On The Hunt

So I need a purse. No, seriously, I have a real need of a new purse. I know it's hard to believe. :)



I have lots of purses, but they're all smallish to medium sized, and I am realizing now that unless my life changes drastically, I just need a big purse. Certain friend have teased me before about shopping for handbags in the luggage department, and it's almost true. But I have a lot to lug around! This is what's in my bag right now, for instance (this, by the way, is my favorite go-to bag for everyday... it's a beautiful burlap-type messenger, a gift from my best friend!):

• A ziploc of roasted chickpeas (my current WW snack)
• A bottle of ibuprofen (chronic back pain sufferer, here)
• A pile of receipts - admittedly, these could go
• A hair band
• A sippy cup and snack bowl (these are Abby's, but it was easier to throw them in my bag when we went to dinner with my Mom than it was to lug my own bag and the diaper bag)
• Lipstick and lip balm
• Eye rewetting drops
• Makeup case
• A six-sided nail file
• A pack of mint gum
• A small bottle of perfume (Butterfly Kisses by Bath and Body Works, my fav!)
• A small bottle of hand cream
• My wallet
• A pack of "React" gum
• A pack of fruity gum
• A nail buffer
• A small photo album (holding picts of my best friend and I, Khy, and Abby)
• A worn out nail file that Abby likes to play with
• A hair brush
• A bottle of sunscreen
• Hand sanitizer
• Contact fluid
• A small notepad (and I do have a pen in here somewhere)
• A small mirror
• And you can't see it, obviously, but my camera also lives in here, too!

And that's just what I carry at all times - most mornings, I drop a frozen meal in my purse, I often throw my netbook in a sleeve and throw it in; sometimes I drop a book I'm reading in there. And even as I look at my list I'm thinking of things I like to carry but am out of right now... facial cloths, moisturizer, etc. And I think as Abby gets older and potty trains, I'll end up throwing even more in there since I won't need the entire slew of diapers, wipes, etc.

So the last few weeks, I've been on the lookout for a new oversized bag. I thought about it and this is what I want:

• I want a bag with two-length straps, one for over the arm and one for over the shoulder. I have one purse like that now and I love it (but it's teeny!).
• I don't want a tote style, nor do I want anything too plain. Nothing too crazy, but something interesting - I'd love studs, extra straps, etc.
• I want a shiny patent finish. I love black but I'm open to a good interesting color - purple, teal, etc - but NOT RED!

So I went and checked all my normal shopping venues - Ross, JC Penney, Fashion Bug, online stores, etc - and found nothing. Either I found cute bags that were small, or big bags that were ugly.

Then today I went to Marshalls and found two bags I liked! One, not surprisingly, was by one of my fav brands, Nine West, and the other was a brand I don't remember now. The only downside is that one is in brown, and one is in black, so no interesting color. The only problem is that now I can't decide between them. I'm going to go back tonight and make a decision (and take picts of both of them!).