LFW Designs

THANK YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:38:00 +0000

Thank you. Thank you to everyone who came out to the Open House this past weekend. Once again, I am amazed at the turn-out. I am always thrilled to see my returning customers (the ones who would NEVER carry a handbag made in China!!! They much prefer theirs to be sewn in Bostwick!!!) and equally as thrilled to meet the ones who are new to LFW. It just thrills me that you all come out to support my little business, which in turns supports my growing fabric addiction!!! Hey, I could be addicted to worse things!!!

Our next event will be March 6 & 7 @ the Palatka Azalea Festival. Then we will schedule another Open House at the end of March. After that there is the Bostwick Blueberry Festival on May 22, and if Palatka gets it together, the Blue Crab Festival. So, a busy few months ahead for LFW. In the mean time, there are a few openings for purse parties, so if you are interested in hosting one, give us a call 386.937.9929 or drop us an email, lfwdesigns@bellsouth.net.

Thanks again for all the support and for all the inspiration.

Y'all have a great week!
xo
Laura

PS: Yes, I know the top picture is leaning....remember I am still not a photographer....or picture editor!! :)

Dinner Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:38:00 +0000

So, I know I am horrible at photography. Sorry. However, the only way to improve is just to do it over and over, so I will experiment with you all....and since I was going to make a delicious dinner, I thought I would chronicle it for you all, and practice my blogging and photography techniques all at once. Sounds good.

Dinner tonight started out as the recipe I copied out of the Florida Times Union years ago (when I still lived in OP, so it had to be at least 8 years ago. They had written a story in the Food section detailing what the sailors eat on the USS John F. Kennedy. The title of that article was "Feeding a Floating City"....anyway the recipe was for Shrimp Scampi, something that they prepared for the 5000 onboard for special occassions. I have fixed that recipe two other times, and really liked it.....but tonight, I found it hard to stick to the recipe, so I created my own. It was delicious.....So here is what I did:

First, preheat the oven to 350*. I decided that bacon makes everything better, so I chopped up 4 slices of bacon....I put that into my trusty Lodge iron skillet (which is my favorite cooking item at the moment!) and stirred it around for a few minutes on a medium-high heat. Then I added 1/2 stick of unsalted butter and 1 chopped medium onion. I cooked that for about 4 minutes, just until the onions were tender, then I added 2 teaspoons of minced garlic...the kind that comes in a jar with a little olive oil----it is found in the produce section of most grocery stores. Next I added 2 tablespoons of dried parsley, then the 1/2 of stick of remaining butter looked lonely, so I through it in the pan as well. Can you ever have too much butter? I stirred that up, then chopped 2 medium tomatoes, throwing them in the pan along with a tablespoon of dijon mustard, a splash of lemon juice and let all of that simmer for about 5 minutes. At that time I tasted it and added salt and pepper (and just a few red pepper flakes!!!). I had already peeled and rinsed 1 1/2 pounds of large shrimp, so I stirred them into the pan, adding 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs on the top, then into the oven for 15 minutes. Served it over steamed white rice, with crusty French bread and yummy San Sebastian Vintner's Red Wine, and it was a meal made in Heaven!!!

Once again I apologize that the photos are all after the text.....like I said, I still haven't mastered any of this.

Here is the list of ingredients for MY Shrimp Scampi:

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 stick unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 t minced garlic

2 T dried parsley

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 T dijon mustard

1 t lemon juice

sprinkle of red pepper flakes, more if you like it hotter!

salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined and rinsed

Saute bacon over medium heat for 3 minutes, add 1 stick of butter and the chopped onion, stirring constantly while cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic, parsley, tomatoes, mustard, lemon juice, simmer for a few minutes, tasting and adding salt and pepper (and the red pepper flakes) stir in the shrimp, top with the bread crumbs and cook in oven for 15 minutes. Serve over rice. Delicious!

If you all are interested in the original USS JFK Recipe for Shrimp Scampi, here goes:

4 T butter

2 t minced garlic

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 t lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 c bread crumbs

Melt butter in a largeskillet over med-high heat. Add garlic and parsley and saute for 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and lemon juice. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and place in the bottom of a 9 inch glass baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over the top, sprinkle bread crumbs and bake for 15 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Happy Cooking!

