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Baby Boom!

9/27/2011

We are having a P & P baby boom! I want to congratulate two beautiful Mommas who have had babies this week. The first is my dear friend (and P & P model) Brandi.

She has been pregnant in both of her P & P catalog shots. (Newly in the spring and 8 months in Fall). Can we all just take a minute and talk about how flipping cute Brandi was pregnant? I never looked as good as Brandi when I was pregnant. You can't even tell in the shot above unless you look really close. Not with me.....you knew I was pregnant by just seeing my face. Hardy har har.

Brandi's little boy, Max, was born early this morning. I am still high off all of the new baby endorphins I got from seeing him this evening. Man, talk about a gorgeous baby! He was so alert, and he looked me over with his wise little eyes. You can already tell this boy is going to be amazing.

Our second proud Momma is my friend Niki Jerrell, our P & P photographer. (BTW, another super cute pregnant person.) Her little girl, Indie, was born a few days ago. I am so grateful to Niki for all of the hard work she puts into our catalog shots. This last catalog had her riding off-road in my Outlander, walking through high grass in 90 degree heat, dodging crazy flying bugs, and almost sliding down a river bank.....all while 8 months pregnant. This chick rocks, my friends.

So, as I try to talk Bart into having another baby for the 1,000th time (I'm joking...) I leave you with these parting words:

"Where did I come from?" the baby asked its mother. She answered, half-crying, half-laughing, and clasping the baby to her breast; "You were hidden in my heart as its desire, my darling. You were in the dolls of all my childhood games. In all my hopes and my loves, in my life, in the life of my mother, and in her mother before her, you have lived. In the lap of the Eternal Spirit you have been nursed and anticipated for ages."

Rabindranath Tagore

Congrats and much love to the Murphy family....Brandi, Bobby, Bentley, and baby Max!

Congrats and much love to the Jerrell family.....Niki, Travis, Palmer, and baby Indie!

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Meet our Brandi

5/22/2011

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Who is that beautiful lady with that Prim & Posh bag on her arm? That is our sweet Brandi. Remember that bunco group my sister-in-law and I formed? Well, Brandi was my cousin Sara's best friend. (See how it is all coming together?) Sara and Brandi have been best friends since kindergarten. The kind of best friend that has more dirt on you then anyone else in the entire world. It is so funny to get the two of them together and listen to their stories. I got to know Brandi through our bunco nights, and let me tell you.....she is so much fun! If you have met Brandi you know what I mean. She has a heart of gold.

Sara and Brandi

And yes, I know two amazing women who both happen to be named Brandy(i).

Brandi is an antique nut. She LOVES to find a good antique for a cheap price. She is a great decorator too. She can made a house feel like a home in no time. I wish I had her talent!

Brandi is also a life coach for Shakeology. She loves to run, workout, and basically be fit. Here is a link to her website:
http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/bwhitfield42

Here she is with her spectacular Shakeology......

It's great stuff!!

So here are two behind the scene tidbits-

My Tulips. Ah yes. Tonia (remember my Martha Stewart floral girl?) was not there yet when we shot Brandi's set. I had bought the tulips earlier in the day and put them in water myself. Very quickly they went from perky tulips to slouchy ones. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why they were so droopy! They ended up being perfect for our "Slouch" bag shot. Later I found out that they drooped because I gave them too much water. (I mean, I knew that all along and meant to do that! Right.......)

One more thing-

Question: Why did I pick Brandi for the diaper bag?

Answer: SHE'S PREGNANT!!!!!!

Yup, that's right. There is a sweet little bambino in that shot too! And just in case you are wondering.....It's a boy! :)

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My Very First Bestie.

5/16/2011

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Today's P & P spotlight is on that beautiful blonde on page 4. Purse people, meet Sara Mac. Sara is one of my dearest friends, and just happens to also be my first cousin. In a family full of mostly boys, the two of us were born just a few months apart.

