LOVE NOTE #139: Urban Myth? The $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe

Happy Tuesday Foodies!

Ahhhh... yes, discussion of the infamous $250 dollar Neiman Marcus cookie recipe. However, sometimes after a visit from the beloved Neiman Marcus (NM), $250 dollars doesn't sound so bad after all!!! As we all know, NM is one of the places to get the biggest labels and at retail. If you're on a budget, maybe this place isn't an ideal stop (myself included as the reality is that my net worth is in the negative digits -MBA/medical school loans! Sometimes though, for a split second, it's nice to envision myself walking out of their shoe department with a pair of red-soled stilettos!)

So what about this urban myth? Did someone really have to pay $250 dollars to get the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe? Hmmm... well, posted on the Neiman Marcus website is the actual chocolate chip cookie recipe! Make your own batch. Share the cookies. Then tell the story behind the cookies. Whether your friends and family choose to believe the tale or not, the one truth that counts is these cookies are pretty darn fabulous!

So the verdict? Delicious, easy to prepare, and well, s000o photogenic... after all, we are talking about a designer cookie;) I found the recipe on the Neiman Marcus website so click here to go directly to the page. I also posted the recipe below. The low temperature and longer bake time yields a cookie that stands apart from the crowd... Neiman Marcus style! So aside from their big labels, the complementary house recipe is gracious indeed! When they say nothing is for free anymore, well, evidently, Neiman Marcus can prove them wrong:)

Ingredients 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds) 2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. 3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. 4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back

of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie. Yield: 2 dozen

What a wonderful basic recipe that you can dress up or down. Think macadamia nuts, M&Ms, fruits, white chocolate chips as substitution to the chocolate chips listed in this recipe! Experiment and enjoy:)

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #138: I Say Labne, You say Lebne

Hello Foodies!

One day can sure make a difference for sure! Yesterday was all about Hurricane Irene. It was overcast, windy, rainy - well, a hurricane! Overall, our little town was pretty much left unscathed in terms of any injuries. Minus an hour without power, a puddle in the basement, some debris, and a tree that was uprooted and found on its side, we are blessed to be safe and sound. Waking up this morning, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Such a stark contrast within 24 hours. Just like those lyrics from Wilson Phillips, "Can you hold on for one more day... things will go your way..." LOVE, STILL LOVE this song! My favorite movie this year, Bridesmaids, featured this song with Wilson Phillips making a guest appearance! I just found out today that Chynna Phillips is going to be on this season of of Dancing with the Stars too! Let's not get started on X-Factor and the reunion of Simon and Paula!

So all the while being inside on Sunday, all I kept thinking about was whether the local Middle-Eastern Store, Saab's Market, would be open on Monday. It helps that I'm so food adventurous, I'm not afraid to try anything! I never knew that moving to the quaint little town of Norwood that I would be reunited with one of my favorite treats - Labne! I'm not very well versed in this type of cuisine, and whether you call this Labne or Lebne, this one condiment is so underrated! A Middle-Eastern version of strained yogurt that tastes perfect on pita! I was also able to find these mini pitas today that are so adorable. I was really going for the portion-control factor, but the reality is that Labne/Lebne is so addicting that I kept finding myself reaching for too many of these mini pitas that portion control really went out the window! This should definitely be in everyone's fridge and be as commonplace as ketchup! At the very least, give it a try! Some cultures eat this for breakfast, others as a side dish, but however you serve it, so delicious!

Even if I say Labne and you say Lebne... in the end, it all sounds like "Mmmmmmm" to me!

Happy Monday everyone!

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #137: Little Love Lavender

Hi Friends!