It's a Beautiful Morning!

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:57:00 +0000

Aren't these little chiffon flowers adorable? They will soon be pins adorning the handbags. (some may even make it to a tee shirt or two! I know who will be claiming all the orange ones!!)
These actually came from a woman in Turkey, and it took several weeks to get them, but they were certainly worth the wait!

On the cutting table today is the following fabrics....it is my goal to get at least 6 bags finished...if I do I will post! This is Summer Soiree:
This, obviously, is the Giraffe Print:This, Graysy Daisy:

This is Olive Lavendar....I love it!Orange Damask:

Gotta run, I will let you know about my progress! Have a good day!

Welcome 2010!

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:33:00 +0000

It was a wonderful year. 2009, that is. 2 highschool graduations, 1 college graduation, 1 wedding (and the 10 million festivities that went along with that)....and all the regular things that happen in a year. It could not have been better.

Happy 2010...today was the first day in my studio, in quite awhile, except of course for the last minute orders I agreed to get out before Christmas.

I was in a zebra sort of mood....cute beach bag, don't you think? Fringe adds a nice touch too.

I had a to-do list for today with 10 things on it. So far I have only accomplished 7.5 of them. However, after reading the January issue of Real Simple, I feel much better, they say to never have more than 7 things on a daily to-do list. Who knew? 7 things is the average persons limit. Any more than that and you are setting yourself up for failure.....so the other 2.5 that I left undone must be moved to tomorrow's list, along with 4.5 more!

Gotta run, it is time to make dinner: Potato Soup and Mexican Cornbread. A perfect meal on a freezing cold evening like tonight.

Y'all have a good evening.....
Laura

Finally!

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:39:00 +0000

Hello Dear Friends!

I have been gone for so long I couldn't even remember my password to log onto my blogger account. How sad is that?

If you have been wondering where I have been, I have been @ Woody's Bar B Que in Palatka...My brother opened this restaurant on August 17. It took all summer to get it ready and the last month to make sure it is operating smoothly! I signed up to help him, but finally we are all able to breathe a little easier and my expertise :) will not be needed quite as much!

So, tomorrow about noon I have a date with my sewing studio!!!!! I cannot wait! I am even going on a little fabric buying excursion at 9 in the morning just as a little treat for me. As you probably know, I do like to sew, but it is the fabric shopping that really makes me high!!!

On Wednesday, I have another date, this time with my favorite graphic designer, who also happens to be the bride-to-be.....We will be mostly doing wedding stuff, but have promised to squeeze a few hours of photography of the new bags for the site....which brings me to more news. Shelby is in the process of changing my website. It is a long process, and one that you all will not get to see until it is done, but it thrills me! A new logo and everything.

As for the wedding, we have a bridal shower this weekend, and then the wedding invitations go out next Monday morning. The wedding is 8 weeks from yesterday...my how this year has flown by...And, just for those of you who may be wondering, NO, I do not know what I am wearing to the wedding. And, NO, I haven't even been looking....and I don't intend to until halloween. October 31....plenty of time!

As for my new college freshmen, they are awesome. Tyler loves the Florida Arts program. It is a perfect fit for him at this time in his life. He really wants to go away to finish college, and I know he will.....Jami is really doing great in her first year as well. Karl & I are so proud of her....I even saw where she is looking into FSU's nursing program. I have teased her all weekend that I am not speaking to her----she got her nose pierced. Yuk. I don't like it....but if that makes her feel like a rebel, well....it could have been worse! :)

My furry girls are wonderful, as always....I make them stay inside most of the time since it is snake-crawling time!

It was fun to catch up----I will be updating more regularly now.
Thanks for visiting my little corner of the world.
XO,
Laura

AWOL again!

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:18:00 +0000

I apologize....I have been absent.
It has been a busy summer and it has shown NO signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The graduation was fantastic. Tyler gave the closing remarks and sang the Alma Mater and just like that he and Jami were graduates. I did not cry at the ceremony.....but that was only because I had cried all day! :) Good tears though, really!

