Laga Design Boutique Dec 6th By maliahill(maliahill) Laga Handbags are handmade by women who survived the tsunami in Indonesia. Every bag sewn and sold brings hope for a better tomorrow. An average-size bag takes almost a full day to complete; each piece is an amazing work of art! … Saddleback College Fashion - http://saddlebackcollegefashion.blogspot.com/   You Are Cordially Invited       3rd Annual L a g a   D e s i g n s  I n t e r n a t i o n a l ,  I n c . H o l i d a y   B o u t i q u e   we invite you to do your holiday shopping December 6th 10:00am to 3:00pm   SAVE 10% to 50% ON YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE*   40 Summerfield - Irvine, California (in Woodbridge)   949-654-8360   ** CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS **   refreshments will be served      * GUARANTEED SAVINGS APPLIES TO WEBSITE PRICING USING COUPONS TO BE DRAWN AT TIME OF PURCHASE ONLY (other coupons not valid with this promotion)

It not the average weekend for Laga Handbags as we made an appearance at the Harvest of Quilts Show at the Chimbole Cultural Center in Palmdale, California put on by the High Country Quilt Guild this weekend. This was the first time that I, Louise van Broekhuizen, made a solo appearance at a show two hours out of town.

Hoping to miss the barrage of Friday morning traffic, I left Irvine at 5:30am and, as anticipated, made the drive without incident. It was a beautiful day and I remember looking up at the sky and thanking God for it. I checked into the Best Western John Jay Inn & Suites on Palmdale Blvd early which, by the way, was a very nice hotel and the people were also very friendly. Once unpacked I went to Starbuck’s of course (drive-thru, woohoo!), to Mickey D’s for a quick Sausage McMuffin and headed to the show to set up my booth. I had plenty of time after set up to drive back to the hotel, freshen up and change before heading back to the High Country Quilt Show for a noon start time.

Everything went according to plan and I was able to share the Laga story with those who visited my booth that day, although the show attendance was lower than expected. Tomorrow would be a busier day for us all, we thought, being a Saturday and all. After the show, I drove out to the Antelope Valley Mall which was the next exit off the Antelope Valley Highway 14 and decided to order takeout sushi at Ginza, a restaurant I don’t remember seeing the last time I was in Palmdale. The sushi was awesome~ I had my normal yellowtail, albacore and salmon, and a house specialty: shrimp tempura roll topped with baked lobster ~ mmmmmmmm! The food here is not cheap, but amazing~ so definitely worth it to me! I would highly recommend this restaurant and for the next time, I’m dining in!

I got back to the hotel and settled in to have my “lonely” dinner. That’s when I turned on the TV to find the news about the Sylmar fires. I sat in disbelief as I viewed the footage of the raging fires there. And nearly every major channel was reporting the breaking news. I was saddened as I watched the interviews with many senior citizens who resided in a mobile home park there tell about their tragic situations. One woman was asked, after her home went up in flames, if she had plans to rebuild… her reply, “No, I’m too old. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Lord, please help them~  From moment to moment, more and more mobile homes were being ravaged by the wind-driven fires~ Then I learned that the Oakridge Mobile Home Park fire was now considered a crime scene! What is this world coming to? I’m disheartened by that news as well, and it makes it that much more difficult to understand.

My prayers go out to all the families who were affected there and all the brave firefighters who make it their priority to keep everyone safe, and who try to save others from losing their homes …

I had the TV on all night; I would fall asleep and then wake up all during the night as my heart went out to those dear people who had lost everything. I couldn’t bring myself to turn off the TV. In the morning, it was already evident that I wouldn’t be able to make the drive home that night; all the southbound freeways had been reported closed.

Tired as I was I dragged myself up in the morning to work the second day of the quilt show. Before long, I started hearing about all the other fires that were breaking out all over the southland… Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, Brea, Corona… I was really heart-broken to hear more and more stories about the people whose homes were destroyed by the fires.

