I haven’t really had time yet to go back and try to see any of the recent national coverage concerning the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, but I’d just like to say that while this hurricane was no where near along the lines of Katrina, it still managed to wreak a pretty significant amount of damage on much of Louisiana. At one point I think I heard that almost half of the homes and businesses in the entire state were without power. Some of the hardest hit areas are supposed to be without power for up to 6 weeks. For those of you who have never spent any time in this area during the summer months, let me tell you, September in south Louisiana is HOT. Hot and extremely humid and pretty miserable with no power for refrigeration or air conditioning. Organizations like the Red Cross and even FEMA were doing a pretty good job this time at getting everyone supplies like ice, water and non-perishables to the people who needed them most, but in many areas it’s going to be rough going for the next few weeks.

Anyway, just wanted to check in and let everyone know I’m home safely. It might take me a couple of days to get caught up, but hopefully I should be back to posting again regularly soon!

She wanted me to stop in and thank you for your best wishes and the prayers you all offered pre-Gustav.?? She is currently located in Denham Springs, LA with her beau & his father.?? They are currently without power (as much of the region is), but they are all well & healthy and sustained minimal damage.?? I am sure she will be back to posting as soon as she is back in to New Orleans, power is back on, and life gets going again.

Let’s send lots of love & magic jou jou towards the Greater Gulf Coast region, so that they recover quickly from Gustav and let’s keep any more storms at bay the remainder of this hurricane season!

Everyone around here has their eyes on Gustav, but it’s still a bit early to tell. Nevertheless, preparations are definitely underway. I’ve already spent the last 3 days at work dealing with advanced just-in-case preparations and now that it’s become a weekend of wait-and-see, I’m working on making a checklist of what to grab if we need to evacuate New Orleans.

I’ve gotta say, as much as I’ve been trying to reduce clutter and simplify my life over the last few months, there’s still quite a bit of stuff around. One of the things that Katrina taught so many of us is what is truly important in life are the intangibles - friends, family, a sense of place, a feeling of home. That is why so many of us have chosen to stay here and why so many of us are possibly dealing with this all over again. That said, it also makes me realize how few possessions I would really care about if they were washed away. Most things are replaceable, and while replacement incurs expense, it’s not unmanageable in the long run. The what ifs that really scare me about this scenario are the possibilities of losing friends and family all over again, scattering us around like leaves in the wind.

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst. Like I said, it’s still too early to tell, but I think that’s what most of us are doing, anyway. Hopefully this will all blow over (pardon the pun), but the timing certainly makes for an eerie feeling.

Launched over two years ago by designer Lesia Griffin, 144 Collection specializes in handmade bags and wristlets. What began as a hobby when Lesia started taking sewing lessons as a way to express her creative side has blossomed into a successful handbag business. And Lesia’s skills on the sewing machine have been well-honed through those lessons and plenty of experience: each bag is made to last out of the finest quality fabric.

You can custom order your own bag or shop from a selection of different purse, hobo, tote and wristlet styles in a fabulous array of fabric choices.

Check out the 144 Collection website or Etsy shop to shop for more bags or place a custom order.

The bags in this new line, which includes messenger bags, hobo bags and attach??s, are made from either their signature Rewoven???-brand polyester fabric (made entirely from recycled 2-liter soda bottles!) or their recycled cotton, which contains the highest proportion of guaranteed post-consumer cotton available anywhere in the world (75% recycled/25% new). Best yet, the prices are pretty comparable to similar styles you might find in a department store that were probably NOT made in the U.S.A. from recycled materials.

Personally, I’m still coveting their solar powered Juice Bags. They’d be great for people who hike or spend a lot of time outdoors… You’d never have to worry about your iPod running out of power: you could just charge it with the solar panel on the bag!