That's me on the left; Sara on the right. That beautiful lady with the fabulous cat-eye glasses is our Mamaw Mac (aka Prim & Posh inspiration #1). Every weekend my Mom would take me across the river to the town of Bloomfield to visit Mamaw Mac and Papaw Weldon. I would pray that Sara would be there too. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! Climbing trees, picking flowers, trying on Mamaw's jewelry and playing dress up with Mamaw's scarves. I remember pretending that we were princesses and my younger brother was our dog........ Sorry about that, Jared!

Sara was my very first best friend. Oh the adventures we had! Sometimes we would end up at our Great Aunt Eva's house which was right down the road.

Eva's house

Eva never married or had children, but that didn't matter. We (and the rest of our cousins) were her children. No one (and I mean no one) could tell a story like Aunt Eva. She kept you on the edge of your seat, and you felt like you could listen to her for hours. She made the best iced tea in the entire world, and her wrap-around front porch was a kid's wonderland. If you were lucky enough to get to spend the night with her, you got to sit on the arm of her recliner and listen to her read her 2 chapters in the Bible before bedtime. (She did this each and every night without fail.) She was an amazing woman. Sara reminds me so much of her.

Sara is by far the most sweetest person I know. This girl would do anything for a loved one. What's great about Sara is that even though she is so kind, she also has a spunky, fiery side too. (It runs in the family. Wink, wink!) She is an OUTSTANDING basketball player. This chick played on a high school team that won State, and then played in college. Boo-ya.

So, of course when I was looking for P & P models I knew I needed Sara. Here are some behind the scene tidbits for you....That table Sara is sitting on is over 100 years old. We didn't really check how stable it was until after Sara was up on it. It was pretty shaky. Looking at that shot you would never guess Sara was holding her breath and hoping it wouldn't come crashing to the ground. That's talent, people! :) The parasol in the background we borrowed from a display at the Carnegie. It belonged to Dale French, who taught Art at the local high school. Niki, our photographer, found it. The colors were perfect for that shot! The Retro Bag Sara is holding was finished the night before our photo shoot. It almost didn't make the catalog. (Yikes!)

So, thank you Sara, my very first bestie, for being so fabulous. (And endangering your life on that table!) I'm so thankful you are my friend first, and my cousin second! Love you so much!

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Happy Mother's Day!

5/8/2011

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Happy Mother's Day! Today's Prim & Posh spotlight is on my Mother/Daughter team. If you want to see an amazing Mom, just look at Cara. I met her through her husband, Jeremy. My husband and I went to school with Jeremy, and he and I worked together at Pizza Hut when we were in high school. (I could make a mean batch of bread sticks, I rocked the black apron, and I only dumped pizza into a lady's purse once..... ha ha)

If our culture had arranged marriages, their daughter, Makenna, would be my pick for my son, Drew. She is so sweet, spunky, funny, and just plain adorable. My first memory of her is at a birthday party for our mutual friend, Phylis. Makenna and Drew were both babies, and this was quite the shindig. I remember oooooing and ahhhhing over Makenna before the festivities started. This particular party involved an Elvis impersonator (I know, I know.......don't ask.) As soon as Elvis started his first song, my Drew screamed. We are talking blood-curdling, everyone in the entire room looks at you scream. I had to do the mad dash mom-run to get him outside. (I know all of you Mommys out there have done it once or twice!) Yes, my child was the baby who was deathly afraid of Elvis. Who knew?

Drew and Makenna went to the same preschool, and have been in the same class the last two years. They are buds. I got to know Makenna when I would come in to help in Drew's classroom each week. She is hilarious! I have never met a child so genuinely kind and just full of sweetness. My all-time favorite Makenna story happened this last year at Drew's 7th birthday party. Drew had opened his presents, and he really wanted to open up one of his new Lego sets. Mind you, this set had about a bazillion pieces. I said no, not when the party was still in full swing.....maybe later. Drew commenced to pout-mode and plopped himself down on the hood of his Dad's car. Makenna came up and sat down next to him. "What's wrong, Drew?" she asked. Drew explained the injustice of the situation before him. She responded with that Makenna spunk, "Let's grab your Lego and then jump in my Dad's truck! We can lock the doors and then they won't be able to stop us!!!"

