Free Shipping on Amy Butler Sweet Life Bags!

I'm ready to close out the year with a special treat. How about FREE SHIPPING on all Amy Butler Sweet Life Bags for all orders placed over the next three days?! Dec. 29-31st That's a savings of between $14 and $16 per purse!

Come on, you've taken care of everyone else this holiday season ... now it's time to give yourself a nice gift! These bags are really incredible, and they'll be great for traveling, taking classes, carrying your crafts with you, attending events and seminars ... whatever your plans, these bags more space and organizational features than you've ever dreamed of!

So, there ya go, a little bene for the end of the year! Now, it's time to gear up for the New Year!

I couldn't be more excited about the New Year and all the promise it holds! Don't you just love a fresh start?! What could be better than the idea of starting anew, with a clean slate and well thought out plans and goals. The enthusiasm is palpable at MakeMinePink and I'm literally vibrating with anticipation of all the new products, new ideas, new contests and fun we are going to have there this year. There are BIG things happening... REALLY BIG! That's all I can say... just stay tuned and you'll see!

I can't believe my hubby did this...!

I just had to share this photo of what my hubby did to our deck last Friday while I was out shopping for Christmas presents. What's extra shocking is that this is the kind of thing *I* would do! Not him!!

At least he didn't burn the turkey he was smoking for our Christmas gathering at his parents house the next day ... it was yummy!

Bless him, he's the most careful, prepared person I know, so all we could do was laugh and say Praise The Lord he didn't burn the house down!

Christmas Sale on Amy Butler Bags!

I've extended my Christmas Extravaganza Sale for one more week on all in-stock Amy Butler Sweet Life bags. I'll continue to offer a 15% discount and $7.00 shipping (US addresses only) through December 18th. I'll ship via USPS Priority Mail within 24 hours of reciept of payment. Take advantage of this great discount on Amy Butler bags, it won't last long!

Merry Christmas!

My Winning Cookie Exchange Tablescape!

Yummy cookies of all kinds were on display yesterday at the annual Christmas Cookie Exchange at Riverside Military Academy, where my husband, Steve, is a teacher. I had so much fun baking cookies with my husband and planning my "tablescape" for displaying our cookies there yesterday. Steve is a fabulous cook, he can make anything and everything he makes is delicious!

I"m sorry to make everyone wait for my virtual cookie exchange, but this has been a whirlwind week of activities over on MakeMinePink.com and here at home. I had planned to combine forces and get everything done this past weekend, but you know how those best laid plans can go. The plan was to bake the cookies and set up my display here at home ahead of time (so I could make sure it would be awesome at the school's exchange), take pics to post here, then take everything to the school on Wed.

Steve did get two batches of our cookies baked for me this past weekend, and I was up until 1:00 Tuesday night baking mine. So... I did the display on the fly with no rehersal, but thanks to the inspiration of my friend Dawn, of Hydrangea Home, I had a good idea of how I would create it.

It was so much fun to start setting it up and everyone was coming around and oooohing and ahhhing over it! I had planned a more elaborate setup, but the space I had to work with turned out to be too small for the snow scene I had hoped to build with white fleece and glitter and such, so I scaled it down and used about half the props I'd brought. Still, I won the prize for best display! A very large and beautiful poinsettia plant! I love winning!

So without further ado.... here's my winning tablescape:

Recipes to come shortly!

Cookie Countdown!

Join me and my Pink friends at Make Mine Pink for a blogging good time with our Christmas Cookie Exchange!

Starting December 3rd and throughout the week, we will be posting our favorite cookie recipes, talk about our family traditions, share photos of our Christmas Cookies, Christmas Décor and visit with all who post comments. JOIN US, you don't have to be a Make Mine Pink member to join the fun. But once you see how much fun we have, you'll want to cross over to the PINK side!

Leave me a comment and I'll visit you too! Please have cookies ready :)

Mamas Pocketbook - Fabric Pocketbooks, Romantic Accessories, Sewing Patterns#links

Mamas Pocketbook - Fabric Pocketbooks, Romantic Accessories, Sewing Patterns#links

OMG I'm Addicted to Paper & Glitter

Is there a 12 Step Program for someone newly addicted to crafting with paper and glitter? Maybe I should start one if there isn't!

I am seriously having too much fun making tags to go on my orders and shipments. I always stayed away from scrapbooking for this very reason. I just knew if I got into it, it would consume me! LOL!

But making tags makes me feel like a little girl again ... how fun!! Who knew that cutting papers and gluing shapes and making it all glittery would be so cathartic and inspiring? Well, probably all those of you who've been doing it while I resisted. HA! I am now one of you!

I'm loving these Amy Butler papers and scrapping goodies from K& Company! Currently I'm just making them for my own pleasure and to give to my customers with their orders and to friends. But I can certainly see why many of my PINK friends are adding their paper crafts to their boutiques ... or building entire boutiques around their paper crafting!! If this addiction grows I may have to add my own line of paper goodies to support my habit!

Each one I've made is different... I just got so inspired by these Amy Butler papers (that I got for 50% at Michaels this past weekend!) just grab some paper and little things, buttons, ribbon, pinking shears, glue, yarn, and this huge jar of fabulous glitter I got at Michaels. I must hide this glitter from my kids! IT'S MINE.... ALL MINE!!

Check out these awesome paperie offerings from my Pink Sisters:

My Oh So Talented Pink Friend ROXIE, over at JorabeelsInk.com has created a new line of awesome Card Cozies - perfect for gifts, gift cards, money cards, to hold your business cards, and many many other uses!

Somebody else has been playing in the glitter too! Look at what Carrie at Sweet Magnolia Boutique has sparkling and ready to help you decorate for the Holidays!

Gotta run ... but I'll be back with more helpful Holiday Shopping links so keep checking back everyday! You never know who I'll showcase next or what I might decide to do for fun around here!

OXOX

Let's Make or Buy Handmade for the Holidays!

In my recent dives into blogland I found this great site called BuyHandMade.org and I quickly joined in with my Pledge to Buy Handmade this season and to request that others do too! So here I am, encouraging all to buy or make handmade goodies to give this year during the holidays.

I love the new wave of interest in all things hand made, all the the Indie sites are amazing and so inspiring, Etsy is huge now and much more fun to shop than ebay. (and much more affordable both for shopping or selling!) Lots of my Pink Sisters now have Etsy shops, just take a look at my "hearts" list and you'll find their shops.

Lisa at The Domestic Diva's Disaster's blog was so kind to include my free "Pink October" tote pattern in her post on Monday in support of Sew Mama Sew's November event called Handmade Holidays.

You must visit this event on Sew Mama Sew's blog and see all the great ideas being posted all throughout November for handmade gifts. You could also win a gift certificate to the Sew Mama Sew online shop in one of their great drawings too!

And, the best place of all to shop handmade though of course, is MakeMinePink.com! The Little Pink Boutiques and Little Pink Plaza shops are beginning to fill up with the most gorgeous selections of Christmas and Holiday decor and gift items you've ever seen! Here's some sneak peaks...

