Are you girls ready to change the way you throw coins / change in the bottom of your purse, or handbag?

First, clean out that bag and see how much weight you are carrying around with you that you don’t even know about.  Donate it to a charity – you didn’t even miss it before.  You could go shopping for a gift for yourself;   maybe treat yourself to a nice lunch or dinner.  You could save it, but NOT in your purse.

Use a small coin purse in your purse to keep your change.  You could also establish a place at home to deposit your change until you save up enough to put it in a savings account.  It will add up over time and will be a nice little bonus.

Got change?

Slim down and lose weight instantly, at least in your purse, with less weight to carry everywhere you go.  Purses become a catch all with multiple pens, lipsticks, and more.  By keeping double, triple or more of items in your purse, you are adding pounds.

Keep it simple and lighten your load with the “Number One Rule”.  Keep one pen, one lipstick, one lip gloss, and only one of the many other items you have collected and are hiding out in the bottom of your purse.  Remove the rest.

How much does your purse weigh?

A good quality purse, or handbag, is green – earth friendly and is a good investment.  They are usually more expensive initially, but if you look at the life of a good quality purse vs. one of lesser quality and price, it’s easy to see that in the long term, the quality bag is more desirable, will last longer and is the best value.  The math is simple, over a period of years.  For example: (5) $30.00 purses = $150.00 and one good quality purse can be less than that.

There is a reason quality costs more and is a greater value.  A manufacturer that chooses a high quality approach usually focuses on the details and the extra effort that is required.  They take care in providing the best product possible. It is well known that many mass produced handbags are products of other countries that do not abide by the same quality, safety and labor standards that we choose to adhere to in the United States.

• Less in the landfill is green.
• Fewer chemicals and hazardous material is green.
• Quality materials and expert craftsmanship – more desirable, last longer and therefore green.
• No sweat shops or unsafe practices – green.
• Products that are made in the USA, support our local work force and much less transportation exhaust is omitted – green.

A good quality interchangeable purse, such as Sharon Barber Purses, made in the USA is the “ultimate green”.

What’s the first thing a girl asks the host, or herself, when invited to an event, to a dinner at a friends’ house or a celebration of any kind?  What do I wear – how should I dress?  Girls do it and even guys, especially if it is work related.  It’s a matter of fitting “in” – not to be overly dressed or under dressed that may bring negative attention to yourself.

Big question – does it matter?  Yes it does.  Image is important to most people.  It is what you project about who you are and what you want others to think about you.  Sure, we are all unique creatures, but in certain situations it is in our best interest to dress appropriately for the occasion.

It is a good question – simply ask what the expected dress code is and dress accordingly, then be yourself, have a good time and enjoy.

How many pens are in your purse right now?  You may only have one, but years ago I would have ten pens in my purse, as a result of changing purses all of the time.  I would have to dig and dig through stuff to find one.

If you don’t have a Sharon Barber purse yet, with a designated place on the attach pad to keep your pen, you can still designate an area in your purse (left, right, forward, back) to put it.  You will always know right where to find it if you always put it back in its unique spot.

There are many pen sizes and styles to choose from.  A small retractable pen is the best choice, for a purse, “this girl” has ever used.  A pen with a removable cap is inefficient – one more thing to keep up with.

Organize and you will have more time to have fun.

Have you googled yourself?  If not, it’s a good idea to do it periodically and go deep into the search results.   It is considered by some as a “vanity” thing, but more importantly, for you to know what information is available on the web about YOU.  The possibility exists that private information is available for anyone to see.   It is recommended to search not only your name, but to search other contact information, such as your phone number, address and social security number.

The first time I did a Google search, I was surprised to find other sites using my information.  Sharon Barber transformable / interchangeable purse patent information was displayed on several sites.  A question by someone, and comments on that question, really enlightened me.  I became aware of a company that was using false advertising and my name was mentioned with it.  I would not have known about it if I had not done a search on my name.

Be aware.  Information on the web can be fun and useful, but it is a good idea to Google yourself often and know what others can see about you.

So, Google yourself.

Happy 13^th Birthday Google!

My two grandmothers were the inspiration for names of the different Sharon Barber purse styles.  Their names were Lillie and Willie and I loved how their names rhymed.  They were like salt and pepper – sugar and spice.  Both were extremely unique and wonderful strong women.

This has been a very personal journey and I wanted the names to be special and personal to me as well.  After deciding to name the purse styles after women and girls in my family, it was easy because I have been blessed with wonderful  supportive family and friends.

After my prototypes, I named the first style Anni – in honor of my Mother, Ann.  The next two were named Lilli and Willi in honor of my Grandmothers.  These three styles are retired now, but accessories are still available for them here.

Styles Brendi, Beebi and Debi, The Puzzle Purse™, are named in honor of my sisters and sister-in-law.  The list of names for future styles is endless … unlimited possibilities.

To all of you Grandmothers and Grandfathers we salute you.  To all of you Granddaughters and Grandsons, be thankful for your unique gift called “Grandmother” and “Grandfather”.