When I found an awesome Mother/Daughter Bag pattern a few months ago I decided I wanted to use real models for my website. I have 2 boys, and just don't think either one of them could pull off a Buttercup Bag successfully. Ha ha. I knew Cara and Makenna were my first choice. I am so glad Cara said yes!!! I contacted Niki Jerrell about doing a photo shoot with just the Mother/Daughter team. That wee little photo shoot turned into 10 bags and a full-blown catalog. ;)

One behind-the-scenes tidbit.......How awesome were Makenna's shoes?!?!?! You didn't get to see them in the shot I used for the catalog. I love them Makenna! Every girl needs a pair of sparkly, pink shoes.

So here's to all you fabulous Mama's out there just like Cara. Little ones like Makenna don't just magically happen. They are cherished, taught, guided and loved. Happy Mother's Day!!

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My Sewing Sister

5/2/2011

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Happy Monday everyone! I am going to jump around a bit in the catalog for the next few posts. Tonight's spotlight is on that beautiful brunette on page 3, Tonia. I got to know Tonia through my sister-in-law, Brandy. They are true best friends; the kind you don't see much of anymore.

Around 4 years ago I was buried in baby bottles, sleepless nights, and dirty diapers. (I'm not complaining by any means....if you know me at all you know that I cherished those "baby" moments and miss them like crazy now.) My point is, my friend time was at a big fat zero, and it had been there for a long time. I felt alone. One night at our in-laws Brandy and I decided to start a Bunco group. We rounded up 6 more girls and got together one day a month for bunco and "women food." It was so much fun!! And whom might you ask did I get to know in this group? That's right....Tonia.

Tonia is one of 8 siblings. 7 girls, 1 boy. I LOVE to hear Tonia talk about growing up. I have 2 little ones, and it seems so overwhelming at times. Bathroom time? Getting ready for school in the morning? Fixing meals? And my deepest fear......DISHES? I can't imagine 8! Tonia is such a sweet person. She thinks of the little details that people often miss or just don't have time for these days. I credit that to her loving, caring, always-thinking-of-others, fantastic, amazing Mom and Dad.

Tonia is also so talented. This chick can garden and floral arrange like Martha, and can also wield a sewing machine like a pro. She makes absolutely BEAUTIFUL tutus for little girls......

I mean, just look at this beautiful purse she made for her daughter who loves owls:

I think of her as my sewing sister...... She's my person I can bounce ideas off of, and she's always finding me a new, chic pattern that I just have to try.

Another thing I love about Tonia is her determination. When this woman sets her mind to something, there is no stopping her! She decided a few months ago that she wanted to run a 5k. At the time Tonia ran about as much as me, which is another big fat zero. Ha ha. She began training on her treadmill this winter, and this past Saturday ran her very first 5k!! (Without stopping!!!) That is amazing!! Here is a photo of her and her awesomeness running the race:

Last, but not least, here is Tonia as a lovely Prim & Posh Model. Isn't she rocking it?!?! I am so thankful that God brought Tonia into my life. Love you T! :)

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Photo Shoot Location

4/20/2011

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Alright, alright, alright. I have kept you in suspense long enough. (Actually, I've been sewing every free moment I've had getting Easter orders out!) On to page 2 of the catalog!

Page 2 is my page. I really didn't want to be in the catalog, but I figured I better make an appearance somewhere. The Fashionista Bag I am holding was originally called the Lori Bag. With the release of the catalog I decided to no longer use girls' names on the bags; it just gets too confusing. Fashionista is much more fun to say too! I just LOVE this bag. It was quite enjoyable to create, and I adore the look of it when it is on your arm. Oooooooo, and the fabric! This is an Amy Butler fabric that is so beautiful. You simply can not be in a bad mood when you carry a bag in this fabric!

Here are some fun behind-the-scene tidbits for you. The barrette in my hair is my most favorite hair accessory EVER. I have a wee obsession with a jewelry designer on Etsy called "Timeless Trinkets." Here is a link to her Etsy store:

http://www.etsy.com/people/TimelessTrinkets

She takes old, antique buttons and create gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Every time you order one of her pieces she includes a free hair barrette (also made from a button.) This one is a tiny, peachy-orange flower. I LOVE it! I have to admit, it's the reason I chose Tangerine Dream for the fabric for my bag! HA!

