Vicki Batman's Blog, page 89

@VickiBatman asks @MistyEvans What's in your closet for #HandbagMonday?

 *Handbag Monday*   When I saw what Misty Evans posted on FB, I KNEW I had to snag her for #HandbagMonday!! Check out her story.      Hubby took me shopping for our 24th wedding  anniversary and told me to pick whatever I wanted. The bag manager at Von Maur pulled out a handful of beautiful bags and wallets from all kinds of different designers. My eyes went past bright pinks, ocean blues, and blah neutrals right to a warm, sophisticated chocolate brown Kate Spade.  "Smoke stack" the Von Maur manager said.  "Ooh," I said, rubbing my hand over the soft leather and loving the tiny spade emblem above the Kate Spade imprint. http://www.katespade.com/catherine-street-pippa/PXRU4010,default,pd.html "Named after Piper Middleton," she added, her eyes dancing with the same light I knew was in mine.  "Love," I murmured, thinking of how I might jet off to London, new bag in hand, and accidently run into Piper. She would see my bag and hug with me with glee, then invite me out clubbing... Of course, I'd need a compact wristlet/wallet to take clubbing, so I picked out a pretty zinnia pink Mikas Pond Lacey wallet to go with it. Bright and cheerful and easy to find when it was inside my Catherine Street Pippa. http://www.katespade.com/mikas-pond-lacey/PWRU2076,en_US,pd.html?dwvar_PWRU2076_color=658&cgid=ks-accessories-wallets#start=25&cgid=ks-accessories-wallets   Wow, Misty, you really scored big on your anniversary. I bet lots of #HandbagMonday followers are green-eyed envious. I know I am Thank you for being on #HandbagMonday today!

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Misty Evans writes the award-winning Super Agent series as well as urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She likes her coffee black, her conspiracy theories juicy, and her wicked characters dressed in couture. Read more about her and her books at www.readmistyevans.com . 

Vicki Batman ~ Little Boy on a new Life Adventure

Happy Day!

I've had one year to prepare, and all the while I thought, yeah, no biggie.
#1 son is getting married today. 



Confession: I wonder if I'm ready?

I'm not depressed. He's marrying the loveliest girl. Just a tad blue with reminiscing. What I'm sad about – and I think most parents feel this way – is, in a way, my son ceases to be my little boy. L
A couple comes together in love, creates a little person who, in turn, will do the same thing. What people are meant to do.And so, my son is beginning a new life journey. Leaving behind his childhood and moving into manhood.    
I wish both of you joy , happiness , hope , and great love in your next chapter in your life adventure.

Love, Mom

#HandbagMonday ~ What's in your closet @VickiBatman? All I say is "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps"

*handbag monday*One of my favorite workouts is at Jazzercise. The routines are intense, the friends are awesome, and the teacher is motivating.

So imagine my surprise when a routine featured a duet with the hunky Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, and an American pop singer based on an oldie but goodie. The teacher didn't know the song; so I volunteered, "'Perhaps,' sung by Doris Day. It's featured in the movie, 'Simply Ballroom'."

A friend came over to me and asked, "Don't you have a handbag with Doris on it?"

"I do! An album bag."

"I thought so. You need to carry it."

She was right. Here is my Doris Day bag:


What is interesting is this bag is made from an album cover. Cool-right? I found it at a craft fair one Christmas. I had already purchased a Frosty the Snowman album bag from the same vendor and hoped to find one I could carry year round.

I paid less than $30.00. The album is laminated on both sides and sewn with coordinating fabric. Yellow daisy trim decorates the back. The handles are ball chain and when I bought it, were adjustable, but I trimmed for a smaller tote handle.

I always-always-always get compliments on my album bags. They are great fun and not what's found in the stores nowadays.

Here's a YouTube video of Doris Day singing "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUVT1NZtZPo


Have you purchased handbags from places other than department stores?

Vicki Batman~Fall Into Romance hop is only 4, that's right, FOUR more days!!! Cool stuff here!!

Fall Into Romance hop stops here!!!

 September 13 - 21 Only FOUR MORE Days

Falling in love with…a book. Sigh. Have you ever done that? Have you ever read a book, closed it up, thought long and hard about what you'd experienced, then opened to Chapter 1 and started all over?

I have, but not very many times. Two in particular come to mind: A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux and Come to Grief by Dick Francis.