From My Dear Friend Karen at Sweet Neccesi-Teas

And look at these beautiful heirloom stockings

from the very talented Carol at Clutter Bug Studio

Oh My!! Have you ever seen anything as adorable

as these Glittery Mittens from Ronda at Cherry Blossom Cottage?

I will post more of my Pink friends Christmas goodies throughout the month, so please visit their sites and shop handmade this year!

XOXO

Overwhelmed in Blogland

I've been surfing blogs. I am overwhelmed. Anyone who spends time clicking from blog to blog like I have the past few days must know what I mean. It's like going SCUBA diving! There's this whole other world you enter and it's mind-blowing. I could easily disappear for days on end!

Occasionally when I come up for air, I find myself sitting here in an odd sort of daze ... alternating between being energized and motivated and then feeling like I'm somehow out of the loop over here! Does anyone know what I mean?

I mean ... I don't know how they do it! I see blogs that make me feel so inadequate!! I don't think I'll ever be able to even create the illusion of being one of these bloggers who seems to have it all pulled together! I mean, even when they post about how they are going to have to hire some help soon because their new hot product is stacked in boxes all over their foyer waiting to ship out to stores that will undoubtedly sell bazillions of their clever invention ... they pull that off sounding like it's just another day in the life, and that they just popped in to share about it and post some cool photos before heading off to do yoga and have a lunch date and cook a roast and create a new line of fabrics before the kids get home from school.

How do they find the time have that lifestyle and then to write about it in almost daily whimsical, interesting, clever posts that draw 9,436 comments, while attending the latest conferences and shows, and take umpteen thousand perfect photos of their cool decorated hardwood floor houses and totally organized studios, while whipping up scrumptous recipes (and posting said recipes complete with angled, artsy, magazine quality photos), while talking about their awesome spouses and adorable children, (OK, I do have the awesome spouse and adorable kids! YAY!), and meanwhile they seem to be on the cutting edge of everything creative and they are linked to everyone else who is part of this virtual who's who of creative living.

I don't mean to sound as if I'm being disrepectful of these amazing women, it's quite the opposite. I adore them, I worship them, I am inspired and in awe of all that they do, and I just want to know HOW they do it all?

That's all. Just tell me how you do it all AND find time to capture it in photos and write about it and be dressed all trendy and have makeup on everyday? I think I can actually pull off the doing of all the stuff, I've been doing that for a good while now. I have a lot of energy, I have been blessed with a talent for creative living too, with being a creative soul, I design and make stuff, I write articles that help people, I interview celebrity designers, I even juggle posting in my fav forums and IM'ing with my friends and returning emails as I keep up my home (ok, I don't do a great job of that but I am getting better at it ... I cleaned and shined my hardwood stairs to the basement yesterday!) So, I'm not that shabby at getting a lot done, but I am woefully missing the key or the secret to acheiving a composed enough balance of whatever it takes to be this composite Donna Reed / Supermom/ BusinessGuru /Photographer/ Designer/ MarketingGenius/ AND create a compelling blog about it all! LOL!

Just tell me what vitamins to take. Or maybe it's the yoga. Now, where are my yoga bricks? Maybe they are under all this fabric. Sigh. Anyone care to have a virtual latte and commisserate with me? Anyone?

Love My New Blog Banner!

Blog Queen Sharon (C'est Choette) is showing off her new blog banner by our awesome PINK friend ROXIE of JorabeelsInk.com, and of course I'm smacking my head, because I got my fabulous new blog banner from Roxie over a week ago! She knows I love it, and my Pink Sisters at MMP know I love it, but I need to tell my blog readers how much I love it!

Roxie is amazing - and I am happy to shamelessly promote her new site and new biz (she also still has her lamps and pink dipped lights and pretties at Jorabeels.com!) Roxie really captured the essense of Me and my Mama's Pocketbook for my logo. I told her how I love those little color circles on the selvages of fabrics, they are so cool! And just look what she did! She incorporated them in my logo, with double stitched sewing lines and a gorgeous brooch featuring my beautiful Mama! I love the vintage purse and the vintage sewing machine image, the spools of thread and buttons and ROSES bring it all together with the new colors of blue and brown that I'm in love with! Just give Roxie a few hints and she will WOW you with what she can do! I can't wait to get my new "Business in THE Bag" set of marketing materials from her featuring my new logo! Click Roxie's banner below to go to her new site for your ...

Amy Butler Giveaways Galore

As if I wasn't excited enough about my interview with Amy Bulter, now I'm thrilled to announce a fabulous giveaway on our Make Mine Pink Blog! Amy generously sent me seven of her patterns and an autographed copy of her new book "Amy Butler's Midwest Modern" to offer in a drawing at MMP. She truly is a woman who inspires! Get over there now and leave a comment! The prizes will be given away in random drawings on Oct. 31st.

The Amy Butler Sweet Life Bags Are HERE!

Amy Butler's Sweet Life Bags are here!!

I am so excited! I actually squealed with delight when I got home this evening to find my inventory of Amy Butler's Sweet Life Bags had arrived today! I have the entire line, here and they are ready to ship.

I'm having a Sweet Sale on them Oct 22-28th, (they are large, heavier bags than I normally have, so I'm afraid I can't do the free shipping I'd hoped to offer!)

I now have these posted for sale on my site! Go... look at them!.

Mama's Pocketbook - Pink October Tote 2007-2008

Here it is... the long awaited 2007-2008 Pink October Breast Cancer Awareness Tote from Mama's Pocketbok!

You can find all the details on my website at http://mamaspocketbook.com/!

ENJOY!!

My Interview with Amy Butler!

I am thrilled to have had the chance to interview Amy Butler recently for the October issue of MakeMinePink.com's Women Who Inspire column! I just had to drop in a quick post to tell everyone to be sure to read it!

I'm a huge fan of Amy's design work and it was such an honor to conduct this interview with her. She is so open and inspiring, and she gives great advice and insight. I'm not only in awe of her for the beautiful fabrics and purses and papers and sewing patterns and other wonderful things she designs, but for how she manages the phenomenal growth her company has experienced and how she and her husband Dave work so well together. I really want to be like Amy when I grow up! LOL!

Of course I could go on all day long about the things Amy shared with me, but why do that, when you can GO! and read it for yourself right now!! Enjoy!

P.S. UPDATE -- 10/17 - My inventory of Amy's new "Sweet Life" Bags arrived today! They are now in my studio and will be posted on my site ASAP for sale - the arrived much earlier than expected - so grab yours quick and take advantage of my sale price and free shipping (in US).

It's Pink October!

PINK OCTOBER is here! I have been planning and working toward this month all year long.

I'm excited that starting today and all through the month, we will be working to contribute and highlight all kinds of Pink October activities. I'm working diligently to launch my new designs for the 2007-2008 Pink October Bags. I will have one debut today and the second one will be revealed in a few days.