I'm ecstatic that my labels finally came in today for my botanical perfume oils! Even if it was only 5 days, it felt like a month! When the box came today, with my labels and some other goodies, I was holding my breath to see how they would come out! And I must say, these are so cute! I went to the craft store to dress up the bottle a bit and found some pretty lavender ribbon and a darling little matching flower bead - how perfect is this?! Now the bottle looks as pretty as it smells! I must say that lavender is the best fragrance to work with for sure! I am a fan of single note fragrances, and these are the hardest to come by on the market! I guess I never know what my mood will be in the morning, but having a variety, one comforting (vanilla), another one that is citrus (grapefruit), and now the classic floral & slightly herbal lavender. Little Love Kitchen has definitely been curious about aromatherapy this week:) According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), research has shown that the scent of lavender has produced calming, soothing, and slightly sedative effects. For the full article, click here ...forgive me as I'm not adhering to APA-style citation for my blog... I don't think I'm getting graded for this;) Not only does it smell so pretty it has some benefits for mood enhancement as well. It's no surprise that the scent of lavender can be found in lotions, soaps, and other personal care items.

Again, refer to the link for the full article. Claims from its usefulness for headaches to acne have been mentioned. All I know for certain, is that I love the scent of lavender! Hence I incorporated into my line! Click here to check out my Little Love Lavender - Botanical Perfume Oil at my eBay site. As was the grapefruit, the lavender essential oil I chose was also imported from France! I love all things French - french fries, french toast! Tee-hee! But on a serious note, I'm in love with all things that have that touch of Paris Flea Market or a bit of French Country... and well what tops lavender from the fields of the French countryside?!?! In my book, very very little! Although the country captured my heart on my visit over a decade ago, and until my next visit...I have France captured in little perfume bottles...to be enjoyed every day, no matter where my geographical locale. LOVE:)

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend and a safe one... particularly friends on the East Coast! Hopefully Miss Irene will play nice!

Thank you so much for visiting and see you next time!

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #136: Solid Perfume

Happy Friday Y'all!

What a wonderful day and enjoying the terrific weather! No plans for the weekend because all in the time span of one week, an usual earthquake struck, and Hurricane Irene is to make a guest appearance this weekend... eeek! Nothing like some good TV, good reads, and good eats to make up for the ominous forecast!

The time to be spent indoors this weekend should be very well utilized. I will be taking photos and posting my items on eBay as well as Etsy. As I have slowly started to incorporate new products into the Little Love Brand lineup, the latest is the Oh-La-La Vanilla! I think this may very well be a very selfish creation as two of my favorite scents were combined: vanilla and coconut! Heavenly! With the push for products that are natural, the use of pure, uncut vanilla essential oil (Read: Expensive!) and organic, extra-virgin coconut oil as the two ingredients that produce this scent, I'm in fragrance heaven! The difference between natural and synthetic is huge! In a way I had to relearn what natural vanilla really smelled like;) It takes a lot of vanilla essential oil to produce a subtle scent, let's say compared to Lavender which is naturally a stronger scent. At any rate, so fun to experiment in my Little Love Kitchen creating new scents! I hope this inspires you pursue your hobbies as well:)

Happy Weekend!

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #135: What's Inside That Counts! A Banana Nut Bread Love Story!

Happy Thursday Foodies!

Friday is just around the corner... Woot-woot! And today's LOVE NOTE #135 is all about baking a wonderful banana nut bread! LOVE! Something that I always figured would be difficult turned out to be surprisingly simple. There's nothing like waking up, preparing & putting the mix into the oven, taking it out, letting it cool. Then driving the fiance to the train station, coming home to be greeted with the most wonderful aroma EVER... seriously! This is exactly how I felt this morning. I guess a lesson learned about what goes into a banana nut bread is that you need the ripest (READ: UGLIEST & BROWNEST!) to make the best bread. Perhaps a good parallel is to not judge a book by its cover... and after all, it is really what's inside that counts (or should!) Yes, I'm talking to all you hot little single things out there... you know who you are... who won't give that guy/girl across the room the time of day because they just"aren't your type"... I guess all I'm trying to say is just be open to possibilities. Looks can fade. Kindness, a sense of humor, and having a good heart - now those are things that can last a lifetime:) I digress... back to banana nut bread making!!!!!