Occasionally, I read historicals and AKISA is one with a touch of time travel. I was so involved with the heroine's story, I sobbed at the end with her. (Well done, Jude!)  I've given it to many friends who loved it too.

Dick Francis centered his mysteries around the English horse racing business. When I first read his books, I gobbled them like chocolate. Handsome asked me why I loved them so. I finally – FINALLY – confessed I wished I could write like him. In Come to Grief, a very bad man does bad things to ponies. It is utterly shocking and why he won an Edgar Award for this book.

I, on the other hand, write sweet romantic comedies. Here's a tiny take from "San Diego or Bust":             My boyfriend is a dirt wad. I just decided.

          With a humpf, I dragged my pink tote up the narrow aisle to the plane's exit, accidentally banging it into the seats along the way. The relieving notion of being back home in Sommerville caused the tension in my chest to fade a smidgen.           A quick peek to the exit told me where Davis, my boyfriend, stood waiting for the okay from the ground crew to head out. His glance my way didn't look at all pleasant. Similar to one wrapped in disappointment with a downward tilt of his mouth.         I didn't care much. I just decided.          The words creep, jerk, moron, and “why in the hell am I still dating him??” jumbled my thoughts around. My heart pounded as anxiety ratcheted inside me again.          Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I should not put up with him anymore.           The deepest part of me knew I shouldn’t be with Davis Griffith Swansea, III any longer. I was just in denial. Over the past year, I’d had brief, momentary twinges of dumping him; then, he’d go and do something incredibly romantic like bring me Godiva chocolates—“I know how you love these.” Or buy me a new book by my favorite author—“I happened to see this today.” Or whisk me off to an intimate dinner à deux at the latest and greatest bistro--"I know you'll like this place."

          My head had gone stupid.

If you just have to have a story now, find "San Diego or Bust" here:
MuseItUp Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
 

However… If you leave your EMAIL address in the comments to receive my and the Plotting Princesses' newsletter, you are eligible for a giveaway—a $15.00 gift card from Starbucks

ANDDDDD

An e-copy of "Man Theory and Other Stories."



Click the button to go to another hop.  

Thanks for visiting with me today! Come back soon.

@VickiBatman ~ Does Music and Memories go Hand in Hand?

~And I Love Her~
Music and memories go hand in hand. The other day, I clicked on an easy-listening iTunes playlist I'd created, and the Beatles' song, And I Love Her, came up.   http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/and...  
 
Once upon a time, I was a young single chick and liked several guys. I went on a casual night out with a friend I had stirrings of feelings for. I think he did too, but was afraid to act on them.
So we went to a show, and afterwards, we drove around town with the windows down. I pushed my long hair out of my eyes and let the moment take me away. At the end of the evening, this song came on. He turned to me and sang the whole thing. I part of me wanted to believe this meant more than just singing a song. But I'll never know. He didn't kiss me good night or utter another word. He dropped me off and drove away.
Not long after, I met another who chased me until he caught me. He couldn't and can't sing well, but he tries. LOL
Obviously, this was a strong memory because I remember it blanket-blank years later. And hearing the song makes me wonder whatever happened to that boy and a bit wonders what might have been.
 
Do you have a song that is special to you?
 
 
Vicki Batman has had too much diet Coke today and switched to water while reminiscing over old tunes. Find her at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com OR at http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com. Find her funny short story collection, Little Birdie Who…and Other Stories at: Amazon - http://bookshow.me/B00AYOT9GS    

@Vicki Batman ~ Fall Into Romance hop stops here!!!

Fall Into Romance hop stops here!!!
 
