Vicki Batman's Blog, page 83

Vicki Batman ~ #handbag Monday: Kay Sisk is obsessed with evening bags

#handbag MondayToo often, friends are so funny about showing off their handbag treasures. Today's is brought to you by author Kay Sisk. Let's check out hers:
   I'm not sure where it started, but I have a fascination with evening bags. Perhaps because they're so cheap at estate sales. No one values them and they sit there so lonely. I can give them a good home. Granted, it's in the top of my closet and they stay in hiding most of the year. But oh--when they get to come out--what a time!
 But this really is embarrassing. I had no idea how many I had until Vicki asked me to share. The photo shows just the ones I've found at estate sales or had since I was a teen when having an evening bag seemed de rigueur. Not included are those whose rock-bottom prices were so tempting I gave in. Gold lame', anyone?Left to right, top to bottom:
This beautiful tapestry bag: is from France! It actually says so on the label. I bought it at the local estate sale of a single gentleman and so I'm sure it belonged to his mother. It's big enough for an iPhone and was less than $5. The brown velvet: I know it cost a dollar and was at a neighbor's garage sale. I think it might have been from a cosmetics promo, but I don't care. How many brown velvet bags do you have? Love this one! The red and blue and gold and mirrors! Is it from India or just pretending to be? The blue threads can wrap about my wrist and it holds quite a bit. Looks great with black.  If I didn't carry this white number to my prom, I probably thought about it. It's thin and delicate and wouldn't take much mishandling. Just put the elbow length gloves in it and place it gently on the table. A real sign of its times, this black bag has a snap closure and a long chain. It screams vintage, even if it might be pretending. Little, pretty white beaded bag: Barely big enough for an iPhone and a lipstick.  This black bag with the gold and silver front: is very versatile, but maybe not very old. My Marilyn Monroe bag: I call it that because the pleated white material reminds me of her dress in The Seven Year Itch. You know the one.Little black beaded bag: not big enough for an iPhone. It would have carried the "quarter" my grandmother told me to always have with me in case my date misbehaved so I could use a pay phone to call home.  So, is this so many I won't buy the next one I see? Oh, please. Of course I will!

  Blurb: There’s a secret hidden at Ranch McLeod and someone wants Beth Ann Fox off the property before she can find it. But fire, vandalism, and theft only strengthen her resolve to stay out her year--and bring out the protective instincts of Sheriff Bry Phillips, feelings he thought he’d buried long ago.  But when she owns the ranch, she says she’s leaving and his heart will go with her. Can love overcome stubborn pride and a secret two generations old? Find Once Upon a McLeod at:  AMAZON  Thank you, Kay, for sharing your wonderful collection of evening bags.

******************************************** Poinsettia bag: Week 5 I have continued to fill in the middle of one side. Since I had skeins from two different dye lots, I was using one strand from each. But I didn't really like how they laid down. So I randomly used a strand from one. Finished. Then used from the other skein. I honestly can't tell.   So I present Week 5:   

Vicki Batman ~ Time for cake: Let's Jazzercise!

I was never a good runner. I want to be, but it isn't in me. If I do a mile--Praise the Lord. In high school, I was a member of the drill team. This fantastic group lifted me and my self-esteem.

I first saw Jazzercise's owner, Judi Shepherd Misset, on a dinnertime TV show. It was easy to sit back and watch her do fun stuff. She'd add a "Yeah" or a "Un huh!" which made me giggle. Then I saw a sign at my neighborhood rec center offering Jazzercise classes. I signed up!

It has been a natural fit.




For 31 years, I have been in Jazzercise. (Yep, started at age 5. lol). I've made the most wonderful friends. I've had great instructors. I've seen Jazzercise improve to a kick-butt workout. I'm strong, lean, and healthy.

Happy birthday to me!


What's your favorite workout? (besides eating!)

Vicki Batman ~ #handbag Monday: How I made a bag!

Handbag Monday!!
I perused eBay recently and found the makings of a bag at a great price - $14.00. So I bought it.

But I had to make a bag out of it - right? So I went to JoAnn's Fabrics and found beaded handles (about $8.00 each) and a nifty button to fashion into a closure.

Here's the components:

  The colors are fabulous! And the bird in the middle is done in petit point. The handles are made of dark wooden beads which I sewed with a waxed leather thread. Here's the finished product:    The bag is large and roomy. Even a little large for me. I want to add a stiff cardboard to the bottom for more stability. The only complaint? The lining is dark and I lost my phone.    What do you think? Could you make a bag like this?   ***************************************   Poinsettia bag: Week    As you can see I finished the gusset. Now, I am working on the center out of a side panel. I had to buy more thread and went to where I usually purchase this silk variety. They were out. They put in a special order for me and I'll have to go back. In the meantime....  I went to another store. They carried the same brand; however, the dye lot is different. So I pull one strand from the old skein and one of equal length from the new just to make sure there is not glaring difference. You know, I can't tell. 

