The Coolest Christmas Present...

My husband gave me the coolest Christmas present ever! This calendar will provide me oodles of inspiration. I've included the link to purchase it. I just love it!

Here is the description-"Handbag lovers, feast your eyes. Handbags—adapted from Anna Johnson's stylish bestseller—is a gallery of covetable purses, bags, totes, clutches, and pochettes, all gorgeously photographed and ready to display on your desk. A wild leopard-print evening bag from Christian Dior. Elsa Schiaparelli's quilted black satin vase bag. Sheer glamour: Luciano Padovan’s silver handbag, Judith Leiber and Emilio Pucci, Miu Miu, Versace, and distinctive antique bags. Each is more fabulous than the last."

Happy Holidays!

Bag Survey Results

This was pretty interesting. The funniest thing is, the purse I currently carry fits all of the most popular answers. Ha! See what you think...

How many purses do you own?
1-5 38.7%
6-10 29%
11-15 9.7%
Way too many 22.6%

What size is the purse you carry?
Small 3.2%
Medium 61.3%
Large 29%
Oversized 6.5%

What is your favorite purse made of?
Fabric 51.6%
Leather 41.9%
Plastic 6.5%

How many pockets do you like your purses to have?
1-2 12.9%
3-4 83.9%
None 3.2%

How long do you want the strap to be?
Handle length-doesn’t need to fit on the shoulder 0%
Strap that fits over the shoulder 54.8%
Strap that adjusts to fit over the body 32.3%
Doesn’t matter-I’ll carry them all 12.9%

What do you carry in your purse?
Just the essentials-lipstick, comb, car keys, cell phone 33.3%
More than essentials but less than the kitchen sink 60%
The kitchen sink 6.7%

What color is your favorite purse?
Black 41.7%
Brown 33.3%
Multi 25%

How do you want your purse to close?
Snap 20%
Zipper 60%
Flap 16.7%

How many purses have you purchased in the last year?
1-4 80.6%
5-9 16.1%
10-15 3.2%
I’m out of control 0%

Where did you purchase your last purse?
Department Store 44.8%
Specialty Shop 10.3%
Garage Sale/Flea Market 0%
Online 44.8%

We Have a Winner!

Thanks to everyone for filling out my Bag Survey. As promised, today I chose a winner for the free Zippy Pouch. Congratulations ShadySideFarm. I will be posting the results of the survey soon.

Treasuries...Good News/Pleasing Pinks

I was able to snag 2 Treasuries last night. One on Treasury called "Good News" and the other on Treasury West called "Pleasing Pinks". Enjoy! I'm off to brave the mall traffic. Help!

Etsy Seller Spotlight...Space+Moderne

I am always looking for unique items on Etsy~those things that you can't find everywhere in mass production. I think truly successful handcrafters are those who make things that stand out. Space+Moderne is one of those shops. I just love her inspired designs. I especially like the wine pockets. How cool would it be to get a bottle in one of these bags?

Treasury...Zippy Pouches

I almost feel like I'm cheating on my blog lately with all these Treasury photos. But, I've been pretty busy with holiday stuff lately. Enjoy the images. I'll write something with more substance soon.

Treasury...Red and Green

Here are some more awesome Etsy finds.

Lovely Drawers

Junk drawers? There's no such thing. Not these drawers anyway. Don't you just love drawers full of crafting supplies? Nothing makes me happier than to go into my sewing room and dive in. I took these shots to blow up and put on the walls as inspiration. Thought you might enjoy them too. I love all the colors.

Holiday Budgets-Sttrrrreeeeettccchhh that dollar!

I always go into the holidays with a budget and every intention of sticking to it. The frustrating thing about budgets is that you have to remember all the hidden costs...I'm not so good at that. Let's consider the gasoline it takes to travel to and from the mall in terrible traffic; parking garage fees; the paper, ribbon, tissue and cards that make our gifts special; the shipping costs for special orders and online purchases; the surprise occassions requiring a last minute gift; the list goes on. Ugh! I always forget about the extra expenses that ruin my good intentions.

I heard on the news last night that we are "officially in a recession". Duh! If your family is like mine, you've been feeling the pinch of our current economic situation for a while. In light of that, and because I know every little bit helps, I have extended my FREE SHIPPING offer through December 15. And, every purchase comes with FREE HOLIDAY GIFT WRAP. See samples in a previous posting.

Finally, if you take the BAG SURVEY on this blog, let me know by clicking the link to my Etsy shop and sending me a convo. (To "convo" click on "contactbagsandbuds" to the right of the screen while you are on my shop site.) You will be entered into my holiday GIVEAWAY for a FREE ZIPPER POUCH.

I hope these little savings help you to stay within your holiday budget.

Happy Holidays and Buy Handmade!