Grandparents Day this year, 9-11, was overshadowed by the ten year anniversary of the attack on the United States of America and events of remembrance. In the USA, National Grandparents Day is celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day.  The official flower of National Grandparents Day is the forget-me-not.

Just a few of the meaningful and fun Grandparent quotes:

Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends – and hardly ever our own grown children. ~ Ruth Good

Grandmothers are just antique little girls. ~ author unknown

The simplest toy, one which even the youngest child can operate, is called a Grandparent. ~ Sam Levenson

It’s amazing how grandparents seem so young once you become one. ~ author unknown

I always give my grandkids a couple of quarters when they go home.  It’s a bargain. ~ Gene Perret

Simple, no hurry, no worry memories of my Grandparents are precious jewels to me. ~ Sharon Barber

Purple and Gray have been reported to be the biggest fashion colors for this fall season.   Jewel tones are in and so are all the many wonderful shades of gray.

Black is always in style and the power color – Red will be worn by anyone wishing to make a power statement.  Dress yourself in a sophisticated simple line Red dress and dress your purse with a beautiful artful accessory.

Look for other colors:  Sapphire Blue, Claret Red, Maroon, deep Golds, Rust, Chocolate Brown and Eggplant.

Wishing you a colorful and prosperous fall from Sharon Barber Purses.

What do planes have to do with Sharon Barber Purses?  It’s a bit like making lemonade.

Ten years ago today, I lost my job.  I was an engineering supervisor at Raytheon Aircraft Company (now Hawker Beechcraft), in Little Rock, Arkansas (Sharon Wyatt – then).  The attack on the United States of America- 9/11, happened two days before and we were having a company wide moment of silence around the flag at the facility.  As soon as the ceremony was over, I was told that I didn’t have a job – effective that day.  I was still shocked by the horrible attack on our country and now – the loss of my job.  I wasn’t alone, many people lost their jobs as a result of the suffering aircraft industry, due to the financial burdens of increased security policies, as well as other reasons.

I had my “pity party” and then it was time to pick myself up, dust myself off and do something.

I joined a friend in starting a business.  We named it Aircraft Technical Support Services (ATSS) – a one stop shop that created documentation (drawings – specifications) and provided FAA approval (via designated engineering representatives) of our data, for aircraft modifications.  I also moved forward on an idea that I had already been tinkering with – my interchangeable / transformable purse adventure.  The aircraft industry still suffered and after a year ATSS died.  Although there have been many setbacks, I am still learning and going strong with my interchangeable purse business, Sharon Barber LLC.

Losing my job forced me into unique new possibilities and experiences that I would not have been able to experience otherwise.  With time, things are much clearer.  Keep on going and make lemonade from those lemons in life.

Some fashion trends cycle back around after time.

Today, as a baby boomer grandmother reflecting on the style of the late ‘60’s and ‘70’s, the “Hippie Look” seemed smart (at the time) and the word “hip” actually denoted awareness.  After all, we knew everything then (ha).  Once that look passed by, it seemed ridiculous.  Thirty years after that, the look was amusing to me.  Approaching fifty years after the “Hippie Look”, I think of it as uniquely old fashioned, but with a certain attractiveness – well, except for the tie-dye part of it.

Vintage dress and purse styles are very desirable today – charming, romantic and beautiful.

Styles, before their time, can seem daring, shameless or indecent.  There is always a girl that will step out there, be brave and bold to pave the way for the rest of us if we choose to follow.  I wasn’t the first girl to dress braless, but I did.

“Laver’s Law” is an interesting observation of the changes and attitude toward certain styles or a period in time.  It first appeared in Taste and Fashion, in 1937.

Laver’s Law

• Indecent (10 years before its time)
• Shameless (5 years before its time)
• Daring (1 year before its time)
• Smart – Current Fashion
• Dowdy (1 year after its time)
• Hideous (10 years after its time)
• Ridiculous (20 years after its time)
• Amusing (30 years after its time)
• Quaint (50 years after its time)
• Charming (70 years after its time)
• Romantic (100 years after its time)
• Beautiful (150 years after its time)

In the Middle Ages, barbers often served as surgeons and dentists.  A barber would cut and style your hair and shave you.  Some barbers would also perform surgery, extract teeth, do bloodletting, leeching and other “not so pleasant procedures”.  I will spare you the gross details.  Some other duties of the barber, during that time, included neck manipulation and cleansing of the ears and scalp. They became known as “barber surgeons“.

The trade sign that signifies a barber shop is a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.  The “barber pole” featured red and white spiraling stripes.  The two stripes represented the two crafts.  The red stripe was for surgery and the white stripe was for barbering, according to Wikipedia.  Other data suggests that as a result of the bloodletting, the red and white stripes were a historical representation of the bloody bandages.

Barber poles in the United States of America, feature red, white and blue spiraled stripes and believed to represent the colors of the flag.