There have been quite a lot of things not going as planned over the past two weeks that seemd destined to throw a wrench into the works for me, but I'm determined to push through and get on track. My hubby says plans are what you do when nothing else happens!

So even though we have fabrics on back order, some strangeness going on with some of my recent shipments, and I'm in the middle of moving my studio and office out of two rooms (on separate floors no less!) and into one much more spacious and organized room ... I will be getting into gear with my Pink October projects all throughout this first week of October.

I have quite the Fall lineup in progress - here's what to watch for!

My annual Pink October bags! I will reveal one of the bags today (Monday) right here on the forum and on my website, Mama's Pocketbook. The other will be ready to be revealed mid-week. These bags are really great, made from the softest, most gorgeous Amy Butler fabrics and this year instead of creating a limited edition, I've decided to make the bags available year round, from Oct 2007 to Sept. 2008, when I will reveal totally new designs for the next year. Mama's Pocketbook will donate quarterly, 20% of the profits from the sales of these Pink October bags, to Susan G. Koman For The Cure.

And speaking of Amy Butler, I'm thrilled to announce that I have just completed my very own, exclusive, up to the minute interview with Amy Butler! Amy's interview is being featured in the October edition of MakeMinePink.com's "Women Who Inspire" column. You must read this and get to know one of today's hottest designers. Amy has great advice for all of us on how to manage a booming business and balance it with a busy family and personal life. Amy is also generously sending me some great patterns and kits to offer as giveaways to our readers of the "Women Who Inspire" column! It's going to get pretty exciting around here ... with more to come practically everyday!

My site is also featured this entire month on the front page of MakeMinePink.com in the center kiosk! Very cool!

There are also more beautiful carpet bags in development under my new "DHD" label (Dianne Hadaway Designs). So please sign up for the newsletter if you haven't already, and stay tuned for the reveals!

Lots of my MMP Pink Sisters are participating in Pink October with special sales, donations, and many other great activities and projects planned for the entire month of October.

So, Have a very PINK day and help us all do all we can to give to the various charities and participate in the various events for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

XOXO ~ Dianne

Pink Carpetbag Bliss!

UPDATE: The New DHD Elegance Carpet Bag is Now Available For Ordering on My Website

This is pure PINK inspiration at it's best. Even I am drooling over my latest creation! It all started just a couple of days ago, when I saw a really cool, huge carpet bag at Horchow, with a really huge price tag to match ($1,000.00)! Ok, so the fabric on that Horchow bag was hand embroidered and it's from a German designer, but I live in the real world and that's quite a chunk of change.

But ... I was inspired and I had already decided a while back that I'd like to add a larger "carpetbag" style to my line, so after some lively discussion with my Pink Sisters over at Make Mine Pink, I was really feeling the creative energy build.

Of course everyone agreed a pink carpetbag would be ideal, and I had just the fabric for it! I bought this damask a while back and it was a major splurge, but that little fabric buying junkie that sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear actually shouted at me to buy it, so I did. I didn't know what I'd do with it, which is oftentimes the case when I buy fabric, but I digress...

So, ok, I was thinking, yeah, this is good! This is exciting! I'll create a carpetbag as soon as I finish my current orders and as soon as I get my new Pink October bags ready to launch on Oct. 1st. But this bag would not be put aside. Oh no, it is far too special! The universe shifted when I locked onto this idea of the Pink Carpetbag and it took over and viola ... manifested overnight!

Further inspiration came in the form of an opportunity to bid on an MMP spotlight ad that came available at the last minute.Seriously. I bid late yesterday on it, and THEN decided, hey... I'll make that Pink Carpetbag just in case I win the spot! I'm telling ya, the stars were aligned on this one. I went into the "zone" yesterday and with scissors snipping and fibers flying, and leaving an aftermath of brown paper trimmings, various buckles, buttons and threads lying about along with several Diet Coke cans, coffee cups and empty packets of 100 Calorie Lorna Doone snacks, I worked until the wee hours of the morning.

Somewhere around 2 AM, after executing a particularly tricky seam just right ... or so I thought, I discovered my bobbin thread had run out. I took that as a sign and went to bed, remembering that my wee kiddos still needed me to get up in the wee hours and take them to school. I figured I'd grab a nap when I got back home, right after Coffee Chat at MMP.

Oh was I wrong! I guess somewhere along the way I figured someone surely had outbid me on the ad, but it was good to get that bag started anyway. Then the announcement. I WON THE BID. Holy cow. You know how they say be careful what you wish for. They are not kidding. At least be ready for getting what you wish for!

So I panicked for about 10 minutes then whatever dominant writer/creator gene it is that I possess kicked in (writers are notorious for working best under pressure) and I shifted into overdrive. I just barely beat the clock, but I got this gorgeous bag to the photo finish line just in time for the ad deadline. Whew. Now I can rest. Think I'll post my handiwork on the MMP forum and then maybe grab a catnap.

Well, I'll be darned if my good friend, the most illustrious BLOG QUEEN, Sharon of C'est Chouette didn't snag my first Pink Carpetbag right out of the gate! She's a go-getter that Sharon. You have to stay on your toes around her. So, this first one is her's and it'll be heading out on the midnight plane to Dallas tomorrow to be waiting for her when she arrives at the fabulous Hilton Anatole Hotel where the lucky lady is going to be enjoying the most exciting event in years ... The Victoria BLISS 2007 Event!

I wanted to go to that sooooo much. Victoria is my all time favorite magazine (and I'm a confirmed magazineaholic, so that is a strong statement) So just to know that Sharon will be there representing MMP and that she'll be toteing around my newest creation, the PINK CARPETBAG, well that is pure enough Bliss for me.

I'm really beginning to see how things come full circle sometimes when I listen to that voice that whispers in my ear!

Thank you to all for the wonderful comments!!

Make Mine Pink For A Cure

Mama's Pocketbook is gearing up for "Pink October" and so is Make Mine Pink! Visit the Make Mine Pink For A Cure store to find all kinds of pink items and $2.00 from every Make Mine PINK for a cure product will be donated to breast cancer research.

I'll be unveiling my two new Mama's Pocketbook Pink October bags
on October 1st!

I had hoped to do pre-sales, but it turns out that time is not on my side for that. I will be sending out a newsletter on Thurs. Sept. 27th to remind everyone on my newsletter list about all the Pink October activities, including a very special interview I'll have in the MMP "Women Who Inspire" column, with a very special designer for Pink October.

Please sign up for my newsletter if you have not done so! (there's a link here on the blog, in the right side menu!) Thanks!

The Last Fall Tea Party Prizes

I'm late to my own party. Story of my life! Time just really got away from me yesterday and today I was running errands all day long (ok, and shopping and garage saleing!!)

So, to catch up and finish up with the final Fall Tea Party celebrations and giveaways, I will have to be a little creative.

