What's black and white and red all over?

Right...two new bags that are made from black and white and red suits.

I used the hardware and handles from an old purse.

After using this purse all weekend (I HAVE to see if they are usable or not!)

I've decided it's my favorite one yet.

I love the back pocket: The center stripe is from men's suit pants and

fits my sunglasses and keys perfectly.

The section on the left is the sleeve...

The section on the right is the front outside pocket of a different jacket

and perfectly fits my cell phone. Again---hate searching for it in a hurry.

And see what I mean about the labels?

"Stock Options" So adorable.

The second one here is made with some of the same jacket but the center fabric is a denim twill fabric that is sturdy and so cute---black and white stripe. I added an outside water bottle pocket out of the sleeve of the black and white houndstooth but not sure I like it. Maybe I'll redo it with snaps so that it can be removeable.

The inside is lined with red silk from a thrift store blouse.

I'm trying to figure out how to make a new website for the purses so that that isn't all that gets put on my blog even though it's what is taking most of my time lately. That way you can totally skip it if you want or just click on a link and go directly there.

I don't think I'll stop sewing these purses anytime soon. I have two more cut out and ideas for so many more. A spare closet has my recent purchases hanging there calling me to make them beautiful and wanted again. How can I say no?

Bag Number Two...

So here is the second attempt at making bags out of men's and women's suits. This one was harder to do for several reasons: I cut the pattern and fabric BEFORE I had really figured it out and it took a zillion tries to get it to work the way I wanted to, next time I'll think about it more and sew less; also, the stuff I used as interfacing was a lot stiffer than before and I'm not sure that's what I wanted either but the outside fabric was so soft and floppy I thought I needed it. Now I realize I probably didn't. It doesn't affect the look or use of the bag but was so irritating when piecing and sewing.

Anyway, here's the front. The bottom is a woman's jacket that had belt loops and cute pockets so I HAD to leave them on and add a belt for fun. The top is a woman's jacket also but so soft and yummy with cute zippers on the front and sleeves (look for those in a later bag I have planned). The handles are cannibalized from an old purse and the inside is a pair of men's suit pants that I couldn't resist. I've made it so that all the pockets are still functional so there are several outside pockets that are working well for the phone, glasses, keys, all the stuff I want to get to easily and hate when they get lost in the inside of a purse. Nothing worse than searching among the junk at the bottom of a purse when your phone is ringing and ringing and ringing...

Here's the back. I think it's my favorite part.

Just a cute flap pocket and simple belt and bottom.
The inside with a magnetic closure, slit pocket from the pants and that's it!

One of the interesting things this week is that 3 people tried to buy the red purse from me. Random people at the doctor's and thrift store (buying jacket's of course) and the grocery store. Joe has given me orders not to sell it but the last offer was good enough to consider if I'd only had somewhere to put all the stuff that was inside of it. Next time maybe I'll negotiate a sale if it includes them providing a bag to put my stuff in to take home!

Where old things become new...

Here's a riddle for you: What do you get when you cross McCall's pattern M5599, a long Wednesday morning and two fairly hideous thrift store jackets?

If you answered the cutest bag on the planet then you're right!

A couple weeks ago when we were waiting in Border's for our movie to start (dangerous thing waiting for the movie) I was looking through the craft magazines that I love but can't afford and saw the cutest purses and bags made out of men's suits and thought, "Hey I can do that!" I love men's jackets for the same reason the artist does: The fabric is great, the lining can be amazing and the labels are pure art.

So, as soon as possible, I went to the thrift store and found four or five blazers that were ugly as blazers but looked like good possibilities for bags. Then I found a bag pattern I loved and cut it out of stiff pelon. Then I used the pelon cutout to piece the blazer fabric on until I was satisfied with the result and before I knew it, a cute and unique purse appeared.

So, what was once weird cuffs and lapels,

became cute pockets and decorations.

What was once a front pocket became two outside pockets.

What was once the front buttons,

became the inside closure.

What was once a chest pocket and sleeve,

became an inside pocket and water bottle holder.

So all of you unwanted, unloved, ill-fitting,

outdated jackets, come over to my house.

It's where ugly becomes beautiful, outdated becomes sheik,

unloved becomes coveted and where old things become new.

The Coolest Thing I've seen in a While...

The airshow is in town for the weekend so all week planes have been flying in. But that's not the cool thing.

Last night at Joe's ball game one of the huge F-something-or-others flew over the ball fields making what looked like a super slow turn to the airport. It was loud and huge and pretty exciting. But that's still not the cool thing.

When I glanced down at the field to see what was happening in the game I saw every single boy on the field looking up in the sky with their mouths hanging open. That was COOL! Sometimes I wonder about kids and how fast they seem to have to grow up and about the loss of wonder in their lives but that view made me feel so good and surprisingly optimistic about their future. When they can stop playing ball and simultaneously watch a jet fly overhead with those looks on their faces, life is good again.

Wish, wish, wish I had my camera with me!