Since then, my family has been crazy busy trying to get our restaurant open in Palatka. We are putting a Woody's Bar B Que in the old Walt's building. It is a major undertaking and we have all been there 24/7 it seems. Opening Day is slated for August 17, but we are hoping that maybe we can get it together before that.....we will just have to see if we can line everything up before then. My parents and brother have been in the restaurant business for the past few years, having owned a Woody's in Jacksonville....I, however, was only ever there to eat dinner....and I had (notice I say had) no restaurant experience at all.....I am becoming quite the expert!!! haha

Tyler is in Orlando this week auditioning for American Idol.....along with Shelby's best friend Amy.....I am so excited for the both of them. Both are such talented singers....and both will be singing at Shelby's wedding in the fall. They sing today at the arena....their 20 seconds of fame before they find out if they get to move to the next round. Keep your fingers crossed!

Shelby starts her last semester of college next month, Tyler and Jami start their first. Miss Ashlie is somewhere near her last one....so they are all busy! Hunter will be in the 7th grade....

Purse orders are coming in and I am doing my best to keep up with them. I have tons of new fabrics......and actually have some new bags made (fortunately sewing is therapy to me!) one day I hope to have time to load them on the site.....If I get quite a few more made I am hoping to have an Open House in August......of course all of that will depend on the restaurant.....
I will try to keep you informed.....
In the mean time --- Have a great summer!

xo
Laura

Yes, The Waterworks Have Started & A View From a Graduation Party...

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:46:00 +0000

Jami and Tyler and Karaoke!
Even Dear Old Dad was having a good time!
Our dear friend Nancy....
A little shade, anyone?
The amazing, and I do mean AMAZING, theatre kids!
Blue and gold cupcakes, homemade---of course!
The gorgeous graduates. They both make me cry. I am so proud of both of them. Jami and Tyler, you two are AWESOME! You both are such blessings to me!
Wasn't Jami such a cute little Panther cheerleader? And what about Karl as a graduate? Doesn't he look so young...
Beautiful Jami.

And, what about Ty in his blue cap and gown, Pre-School Class of 1995! My, how the time has flown.

Sorry you all haven't heard from me all month....May flew by. It has all been a little overwhelming. And it isn't over yet.... Graduation is this Friday. 8pm. I have used more than my fair share of tissues over the last 3 weeks, but I know Friday will do me in. I am even packing an extra tissue for Mr. Weaver. I think I saw a tear in his eye yesterday at Baccalaureate.

You all have a good week.

Laura

Blueberry Festival

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:12:00 +0000

If you read this post earlier, please forgive all the typos! That is simply what happens when I am in a hurry and do not go back to read whatever I have written......I think I have managed to correct them----You all have a great weekend!

I live in Bostwick, Florida. It is a quaint little community, and every year around this time they hold the "Bostwick Blueberry Festival". Do they grow blueberries in Bostwick? I have no knowledge of that....but every year at the festival they manage to sell thousands of pounds that someone has grown somewhere. We will once again have a booth at the Blueberry Festival....we skipped the last few years....but are very excited to be back.
This year at the festival we are going to have a line of bags for the value-conscious shopper.....because of the economy here at LFW we realize people are struggling, and trying hard to make ends meet. We have a line of bags similar to our original ones, the will be reversible, feature a ribbon-tie closure and two handles. They are available in the tiny ($10) the little size ($15) and the original size ($20). These bags will make a perfect gift for a graduate or anyone else on your gift list. Today in the studio we are busy producing these adorable bags.....I will try to photograph some and put on the blog for tomorrow!
We look forward to seeing you in Bostwick, Saturday, May 16, 2009, from 8am until 4pm!
See you there!

My Weekend, A New Handbag and More Camera Talk!

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:35:00 +0000

Okay, so I had a busy weekend. First of all it was Hunter's 12th birthday, so we had a little dinner for him and I talked Shelby into taking photos of him with her "Good" Camera....a Canon Rebel xS These were shot with a 75-300mm zoom lens..Then on the top photo she used a "soft and faded" action on Photoshop to create the affect.
And isn't he handsome? On the wall in my foyer is where I have pictures of all the children. Ashlie, Shelby, Jami, and Tyler's pictures are their senior ones, but the picture of Hunter is one from his 4th birthday :Eight years made quite a difference.

