UPDATE: Maine Chapter

I LOVE chapter updates! So great to see new bags, old bags, fun bags, kid bags, worn out bags, all of them! ALL THE BAGS! Send me photos, send me updates and tell me what's going on. Thank you Barbara for this great catch up with your chapter. Teresa

Hi Teresa.

Here is an update and photos that you may post on your GBL blog.

My friend Mary from Chalfont, PA told me recently that she is interested in making Green Bag Lady fabric bags. Back in June of 2010, I gave Mary and her mother-in-law, Marge, GBL fabric bags.  Mary's bag number is 10727, and Marge's bag number is 10723.  These vintage bags are still being used and enjoyed! 

As you know, I joined the GBL Project in May 2010 when you and I were living in Nashville, TN, so these were some of the first bags I gave away as a bagette. 

I recently gave Mary another GBL Bag #91000 that I made in Southwest Harbor, Maine. 

Barbara

Coordinator, Maine Chapter

Green Bag Lady Project

Decorating on the Cheap

I love it when I can redo a little corner of my house on the cheap. I had an old wood desk next to my bed for the past several years. I got it for free on my neighborhood Facebook Marketplace and had always intended to paint it some pretty color. But, many of the drawers needed repair and there was some trim missing so I just wasn't inspired to take the effort to do a makeover. Then, over the weekend, someone posted this desk for $10. YAY! Score. I love the modern lines and it still has 2 drawers that can hold a bunch of stuff. And, it has a built in power source with USB ports for my phone (under the books). To the right of the desk I put a bookshelf I got also for $10 on Marketplace. I got the chair off FB back in 2015 and painted it. I needed somewhere to put all the junk that was in the old drawers, cute bins with bamboo lids off Amazon to the rescue. I bought that pretty painting from an artist at a Gallery in Gualala, CA when I was visiting Harmony. Now, this little corner makes me so happy! :) Teresa

AFTER :)

 AFTER :)

BEFORE :(

Harmony Plants

Speaking of plants, when I went out to visit Harmony I brought some clippings back from her house and now I have 2 green friends named Harmony! I love them. :) Teresa

Photo Finish Friday

This corner of my house is making me so happy. Look at all the blooms! Even my Christmas cacti is joining the club totally off season. Both shamrock plants are (sham)rocking flowers and look at that orchid! She's simply showing off. I can't wait to get outside and start digging in the pots on my deck and porch. We have to wait until after Mothers Day or they may get ruined with snow. Pics to come. Have a fantastic weekend! :) Teresa

Mom

As you all know, this past Sunday was Mothers Day. A bittersweet day for those of us who have lost our mother and are moms ourselves. It is lovely to be celebrated but difficult not to fuss over your own mom. As I've talked about before, I lost my mom over 15 years ago to cancer. She taught me so much growing up, how to be strong, how to be independent, how to strive for what I wanted in life and how to sew. She made all of my clothes (except shoes and socks) well into my teens. I remember thinking it was the greatest thing ever when I got a store bought pair of jeans in the 7th grade! Ha.

Here are a few gems from my childhood in outfits made by my mother. She even made my First Communion dress, which I still have! Not sure what to do with it, but fun to look at. Maybe I should frame it? I've seen people do that with Christening gowns. Hmmm, something to think about. Happy belated Mothers Day to all you moms out there. XOXO--Teresa

Workday Wednesday

Between tennis, etsy orders and alterations, my days have been getting away from me! Here is what I've been up to:

1) Fixed the leather attachment on a friend's fav purse

2-3) Made a new cover for a heated neck pillow. I used some of Harmony's fabric and added a zipper.

4) 13 custom XS tennis pouches for an etsy order. This is pretty much every tennis fabric I have!

5) I loved making those pouches so much that I added all of them as a listing in my etsy shop!

6) Another custom pouch for etsy. Yay elephants! :)

7) Making bags from the "garage of fabric" the bottom row are ironed flat to go in etsy orders. :)

8) Made bracelets for Little Girl and 2 of her sorority sisters. Their symbol is an anchor.

Photo Finish Friday

Squeaking this post in right before midnight. :) Hope your week was lovely, this rainbow was such a sweet surprise Wednesday evening at dinner. Got to hang out with some fellow awesome moms tonight. Sewing and laundry tomorrow. What is on your agenda? Hugs and have a good weekend! Teresa

GF Carrot Cake

Hey there. I haven't shared a recipe in a while and I'm telling you, this one is AWESOME! Even if you are not gluten free, you need to make these. I put chopped pecans on about 1/2 the recipe as Little Man is not such a fan of nuts and I, on the other hand, haven't met a nut I don't like. Ha. I used this recipe and substituted coconut sugar for the brown sugar to make it even healthier. I love eating them plain as a muffin or frosted as a cupcake. Either way they are amazing. Carrot is one of my fav cakes of all time and I'm so happy to have found this GF recipe. YUMMY! Teresa

Laundry

I'm hoping the bottle on the left is the last plastic bottle of laundry detergent I ever buy. I've been wanting to switch to the dissolvable kind for a while now but had a couple giant Costco bottles to work through first. Do you use the dissolvable kind? I would like to hear your thoughts on brands and such. I have a front loader so I'm assuming I just stick it in with the load? I found these at Target and have used Ecos in the past and liked it so I'm starting with these. Please share any info you have! Teresa

Spring!

I took these photos on my Sunday run day yesterday. I'm so excited about the signs of spring all around me. Love, love, love the blooming trees! :) Teresa