Photo Finish Friday

Icy pine needles yesterday morning.

I know people that live here who get annoyed every time we have snow, ice or rain. I don't get it. First, we desperately need the water here in thirsty Colorado, in whatever form we can get it. Second, it's so pretty! I love how snow and ice transform the landscape into white beauty. It never gets old for me.

However, I didn't always feel this way. I grew up in Minnesota, spending the first 23 years of my life there. Minnesota winters are a true test of anyone's patience, even those who thrive in the cold. When I moved to South Carolina for graduate school in the early 90s, I thought I was in heaven (for 5 years) when I heard reports of spring snow in MN and I was running around in a t-shirt in 80 degree Clemson. Then, we lived in Tennessee for 15 years. We didn't get much white stuff there but when we did, I loved it and thought it was funny that people didn't know how to drive.

Fast forward to Colorado, I have finally found my weather sweet spot. I love it here! We get all 4 seasons including beautiful snow. But what I adore about the snow here is that it melts within 24-36 hours. It doesn't stick around (getting brown and grey) from October to April like MN. Today I woke up to a beautiful blanket of white and it's softly coming down all day. But, tomorrow will be 56 and most of it will melt. Just the way I like it.

In conclusion, I love Colorado, no humidity and minimal bugs are a plus too. Only downside is my dry skin. Done with my weather soap box. Have a lovely weekend! XOXO--Teresa

Italy Bag!

Saluti da Rimini’s Malatesta Temple, emblem of the Renaissance!!!

A little history of the temple: 
The Tempio Malatestiano (Malatesta Temple) in Rimini – also known as the Cathedral of Santa Colomba – was conceived and designed, by artists such as Leon Battista Alberti and Piero della Francesca, for Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta.

Known as the Wolf of Rimini, Malatesta was a condottiero and patron of the arts. A disobedient and feisty Lombard lord, he was excommunicated on Christmas day 1460, by the intellectual, humanist pope Pius II Piccolomini, who had his portrait burnt.

The Temple is the expression of a culture close to Neo-Platonism, and features a complex iconography inspired – among other sources – by the works of philosopher Gemistus Pletone, who was born in Constantinople, and buried on the right side of the building despite his far-from-Christian views.

Art historian Cesare Brandi wrote, “perhaps like no other monument, the Malatesta Temple has the opportunity – and almost the right – to emerge as an emblem of the Renaissance.”

“It can claim to represent that period in its history, art, and culture,” Brandi explains, because “it merges art and beauty, religion and history, authority and freedom, which all define the inner dimensions of Humanism and the Renaissance, which was pagan and Christian, tyrannical and libertarian, ascetic and profligate.”

“In such an extraordinary contrast of opposites,” Brandi concludes, “art produced the only real synthesis […] and the Temple mirrors [it] just as it bears direct or indirect testimony to how close paganism was to Christendom, love to hate, abuse to freedom”

Paola M
Rimini, ER, ITALY

UPDATE: Parker, CO Chapter

Look at what Marianne has been up to! YAY! Such great bags for her hubby and another preschool visit in the books. She is SO productive and amazing, I don't know how she gets so much done! Keep it up Marianne--Teresa

My husband is sooo supportive of everything I do including GBL Parker chapter. So I've made him a set of bags in golf and cycling (2 of his passions) themed fabrics for taking his packed lunches to work. I'll add them to his Christmas stocking. 

I did my third Parker chapter classroom visit for the year. It's always fun spreading the word about GBL and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  We make simple white reusable shopping bags for school visits, so that children can decorate their own bag with crayons.  They really seem to enjoy the process! (photos below)
Bagette Marianne
Chapter Coordinator
Parker, CO (blog)

I I

Latvia Bags!

Hi Teresa!
 

I received your beautiful bags and thank you very much!
Best wishes, Jelena K

Riga, LATVIA

Photo Finish Friday

Went to a family wedding last Friday and how cute is this photo of Little Girl dancing with her bitty cousin? Love!

Here we are at Friday again and I'm feeling a bit panicked. I have another big craft sale tomorrow (usually my largest of the season) and I need to pack up my car, run some errands, make myself a lunch, etc etc. I'm ticking things off my To Do list and this post is one of them, ha! I haven't added any new foods this week, I have too much to do to get sick. I'm also trying to get some of my holiday shopping done. I have 2 daughters with birthdays near Christmas so it's double gifting for them. Wish me luck with all I need to do. I hope you enjoy a relaxing weekend! XOXO--Teresa

ANNOUNCING: Santiago, Chile Chapter!