Bless his little heart, isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen? Anyway, I guess it is time to update the photo on my wall, so I am going to choose one, I love the serious one, but his smile is so precious that I may have to choose the one at the top.

The one below Shelby did using some silly Photoshop filter....but it is still adorable.....
Next, yesterday, Shelby MADE ME (I think she forgot who the mother is!) design a messenger bag. She was in dire need of one, or so she said, and she wasn't leaving until I had made her one!
So, here is the new bag on lfwdesigns.com- the Shelby Messenger, modeled by the gorgeous Jami...You can find all the particulars about the new bag here.

And, just because I didn't want Tyler to feel left out, Shel also photographed him, this is with the soft and faded Photoshop action as well....

My weekend was capped off with Tyler singing two solos at church yesterday, and I know I am biased when I say this, but he was AWESOME.

Now its Monday and time to get back to work....I have a purse party tomorrow evening and am busy getting some new things ready for it....
Y'all have a good day,
Laura
PS: I am still trying to convince Karl (and myself) that I really need the new camera....although I think I want a Nikon (don't tell Shelby!) :)

Hog Wild

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:44:00 +0000

First of all, I want to warn you. I want a new camera. I want a really good DLSR, SLDR, RLDS.....whatever it is.....not the "point and shoot" kind that I currently own. Not that there is anything wrong with my camera.....I just want a better one. A much better one. And, I feel the need to justify it...
So, without further delay, here are my photos from last night with my regular-old point&shoot...and while they are OK....I wnat better photos. Clearer ones, brighter ones...

It is fair time in Putnam County, and that is a big deal...Children from all over the county who are in the 4H clubs raise hogs to get ready for the show.
Last night it was time. About 10- 15 hogs run into the ring at a time, the judge eliminates all but 5, and then he walks around and around and around and around and around (do you get the picture?) deciding which of these 5 is the best. Then he announces his choices, and we start all over again......I think they weighed in 139 hogs last night.

Anyway, we sat and we watched for three hours. No joke. Three hours. And the whole reason for that was because this cute little face:
Hunter raised a hog....a 260 pound one.
And, Hunter and his hog made the first cut, and ended up 4th in his group....and was also chosen for best showmanship....
And, so it goes, we were (are) just a little proud of our handsome young man. (Who, by the way, will be TWELVE years old tomorrow!!---HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNTER!!!)
So, after Hunter was finished we were headed back to Bostwick. It was fun. And educational. By the time the last 3 groups came out I could pick out what was going to be the winning hog.....I was even right when Karl was wrong....haha....

So, anyway....there were my pics....see I desperately need a camera that can do a better job....
I really really really want one.

Y'all have a great day!
Laura

I Hate Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:04:00 +0000

I hate vegetables. I do. I hate them. I think they are gross. Well, most of them anyway. Potatoes and lima beans are about as close as I get. Actually once every few weeks I do eat steamed broccoli....
I say all of that to get to this point: a few weeks ago one of my clients came in raving about the cauliflower that she and her sister had made the night before. (I am thinking: "Whatever!") Cauliflower NEVER has had a chance in my house....of all the veggies out there this was one of the most disgusting, or so I thought! Anyway, she and her sister had roasted it, she said it was so delicious that they ate all of it before it made its way to the dinner table! Right. Cauliflower is suddenly so wonderful that people are eating it up before it makes its way to a plate? OK.

For whatever reason (must be like me buying fabric with flamingos and tattoos) when I was at Publix last week I bought a head of ---you guessed it---cauliflower. So, by now you know the rest of the story....I roasted it, and I promise you it is delicious. I LOVED it. I have been converted....although a salad full of raw vegetables still does not appeal to me, I think you could roast just about any veggie and I would eat it! The children too.....even Tyler... and Heaven knows that child is a picky eater! Since the original cauliflower roasting, we have now roasted onions, carrots, asparagus.....and are planning on doing some broccoli this evening. So I thought I would share the simple list of ingredients and how we do it......
Buy some cauliflower.....heat up your oven......and eat the delicious vegetable!

