So it's been a while....

Well folks, the last few months have been really eventful!  I have just not been able to keep up with everything and I apologize to my small little fan base that I have been away.  So for the BIG NEWS!  My family is moving home to Washington state...

We love Montana dearly, however quite frankly...  the economy sucks!  My husband is a CNC machinist and for almost two years now has been searching for work here and there just is none.  We always thought that we chose carefully with our professions and that our skills and training would stand by us during any economic crisis.  What we didn't count on was that Montana just is not manufacturing driven, hence very few jobs available in his field.  And honestly, I really didn't want to move to Helena or Kalispell, where there were jobs, just to stay in Montana.  I wish that I could say I make enough money to support this little family on my own, but even with Eclectique Butterfly it is just not so.  So after much deliberation, many, many tears and several prayer sessions, we are headed to greener pastures!   

Washington state is home for us. Roy was born and raised in Vancouver, WA and myself about an hour and a half north of there in a little town called Adna.  My parents still live in the house I grew up in and I am grateful that I will be close enough to see them a few times a month especially now that they are getting older.  All of Roy's family except his parents still live there and we still have so many friends there despite the fact that we haven't lived there in 13 years. 

So we are Vancouver bound :)  The little duplex that my WONDERFUL sister in law found for us is literally 5 minutes from the bridge to Portland, OR and all the amazing things that a large city has to offer.  There are four Costco's in the area and my personal fave, Trader Joes!  The shopping mall choices are staggering, from Lloyd Center, to Clackamas to Vancouver mall, ooohhh, I am going to be in shopping heaven!!  Of course I am also excited to see family and friends (Dawna, margaritas, your house next Friday???) and I am super stoked about all the opportunities that this move will give us.  We both have interviews next week, and if my track record for snagging every job I have ever interviewed for holds true, well then I will hopefully have a job by next Friday!

For those of you I did get to see before I leave next week, I am so grateful for that and I cherish your friendships and the times we have spent together.  For those I didn't get to see (all of my Jenn's, sniff, sniff) I am so sorry, but if you are headed to Portland anytime, please give be a holler!

So for now, I am taking down my etsy shop until I can get to Vancouver get settled.  I have a ton of bags that have never made it into the shop that I am hoping to get loaded once we get there.  Just because I have been absent doesn't mean I haven't been sewing :)  Sewing is quite therapeutic you know...  I am also hoping to do some farmer's markets in Portland or Vancouver and find a few shops to sell my bags.  I have some new patterns for bags and hats that I was working on prior to the decision to move and I am excited about debuting my new products!

Thanks for all the friendships and memories Montana, I will miss you :( 

Jules

Newest Treasury :)

Another one of my bags was featured in an Esty Treasury , Look Ma, it's new and cool again!  I love the name of the treasury and she has some really cool repurposed items featured.  Like this cute little lion...

and this little dish made from an old bottle...



So tell me, what have you made new again lately???

Jules

Back at it :)

I've got a bit of catching up to do folks!  December just flew by a little faster than I had intended and I fell behind.  My darling hubby and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in December, as well as me getting sick for almost two weeks and then the holidays were upon us :)

For Christmas eve, my older son and his wife spent the night as we did a non-traditional Christmas eve dinner of Chinese food followed by Christmas breakfast in the morning.  We had already decided that since times were a little lean, that we were just going to do a small gift and play the white elephant game with them.  However, Roy and I were a little mischevious with a cash windfall that happened along, and bought the kids some gifts.  We waited until after everyone had gone to bed and then snuck out to the living room to stash the gifts under the tree.  It was wonderful to see the looks of surprise on their faces the next morning :)

New Years eve was spent pretty much the same way, hanging out with the kids and playing  Loaded Questions.   We highly recommend this game to anyone and everyone!  We have never laughed this much playing a game with the kids!!!

So that's it for a quick catch up.  I'll be back with some more soon :)

Jules

Some Christmas Funnies :)

We headed out into the Gallatin National Forest on Saturday to pick out our Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  It was quite comical as we got out of the car at Moser in Hyalite...  I said to my son, oh look we can head up that road, or use that trail...  Instead my strapping young man decides to head up...  Straight UP!  For the most part going up wasn't a problem until we got to an area that had not been blazed by someone else first...  So picture me stuck hip deep in snow, unable to move with two dogs floating near my face wondering if I am okay and licking my face out of love and concern I'm sure, and my son behind me pushing on my arse trying to get me unstuck!!  I died laughing hysterically after I was freed from the snow and we then continued tromping in another direction to find our tree :)

Now mind you, even after 6 years I can't get used to the Christmas trees available to us here in Montana.  Being a Pacific Northwest girl, I grew up with the most AMAZING trees to choose from.  For many years now that has been the one thing that I have refused to compromise on living here in Bozeman, until now.  You know that old cartoon, "due to the economic downturn Christmas has been cancelled"?  Well that's kinda what it's like at our house this year. 

Not one to be deterred, I decided that Christmas should just be different this year...  So we are doing white elephant gifts and making a game out of our gift giving.  We are having breakfast instead of dinner, we are playing poker on Christmas eve (only for pennies!) and watching Dr. Suess' "How the Grinch stole Christmas".   Now that the course has been set, I am starting to look forward to the festivities!!

Leaving you for the day with some Christmas funnies...  Enjoy!

Newest Treasury :)

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago that one of my bags was being featured in a treasury by Hannah with PureReflections .  Her treasury is 16 ways to recycle your old jeans , which of course is right up my alley :)  I love the items she has featured in this collection, from the jeans, to the ornaments and the cute little apron for little girls!

 So head on over to Etsy and see what else you can find that is repurposed, upcycled or recylced!!

Cheers!

Jules

Christmas Treats :)

One of the best things about Christmas is all the goodies and sweet treats that come out of the woodwork this time of year.  Of course we all have our faves :)  For our family it's the peanut brittle...

and the divinity...

but this year I am also going to add a new one...  Chocolate and Peppermint Woopie Pies :)

You can find the recipie for these scrumptious looking woopie pies at crave indulge satisfy .  I found this website (among many more) at tastespotting .  This in one of the most yummy looking foodie blogs I have ever come across.  It works like a comminty with people from all over contributing recipies with links to their blogs.  If you have never been to tastespotting before, make sure you have a good cup of coffee and paper and pen, and settle down for a good hour or more of perusing just a little bit of what they have to offer on this site!

Cheers :)

Jules

Green Minded Fashionista :)

Okay so really what does this term mean?  This one was a little harder for the google queen to find, so I am putting my own definition out there.  Being a green minded fashionista means re-using or repurposing.  This is a powerful way to impact your environment. Using existing items cuts back on emissions from the transport of goods and reduces unnecessary waste. Shop at consignment or thrift stores or even your own closet.  Is there something in your closet you can spruce up by adding some retro buttons to it, or finding a gently used scarf at the thrift store that compliments that sweater perfectly?  What about taking and item and completely remaking it into something different?  If so then you just re-used or repurposed an item and voila, you are a green minded fashionista! 

I perused the internet to bring you some inspiration to help you on your way to becoming a green minded fashionista :)

this smart little vest is made from a pair of jeans...

ties anyone??

cozy little handwarmers with flair :)

belt from recycled bike tires....  Hmm, really inventive, but smelly!



 An absolutely gorgeous dress made from old shirts and dresses

 With this in mind, what have you done to become a green minded fashionista?

Cheers,

Jules