GOAL POST

Here is my goal board. I still have some of the photos from 2009.  Bulgari photo which is a representation of the family dynasty that still holds true. I love Bulgari and how they have kept the business of doing high quality jewelry for many generations and their reputation is hard! 

Still have the photo of the USA with a mess of flight paths all over it. Yes, i want to travel all over and make contacts all over the globe. I have my ISPA badge becuase I want to be a vendor at ISPA in 2010.  I added the 13 year old Tavi to the board just last weekend. She is my inspiration for 2010.  Her Style Rooke blog rocks .  She is so true to herself. Still have the photo of the warehouse full of boxes that have my bags ready to be shipped all over the world baby - OH YEAH!

I keep this board on my bathroom counter. I will probably take everything off and put some fresh pics up. It is kinda dusty!

Another thing I do on a daily basis is have a rampage of appreciation. I have a word document that I type on pretty much everyday. I do this before I blog so my message is fresh. I looked at my rampage list for 2008 at this time and it was so short. I didn't have much going on. It  made me appreciate all that I did in 2009. It was definitely a year of taking photos, making bags and getting out of my comfort zone! I just gave myself a pat on the back.

My Prototype is Complete!

This is a proud moment right now. I completed the construction of the MAN BAG.  It is so refined and hip.  I like how I staggered the shoulder strap D-rings on either side. Can't see it from this photo but trust me I did. The bright orange interior is perfect. This is the first pancake and there are some improvements for the next one for sure.  Let's just say it together: Too Cool for School!

Sting Ray

This is turning out really cool.  I had to re-do the base because it was too small this morning. I am surprised how easily these 3 layers of vinyl on top of vinyl on top of orange lining with piping sandwhiched in between is going thru my machine really easily. It does help that I have a certain piping foot for my machine. I don't know what I would do other wise.

This totally looks like a sting ray landed on my work table.  This is rad!  You can see the bright construction orange lining is just bustin' out to say hello!

MAN BAG COMES TO LIFE

This is how I make a MAN BAG.  As you can see it takes skills like Autocad for pattern making, a good fabric distributor like H&R Sales and tons of PG Tips tea w/ stevia.  I initially ordered a vintage (I am guessing 70's) bowling ball bag off Ebay. I initially started thinking this would be another girl bag for Minnie Jeanne.  I started posting my progress on Facebook and more men responded than girls. I started keeping it "Old School" as one of my friends had mentioned. This whole process made me re-think the name Minnie Jeanne.  I don't just want to design fashion for women, now I want to design for the MAN too.  Minnie & Sam comes to mind.

Leopard in the Desert

Hello there! Yesterday I wore this outside while it was 45 degrees out. Yes, I did make this leopard knit creation. I bought this material at SAS for nearly nothing. They could have just given it to me.  I put the large print down below and small cheetah fragments near my face. This new bag is Lighting Rod done in a silver crocodile vinyl with black trim on the handles.

Beast Master Zipper

Jeffrey just left to take the kids to the playground circut. Let's see how many playgrounds we can go to. I feel like throwing my own personal party. I want to get out megaphone and just say YEAH! IT'S PARTY TIME!    Above is my MAN BAG that I am working on. I really think the handle hardware looks a bit clumsy still. I want to go to Home Depot and see if I can find the right part for the next bag.  I like the black webbing down the center, it is very sportish.  I am working on the zipper right now. It is a beast master. I cannot get the end to lay down flat.

Like My Handles

Moving along with the Man Bag prototype. It is easy to get lost in the details. I want to find a clip that has a tighter fit for the handle attachment but I know I will find it. For now, I am happy with how the handles came out. They are very similar to the Old School handles in that they flop down. My handles are modern looking. I really like working with the black webbing. It is easy to bend and sew.  You can't even see the seams in the stuff. Most men's bags and briefcases use this webbing for the handles.  Today I would like to sew all the interior fabric to the exterior vinyl pieces. I will be ready to rock and roll tomorrow morning. I have a last minute gift to buy - gotta dash!

