Planning for Fall

I know we just barely started summer here in New England, but my thoughts are to the cooling down of temperatures and the changing of wardrobes. Why? I'm developing a new purse line for Sew Cute! and want to take my time and make it wonderful. While I am dreaming up new purse patterns, I also want to pay attention to fashion trends.

I found a blog that follows fashion trends - fashionising.com - and looked up the hot colors for Fall 2010. If you are interested in reading the whole article and seeing the various colors, click here. The gist that I got: mixing travel/adventure and "going green". From exotic blues and magentas to rugged military greens and metallic greys and blacks, this fall should be interesting. And, I hope to make my bags just as so!

Let's look at some possible fabric swatches....

chocolate brown, golden glow, exotic:

joann.com

golden glow, rugged:

amy butler fabric/lotus

fashion futurism, brocade, refined elegance:

joann.com

After checking out a few other blogs, I found a blogger who gave a list of the Fall 2010 Textile and Fabric trends. Check out "Love is Life" here. It seems we are in for some heavier fabrics - twills and velvets. She echoed the metallics and the following color schemes winter flowers - teal/burnt organge/grey, navy/dk - lt poppy/lime/turquoise, plum/burgundy/rust.

The military look is also back "in" for Fall 2010. How about some industrial messenger bags to complete your look?

What color scheme would you want in your fall bag?

• coming up next: Fall 2010 fashion trends for bags and accessories
  

What I've Been Up To

I feel like it has been forever since I have listed a new item in my etsy shop! And, that is because I have been working on a huge custom order for one of my parties. I am working steadily on the bags (especially trying to get some done while my husband is in Haiti for the week) and thought I would share some of my creations with you!

Sweet Pink Mini-Tote! A first in two fabrics!

Divine Lime! Love the new fabrics!

Most popular fabrics! A new twist on the black and yellow birdie fabric.

I have a couple other bags that are almost done and will post them soon! In the next few weeks, I would like to try something new with my blog - a tutorial! I like to make matching key chains to go with my bags and since they are super easy, thought I would share!!! So, be on the look out for my key chain tutorial coming soon!

Wouldn't you just love a matching key chain for your Sew Cute! bag?

Big News

Hello! I've been neglecting my blog and twitter accounts lately because we've been busy at work! I thought I would take some time to write and then catch myself up on the blogs I follow! I miss everyone. =)

The first bit of news is baby related! Doug and I went for the ultrasound this morning - 21 weeks and counting! Our baby BOY is healthy, strong (95% for size), and very modest - he wouldn't let us know "who" he was until the very end, keeping his legs crossed the entire ultrasound!!! It was wonderful to see my baby's form - truly a blessing and miracle from God.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. Psalm 139:14
Seeing my child inside of my womb makes me wonder how people can not believe in a mighty, sovereign, loving God.

I should have some pictures coming soon; my husband is scanning them. I'm wondering what the next stage in my pregnancy will bring - we've started our registry, so we'll have to finish that. We have signed up for our hypnobirthing class (not as crazy as it sounds, believe me!) and I'm slowly (yes, I am very happy about this) gaining weight. So far, 10 pounds. =) Grandpa Gray has painted the nursery, now we just need to fill it with baby stuff! Whew...it should be fun!

Another big set of news....my dear friend Amanda is getting married this weekend!!!! Doug and I are happy to be part of her big day...I'm helping coordinate the ceremony and reception and my husband has the pleasure of officiating the ceremony. We are so excited for our friends...marriage is a wonderful blessing. Congrats Mandy and Tim!!! It will be a beautiful wedding weekend.

On the bag front.....I had my third Sew Cute! At Home party a few weekends ago and came home with another HUGE order. The success of my little business is mind-boggling and a little stressful - with a full time job and pregnancy hormones to manage. I've been sewing away on my new orders and will get some pictures up soon. I've decided to take June off to get ready for my baby BOY (quilt, crib skirt, nursing cover, bobby cover....you get the picture!!!), but will then reevaluate for the rest of the summer depending on my energy levels! At the very least, I will stock up my etsy shop, Lucy's Art Emporium, work on my business plan, and get ready for some fall craft fairs.

