Mommas Got A Brand New Bag

Dakine 8220-100, "Christin"

I bought a new handbag.  I wasn't planning on it, but I wanted something small that I could use for possible overnight getaways.  I went to Marshall's, knowing I could probably find a small suitcase there.  I did, but not one (a) small enough or (b) easy to carry.  I considered a backpack, but the last time I tried one I discovered that my rotator cuffs don't rotate as well as they should and it was hard to get on and off.  Plus, being from The Big City, I'm reluctant to have things that might contain valuables where I can't see them.

So I started looking at the handbags and found one that had a shoulder strap, probably long enough to put over my opposite shoulder (see Big City Paranoia).  It's shaped like a doctor's bag so it has room on the bottom.  I had concidered just using my tote, but the tote is tall and thin and doesn't seem to have as much room inside.  I didn't find it on the Dakine web site but they had similar bags for $55, which is what the tag said the "suggested retail" was.  Ebay had one for $48.

I put it over my shoulder to see how it feels as I looked at other bags.  A woman with a Jamaican accent deadpanned to me "nice purse."  Instead of saying what I should have ("yes, and I have the perfect outfit for it!") I said I was looking for a small overnight bag and I think I found it.  She nodded and moved on.  For the record, her delivery seemed more judgmental than friendly which is why I skipped the "outfit" crack.

Bonus: how to pack light:

Skip the girl stuff.  Girl clothes are lighter, but the accessories will kill your back.  Plus, I'd probably need a couple of choices for a second day, and maybe different shoes.

Girl dressing is always better, but sometimes not as practical.

By the way, the bag had a clearance tag and was $16.

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*sigh* ~ YES, It's A Purse

A while back, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek post about how starting to wear makeup will result in guys carrying purses.

I don't carry a lot of stuff normally.  I have some paper ~ cash and credit cards and driver's license ~ in one pocket.  I gave up on wallets a long time ago.  I kept taking things out and not putting them back.  Eventually I figured the only purpose of a wallet (for me) is to know if I've used something recently.  I don't carry any keys, just my little Prius "fob."  I do carry a handkerchief in a back pocket.

But I've added a little packet of breath mints and a lip balm and now my lip gloss.

For work, I carry a portfolio where I keep a couple of pens and papers for notes, a business card or two...
stuff like that.

Until a couple of weeks ago, that's all I carried.  Then there was a couple of very rainy days.  I have a  tiny umbrella, but I'm the sort of person who's just as likely to forget the umbrella (or leave it in the car) as carry it.

Vendors at the Washington Auto Show have decided that reusable grocery bags are a useful and cheap giveaway so I picked up a few during my last couple of visits.  They usually hide in my trunk.  I dug around a bit and grabbed a smaller one.  My portfolio fit in there nicely, as did my umbrella.  Nice.  I could also put my travel mug in there.


Why would I carry my coffee cup to the office?  Well, no matter how large your mug is, you can fill it for the price of a small coffee.  So another part of my routine is to grab my mug in the early afternoon, grab $1.52, and head downstairs to the cafe for an afternoon fill.


Before I started carrying the grocery bag, I put the contents of my front right pocket (fob, lip balm, lip gloss, mints) in my desk to I'd have an empty pocket to put the change in.  This kept me from fumbling between little tubes to find the coins.  It also allowed for the possibility that I'd forget my fob, walk all the way to my car (a long walk) and have to walk back.  But now, I can put the miscellany into the grocery bag and as long as I remember that, I'll be good, even if I forget to reload my pocket.


When I leave my house for work, when I leave my car for work, when I leave work for home, I remember I have four things to carry: phone, portfolio, coffee, badge.  More than once, doing the "inventory" has kept me from leaving a phone at work, or coffee in my car.  Hey, it works for me.

Now, I automatically remember my umbrella as well, since it's in the bag.

Next time, I'll get one of these

The bag also has an overlong strap.  Others have a loop that's maybe 4-5 inches in diameter.  This bag has a loop that's maybe 9 or 10 inches in diameter.  That means it can easily sit on my shoulder.

I've also decided to vary my lip routine.  I bought a "natural" lipstick (more soon).  I've been wearing lip gloss during work, and the lipstick after work.  No particular reason ~ it's just what I'm doing.  Since I don't usually wear the lipstick but I don't want to leave it lying around in the car, it goes in the bag.

So I'm carrying a bag containing lipstick, maybe lip gloss and mints and my fob, over my shoulder as I walk the streets of Alexandria.

Yes, it's a purse.  I didn't even realise it, but....

It's a purse.

I See How It Starts

(last day to vote!  Please check out the post where I explain it all and make your voice heard!)

As I mentioned, I've been glossing my lips.  The Clinique gloss I bought most recently comes in a little hard plastic tube with a crimped end which has sharp edges ~ not pocket friendly.  The Chanel gloss is in a fairly long tube ~ maybe six inches long and wide enough that it looks like I'm bragging when I sit down.

I put on the gloss in the morning and touch up during the day, so I carry a tube in my pants pocket.  I have to go to the men's room to reapply, which is inconvenient, and it means if there are other guys in there I have to skip the application and try again later.  Same thing if the cleaning lady has shut the bathroom so she can do her job.

So the next logical thing is to carry a mirror.  I do have a lock on my office door, and that would mean I could re-apply there.  The easiest way is to get either a makeup mirror that closes, or to carry a compact.  That means a two- or three-inch square flat box will have to go into my pocket as well.  It'll look like I'm carrying a pack of condoms.

If I'm carrying a compact instead of a mirror, I probably need to wipe the powder off the mirror occasionally.  I do carry a handkerchief but tissues would be better so I don't get makeup on the hanky ~ hard to explain if I need it for other purposes.  I also take a tissue to the bathroom in case I'm sloppy with the gloss (I try to be careful).

So now, in addition to the necessities of 21st century life (house keys, car keys, wallet, cel phone... and I usually carry breaath mints (coffee and me up close is a bad combination) and it's convenient for me to have one or two flash drives on me) I now have a tube of gloss, tissues, and a compact.  And that handkerchief I mentioned.  And maybe some change.

If I happen to develop a hole in a pocket, then I have one less pocket to jam it all into.

I might as well carry a small bag, like a clutch or a small gadget bag or an oversize camera bag.

Except that's kind of awkward.  Fanny packs are easy to carry but not very office-friendly.  Something that can just hang on your shoulder would be ideal.

We all know what we really need, once we take our first step onto that slippery slope called "cosmetics."

We need a trip to the Coach store.

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