Let's see ... I started the giveaway with a drawing from Wednesday's comments and Michele of Rose Petals and Blooms won a lavendar sachet warmer

Then I backed up and decided to giveaway two more of those sachets in a drawing of those who had commented on Monday & Tuesday. Those winners were Anne F from Momma's Place and Debbie from Cozy Cottage!

So that brings me to needing Winners for Thurs and Fri. and I promised to give away a new design of mine... a lovely floral wristlet bag... On Thurs. I had 7 comments and on Friday I had only 1 commentor... so here's the random number the generator at Random.com picked for Thursday's winner:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:1
Timestamp: 2007-09-16 03:56:55 IST

That means Lynn of The Vintage Nest is Thursday's winner

and my one and only commentor on Friday was Vicki Palmer of All Bliss Be Thine so she automatically wins for Friday.

Thank you to all my commentors I appreciate each and every one who visited and who took the time to post to me about my tea. This was a lot of fun!

Lynn & Vicki, I will contact the two of you regarding your prizes!

OK, to wrap up the week of tea parties. I promised a final drawing by putting all the posters in a hat. To do this right I had to check each tea related thread for the week and put all the comments into a list in order that they were received. Some of you posted more than once or on more than one day so to give each an equal shot, I assigned your number for your first comment and put your name in the hat only once. That brought me to a total of 24 commentors with the randon winner for Saturday's prize being:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:24
Timestamp: 2007-09-16 04:30:18 IST

Tina from Garden Goose is my final prize winner... and the prize since I put all the comments in a hat, is ... A Sunhat! Tina I'll contact you to get you info so I can send you a Sun Hat from Mama's Pocketbook.

This has been a lot of fun, I've met so many nice people and found some amazing blogs. How will I ever keep up with them all! THANKS again to all who visited me this week! Please come back again real soon. XOXO ~ Dianne

Silly Me! More Prizes...

See this is what happens when you try something new and don't really know what you are doing! LOL! It just went back and looked at all my wonderful comments and realized that the people who visited and posted comments on Monday and Tuesday should have a chance to win a lovely lavender sachet warmer too! Silly me! I was the one late to the tea party, so those who came to see me on those days should get a chance to win a pretty too.

In fact since there are two days there of comments, I'll give away TWO sachets!

Ok, I'm rolling my trusty little random number generator.... for numbers 1 - 9 and the two winners are:

Here are your random numbers:
8
9
Timestamp: 2007-09-14 03:45:54 IST

Which means my lucky winners are: Anne F from Momma's Place and Debbie from Cozy Cottage!

Congrats ladies, I will email you to let you know you've won, and I am completely tuckered out so I promise to post photos of the lavendar sachets tomorrow. I'm going to add these to my site too! They smell sooooooo wonderful! I mix high grade lavender buds with white rice so that you can warm your sachet in the microwave for one minute and use it to soothe tired eyes, headaches and muscle aches ... they are great on the back of the neck!.

Enjoy!

Wednesday's Sachet Winner!

Hello Everyone!

I know, I know, you've been hanging around all day waiting, wringing your hands, drinking mug after mug of spice tea, and I see I need to whip up a few more batches of chocolate chip pralines, but... finally I have arrived!

It's been like Christmas around here! All this fun with visiting tea parties and making new friends and getting totally sucked into the time machine that is my computer! If only my body would physically adapt and rest and repair itself while I am in the dream-like altered state that I enter when I fall down in the rabbit hole of blogdom, I would not have to feel guilty about it all. Eh, who am I kidding, I DON'T feel guilty! I'm sure I should but I don't have time to feel guilty about how I spend my time!

Back to feeling like Christmas.... Today has been such a groovy day. My new computer and HUGE new monitor has arrived. I'm so jazzed. I want to set it up RIGHT NOW! But I'm forced to wait. Agony. Pure torture. I have to have a place to set it up down in the studio, or rather the STB (studio to be) because it is not going to work on this dinky desk I have in my dining room/office/magazine vault. So, I am learning my lesson in delayed gratification until I can go to IKEA this weekend and shop for my new desk, shelves, storage, file cabinets and other organizational miracles that will transform STB into MPA

(Mama's Pocketbook Atelier! Fancy, No?!)

Ok, Ok, enough of my chattering, forcing you to endure the same torturous delayed gratification (torture loves company!) ~ here we go!

I have mastered the mathematical challenge of selecting a winner fairly and squarely by using a random number generator from http://www.random.org/.

Yesterday I had 11 lovely comments on my tea party post and so I entered the very complex computations to generate one random number out of the array of from 1 - 11 and the lucky number was:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 3
Timestamp: 2007-09-13 19:11:52 IST

So the winner of the lavender sachet warmer is my 3rd comment poster, myy lovely and dear new friend Michele of Rose Petals and Blooms! (http://rosepetalsandblooms.blogspot.com/). Congratulations Michele! Please email me your mailing address so I can get your prize shipped off to you right away. (I will post a photo ASAP)

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...

I promised prizes for today and tomorrow too! So prizes there will be!

There are only a few new comments today so far, but I'll give it til midnight to determine the pool of potential winners of a brand new design I have fashioned ... how about a Wristlet? Do you know what a Wristlet is? It's an adorable (if I do say so myself) little bag with a wristband that makes it easy squeezy to carry around on errands or to those Fall Festivals where you don't want to have to tote a heavy bag and it leaves your hands free to browse and eat the yummy turkey legs and caramel apples and such! I'll post a picture of that too, just as soon as possible!

So LEAVE A COMMENT... WIN A PRIZE!!

AND THAT'S NOT ALL!!

THE BONUS ROUND will come on Saturday, when I'll throw all the commenter's numbers in the the hat and give everyone a second chance to win a Grand Prize Prize! How's that!

Weeeeeeeeee, this is so much fun!


Oh... and I almost forgot to give you some new recipes!

This is my hubby's specialty...

Caramel Glazed Pear Cake
This is a family favorite that my grandmother always requests my husband make for family get-togethers! Melt in your mouth goodness!

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE
4 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

INGREDIENTS FOR GLAZE
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk

PREPARATION:
DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE
Toss together pears and 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand 5 minutes
Beat eggs, 2 cups sugar, and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended
Combine flour, salt, and baking soda, and add to egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended
Fold in pears, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract
Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean
Remove from pan, and drizzle Caramel Glaze over warm cake

DIRECTIONS FOR GLAZE
Stir together brown sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat
Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 1/2 minutes or until sugar dissolves


Now being a Southern Girl through and through, you know I drink lots of sweet iced tea, sometimes with lemon. The secret to making great Southern Sweet Iced Tea is the way you mix the tea with the sugar and adding a pinch of baking soda! You simply cannot mix sugar into the tea later to get the right sweetness. It doesn't work. Or as my brothers would say... That ain't right!

