for the love of bags

I've been writing A LOT about material stuff lately.  I apologize if you don't really dig this kind of stuff.  I really dig it and I'm a gazillion miles from a proper mall so that's probably where the interest is coming from lately.  I'm going through shopping withdrawal. My husband might point out the withdrawal isn't reflecting in our credit card statements from online shopping.  But it's just not the same!  Am I right?  I almost miss those terrible dressing room lights that make my skin blotchy and my saddle bags enormous!  Almost.


I digress.  For Christmas 2011 my husband hit a total home run with everything he gave me.  My first pair of TOMS, a Kindle Fire, an embossed silver necklace with all three girls' names.  He knows me so well and is a great gift giver.  


Then there was the satchel.

I unwrapped a florescent orange stiff leather bag and he kind of scrunched up his forehead and shrugged his shoulders in anticipation of what my first impressions would be.  I can honestly say, when I opened it, I wasn't too sure.  The satchel's shape and construction was clearly top notch and he knows I LOVE the color orange.  But day glow orange?  Whoa!  (to his defense it didn't look day glow on the website-more burnt orange).

Fast forward 7 months and I have revisited my bright orange satchel.  I am in love with this handbag now.  I wore it for the very first time the other day and it totally rocked in every sense of the word.  What changed you might ask?  A number of things.

At two months postpartum the idea of making a bold day glow fashion statement was completely out of the question.  I'm still trying to hide behind my clothing at that stage so now that I've got my groove back; bring on the orange!  For whatever reason I couldn't see myself carrying a satchel on a regular basis back in December.  Now that we are in Ethiopia, I go to the store without my kids and DO have an occasion to carry a smaller bag than my giant diaper bag/tote.  Carrying a small bag that holds only grown-up lady things is so liberating.  I almost feel like I'm slacking when my bag doesn't hurt my shoulder from heft.

So now that I am in love with my day glow orange satchel, I want to share it with you.  My husband really went the extra mile to find this sort of gift for me and I'm super impressed.  It's a vintage hand sewn satchel from The Original Satchel Store Ltd. in the UK.  Everything about that description makes me swoon.  Vintage! Hand sewn! Original! Love! (marketed to yuppies like me for sure)


There are a ton of fun colors (red, yellow even pink) and basic colors too (tan, black, grey).  I wouldn't have chosen day glow orange for myself but I'm honestly glad my husband did. It's bright and unique and has a huge wow factor.  Which is totally OK now that I'm not looking like this.

Hello awesome day glow orange satchel, I'm so glad you are in my life now!