The Lizzy Bag

I started my 5th Bag last weekend, I am calling it the Lizzy Bag. I was in Ikea a few weeks ago and loaded up on several yards of fabric for my growing stash. When I saw this fabric called Gunilla - Turquoise, it reminded me of Spring. When the Ikea associate ask me what I was going to do with it, I immediately answered without any thought that I was going to make one of my sisters a handbag. My sister, Lizzy who has been working non-stop (some days 7 days a week) to keep up with her increasing taxes, the mortgage and other house related things, has been feeling a bit blue lately. She's been also been complaining that it's been so cold up in NYC, so I thought this fabric in a clutch pattern would be a welcome sign of spring/summer.

Well, I finally purchased the zipper and thread tonight, so after four days I can finally start working it. I am heading up to NYC at the end of next month and plan to bring it with me to give it to her in person. The fabric has tiny orange dots in the design, so I have decided to use a matching solid color orange for the lining. I was also thinking about sewing on some orange seed beads or something onto some of the dots to add some dimension, but I guess I have to think about it. Thinking about it now, Lizzy is a simple girl so the lining is probably too bright, but I couldn't stop myself.

Death of a Chicken & Earth Day

So this past week we celebrated another Earth Day, which was followed by numerous stories in the media about going Green. This has had me thinking about some small changes we have and can still make around the house. Such as turning off the lights when you leave a room, turning off the water while brushing my teeth, we changed most of our light bulbs to the energy efficiency type and yesterday we placed an order for windows to replace the old windows to conserve more energy.

As I was looking at various "green" online shops I saw several with "green" pet toys. My dog Emi, now nine, was a terror in her day, no toy could survive the jaws of death, therefore we often purchased toys constructed of rubber or nylon. As she has started aging and the urge to chew has started to diminish this has enable to us finally purchase the softer and cutier toys. Mind you she will still tear them apart, but DH and I smile every-time we bring home another toy. (Yes she is spoiled.) She prances around the house, carrying her new toy high in her mouth and her nose pointed toward the ceiling. It's actually funny to watch. Lately, her favorite toy has been the chicken which I don't remember when we first brought it, or how we discovered it, but it has one of those squeaker things it in and Emi loves it. It will usually last a day or two before (as we say here at home) kills the chicken. So the other week, my husband brought home another chicken, (I think this is her 3rd or 4th chicken)and right on schedule the toes and crown came off.

Her new trick is to slice it's belly open, which should probably scare us...but that's a blog for another time.





So as I was looking at the internal remains of the chicken, it reminded me about the post from Sew Mama Sew and a tutorial featured on their site: Spring Chicken. If I make her a chicken out of fabric then maybe I can reduce the amount of wasted plastic and rubber generated by my little Emi-lou. Obviously I have to make changes to the eyes and beak and use a sturdy fabric, but it might work. Now the trick is to find some type of squeaker to place inside.

New Item in Shop

I finally finished it and I must admit, it's quite cute!

After staring at the crazy flower design for so many hours, I decided to change the name from Flower Power to Loopy Daisy. I have placed it in my Etsy Shop: Loopy Daisy Handbag

Orange Dot Mix Lampwork

I received a convo the other day from another Etsyian, Solsisters. She informed me that my Orange Dot Mix Lampwork Beads had been one of a few items featured on her blog, Solsisters Studio under their Finishing Touches - Buttons and Beads post.
You should visit her site, Solsisters, she has an array of cute handbags for sale...two words:

Jealousy
Envy

Until later....

Don't Drink & Sew

My husband makes the best Pina Coladas. The problem is that I love them too much. On the weekends, I will drink them in the pool, I will drink them in my room, I will drink them when I sew, I will drink them...(well you get the idea).

So now that Hockey Season is over (for the Panthers that is, I still have the Playoffs on Center Ice to distract me) and my traveling for work has gone back to a day trip schedule I can start to focus on finishing Bag #4 - Flower Power Handbag

I had just finished attaching the lining to the external side of the handbag...

I turned the bag right side out and started pulling out the tabs that would hold the bamboo ring handles...
...when disaster...

What's wrong with this picture?


I don't know if you can make it out, but I am missing one of the tabs, there are only seven and there should eight.

DUH!

I had to go back three steps, it took me about an hour to tear out all the stitches with my very dull seam ripper... I am ready to pull my hair out.

hmmm...perhaps too many Mexican Beers and Pina Coladas. :)

Three more reasons why I love DH

For the past few months DH has not be able to get me to go food shopping with him at Costco. Lately I have been avoiding Costco, mainly because I think shopping there just takes too long, there are too many people and too many cools things that I will foolishly spend $$$ and oh, I usually go with an empty stomach and end up buying way too much food for the two of us.

So after we do our routine of him asking me to go and me telling him no, I don't want to go...

Off goes DH by himself for the fourth time (I am told) alone to Costco. (A few calls home and 2 1/2 hours later) DH returns with...

Mexican Beer (love the Mexican Beer).

