Bags for sale!

As many of you know, I have taken up the hobby of sewing fun, colourful tote bags as a way of making extra money for a trip that Jeff and I are planning for Easter break 2011 in Mexico. I recently have had a few (non-facebooking) people ask if the bags I sell are posted on any other website other than facebook, and until now they haven't been. In any case, here they are!

For any interested onlookers, these bags are all handmade by me, pre-washed and dried (so they are totally machine washable), and backstitched to the point that I'd dare you to carry your anvil collection in them and see if they rip (they won't). I sell them for $20 each, and if you need them to be shipped I'd be happy to do it, just add $5 per bag. I may even cut you a deal if you buy multiples. ;o)

I have found them super handy as school bags, overnight bags, beach bags, etc. I know other people use them as reusable grocery bags, dance/yoga bags, diaper bags.... and the list goes on. Basically you can put whatever you want in them. They fit my MacBook nicely, and I often pile textbooks, binders, and anything else I need to tote around in them on a daily basis. The straps are a bit short to wear as a messenger bag (although it has been done), but are very comfortable to wear on one shoulder. The pictures are actually a bit deceiving in that sense - lots of people who have bought bags have commented that they were pleasantly surprised at how big they were.

And without any further ado, here they are! Please note that for some of these designs I have several in stock (but of course just took a picture of one of each). I also have some fabric yet to be sewn, so if you see one you like but you want it with blue on the other side instead of pink, for example, just ask and I may be able to accommodate your requests.

Thanks for looking! (Click on the pictures to enlarge for detail)

Some of my favourite new bags!

Misc. patterns

Fleur de lis patterns - pink/brown and red/white/gold

The blue/green paisley series

Some of the funkiest, most colourful IKEA fabrics in my collection

The florals - Pt. I

The florals - Pt. II

The polka dots!

The reds

The ridiculous pile of bags needing to be sewn (many have been sewn since this picture was taken... still, daunting!)

Jason's travels

So my friend Jason won a place in the top 6 of a travel competition this past month, and now he's heading off on an incredible South American adventure! I just got the link to his blog, so in case anybody is interested, you can read about his travels here (also linked to the right). Travel safe, friend!

Travel plans = addictive!

41 days until New Zealand! How exciting! Travel planning is always so much fun. In fact, it's *almost* as fun as the trip itself! Well.... close enough. :o) I love imagining the possibilities of what each travel experience could entail, and then actually budgeting, saving, and making it happen.

The next travel plan after New Zealand is Easter break in Mexico 2011! Jeff and I have been building vacation packages online for the past few hours and now I'm in total travel mode! On our list:

- swimming in underground cenotes on the Coba Mayan Encounter

- parasailing

- partying in Cancun at Senor Frogs, Daddy'O's, Coco Bongo, The City, etc.

- snorkelling at Xel-Ha

- day excursions to Tulum and Chichen Itza

- lounging around in our hotel pool(s) with swim up bars and all-inclusive food/drinks.... ahhh!

- cruising the strip in Cancun for neat shopping, markets, souvenirs, etc.

No real updates otherwise... just felt like sharing the excitement of travel planning!

Better (4 months) late than never, right?

Holy slacker, Batman! I went to update this blog and I realized that my last post was on January 6th... could this qualify for the longest kiwilauren absence yet? Almost 4 months.... yikes! So much has happened. Here are some of the highlights:

- I directed my first musical ("Alice in Wonderland") and it was a hit!

- I took a trip to Calgary/Banff/Edmonton over February break and went skiing, shopping, picture-taking, and visiting friends

- My choir and my Level 2 band won scholarships at our local Music Festival, and all 3 of my bands that I entered scored A's for their performances (yay, girls!)

- I spent a week in the Cayman Islands visiting a friend (AMAZING!) - I snorkelled, held a sting ray, took hundreds of awesome underwater pictures, and got a crazy tan (darn bathing suit tan lines! Should've gone naked!)

- I was hired to play saxophone and flute in the pit band of St. Mary's musical "Honk!" - rehearsals start tomorrow... should be a good time again (I played "Fiddler on the Roof" last year), and I'll make a few extra $$ to toss in the travel fund (yay!)

I've also been selling a ton of handmade bags on facebook and making some extra $$ for my potential trip to Mexico next Easter with my boyfriend Jeff. On my aforementioned trip to Calgary over the February break I bought a bunch of really cute fabric from IKEA, and on the advice of a few friends who I had sewn bags for as Christmas/birthday presents, I decided to start selling my bags. It took off, and now I'm having fun experimenting with different colours, patterns, etc. and seeing where it goes. :o) If anyone needs or wants a new bag (or some easy birthday presents!), check them out on facebook in the group called "Buy My Bags."

And now, in BIG NEWS (!!!!!), I just booked my flights to New Zealand this past week! YAYAYAYAYAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!! I land in Auckland on July 7th and I will be carousing about the country until August 16th. SO excited! It has been almost 3 years (can you believe that?!) and now I'm finally on my way back to kiwi land!!!! There will be many adventures to be had. Fish, Sam, Rich, Kirsten - maybe a weekend trip to Castlepoint? Let's talk!

LOVE!