I cannot take the credit for this recipe as I had no clue where to start! However, finding a wonderful recipe on www.allrecipes.com definitely guided me. You can find this recipe (and many more like it!) by clicking here. This recipe is wonderful however I did modify it a bit. I doubled the amount of bananas that was originally called for in the recipe, used canola oil (heart healthy folks!), used walnuts instead of pecans, added a dash of nutmeg, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkling of mini-chocolate chips on the top to add that hint of Oooomph!!! However, other than that, this recipe was amazing! You don't need to even use a blender just hand mix. I love an easy cleanup! At any rate, this is my version - and the second time I've made it! The next time you're in the mood, give this a try! Or search the various banana nut recipes online, there's a ton! I think this one is easy so if you are a novice (like me!) give it a whirl:) Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 & 3/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 of walnuts
• 1/4 cup of mini-chocolate chips (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups mashed banana (4-5 medium very ripe bananas)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour 2-8x4 loaf pans - set aside
• in a separate bowl, sift all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, nutmeg, & cinnamon
• in a separate bowl mash the bananas
• to the dry mixtures stir in the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, vanilla extract and walnuts until all ingredients are moist (reserving some to sprinkle on top once the batter is transferred to the loaf pans)
• transfer equal amounts of the batter to the loaf pans
• sprinkle the remaining walnuts and chocolate chips on top of the batter
• bake for 45-55 minutes
• remove and let cool. serve on its own or with a pat of butter!

Super easy! So delicious! You can omit nuts or chocolate chips - or add more to your heart's content. Whatever your palate desires, this quick and easy bread is sure to be a wonderful treat for family and friends (and your four-legged best friend... who was pacing back and forth all morning for his little sampling -POTATO! Yes, I let my son have some, but only the bits with no chocolate chips... of course. He loved it! But Potato hates bananas... go figure. My little one has a sweet tooth... just like his Momma!)

Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for visiting! Until the next LOVE NOTE:)

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #134: Little Love Botanical Perfume Oil

Hello and Happy Wednesday Friends!

In efforts to expand the Little Love Brand and to help Operation Smile, guess who just came up with a new all-natural fragrance?! Yes, I'm super excited! Here is what I posted on my eBay site:

The all-natural ingredients include sweet almond oil as the carrier base and pure, undiluted grapefruit essential oil that has been imported from France.

A natural and irresistible fresh fragrance, Little Love Grapefruit Botanical Perfume Oil is perfect for those who are looking for an alternative to the overpriced and synthetic perfumes seen on the market today. No alcohol, unnatural preservatives, or coloring are added to this product. After searching and searching for the perfect grapefruit scent without any other floral or woodsy notes and without the use of chemicals, it became very clear that a true grapefruit scent was one that needed to be created...

I hope you love this pure grapefruit scent as much as I do. Mother Nature perfected the ingredients, I just happened to bottle it! A great scent that makes you say "ahhhh" and just makes you smile. A great pick me up anytime of the day!

Little Love Brand is a small company. It's just me and my business partner, Potato, a 13-pound Chihuahua/Pekingese mix...and guess who's the real boss?!?!;) With a commitment to helping children around the globe learn how to smile for the first time, Little Love Brand was born! Instead of talking about wanting to someday be able to help Operation Smile, why not start by helping somehow right now? Little Love Brand is all about feel-good and fun products with an emphasis on using natural resources as much as possible.

Your 100% natural Little Love Grapefruit Botanial Perfume Oil will be made to order and shipped within 24 hours of payment (excluding Saturdays and Sundays). The shelf life of most natural perfumes is about a year with the sweet almond oil carrier oil.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to ask or comment!

Thanks so much for looking and remember, 10% of proceeds will go to benefit Operation Smile!

If I can improve on this let me know! Stepping into the Cottage Industry has been made a lot easier with such sites as eBay and Etsy. Starting and maintaining an online store has been simplified and accessible so that keeping your 9-to-5 shindig or for the stay-at-home Mommy (or Daddy!) who is keeping the household in order - online storefronts can work around your current schedule . If you are on a budget (e.g. like me!) starting on a shoestring to test out the waters and see what you would like to sell has never been easier with suppliers often having no minimums if you should need particular materials for your enterprise. Also, take advantage of the free online resources and forums that are specific to your industry of interest. There are also even more books and e-books for sale regarding start-ups. I'm a novice and trying to hone my craft as well, but instead of diving in head first, dipping my toes and testing out the waters is a bit more my style. With that, let's see where this goes! Maybe to the moon or maybe back to the drawing board. Continually developing, modifying, and adapting your business as it grows is the beauty of cultivating your own corner in e-commerce and beyond! If there is an idea, service, or product that you want to share with the world, well why not try?! They say life is too short and without getting all trite and cliche, I'll end this simply: Just do it already... c'mon you know you really wanna!

