What's In Your Bag?

I've been thinking about doing this post since I started the blog because I've always loved reading "What's in your bag" posts from other people.  I think it's because I like bags so much and I love to see what other women carry around.  It's at once so personal and yet so universal and I always want to know. 

But then I thought it might be a little narcissistic.  But who am I kidding?  This blog is NOTHING if not narcissistic!

So, in the spirit of narcissistic entertainment, we have, today:  MY BAG!

Now I have to stop here and say that I have a lot of bags, but I carry this one about 50% of the time so it gets to star in the blog.  It's the Mulberry Bayswater bag in Black Patent Leather.  I bought this bag in Paris, which was a really stupid place to buy it, but when one is in love, logic often flies out the window.  I went over there with the specific intent of buying a black patent bag and spent the week looking.  And then I saw this one,  across the room at the Galleries Lafayette.  My face got hot and I knew I was a goner.  When I saw the price, I tried not to buy it, but it was for naught.  And my friend was no help.   ("Oh, for God's sake, Tonya, you make a lot of money.  Just buy the damn thing.")

But you know, I didn't want to buy it at the Galleries Lafayette so I made said snarky friend haul it over to the Mulberry store on Rue Saint-Honore' because that was just more fun.  In addition to being beautiful, it's also roomy and has three pockets inside, one with a zipper, one for the cell phone and one for the ipod.  I've had it for a few years now and it's one of those bags that I'll still be carrying when I'm 60 and beyond.  It's an investment bag and it's timeless.  It's also really heavy! 

I also bought my wallet on that same trip.  It's a Longchamp Roseau in black leather and as soon as I saw it, I had to have it.   It's several years old now and I love it just as much today as I did when I bought it.   In fact, it's one of my most favorite things, ever!  Ever since Kelly Garrett whipped out her little french wallet on Charlie's Angels, I've been looking for the perfect one and I think I found it.  It has a good amount of card slots, a place for your paper money and it does not have a big, bulky change compartment (which I find important).  I also like it's little silver embellishment and I think that it's sleek and beautiful.

As my little Charlie's Angels story shows, my love affair with small leather goods goes way back and I have loved bags and wallets for as long as I can remember.  I especially have a thing about wallets.  I always notice them and I am amazed by the number of chic, stylish and otherwise enviable women who will pull a wallet out of their bag and it will be the most horrifically shoddy mess one has ever seen.  These things cannot even be called "wallets" any more because they are falling apart, unable to close and crammed full of every credit card, discount card, kid's school picture and 100 year old receipt one has ever seen!  If this is any one of you, I am sorry, but clean that shit up! 

Also in my bag is my little cheetah print Kate Spade Henrietta make up bag.  I really like Kate Spade's bags and I never met an animal print I didn't like.  Kate's makeup bags are a little pricey but they are cute and well made and, importantly, laminated so they don't get schmutzy.  I think the Henrietta is a great size, not too small and not too big.  Mine is crammed full of a lot of stuff including my MAC compact, my NARS lip gloss (Risky Business), my carmax (total addict), individually wrapped wet ones, tampons, nail file, band aids, Advil, Neosporin, extra Imitrex, dental floss and Little Strips of Evil (otherwise known as Listerine Breath Strips, but I swear if evil has a taste it's those things).  My friends will say to me "Hey, do you have any evil in your bag?"  We've had more than a few quizzical looks over the years. 

Also with me at all times is my Ipod touch, my cell phone (a Motorola Droid from Verizon - more about that later), my keys and my fabulous fine point sharpie pens.

I also usually have my little leather date book because, try as I might, I just can't go completely electronic.  I need to write things down.  On paper.  And then refer back to them later.  I buy one of these every year at Borders.  They are made by The Gallery Leather Co. and they are just as chic as they can be.  Big enough to be useful, small enough to be portable.  Durable and the pages are thick enough that your sharpie doesn't bleed through, which I find important. 

And lastly, I always have my sunglasses.  I have eyes that do not like the light and it's almost impossible for me to be outside without shades.  Right now I have a pair of Michael Kors aviators but it's anybody's guess how long they'll last.  I abuse sunglasses horribly and they have a very short shelf life.  It's only a matter of time before I step on them, sit on them, drop them or they just fall apart in my hands from mistreatment. 

So there it is, The Bee Charmer's Bag.