Change Purses for Change. Help Support Sandy Hook

So when I started the Winter Collection I ordered a bunch of kelly green wool. After it arrived I didn't know why in the world I ordered so much. It has just been sitting on my shelf and I haven't known what to do with it. Then Sandy Hook happened. Now it seems really clear why I ordered all of that green. We have decided to make change purses in the Sandy Hook green and white colors with a little green applique heart on them. 100% of the profits will be donated to Sandy Hook and Newtown. They will be $20 and will be available for sale from my etsy shop at www.gardencris27.etsy.com. I am currently taking preorders to get an idea of how many I will need to make up. The only thing is I don't have a photo yet of what they will look like, but I promise you they will be adorable. If you are interested in ordering, please let me know. Order here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/118669977/be-the-change-change-purse-100-of

My Problem with Trilogies

So I love to read. I mean really, really love to read. I love getting lost in the story. I do seem to have a problem though. It seems like lately I keep picking books that are part of a series. Why is that a problem you ask? Because each of the last three times I have started a series I have neglected to check if all of the books are actually written and published yet. I just finished book two of a trilogy called "The Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness. I digested book one in about 4 days and then excitedly downloaded book 2 to my Kindle. I had some down time last night and settled in to read the end of book 2 and to download and start book 3. Imagine my dismay when I realized it isn't even written yet! What! That isn't possible. But what about Diana? What about Matthew? I wasn't ready to be done with them yet. Now what do I do? I will have to wait I guess and add it to the other two series that I will have to reread once the last books come out.

I am having a contest!

I decided to have another contest. I am getting ready to roll out my spring/summer collection and thought it was the perfect time for a contest. All you have to do is visit my facebook fan page and like me! Once you do, you will be entered to win a great cosmetic bag. If you refer a friend to my page you will receive another entry and your friend will receive and entry. Be sure to write a comment so that I know who you are and be sure your friend mentions your name. The person with the most entries will win! The more friends you refer, the more chances you will have. The contest will end on Sunday, February 25th.

Why you should never put a shag carpet in a kids play room...

This post is all about why you should never put a shag carpet in a kids playroom and how I learned the hard way! So a few months back I was at Home Goods, I love that place, and bought this super soft beige shag rug for my bedroom. Long story short it didn't look right in there so I decided to put it in the downstairs playroom. It is super soft and the kids love sitting on it to watch TV. Now my boys are 8 and 11 so I figured they could handle it being beige and all and they could and did until it came to the box of cheerios that go spilled all over the carpet. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal since they were dry from the box. Just vacuum them up right? Wrong. They lodged themselves deep down into the shag carpet strands and wouldn't come out even with our super power Kirby vacuum. The only way to get them out was to roll the whole carpet up and try to shake it out outside. This is not easy to do with an 8'x 10" carpet let me tell you! In the process of shaking out the cheerios a virtual buffet of dry snacks come spilling out. Disgusting. So, that said, word to the wise, do not ever ever ever put a shag carpet in a kids play area or just don't ever let them have snacks on it!

The Makings of a Wristlet

Just thought I would give you a little inside peak and what your wristlet looks like before it is all put together. I use only the best batting and interfacing for softness and structure. All of the seams are double stitched for strength. YKK zippers that last forever. Magnetic snaps that are inserted with my super secret technique so they won't pull through. They are a bit time consuming to make, but really worth it when they are finished.

My new and improved website

Just launched the new site. It is still in the design stage and only has 3 pages so far. I figure it is a good start being I know absolutely nothing about web design. My hope is to add items with shopping cart capability. I am just happy I was able to get as far as I have.

And the Winner Is...

The winner of my change purse giveaway has been picked. Thank you to everyone that entered and keep watching for more great contests and promotions.

Cabbage and Potato Soup

It is cold outside today so I decided to make soup. That said, I didn't want to go to the store because, well, it's cold outside. I am just going to use what is in my fridge, isn't that how the idea of soup started anyway? I am not so sure how it is going to turn out, but if it is tasty, I will post the recipe and a photo for you to see. Here goes, I am throwing in some chopped up cabbage, some cut up potatoes, carrots, chicken broth, a shallot, butter, salt, pepper, and a bit of water. I am using my crock pot and will let it simmer all day. My hope is the potatoes will break down and it will turn a bit creamy. Stay tuned! Post Cabbage Soup Update: It was terrible! Tasteless. I will have to try using an actual recipe next time.

My First Giveaway!

I have decided to do my first giveaway. You can win this great change purse just by liking me. To enter: 1. Post a comment below about your favorite product from my shop www.gardencris27.etsy.com. 2. Like my facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carissa-Black/50535362034. All entries will be placed in a hat and one lucky winner will be picked at random on Tuesday, January 17th. Good luck!

Spring fabric has arrived!

So you have to understand that normally when I see the mailman, er woman, pull up to my house with a package for me I cringe. She loves to cram them into my mailbox to the point that I need a crowbar to get them out. Now you are probably thinking why don't I just go out and have her hand me the packages if I see her pulling up with them? Hoestly, I am just too lazy and would rather just complain about it. Not yesterday though. Yesterday I saw her pull up and realized that the package she was wedging in there was the fabric for my spring collection. Crowbar in hand, I made my way to the mailbox and with a bit of a struggle, managed to un-wedge the package, carry it into the house, and open the most beautiful fabric.

Ideas are a swirling...

I am sitting here this morning with my so so cup of coffee and trying to organize all of the ideas in my head. I have started planning for my spring line and have a million and two ideas that I need to whittle down to about 10. Yesterday I ordered some of the fabrics for the collection and I hope you love them as much as I did. I will be sure to give you a sneak peak when they arrive.

Websites, and Facebook, and Twitter Oh My!

As many of you have noticed, I haven't been the best with keeping on top of my blog and my website hasn't been updated in awhile. I am still here and my business is still going strong. My old computer died a couple of months ago and I am now the happy owner of an Apple MacBook Pro. I love it so much, but there has been a bit of a learning curve going from a PC to a MAC. I am not able to access my original CarissaBlack.com website anymore and therefore, it remains in a state of neglect. I have been playing around with different hosting sites, but haven't settled on any one just yet. I have so many ideas for this year and can't wait to share them all with you. Be patient with me as I find my way in the world of websites. In the meantime, continue to follow me at Make sure to like my fan page to be the first to see great specials and my newest projects.