I've Been Blogged!

I am so honored to be part of Objects of Affection's Wish List Wednesday!
She features some really wonderful artists! Her shop is lovely! Go check it out!

Not too much else to update! I'm working on some new bags and getting ready for summer to get into gear here. I have some family coming to visit for the holiday weekend, so I am looking forward to spending time with them!

Catch you all later! Drop me a line, let me know how you are doing!

Have You Heard of Lisa Lavie -- I'm sure you will!

I was bored one late night this past weekend and so was surfing youtube and stumbled upon some amazing musicians that have yet to be labeled, discovered, etc....but one that I am sure will need no introduction soon is Lisa Lavie -- have you all heard her voice? I love her music, she has an album coming out in May on itunes - I believe it was produced by the same person who works with Mariah Carey. Anyway, Lisa's voice is so unique and I just love it! One of her songs got like 1.5 million hits in about 3 days and youtube suspended her account because they thought she was a bot. She has a cute video on youtube about that, I thought it was funny...anyway, here is a couple links to her. I am looking forward to hearing her on the radio.

http://www.myspace.com/lisalavie
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bfsCI_pIB7E
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mp0ONYjm1fc

My fav song by her:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=y1Q9Itw1a_I

Checking In!

Hey all, sorry I haven't posted lately! I've got some amazing bags in store for you soon! I am loving the whole gathered look and the green corduroy, but I am taking it in a slightly different direction which you will see soon, so stay tuned! Never fear, I'm keeping the gathered bags, but I will have some other ones that will have a little different, unique look! I hope you will love them as much as I do! I hope to have one posted up this weekend.

Oh, I've gotten a lot of feedback/comments around the whole curly girl previous post -- I'm so glad to hear there are so many curlies like me who are looking for their holy grail products! Feel free to drop me a line with any products that you like and want to recommend! I'm always on the lookout for great products!

Blink and It's Gone!

Ok, so I put the new bag up in the shop and just like that, it sold!! I am so happy! Things have been going well so far in the shop! I promise to have more goodies soon! I will have some new gathered bags as well as I hope to have some really neat bags for summer!

Shop Update Tomorrow

I will finally have that patchwork bag up in the shop tomorrow! I've been researching, shopping and researching more on fabrics and I keep coming back to my love for fabrics from Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, etc. which brings me some fabulous ideas for new upcoming totes - stay tuned! More gathered bags coming soon too in beautiful colors just in time for summer, and they are slightly different than the green ones I have had!

I'm Hoping You Like My Sneak Peeks!

Here is another sneak peek at a new bag I have in the works (among the many others!). I just love all these fabrics together, they are so light and fresh. I am planning on another patchwork bag with a dark denim bottom and straps. So far, I love how it is coming together! I hope you likie! I'll put it up in the shop when it's ready for a new home!

Do You Poo?

Ok, so who here is a curly girl? Are you familiar with terms such as plopping, 3b, boticelli, no poo or acronyms like OneC, BRHG, AO? If you know any of these, chances are you have been to http://www.naturallycurly.com/ !!

Here is a great introduction to what I mean when I am talking about poo or shall I say NO POO! This routine is based on this book by Lorraine Massey, it's a good read although a little dated now. We are anxiously awaiting a follow up book!

I have had curly hair all my life but just in the last couple of years have I became a total product junkie, trying to find the best products for my hair. The folks over at naturallycurly are awesome -- we share our product trials and tribulations and so when something works great, I definitely have to have it! LOL

Well, if you are a curly girl and haven't been to http://www.naturallycurly.com/, head over there and then go to http://www.curlmart.com/ to take a peek at all the amazing products they have to offer-I had no idea there were so many products targeted just for the curly girls! Ever since I have found nc.com, I have had in my product arsenal products by DevaCurl. This includes No Poo (a conditioning, no sulfate cleanser), One Condition (the conditioner) and Angell (styling gel) - I absolutely love the smell of these, the no poo has a turkish rose and peppermint smell and the One Condition smells like lemongrass and the Angell is supposed to smell like starfruit -- it is heavenly.

Oh, while I am talking about products, there is another great line for curlies called Jessicurl. She has great products and they smell simply devine -- check out her site at http://www.jessicurl.com/. There are also great videos there for those of you who are visual learners!

I am sure I'll be talking more about curls. . .signed, totally obsessed with hair products. :)

Yummy!!

Ok, so FINALLY, after my son was sick for a week, making up tons of projects from being sick and starting spring hockey, I was finally able to make those scrumptious cupcakes nicoleeartistry had been telling me about!! They were so fun to make - I could not keep myself from the batter, I tell you. Anyway, I thought I would share a pic of my son eating one! Thanks again nicoleeartistry for sharing your wonderful recipe!

Today is a pretty quiet day here at the Rittenhouses! I visited with my niece's new little beautiful baby boy, he is such a good baby! She is so lucky! I think we are just going to relax and enjoy the rest of the day! I hope you all can do the same.

Comfort Blogs

Are there blogs you read because they give you inspiration or just brighten your day? I love to read blogs that really inspire me and help me think outside the box. I really enjoy reading this blog for those reasons. Not only that, Blaze is an incredible artist. Her work is just beautiful. If you are looking for a great blog to read, head over there now and take a look and you will see what I mean. She is very talented, I know she will do very well wherever her path takes her!