I looked out the window and what did I see?....

Yeah, you guessed it. Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

And the plum tree. And almost popping on the nectarine and peach trees.

Cool huh?

Snow Trip Part Deaux

So we attempted the snow trip again last weekend and Yahoo!!! It was a great success. The temperature was in the 60's, the roads were clear and we found a fabulous and fast hill to slide down for several hours. Plus, Dustin and Tara and Lydia were with us! Below are my four favorite faces of the day:

Pookie finally gets to play in the snow. What a strange dog. She caught snowball after snowball in her mouth that we threw for her even after they exploded in her face.

Now that's a much happier face than last time.


What a sweetheart Lydia was. She had a ball squealing up and down the hills: Excited going up knowing what was coming and excited going down. What a nut.

And seriously, who couldn't love this face? I'm a bit fond of it.

Kacey spent most of the day digging this hole.

Don't know why but she was happy and

ended up with a hole that was nearly over her head

Then she sat in it. Hmmmm...

Go to Tori! She went all the way to the top and slide down on her

bottom over and over and over again.

Go mommy and Kacey! Finally got her out of her hole!

An epic snowball fight. What you don't see is the little 8-year-old-girl they are fighting (she had a little back up from her brothers). She was a fearless little thing zooming down the hill and taking on the Barros Brothers alone or with help. She just didn't care!

Even Pookie got to ride down the hill. No willingly and not often.

I did say that it was a fast hill, didn't I?

Go little family! I'm sad this isn't video because you really

could hear her from a long ways away.

Snow Trip

A few weeks ago we attempted a trip to the snow. It was a weekend of wild and wooly weather, but what week hasn't been wild this winter. For those of you who live in the snow this will seem so easy, get up, put your snow clothes on and walk out the door and sled down the hill right next to your house. For those of us living in sunny california it's a bit more complicated. First: find the clothes you haven't used in a year. Figure out what fits and what doesn't. Shop at the thrift stores for what you need to replace the old, too small, or worn out stuff. Next: Pack lunch, boil plenty of water for hot chocolate and cup-o-noodles and pack all into the car. Last: locate the snow discs and board that are supposed to be just inside the garage but really hide in the trailer that is parked 10 miles out of town. After several hours (and only a few bad words) later, we're off to the mountains

We have a lovely drive to the mountains in wet and stormy weather but we are not afraid because we are prepared in all ways for bad weather. Except one. We didn't pack the snow chains. No cars are allowed into the park without carrying chains even though we are assured they will not be needed. So...back down the mountain to get chains: only a half an hour down and then half an hour back. The trip back is different though. The road is completely changed. There are rocks, pine needles, dirt and branches covering the road and tons of traffic going the opposite direction. By the time we got up to the park entrance again, we were informed that the park was closing (how do you close a mountain?) because of strong winds that blew trees over and crunched cars trapping people in the park and out of it. The ranger was even blocked from his home beyond the park.

To make a short story long, that was the end of our snow trip. We drove down the mountain a ways and ate our picnic lunch in the church parking lot. Poor Joe. He had been waiting for a snow trip for two years. Poor Pookie who also loves the snow. Poor mom and dad who had put up with a long and frustrating day with no apparent reward.

Beginning of the day, so optomistic and innocent.

Gotta love the happy face in this picture!

Is there nothing I won't complain about?

So I've started a new semester that is proving to be easier than any I've experienced in a long long while and....

I'm so bored!!! I wish I had taken more units but last semester still had me twitching when I signed up for this year that I couldn't force myself to even think beyond these few credits. Now all the classes are full and I'm stuck with my easy schedule that gets me only slightly closer to the end. Auggghhhh!!!

So, I complained literally nonstop last semester because I thought I was going to die with study and homework and classwork. I even found myself complaining to strangers I got so crazy. I gave up so many activities with the family and so many weekends and nights to study and it turned out okay. Well, better than good. I got the required A's in all my classes and so I'm still eligible for the Fresno State program but it wasn't without a fairly high cost. I thought I would be so happy with a lighter schedule but now I'm bored and find myself complaining about not enough to do. Maybe I should have my head examined.

Guess who graduated last month? Don't be fooled by the shy pose---

she'd shout it from the housetops if she could.

Waiting for the fun to start in the Taylor Chapel at BYU-I

So mom and dad are pretty proud too of their newest college graduate.

Silly sisters: Although Tori's losing her best roommate.

The whole crew who watched Kacey walk:

Allan, Karen, Kacey, Tara, Dustin, Lydia and Tori

Lydia was pretty tired by the time things got going and it was fairly hot and stuffy in the room but she really perked up when the applause started. I think she thought it was all for her: her legs started kicking and her smile was a mile wide as she acknowledged all her fans who were clapping for her. So funny!

So here we are, four kids down and three to go. We are just in the middle of the ride and yet so much has been accomplished: College graduation, missions, marriage, babies, grad school and first real jobs. I can hardly wait for the next 20 years!