Great Feedback

Minnie Jeanne was the focus of today's Executive Forum. The Forum is a intimate group made up of local business owners that hold each other in strict confidentiality. At first I thought we would be highly scrutizined since this is our first year establishing Minnie Jeanne. I was pleasantly surprised that everyone in the group asked great questions and recommendations.  We were asking them about our branding and future selling opportunities. I especially liked the idea of studying other companies who are doing what we want to be doing and following their business system model. That seems logical enough. It was refreshing to be there today and look at the whole picture instead of just my Man Bag.  I have lots to think about right now. One of the ideas to chew on is an over arching brand name that Minnie Jeanne and Sam Harvey can live under.  Being the innovator that I am, this won't be too difficult. It also felt really great to give Robert Vance a festive container of granola today.  Vance has been a instrumental player in promoting Minnie Jeanne in the Spa community. Thanks Robert. Enjoy your granola!

Waky Waky Eggs and Rivets

I am so impressed with myself for waking up early today. I am realizing that I need my time in the morning. I had time to think about the next logical step for the Sam Harvey man bag.  I opened the hardware to see if everything would fit and it doesn't exactly but you know I just gotta get started already. I bought enough sizes of webbing for the handles to make it work.  I pretended I was on the show Project Runway and just got back from Mood and had to use whatever I had time to buy.  I can certainly make it work at this point. I arranged everything before sewing and banging it together and I must say it looks awesome! I think this bag is going to be really cool.  The atmosphere is different today now that the kids are home from school. Instead of Pandora, I have Sponge Bob in the background.  I will break after lunch to play some tennis with the girls.  That will be my reward for waking up early. Have a great day all! Who ever is reading this...

Moving In

Lori Newman made my day yesterday. I decided to give the girls teachers Minnie bags the day before winter break.  Lori saw the big Minnie Jeanne kraft paper bag with the big sunny logo on both side and the yellow, pink and green raffia and her face started to beam.  I was wearing my silver metallic bag on my shoulder and I shouted this is your bag baby but in gold! Next thing I know she dashes into the classroom and shreads through the tissue paper.  She comes to the door and holds my bag like it's a trophy.  She proclaims to everyone that she is moving in tonight. That is what I call moving your handbag stuff into another handbag - moving in.  I don't think I ever saw such an excited Minnie Jeanne owner.

More good news for today, the shipment of MAN BAG hardware arrived at my door today.  I have no excuses now!

Head On

Man bag is coming along. I made some important decisions regarding the hardware yesterday and made the order. The lady on the other line in Ohio was not as excited as I was. I was like - don't you get it, I am using black plastic feet on the bottom of the bag like Tumi - don't you just want to click your heels. She was just like "Next". I wanted to order thousands of the hardware pieces for my manufacturing plant but for now it was a small order. I decided to start out with making 4 bags.  I know the first man bag will be like the first pancake.  The third or 4th pancake is always the best.  I am in the process of recording each step of fabrication. It is highly detailed and takes a lot of patience and of course listening to Social Distortion helps too. Lately, I have been listening to British Punk to take the edge off. Maybe it is creating more edge, great just what I need. Last night on my bike ride which I decided to go last minute at 10pm, I think I listened ot Head On by Pixies about 15 times on my Ipod. I worked that song.

Clean As You Go

I had a great meeting with my business coach yesterday. It felt like I was looking over the forest instead of the tree yesterday.  I realized that I have been so impatient for Minnie Jeanne to become successful.  I need to be patient and more organized with my direction.  This new year coming is going to be a good year of growth I can feel it.  The main thing is that I need to let up on the feeling of having to prove myself to everyone with the success of what I am building.  This is so not a hobby for me. This is a fashion dynasty.  It is freshing to think of Minnie Jeanne as a dynasty. It is also gratifying to hear my coach give me the ok for developing a bag for the men.  Today,  want to get further on the construction of the man bag prototype.  I want to find the right handles, that would make my day.  All I can do is focus on what needs to be done and as my mother-in-law always says "Clean as you go.".

Bunker Bag

I feel like what I am doing is the right thing.  Cool huh?  I enjoy posting details of my design process on facebook.  i am overwhelmed with the male dominated response. i started out using the bowling ball bag as a prototype for the next women's handbag and now I am completely focused on making a reverse engineered 70's bowling ball bag with rack and all.  My gut says go with it. I don't even bowl...

TRADITION!!!

The bowling ball bag I am working on has been peeking the interest of a lot of my male Facebook friends. This has made me shift some of my thinking today. Hey, if the guys want a bowling bag and they are spending the time giving me design feed back then OK! I will make a man bag then.  I can tweek the pattern for the girls. Who knows, there are some girls out there that will dig the boxy bag.  Some girls love big bags right now. I am just excited that something I am doing is interesting to people. I am in the gritty Autocad pattern making details today.
 Today I am inspired by Herb and Dorothy from New York, art collectors. I admire their rules for collecting art and life in general.  As Tevia says in Fiddler On The Roof - TRADITION!

