Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Bigger is Better?

I finally broke down and did it.

I bought a big purse.

Over the years I've gone from teeny-tiny to small to smaller-medium. But when I couldn't fit my planner, my bookmark holder-thingy, my wallet and my phone in my current purse, I knew it was time.

It's a little like going from a Toyota Corolla to a Suburban and feels a bit like I'm carrying a backpack but it works! I even managed to put a paperback in there last night and it wasn't the least bit crowded. I'm totally loving it.

There are bigger purses (*eyes aglow*) but I'm what people might call petite, and I'm afraid if I go any bigger, like to a satchel (*eyes aglow*) I'd tip over. As you might be able to tell, I love purses. And tote bags. Sigh.

Are you a big purse or a little purse kind of person? (Sorry to any guys out there!) And do you call it a handbag?

~Heather

21 comments:

  1. I think I've called it a little bit of everything. For years I didn't carry one. Keep everything in the car (not always a good idea). I try to carry a small one, but nothing I need fits so I carry a medium size one. Has lot of room and unfortunately I keep putting "stuff" in it. About once a week I have to stop and clean it out. LOL. I don't collect purses (really hate changing), but I do collect tote bags. Oh my. Everytime I go in a store that has one, I have to get it. I always seem to forget and leave them at home too. I use them for everything - books, yarn, knitting projects, paperwork I need, etc.

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  2. I've got nothing to add.

    Go Red Sox!

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  3. Right now I have a medium size crossbody bags for my personal stuff and a backpack for my books and items I may pick up during the day.

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  4. I'm a purse fanatic...love the quilted Vera Bradley-style bags, altho I buy the knock-offs, not the real thing (I'd rather spend my money on books!) I usually go with medium-size tote-like bags, I carry a lot of stuff LOL

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  5. My current purse is medium-sized, but has a black hole in it. LARGE objects go in and are never seen again. It particularly likes to swallow pens and hair brushes.

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  6. I'm a wristlet person..a wallet on a string. Big enough to carry cards, cash, chapstick/lipgloss and my phone (which is small). But if I need more space for say a paperback, some touch up makeup, a notebook, I'm a small to medium kind of girl. I really need to adjust to something larger though. I just hate having to dig through an endless cavern to find whatever it is I need. But I'd really like to be able to add my current knitting project to the stash, just in case. Time to go shopping!!!

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  7. I could write a book about my love affair with purses (not handbags!). I have a bunch and I try to rotate them every couple months when I get sick of one. I try my hardest to only buy one a year, but it's hard. And I'm not buying the expensive, fancy stuff, either. I'm a Target, Kohl's and TJ Maxx kind of girl.

    I usually like large purses, but I hate how things get all lost in the bottom. I'm still in the phase of life of needing to carry a diaper and a sippy cup, and I want my small camera with me at all times, and of course there's my wallet, phone and on-the-go makeup. And recently I got really smart and figured out that if I carried a Ziploc bag in my purse, my hand sanitizer and lotion wouldn't leak. Genius, I know.

    So yeah, I'm a big purse girl. It must only have one strap, it must zip, and it must have some sort of pocket on the outside for my phone. And I don't like overly-thin or overly-thick straps. Lately I'm into the quilted style, but I'm not paying mega bucks for Vera Bradley.

    Wow, that's a long comment. I'm kind of a jerk about my purses, I guess. ;)

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  8. I have a backpack for school, a bag for the laptop, and four purses: two are ones I knit (one for nice nights out, the other for every day use and holds everything I swear!), one is a larger purse that I recently acquired from a friend that I'm loving, the other I purchased from etsy and is for spring/summery times.

    I won't buy a large large purse due to my short stature either.

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  9. Mason, oooh, you have to get yourself to Target. They just put out a ton of spring totes...

    I'll second that, Theo.

    Dru, I like those criss-cross bags, too. I bet they're perfect for the city.

