Dipping into the wish jar of Keri Smith.
Self-described as “author, illustrator, guerilla artist,” Keri keeps a very popular blog.
Best of all, many of The Wish Jar’s posts on “explorations of the familiar” are on bags.
Although our husbands and mother are constantly worried about our (mis)placed priorities for bags (as well as the sad state of our outer- and underwear), reading Keri reaffirmed what mustAveabag and I recite as our mantra: Bag a happiness when you can!
Maria
Last night, I realized that when a bag is something I really like, I sleep with it.
After creating this blog the whole afternoon and evening, I crawled into bed (while watching my older son Carlos work on the blog on travel and flying he also made on the same day).
Two days ago, I bought a satchel in off-white. I hesitated a lot before buying it because my sister mustAveabag is coming home in January and bringing some more for our bag-and-wallet stash in
But I still had an unused amount in a gift certificate for the Metro Gaisano chain, good for BagHunts that are easy on the eye, hand and pocket.
So while getting my silver wristwatch checked and running, I dawdled around the Ayala branch and then at
Ayala mall draws many shoppers, which probably explains why most of their good buys are quickly snapped. I saw a nut-colored Secosana shoulder bag, 50-percent off, but big bags are generally workbags.
I wanted this time a bag I could hug, not just hold the stuff I need to make a living.
As BagFortune would have it, at the
It took me more than half an hour to make up my mind, but I think I never really intended to go without Off-Whitey. The bag is soft, its material resembling grained, butter-soft leather. It has two zipped compartments, lined in cream nylon. There are pockets galore. It can fit a pocketbook. It has two silver discs that give the bag’s front a goggle-eyed, owlish look (I love google because it helps me keep in touch with mustAveabag and my BagRoaming).
And it fit nicely with the remaining amount of my gift certificate at 50-percent off (P449.50). I even was able to get a small coin purse with an old-fashioned twist lock at P109, still in off-white.
I realized Off-whitey and I were meant to be when I ended up in SM City, an hour later. The rack there also had a soft blue version, nice but off-white really does it more for me. The test: I slept with it last night, and it pillowed my dreams!
Maria
My sister mustAveabag introduced me to thebagblog.com in November 2006. I’ve been bagged since then.
So I still feel dislocated that the funny, smart, down-to-earth bagaholic curating the blog has not posted anything new since Oct. 29, 2006.
Ever faithful, I use thebagblog though as a platform to take off to my favorite bag fantasies.
One site I discovered today is shop.nordstrom.com.
The Internet is full of portals that can make any BagNut’s day (and night!). But the site of this American retailing giant has many features that make BagBrowsing nearly as pleasurable as Bagging it.
Perhaps the only fatal flaw is that the items are priced ($50-more than $500) way beyond the reach of my soft, pebbled-leather effegi coin purse (only P299 at SM City Cebu).
Still, one can dream on at nordstrom:
The site has a wide range of bag shapes and materials, specially my favorites: leathers, small bags and natural fabrics.
Tip: Choose to have 99 bags shown per viewing, instead of only 21. Because of the large, clear photos, it takes some time to load each page.
Its interactive features make my BaggedHeart beat faster. You can choose up to three angles of any bag.
My favorite angle is the one showing the bag’s insides. I drooled all the more over The Sak Modern Classics Knit Hobo because it had an image of “the daisy-patterned lining.”
Of course, viewing online is never the same as doing hand-to-hand combat with the object of desire.
But the team that designed this site knows their BagNuts very well. Who else obsesses over just every feature of a bag, including how it closes (zip or magnet?) or how pockets are arranged (zipped or open? wide enough for the mobile?).
I also liked this detail I’ve yet to see in any other site, including Coach’s. Nordstrom describes a bag’s fit. The Sak carryall was just as neat in profile as its looks: “Small: Holds at least a cell phone, small wallet and lipstick”
Also unique and great is the handbag size guide. I learned new words to chart my desire: strap drop (distance from the middle of the strap to the opening of the bag), total strap length (from end to end of strap), fit tips (armpit-snuggling or hip-brushing?).
Best of all, you can subscribe to receive alerts and updates. Desire’s pampered in this site.
Maria
