A Handbag to Hug

I think for my 50th birthday I'm going to get myself a really good handbag...maybe instead of the Armani suit...or maybe I'll just get both.

When I was at the salon a few weeks ago getting my hair dyed and highlighted, I overheard two women talking about the one woman's new handbag. The woman was eyeing the other woman's Louis Vuitton handbag..."don't you absolutely love that bag?"...and the woman replied..."It is just so incredible...I'm so glad I bought this...I'll keep it forever!"

I've never kept a handbag forever...nor have I loved my handbag like it was a human being. I really thought this woman was going to hug her Louis Vuitton bag. But I guess a real Louis Vuitton bag costs a fortune... so if I ever bought one(not that I'm going to, because I really don't like them...plus you never know if they are real or a good fake) I'd have to love it and hug it too.

Maybe for my birthday I'll buy a Chanel bag. They are so classic. I remember when I was growing up in the 60's my mom's best friend Rancie had a black patent leather Chanel bag. Rancie always drank Tab...the kind in the bottle sweetened with saccharin...I didn't like the Tab whenever she offered it to me, which was often...but I liked Rancie's Chanel bag...unfortunately she never offered me the Chanel bag. If I was older at the time I might have remembered to tell her to put it in her will for me.

I'm not one who changes their handbag every day...it's too much work. I buy a bag that I like and use it for a long time, although not forever. My handbags tend to wear out because I do use them every day. I like bags to have an inside zipper and an outside zipper, an outside compartment for my keys, an inside compartment for my phone, enough space for my wallet...(wallets could be a whole other subject - I'm very particular about wallets too.) I need a bag that is big enough for all my stuff ...my prescription sunglasses, makeup bag...must have my lipstick, lip-liner, comb, another lipstick, lip gloss, compact, mirror for when I don't use the compact...maybe I should cut down on my makeup bag and I won't need such a big handbag!

Last year I bought a great Hype bag. I did really like that bag. When I saw it I knew it would be mine one day. It is bronze and has all the special features I mentioned above. So far, I have not found another bag like my great Hype bag...and it is getting quite old.

Instead of buying a new handbag (or before I do) I could rent a handbag from
bagborroworsteal.com. Talk about women who love their bags! I never thought about renting a handbag, but they do have some neat handbags on the site.

Or, maybe instead of buying a new handbag for my 50th birthday, I'll take myself on a vacation to Amsterdam to see the collection of 3,500 handbags at the Museum of Bags and Purses. I never even knew it existed until I read about it this weekend in the New York Times Style section. You can check it out at www.museumofbagsandpurses.com ...of course the site is written in another language... just fascinating.

Since I have quite a few months left until I turn 50... I have lots of time left to hunt for that perfect handbag...the handbag that will last forever....and one to hug.

Judi