Monogram Monday

Monogramming is easy, for girls...not so much for boys (well, little ones, but when they get bigger they get more difficult about it!).  My boys start school this week so last week I headed to the monogramming shop with some of their things...after I pried them out of my 13 year old son's hands.  See, he is 13.  AND apparently 13+ boy+monogramming aren't too fond of each other...who knew?  BUT, I will say monogramming and things returning home to their proper owners mix real well! 

My oldest DS had to have a new backpack this year. His old one was worn slap out!  He started carrying his last backpack at the beginning of 4th grade and now he is going into 8th.  It served him well. I am a believer in buying a great quality bag and having it last for years and years. This is the 1st time we have strayed away from L.L.Bean or Lands End for Backpacks. After we discovered L.L. Bean no longer offered the great stone washed canvas pack like his previous one (yes, he wanted one just like he had before), he decided he was looking for something a bit more...I don't even know. So here is his new backpack.  I am curious as to whether it will hold up to the wear and tear that a Middle School boy throws at it like the L.L. Bean ones.   I had to assure him that I wouldn't get his name monogrammed in large pink letters before he would even grudgingly let me take it. His monogram is placed on top between zippers so I don't think it will even be very visible...but it will assure him of which black backpack belongs to him out of the mountain of other black sports oriented backpacks.

One item I don't spend a lot of money on is lunch bags for my boys. My experience has been that it doesn't matter if you spend a great deal or get the cheapest one. In the life of boys it is going to be yucky and destroyed by the end of the year...or sooner.  No wiping it off or keeping it off the floor for boys...nope, just battery. So, I bought $3.99 lunch bags at Target. I chose to be subtle and used tone on tone thread so as not to offend the Middle Schooler's sense of propriety and decorum...heavens forbid.

What are y'all monogramming for the new school year?

Decisions, Decisions...

Fall is quickly approaching, and I keep trying to decide on what purse I want to be my primary "fall bag". I thought this decision would be easier once Initials, Inc.

Now, I can't decide between two distinctly different bags.

Should it be the Bowler in Houndstooth fabric with Red monogramming(since I think RED is going to be one of my favorite colors this season)...

ORthe Hobo in Berkley Plaid with RED monogramming????






So, what do you think?

New purse...

Just thought I would share a photo of my NEW purse. It is in a pink and brown paisley print with a polka dot coordinating fabric (I just love polka dots...not on me -- that would be scary -- but in other things) and lined with a brown/pink gingham fabric.

This purse was a real steal and I found it in a not so ordinary place. You see this past summer my DD was taking a Latin Class and for what ever reason (cheap rent is my guess) the teacher has a store front as his "studio/classroom" and it is in the...ah...not typical retail section of town (but the part where you can actually find competition between Bail Bondsmen). On one side of the studio is a thrift shop and on the other side a place that sells "art"...you know the kind you buy to coordinate with your sofa. They have pictures ranging from Elvis silhouetted above a snowy church (???) to a giant Malcom X (complete with pants hanging down so far that his drawers are showing from here to Kingdom Come...somehow I didn't realize that particular fashion trend went back to Malcom X...but then who am I to nit pick?...heck for all I know Malcom X started the whole falling down drawers thing...I bet if I looked hard enough I could have found one with Elvis and Malcom together but I was in a hurry.). Oh, and they most definately had Dogs playing Poker!

Anyway, about a month into DD's Latin course the "Art Selling" shop started to put purses in the window...not just purses, but CUTE purses. I mean really cute, unique purses! I would look at them from afar as I really wasn't too comfortable with this part of town and the thought that "art" might just be a front for some other kind of nifty business...nifty but not my kind of retail therapy, of course. Finally, though, on her last Latin class I decided they might very well be a front for something else but heck...they were fronting with really cute purses....so I went in. It was actually a pretty nice little shop on the inside and the lady who helped me was sweet as pie. So, I guess you can't judge a shop by its locale and I was very excited to get my cute new purse for only $22! Oh, and I made it out without one scary thing happening...though none of my friends really seem to believe I got it on the seedy side of town (though, they do have a deep interest in just why I was even over there!).

When I got it home I promptly called my new bestest friend (well, she might just think we are friendly aquaintences but I love her, I tell ya!) who does monogramming. I sent her my purse and (for just a teenie few dollars) she whipped up a monogram on it and now my cheapy purse looks all preppy and chic! She is just so sweet and does such great quality work and very quickly that DD and I both just love her to death. She hasn't balked at anything we have come up with to be monogram and that is a quality that I can appreciate beyond words! She is a Mompreneur and has a cute business called Angela in Stitches http://www.angelainstitches.net/. Angela in Stitches doesn't really keep alot of inventory but loves to work with you on what ever you need. Have I mentioned that I just love her and wish I could have her bring her monogramming genie skills over to my house and just go to town on everything here?

Back to school with style!

This week has been busy as the children get ready to head back to class after their [too short] summer break tomorrow!

Today was spent doing some final errands such as picking up a few things from the uniform store and a quick stop by Belk http://www.belk.com/ as they are having a GREAT Clinique Bonus Days event right now : http://www.allureaccess.com/0708/win2.cfm and I just happen to be conveniently out of a couple of things. This is a really good bonus, as it includes an offer for 1 year of Allure Magazine http://www.alluremagazine.com for only $6...and for a magazine-a-holic like myself, THAT is a deal I can't pass up!
We then had our last "lunch with Dad" that the kids can do until a holiday and then got both DS's backpacks packed with all their new goodies. DD spent the afternoon cleaning and organizing her room (the boys have already gotten that done!) and getting all her fantastic and "fashionable" back to school supplies ready.

We had Open House at school last night and I have to say it was probably the best one we have attended in recent years. There was genuine fellowship and lots of fun and it seemed everyone lingered on and on as if they didn't want to leave. That sense of community is what I love about our school.

I know that the drop off in the morning, for me, will be a bit bitter-sweet as DS2 is starting Kindergarten and it will officially usher out an old season and begin a new one all at once. I remember walking DS1 into the very same room 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with DS2...how does it go so fast?

Well, anyway...on a lighter note...I did want to show you what a cute calculator pouch DD has for her multi-function, slightly [well maybe a whole lot] scary to me calculator (hey it may have cost $139 but if you plug it up to your computer it can print stickers! WhooHooo!???!). The pouch was actually "free" with the calculator purchase but we sent it to our wonderful monogramming friend and she pumped up the cute level 110%, don't you think?

I will post a picture tomorrow of DD's cute water bottle holder but for now it is in her "back to school" surprise bag along with some monogram stickers and such so I will have to wait to snap a picture and share. The boys both got cute personalized, blue & grey camo (why do boys like camo if they are not hunters?) lunch boxes as their "back to school" surprise.

Happy Back to School!!!