Step Lively with One Foot Up
By Heather Gaghan

“When I was a child, and we stayed with my grandparents, my grandfather used to get up early and walk through the house yelling at the top of his voice: "Rise and Shine! Daylight in the Swamp! One Foot in the Air!”

Patti O’Day’s fondest memory of her grandfather, a World War I fighter pilot who flew with Eddie Rickenbacker, the number one United States Flying Ace, seemed the natural inspiration for her unique handbag company, One Foot Up! Born and raised in southern California, Patti moved to San Francisco when she was only 18 years old—not a surprising move for a woman whose uniquely bold products reflect the spirit of their creator and designer. It was while she was living in northern California that she first thought to create the handbags. It was a perfect way to earn a living and afforded the young artist the time to spend with her young son as she could sew while he slept.

She worked for a time at The Cliffhouse, a famous restaurant situated precariously on the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. While the view is breathtaking, it also proved dangerous as a fire took the original structure in the early 1900s and was rebuilt over the years. In the late seventies a gift shop adjoined the restaurant where local artists like O’Day were offered the opportunity to sell their crafts to the many visitors on board the tour buses that would include The Cliffhouse on their routes. This was the perfect set up for a budding artist and Patti recalled her time there fondly.

After the restaurant closed she decided to own her own shop in the city, and it was there that she learned a most valuable piece of advice that she remembers to this day. A fellow store owner was perusing the many products in her store and told her, “You shouldn’t just have a bunch of products in a store, you need to develop a line!” and so she did. As the saying goes, “all good things come to those who wait” and it proved a wise move for this artist.






Then in 1977 while visiting the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York with a friend, Patti saw and felt the place that would eventually become home for her and her young son. Patti recalls that California was losing its charm as a laid back place to live and she was excited to find a place that would be perfect to raise her son. So they moved across country and Patti started an advertising business with the help of her strong media background.

Twenty years later she decided she needed a place to get away and found a nice spot in North Carolina where she and her family would go for short trips and vacations. Eventually the call to the south became strong enough to find the O’Day clan relocating in March of 2004 to Pinehurst, North Carolina. It didn’t take long for Patti to set up shop at Artist Alley, a quaint brick building home to local artists’ works. Later, Patti was asked to become one of the five owners of the thriving business.

In usual bold “One Foot Up!” fashion, Patti participates in an art walk with nine other gallery owners—“Gallery Express” that brings the art out into the community. It is a wonderful opportunity on the first Friday of every month for the artists to bring their creations out and into the homes of “adoring” customers both local and visiting.




















Patti designs everything from the everyday styles that offer a more casual design to the Lipstick bags that are a little dressier to accommodate those “little things” all women carry. The bags are usually made of upholstery fabric which is durable and helps the bag hold its shape, as opposed to lighter weight materials that require backing to help them maintain their form. Patti recalls how the Lipstick bag came about, “…I would always ask my husband to carry (my lipstick) in his pocket when we went out and then one day he said, ‘Why don’t you just make a bag for your lipstick?!’”


The Picture Perfect bags are most unique as they truly are one-of-a-kind. Each bag features images chosen by the bag owner. Any picture can be scanned and placed in the design of the bag from family, friends, children, and grandchildren, to our beloved Labrador Retrievers! You can see more of One Foot Up’s Picture Perfect bags in our Fine Accessories Dept. or visit Patti O’Day at www.onefootup.com.