2022 Resolution: Shopping my own bag and SLG collection. Anyone else?

[Katinahat]

2 Aug - brand showcase: A-F
4 Sept - brand showcase: G-L
11 Sept - brand showcase: M-R
18 Sept - brand showcase: S-Z
25 Sept - totes
2 Oct - satchels
9 Oct - crossbodies inc WOCS
16 Oct - shoulder bags
23 Oct - bucket bags
30 Oct - clutches
6 Nov - backpacks
13 Nov - bags that don’t count
20 Nov - pairing bags with shoes
27 Nov - pairing bags with other accessories
4 Dec - bag storage
11 Dec - SLGs
18 Dec - charms

Challenges:
Sept - bags in different locations
Oct - Halloween: wear orange or black bags
Nov - International Merlot Day: wear wine coloured bags or pair bags with wine.
Dec - use the bag.

 

[Sparkletastic]

So, I’ve decided to move to a much more plant based diet. We tend to eat healthfully but this will still be a big change.

My biggest hurdle is I really do NOT like the taste of grains (including breads, pastas and rice) and I’m not the biggest fan of white potatoes or corn. Yet, I find a lot of vegetarian/ vegan recipes replace the heartiness of meat with these items.

Any suggestions on types of cuisine (beyond salads) that are full of colorful veggies (yum) and no starchy stuff?

 

[cowgirlsboots]

@Katinahat - I’m sending you tons of hugs. You have been through a lot and it’s hard to make decisions on lower level things when you have larger things to consider.

Just a comment. Through my work, I have employed insights from a number of psychological learnings including behavioral economics, neurolinguistics, brain plasticity, etc. In working with one brilliant Ivy League brian scientist she explained that our brains only have so many “points” to spend on things that require discipline. After those are spent in a day it gets almost impossible to apply pure discipline to an action. For example, if you have a high stress day with marriage, job, chiid issues you will tend to be more likely to “cheat” on a healthy diet at the end of a day.

So, do NOT beat yourself up about wardrobe / bag decisions or even small nuance in weight when you’re fighting real life issues. No guilt. Your brain has reached max capacity. And, that is ok.

That being said, I think you nailed your casual shopping look! So, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.

@More bags - Also sending you tons of hugs.

@ElainePG - I’m IN to supporting our pivots back to better dressing. And any progress that moves a person to a happier place will be cause for celebration! This is hard. I need and appreciate support.

@cowgirlsboots - Oddly I feel more comfortable in my own skin now than I ever have. So I’m completely eschewing the trends to start hunting purely for what I love. New, old or vintage. So, I’m totally on board with your train of thought!

@ItsPurseonal - IMO, hard pass. I think this would end up shelf sitting in your closet based on what you like to wear. Enjoy looking at it and wait on “your” next bag to come.
And, congrats on your rose gold shoes.

Thank you so much for the excurse into brain functions. It´s very helpful! I was looking for an explanation why DS and I are failing with school work at the moment. He has a big grammar test coming. For the last two weeks we´ve been going through grammar boot camp at home every spare minute next to his normal school work and it does not seem to take him anywhere. He sits down to work, but his attention span is short and very quickly he will just fold- brain shutdown. He either stares into space, gets silly, cries or gets angry...
I think my whole family is still very much affected by post Covid fatigue. Normal school work alone is a lot and this on top pushes the capacity. It´s too much for me, too. I´m always preparing work sheets and summaries, standing on tip-toes when will be the right moment to get him to study. For the last few nights I couldn´t sleep, because my head was full of grammar details- stuff I´m hopeless with. I can speak, I can write, but the theory??? DS came to a point where he shouted: "No fun anymore, nothing. I know I´m a failure!" (No, my boy, you are not!) Later he came to me asking could we get a t-shirt that says: "it´s too late to take me to the abortion clinic."
The latter I know he considered a joke. Actually a good one. This kid has a very strange sense of humour, beyond his 12 years. And guts as he wanted me to actually make this shirt so he could wear it to school. Bad idea, I guess... a while ago he turned a boring English exercise into the story of a dog planning and comitting suicide. He had great fun making up all the details. I had less fun with the very concerned teacher...

 

[cowgirlsboots]

So, I’ve decided to move to a much more plant based diet. We tend to eat healthfully but this will still be a big change.

My biggest hurdle is I really do NOT like the taste of grains (including breads, pastas and rice) and I’m not the biggest fan of white potatoes or corn. Yet, I find a lot of vegetarian/ vegan recipes replace the heartiness of meat with these items.

Any suggestions on types of cuisine (beyond salads) that are full of colorful veggies (yum) and no starchy stuff?

Sorry, I´m a pasta addict... I could suggest lots of meals with zero visible veggies and lots of carbs...

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

The Dior Lady Art #6 bags are out! Eye candy... but highly expensive.

I took a look at them and while some are interesting, there was nothing very compelling either. I actually prefer a few from previous years -- particularly the Lady Dior with the world map, and also one with embroidered animals, but of course by the time I realized I wanted one, they were long since unavailable. If I see one or other, I am going to be very tempted but they are hard to find at this point.

So my investigations at Mulberry today did not go the way I thought they would. I was certain I’d love the oak Bayswater but while I did really like it, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.

I went dressed like this in my off duty style, new Hush jumper (from husband for Christmas), NYDJ skinny jeans with my black Alexa Icon and long black boots.
View attachment 5298204
And I think this picture sums up how I most like my bags. Mostly crossbody, understated classics and relaxed.

