat button down as low as it will go and sit under the ceiling fan.  In as little clothing as humanly possible while maintaining some semblance of dignity... and maybe just causing loved-ones to heave.   Just saying....

But there's no place like Florida once the heat breaks, the temperatures cool down and the ocean breezes kick  up, bringing sweet and refreshing relief over the land. Those are the days you just don't want to go back inside.  And you can sit out on your patio all stinkin' day!

I'm so confused...

face of Jewish guilt.

This is no ordinary mouse pad.

This is "Jewish guilt" personified.

I've often wondered what Jewish guilt looks like.

Now I know.

It looks like this mouse pad.  

My Jewish friend, who also happens to be my sister-in-law, gave this to me.

She said that it is Jewish guilt.  The kind of guilt you just can't say "no" to.  

She also said that it reminded her of me, except for the fact that my hair is blonde and not accurately portrayed in the image of the Goddess.  

All other representation looks exactly like me...bwah, ha, ha, ha....

Jewish guilt works.

I am almost finished with the two boring plain white aprons (no inspiration there, thanks Linda!).

That's what Jewish guilt does.  

It taunts you and pokes at you without saying a word.

I submit to the guilt.

Even though I am a Goddess!  

we go round in cirlces.

Yes, circles!

What could she be making with all these circles, you ask?

Jewelery pouches!  Aha!

I will be spending the rest of the weekend assembling these fabulous little lovelies. 

Also, I will be embroidering some aprons for my dear sister-in-law. 

Ending the day with a few refreshing beverages, poolside. 

Anyone want to join us? 

Say, 6 PM?

Unless it rains...if it does, I'll be sewing. 

Or something...

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!

week in review.

What I've been up to the last few days...

• Volunteered at the WHC on Monday...
• Worked with my friends Julie, Sally & Suzanne on Tuesday, selling school uniforms.  They let me use pens and order forms...uh-oh!
• A quick trip to Paula's Fine Fabrics for a bridal order  (no luck) and to Publix on Wednesday...
• And here we are on Thursday, with one destination and the rest of the day to work on photos for the web site.  Hopefully, Friday will be the day I launch my new-improved and condensed site...

On the table up there, are some items that will be listed for sale on my site.  More is on the way, but I suffer from photo taking-anxiety.  It is a recently discovered phobia, one for which there is no cure.  I happened to isolate and identify the condition.

Plow ahead I must, accepting that I am not a photographer and coax my cute point and shoot digital to work its magic!    

And tomorrow, with the aid of flickr and picnik, purses, pouches and wristlets will be available for your perusal.

Why didn't I take a photography course when I was younger?!

life.

This is the story of BB:

She eats.

She sleeps.

The end.