The cicadas are singing in the trees, a sure sign that school is on its way.  However, we are in the dog days of summer here in Northeast Ohio:  hot, hazy, and humid.  A perfect time to unveil my late summer collection of oversized totes.  Inspired by the bright colors on the beach, I decided to sew up some bags in the very sturdy duck cloth.

Each of these bags is one-of-a-kind!  They sailboat was designed by my friend Fiona of Fiona Designs.  You can read my interview of her here.  Check out the cooordinating note cards in Fiona’s shop here!

This is the perfect time to release these bags because my son is in a sailing camp this week.  I spent the entire day at the beach yesterday.  Despite the heat, there were amazing breezes off the lake.  I was so jealous of his time out on the boat!

Growing up on Lake Erie, the water was a huge part of my life.  There were power boats in and out of the family with many hours spent cruising, skiing, and having fun.  But I was introduced to sailing by my husband. He crewed with a friend back when we worked together.  We were not dating at the time, but he invited me out on a Friday night to sail downtown during July 4th weekend.  Some friends joined me and we had a lovely evening.  I was invited the next evening and we enjoyed another lovely night out on the lake.  On Sunday we sailed the boat from downtown back to their marina.  Spending 8 hours together on a boat helps you to know someone.  Furthermore, I fell in love with sailing!  I loved the quiet, the wind, the peacefulness, heeling over in the high winds….I was hooked.  (I tell my husband it’s the only reason I fell in love with him.)

We enjoyed sailing with our friends, but pretty soon marriage and kids followed.  My dreams of having a sailboat were put on hold.  Now my youngest son has the advantage of enjoying the hobbies that his parents loved.  He is having a fantastic week learning to sail.

As of writing, two of these bags have sold.  They are constructed of sturdy duck cloth and are longer than my “standard” oversized tote.  They include a key clip and two outside pockets, including a pleated one for sunscreen or sunglasses.

You can find all my oversized totes on my Etsy shop here.

THANKS FIONA!  I HAD SO MUCH FUN WORKING WITH YOU!

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