One more tibit.....location, location, location! When my photographer and I began talking about the photo shoot, we needed a place with character. At the time there was no green grass anywhere, let alone flowers that would say "spring!" We chose to work at the Carnegie Heritage and Arts Center of Greene County. This building was originally the town library. When they rebuilt, there was a great debate on what to do with this place. My Mom and Dad (and a few other amazing people) saw something else besides the white, paint-cracked walls and old carpet. They created a non-profit group and saved the building. Over the next few months the building went through a transformation. So many hours of hard work from so many people were donated. The result was beautiful. There really is no other word to describe it. The really awesome thing is it is now busting with art. Upstairs you will find guitar, piano, and music lessons. Downstairs there is an art gallery and a gift shop full of photography, handmade baskets, pottery, paintings, and handbags all made by local artists. (I've heard the bags are fabulous.... wink wink.) It seems like they are always working on a new workshop or art show. If you live in or around Linton, you have got to stop by just to see it. Here is a link to a video of the transformation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78qR__21L4

And their website:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carnegie-Heritage-and-Arts-Center-of-Greene-County/26284533220?sk=wall
Till next time my friends!!

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Who is that cover model?

4/15/2011

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   As I have been handing out catalogs I have had many questions about our beautiful models. I am going to give you an inside look at the catalog over the next week. Get ready for some really cool blogs. You are going to love it! Well, there is no better place to start than at the beginning.

   The first question I almost always get is, "Who is on the cover?" That, my dear friends, is none other than my sister-in-law, Brandy (aka Number 4 of people who inspired Prim & Posh.....see below).

   The bag Brandy is modeling was originally called the "Brandy Bag" which of course was named after her. She carried the first one, and I've always said that the bag style just reminded me of her. That bag in the photo is her actual bag. Oh! I must talk about the boots! I left outfit choices up to my girls....I just gave them the fabric swatches of their bags and said, "I trust you!" :) She walked in with those boots on and I said, "YES!!!! THAT IS AWESOME!" She had brought back-up shoes just in case, and I told her no way. Those boots rocked. So why the cover? Well, not only was this shot absolutely gorgeous (Thank you Niki Jerrell from Forever June Photography!), but this woman is amazing.

   Brandy and her husband, Logan, are in the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia. They have been waiting a little over 7 months, and are getting very close to the top of the list. Brandy hasn't just sat back and waited.....she is doing something in the meantime. She found out a few months ago that some of the orphanages in Ethiopia didn't have diapers for the babies. Instead of sitting there thinking, "That's awful!" Brandy did something. She organized a HUGE cloth diaper donation that included women from our hometown (and others around the country!) sewing cloth diaper covers to keep those babies dry. She contacted a company who dealt with cloth diapers and received a tremendous donation of over 1,800 diapers. Those diapers are in the orphanages today.

   So you are thinking, "Wow! They are adopting from Ethiopia! That is so exciting! Certainly nothing else is going on with something so big and life-changing happening right now........."

   Well, guess again.

   Brandy found out in January that she had an Acoustic Neroma, a tumor very close to her brain. It was benign, but it was growing in a very tough spot. The tumor had already damaged her hearing nerve (which was how they discovered it....), and was also involved with her balance and facial nerve too. After much prayer, Brandy decided to have surgery to remove it. Her surgery was just this last week, and she is doing so good. The surgeons discovered that the tumor was actually a Meningioma, which is a tumor that grows on the brain's lining. Throughout this whole process Brandy's faith has been strong, and she has handled everything with such grace and poise. She amazes me. :' )

   And that, my dear friends, is why she is on the cover.

Click on the heart above to find out more about their adoption.

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Baby Boom!

Meet our Brandi

My Very First Bestie.

Happy Mother's Day!

My Sewing Sister

Photo Shoot Location

Who is that cover model?

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