A special shout-out to my wonderful husband, Doug - he has been amazing during my pregnancy (and all five years of marriage!!!) - going out for late night cookie runs in the rain, ordering out when he knows I will be too tired to cook, and adapting to my ever present crying. I love you, honey!!!

Whew! That was quite a lot to update. =) Talk soon!

Monday Meal: Lighten Up!

Well, the weekend is over and work has begun. Well, not in my department - no work, yet...but I am still here and not home in my cozy sewing room listening to Erin Dooley and making bags...I digress.

I found a recipe that I used a few months ago and thought I would share it. I love Macaroni and Cheese! Any kind, any time, don't touch it! My husband knows after five years of marriage that he does not touch my mac and cheese unless I give him the go! I have a wonderful homemade recipe that I found in a Martha Stewart Food Magazine (yum), but is totally artery clogging and guilt inducing. This recipe - Lighten Up - Three Cheese Macaroni is from Food Network and as the title implies, is much lighter. I would not say this is "healthy", but if you love mac and cheese and have a conscience about your heart and waistline...it's a good one to try.

A few notes about the recipe...it uses evaporated milk instead of whole milk. I heard on the radio last week that to lighten up mac and cheese you can use evaporated milk - same taste and texture, less calories. The recipe also calls for muenster cheese and much less cheddar than usual. I read it wrong when I made mine and put in less muenster and more cheddar (oops)...but give it a try. I have heard that using a sharper more tasty cheese (and less of it) works just as well as Emeril's 4 cups (no kidding) of cheddar/monteray jack. For the veggie lovers out there, this recipe also includes cauliflower. The theory is to puree the cauliflower to thicken up the sauce and add some nutrients. I (again) didn't follow the directions and put the cauliflower in small pieces. I would recommend pureeing!!!

FYI - I have also heard that using cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in these baked pasta dishes cuts down unwanted calories. I use cottage cheese in my lasagna and the hubby loves it!!!

So, basically, my notes tell you to FOLLOW THE RECIPE!!!!

Doug liked it - couldn't tell the difference between this and my super-fattening Martha recipe. I thought it was good - minus the cauliflower - as a lowfat alternative, but nothing trumps my Martha!!!!

So, if you have a craving for some comfort carbs, check out this recipe from Food Network. Let me know what you think!!!!

Filling up the shop, day 3

Hello!

How was your Monday? Mine was great! I did a lot of promoting (yes!) and as a result, got a sale (double yes!). So, you know how my goal for the week is to list an item everyday on etsy? Well, yesterday, I gave my Facebook fans a sneak peek of some of the new items and one of my friends bought an item! So, I listed two items yesterday - that counts for two days, right? =)

I just listed a new item for today. This coin purse matches the mini-wallet that I posted yesterday. I just love this fabric! It's so cheerful and fun. These coin purses are great because they can fit more than just coins - lip gloss, money, cards, etc.

Coloful Flowers Coin Purse - Etsy

So, what's in store for the rest of the day? After I finish my "day" job, I'm going home to have dinner with my husband and then finish a medium tote from a custom order. I also have a Sew Cute! at home party to prepare for this weekend. Well, have a great day!

Filling up the shop

Happy Monday! I did quite a bit of sewing, promoting, and thinking this weekend....among helping throw a bridal shower for a dear friend! I realized I need to pay more attention to my etsy shop in the midst of completing Sew Cute! at home party orders - a task that is not so easy! I did have some wallets, coin purses and a bag sitting in my sewing room and made a goal to fill up my shop this week!