Vicki Batman ~ It's Live! Lea Schizas of Muse It Up Publishing and guest at Blog Talk Radio

Yesterday, I participated in a radio talk show, hosted by Lea Schizas of Muse It Up Publishing. Guests also included were romantic suspense author, Marsha R. West and sci-fi romance author, Margaret Fieland.

We talked about alpha heroes, everyday heroes, What is Romance, and Happily Ever After.

Link to the show is: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lea-schizas/2014/03/06/playing-with-romance/

Vicki Batman ~ author Rayne Golay shares the handbag that called out to her

Handbag Monday!!  I'm pleased as punch to welcome a fellow writer friend, Rayne Golay. Let's take a look at her handbag:
    THE CHARLIE, MY NEW HANDBAG

Who can resist a cloud-gray and gold handbag that calls out your name as you walk into the store? Not me. Not when it’s roomy and has lots of gold. And three compartments and an outer zip for my phone. It even holds my iPad. The perfect bag for a woman on the go.

On my way to lunch from an art show, I stopped in this store because of a few elegant handbags displayed in the window. My intention wasn’t to buy a bag, but when I saw Charlie, stunned and delighted, I could only stare while my hands opened and closed from the want to own this bag. To be honest, I came close to salivating.

I’m quite boring when it comes to handbags. I have about twenty of them. Some are in various shades of brown, but most of them are black for winter, white for summer—which is most of the year hear in Florida—gold for the evening because it goes with everything. I favor a shoulder strap so my hands are free, maybe a left-over from the when I used to walk my gorgeous boxer Hestia. No matter the size, the shape, the color, if it’s my handbag it has to be of leather simply because I love the material. As it turned out, to close the deal, Charlie, is made of the softest leather, like velvet to the touch.   

 Blurb for The Wooden Chair:  Child abuse, overcoming the trauma, refusal to repeat mother’s behavior are the essence of my award-winning women’s fiction novel, The Wooden Chair. Find Rayne at:  www.raynegolay.com Find The Wooden Chair at:  Amazon

Thank you, Rayne, for sharing your treasure with us today! 

Vicki Batman ~ I know it is spring when...

Got the winter doldrums? Sick of the wretched snow? And has it been cold or what?

I'm a lucky writer in that I have a desk positioned next to a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks my front yard. When my family moved to this house, we had old landscaping. Over time, I dealt with enlarging the flower beds, adding new shrubs for the worn-out ones. Planting daylilies and pentas.

But I didn't touch the flowering quince.

I'd never had one before and hadn't really noticed them when they flowered. In the winter, it's nothing but dried sticks. However, every February, a hint of tight pink buds form. If the day has a bit of warmth, they open a tad. If it grows even warmer, the bees swarm. The birds hip hop and chirp.

Here's what happened:











Shortly, the flowers will drop, the leaves will form, and the quince will no longer hold it's pretty pink glory. But next year....

What are your favorite signs of spring?
 

Vicki Batman ~ #handbag Monday: love dogs? Try this

Handbag Monday!!I'm thrilled to have a fellow Plotting Princess and author, Karilyn Bentley, with me today. She's got something special up her sleeve.
Hi Vicki! Thank you so much for having me on Handbag Monday! I'm a plain bag kinda girl, and trust me, you do not want to see my beat up black bag. <g> But my co-worker carried in one of the cutest bags ever, and I hope you think so too!



 Isn't it adorable? What I love about it is the golden retriever. We had a goldie when I was a child and I'm a little partial to the breed. <g>

And how did I find this lovely bag? I was at lunch and my co-worker walked in carrying this cutie. I was like, oh my gosh, Vicki would LOVE this bag on her blog! So I asked the co-worker if I could take a pix of it. She looked at me as if a third eye had sprouted in my forehead, but let me snap away.



Dragon Lover, the third book in the Draconia Tales trilogy:

Predicted from birth to be mates, Aryana and Fafnir spent their youth running from each other and pursuing their own dreams. Aryana sought power and magic, while Fafnir escaped to explore other lands and to find a love not dictated by cryptic prophecy.

But after Fafnir is captured and magically locked in his dragon form, he returns to Draconia. Ashamed and broken, he hides his true identity from everyone, hoping Aryana will find a spell that will return him to his human self.

The last thing Aryana needs or wants is to find out her mate still lives-for a mated female cannot be a priestess, let alone the High Priestess. Yet his dragon's presence brings out her true abilities. When opposing dreams collide, will love be the victor?

