New Tricks for Your Old Bag--Crafter Style

Here's a little Thursday tip...go vintage with your bag, but pretend like it's new.

Still hanging onto some of your oldest bags? I bought this Coach leather toaster-style bag back in 1985. I'm really pretty sure it was 1985--I was right out of college and working in a big city, and I wanted a big girl bag. I loved this thing to pieces. Now, this isn't the only vintage Coach in my bag stash, but it's probably one of my favorites because it stayed very pristine looking I have to say. Except for maybe the hardware has not aged as nicely as I would wish. It may not have seen the light of day for over a decade at a time, wrapped in tissue paper in a drawer.

So what would make me want to bring this bag out again and feel like it was cute? The little chain holding the original Coach tag was very tarnished, so that's where I started. I took a gold bracelet that I never wear, and used that for the tag. Love. Then I picked up this tassel at Michaels, with a coupon of course--I love this tassel decor, and I switch it around and use it on tote bags too. On the other side I added ribbon and a cool energy rock charm from my bead stash--I wanted to give the old girl some energy!

And there she is, ready to go out and be seen again. This bag was made in the factory in New York back then and still has the amazing Coach smell. Also, you can clearly see its serial number on the inside pocket. And I'm quite sure these vintage Coach bags in this style are easily available on ebay. This bag, though, is sentimental to me. It's one of the first things I bought with my first real job, and it has lots of good memories. I could never sell her! So here she is, all dressed up for a day on my arm 30 years later!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

The Bag in a Bag Plus a Super Cute Wristlet

It's my birthday and I thought I'd share one of my presents which came from Charming Charlies!

It's called the Bag-in-a-bag, and it comes with one of those little matching zipper bags which loops onto the handle. But inside, there is a bag in the middle that zips, and then two roomy compartments on each side. This is perfect for carrying all the purse essentials, plus my big Midori planner, my lunch for the day, a scarf, and anything else I need. I usually love a fun bright color, but I was in the mood for a classic black with camel trim.

See it really is a bag in a bag!

I've been loving the charming bags lately because they are sturdy, durable, the hardware is shiny and gorgeous and stays that way, they have lots of pockets and nobody threw away thousands of dollars on something I might get tired of!

Now, although this bag is all you would need, I did have a birthday coupon, which allowed me to get this adorable wristlet for free. It is perfect to throw into the bigger bag, and it comes with a long strap which converts it to a little cross-body bag. Love it! Happy birthday to me!

 
Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things on a Tuesday...

I hate to say it...but nothing gets my attention in a store like an embroidered purse. Maybe it's because I embroider and want to make one. But, I have, over the years, narrowed my taste in what kind of bag I will pay money for and bring home. On this shopping trip I was looking for a cute straw clutch like I've seen Princess Kate carry--afterall, who doesn't want to do something to look a little like Kate? Love her! But anyhoo...I just wasn't feeling it for the straw clutches I was finding, and then, laying under a pile of cute India-style embroidered bags, was this embroidered clutch! It was less than twenty dollars...and soon it was mine! I can't wait to carry it out to a nice dinner wearing a white summer dress. I can just picture it. And now, I think Princess Kate should have an embroidered peacock clutch too! Hmmm...I always wonder what she carries in her little clutch bags. A tissue and a lipstick maybe? Some of her bags are tiny! I think this one will hold my phone, a lipstick, and my debit card for sure.

So here, on a simple Tuesday, I'm thinking about how it doesn't take much to make me happy--I'm a simple girl. So here are a few of my favorite things from the past few days.

My Hello Kitties! I was thinking about cleaning off this toy shelf on our Greenhouse--it houses the many many McDonalds Happy Meal toys the kids have gotten over the years. Hello K makes me happy--and there's a whole shelf devoted to her. Smile, smile.

Bowl-o-Goodness

An all salad dinner is one of my very favorite things. This weekend I had a big fresh salad for dinner one night, and fruit salad for dessert! Yummy!

Banana and mandarin oranges is a classic. Some people love it with a sprinkle of fresh grated coconut.

Cute little basil seedlings

Growing tomatoes in the raised bed garden

Growing lots of basil in the garden is a favorite thing. Besides the seedlings coming up in my garden, I've also got pots and pots of baby basils sitting on the deck. Basil is so easy to grow. It's the companion plant of the tomato--so I sprinkle basil seeds around my tomato plants all summer.

Sitting around thinking, planning, watching the birds, watching the cats, imagining my whole deck re-do, planning next week's menu in my mind...this is some of my favorite stuff. So, I love this picture of my Uncle Sonny and my Aunt Margaret (my mother's brother and sister) on a trip to the country...just sitting around.

Hanging around with my cat Minnie. I have a wicker coffee table on the deck, and I call this her "kitty shelf." She was doing an interesting pose for me. Every table should have a kitty shelf!

Visiting my Mom and her three chihuahuas. This is Cupcake. She has a look on her face like, "Someone hand me my clothes!" She's very sweet. When I get a good picture of all three of them, I'll share it!

Sewing on fabric...sewing on paper...doodling on paper...these are some of my favorite things!

On clearance--this incredible-smelling soap and adorable soap dish! Had to have it. I love yummy milled soaps.

This cute plant on my greenhouse is called my "heart plant." I don't remember what kind of plant this is--but I received it as a birthday gift some three years ago, and it is one of the happiest plants on my greenhouse! I love heart-shaped leaves.

My walk to my office is a favorite thing. I work in a little office at university and I love my little job! I have a less-than-10-minute drive to work, then park in a covered garage, and have a choice to ride a shuttle to my building, or walk the little 1/2-mile. Of course, I prefer the walk! This is the fountain I pass by each day I go to work, and I took this picture just this morning.

I hope you know what all of your favorite things are today--this is what you should surround yourself with every day. Eat, write, dream, and stitch happy!

Blue Jean Bag Queen

I found this style of embroidered flower in a book, and now I embroider them on everything! I use all different colors, and my favorite DMC floss--satin floss for these particular flowers.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I cut the leg bottom off of a pair of very old jeans, and left it in one piece. One side is embroidered with my easy-to-stitch flower and stem, and several ribbon bow ties are sewn on at the top (great way to use ribbons scraps). 

 

I stitched a fabric flower and strips of ribbon to the other side. Now here's the part I love--the handle is actually an Old Navy lanyard, sewn right into the bag, with the clip conveniently hanging off the side. I left the hemmed bottom as the top and stitched the other side closed. That's it! A cute, blue jean baby queen summer bag.

Stitching and dreaming.