My cousin, Kaitlin, did this a month or so ago. She set a goal for herself to list one item a day for a week and see what happened in her shop. I started yesterday and listed a new item for Sew Cute! - I have branched out from basic, one pocket clutch/ wallets, to a wallet that has one main pocket, and then some credit card divisions. Here it is:

Find this in my etsy shop - click here

Wicasset by Moda Wallet

Today, I listed an item that is a bit more "springy". This floral mini-wallet is super bright and just wants to go inside your bag! I have a matching coin purse that will be unveiled soon!

In other areas of Sew Cute!, my huge order is slowly coming to an end! I have one and a half bags left to complete. I've learned quite a lot during this process as well as sewn every spare minute I have. Here are a few things I will put into practice:
1. Charge more for custom orders! They take time - more time to pick out the fabrics, go to the store, figure out which button the customer would like best, etc.
2. Put more in writing! I need to make sure I specify that custom orders cannot be returned. Customers need to be told to be very specific about their likes and dislikes if they are going to "trust me".
3. Order thank you cards and new business cards! I'm running low on business cards and I want to incorporate some matching thank you cards I can send to customers.

Finally, Here are some photos of a few of the orders I recently filled:

Cassie's Order: Black & White Mini-Tote, matching wallet and keychain

Melissa's Order: Custom Alchemy Order - Scoop Pocket Purse

Have a great day!

Friday Finds: Baby Style

Etsy Baby Picks!




When shopping for baby showers, why not buy handmade? These are just a few of the thousands of baby items on etsy! Thanks for viewing my very first mini-treasury! So exciting.

Twitter Basics

I'm entering the world of Twitter! While hanging out on the etsy forums this morning, I found this blog post. Twitter Basics It's really helpful if you want to learn more about starting a Twitter account.

Why I am going to start "tweeting":

-Many crafters have joined the Twitter phenomenon - and I hear it is a great way to network.
-Add it to the other social media networking sites for small businesses - Facebook, Blog, and Twitter.
-I hear it can drive traffic to your etsy shop (though, I know not to abuse it promoting your biz).
-Sounds like fun!

I'll keep you updated on this process!

Until then....any suggestions? =)

Friday Finds and More!

Happy Friday! It has been awhile since I have written! Busy, Busy in the Tappan household. I am now 17 weeks pregnant and every day is a new adventure. Yesterday, I woke up angry and this morning I woke up ready to cry and throw in the towel. I guess these hormones really take a lot out of a girl! My husband is afraid to get out of bed in the morning, never knowing if it will be his sweet wife or the monster twin awaiting him! I guess he can handle it.

Part of this emotional rollercoaster is my HUGE bag order from my most recent Sew Cute! at home party....no complaints here, but I am a bit overwhelmed. I have made 6 bags (various sizes) with matching wallets, keychains, etc. and still have 5 bags to go. Thankfully, the accessories are already completed. My etsy shop is waning and the store I sell my bags in needs more! YIKES! Doug reminded me I just need to breathe and take it one day at a time. I will try that and get back to you!

On a happy note, today is our 5 year anniversary! April 16th was the date of our first date....and we got married one year later. Doug and I have known each other since high school, so this was no speedy engagement. It's been a great five years, full of love and learning and I wouldn't trade any of it.

Since I am expecting, I have been searching Etsy for cute baby items. I even tried to post a treasury, but to no avail. My friends use "nursing bracelets" - beaded bracelets that have numbers on them to help you remember when you last nursed, and what side you nursed on. I found this particular bracelet very cheerful and fun from a seller called Chunky Monkey Toes.


Do you have any favorite baby products? Help a girl out! Post a comment with some links to great finds that worked for you. Also, any suggestions on which cloth diaper hybrids to use? =)

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. =)

And the winner is...

The results are in! The winner of Sew Cute's first giveaway is....Kaitlin Gray of Rochester, NY!!!! Congrats, Cousin!!!

Kaitlin gets to pick her favorite fabrics for a Sew Cute! zippered coin purse! Thank you to all the participants. Don't worry; Sew Cute! will be having another giveaway in the future.

