I’ve had a silent quest for a few months: The Perfect School Bag.
You may recall the elbow sweat post? It was all due to the bag situation. On any given day I might carry two or three bags – my purse (far left, above), and either my stupid tote bag (not shown) or the little laptop bag (brown with green flowers in the above photo).
The old little laptop bag was just the right size for the computer, but you can’t fit anything else in there – not even a ChicoBag. So, I always carried at least two bags on my shoulders.
I needed a bag that could do it all – hold my laptop and all the other assorted junk I take back & forth to school – sometimes an umbrella, or folders, or ingredients/cooking gear, and maybe some of the stuff from my purse (phone, camera, money, keys, Chicobags).
Today I found it. The Keen Oswego.
It’s nearly perfect – vertically oriented (unlike most messenger bags); lots of pockets; a wide, comfortable cross-body straptotally-adjustable-by-a-recycled-aluminum-seat-belt-style-buckle!; (The whole things’s actually made of 40% recycled materials – win!); and my favorite subdued brown/green colors.
Lloyd would like me to tell you how many bag/purses I own.
I will not.
(Does anyone need some bags?)
Brad says
The feet at the bottom make it look a little like a shmoo.
The buckle thing is very cool. I would get it for that feature alone.
Peggy says
HA! I haven’t thought of ‘The Shmoo’in forever.
My thought was that the bottom resembled a flumpet.
And add me to the list of bag ladies. For me it’s beach bags…I have a gachillion…but they can be stored inside of each other so it doesn’t look like as many as it is in the closet. Also bags to take in the car for necessities while on a long road trip. Ahhhh the wonderful world of bags!!
Michele says
The bottom looks like shoes -- very cool! I think it should count as both a bag and a pair of shoes!
I also have a bag (and shoe) problem. I recently had a purging of my closet after an intervention from my daughter, but it still left a large number of bags. I will count my bags today and if you fess up, I will share my number too!
Lauren says
I’m too ashamed to fess up. The ironic thing is that I’m not a ‘pretty purse’ person. I buy for functionality -- mostly to hold my other, tiny, reusable bags. It’s out of control, Michele!! Help me!!
Michele says
It’s not about the “pretty” for me either. My mother used to call me “Bag Lady” too -- I inherited the problem! I love bags … bags with funtional pockets, bags that are waterproof, bags that stand up on their own, bags that have comfortable shoulder straps, … and if there were ever a bag made of bacon, I would definitely have it!
Karla says
I was on a similar quest after Zeke was born. I was looking for the perfect diaper bag. Stylish enough to carry every day yet functional enough to hold all the baby gear that I might need. I found it from Land’s End in the Messenger Diaper bag.
The way you guys are with purses/bags, I’m that way with diaper bags. Just off the top of my head, I can count 10. And let’s count the children -- 1, 2. A lot of people are going to be very happy at a garage sale some day. 🙂
Meredith says
I’m such a bag addict. Seriously, I think we moved 4 boxes of purses and bags into this house when we moved. I’ve since cleared out a lot, but still have three storage tubs full. I’m getting better about switching out purses, so maybe sometime soon I will be able to make myself part with some more. I even looked at purses at the store today, although I know I don’t need anymore. It’s a total addiction. That bag looks awesomely functional though.
Marisa says
Hooray for finding the perfect bag! I am also something of a bag collector (although last January my best friend from college made me go through and do a colossal purge. Every time I open my closet, I am boggled by the amount of free space).
These days, my favorite bag is a small Timbuk2, made out of some interesting patterned fabric, but I also have a Keen bag that I love.
Rachel says
I too am a bag lady. I’m up to (hold on gotta count) 10 reusable shopping bags. that’s including the super magnificent eco-stupendous Chico bag that Lauren gave me.
I thought the bottom of the bag looked like two heels of a hiking shoe fused together. the bag looks hi-tech enough to walk beside you.
Lauren says
Exactly! If only it would walk beside me. (It was a tad heavy yesterday, and it made for some hot walking. Bleh.)