That's My Bag

Many women I know have weaknesses for two things: shoes and handbags. I confess to having a fondness for handbags, as well (although I have a fair number of shoes, my collection pales in comparison with the truly shoe-mad). Unlike many of my friends, though, my handbag fixation is not for the cutest, chicest (most chic?) bag, but for the one that combines form with function. Specifically, any handbag I choose to carry needs to accommodate a) whatever book I'm reading and b) at the bare minimum, a pair of socks in the making.

Anyone who rides mass transit on a semi-regular basis realizes that a collection of diversions like these must be on their person at all times to stave off a) the unwanted attentions of lonely people, creepy guys, and other assorted eccentrics and b) that sinking feeling one gets when the Green Line lurches to a stop between, say, Kenmore and Hynes and stays there for 10 minutes. The problem is finding something that will hold both my book and my knitting project without making me look like a bag lady. I have a ridiculously large black bag I use in the winter, but with the arrival of quasi-spring in Boston, I needed something, well, springy.

Voila:

How cute is this, which arrived directly from the Netherlands in record time? I'm now a confirmed Etsy junkie. This bag came from Katrina Kaye. It's a recycled army bag (so it's canvas and sturdy as heck), with its front flap covered with this cute and cheery fabric. There's a great variety of fabrics available--come fall, I may have to get another one to match my heavier coat . . . not that I have a problem or anything.