XoX,

Marikym

P.S. I will post more pictures when I receive my product labels! Thanks for any input! :)

LOVE NOTE #133: Inspiration Strikes at 1 a.m. I Will Jot It Down in the Morning...

... but most likely I will wake up remembering I had a brilliant idea... but unable to recall said brilliant idea... then wash my face, brush my teeth, and put on my makeup trying to wrack my brain about said brilliant idea...when I could have very well quickly jotted it down... had I had some handy notation instruments available. A wise man once told me to always write things down... (Okay Dad... this one's for you!!!)

Hi Friends!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day! I thought I would take a quick moment and remind us all that writing things down can help us accomplish more perhaps... well, at least remember what it is we hope to set out to accomplish;) Also a great way to write down an idea to be investigated later, etc. Yes, yes, yes... the technological age is here and going nowhere ... if anything it is ever expanding. Truly a wonderful thing! I, for one, remain to be one of those old-school people. I still enjoy books that are of the physical variety... whether they are texts or notebooks. Call me a bit wacky, but when I buy a brand new book, one of the first things I do is to smell it as well! Open it up anywhere and press my nose right into the binding... I know, a bit weird! I must say that one day, some day the era of e-books may very well replace all of the brick-and-mortar bookstores. My eyes were teary when I went to the Everything Must Go Sale at Borders Bookstore - another business that must close its doors...

I did run out today to pick up a half dozen of these darling mini-composition notebooks to always have on hand, or laying around because when inspiration strikes ... I can only afford to have one computer (okay, I have two!) that isn't always accessible. My smartphone? Oh sure I could definitely use that for memos and notes or what not. I guess I'm just more comfortable with actually writing things down... and checking them off once I accomplish my to-do list. I find it a bit annoying when I come up with an idea or just have a particular errand that needs to be finished, and I have nowhere to write it down! Now, I will have no excuse:) Well, I guess the next issue I will need to address is that I have like a dozen things I have yet to start, and a dozen things that have been started and have yet to be completed as well ... and that should be another topic for another day;)

At any rate, if you are like me, and still enjoy the physicality of pen and paper - writing things down and checking them off, make sure to visit Walgreens for these perfect-pocket size 80 page composition books. Each of these little handy go-everywhere mini-books are only 15 cents a pop! Imagine in 2011 that anything could still cost 15 cents?!?! Sale ends Saturday August 27!

Well, whatever your method, be it technological or old-school notebooks, just make sure to notate it! Every brilliant idea or invention came from thoughts that were translated into a document that were eventually translated into the final service or product! So notate then create!

Happy Tuesday everyone:)

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #132: Little Love Bag for Operation Smile!

Happy Friday!

Finally it is here... our Happy Friday... with our weekend to start as soon as the Big Boss leaves the office;) Something about a Friday that always sets the giddy mood. Tonight is date night with the fiance. So excited as I get to choose one of my favorite Asian Cuisines - Japanese! Yum!! Today also marks the eight-year anniversary of when he had his brain aneurysm. With the special care of the surgeons, physicians, and nurses at Mass General Hospital in Boston, those stitches have made him all brand new again.

It's fortunate that B. had great insurance through his employer at the time of the incident, so the hospital bills which would have totaled well over $100,000 were basically covered. I remember one of his seizure pills alone would have cost $500 had there not been prescription coverage. We are both so happy and blessed to be enjoying vacations together, our lovely little New England home, our little son - Potato, and Friday Date Nights together after all these years! This has definitely made me not take life for granted or take things too seriously either. I am very grateful to live in America and have excellent medical coverage.