EASY SOUTHERN SWEET ICED TEA

3-4 cups water (to boil)
1 to 1 & 1/2 cups sugar (depending on just how sweet you like it)
3 Family size tea bags
Water and Ice to complete filling gallon container

Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil
Add a pinch of baking soda to the water to boiling water and add 3 family sized tea bags
Remove from heat and cover, allowing the tea to steep for about 10 minutes.
Pour warm tea in gallon size pitcher and add sugar
Stir well to dissolve sugar
Fill pitcher the rest of the way with cold water or add water and ice to fill the pitcher
Refrigerate. Serve cold with thick lemon slices.

Baking soda cuts the bitterness and darkens the tea a bit but doesn't affect the flavor.

ENJOY!

Welcome to My Fabulous Fall Tea Party!

What an amazing week this has been for all those making the rounds to all the gorgeous Make Mine Pink Virtual Tea Parties!

Isn't this the most fun thing ever? I'm meeting so many wonderful, creative women and I'm simply overwhelmed by the sweet comments and new sites and blogs I'm discovering. Thank you all for visiting me and waiting for me to catch my breath long enough to put together my Fall Tea Party.

As promised I have some delicious recipes to share with you today! First we'll start with a big mug of spiced tea. Yes! I did say MUG! Fall is here ... at least inside my happy little tea room! It's a sunny, but cool Indian Summer day, the leaves are turning, the breeze is blowing, and this spiced tea is steamy and yummy just for you!

Would you like to try some of my Soft Southern Chocolate Chip Pecan Pralines?

1 1/2 ea Sticks unsalted butter

1 c Sugar

1 c Packed, light brown sugar

1 c Milk

1/2 c Heavy cream

1 c Coarsely chopped pecans

2 c Whole pecan halves

2 T Vanilla extract

1 1/2 c Semisweet chocolate chips - Chilled!

Gather all the ingredients and utensils before starting to cook.

(Measure out the chocolate chips and keep in refrigerator until needed.)

Utensils:

A large, heavy-bottomed aluminum pot or skillet with deep sides

A long-handled metal whisk or spoon

2 large spoons (or an ice cream scoop with a manual release)

A very lightly greased cookie sheet.

Directions:

Melt the butter in the pot over high heat; add the sugars, milk, cream and chopped pecans.

Cook 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

Reduce heat to medium, continue cooking and whisking for 10 minutes.

Add the pecan halves and continue whisking and cooking until done,

about 8 to 10 minutes.

Lower the heat toward end of cooking time.

Stir in vanilla

Immediately drop about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips into about one-sixth of the batter.

Stir quickly and just enough to cover some of the chips with batter

but not enough to allow the chips to melt.

Quickly drop the chocolate mixture onto the cookie sheet by heaping spoonfuls,

using the second spoon to push the batter off the first spoon,

or use ice cream scoop

Each praline should be about 2 inches wide by 1/2 inch thick.

Repeat dripping mixture, stirring again before adding more chocolate chips.

The cooled pralines should be light brown, soft and crumbly.

Are you ready for Fall? or if you are visiting from "down under" you should be ready for Spring right? Either way, please tell me all your plans for Fall! I love hearing your plans!

Please keep reading - as I have some surprises for you!

I adore the changing of the seasons, it's like getting a new lease on life. I love everything about Fall ... the colors, the air, the leaves, football games, county fairs, wearing sweaters, going to the Fall Festivals and Arts & Crafts Shows, ohh they are so much fun! I can't wait for my favorite t.v. shows to return for the new season.

I also have lots and lots of exciting plans going on for Fall at Mama's Pocketbook to share with you, so please come back tomorrow for more new recipes... and news, and more fun!

So, if you leave a comment today, you'll be entered into a random drawing tomorrow for my little blog prize giveaway just for fun!

Now, let's see... what shall I give to the lucky poster who comments today (Wednesday)? How about a nice lavender sachet warming pouch! Pop it in the microwave for one minute and lay it over your forehead or your eyes to ease away tension, or place on sore muscles for a fragrant soother. This would be perfect to help you relax while you enjoy some more spiced tea!

I'll post a picture of the sachet a little later today

and after I have some spiced tea to wake me up because...

I was up extra late last night making sure my tea was just right

and I was chatting and burning the midnight oil with my friend Roxie!

You all know Roxie don't you?

Roxie of Jorabeels! Sure you know her!

Well Roxie has been hard at work and has a surprise of her own for everyone today!

The unveiling of her new website

Roxie has taken an absolutely brilliant idea and turned it into ...

JorabeelsInk.com

PLEASE... Do youself a favor... YOU MUST VISIT HER NEW SITE TODAY!!

And please come back to see me for tea again tomorrow... and more recipes, and more prizes!

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

Would You Join Me On Wednesday For A Nice Fall Tea Break?

Hello and welcome my friend!

Are you enjoying visiting all the lovely tea parties on the Make Mine Pink's Virtual Tea Party circuit?

I have to admit, I have been so overwhelmed by all the blessings pouring into my life lately that I have not quite caught up enough to present a proper tea for you today. Would you be able to visit with me and have virtural tea and treats on Wednesday? And on Thursday and Friday too!

Meanwhile make sure to make the rounds everyday this week here in MMP's Pretty Pink Blog Network to find lots of fun filled, gorgeous, and inspiring gatherings.

I'm so looking forward to spend some time with you chatting and catching up. I've been so busy these last few months I've hardly ever taken time to relax and unwind. It will be so nice to mark the change of the seasons here with you and share a delicious and fun Fall themed tea party!

I'll have recipes to share for some great spice tea and for a batch of friendship tea that you can mix up for great Fall gifts! And some delectible delights such as Southern Pecan Chocolate Pralines and hmmm, not sure what else I'll find to serve up to all my lovely friends. I'm sure I'll rustle up a nice surprise or two to give away too, so please be sure to come back and visit with me and have some tea! Oh, and leave comments. I love comments!

My Newest Fall OOAK Carrie Purse

My new TOTALLY VINTAGE Carrie Purse makes me soooo ready for for cooler weather, fall festivals and arts & crafts shows! How about you?

UPDATE!: My new purse SOLD already! To one of my best repeat customers! Thank You Susan! I know you will love it! ... And there are more OOAK's on the way, stay tuned!

This OOAK pocketbook was so fun to make. I wish I had enough fabric to make more, but this is a vintage linen I have been saving for a long time and there was only just enough to make this one lovely Carrie handbag.

When I found the gorgeous and unique tatted cluny lace, it was the perfect match for this fabric, then I spotted the little blue metal button with the rhinestone center in my stash of vintage buttons, and was inspired to add a whole row of unique vintage buttons.

The runched calico handles are so sweet and comfy, I know I'll have to create more bags with those kinds of handles again soon!

The second photo is truer to the color. I took the first one on the table in my entry and just could not get the pinkish tint out of the image. The fabric is a creamy linen and the leaf print is in shades of ecru, tan, denim blues, and there are little golden-yellow berries and tiny flowers sprinkled about.