Happy Monday and happy reading!! May your handbag always be cute and filled with goodies. <g>

Find Dragon Lover at: Amazon
Find Karilyn Bentley at: Website


Karilyn, that bag is sooo cute and I know dog lovers will want to know where your friend found it! I especially like the smaller tote handles. Thank you for being with me today!  ******************************************************* Poinsettia bag: Week 2    Week 2 already! I've made lots of progress on the gusset. I've already used four skeins of a marvelous silk thread. This time, I'm using two strands which means more thread. I went to the store and bought four more, but I know I'll need way more than that when I get to the sides. And I switched to a very large tapestry needle with a sharp point and big eye. The work is going faster and I'm not having any tendon issues between my index and middle finger.  Paris bag: Update The Paris handbag is at the needlepoint store and being sent to the finisher. We determined the size, the width of the gusset, and the length of the handle (11-13"). Stay tuned!

Vicki Batman ~ #handbag Monday: Checkered Past?

#handbag MondayWow! I went to Jazzercise before church yesterday and TWO ladies remarked on my lovely bag. Take a look: 

This is a vintage Margaret Smith I picked up on eBay or ETSY (my sissie would love to have one, too). I probably paid less than $20.00. It springs open and shut and has handles a little longer than I'd like, but would be used to sling over a shoulder.I think my friends liked this one because it is fabric. So that got me to thinking when was the last time I saw a fabric bag? Before the holidays, I went to a large department store and found Vera Bradley bags. They are usually flowery, sweet-looking things. Nothing quite as bold or as classic as this hound's-tooth check. I've seen fabric bags more on ETSY than elsewhere. When I worked market, fabric bags were quite the thing. So what do you think? Do you like fabric bags? *************************************************************Poinsettia Handbag: Week 1I've begun another new project, a holiday handbag!  I bought the canvas partially stitched with the poinsettias on eBay. I'm using the same floss I did for the Paris bag in black to fill in the background. That's all there is too it! Couldn't be any easier. In this case, I'm using two strands instead of one. The bag will be shorter and a tad wider. I think I'll make the gusset not as wide. Stay tuned! And in case you might want a fun romantic comedy to read:http://amzn.to/1cuV6Ry  

Vicki Batman ~ author signing Saturday, Feb 15: Will I See You?

Adventures in Fiction is held in February each year and celebrates the reader. Presented by Fresh Fiction the event is held on a Saturday in the North Texas area. In 2014 the signing and masquerade ball will be held at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Addison, Texas on Saturday, February 15th, 2014.

Hotel Inter-Continental is located on the North Dallas Parkway between Arapahoe and Beltline Rds.

Authors Attending: Rochelle Alers, Traci Andrighetti, Vicki Batman, Kathy Bennett, Parris Afton Bonds, Susan M. Boyer, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Deborah Coonts, Jay Crownover, Lauren Dane, Jo Davis, A. H. De Carrasco, Tracy Deebs, Kara Ashley Dey, HelenKay Dimon, Aven Ellis, Suzanne Ferrell, Geri Foster, Shana Galen, Eva Gordon, JoAnna Grace, Cheryl Harper, Megan Hart, Candace Havens, Julia Justiss, Jeffe Kennedy, Annie Knox, Lara Lacombe, Lauren Linwood, Liz Lipperman, Roni Loren, Emily McKay, Angi Morgan, DeLaine Roberts, Melissa Schroeder, Krystal Shannan, C.A. Szarek, Kay Thomas, Colleen Thompson, Kae Elle Wheeler, and Kathy L. Wheeler.

Shayla Black, Rachel Caine, Connie Cox, Nikki Duncan, Elizabeth Essex, Stephanie Feagan, Donna Grant, Winnie Griggs, Liliana Hart, Lorraine Heath, Jade Lee, Roz Lee, Heather Long, Sylvia McDaniel, Linda Lael Miller, Kathleen Nance, Katee Robert, Sharon Sala, Tori Scott, Jill Shalvis, Sasha Summers

Agenda:

12:00pm   Doors Opening & Signing Begins   Crystal Ballroom IV & V
4:00  pm   Signing Ends

More fun are events are planned: Fresh Fiction


 I'd love to see you there! 

Vicki Batman ~ #handbag Monday: It's all about pink!

#handbag MondayWho likes pink? *raises hand* I have handbags in many colors. Years ago, I found this one:  A friend introduced me to this brand, Hobo. Incredibly nice leather. This strap is used as a wristlet, but also converts to a skinny shoulder strap. Inside are slots of cards and a small zip pocket. It holds almost everything I carry in a tote. Mostly, I carry this one on special occasions, like church on Sunday.Here's the link to Hobo's story and product line: http://www.hobobags.com/our-story.html Do you favor one color of bag over another?