Still really want one? I'm selling them at an introductory price of $6.00 on my etsy.com site...check it out. If you don't see a fabric arrangement you like, send me a message, I have tons of cute fabrics!

Congratulations again, Kaitlin! Visit Kaitlin's etsy shop: kaitlineringray.esty.com

a little bit of Spring

Sorry, I haven't been around all week! I actually had to work, at work! Crazy, huh?
I have a few updates for you and a few treats as well!

Last Saturday's bag party was fantastic! I sold a ton of purses, wallets, mini-wallets and booked a party! I am extremely overjoyed that Sew Cute! is on it's way....feels hard to believe that a year ago I hadn't even thought up Sew Cute!. I need to remind my self of God's faithfulness and provision at all times of this business venture....even when I'm so tired from being pregnant and have HUGE bag order looming over me! So, the party took in over $500 worth of orders. Now the job is to order fabric, start making bags, and figure out how much is actual profit, how much goes to my investor (dear Mom) and how much to put back in the business. It is quite a learning process.

I am also toying with the idea of getting thank you cards made - I may do them myself with publisher or check out etsy to see if there are any crafters out there who can do it for me! I need bags as well for my bags! Or somesort of packaging. I've heard the Dollar Tree offers some great deals on smaller bags (for wallet, keychains, etc), but I need to explore larger options for the mini-tote and the regular totes. Hmmm....

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted the Spring table runner I was making? Well, I finally have the photos! It is so pretty and looks great on my kitchen table.

The finished product!

A close up view.

On an end note, the giveaway is almost over....so, go to the giveaway post and enter to win one of my new zippered coin purses!

Saturday morning with a cup of tea...

It's really early on a Saturday morning. I should be sleeping....but, long story short, I am at my parents house waiting for my car to get inspected. So, I made a cup of tea, grabbed Mom's laptop and here we are.

What are your plans for today? I have a super busy day (my poor husband has had to hear about it all week, sorry!), especially for a pregnant lady who just wants to curl up with a book.
1. Car inspection @ 8:00 am - check
2. Bank
3. Sew Cute! at home party - so excited about this...I'll let you know how it goes!
4. Tutoring session
5. HOME - but making soup
6. Rest
7. Dinner with friends

So, at least I am getting a little bit of blogging done, with a cup of yummy Chai tea.

This week while reading blogs, I've noticed a trend. People are posting things such as, " 10 Things you didn't know about me from reading this blog" and so on...so, why don't I jump on the bandwagon? What's great about this is that it is not a forward and you don't have to respond...but if you want to....leave a comment!

10 Things you didn't know about me from reading this blog:
1. My husband's name is Doug and he is very cute
2. My parents have a chihuahua named Shandy and he just came running out, barking at me!
3. I've always wanted long hair, but can never grow it past my shoulders
4. My brother's name is Jamie and he has three darling children (and a lovely wife)
5. I really hope my baby has strawberry blond/red hair!
6. My career goal in college was to be a neuroscientist....we'll see about that.
7. I broke my right ring finger playing basketball freshman year of HS - it was in gym - I have no athletic ability at all!
8. My best friend lives in Colorado; which is way too far away for me!
9. I love Barbies
10. My bunny, Velvet, likes to snort at Doug (and me, sometimes!)

Life: Crazy Love

This blog is about life, not just handbags.

"The fact is, I need God to help me love God. And, if I need his help to love him, a perfect being, I definitely need his help to love other, fault filled humans. Something mysterious, even supernatural must happen in order for genuine love for God to grow in our hearts. The holy spirit has to move in our lives." page 104, Crazy Love by Francis Chan.

My husband encouraged me to read a book that he recently read - it's called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. He told me that as I read it, at times I wouldn't even feel like a Christian and that this book would make me desire God more. So, I picked it up and read four chapters on Sunday. Then, I took a few days to digest the fact that I don't love God enough and almost feel like a fraud. I read more today.