I've got the fever now to make lots more pretty Fall purses, so if you aren't the lucky one to snag this one ... keep tabs on the new listings here on the blog, or join my newsletter, or bookmark the site! I hope to add new creations every few days.

Thanks for looking! AND please comment.. I love feedback!!

Come to the Best Tea Party Ever!

Fill your week with Tea Parties !!!
Starting Monday September 10, have a fun filled week with the
Make Mine Pink Bloggers as they host a virtual Tea Party.
Visit the Mine Pink Blog for all the information and a list of participating
Make Mine Pink Blogs.
Why Tea Party? Well what can be more fun, tea for two, tea for one, a princess tea, a mother/daughter tea, best friends tea, long lost friends tea, or to just take a moment to slow down and enjoy the tea.

Catching Up After Summer Flu (and Flew!)

I'm used to being in a fairly continuous state of playing "catch-up" and I don't think that's all that unusual or remarkable. After all, like most of the women I know, I wear many hats ... from wife and mother, to entreprenuer, writer, designer, and consultant, and about a thousand things in between.

My PINK friends and I are go-getters, we blast through to-do-lists, we take on challenges left and right and we do it with joy and excitement because we are living our dreams. To get to do what you love everyday is a highly motivating blessing. So, it's not lack of motivation, and it's certainly not lack of desire that has me dropping all the plates I have spinning in my balancing act ... It's the horrible, dreaded, dratted, SUMMER FLU! BLEH!

I've almost fully recovered now after two weeks of this nastiness, the last week of which I was joined in my misery by my husband and my son. In this case misery definitely did not love company. (And speaking of which, we also had out of town company coming this week! - but that's another post for later!)

I had big plans for August. Best laid plans. But with this flu suddenly my summer flew - as in - OMG, it's already the middle of August! ACK! HELP!

I'm so lucky that I seem to have been blessed with some of the most patient customers in the universe. So far no one has been mad at me for having to wait a while for their purses and I thank them deeply for that (and I'm sending extra goodies to those few of you who have been forced to wait for your orders... trust me, you'll be glad I did not spread my germies to your pocketbooks!)

But never fear, I'm recovered and back to work full steam ahead now. My house is probably the cleanest it's ever been or ever will be thanks to the constant disinfecting we've been doing and the fact that my brother and SIL were coming to visit, so everyone pitched in and got the place looking pretty spiffy!

It may be a few more days before I actually get to where I can do this blog justice. I'm so jealous of all my hyper-blogger buddies out there. I don't know how some of my friends like Sharon of C'est Chouette, or Joyce of Cottage Collections do it. These are two of the busiest ladies I've ever known but they also keep amazing blogs! They are my blog inspirations. Maybe now that I've had my flu bug come and go (along with my summer! Grrr) I will be bug free from here on out and can catch up on the 4,381 or so items on my to-do list. I have hope! I am WOMAN ya know!

OH, and I've been tagged while I was sick... so now I have to go and find 7 friends who have not been tagged and tag them and then post about my prestigious tagging adventure!

Whew, ok. Item one. Update Blog. Check. TTYL!

Mama's Pocketbook

Winner of the MSN Business Breakthrough Challenge II, Finance category, Mama's Pocketbook offers unique, one-of-a-kind and limited edition romantic, floral fabric accessories, fabrics, sewing patterns and other fine fabric accessories. Owner/Designer Dianne Hadaway is well known for her annual Pink October totes! Member & Writer at MakeMinePink.com

read more | digg story

And The Winner Is..... Mama's Pocketbook!

I have been sitting on this long enough I guess. Well, not really sitting on it because I have told an awful lot of people about it, but I haven't posted it officially ... so now I am!

Mama's Pocketbook has been awarded the Grand Prize in the Finance category of the MSN Business Breakthrough Challenge II! Seriously! This is a for real prize ... we are not talking leg lamps here! We are talking $10,000 worth of custom business solutions just for my business! Major business makeover!

The official word came exactly a month ago, on June 8th, but I've been waiting to see when MSN would put up the info on their website. Well.... still waiting on that, and I figured there were cobwebs growing in here so I better write something new and this is the best something new I've got!

The contest/competition is really pretty cool. I found it one Saturday in March while I was searching for information on how to get help from the SBA. I just stumbled onto the MSN Business Breakthrough website, read about the contest and since it was one of those rare Saturday's where I didn't have anything major going on, I sat down and wrote an essay about my business, how I started it last year, some of the really great steps I've taken (joining MMP!) and some of the setbacks I've run into (financial, due to my husband's back issues and his surgery) and what my plans are for growing the company and how we have managed to stay on top of things and keep it going. Apparently my essay was compelling enough ... the essays are judged three times, based on four levels of criteria. The first go round determines the top 20 out of all entrants, the those are judged again and the top 10 are picked, then a third judging is done to pick the winner.

That would be me or rather, my company, Mama's Pocketbook. Which is pretty much ... ME!

Ok, I do all the sewing and designing, and packaging and shipping, and website building, and ordering, and every other hands on management of my business, but I'm not alone... I have the most fabulous support network anyone could ask for. I have my awesome family. My brilliant hubby, Steve, who has his own exciting entrepreneurial stuff going on (on top of his teaching job and while recovering from major back surgery) , is forever encouraging me, supporting me, believing in me and basically treating me like a Queen. He helps take care of the house and the kids and animals and yard and all the domestic stuff. He's a keeper for sure!

And then I have my Pink Sisters at MMP, who are unbelievably talented, sweet, wise, resourceful, and marvelous in every way. I could not face the day without my coffee club check in at MMP! And of course without this great network I would not be sewing my fingers to the bone (that is when I'm not trying to chop them off with a food processor blade.... but that's another story!). Thanks to my MMP ads, as you've seen below, I've been completely overwhelmed with orders for the past two months! But that's not a complaint ... no, not at all. It's been just the blessing we have needed.

I can't leave out my single parent forum friends. They keep me grounded. They know way too much about me! But they are always supportive and really only want to see me succeed. And they want me to take them with me when I'm on Oprah! LOL!

I'm excited about my prize from MSN. Things should start happening now, I have my financial advisor and we are working on my plan, and my proposal (wish list) for what I need MSN to provide to push Mama's Pocketbook to the next level. Maybe get some help for the construction process of my items, get some cool inventory, fabrics... I can't wait to get my Amy Butler fabrics and purses to add to her pattern line that I carry already... and hopefully, even get me some walls for my studio. That would be sweet!

OK, so there, now I feel better. I'll update as the excitement builds and I start seeing the real effects of winning this thing!

Sew Much Excitement Going On!

I've been neglecting my blog! Poor blog :( Time to feed her! Things have been super -and I mean crazy-super - busy this past month! First of all the awesome MakeMinePink.com ad came out in the May/June issue of Mary Englebreit's Home Companion magazine which featured my Peachy Pink Carrie Purse and I have been completely overwhelmed with the orders coming in daily for it! I'm running a one-woman sweat-shop for real now! But it is just too much fun! I'm loving the feedback I'm getting and the new customers. I've even made some great new friends. I'll have to tell y'all about my new friend J-Lo in another post very soon!