This brings me to the title of this Love Note. My family, friends, and I have all been very blessed to have been surrounded by wonderful medical facilities, I do often think about all the people across the globe who do not have access to quality health care, or even any health care at all. It really breaks my heart. Someday when I finish my medical education, it is my dream to travel and be part of medical missions. I have been blessed with so many things in life, it is time I give back to those who have so little.

As I have been writing this blog, Little Love Kitchen for some months now, and have enjoyed it immensely, it is now time to take this blog to the next level! Today is a very exciting day for Little Love Kitchen because it is the launch day for the Little Love Bag! These 100% all-natural cotton bags are great for a quick trip to the market or just to use as an everyday tote. The Little Love Bag measures 14" x 14" x 3". Eco-friendly? Washable? Cute? Check, check, check! Last but not least, 10% of the proceeds of each item will go to support Operation Smile! Now that's pretty fabulous! I just opened my little space on eBay today, so it's very easy to purchase one. Stay tuned as I will be adding more things to the lineup under the Little Love Brand. If there's anything you would like to see, give me a shout out! Anyways, back to the books for now everyone:)

Make sure to check out the Little Love Bag - 100% natural cotton tote! You'll not only be on Mother Nature's good side with this too cute reusable tote, but also help a small child in a different part of the world learn how to smile... for the very first time.

Thanks again for reading my post and I wish everyone a wonderful and relaxing weekend:)

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #131: So Sweet iPad Sleeve

Hi Friends!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far and the weekend is only a few short days away... yippee!

Well it was my BFF's birthday a few days ago and it was tough deciding on what to get a girl who well...has it all! Her lovely boyfriend decided on getting her an iPad for her birthday... lucky girl! What better way to accessorize her new gadget than with a darling iPad cover? An iPad cover that looks like a clutch! A nice durable corduroy fabric and finished with a yellow sunflower button...so cute! The inside lining is a Debbie Mumm print which always adds that touch of whimsical charm. Now her iPad will be protected and lookin' pretty stylish as well! Yay!

I didn't use a pattern again as I find all the pieces a bit intimidating. I used two equal sized pieces of fabric, compressed fleece to give it padding, and a fusible interface ...Voila! Easy! Within an hour it was completed. It should have taken me less time but I don't own an iPad so I had to research the dimensions. Also, I had to hand stitch the button and look so that took a bit more time!

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE#130: Little Love Wallet

A fabric wallet... the first go around was a bit tricky! So worth it for the cute factor:)

Matching set! Can't decide if my heart shape pins are as cute as my handbag/wallet combo or not... hmmm... it's a draw...

Hey Foodies!

Yes, this blog is still about food... only I haven't been able to cook because the plumber was suppose to come on Monday... but still no call back... am I in the wrong profession?! Must be nice to be vacationing indefinitely on The Cape! Hopefully he will call us tomorrow... so needless to say it was takeout again. Chinese takeout hit the spot... but doesn't it always?!?! China Rama has amazing chicken fingers and pork fried rice! I apologize as this is not low-cal or homemade... but I'm only human... and my weakness can be China Rama 24/7! Well, I should get a pass until our kitchen sink is fixed;)

A celebration is in order! I finished my last major paper for a law/ethics course. I have to give anyone who makes it through law school and is a practicing attorney major props! I was only taking an intro class for my MBA program, and my head was spinning trying to interpret legal jargon. Closing out the class with a more than respectable grade and I learned a lot to boot! Yay!

Being the insomniac that I am... I was able to finish a matching wallet to my kiss lock convertible handbag/clutch! Yippee! The wallet was a lot more difficult to make than the handbag! I didn't work from a pattern again. I just took out a wallet I use all the time and used it as a template. Well, a few finger pricks later... and I'm so happy with the results:) Yes, matchy-matchy I know... I can't help it:) I hope my friends don't make fun of me for carrying handmade items... I love interlocking GG's and CC's as much as the next girl... but a change of pace is always nice! The only thing I would change about my wallet is having more than a dollar bill inside! Why am I always broke lately?!