Here is what you need:

Fresh Cauliflower ( I do 2 heads for the 5 of us)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( I like the extra light----but whatever kind you prefer will be fine)

Lawry's Seasoned Salt (I only use a little sprinkling)

Black Pepper (I use tons of pepper---I love it)

Preheat oven to 400*. Break the cauliflower into florets, not too small, but not huge either. The bigger they are the longer the cooking time needs to be. Then rinse in a colander, and spread them on a cookie sheet, drip the oil over the florets, spinkle salt and pepper, then I toss them around on the cookie sheet to make sure all the pieces have oil and seasonings. Pop them in the oven for 20 minutes...turning them after ten minutes, that's all there is.....It will be just lightly browned.

Delicious!

If you choose to do carrots, they take 50 minutes at 425, baby asparagus takes approximately 11 minutes at 400*, thicker asparagus takes about 20 minutes.......the possiblities are endless, and I am eating vegetables. How about that?

AWOL

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Ok, I have been absent.

Too much going on....so for a quick update...

LFW will be participating the Bostwick Blueberry Festival as well as the Palatka Blue Crab Festival.....the Azalea Festival was such fun---I had forgotten how nice it is to get out and see everyone at a craft show. Thanks to those of you who read my blog and website and came out to see us.....it is always so great to see you, and so nice to meet out new friends! (the pictures are from the Azalea Fest)

I have brand new fabric this week, a gorgeous Flamingo fabric....flamingos are NOT my thing, however I fell in love with this print.....hopefully the bags will make it to the website this week. Also a new black and white print with just a little red mixed in.....as well as a tattoo print. Tattoos have never been my thing either.....(isn't that a little odd that this week I picked out so many things that have NEVER appealed to me! what does that say????)

As for the wedding plans, they are right on track....we have settled on a photographer out of Ocala....Elle Wedding Photography...his photographs are awesome. Shelby loved... LOVED ...LOVED them....we are so looking forward to working with him. Next we must decide on the catering, and while we think we have chosen the caterer......the menu is still up in the air! So, is the cake...oh yeah, and the invitations! We have spent hours....too many hours to count looking at thousands of invitations.....and still cannot make a choice....I do not even think we have narrowed it down any! Too many choices. Here's a question for you:

When someone sends you a fantastic wedding invitation, do you:
a) keep it forever as a token of the wedding
b) keep it just until the wedding as a reminder
c) write the date and time on your calendar and then throw the invitation in the trash?

Just curious..... :)

As for my two high school graduates....their announcements came in last week....to say they are excited is certainly an understatement. We are busy planning the big party for them....

As for my two soon-to-be college graduates (right, Ashlie and Shelby???) they are busy making sure they have all of their courses lined up.....

Any way, we've been a little busy....

I will try to keep up with you all a little more....thanks for all the emails....

Hope you are enjoying your Saturday.

:)
Laura

PS: Oh yeah, one more thing.....Shelby broke her collarbone this week.....there is never a dull moment around here! But, thank the Lord, she is going to be fine!

Back to Normal....

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:15:00 +0000

Well, we are back to normal, whatever that is...

On the business front, I have added 11 more bags to the site today. I am striving to put 100 new things on there in the next few weeks. This afternoon I am working on a new style.....will post more about it in the morning --- that is IF it is successful! :)

Also, I have decided to do to Palatka Azalea Festival this year. I have only done it once before, several years ago, but I thought it would be fun to do this year because my friend, and talented designer, Nancy Vorasso, is going to join me in my booth with all of her lovely creations...we will have a grand time. Make plans to come out and see us, this is a quaint festival in downtown Palatka, Saturday and Sunday, March 7&8 from 8am to 5pm both days.
As for the Blue Crab Festival in May, it is still up in the air according to this morning's Palatka Daily News, but there is a 90% chance that it will happen. We will be there if the show is a go!

I will be in the studio all afternoon, will let you know what I accomplish.