A roll of pretty ribbon because he saw me making Organza flowers out of ribbon earlier this week and thought I would like it

My Cursed Pair of Brass Disk Earrings

I don't know what it is about these Brass Disk Earrings, but I have sold them twice and even received a request for a duplicate pair, but yet they still sit in my studio.

The first time I sold them, back in January the buyer failed to complete the payment transaction. After a few days I cancelled the sale and Etsy refunded the listing and selling fees. Last week, they sold again and the buyer promptly completed the payment process, however due to a mix up on my end, (I updated my email address with PayPal and forgot to update the address with Esty). , Because of this mix up, the payment was tied to my old email address which I could not claim, nor would PayPal move the funds even though it was my account. One word:

Stupid.

So I sent an email to the buyer explaining my mistake and she was very kind and willing to continue with the transaction. We decided to cancel the sale with Etsy so she could reclaim the funds and I would send her a PayPal invoice and once the payment was received, I would mail out the earrings. But now a few days later, no response. The funny thing was that once the earrings sold the second time, another potential customer sent me a convo asking if I could duplicate the sold pair. Although I responded yes, she has not responded back.

So I am going to post these babies again in my Etsy shop and see what unfolds...

AnniJersversary

Today is DH's and my 6th Year Wedding Anniversary. (Photo is of DH and I circa 2000 when our pool and patio were under construction.)
DH and I were first introduced to each other at work around the end of 1991. I was married to the A** at the time so as DH tells it, "I was hands-off." We were friends on and off during the years, watching the other date others (after I got rid of the A** that is). I know DH took alot of ribbing from friends because everyone knew he adored me, yet I kept trying to play match maker with DH and my younger sister. (Oh yes, he is younger than me.) Too many stories of twist and turns to write about here, but lets just say that back in 1995 after too many beers, we were singing, "I'm Free" by the Soup Dragons...don't be afraid of your freedom...with a group of friends down in Key West. We were both celebrating our most recent break ups with our on again, off again ex. After that weekend we started hanging out together again and then one year turned into another. I remember when we finally married in 2003, as they announced us as and Husband & Wife , our families and friends started applauding and were all saying "it's about time." I still can't believe it's been 6 years and when I say, I can't believe it's been 6 Years," it is for various reason such as:

• Wow 6 years - time flies when you're having fun


• Wow 6 years - DH has survived 6 years of my form of torment


• Wow 6 years - Can't believe it because I was contemplating burying DH in the backyard during the first year


• Wow 6 years - Because I think he was contemplating burying me in the backyard after the second year


• Wow 6 years - and we still enjoy each other's company


• Wow 6 years - and I still look forward to date night


• Wow 6 years - because I remember meeting that 22 year old, nearly 17 years ago (I am rolling my eyes with a smirk on my face)

So any hoo, yesterday during the last hockey game of the season, I was sitting upstairs in our seats waiting for DH to appear when suddenly there he was with a bag from Panther Land. Now I walked passed the store when I arrived and it was a zoo because of the 25% off everything sale. I thought about entering but since I was alone, I feared for my life and thought I would go afterwards with DH has my security detail. And let's face it - because I really wanted to add the Away Game Jersey to my collection. (see previous HockeyQueen post ).

Well, the bag is transparent, so I could see he brought me the Away Game Jersey...hehehe...

DH told me that originally he wasn't sure if it was a good anniversary present to give, but after surveying all the wives downstairs he was informed "what girl in love with hockey wouldn't love another jersey!!!"

• Reason to dangerously venture into the Panther Land Fan Store on last game of the season - 25% off of everything


• 1 Panthers Away Game Jersey - $129.00


• Number of Jerseys now in the Collection - 5


• Seeing the smile on HockeyQueen's Face - Priceless

Going, Going, Done

And now a word from one of my distractions - South Florida Panthers


Sigh....Although Thursday's final score was 3-2 with a win against the Atlanta Thrashers, my poor Panthers were eliminated from the Post Season race Thursday evening due to a 1 point shortage in the standings.

1 point.


Tonight's win against the Washington Capitals 7-4 was a great game however watching them leave the ice as winners of tonight's game and knowing that they will not return next week to participate in the Playoffs made it bittersweet. My DH and I met new friends which I will need to try to continue to cultivate over the course of the next 6 months until the season begins again.
My Rangers #7 made the Playoffs, they are playing the Washington Capitals #2, so at least that will keep my mind off my poor Florida Panthers for at least a little while...Sigh....

Traveling Girl

It's a been crazy at work and some of the activity has warranted my attention. Aside from handling some issues, I have also been conducting management training which has required some traveling. Last week I drove over to the West Coast (of Florida that is) twice and this week I flew out to Puerto Rico for a few days to conduct management training as well. Even though I sat in the window seat for the going and returning flights, for some reason I did not appreciate the view until the flight home today. We were about an hour out of landing in Fort Lauderdale when I snapped this picture via my cell phone, so I am assuming this is part of the Bahamas. (I know, I turned my phone on during the flight.) Since it is a camera phone the picture is not the best quality and I think there is dirt on the window, but you get the idea of the breathtaking view.