Back in my Blogspot days I met a couple of women with children similar in age to Little Isis that I simply adore, even when they get scrappy with me. One of these lovely women, ScienceMama who you may remember from her time rocking my Naughty Monkeys, has a question. How could I deny one of my favorite muffins?
ScienceMama writes:
Dearest Isis,
I have a terrible confession to make. About 2.5 years ago, my purse broke. It was my only (decent) bag. Some preliminary shopping trips were not successful. Everything was either gigantic, bedazzled or ugly. Then I had a baby. And went back to work. There are no more "shopping trips for fun" these days.
For the past two years I have been using a rather unattractive shoulder bag that I happened to have lying around, but the situation is pretty untenable.
I need a bag. Something simple but stylish. Something big enough to tuck a Science paper in, but not large enough to put a centrifuge in. Can you recommend something, dear Goddess?
Thank you!
ScienceMama
This is a terrible, terrible confession. I won't lie. It made me die a little inside to hear of the lack of adorable handbags in ScienceMama's life. It is fortunate for all of us that I am here, now isn't it?
ScienceMama's letter also really tugged my heart strings. I remember the day I turned in my Coach bag for a diaper bag. I cried like a little girl and as soon as I could retire it I did. These days I largely carry a handbag on Sundays when Little Isis takes me to church. My needs are very specific. It has to be large enough to carry one diaper and a pack of wipes, one book, one sippy cup, one bag of grapes, my wallet, keys, phone, and additional random beauty products. That's a lot of stuff, but I also demand that my bag not be 30 cubic feet. That's why I am loving these two handled beauties
Figure 1: Aurielle-Carryland Glazed Leather Bag. $44.00 at ebags. This bag is my favorite, hands down. If I had one, I would give my left nut for this bag.
Figure 3: della Q's Venus Bag. $26.39 on ebags. This bag is 100% silk and a portion of the proceeds go to fund small business loans for woman in Vietnam.
Comments
Ahhh the Mama-bag!!!!! Yes, needs to be stylish and fun. These bags would do nicely. Among the things mentioned by Isis, it needs to also have - in easily accessible pockets - safety pins, band-aids, aspirin, string, small scissors, nail-file and anything else anyone in the family (including elderly Aunts) may request in an emergency. As the toddlers grow into bigger people, it also needs to be able to accommodate the request "Can you please put ..... (lipstick, asthma puffer, hairbrush, hair gel, sunscreen, extra camera lens and batteries, ... etc).... in your bag for a moment'?"
Maybe I've been wrong all these years. Maybe Isis and ScienceMama can learn from my mistakes. Maybe we should NOT be talked into the big bag. Maybe we should ONLY EVER carry tiny, insy, winsy, miniscule little purses and bags.
d.
Posted by: d. | July 8, 2009 12:18 AM
Oh Isis, there is no need to cry when turning in your coach bag for a diaper bag. I have the best diaper bag EVAH! Its beautiful chinese silk, it has lasted me the entire 2.5 years of monkeys life and if wasn't for the fact that I just want a new one, it would last me for the next child too. The inside is lined with a beautiful water proof lining, so I never had worry about food spills ruing it. Plus it has a matching change pad that came with it! Everywhere I went, I was stopped by moms wondering where I purchased such a beautiful bag. Who said diaper bags can not be stylish?
Posted by: ScientistMother | July 8, 2009 1:19 AM
This is where I fall at your feet, oh Goddess Isis.
When just the merest glint of your pearls of wisdom and general hotness, reflected aside, give even me, a lowly layperson, an excellent solution to that age-old problem of men everywhere. What to buy the wife for her birthday?
I've still got about 5 weeks to find the right thing, thankfully, but the problem has been raising its head with increasing frequency lately... I was thinking of maybe jewelry and/or cosmetics, and now I have a third option to look into. I remember her gazing longingly at some bags in a shop near here, but she couldn't bring herself to splash out on them then despite my heartfelt approval of such plans.
Now away I go, to hatch my cunning plans...
Posted by: InkRose | July 8, 2009 2:43 AM
Also, as my parents' group (in effect, a new mothers' group) found very early on, a bag big enough to fit in a bottle of wine is very useful. It cuts down on the glares from people who think that any mother who has a glass of wine is clearly IRRESPONSIBLE and BAD and HER CHILDREN WILL BE HARMED FOR EVER.