Thank you for all of your kind emails....

Have a good day!
:)
Laura
PS: For all of you subscribers who recieve this blog through email I have included the link to the actual blog, as sometimes is gets distorted in the email.
www.lfwdesigns.com/blog

Oh, What an Evening...

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:34:00 +0000

A view from an engagement party....Bostwick style....

Shelby and Blake, doesn't the Official Engagement Photo look lovely on the mantle?

Meme (my mother) made a Strawberry Cake loaded with cream cheese frosting and even decorated it to match the invitations.....Fantastic job Meme, you are so creative!

Hydrangeas, hydrangeas, and more hydrangeas.....it has been chosen as the Official Wedding Flower!
A tray of beautiful Petit Fours, also courtesy of Meme....

The Beautiful Maid of Honor, Miss Ashlie....

Meme, the baker, and Madison the Junior Bridesmaid....

The gorgeous couple with their GORGEOUS moms!!! :)

The setting outside, isn't it lovely?

What a great night! We are so lucky to have such great friends and family!
Y'all have a great week!
XO
Laura

Valentines Day Bags

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:19:00 +0000

The new valentine bags have been added to the site! And while I call them "Valentine's Day" bags they really are perfect for anytime of the year, from cherries, to gingham, to hearts....all are adorable. Simply click on the "Shop Online Link" and it will show you the pretty bags....there is limited quantities so don't delay! They are available for immediate delivery.

Thanks!
I will be back soon with more Engagement Party preparations.......woo hoo!
Y'all have a great Thursday!
:)
Laura

And the winner is.....

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:39:00 +0000

This one. It was after all, my favorite! Really, isn't that all that matters? That I am happy? Of course, I know, I know, it is not all about me or my opinions. That is why I recruited you after all. Thank you to all of you who voted in the comments and all of you who sent me an email with your pick! #3 did win officially. It is beautiful. They are beautiful. Anyway, the engagement party is this weekend. This house is a flurry of activity----and I have about 10 lists of things to do/buy/pick-up. Oh yeah, and I don't have one single thing to wear to the party. I haven't shared that little tid bit of information with Karl yet. Shopping. He will be thrilled.......anyway I will give you an update about the party as the week progresses.....

Also, thank you for coming to the Open House......It was good.....always good to see my favorite customers, and always fun to meet the people who are new to the world of LFW....and yes, there will be another Open House before Easter and another before Mother's Day!

The Palatka Blue Crab Festival is on again for this year.....and we will be there.....right next to my good friend, Nancy Vorasso......she wanted to have a booth, so I decided I should have one to. I have not done a craft show/festival in over a year! I am very excited....it should be FUN FUN FUN....it is memorial day weekend, so mark your calendars.

Saturday night there was nothing to do .....I ran around singing "Saturday Night in Toledo, Ohio". Do you know that song, its John Denver, somewhere in the middle seventies---"Saturday night in Toledo, Ohio, is like being nowhere at all".....only a few verses I changed to Saturday night in Bostwick, Florida, blah blah blah....so since there was NOTHING to do we walked to the edge of our field to view this:
Alpacas? Who knew!
I will check in later!
Have a good week!
:)
Laura

I Need Your Help

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:47:00 +0000

I need your help.
While I am officially on vacation until January 5th.....we are trying to choose an "Official" Engagement Photograph for Shelby. We are having a tough time choosing between the following ones:
#1:
#2:

#3:

This is where you come in.....I would love for you to leave me a comment, saying which photo is your favorite. #1, #2, or #3.
Just scroll to the bottom of this post-- click on the "Comment" link, and it will direct you as to what to do. You can even be anonymous if you choose.
Thanks for your help.
Happy New Year!
Laura
PS: Don't be shy! If you choose anonymous-it does not give me any other info (so you won't end up on some mailing list!!!) Privacy is important to me too!!!!
But PLEASE vote!!!!!!!

The Dog Days of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:07:00 +0000

Merry Christmas from the LFW Designs Dogs....

Sandra Dee, Miss Ellie Mae, and Bessie Lew (also known as "Moo")

Tears, Tears, and even more Tears.....but all good ones!