Due to all the road closures, many of the anticipated attendees never made it to the show but miraculously I sold quite a few Laga bags~ It was great to hear comments such as “oh, I’m so glad you made it to this show” and “we were hoping you’d be here!” and “I have heard so much about Laga and they are even more beautiful than the pictures.” As people strolled in, I told them about how all of the net profits go back to helping the tsunami survivors who make our bags, that the hand-guided embroidery is all committed to memory and sewn on foot-powered treadle machines. I even had my computer on which I was able to show them a video clip of the time that we brought our manager, Hana, to the United States for our very first trade show in order to do a demonstration of the technique.

So, although we did not receive as many people as anticipated, all was not lost. We tore down our booths at 5:00pm, an hour earlier than announced; the ending was quite anticlimaxic. But I met a lot of wonderful people at the show including one of my booth neighbors, Donna, owner of Fabulous Fabrics… thanks, Donna, for making the show a very pleasant one! Let me give a shout out also to Wendy Fullmer and Cherrie deVoogdt for being very attentive and accomodating! You went out of your way to make sure I was comfortable and I do appreciate that so much! And another dear friend and neighbor, Carolyn, from Bolts in the Bathtub. What a special chat we had and thank you for being such a loving, supportive lady~

As at every large event, we have a drawing for one of our small travel bag and this one was no exception. Our winner this time was EVA HARTMAN, of Edwards, California. CONGRATULATIONS, EVA! Please be sure to contact me to make arrangements to receive your beautiful Laga travel bag!

I stayed a second night in Palmdale before heading back home on Sunday morning. By then, Highway 14 had just opened back up and I was able to make my way to Irvine. The sky was beautiful and clear in the AV but once I drove past the hills, the smoke was thick and overwhelming~ I took a couple of pictures on my drive home… here is one of the fire trying to make its way to the other side of the hills:

And here is one taken right before I entered the clouds of smoke~

Although things didn’t go the way any of us had anticipated, I will not soon forget my time at the Harvest of Quilts in Palmdale. Thank you to the people who made my time there fruitful, for giving me the opportunity to tell the Laga story, to see some old friends and to meet many new ones.

And my prayers continue for those of you who have suffered here in the southland this weekend; those who lost their homes, those who are temporarily displaced and those who represent the numerous agencies who have been working tirelessly together to put out the flames. Take heart in knowing I am not alone in my prayers, as I know many are on their knees for you….

The BBC News released a story today regarding the new Tsunami warning system that was launched

By Lucy Williamson
BBC News, Jakarta

---

Indonesia has launched a new tsunami early warning system, designed to give people in coastal areas enough time to escape tsunamis before they reach land.

But experts involved in setting up the system admit that some areas of the country, including the province of Aceh, are not fully protected by it.

The project is a direct result of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami which hit the country in 2004.

A quarter of a million people died, more than half of them in Aceh.

‘Time delay’

The new early warning system was launched in Jakarta by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

But Dr Lauterjung, a spokesman for the German government which is assisting in the programme, said that deep sea buoys - the Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (Dart) system - responsible for detecting changes in sea levels had not yet been installed around the islands of Bali, Flores and the northern part of Sumatra, which includes Aceh, meaning there would be a “time delay” in predicting a tsunami.

DART EARLY WARNING SYSTEM 1. Recorder on seabed measures pressure and sends data to buoy. 2. Buoy also detects changes in sea level and motion. Tide gauges, usually sited on land, detect tidal changes. 3. Information is transmitted via satellite to ground stations which assess risk of tsunami.

Around a third of the seismographs stipulated in the government’s plan are also not yet in place.

And Dr Sri Woro, the head of Indonesia’s meteorological agency, said there were still what she called “infrastructure problems” in making the network of sensors and stations work smoothly together.

Tuesday’s ceremony marked the formal launch of the system, which is expected to be fully completed by 2010, though much of it is already operational.

Since the Indian Ocean tsunami four years ago, Indonesia has experienced two other waves along its Javan and Sumatran coastlines.

The last of these, in September last year, was successfully predicted by the new system.