September 13 - 21
Falling in love with…a book. Sigh.Have you ever done that? Have you ever read a book, closed it up, thought long and hard about what you'd experienced, then opened to Chapter 1 and started all over?
I have, but not very many times. Two in particular come to mind: A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux and Come to Grief by Dick Francis.
Occasionally, I read historicals and AKISA is one with a touch of time travel. I was so involved with the heroine's story, I sobbed at the end with her. (Well done, Jude!)  I've given it to many friends who loved it too.
Dick Francis centered his mysteries around the English horse racing business. When I first read his books, I gobbled them like chocolate. Handsome asked me why I loved them so. I finally – FINALLY – confessed I wished I could write like him. In Come to Grief, a very bad man does bad things to ponies. It is utterly shocking and why he won an Edgar Award for this book.
I, on the other hand, write sweet romantic comedies. Here's a tiny take from "San Diego or Bust":             My boyfriend is a dirt wad.I just decided.
          With a humpf, I dragged my pink tote up the narrow aisle to the plane's exit, accidentally banging it into the seats along the way. The relieving notion of being back home in Sommerville caused the tension in my chest to fade a smidgen.           A quick peek to the exit told me where Davis, my boyfriend, stood waiting for the okay from the ground crew to head out. His glance my way didn't look at all pleasant. Similar to one wrapped in disappointment with a downward tilt of his mouth.         I didn't care much. I just decided.          The words creep, jerk, moron, and “why in the hell am I still dating him??” jumbled my thoughts around. My heart pounded as anxiety ratcheted inside me again.          Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I should not put up with him anymore.           The deepest part of me knew I shouldn’t be with Davis Griffith Swansea, III any longer. I was just in denial. Over the past year, I’d had brief, momentary twinges of dumping him; then, he’d go and do something incredibly romantic like bring me Godiva chocolates—“I know how you love these.” Or buy me a new book by my favorite author—“I happened to see this today.” Or whisk me off to an intimate dinner à deux at the latest and greatest bistro--"I know you'll like this place."

          My head had gone stupid.

If you just have to have a story now, find "San Diego or Bust" here:
MuseItUp Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
 
However… If you leave your EMAIL address in the comments to receive my and the Plotting Princesses' newsletter, you are eligible for a giveaway—a $15.00 gift card from Starbucks

ANDDDDD
An e-copy of "Man Theory and Other Stories.


Click the button to go to another hop.  
Thanks for visiting with me today! Come back soon.

@VickiBatman asks What's in YOUR Closet? It's #HandbagMonday & VB's Birthday!

*Handbag Monday*It's #HandbagMonday and my birthday! So let's party. I can't wait to show you my gift to me.
I found this beauty on ETSY:
 


In a way, the bag is like a small satchel. There's a variety of pockets on the inside. It isn't very wide. Has an unusual arched handle with gold accents and a snap shut closure. And is a little heavy. That I don't mind as the bag is well-made.
Of course, you can see what captured my attention: the needlepoint which resembles an impressionist painting. Quite stunning actually.
The label says ROSENFELD. I did a search and found this on ETSY:
http://www.etsy.com/search?q=Rosenfel...
The link may not work now. But if you can go to ETSY, type in the name Rosenfeld, some should show. What I saw made me gasp! When I searched further, I found this quote from Herald.net:
Harry Rosenfeld was an American designer active from the 1930s into the '70s. His designs were made by several different manufacturers. The bags were sold at high-end department stores and at Harry Rosenfeld Handbags, a shop on Madison Avenue in New York.
Rosenfeld designed bags in all sorts of styles, using all kinds of materials.
And here's a fab article from StoreBVintageChicago :
http://storebvintagechicago.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/store-b-vintage-rosenfeld-handbags/
Need I say I am hooked? Mine cost $35.00. What a steal. What a perfect present to meeee!!!
 

Pay Attention #HandbagMonday lovers:  For my birthday, I am giving away an needlepoint zip 'n stitch crafted by me which contains something very nice inside (Starbucks gift card). Leave your email addy in the comments for eligibility.

 

Now, sing-a-long: Happy birthday VB! Happy Birthday VB!!!

It's a F-R-E-E Day! @TinaGayle and CFO's Affair. Check it out.

My writer friend, Tina Gayle, has a free book, CFO's Affair, from September 3-7. Here's a bit about it:
Blurb for CFO’s Affair:  
Sylvia Donovan is emotionally wounded from the unexpected death of her husband and still haunted by their last conversation: his request for a divorce and his confession of love for another woman.  Her husband gone, her only daughter off to college, Sylvia faces the challenges of learning to live alone and move on with her life.Vince Wilshire, enchanted with Sylvia, is more than willing to do what it takes to capture the heart of the hurting and untrusting Sylvia.Can he help her forget the past and make her believe in love again?