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:56:00 +0000

What a whirlwind weekend!
It started Thursday evening with Tyler's first performance of "The Christmas Carol". Tyler played Ebeneezer Scrooge. He was wonderful. So, I cried. Tears of pride.
As soon as the play ended, Shelby called my cell phone to tell me that she and Blake were no longer "friends". They are engaged. She has a ring. Tears again. Can my sweet little daughter be old enough to get married?

Friday morning brought the graduation of Blake, my soon-to-be son-in-law. Blake, honey, it is not too late to run from this nutty family!!!! When the music began, tears streamed down my face AGAIN! Sometime in the coming year, we should have two more college graduations to attend----right, Ash???? right, Shel??? Of course we will also have the 2 high school graduations for Tyler and Jami! My poor hormones will be on overload!!! I will need stock in Kleenex!

Friday evening brought another performance of Ty's play......and it was even better than the night before. So, guess what, more tears! This time they were for Scrooge, when he realizes all the things he had done to others and vows to be a better person....it was awesome.

Saturday evening, we had Blake's Mom and Step Dad(Karen & Johnny) for dinner, they flew in from Texas for the graduation. No tears this time, just an entertaining evening.

Sunday ended with the last performance of The Christmas Carol....this time many more tears. The culmination of an emotional weekend.....and possibly the best performance of the Palatka High School Musical Theater I have seen. Incredible.

All good tears, though. What a blessing.
Hope you all have a great week.....
Laura

Gift Certificates

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:48:00 +0000

Our new Gift Certificates are here! They make a great gift for any of the girls on your list!
You can specify any amount----
If you need to get them before Christmas either email us at lfwdesigns@bellsouth.net, call the studio directly at 386.937.9929, or log onto the website...
Also, don't forget about the Christmas Open House at the Studio this weekend, Saturday and Sunday---the 6 & 7, from 1-3 in the afternoon!

Merry Christmas!
Laura

My Favorite Ornaments...

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:51:00 +0000

After decorating my tree this weekend with my family, I thought I would share a few of my very favorite ornaments with you...

I bring you this picture of this funny ornament, because you know how I LOVE dachshunds......and because I wanted you to see this picture from this morning:
Because, after all, what is a blog-post, without Sandra Dee?

Y'all have a good day!
XO
Laura

Thanksgiving, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 02:55:00 +0000

How is this for a Thanksgiving picture????? This is poor little Sandra Dee. She is a little perturbed, and a whole lot tired! 9 dogs and 16 people in your house will do that to a little dachshund. It will do it to a couple of grown-ups (me & Karl) too! We survived Thanksgiving, but wow, are we ever tired.
On Wednesday evening everyone gathered at our house for appetizers and fun.....then again on Thursday for the real food! We always bake a turkey .....simply because we use that meat for sandwiches and I HAVE to have the drippings for my dressing. Dressing, that I must say was THE BEST I have ever made.....all of the turkey drippings, cups of fresh celery and sweet onions, mounds of fresh cornbread, and my two secret ingredients......hot sausage and portobello mushrooms. Ummm Ummm Good! However, back to the turkey...it was definately the Fried Turkey that was the best. It is the most flavorful and the most moist turkey meat ever. If you have never fried a aturkey----get to it. The turket fryers are all on sale and so are the birds.....you need a 12 pounder for best results. Go for it. Really.
On Thursday morning, I even convinced everyone to help put up the Christmas tree, especially Blake and Cory. Everyone had to at least put on 15 ornaments.....Ashlie, Tyler, Shelby and Jami, put on a million! Thank Heavens!
Even Karl was impressed to have the tree up and have it look so pretty. Later in the day we put up all the fall decor, and put out the Christmas things. I scaled back from what I usually do, but everything still looks so festive.

