Another Christmas

December started off with a few snowfalls, making it a white christmas which always makes you get into the holiday spirt.

Once again, we trekked through Horton's Tree Farm to find the perfect tree and chop it down. I think we managed to do okay again this year.

The Christmas eve gift was a lot of fun, the Kinect for the XBox. It was quite funny trying out the games and also quite exhausting. Maybe it will get those kids around the world off the couches for a few hours.

I got my new bookcase for all my cookbooks, all nice and organized for the new year. I think I am going to try to make one new recipe out of any book each week and I will blog about it. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and have a happy new year! Here's to a great 2011! Another new decade, I swear it was just 2000.

Tis the Season

Well winter has arrived this last week and they say there is more of the white stuff on the way. I finally managed to dig out the decorations and decorate the house.

Now I must finish the shopping and start the baking.

Toronto's One of A Kind Christmas Show & Sale

Toronto's One of A Kind sale and show is over for another year. I sold 112 bags this year compared to 68 in 2009. The 14 hour days were totally exhausting but also exhilerating when people stopped by to shop and admire the bags. Here are a few pics of my booth.

It's that time again. I will be at the One of a Kind Show for the last six days from November 30th thru to Dec 5th. Please come by and visit me at Booth# P33. I have lots of great new winter bags. Hope to see you there.

The Creative Mind

The Creative Mind is at work again. My sewing studio begins like this and when the creative mind starts to fire up, it ends like this!

I have been designing like a mad woman. I am in shows every weekend until the One of A Kind.

Here are some new bouquet bags.

I am in the Toronto One of A Kind Christmas sale again this year. I am in the last 6 days of the show, from Nov. 30th to Dec. 5th at Booth# P33B. If you plan on attending you can use the discount code above to get $3 off your ticket. I also have a few complimentary tickets, please contact me if you are interested in one. First come, first serve. Hope to see you there.

Last night, my neighbourhood gal pals went downtown to see the play Love, Loss and What I Wore. We were all a little disappointed in the play. It was just okay, no huge laughter like we were expecting it to be. However, we did have an excellent dinner at Fire on the East Side, on Gloucster Street. We had many laughs there and some terrific food. Who doesn't love a girls night out!

Great Fabric Finds

Fabric stores are a bit like a candy store for me. When I start looking around, I want to buy them all. Then I will hunt around, looking for something unusual and when I come across the perfect one, it's pure excitement. I envision which bags would look good in that particular fabric and then I scoop it up. I just found these two fabrics and thought they were beautiful. The top clutch is made from a heavy sequined suiting, very elegant.

This clutch is made from a black and silver metallic fabric, and it is absolutely stunning. It would look fabulous with a little black dress or a pair of dark jeans and a black sweater. It's going to be hard to give this one up.

I made wristlets in both the fabrics as well as the opposite side of the black and silver fabric. These wristlets are perfect for all those holiday parties.

Great Reads

I love my Sony Reader. If you are thinking of getting a digital reader, it is a great idea. It is compact so you can bring it anywhere, load as many books on it as you can. If you go away for a week, the battery lasts for about that time. I have read some great books this summer:

1. Any Known Blood
2. The Art of Racing in the Rain
3. The Book Thief
4. The Forgotten Garden
5. The Help
6. One Day
7. The Secret of Rain and Lightning
8. The Secret Daughter

These are all good reads. It is so easy downloading a book. As soon as I am done one, I just plug it into my computer and get another. The websites all have readers comments on the books and it really helps in picking a new one. A great Christmas gift idea!

Steven and Chris Show

My friend and I went to a taping of the Steven and Chris show this past week. The energy in the audience was truly energizing. We both had a lot of fun. Steven and Chris are both very entertaining. It was interesting to see what goes into the production of an hour long talk show.

There were segments on home decor, cooking, health and fashion that day. The program we saw will air on Tuesday Oct. 5th. Hopefully there are no bad closeups!