Here's the ad in Home Companion magazine!

Enjoy A Slide Show of Mama's Pocketbook Products!

New Totes - Annie & Daisy

These new totes were fun to make. I love Moda fabrics, they are a dream to sew and the colors are gorgeous. I hope you will like these new totes.


My Annie Tote is pure fun, a casual, medium size tote with retro flowers, a scalloped edge top that folds over to reveal the other side, nice & big lined pockets inside and out ... and polka-dots! The strap cleverly slips through buttonholes on either side and is knotted in place, oh and the tote is fully reversible!

My Daisy Tote is a shopper's dream! Filled with pockets, big ones, medium ones, cell phone pocket... you can carry everything and be organized. You could even tote your laptop! I used velcro for the closures so you don't have to worry about magnets messing up your computer! This tote is so versatile, and so pretty! The peachy pink Moda fabric on front has bright red flowers and smaller white, pink and blue ones too. On back I used a Moda coordinate with cheery berry and vine designs. Inside is a luxurious quilted white lining with red polka dot trimmed pockets. Finished off with a vintage red button on the tab closure and a ultra comfy quilted and sturdy shoulder strap!

Enjoy!

Tag - I'm IT... Twice In One Week!

Wow, things have been super busy lately and I'm just going to take a "fun" break!

Two of my dear sweet Pink Sisters, Trisha from My2Roses and Kimberly from MyPinkBoutique both tagged me this week for a fun game - and it's my first time being tagged so I'm excited to be thought of and to play!

Here's how it works ... each player starts with 7 random weird facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

So, I only have to name 7 things right, not 14 because I was tagged twice! I'm sure I could find 14, but I'll stick with 7! I read the other lists weirdness and thought them pretty normal so I must be really weird! Hmmm, ok, here's my top 7 weird things I'm willing to share ...

1. My husband and I are psychic with each other. We say the same things at the same time, even when we are in different rooms. The kids are used to it now, but it still even causes us to look at each other and shake our heads. We think things to each other when we are apart and somehow the other one hears it. It's pretty weird, but very real and has been happening for over 6 years now.
2. I have no hair on my legs. None. It doesn't grow, I never have to shave my legs. I'm not making this up! I don't know why or what causes it ... but I'm glad I have it!
3. I have a photographic memory for color. I can match up colors perfectly without having a sample with me of what I'm matching to.
4. My eyes are very very green. People think I wear colored contacts to make them look so green, but in fact my contacts are a very pale blue that doesn't seem to tone down the green. My husbands eyes are also green, and green is our favorite color.
5. I am a magazine-aholic. I love decorating magazines like candy and I cannot throw them away. I get ideas and refer to them over and over again. I from the oldest ones just so I'll have room for the new ones each month, but I still have hundreds of them on hand, everywhere. I organize them by type and season so at any given time of the year I can find all the ones that I need for inspiration. I have kept every single copy I ever got of Victoria magazine because it was my fav and I could never bear to cut them up! (It's being published again later this year... YAY!) I would be rich if I had all the money back that I've spent just on magazines.
6. I never finish a diet coke. I always have one with me, it's a kind of liquid security blanket. I notoriously leave half full cans or bottles everywhere. If I were ever lost, I could be found by the CSI guys by just following a trail of half full bottles of diet coke. I buy it in the plastic bottles so I can seal them and rotate them in and out of the fridge and actually end up drinking the whole thing. At any given time there are 2 or 3 half bottles in the fridge.
7. I have a split personalitywhen it comes to orderliness. I am obsessed with the idea of being organized and decluttering my environment. I want to be a clean freak, I have the organizational skills, and I would love to live in a serene, simplified manner, but I also have ADHD and I am a creative soul and those two traits battle for power over the organized part of me. I control the ADHD with meds and compensating skills, but when I am creating I am in another universe and fabric, threads, paper, notions and trims fly about the room like the toys swirling about in Poltergiest and when I'm done I cannot believe the mess I've made while creating something totally beautiful! LOL! I'm possessed during the creative process, then my clean persona comes out and has to clean it all up before I start the next project.

Whew, now you all know a little more of my weirdness than you suspected! My turn to pick 7 others to tag... have fun my friends and I can't wait to read your weirdnesses!

I am tagging:

1. Amy at The Cottage Gate
2. Deb at Barberry Field
3. Lyndsay at The Shabby Suite
4. Dawn at My Hydrangea Home
5. Karen at Sweet Necessi-Teas
6. Lori at Katies Rose Cottage

I hope I tagged you all before someone else did. Please let me know when you post your list!

Someone Will Win a Pink Diamond!

We are so excited! As a proud member of MakeMinePink.com, we have joined with other Pink Boutiques and Make Mine Pink for the “Pink Diamond Campaign”.

Every year Make Mine Pink likes to do something special to honor our valued customers, clients and friends. In all, $2500 worth of fabulous pink prizes will be awarded throughout the contest with a Grand Prize of a genuine pink diamond pendant.

There are several fun ways to win prizes for the Campaign, by just visiting the boutiques at Make Mine Pink and locating the six diamonds hidden among the participating Pink Boutiques each of the six month, or you may see one of the Make Mine Pink boutique owners wearing her pink rhinestone “MMP” pin as she goes about day to day activities, or making a donation to a favorite women’s charity. A monthly prize will be awarded for May, June, July, August and September entries with a grand prize awarded for the month of October. It’s that easy!

Join us in our excitement by visiting The Boutiques at Make Mine Pink. For more information, you may visit Mama's Pocketbook or the “Pink Diamond Campaign” link at Make Mine Pink.

New Purse - Spring Roses Carrie Purse

I have finished another Carrie Purse! This one is OH SO PRETTY! Fresh and springy... with beautiful ROSES on a gorgeous golden yellow large gingham check background. Great decorator, drapery weight linen fabric. Also ... please note... this is a One-Of-A-Kind! I do have more of the fabric, but I am making a large shopper tote and some smaller accessories (that can be used with the Carrie Purse of course!) from what is left of it.

Head over to the home page to find out more about this newbie. I'm heading back to the studio and hope to post something new again tonight ... and tomorrow ... and the next day!

I have so many pretty things in the works, gearing up for May 1st and all the fun we are going to be having on MMP with our "Pink Diamond" contest and giveaways, and oh so much more!

Sweet Belguim Praise

I recently had my first international sale. I'd been a little fearful of shipping overseas but, this very nice lady from Belgium, Carole, emailed me about a purse I had listed on my Etsy.com shop asking if I would ship it to her internationally. I looked into the process and told her what it would cost and really it was very easy all the way around.