The new system relies on three main parts: first, seismographs warn of any earthquakes that are likely to trigger a tsunami, then satellites monitor changes in the earth’s crust, while tide gauges and deep-sea buoys measure whether sea levels are actually changing as a result.

Indonesia sits at the meeting point of three of the earth’s tectonic plates and almost 60% of its vast coastline is at risk of tsunamis.

The new network has been built with the help of several foreign donors, including Germany, Japan and China.

---

It has been nearly four (4) years since that fateful day, December 26, 2004, the day that changed the lives of many people, not only the areas affected by the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis, but also of people all around the world as we joined together to help bring restoration.Roy and I were two such people. Through the devastation suffered by so many,  our experiences have shown us that a lot of good things have come to pass as a result. We have a forever-bond with the people of Aceh (”land of the beautiful people”) and we will continue to do everything we can to help them help themselves.Thank you to all of you who have come alongside our efforts to help them rebuild and restore hope. On behalf of all those who suffered and continue to do so, we are indebted to you.

By dariuslauffer
One such company is Laga Handbags (online), which helps women who were survivors of the tragic tsunami of 2004 in Sumatra, Indonesia. The women workers of Indonesia are able to learn skills for a lifetime while providing a valuable …

Cookie-cutter fashion handbags are a dime a dozen, and thousands of them are produced in factories and sold in every town. But handmade handbags are delightful, rare treasures that any woman can be proud of. When a handbag is handmade, it is unique in many ways and reflects the skill and creativity of its maker. Many women in Indonesia choose to hand-stitch handbags to earn a living for their families. Their handbags are beautifully embroidered with amazing designs, but yet they usually possess the same or better quality as any factory-made handbag.

If you’re just yearning to own an elaborate - but unusual - handbag, here are some great tips. Let’s explore what types of Indonesian handbags are available and how to choose the right one for you.

Look for Practicality

Before falling in love with a certain design, be sure the handbag will meet your everyday needs. Do you need the handbag for work or play? Do you plan on using it every day or only for special evenings out on the town? Also, consider how many items you will need to carry in the handbag. Handmade handbags come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They range from petite to very large travel handbags. Some come with shoulder straps while others have hand straps. There are even very small make-up carriers for trips. It depends on how and where you plan to use it.

Choosing a Design and Color for Your Handmade Handbag

Handmade handbags come with a variety of styles and designs. Embroidery is used to create unique patterns such as diamonds, curved lines, circles, stars, and floral patterns. Indonesian handbags are often creatively labeled to express the type of design and color on the handbag. The words gift, live, great, eternal, recover, morning, believe, and so forth reflect the personality behind the purse as well as the style and color. Choose a style that matches several of your outfits, or that blends well with your body shape and hairstyle or color.

For spring and summer, there are colors such as red, cream, light blue, or olive. For fall and winter, colors such as black, dark brown, dark blue, and silver are excellent choices.

Help those in Need with Charity Bags

Another option to consider when buying an Indonesian handmade handbag is to shop for charity bags (or charity purses). Charity bags are made by those in Indonesia who need the money for daily food and supplies. Some companies in the United States offer to buy the handbags and resell them to Americans or through the Internet. A few companies will even train the workers and provide sewing and embroidery supplies to work with. One such company is Laga Handbags (online), which helps women who were survivors of the tragic tsunami of 2006 in Sumatra, Indonesia. The women workers of Indonesia are able to learn skills for a lifetime while providing a valuable service to handbag lovers.

When choosing a company for handmade handbags, research online to find companies that offer authentic Indonesian handbags, not replicas. The real handmade handbags are usually priced from $35 up to $150, depending on the style and size of the bag. Companies should provide detailed information about how and where the handbags are obtained, and where the company is located. Look for companies that are up-front about their procedures and customer policies.

A handmade handbag from Indonesia can also be a memorable surprise as a gift for Mother’s Day, Christmas, birthdays, or other occasions. The handbags are reliable and affordable, and the remarkable craftsmanship of Indonesian women makes them highly desirable in the fashion world. Go online today to find that perfect handmade handbag for you!