That sounds harsh. And, I'm glad. I've been a follower of Christ for my whole life...no life changing, radical moments in Meg's life. I love God and try to serve Him. I do Bible Study, I go to church, I help the needy. But, it is not enough. I need to give my all to Him.

I just read the chapter about Love - being in love with God. It's hard to think about being madly in love with your creator and not just your husband (or wife). But, it is what God desires and made us for. We are not followers of Christ to get to heaven. If that is what drives your faith, think again. I don't think about heaven too much...to be honest, it scares me...we don't know much about it. But, really, I should want to look forward to spending eternity with my maker, the Most High God.

Do you have a pulling on your heart? Is your soul tired? Even if you are not a Christian, or if you are, I'm am sure you feel the tug for more. The back cover of this book states, "Have you ever wondered if we're missing it?" Can a woman who has followed God her whole life miss the point? Yup. And that is why I am reading Crazy Love and looking more indepthly at the scriptures.

I'm at a life transition. I am three months pregnant and so happy! I'm really nervous, too. Isn't it a great time to fall in love with God and truly follow Him? I think so. I'm sure this won't be easy (the author said it wouldn't) or quick, but I hope to change my thinking about God. I hope to share my faith more and not be so comfortable. Everyone has their "ish", we all have stuff to work on....knowing and doing are two different things, though.

Here's a quote from A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God that really speaks to what my heart is saying.

"O God, I have tasted thy goodness and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, 'Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise and follow thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long."

What do you think? Leave me a comment or better yet, read the book.
crazy love book website

Giveaway Review

I taught elementary school for three years and one thing I learned is to review information! So, I'm going to review my giveaway information for you! I've noticed I have quite a few new followers, but no new giveaway entries. So, to clarify:

~To enter the giveaway, you must:
1. Be a follower
2. Leave a comment on the giveaway post stating:
-your email (so I can contact you)
-which bag style you like the best from my etsy shop
3. There are other ways to get multiple entries as well...go to the original post for details!

giveaway post

Hurry....the giveaway ends in two weeks!

Coming soon....
Photos of my new table runner. I finished it last week in time for the first day of Spring...but haven't had time to upload the photos! It's gorgeous. =) Have a great day!

new items

It feels like it is officially Spring! In NH, you can never quite expect the weather to stay constant for too long...but these new coin purses will help you keep the Spring mood!


Birds of a Feather Flock Together



Pink Flowers Make Me Smile!

My First Giveaway!

Yay! We did it! Now that I have at least 25 followers (through blogger and/or networked blogs), Sew Cute! is having a giveaway! Thank you for being a follower of the Sew Cute! blog and now you can have a chance to win my newest item - the zippered coin purse!



The winner will get to choose from three fabric selections!

Here's how to participate:
1. This giveaway is for my followers, so you have to be follower (or subscribe to my blog) to participate.

2. In order to get signed up for the giveaway, leave me a comment to this post saying your name, email address (so I can contact you if you win!)and which Sew Cute! bag you like the best - you can look at them on my esty mini sidebar or go to my etsy site
You can also be entered other ways ~ yes, more than 1!

~write a blog post about this giveaway (1 extra entry)
~facebooking this giveaway (1 extra entry)
~buy an item from my etsy shop (5 extra entries!)

How do you enter extra entries?!!

~In order to get the extra entries, you must come back to this post and leave a comment about how you promoted this giveaway, with a link to where you promoted it and your email address so I can contact you.

How will I pick the winner?!!!

~I'll tally up the entries, assigning numbers to each, then use random.org to pick a winner!

You have until April 6th to enter!

Shop Local!

Happy Friday! My mother-in-law's birthday is coming up next week and I was thinking yesterday that it would be cool to shop local. Maybe it is because I make my own handbags and sell them that I thought of this or because I have spent a lot of time on Etsy this week. I've been reading forums, blog posts and just acquainting myself more with the site and the world of crafting for business.