Posted by: Deborah | July 8, 2009 2:53 AM
I've never quite understood the concept of the handbag. If you have to carry it in your hand, it isn't convenient, is it? I need to be able to sling any bag over my shoulder. Why don't so many of the cute bags at least have that as a snap-on option?
Posted by: Carlie | July 8, 2009 8:13 AM
Oh goddess, you do rock, but the need for the "mom purse" doesn't end with the diapers. Once my own adorable offspring did not need me to cart stuff (around the age of 9 years), I tried to switch back to tiny purses that would hold my wallet, BlackBerry, and lipstick. I have gone back to something larger now so that I can stick papers (or my new itty-bitty adorable netbook) in it.
I have made sure my wallet is a stylish clutch-style; that way if I'm running into a store I can just grab that and leave the rest of my stuff behind.
I'm still trying to break my spouse of his habit of handing me stuff to "put in my purse" when we are out and about. He did it throughout the 2 years I tried the "wallet on a string" purses and couldn't understand why I would carry a handbag if it was too small to put more stuff in (rockin' a hot new style does not register in his man-brain). Now when he "expresses dismay" at how large my purse is, I remind him of these episodes when he had to (gasp) carry this crap and tell him to zip it. Quite effective, actually.
Posted by: Pascale | July 8, 2009 9:43 AM
That della Q's is GORGEOUS. I want it and I don't even need that much space. But does it come with a padded pocket for my laptop...
Posted by: Scicurious | July 8, 2009 10:17 AM
Totally OT/About 10 days ago: after turning off the main highway, I was driving down the narrow,commercial street of a small, dusty western town where the temperature was flirting with 107 F.;in the distance,while I could discern the corduroy pattern of vineyards on sun-baked hills,I did not see any of the fabled geo-thermal electricity plants. Imagine my surprise as, on my left, a slightly faded sign proclaimed:"Temple of Isis".Yes, there it was in Geyserville, California,ideally located near the Western Wear store, cafe,and food market, not far from the Native American casino.*And* it's on the internet.
Posted by: Denice Walter | July 8, 2009 10:38 AM
I guess I'm used to the plastic ugly diaper bag - I don't worry about it when I carry it. I usually have another bag with journals and paper to draw and crossword puzzles and other random stuff.
If husband wants to carry stuff around, why doesn't he bring a bag of his own? Briefcase/carrier-type bags don't interfere much with getting around, at least not as much as munchkin.
Posted by: Hap | July 8, 2009 10:48 AM
I enjoy the whole Kipling series. They're available in many sizes and are full of useful technical details, the simplest being a key ring at the end of a short rope (ribbon? my english has gone down the drain) thanks to which I stopped forgetting my keys. Also all manners of small, but not too small, little pockets (I use one to keep my cellphone and my camera) closed by a zipper so that stuff doesn't fall out. They last forever and go in the washing machine.
@Carlie: most models also have a shoulder strap.
Posted by: estraven | July 8, 2009 11:09 AM
Love the bags and affordable on a professor's meager salary too.
Posted by: A | July 8, 2009 11:11 AM
Oh I loooove the Della Q!!
Posted by: gnuma | July 8, 2009 11:20 AM
Etsy is always an interesting place to go for bags, too. I bought one from this seller after Zuska featured her.
Posted by: Carlie | July 8, 2009 9:15 PM
Thank you, dear Goddess.
Ebags was awesome and I picked up this bag
http://www.ebags.com/nine_west_handbags/element_9_medium_shopper/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=114262
for a mere $35. Big enough for my wallet, cell phone, keys, papers and a diaper. Not the least bit bedazzled, and should go with black or brown shoes.
Hooray!
Posted by: ScienceMama | July 9, 2009 6:09 PM
Mine are waaaay past the age of diapers now but this brought back memories! I think it was around the time that my #3 son was born that I rebelled and vowed never to carry a big huge diaper bag again. I therefore made sure I always had the smallest purse that would still hold 3 diapers, a spare outfit, and a pack of baby wipes. I eschewed the big bulky changing pads that come with most diaper bags; instead, I found one that was a compact rectangle of waterproof fabric. I felt so much better about myself when I went back to carrying a real purse!!
Posted by: UnlikelyGrad | July 11, 2009 11:56 AM