One-of-a-Kind Handmade Purse!

This bag is called Mia’s Story after a beautifully illustrated tale of a little girl who lives in a South American village.  All of the Bags for Zaza are hand made of  up-cycled fabrics that have been donated for the cause.  What’s the cause?  The adoption of our little South American princess. 

The straps on the bag have bits and pieces of a remnant for a Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt that was pieced by my great grandmother and her sisters.

Inside the bag is a little Asian surprise… two little men embroidered for your viewing pleasure.  They were once the front of a little Oriental shirt and the red frog closure is still there too!  There are more photos on the Bags for Zaza page.

To bid on a bag, please go to  www.BagsForZaza.blogspot.com  and help bring an orphan home!  Thanks for looking and for telling others!

After-Veterans-Day Bags Have Arrived

Bags For Zaza took a day breather this week and the bags, well most of them, posted this morning.  There’s something for everyone… the career woman, the teenager, the traveler, the book worm, the chic shopper.  I was the delinquent picture sender as I worked past midnight and went to bed mad at the bag.  The flap was too long and went to the bottom edge of the front of the purse.  It just didn’t look right and the length would be a bother when digging inside.  After many futile attempts at tricky solutions, I gave up and hit the sack. 

Fortunately, I awoke with visions of grandeur and a fringy idea.  Here are the results of 7.5 hours of sleep:

For those new to MSJ, Bags for Zaza is an adoption fundraiser to help bring home our little girl from Colombia.  We have requested a daughter between the ages of 3 and 7… and chances are really high that she will have black hair, like her daddy.  BFZ was started by my sister-in-law, Jennie, who is also adopting a sibling group of three kids who happen to be the same ages as our three children.  Incidentally, Jennie is also the one who bequeathed the name Zaza for our little girl.  We hoped and prayed that we could raise $500 for this worthy cause.  Well, we haven’t heard official tally numbers in a while (due to double staffing with our head seamstress and bookkeeper) but I believe it’s nearing $4,000!  Woooo HOoooo! 

A heartfelt thanks to bidders, sewers, auction junkies and YOU for going over, taking a looksie and telling ALL your friends about Bags for Zaza.  www.BagsForZaza.blogspot.com.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

For every Bag for Zaza, there is a book that the bag is named after, hence the blog title.  Up for auction tomorrow morning are three new bags:  Owl Moon (a hippy extravaganza), the Cookie title mentioned (a hot pink and denim number for a little princess) and Flower Arranging (a stunning black, white and red cinched purse.)  Here’s a peek:

Check ’em out at www.BagsForZaza.blogspot.com and help bring our daughter home from Colombia.  Thank You!!!

AND voting day!  How exciting.  I had grand plans to sashay my way to the front of the polling station line and drop my “early” ballot in the box….. but tonight I discovered that my dear husband, in his excitement of voting in his first presidential election, wrote all over my ballot thinking it was a practice one.  It was not.  Now I’m standing in line with the rest of you.  Shoot.

The Chips are Down, but the Bags are UP!

www.BagsForZaza.blogspot.com has some real beauties up this week, if I do say so myself.  In fact, I just did.  There is something for every gal on your Christmas list, young and old.  For those new to MSJ, this is an adoption fundraiser to bring our daughter home from Colombia.  It started as a family project and has blossomed as we found more people to call family. :o)

The bags and/or purses go up for auction on Tuesday and the highest bidder on Saturday night at 9:00 pm has a little bit more of their Christmas shopping completed.  Purses are the rage, in case you haven’t been out of the house lately.  Big bags, handy bags, cutesy bags and just plain versatile bags are IN.

BFZ has also become an addiction for many, but especially my mother.  I truly don’t know what she used to do all day long before she was designing award-winning bags… and checking the comments for every single bag dozens of times each day.  She took a sewing break last week, which we have all done in turn, but she had a difficult time knowing that she wouldn’t have as many comments to read.  Dad even put a computer in her sewing room, right next to the Singer, for easy access while stitching and ripping out and stitching the beautiful bags.  Such dedication. 

Seriously, how easy are we making your Christmas shopping for you?  It couldn’t get any easier.  You don’t even have to stay up on the auctions, if you choose not to.  Just pick out a dazzling Bag for Zaza for that special someone on your list, bid $175, and you will read your name up in lights on Saturday night.  It’s that easy.  (The bidding starts at $25….. shhhhhh!)

Thanks to all those who have donated fabric, trim and buttons.  Thanks to all who have bid and bid and bid, and STILL don’t have a bag.  Thanks to all of our models across North America for showcasing BFZ when you wear your bag.  Thanks to those special women who are spending their not-so-free-time sewing for Zaza.  Blessings upon you ALL!    (Only 72 shopping days until Christmas!  Don’t get caught in the MALL on the 24th!)

Another bloggggg…..

Not much action in the trenches today.  The big news of the day was a $25 savings at Office Max on printer ink.  Love that.  It’s just a conspiracy theory, but somehow I know the office supply stores control our amount of printer ink from their head offices somewhere.  There’s a button they push that sucks our cartridges dry. Ours ran out yesterday.  Also yesterday, my niece called from across the street to see if she could print something at our house because THEIR printer ink was out.  This morning I mentioned my shopping trip to a friend and HER ink was out yesterday as well.  SEE!?!  It’s true.  I know it.

Hubby is overnighting in Winslow, Arizona.  Raise your hand if you sang, “such a fine sight to see… it’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me.”  EVERY time Rick says he’s flying into Winslow, I sing the song for the rest of the day.  When he overnights, I sing it for two days.  Now you’re going to be singing it too.  hahahahahahaaaa

I did finish a Bag for Zaza today, so that’s great news!  It’s only Thursday.  I might get two done this week.  Here’s a sneak peak:

There is a fierce bidding war going on:  www.bagsforzaza.blogspot.com.  At least online there’s no hair pulling or mud throwing.  It’s quite addicting, actually, to keep up with the bidders and the commenters.  And a BIG THANK YOU to all who have helped bring Zaza home.  Someday there will be a picture of our sweet Zaza on this blog.  Stay tuned.  The wait seems endless, but she will arrive.

Make it a great Friday!  I love Fridays!  Thank God, it’s Friday! :o)