When I was perusing Etsy, I noticed a "Shop Local" tab and clicked it. You can search for Etsians who live in your area! I found a local Etsian who lives right down the road from me in Rochester and she has super cute jewelry. MamaLuna11 Her pendants are made from old Scrabble pieces...I'll let you check out her page for more info....check her out, seriously! So, I ended up looking through her shop and purchased a gift for my mother-in-law (hopefully, she is not reading this blog post!).
This is one of the pendants from Mama Luna's shop!

I just got me thinking about shopping locally. Outside of Lucy's Art Emporium in Dover, where I sell my bags, there is a big sign that states "shop local". In these hard times, it makes sense to support local artisans who are trying their hand at making some money doing what they love to do. And, if it is interesting and fits with our style/needs. So, next time you need something new or for a gift - shop local! Check out Etsy!

Follow!

Coming Soon! I am going to host a Sew Cute! Giveaway. Once I reach 25 followers, I will post info on an initial giveaway (one of my new coin purses in the fabric of your choice!)...then, watch your chances for a second, larger scale giveaway (a clutch or a bag!) when I reach 50 followers!

So, for now, check out my blog, reach some past posts and keep an eye on my follower list!

Today's Project: Bright Pink Knitted Hat

I started a new knitting project at work today. I've used this pattern once before and the hat came out great! Although, it is getting warmer outside here in NH, it is never too early or too late to start knitting projects for the cold weather!

Sew Cute! Saturday & Sunday

This weekend, I got a bit of quilting done - both for Sew Cute! and my own projects. I finally finished the wallet/coin purse duo for a custom order. t The coin purse took a bit of work, I made two and finally perfected it with this one.

I also decided that I want to make a Spring table runner with some pink lemonade fabrics that I picked out last year. I started this project this afternoon. I should be done sometime this week.

Here's the pic of what it will look like finished:


Among other things, I found out that I sold a few items at Lucy's...and was very excited about it. I realized that with Spring coming, I should try out another store to sell my bags at. Today, I headed down to Portsmouth and checked out another store. It looks promising...so we'll see!

lists

If you read my last entry, I am trying to expand my blogging abilities. It is important to not just blog about Sew Cute! and my business ideas. But, today is a day for organizing my thoughts!

This morning, I was reading my etsy email and all the wonderful tips and tricks they give you to promote your business. Of course, it would be wonderful if I had the time to actually implement all of these ideas - maybe I would increase my sales! Day by day, right? At least, while I am at work, I can do research and find cool ideas, document them here and then go back when I have time. That's the plan, anyway! One of the featured tips was from the curious pug, an etsy seller who blogs and posts helpful tutorials. If you get a chance, check it out - it is a great list of how to boost your etsy business. The five tips I liked the best were:
~4. Add your shop address and blog url to your email signature. - a great tip, why didn't I think of that?
~19. Make a slide-show quick and easy with Google Picasa and post it to YouTube. - she even includes a tutorial on how to do this! It's a creative way to get a new group of people looking at your stuff.
~23. Use your 14 tags wisely. You can also include your shop name as a tag in a few of your items so buyers can find you by searching for you on etsy. - I just recently realized you could type in your own tag at this point of adding an item on etsy and adding your shop name is super!
~17. Host a giveaway. - once I have some more followers and my shop has more inventory, this is top priority!
~26. Thinking about taking custom orders? It would be wise to take a non-refundable 50% deposit from the customer before you even begin. Then have them pay the rest after you set up a reserved listing with images. Don't just go through email with a custom order. Set up a listing on Etsy. - I think I need to look into this, I thought I set it up, but might need to revisit!
Thanks, Curious Pug, for all your helpful tips! Here is The Curious Pug's etsy page - the curious pug. Check it out!

#1 thing to do this week: set up a flickr account!

Sew Cute! Saturdays

I just came across a great blog when I was reading my weekly Etsy newsletter. CarzooCrittters is a fellow blogger who sells on etsy and blogs about their crafting experience. In this article, they posted a "Giant" list of blog ideas...something we could all use a lot of! So, from now on, I'm going to try to be a little more creative with my blogging.