Excerpt for CFO’s Affair:
          A knock sounded on the window beside her and she jumped. Her head swiveled around and she stared at the man looking at her through the window.
          Vince Wilshire's handsome face could make any woman melt with desire. With it so close to hers—the glass being the only thing separating them—a rush of adrenaline swept into her system. She leaned sideways in her seat and knocked her hand against the steering wheel. The horn beeped and she muttered, "Damn it, Knox, why did you..."
          The sound of his laughter sent anger flooding through her, the muscles in her arms tightening with the need to strike out. She lowered the phone and clicked the disconnect button in retaliation to his attempt to manipulate her.
          Vince opened the driver's side door and cold air rushed into the car. "Hey, beautiful, are you heading inside?"
          "What is this? Are you guys ganging up on me?" Sylvia ignored the man beside her and glanced in the rear view mirror, checking to make sure her tears hadn't caused any lasting effect.
          A warm hand landed on her shoulder and Vince toyed with her hair. "Not at all, I like the idea of entering the building with a gorgeous woman on my arm."
          "Right," she protested and stuffed her phone into her purse before turning to stare into his bedroom-brown eyes. The spark in their depths had her reevaluating her impression of the man. Yes, he had the face and body to rival every other Casanova in the world, but he also had a sense of humor. That alone sent a shiver of awareness through her.
          She fought the desire gathering in her stomach and waved her hand at him so he'd move out of the way, letting her exit the car. "Did Knox make you wait out here in the parking lot to make sure I would come inside?"
          Vince grinned and held her door open while she stepped onto the asphalt. His gaze fell to her legs.
          She stared at her new, high-heel, red pumps and silently prayed she wouldn't land face first in the dirt when she tried to walk across the pitted parking lot in them.
          A low whistled sounded beside her. "Man, are you ever hot."
          She ignored the comment and didn't turn until she heard the car door slamming closed. "And there's not a woman you've ever met you haven't wanted."
 
Buy Link: http://bit.ly/CFOaffair
Find Tina Gayle:

Home - www.tinagayle.net

Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle

Goodread - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

Google + - https://plus.google.com

Linkin - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759

Congratulations, Tina, on your new book!
 

 

@VickiBatman asks: What's in YOUR Closet? #HandbagMonday

*Handbag Monday*
Today's bag for #HandbagMonday might surprise you from the picture. You're probably thinking "Gee, VB, that bag is sorta…not flashy."   
And you would be right. However, it does hold a special place in my heart for it was crocheted by my friend Mildred. Mildred just passed away this year at age 102. We were incredibly close and loved to shop together. My boys were the grandchildren she and her hubby, Bill, didn't have.
So when she was cleaning out her house and knowing how I felt about handbags, she asked if I wanted this one. Instantly, I said yes.
Like I said, it is crocheted. The top can fold down to carry it like a clutch, or carry by the handle. Lightweight. And it is possible a pen or pencil would slide about between the crochet, but nothing else has.
Handsome and I went to a barbecue recently. And down here it's HOT!! I wore a dark lavender linen short dress, white sandals and carried this bag.
So maybe this bag isn't for everyone, but I shall always cherish it because my friend made it.
 
Do you have an accessory from a loved one you cherish?

@VickiBatman asks: What's in Your Closet, Allison Collins? It's #HandbagMonday !

*Handbag Monday* I'm sitting at the RWA Conference with a fellow chaptermate, Allison Collins, and she turned to me and said, "You'll like this." She pushed my way her iPhone case--a HANDBAG!! Instantly, I said, "You have to be on #HandbagMonday." Here's Allison on her "handbag." giggles  I love handbags, and look forward every week to seeing Miss Vicki’s “Handbag Mondays” on Facebook.   A woman can never have too many handbags; so when a former boss of mine surprised me with this “handbag” iPhone case, I was ecstatic!  
It’s like a little Chanel handbag of my very own.  I am not very fashionable, but with this little case, my phone has now become a fashion statement.  Not only is it absolutely adorable, but it’s very handy for carrying around.  It will be perfect for a night out on the town, or even to mix and match with jeans and a blazer.  Who wouldn’t feel elegant putting this over a wrist for the evening?  So much nicer than the old boxy case I was using.   By Kikkerland Designs, other colors available are red, white, and pink (PINK!!) for $10.  The case is silicone, and very lightweight. At this time, it is available only for the iPhone 4/ & 4S.  http://www.kikkerland.com/products/purse-iphone-case/ As a special treat for Miss Vicki’s devoted readers, I am donating a black handbag case just like mine for her to give away on her blog.   Happy Handbags, Everyone!  Allison Oh, Allison, you are too kind!! A first for #HandbagMonday.  Be sure to leave an email address in the comment section to be eligible for the drawing. (And if you don't mind, your email entitles you to receive the #PlottingPrincesses newsletter.)

Happy #HandbagMonday!