    The Vera Bradley-type bags are really nice, Melissa. And I buy knock-offs too. My new purse came from Target.

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  10. Lorna, those black holes are so annoying! I'm always losing my Blistex. Just disappears.

    How do you manage it, Amy? Those wristlets are so cute but I just need more space!

    Hi Mississippi Mama, not a jerk at all! I'd say passionate. I can relate. :) And when you have little ones, a bigger purse is a must!

    Katie, I bet your knitted purses are amazing... And I bet that backpack is getting a lot of use these days.

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  11. I hate carrying a purse, mostly because I find them awkward and don't really know how to hold one without looking like a dork. I am deficient in basic "girl" skills.

    The one I have right now is small, and the handles are too tiny for me to even wear it over my shoulder. I'd really like something that's across-the-body.

    But across-the-body bags tend to be too small for my stuff or big enough to sleep in.

    What I really need is to make myself a bag ... but one with lots of pockets, so I can carry stuff *and* find stuff. So as soon as I finish my WIP and the next proposal, reorganize my pantry, refinish my kitchen cabinets, and repair my tub, I'll get right on that. :)

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  12. Wendy, have you thought about a backpack-style purse? Cute, functional, and you just throw it over a shoulder? One like this:
    http://www.amazon.com/Fossil-Everyday-Backpack/dp/B000PVIH8G

    You know, as soon as you get all that other stuff done... LOL.

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  13. well, the way I look at it, if you have a small purse, you cant FIT anything in it and if you have a big purse, you cant Find anything in it... size doesn't matter, cute-ness does! LOL

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  14. I'm definitely on the large-size purse band wagon. To be honest, I don't like carrying a purse, but since I have to carry a billfold for my driver's license and credit cards/money, I need something to keep it in since I don't always have adequate pockets. So, then, since I have to carry one, it might as well carry a book--I HATE being stuck waiting somewhere without something to read--and other essentials like pens, pencils, my purse calendar, etc., etc., etc. I like the quilted ones, since they tend to be fairly light-weight, even with my stuff in them. And I always call them purses. And, Heather, I must ask what is your bookmark holder-thingy? LOL

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  15. I love totes...vera bradley, leather, canvas... Not too big or small is best.

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  16. Heather, I'm not sure if I'm unfortunate or fortunate that the nearest Target is about an hour drive from me. That will keep me from going, but it does sound tempting.

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  17. Brandi, well, I think you may be right--on all accounts!

    LOL, Carol, that's exactly how it is! My bookmark-holder thingy is a plastic envelope that I keep bookmarks in just in case I suddenly need to whip one out and hand it to a stranger. *g* It's about the size of a #10 envelope, but it's rigid so the bookmarks don't get squished.

    Anon, totes are quickly becoming a weakness of mine. I *love* them. My new bigger purse is a faux leather tote, on the smallish size for a tote, but big for a purse. If that makes sense, LOL!

    Mason, ooh, that's a tough one. If you're out to save some money and stick to a budget, then you're fortunate. But very unlucky in the way that you're missing out on all kinds of fabulous-ness. It might be worth the drive to check out the tote bags, though. :)

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  18. For me, the bigger the purse, the more I start carrying around. There were times I started carrying around first aid supplies, an extra clothes for the babies (kids), extra snacks, books, pens, paper, - sheez, all kinds of stuff until I was carrying a mini-household around. I try now, to keep to small purses, but they are stuffed full. Sometimes I can't even close them. I might need a bigger purse.....

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  19. Hi Mardel, LOL on the mini household. It's true--the bigger the purse the more we'll put in it--but a small purse just isn't enough for the essentials. What's a girl to do?

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  20. I don't carry a purse--but--I do carry a backpack--a real backpack.

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  21. I am a serial killer of purses and bags. I overload them until they come apart, some more quickly than others. Usually the pockets tear, then the straps. I do best with a backpack, but that's not always the best option.

    chana

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