Seeing the humor

A peaceful sunset photo to remind me of my lovely mini-vacation, a ghost crab, and a thought to (hopefully) get a chuckle about the current economy. (Remember to click on the photo to enlarge it if you want a closer view.)

From the economist John Maynard Keynes: If you owe your bank a hundred pounds, you have a problem. But if you owe a million, it has.

Nice give-away!

Just visit this site to check it out!
http://studiomme.blogspot.com/2009/07/2nd-giveaway.html#links

Mini-vacations

Today I'm off for a mini-vacation at my best friend's condo on the beach. I can't wait to soak up rays, take photos, relax, and share both conversation and quiet time with her. No housework, no cooking (well, just a little), no computer.....nice.

A quote to send myself off: "The day, water, sun, moon, night - I do not have to purchase these things with money." Titus Maccius Plautus, Playwright

A new day; a new quote

Every day brings something new. I'm always looking for critters, birds, flowers in bloom - little things to be fascinated by. When a friend or family member shares their discomforts with me, I feel them, too, and hope that they can find little fascinations to distract them.

Some days bring difficult decisions, changes to help us be better as human beings, changes to strengthen our souls.

For those of you who might be having one of those days, Ernest Hemingway wrote this:

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are stronger at the broken places."

May peace be with you.

Quote for today....

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." Flannery O'Connor

More bags - and sales!

I'm posting photos of two more of my market bags.....and preparing 4 for shipping to my dear friend, Teri, in Wyoming! It was fun to pick the red one pictured on the right, above, just for her! I'm sneaking in a smaller bag in appreciation of her friendship and support, which I am so grateful for. I think I'll try to set up a table at the Green Market in two weeks; I'd better check into that!

market bags

I've been working like crazy (well, I WAS obsessed) to make market bags, aka shopping bags, from a large stash of decorator samples I picked up at a garage sale over a month ago. These fabrics are gorgeous, and of such variety! I just haven't been interested in buying the grocery stores bags which are so plain Jane, not to mention I don't shop at only one store and sure didn't want to buy different ones for the different stores I shop in! These are really a lovely statement and eye catching besides! No two bags are anything alike, either.

Depending on the fabrics I was able to group together to compliment one another, I have some with handles just for your hands to hold, some with arm handles, some with shoulder straps, and some with a shoulder strap and a shorter handle. Most have several textures, which could include linen, satin, silk, upholstery weaves, tapestry, embroidered pieces, trapunto textured pieces, and soooooo many more! The pictures above don't show the texture well, but you can see that the size varies, also, and these are examples of bags in a medium size range. There are soft tans and blues, browns, yellows, reds, greens, some more summery looking, some wintery looking, ones that look tropical, ones that look sweet, ones that look bold. Something for everyone.

Every bag is lined, has a boxed bottom, and has straps which are reinforced for strength and durability. Some have pockets and more than three fabrics pieced together - these are the $15 bags. The simpler ones are $12 bags. Postage, if you would like one, is $3.

Just drop me a note by commenting on this post or contacting me via email or Facebook. Let me know what colors you are interested and how to get in touch with you. Whatever I don't sell will be gifts for many of you! :)

Garage Sale Score!

I got my camera back! While riding to and from cat-sitting this morning, I hit several garage sales, and really struck gold on two of them. Of course, I couldn't take my finds home on the bike, so I paid for them and drove back to pick them up. I got stuffed animals for my dogs to play with, a step-by-steph BH&G cookbook for my daughter going off to college, a gorgeous square table topper with coordinating napkins that match my new shabby chic dining room perfectly, yards of tulle both plain and flocked, a large old book of music, an old Aggravation game for my classroom, a weathered old post bird feeder (ear of corn type), a wire basket, and the best - an old leather briefcase and rusty antique typewriter in its case! What an awesome morning of sun and fun!

Another quote - I love this one (although it is arguable) - How do you know what you're going to do until you do it? The answer is, you don't. It's a stupid question. J.D. Salinger

today's quote

"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and depreciate agitation....want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters....Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." Frederick Douglass