When her purse arrived, Carole posted a message to me to tell me that she loved it and that she was going to post about it on her blog: Entre Rêve et Réalité. I'm totally touched at her glowing remarks about her new shoulderbag and so pleased. I do not read or speak French, so I went to BabelFish.com and translated her comments so I'd know what she said. WOW, I could just read this over and over! It's so melodic to read the translation and makes me feel 10 feet tall!

Here's the translation:

... I received today my first purchase on ETSY. It acts of UN bag of which I put the photograph to you. I am bluffée by the quality of work and the fabrics are fabulous. I wanted a bag in the tone of red and I am really satisfied. It gives still better in truth. The interior is completely doubled in very good fabrics and the completions were executées with many care and concern of the detail. Frankly I am charmed!

Isn't that awesome! I think "bluffee" means impressed, or as one Pink Sister told me "blown away."

So of course I'm now hoping for lots of International sales! And thanks to Carole's blog entry and comments, I may just get them. The day after her post my traffic went through the roof with visitors from all over Europe and Australia! She must be very popular with her blog! I'm talking about major increases... like quadruple times as many visitors as normal :)

Sweet Surprise!

Ok, I admit it, I Google "Mama's Pocketbook" fairly often as well as my own name and a few other keywords to see if I'm still showing up out there. Well, today I was excited and sweetly surprised to find a link listed for me at This Next posted by my lovely pink sister from MMP, Kimberly, who owns My Pink Boutique. I had no idea she had recommended my Shabby Chic Tote to the world through that great website! Thanks so much Kimberly!

You really must visit Kimberly's website. She makes the most delicious looking goodies you've ever seen! I posted the pics below of the gorgeous cupcakes I received in my Secret Sister package - they were made by Kimberly! I love having these on my kitchen counter, they are so pretty and *bonus* no calories!

New Pocketbook Alert! - Carrie in Peachy Pink Rose

Good news - it's finally here! I've had so many requests for a PINK floral purse and I have found the most beautiful peachy/pink rose covered fabric to make into my beloved Carrie style purse.

And even better news - I have enough fabric to make at least 3 with the pink leather handles (I'm on the hunt for more of these handles) and I can take orders for at least 5 to 10 more of these with fabric covered woven belting handles. That's still a pretty limited edition as I don't really "manufacture" anything. Each is still lovingly hand-crafted and I refuse to cut corners, so yes... each will have the hand stitched lining because that the prettiest and best way to construct this bag.

I have added features to make this bag as useful as it is pretty! As always there's the coordinating handcrafted piping along the side edges and the antique button on top of the magnetic tab closure (these will vary, but will always be beautiful), but this new model has FOUR great pockets inside: Inside back you'll find a large welted pocket with velcro closure with a piggyback floral patch pocket on top of it, and inside front there are two floral pockets, one medium size open pocket and a cell phone pocket with elastic lace to help hold your phone in place, yet afford easy access.

There's also a velcro key fob you can slip onto your key ring and then attach your keys handily on the inside side panel of the purse.

Iced with a single row of ruffled ecru cluny lace trim and topped with either PINK leather ($45.00) handles or fabric trimmed webbing handles ($38.00)

Please comment! Taking after my friend Christine... I crave the positive reinforcements! LOL, we are strong women, but we still love us up some praise!

My Secret Sister LOVES Me! And I LOVE Her Too!

Ohhhh what fun! Yesterday I received my Secret Sister package from a very loving and sweet MakeMinePink.com Secret Sister and I was truly touched to tears of joy. First of all the box was HUGE, so carefully packaged and everything was safely cushioned with lovely pink packing peanuts (love those!) My secret sister really LOVES me! I can't tell you how fun and exciting it was for me opening all these lovingly selected gifts.

I had to get my daughter to help me empty the box and save all those peanuts. She oohed and ahhed with each wrapped package I pulled from the box, each one beautifully adorned with fabric roses and satin ribbons. The card from my Secret Sister gave no hint as to who she is. She wrote: Hello, my Secret Sister!, I was so blessed to be given the opportunity to bless you Dianne! I hope all these things give you much enjoyment! God Bless You and have a fun day!! You Secret Sister.

Ok, well so far I only had one clue... the address on the label gives the city in Texas it was shipped from but the name is blacked out and taped over. Very sneaky! I'd have to figure out who lived in Texas... meanwhile, I started opening the gifts...

This first gift was a sweet little glass jar with lovely roses on the shabby chic lid and inside was a treasure trove of buttons, findings, rhinestones, and two pink antique intricately hand stitched cotton fabric flowers with pearl button centers. These are truly works of art and I adore them!

My secret sister really read my bio and picked gifts that perfectly spoke to my heart! Did I say thank you yet? OMGosh... THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I love all these things... and this is just the beginning... there's much more...

First I have never seen a Blue Bonnet Butter JAR! Fabulous! And look at the gorgeous pink, white and green doily tied around it with a ribbon! It was filled yards of with this wonderful pink lace. Oh my! You should have heard me squeal! Oh, and see the pink pearl strands, can't forget those! They are so pretty!

Next up... a big, beautiful conch shell with a handmade paper collage tag. I love seashells and my secret sister included something of everything I love!

Here we have what I thought was my 2nd clue for who my secret sister might be. I actually did scream a little when I saw what was in this package as I've been wanting some of these delicious looking confections ever since I first saw them here at MMP. And the china saucer is to die for too! Now, I'm pretty sure these yummies were made by Kimberly at My Pink Boutique... Hmmm. Could Kimberly be my SS? But wait, there are more clues ...

Lookie ... I got a BUNNY! SWEET!!! Actually TWO bunnies! My big bunny is absolutely perfect for me, she is so sweetly dressed and holds a SEWING BASKET. How on earth my SS found this perfect bunny for me I don't know, but I'm thrilled that she did! The other sweet little bunny sitting in her lap is so cute, made from a lovely rose print fabric and with the floppy ears I love and even a tiny cotton tail! I am in heaven! Are you all jealous yet?

Now this is the next clue that has thrown me off my trail! I'd already spotted this beautiful rose print in the "PINK" (and white) frame on my Pink Sister Peggy's site at So Shabby Pink. And Peggy lives in Texas too! So.... is it Peggy who blessed me with all these wonderful things??? I'm truly stumped I don't know if my secret sis is Kimberly or Peggy but I'm pretty sure it's one of you. I tend to think it's Peggy because she also has some of these wonderful glass jars on her site.

SO ... Come clean Secret Sister... and let me thank you properly for all the love and thought and wonderful gifts you have given me. I'm just tickled PINK over this haul! I just love how you put so much time into wrapping each one and I LOVE the big gorgeous fabric roses clipped onto the packages and the little heart shaped notepad and all the ribbons. It all just takes my breath away. I am the most blessed Secret Sister for sure!

Oh, and there's a glimpse of my newest Carrie purse at the edge of this picture of all my teasures. It's PINK, and ROSY, and I can't wait to post it on my site. I hope you all enjoyed sharing in my SS experience! I'll reveal who my Secret Sister is as soon as she claims her fame!