Fashion Slow Lane!

A lot of people ask how I come up with designs for handbags and accessories.  I actually design and come up with ideas as I sketch.  There is something about putting pen to paper that is part of the creative process. In advance I may have tear sheets, leather swatches or samples of vintage handbags that inspire me for a specific collection but the actual shape and details of the bags don't appear until I sit down with a pencil and paper. I don't sit at the computer and design a bag.  It is all done by hand surrounded by beautiful swatches and whatever inspires me.   I think technology is fantastic.  I have been on social media and the Internet forever..but I am old school when it comes to the design process.   I love the smell of leather and playing around with my vintage accessories.    Sketch in progress

Six months ago I was fixated on the project.  I flew to Southern Davao in the Philippines to retrieve my childhood pen pal letters and meet up with her again.   I was going to write a short story about our friendship that we had over the past 25 years.   Here I am months later and I have not started the project.  I have not even finished my taxes for 2014. I have a lot of great ideas but not all of them happen.  I often wonder if there would even be any interest in our story? She got Diabetes a few months ago and I thought my friend was going to die on me. She did not go to the hospital because of lack of funds or education.  I helped out with that and I think she is on the road to recovery or at least stability. Is our friendship something to write about?  Would readers even want to read about that type of thing?  I have to decide if readers would really find the stories interesting. That I still have to decide.  I know that everyone...