First orde of business: Sew Cute! Saturdays ~ one suggestion was to have daily blogging topics that you follow through throughout the week. Another friend of mine does this. So, Saturdays will be Sew Cute! Saturdays. I usually do most of my sewing on the weekends. This way, I can take photos of my new creations and post them to the blog on Saturdays. I'm sure more ideas will come, but until then, check out my projects for the day and read that blog!

Saturday, February 27 - Today, I worked on finishing up some wallets for Lucy's Art Emporium and a custom order I have. Birds are very popular right now, so the two small wallets feature fun bird fabrics in blues and blacks. The black and yellow fabrics are some of my best sellers and the blues are perfect for Spring! The larger wallet is a custom order for a woman who purchased one of my bags at a craft fair this winter. She wants a matching wallet with divisions in it and a small change purse.
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Here is the wallet - I did have some trouble with it since this was the first time I made one. The clasp didn't want to work right at first with the divisions for the credit cards, but in the end with a little help from my seam ripper, the wallet is all ready! Now, I need to get cracking on the change purse!

whims and goals

I have a very interesting job. I work as a temp for an educational firm in the Quality Assurance department. Basically, I check data printouts with the web versions to make sure the data transferred correctly. I like it. I can listen to audio books while I work and there is absolutely no stress! Yay. Lately, we haven't had any work...maybe 15 minutes of small jobs here and there. While we wait for work, we can do basically anything at our desks. The past few weeks I've done the following:
-blog
-read Harry Potter (almost done the whole series for the millionth time)
-read other books
-listen to Pandora
-knit mittens and start a baby blanket
-learn how to crochet
-facebook stalking
-blog searching
-search for bag patterns and tutorials on the internet
-search for new recipes
-make my grocery lists
-embroider
-finish a few Sew Cute! projects that can be done by hand
You get the idea. If I could bring in my sewing machine, cutting mat, and rotary cutter, I would be the happiest gal alive! I am seriously thinking about it! With all this "free" time, I could be designing and making beautiful bags. But instead, I sit here and dream about how I am going to go home and create. Then, I go home and am tired! Probably from doing nothing all day...or it could be my 9 week secret =).

Today, I got the idea to remake a bag I have had since sophomore year in high school - so that's 1996 - it's a great bag - bought it from Aeropostale on clearance for like $7. Bright orange canvas, small messenger bag style. It was great for day trips and weekend trips where you are walking all around and need to carry the essentials - wallet, phone, water bottle, snacks, hand sanitizer (yes, I carried little hand wipes back then, too!). I always brought this particular bag with me to the Soul Fest, a Christian music festival in NH. If you are reading this and went to either high school or college with me, I am sure you remember this bag. Anyway, I realized the other day that it would be a perfect bag to take with me to the Museum of Science, though I didn't want to carry around a bright orange bag while wearing a bright red jacket! So, I thought, Meg, you make handbags, you can make this bag! Thinking about it now, I am going to find some fun decorator fabric (the heavier fabric at craft/fabric stores) and something to imitate the strap and make myself a bag. Maybe two. One for winter and one for summer. Then, I thought, as I was taking my walk at break time, I can sell some, too! Who doesn't need an all purpose bag? I'm so excited about the prospect of this now, at 3:30 pm, but I know when I get home, I will be sick and tired! Well, that is what weekends are for. Sewing! I'll try to find my orange bag and take a pic of it for you all (my two followers) to see!
Happy blogging.

a few new things

pink polka dot clutch
blue and green mini-tote with a darling matching button!

new happenings

My debut Sew Cute! at home party last Thursday was a success! I had about 8 guests and a great set of orders. One guest decided to host her own party in March and I have had three other friends contact me about hosting! This morning, I worked on cutting out some fabric for a few wallets that were ordered. My etsy site is pretty empty right now, so I need to post some new items that I made for the parties. I'm basically using it as an avenue for advertising, since the sales haven't picked up yet. Once these string of parties are done, I will look into more advertising. Maybe a blog giveaway...
Yesterday, while perusing the internet, I found a few great starter patterns for some new ideas. My brain is full of funky new items to sell - from wallets with zippers to clutches with metal frames. I found a great tutorial from the UK on how to make a clutch - clutch tutorial. Then, I found a seller on etsy.com that sells purse frames from the US for pretty inexpensive.