Thrilled to announce our very first chapter in Chile headed up by Bagette Patricia! Yippee! So happy about her starting this chapter and look at her first bag! PERFECTION. Way to go Patricia, keep sewing and welcome to the Green Bag Lady family--Teresa

Dear Teresa,

I started following you on IG (starting first with Initiativehandarbeit in Germany). I congratulate you for starting this great idea, since I also feel terrible seeing the amount of plastic bags at the grocery store. Here in Chile there has been a regulation that it is mandatory to use reusable bags, unfortunately they are also made mainly of plastic!!!   And if you buy fruit or vegetables, still you have smaller but nonetheless plastic bags that would go directly to the landfill.

  

As a full-time working mother,  I have always put my hands to fabrics in much more quantity than the time I had available to sew, so I have pretty much fabric accumulated to put in use now that I am looking for more creativity in my life.

I think I can encourage also other people in Chile with the idea of sewing (or crocheting!) greenbags or makemetakeme bags to give away to friends etc and reducing plastics. Thinking on upcyclers in general, but also on  including may be grandmothers at elderly homes, jobless women at community centers, mothers gatherings at schools, etc.

Patricia B.

Santiago, Chile

Georgia Bags!

Twin Granddaughters, Ellie (left) & Claire (right), they played starting early morning shopping with their bags! They gave me my bag back and told me I can "borrow" theirs if I go to the real store....lol. 
Thank you so much!

My other granddaughter will be delighted for her own bag too!!! Blessings be!

Katrina MH

Fall Freebie WINNERS!

Congratulations to the following lucky folks, WINNERS of the 20 Green Bag Lady Fall shopping bags are:

Kathy D, WA
Debra F, PA
Debby A, CO
Robin R, TX
Gail B, CA
Dena H, NV
Flo R, PA

Kara M, MI
Sandy L, WA
Robin S, CA
Beverly S, AZ
Jeffery S, AZ
DeAnna E, MI
Heather F, CA

Sharon J, AUSTRALIA
Tatiana K, UKRAINE
Zidrunas J, LITHUANIA
Anna O, RUSSIA
Vera D, UKRAINE
Misha M, UKRAINE

Please look for an email from Bagette Dad. He will be asking for your mailing address so we can send you your prize. PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER. We have issues with emails going to spam. Thanks and enjoy!

The emails will look like this:
Green Bag Lady, FallFreebie_11_2019

Fall FREEBIE!

We skipped over fall and into winter here in Colorado, but now it's back to fall! Getting up to a gorgeous 73 degrees today. Hubby is raking leaves which is about as fall as it gets, no? Enough about weather, let's talk about these super cute bags, scarecrows, chickens, leaves, feathers, pinecones, they got it all going on. Good luck in winning one of 20!

To enter to win:

•LEAVE A COMMENT, IN THE COMMENT LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS FORMAT: name(at)something(dot)com it is important to spell out DOT and AT so you don't get spam, if you DO NOT leave an email address, you will not be entered in the freebie.

•IN YOUR COMMENT YOU MUST STATE YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE. IF YOU DON'T, WE WILL NOT CONSIDER YOUR ENTRY. The US Postal Service is implementing NEW regulations for overseas shipping.

•DEADLINE FOR THE FREEBIE IS 7pm PST MONDAY Nov 11 (winners will be notified no later than Tue, Nov 12 via email and here on the blog so CHECK BACK!)

Don't forget to leave us your email and your country! We will only contact you if you win.

20 people will be chosen to win bags from all qualified entries.

One entry per person. If you enter more than once, all your entries will be disqualified.

We will ship a limited number of shopping bags internationally. You MUST use English for your comments. Do the best you can, use Google Translate if necessary.  Non-English comments will be removed.

Good luck!!!!! Teresa

New to Green Bag Lady? Click HERE.
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To make your own bags, super easy pattern HERE.
Check out my etsy shop that helps support Green Bag Lady HERE.

Photo Finish Friday

Late afternoon fog this week.

How are you? I've had a good week and looking forward to my cousin's wedding tonight in downtown Denver. It's at a pretty cool venue that should be fun. I've added in dairy and coffee with no ill effects so far, yay to that. Off to my sewing room to get some alterations done and tend to some half finished pouches. Have a lovely weekend all you lovely peeps! XOXO--Teresa

PS: Come back tomorrow for a fun fall freebie!