So designer knows best, right? Wrong! My creative ego got a little humble pie this week when I received an order for a lunch bag made of 2 different fabrics, that I had not suggested be put together on my site. I hurriedly emailed the customer thinking surely there was a mistake! She kindly reassured me that this was no mistake, and that her 11yr old daughter is in to all things "unmatching". Ok, so it is, and I began to make her bag. Take one look at the finished product and I'm sure you'll agree, how cute! What a great idea she had.... now my only concern is that it isn't "unmatching" enough!

With Tropical Storm Fay looming last Thursday, my daughter comes home with a note that everyone in the class is to bring in a small gift for her teacher on Monday in celebration of her belated birthday.Then comes the wind and rain, school is cancelled for Friday, soon the power goes, and on Sunday morning at 10:30a I realize I don't have a gift to send with my daughter on Monday. It's pretty safe to assume that most places were closed over the weekend, since roads were flooded, street lights didn't work - so now I'm stuck... what to do, what to do?Well, we made a purse! Why not, I mean, I'm a fabric addict, so I had tons of that, and we now had electricity. So, with no pattern in hand, only our creative minds to guide us, my 9yr old daughter and I embarked on a 6 hour project (which, should have taken about 45 minutes), but hey, kudos to her, she did most of the work... if there was a Project Runway for handmade accessories, she'd win hands down!Anyway, here's what we came up with. The picture doesn't quite do it justice, as the colors look a little more neon than they actually are. We ran out of thread 3 times, so the inside seams are white, the straps are hot pink, and the seam around the top is RED! Crazy, I know, but you actually can't tell the difference. I'm thinking of adding this style to my "Anything totes" section.

It's that time of year again... the time when you send your kids back to school and they begin collecting candy from classmates, birthday parties, teachers, all leading up to the candy climax of the year, Halloween!Instead of ye 'ole plastic grocery bag, I've gone eco-friendly and decided to make some bags for my kids. Aren't these cute? They even have a handle! I used a pattern I had for a fabric trash can, and voila'... I even made one for myself, had it monogrammed with our family name, and every year in October it sits by the door holding candy for all who visit.

Gym Bag

Ok, so I'm at the gym, with my water bottle bag hung neatly around my wrist, when all of the sudden someone asks me about it. I tell her that I make them and that it took me forever to get just right. I explain to her how it holds my ipod, phone, gym card, and keys, and how the strap buttons over the rail of the cardio machines so that it doesn't have to sit on the floor. "Oh, I want one!" She exclaims, then, as I'm giving her my web address, I notice 5 other ladies standing around taking it all in! So here's for all of you gym junkies looking to simplify or just to have the latest thing to match your new pair of shocks! From me to you! Look cute, and be functional. Pick any two fabrics you want, but hurry, cause you know you want to be the first one to sport it at your gym!!!-Holley