A few years ago I was a critic of the holiday season starting in July.  However, now that the “Chics” have to plan for things in advance, Cyber Monday is only 21 days away, it never seems we can get far enough ahead of the game!

Deb and I like to make things in advance but to make it really work we have to never step foot in the stores this time of year when they are displaying so many fabrics, trims, etc that we can’t resist. Our ability to resist buying one more fabric is almost non-existent and next thing you know we are going a hundred directions trying to do multiple things.

Example is very evident this week when you see all of the new products Deb has put online for the holidays.  Napkins, gift bags, kindle covers, her list is beautiful and I assure you there is more to come and especially if she goes shopping again   Here are just a few, and of course I had to sneak a few of my holiday items in there too.  If you want your purchase shipped to someone, pretty Christmas gift wrapping is available too.

Click on the link below to check all of the new holiday items at Creative Chics!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeChics?section_id=6535955

I don’t know about you, but I am a bit of an online shopper. Ok, I’m quite a bit of an online shopper. I like the convenience, no driving around saves gas and time, price comparisons at my finger tips, just to name a few. So I thought I’d share with you a few of my latest purchases because if I thought they were nifty, there’s a chance you might too!

The Cell Phone Cozy by Fancy Ferris – $16.95 (I can’t wait to see this arrive in my mail box this week. Perfect for those weekend outings at the arts & crafts festivals where you don’t need to lug around everything but the kitchens sink. It keeps my hands free for browsing. And for me I just love the colorful, happy fabric.)

Pearl Drop Sterling Silver & Capri Earrings - $4.95 (The perfect pair of earrings, not too long, not too heavy, goes with everything and anything, dress up or dress down, and quite frankly you just can’t beat the price!)

Pleated Mini Bag by Lireca -$28.00 (This purse is on the small side, but I personally like smaller purses. If you’re looking for one the size of a carry on travel bag, this is not it Super cute, carries all my basic necessities, fits over my shoulder, very well made, very stylish and it’s darn cute too!)

Just so you know, these are totally my own testimonials about purchases I have made for myself. You’re probably asking, you sew so why do you buy stuff you could make? The answer is simple, I’m lazy and they’re darned cute things! Why spend my time on something that someone else has already perfected.

Our Friday Product Showcase this week features items handmade primarily in black and white.  I don’t know about you, but in my opinion black and white goes with everything, which is probably why half my closet is filled with these two colors!

Black and White Handmade Items

If you see something you’d like to check out further, just click on our store links on the right side of our blog.

You’ve probably also noticed that I’m pretending to be a web designer with our blog Well, pretending is a good word since I’ve never really done this before. You’ll also see us “trying on” new looks during the next week or two. Isn’t that what every woman does, try on new outfits to see what looks best? If you have an opinion, please share it with us. After all, the great thing about girlfriends is they will always tell you the truth about how you look!

Have a great weekend!!!

As kids our parents would pack us all up, along with coolers of fried chicken and fresh watermelon, in the car or pick up truck and we’d head to Drexel, Missouri for the annual fire works show.  Now Drexel is a little hole in the wall town, population 1,095, but they put on one heck of a fire works display.

We’d chow down on our picnic dinner, along with hundreds of other families, before Dad would hand us smoke bombs, snakes and the infamous sparklers, which for the life of me hurt like heck and as an adult I realize just how dangerous they are! You knew the fireworks were going to start when dark settled in and you’d hear the echoing sound of the first cannon ball fired into the air, ringing long after the shot was fired.

For 20 some minutes the fireworks would fill the sky with fantastic color and deep plumes of smoke. The ending was always climactic with sprays of light in all directions and cannon balls booming like thunder. Then silence followed by a rousing applause from the crowd. Slowly we’d all pile back in the car in which we came, usually fast asleep by the time we got home.

In honor of  Independence Day in the USA, and we thought we’d highlight some of our red, white and blue handmade items for you.

Handmade by the Creative Chics

You can find these items and more in our Handmade shops by clicking on the stores to the right.

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!!!