Tuesday, September 8, 2009

KICK IT INTO GEAR

That's what I needed to do - Kick It Into Gear. Ever go through one of those slumps, nothin' seems to "get your motor running"? It think my "lightbulb" has been on energy saver lately; maybe it was the summer heat - made me feel sluggish. But summer's over now, right? And you know what that means - I have to put away my straw purses - who made up that rule anyway?! But rules are rules, so off they go - and that's what motivated me. You see, I wanted a new purse, and I've been looking around, but I haven't found anything that said "buy me!" Everything looks so heavy and dark, and let's face it, winter is a long season. I want to carry something that's cheerful, happy and sparkly. I figured the only way I would get all that in one purse was to make it myself. So I did. It started out with, you guessed it, two placemats (I can't believe I actually made a placemat purse), but hey, don't knock it unless you've tried it, right? Well, I've had these two placements for months, maybe even a couple of years, I forget, but I always thought they were so pretty - and I had never used them. (Lightbulb gets a little brighter.) Hmmmm... hey, I've got some vintage purse handles (I've always wanted to put a new purse on those) - (brighter still). Oooo,! Oooo! - I've got some super jumbo rick rack (brighter, brighter). Eureka! - leftover sparkly beads and a vintage button with rhinestones to boot! (Put on those sunglasses!) Ready for the reveal?

Now, I don't know the exact age of these purse handles, but I think they have to be at least 75 years old. They belonged to Ethel Pekar, who was a very lovely woman. She worked for many years as the secretary to the President of the Frisbie Pie Company*. There was a fabric purse attached to the handles, but too old to use, so I gently removed it and carefully packed it away. Ethel must have owned this purse before she was married because the label she attached to the inside handle has her maiden name typed on it. I would never dream of removing this. I will think of Ethel every time I look inside.

You know, I was almost tempted to leave out the polka-dots, but I just couldn't help myself.

So what gets your motor running?

Before I forget, Frannie wants you to see her "gear":

Backpack

Lunch Box

Frannie has just started the third grade, so that means we have been purchasing a new backpack and lunch box for four years now (if you saw what they looked like at the end of a school year and then five weeks of day camp, you'd understand why we have to replace them each year). Well, each year we purchase a Hello Kitty backpack and lunch box - never any other character - not to mention HK pencils, folders, note pads, etc. We also have (had) HK purses, shirts, shorts, dresses, hats, gloves, sneakers, shoes, socks, jewelry, hair ornaments, unmentionables, toys - did I forget anything? One year we even had a HK birthday party.

Hello Kitty - don't leave home without her!

S.W.A.K.

*The Frisbie Pie Company was founded in 1871 by William Russell Frisbie in Bridgeport, Connecticut, when he bought and renamed a branch of the Olds Baking Company. It supplied pies to Connecticut retailers and restaurants, including the Yale University campus. Yale students discovered that the pie tins, inverted, had an airfoil shape which enabled them to be thrown in various trajectories by a skilled person. This eventually evolved into the Frisbee trademarked flying disc and many imitators. (Wikipedia)

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please let Frannie know that this 40 ahem something lady sits at her desk in her office with her paper clips in a hello kitty tin, looks at a miniature Hello Kitty and My Melody sitting on her monitor stand and when it all gets too hard, I look across to my HK solar toy which has HK swinging away happily on her swing. Oh, and I also bring my lunch to work in my HK cooler bag! (my kids think I am weird but so what!)
HK - don't leave home without her :)

A Spoonful Of Sugar said...

Your placemat purse is most inspired!! Hello Kitty is a vast improvement on Barbie who was my daughters favourite at that age:)

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

What an adorable purse, Marsha! And the vintage handles - nice touch!

Hello Kitty - Amelia isn't there yet but we do own a few HK items. One of them being the HK CD player/boom box. She loves it! Love the new gear Frannie. Enjoy third grade!

Pam Sykes (aka Pretty Knitty) said...

Nice! Love the purse, wish I had a little girl who loved Hello Kitty! As it is, I will wait (patiently) for grandchildren now... ;-)

birtyboutique0i0 said...

very pretty. Love the handles

Thimbleanna said...

Oh. My. Gosh! That is SERIOUSLY the CUTEST placemat purse I've ever seen. I LOVE the ric rac and bead touch -- you're a genius Marsha!!! And thanks for the Frisbee Pie Company info -- I really enjoyed reading about it!

Red Geranium Cottage said...

Love that placemat purse. Very cute Marsha. And Miss Frannie your backpack is ADORABLE I love it!!! Love the lunch box too. Hope your having fun at school.

Merci-Notes said...

I agree! But I do love your new Inspired purse!
You have "Kicked it Into Gear"!!!

I remember when Caitlin and I discovered Hello Kitty ... Looong ago!
Whenever there came a Birthday Party to attend we headed down to the boutique (we could walk!!!) to fill a Hello Kitty tote or lunch box or... with MORE Hello kitty treasures!

What very nice choices your daughter selected!!! I wish her a very wonderful year of Reading and writing and Arithmetic!

With Kindness,
Mary

deb said...

that purse is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and LOVE the Hello Kitty TOOOOOO!!!

Rylan said...

The purse looks beautiful and classic. I love it.