And, finally, I will show you our family picture of 2008. This is MY entire immediate family....(with a few extras --and a few furry ones!-- thrown in for good measure!!!)
On the back row: Kevin (my brother) My Dad, Blake --holding Copper (He is Shelby's friend), The Handsome Johnny Cash, oops I mean Karl Weaver, Tyler, Hunter-- holding Miss Ellie, Cory(Ashlie's friend)-- holding Peonie , Rance (Jami's friend),the second row is Madison (my niece) Shelby, My Mom, Me-- holding Bessie, Ashlie-- holding Paisley, Jami --holding Sandra Dee, and on the bottom row is Honey Bear, Sugar Bear and Sadie Monster.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.
Thanks for reading.
XO
Laura

I Am a Terrible Blogger.

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:37:00 +0000

I am a terrible blogger. There. I admitted it.

I take countless pictures all week, intending to update the blog with dachshund antics, new fabrics, tales of Tyler and Jami, new recipes, fall decorations, purse parties and Open Houses at the studio...etc.... but time slips away and now it has been WEEKS (months?) since I last posted.

It is opening week of hunting season. My whole family will be in the woods at our hunting camp in the middle of the forest all week. Of course Ashlie, Shelby, Jami, Tyler and Hunter are only there some of the time because they have school....It is a fun relaxing week filled with crazy hunting stories, Jerry Clower jokes, and some of the best food in the world!

Oh, and did I mention rattlesnakes? Yes, rattlesnakes and bears. They are now a part of our Camp Week as well. (And Yes, there are pictures, but my camera is in the woods and I am at home for the next few hours----will try to remember it on Wednesday and add them to the posts!) Kevin killed a giant snake yesterday around 3:00. I cannot imagine walking in the woods and coming upon that thing! UGH! Even with the snake boots that we all wear, it would not have been enough if he had stepped on that monster... And as for the bear, he visits EVERYDAY----especially around 6-10pm.....he just walks right into the camp. Comes to visit I suppose. We scare him off, and he comes right back. A small bear, by bear standards. BooBoo. That is what we have named him. I feel bad for him, I am sure he wonders why Sugarbear and Honeybear (my parents dogs) get to be right up there with us, but we run him off.....he just wants to be our friend.?.?

And as for handbags, I do have new fabrics------an adorable pink and green flip flop fabric (PERFECT for Christmas presents!), more polka dots, a cute dachshund fabric, a new black and white----which I have been looking for forever......this one is really pretty. Oh yeah, even a new camoflauge! In honor of Hunting Season. Doesn't everyone need a camo handbag? Surely they do!

So, once again I am going to try to be a better blogger.
Wish me luck-
Thanks for reading!
Laura

Announcing........the Laura Bag!

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:31:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let you know about our brand new Laura Bag ! It is the perfect size, features 3 interior pockets and a magnetic snap closure and a shouldber strap. A very trendy bag.
Simply go to the "Shop Online" page on the website, then to "Ready to Ship" and then choose the one that suits you!
Have a great day!
Laura

Beautiful Baby Bags

noreply@blogger.com (LFW) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:12:00 +0000

I know I promised pictures of the studio shopping event, but the camera that has them on it is STILL in Jacksonville....so while I am anxiously awaiting the return of the camera.....this is what I have been up to:

Many, many times customers are always asking about baby-bags. I always say the the "Lizzie Bag" is a good size for a baby bag.....and it can be made in any of our trendy prints. However, often our clients want something a little more "baby-ish". So, after searching and searching.....I found a line a baby fabric that was beautiful......and so we officially have baby bags now! The vintage buggies are just too cute, and the fabrics are available in the pale pink and brown combination, or pale blue and brown.
My friend, and very talented designer, Nancy Vorasso, made up the pillow-cases, burp-pads, and quilted changing pads to go with the bags.

The Prices for the Beautiful Baby Bag Collection are as follows:

The Baby Bag: $ 55 (11"tall, 15 " wide, 5"deep, 4 interior pockets, magnetic snap closure)
The Tiny Bag 16 (perfect for a young sister-her own bag to match!)
Burp Pad 12
Quilted Changing Pad 25
Pillow-case 12 (pillow form not included)

I will upload better pics to the website of the bags....for more info on the coordinating burp-pads, pillowcases, or changing pads simply email me at lfwdesigns@bellsouth.net and I will get you in touch with Nancy.

Have a great Tuesday....
Laura