That's what I'm thinking about now. I will get some photos of my new projects up soon!

internet generation

Today, at work we had nothing to do. I work as a temp and when there is no work, we can do as we please at our desks. Generally, I will either knit or embroider and occasionally "surf the net." Today was no exception.

The first thing I decided to do was catch up on some current events - abc.com - and ended up reading an article about grocery shopping. I found a great website - grocerygame where you can search for coupons all in one place! The coupons can be stored in your online account (free) and then printed at your leisure. I found about 15 coupons for products that we commonly use. Pretty cool.

From there, I search for recipes on my two favorite recipe sites - allrecipes and eatingwell. Once I found some recipes, I made my grocery list. All in a day's work!

It gets better, though. I am heading to Colorado in a few days to visit my best friend who is having a baby - tomorrow! I wanted to relearn how to crochet so I can work on something on the plane. Google here I come....learn to crochet immediately brought me to lionbrand.com, which offers great tutorials accompanied by youtube videos! What an informative day!lionbrand

busy, busy

Sew Cute! at home...
has been born. In two weeks time, I will have hosted two Sew Cute! at home parties. So far, I have about 15 people RSVP'd to attend. It's pretty exciting to think that this could really be something. Maybe this time next year I won't have to work full time, you know, quit my day job? I also have people interested in hosting parties of their own. The problem - how to organize parties and be able to sew the bags in time for my customers! My husband thinks I will be very busy and a bit stressed; but let's cross that bridge when we come to it!
I'm pretty excited about the promotions for hostesses. Here are a few:
Hostess Benefits:
10% off your purchases automatically!
$100 in sales – 20% off, free keychain
$150 in sales – 25% off, free wallet
$200 in sales – 30% off, free clutch
$250 + - 35% off, free clutch and wallet
Signing up for a party – free wallet to match your bag!

Purchase benefits:
Buy any bag (small, medium or large) and get 20% off a matching wallet or clutch.
Buy any bag and wallet/clutch combo, get a free keychain.

Tomorrow, I'm heading back to Lucy's Art Emporium to add some more bags/clutches to my stock there. I made a darling purple birds mini-tote last weekend, as well as two clutches today.

cute & quick new project!

a nursing cover...no, not for me. a friend of mine just had a baby and instead of a bag, she wanted a new, fun nursing cover. now, I am not well versed in the world of nursing accessories, but I have seen some very cool covers at church. I found some fabric she liked and went to work. After googling a bit, I found a site that had mommy-type projects and skimmed to see a free nursing cover pattern. www.blisstree.com.It was easy to follow, and the pictures were very helpful. I did change a bit on the pattern - I cut the strap fabric wider and folded it in to the middle and then again to make a more clean cut seam. I also used zigzag stitch so it wouldn't fray. All in all, it only took about 45 minutes. A great new project!

entering the consignment world

It's official. Sew Cute! is now being sold in stores! A friend referred me to her friend's store, a quaint, artsy shop in downtown Dover, NH. Today, I brought three bags to the shop and signed up to be one of her consignment sellers. It feels pretty cool.

So, now I enter a phase of life that doesn't seem to want to slow down. This is ok. I'm excited about making new bags for Lucy's Art Emporium. The prospect of making custom bags through my Sew Cute! At Home parties is a dream come true. I just need to figure out the balance =).

What's coming up this week?
*shop for fabric - I'm looking for two specific charm packs by Moda
*make some bags
*prepare the promotions for Sew Cute! At Home - coming up at the end of January!

a few of my favorite things