Coconut Cupcakes + Spokane Wrap-Up

So, Spokane was really really great.  Basically I got home and crashed and didn't get up for a week.  Also, it was my birthday week, so I was extra lenient about time off.  But it was wonderful to meet so many supportive and fantastic people!  I sold a bunch of stuff, and took a lot of orders which I will be cranking out this week.  I think one of my favorite highlights from the trip was the spontaneous purse party at the P.I. wherein I sold two purses while perched on a barstool.  And when I say "I," I really mean my friends and rockstar sales team Katie and Brian.  Thanks guys!

And now the birthday part.  We did the annual backyard party, which works great since my birthday falls on or near enough Memorial Day weekend.  And this year I decided to try one of my grandma's recipes I discovered a few weeks ago in my mom's stash.  My grandma, who passed away several years ago, was an incredible home cook.  I still dream about her potato salad.  So when I found this recipe for coconut cake, I knew it was going to be this years' birthday dessert.

Candied Coconut Garnish=Deliciousness!

Grandma Aldridge's Coconut Cupcakes

A few notes on my tactics:  First, I haven't consumed a ton of coconut cake in my lifetime, but this seemed pretty mild on the coconut scale.  I even won over a few devout coconut-haters!  Second, since it was a backyard party, I turned it into cupcakes.  Third: her recipe calls for fresh coconut, which is a legitimate hassle, but kind of a fun one.  I went for the caveman approach and split it by whacking it on the back sidewalk.  Classy!  After prying chunks of the meat out of the husk, I trimmed off the brown skin on its backside with a paring knife before shredding it on a cheese grater.  And finally, fresh coconut isn't sweet like that angel stuff you buy in the grocery aisle, so I candied some for garnish.  Which was DELICIOUS.  Instructions for that follows the recipe.

I Made Even More Purses + Spokane is Fun

You guys, I'm leaving for Spokane tomorrow!  Excitement abounds!  I'm looking forward to meeting a bunch of awesome people out there and hanging with my girl KT.  If you happen to be attending the Womanhood Weekend as well, you have to stop by my table and say hi!  I'll be selling my handmade bags,  as well as cozies, zips, and maybe a few toys, plus I'll be taking orders for custom items.  And!  Don't forget about the Yoga Tote.  That's gonna be there too.

Anyway, I'm pretty much out of time for any more making of things, so this here's your last preview of stuff I'll be taking with me.  And I have to say that while I always like the purses that make it to salable status, there's sometimes one or two that I kind of psychotically adore.  And this red and blue plaid is one of those.  Those colors?  Please.  It's like what you get when you mix Paul Bunyan with Even More Awesomeness.  Plus, it's a fun contrast to the subtler tones in many of the fabrics I've been using this season.

Paul Bunyan Purse

Paisley Zippered Tote

Paisley Zippered Tote Handle Detail

Brown Velvet Bow Wristlet

Brown Velvet Bow Wristlet

Ps:  Spring finally feels like Spring!  It was so beautiful and sunny yesterday I had a hard time finding a spot shady enough for good photos.  I ended up taking these on top of my kids' treefort under the giant ash tree in our backyard.  You can still see all the sun glinting though around the edges.

I Made Purses

It's May!  I'm way late saying this, but here we are.  I've been busy.  Being sick and/or accosted by allergies, hitting up my favorite garage sale weekend, entertaining house guests, thoroughly enjoying Mothers' Day (my kids=insanely awesome), and yeah, SEWING.  This spring, maybe because of its slow, rainy start, I've noticed that I've been drawn to mostly subdued colors and patterns.  A few wild ones thrown in there too, of course, but here's a sampling of my favorites in the subtler tones.  (This group is earmarked for the Womanhood Weekend in Spokane...T minus 9 days!  Hope to see you there!)