At any rate, I wasn't thinking and put brass buttons on the wallet... I have silver hardware on my handbag... But the good thing is that it has a ton of pockets! I think I have a strange fascination with pockets... the more the better! 6 card pockets, a pocket for my lonely dollar bill, 3 additional pockets of which I was able to fit my digital camera in! Yay! I will need to install a zipper so I can have a place to put my coins... I've never worked with a zipper so that will be interesting:) So with 1/2 a yard of fabric and and 1/2 yard of lining fabric, a bit of imagination... voila! A one-of-a-kind purse set! A splash of color to my usual jeans and tee! I'll see how long it holds up...hopefully for awhile since it's so cute!

Well I'm pushing almost 2 a.m. so guess I should try to catch some Zzzz's...

Thanks so much for visiting and see y'all next time:)

XoX,

Marikym

LOVE NOTE #129: My Little Love Kiss Lock Convertible Purse:)

Hi Fellow Foodies!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I had a wonderful one even though the weather was a combination of overcast and muggy. It was rather steamy and felt like a sauna each time I went outside to walk Potato. I guess the good thing about New England is that you never really know what you're going to get ... where in California it's "Rise and Shine" pretty much every day of the year... here it's more like "Rise and Surprise!"

Our kitchen sink decided to go awry this week and our plumber is on vacay until Monday. So cooking was a bit out of the question for the weekend. The upside? Getting to order delivery! LOVE! A phone call and a short time later, a piping hot bacon and pineapple pizza accompanied by chicken fingers arrived at our door. DOUBLE LOVE! Not exactly a fancy dining experience... but some nights it's just as fun to traipse around in my ol' college tee, favorite sweatpants, and catch the Red Sox play some ball! Did I mention a bowl of Doritos too?! The spicy buffalo ranch flavor is definitely my fav!

Feeling a bit indulgent this week, I thought that it would be nice to dedicate a love note to myself:) Since I couldn't experiment with any new recipes this weekend because our kitchen is almost fully functional, I thought I should get my craft on! With board exams and classes, making sure to take some time away from academia is a good way to keep me from looking like a scary-eyed stressball... which isn't quite the most becoming look for me:)

This weekend I had a notion to make a pretty handbag! I was so excited to try something new! Everything I learn I usually Google or YouTube it for ideas. Teaching oneself a new set of skills has never been easier. I have always loved kiss lock handbags - part for the namesake and part the vintage charm. They can be hard to find or when you find one it's not exactly what you had in mind. Worse case scenario is finding one you love and the price tag kinda makes you wrinkle your nose wishing the bank account had more of those funny paper green things.

My whimsy beckoned some lace and flowers. I was able to find a print in a cheery floral on a pale blue background. The project was surprisingly easy to make as well! I think I'll be carrying this around until well... I make another one! It's kind of addictive... having a vision and then creating it...in a matter of hours... it's the best feeling! The modernity on the throw-back kiss lock comes compliments of the four pockets I added on the inside for organization. I made a pocket for my smartphone, a pocket for my pack of tissue, a mini one for my chapstick, and another for my camera. The main compartment can accommodate some more of my miscellaneous items too! I added an additional outside pocket for quick and easy access (think keys or a pack of gum!) I added a removeable base inside so that it can sit on it's own with less chance of toppling over. The contrasting fabric lining on the inside is so cute and soft which helps protects my quintessential electronics. This over-the shoulder bag can be quickly be converted into a clutch by unhooking the removable strap. A simple fold over and you're ready-set-go! It's pretty, functional, and convertible. It's like getting two handbags in one!

.

That's the fabulous part of making things - you can customize it to suit your needs! I'm definitely going to find any and every reason to carry it! Next time I'll make it bigger as this one is a bit on the petite side. I'm thinking about making a matching zippered pouch. Although some may consider this a faux pas, I actually like the matchy-matchy look;) I even like it when couples coordinate their outfits... so adorable! The hardware was the most expensive part but the fabric was on clearance. I picked everything up at my local Jo-Ann Fabrics (My favorite store! Super Jo-Ann is even better... but a bit of a hike from my woods. So if you are reading this Bone, I don't mind a gift certificate to this store anytime... tee-hee!) I didn't even have to use a pattern. I had a lot of fun with this project for sure!

Anyways, I hope this inspires you to try something new too! Happy Monday everyone:)

XoX,

Marikym