Take Me to the Cazbahs

Wow friends, I am on fire. I had such a blast at the AZSPA mixer last night. The event started with a tour of the InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa.  Our tour guide was this director who had a forced nervous laugh as he guided us up the grand spiral staircase.  The overall feeling of Joya Spa is Morrocan tranquility.  The approach to the treatment areas was impressive with offering domed space full of candles to state your intentions.  My intention was to design an exclusive bag for this incredible setting. The second stop was a starry blue domed vestibule with a massive crystal lit from above that you can touch to set your intention before your treatment.  The couples treatment room was very authentic with a canopy bed, huge tub surrounded by a wood screen with Moorish detailing. The textiles, candles, and architectural details were right on. I would have hoped the some of the wood work could have been a little tarnished or weathered looking. Overall, I would definitely plan on booking a treatment with this place. True escapism!
 After the tour we went to the Presidential Suite to mix and mingle with local Spa professionals. There were vendors, Spa directors and great food. I am energized and hopeful about who I met and developing friendships. Thank you AZSPA for taking us to the Cazbahs!

Minnie's Dress Rehearsal

Home Plate for the Holidays was successful in that we were able to set up our booth for an outdoor venue for the first time.  We now know how we can improve. It is nice knowing what worked and what didn't.  I know we need more shelving for the bags, a signage on the outside of tent and a full length mirror would be great. I also have a strong desire to exhibit Minnie Jeanne as far as possible for Goodyear, Arizona.  I applied for 4th Avenue Street Fair in Tucson and East Hampton 4th of July. I am totally excited about having jurors at these shows. I should have known that Homeplate was not for us when it was all too easy to get into it. It was a great dress rehearsal.  I have to look for the positve aspects always.

Home Run!

I am thankful that we have a selling opportunity tomorrow.  Minnie Jeanne will be sponsoring an exhibit at Home Plate for the Holidays.  It is Home Plate because the venue is located at the spring training facilities for the Cleveland Indians.  It is fairly new and lots of lights.  It will be a fun event.  At first I was apprehensive about being in a booth along side fellow crafters but I have to give it a chance. I have to stop being so judgemental. Besides, our local Goodyear community needs to know about Minnie Jeanne.  The opportunities will be endless.  This event draws thousands of people.  So far we have been very lucky when it comes to booth placement. At ISPA in Austin we ended up next to Hay House and Spongeables, to heavy hitters!  I must get my pitching muscles warmed up!

Holiday Party

The holiday party for Minnie Jeanne sewing crew is over.  We had a great time together. We ate tons of turkey and pumpkin pie.  Barriers were down and we seemed to connect on another level today. I found out that Janet wants to go to Alaska some day and Mena wants to go to Hawaii.  Everybody for the most part gets along so hey that's pretty good! 

This party has been keeping from working on the new bag prototype.  I am going to reward myself with Stuart Weitzman crisscross nubuck platform sandals after creating the new zipper bag prototype. As of right now, the road ahead is open for creating!  It definitely feels good to show my team that I love them and appreciate all that we have been through this year! What a year it has been.

Everything I Want Is Coming

My dreams were better last night.  You know I have sites such as hikes, resorts, stores that I visit over and over in my dreams. Last night I visited one of my amusement parks and a hike and the experience was so much better.  I know why because my dreams in real life are coming true. Looks like I will be going to the East coast after the first of the year. I am so excited.  I want to do more research on the resorts that I will be visiting.  Maybe I can try fly fishing and wear hip boots.  I am so looking forward to doing new things. One of my clients wants to have lunch and go for a hike! Pinch me!

Leaping Out

I have asked three spa directors on the east coast to allow me to design signature bags for their resort and spas. I am excited and nervous. Hopefully they are friends and the itinerary will be seemless.  I am sure it will be cold there in January, but then again, I must experience it.  I picked East coast resorts because they excited me the most.  Historical signifigance is something that all three resorts share.  I have a love for history and sophistication. I picked these destinations based on what feels the best to me.  Seeing new parts of the country is really a bonus too! To get out of my desert for a little peek at something new. Wouldn't it be great to have new stories to tell!