Her blog:

http://blazedanielle.wordpress.com/

Also, take a look in her Etsy shop!

A sample of her work:

Little Bird

We Now Return You. . .

to your regularly scheduled program.

I've not been in touch for a few days because my youngest has been sick -- he's had a fever and cough (5 kids in his class are sick too) for the past few days. His fever broke last night, thank goodness! And, during that time, I got my first custom order, I was so honored that someone would put their faith in me to create something for them!

Tomorrow I am going to go get the remaining item I need to make those scrumptious black bottom cupcakes!! I can't wait. My kids absolutely love muffins, chocolate, cupcakes (ok, I guess what kids don't?). So, it will be nice to make something like this for them (and me!).

Oh, and I will have more green corduroy bags up tomorrow -- those seem to go fast - they are an awesome color for spring and summer.

Another Cupcake Post!

Ok, so by now you guys know that I am on a quest to make the perfect cupcake (vegan or otherwise!) -- and if you don't know, get with the program! :) Anyway, I found this article on msn that showcases the "country's best cupcakes". Here is the article. Anyway, I need to also pick up this book sometime. Thanks Lovemeknot creations and texastesla for the ideas!

I also got a recipe from this blog I read -- I think this is the next cupcake recipe I am going to try from it. They have some awesome recipes!

Wouldn't it be awesome to find a cupcake recipe that is actually kinda good for you? Anyone have any ideas, I'm all for it!

A New Bag + Happy Friday!

Here is a new bag I just put up at the shop. I love the way it turned out, I just love Kokka fabric. It goes so well with the denim.

This has been a long week it seems! I can't believe Friday is finally here. Maybe soon, we'll start to see some nice weather (wishful thinking?). Well, have a great weekend everyone-not too much to report from here, I have some more bags in the works--awesome colors for spring too! It looks like spring sports will be in full swing here soon -- 2 of them are playing in a spring hockey league and my other son has been practicing w/his baseball team since January. I am super excited to see where this team goes, lots of potential there.

Last but definitely not least-Thanks to all who read & comment, it's so nice to "meet" you!

Happy Friday! Snow Day!

Just wanted to tell everyone Happy Friday! Hope you all have a great weekend!

I am working on more bags, so stay tuned. It's a crazy day here today, we have a snow day!

To recap the week, well, I tried my hand at vegan cupcakes. They turned out OK, but I think next time I will use regular soymilk because all I had on hand was light vanilla. Maybe that will make the difference, I don't know! But I love cupcakes!

We wrapped up another hockey season -- I'm kinda sad about that, I love watching my kids doing something they really enjoy. It was a good season and he had lots of fun.

The New Bag is Here!

Here is the new bag I have been promising! I think it turned out great!

Here is a description of the bag:

This large tote is made with dark blue denim fabric and Japanese cotton Echino fabric on the outside with a neutral grey twill interior. This bag features 3 slip pockets and 2 slots for pens or pencils. It also has a swivel hook on the inside so you can clip whatever you want to keep conveniently available like your keys, pacifier, etc. Down the center of the tote, I created a frayed seam to give this bag a unique look. The Echino fabric has a slightly different look on each side.

Has wide shoulder straps at sits comfortably on the shoulder and allows for convenient access to the inside of the bag.

Take a look here for more info!

Braylon Michael is Here

Braylon Michael, born this morning 2/5 at 7:47 AM weighed in at 10.4 pounds and 22". Mom and baby are doing well! I think daddy had something to do with the Steelers hat! Congrats Carly, Mike and grandparents!

My Pouch was on the Front Page of Etsy

How exciting to wake up this morning! Not only is it my wedding anniversary, I realized my denim pouch had made it to the front page of Etsy! I am thrilled! It was my front page debut!

If I can get a screenshot of when it was on the front page, I'll post it here!

Photoshop

Argh...I keep playing with my banner and avatar in Etsy. I know the look I want, but can't seem to get the final outcome to pop. I will keep messing around with it. The new look now is the bag I am working on, which I love.

Not sure what I think of this yet -- I'm going to keep working on it, I have another design in mind that I want to work with if I can get it to work out right.

Sneak Peek at a New Bag!

Here is a sneak peek of a new bag in the works. I'll have it up in my shop in the next few days or so, watch for it! I'm excited about this one with the color combinations, size and overall design. I used denim, frayed it to give it a unique style and used Echino fabric to give it some color. I like to be different, stand out in a crowd-I think this hits the mark. Quality, functional, fabulous!

Our Family is Expanding!

My brother and his wife are expecting! Look at this little peanut!! Just a few weeks....

And, here is a pic of my pregnant niece -- little Braylon is 38 weeks...due Feb 5!

Hello Out There!

Aside from being a mom of 3 awesome boys, wife and handbag designer, I found out that I am going to be an aunt! I am so excited!

I'll figure out how to make this blog more exciting! I'm usually not much for a bunch of words, so we'll see how it goes! :)

I love fabrics and creating totes & bags & stuff -- love the creative process. I usually just have a design in my head and then translate that into a bag.