I guess that the issue was that while the Bayswater was lovely (all the bags in the shop were lovely!) I just didn’t love it as much as the Alexa I had with me. I wanted to use it for work and weekends but I decided I was likely to use it only for work. This meant I ended up thinking there was no point in spending all that money as I have a grey Bayswater already for work. I didn’t even take any modelling shots with it.

I was really impressed with myself that I managed to walk away (for now).

Glad you were able to go in and check it out. This is why it's so important to actually physically go into a store and try on things, particularly for someone like me. I am not very good about mailing back returns once I have ordered something online, and often fall into the trap of rationalizing why I need to keep it (especially if I like it somewhat), rather than boxing it up and sending it back.

@Sparkletastic, I eat a mostly vegetarian diet but I love pasta and some rice dishes. I don't have an answer about cuisines that use less grains, but maybe reducing rice or pasta and increasing the proportion of veggies in the recipe would work.

 

[afroken]

Happy new year everyone! Last year I made a plan of downsizing my collection and only buy a bag once a bag has left my collection, and for the most part I think I stuck pretty well to that rule.

Since the pandemic began, I realized that many of my old favourites no longer get the same wear as they used to pre-covid. For example, before covid, I used to love mid sized bags like shoulder bags and totes. Back when we still went into the office, I used to wear my mid sized bags everyday. Now that we are no longer going into the office, and our city is continuously going into lockdowns, my mid sized bags have been sitting in the closet. I realized that my bag preference have changed a lot compared to two years ago and I only use crossbodies now. One of my goals this year is to only buy bags with crossbody functions because as much as I love the aesthetics of bigger bags, my lifestyle has changed and some bag styles no longer serve me.

Last year I didn’t purchase any luxury bags save for an older Balenciaga. I rediscovered a love for Coach last year and also purchased a few more under-the-radar ones like Aspinal of London. I’d like to continue that streak this year. Buy (and discover) more contemporary and indie brand bags. However, I hope to find a Chloe Paraty in excellent condition and price-point.

On a non-bag related goal, a non-profit arts organization in our city is offering some very affordable online courses taught by local university professors on various subjects. I took up several courses last year. I’d like to take a couple more this year. I’ve learned a lot about different subjects through these courses during our lockdowns. I also hope to add to my silk scarf collection, be it from luxury houses, or independent artists on Etsy.

It’s nice reading through all the different goals that everyone have and are working through I still have lots of pages to go through in this thread, looking forward to read through everyone’s discussions this year. Hope everyone has a safe and healthy year ahead.

 

[Jereni]

There is of course a but to my shopping trip…

I looked at a few other bags and these were the two that made my heart sing today:

Balenciaga Neo Classic - probably more than I want to pay and tiny but it’s amazing!View attachment 5298212

Mulberry Alexa Mini
View attachment 5298217
It’s an Alexa, with its relaxed crossbody style and it’s in my favourite colour. Just not sure about the mini size and I only just bought the pink Coach Maddison. The full size is patent which feels a bit too much.

I have a lot of pink bags so I am pausing and thinking for now. It means I’m still successfully shopping my own collection.

Beautiful finds! I love both of those colors… I am beginning to be of the viewpoint that there is no such thing as too many pink bags, but then again I am an enabler.

 

[Jereni]

Already questioning my goals after seeing this photo from Nat in the stock thread...

I wear mostly warm earthy neutrals so cooler tones don't work as well for me but WOW this is a showstopper. I should pass, right...?

View attachment 5298263

You should totally pass…. on not jumping in the car this instant and driving directly to that mermaid beauty!!!

Lol - I love green bags, and I feel like Chanel does not do too many of them.

 

[poizenisxkandee]

So, I’ve decided to move to a much more plant based diet. We tend to eat healthfully but this will still be a big change.

My biggest hurdle is I really do NOT like the taste of grains (including breads, pastas and rice) and I’m not the biggest fan of white potatoes or corn. Yet, I find a lot of vegetarian/ vegan recipes replace the heartiness of meat with these items.

Any suggestions on types of cuisine (beyond salads) that are full of colorful veggies (yum) and no starchy stuff?

Mushrooms work well as something "meaty" without being meat, but I know that's hit or miss for people too.

Lentils and chickpeas are also pretty hearty. I've also tried a Sri Lankan eggplant curry that's pretty good too. I think a lot of curries can be made vegetarian/vegan and can be served with veggies like green beans or bell peppers instead of rice or other grains.

 

[Alienza]

So, I’ve decided to move to a much more plant based diet. We tend to eat healthfully but this will still be a big change.

My biggest hurdle is I really do NOT like the taste of grains (including breads, pastas and rice) and I’m not the biggest fan of white potatoes or corn. Yet, I find a lot of vegetarian/ vegan recipes replace the heartiness of meat with these items.

Any suggestions on types of cuisine (beyond salads) that are full of colorful veggies (yum) and no starchy stuff?

Have you tried lentils? Or couscous which is made of durum wheat. Couscous with a bit of lemon is my favourite. I made cauliflower rice too before. It was delicious once I cooked it with other vegetables but it took me a long time to grate the cauliflower

 

[Jereni]

So, I’ve decided to move to a much more plant based diet. We tend to eat healthfully but this will still be a big change.

My biggest hurdle is I really do NOT like the taste of grains (including breads, pastas and rice) and I’m not the biggest fan of white potatoes or corn. Yet, I find a lot of vegetarian/ vegan recipes replace the heartiness of meat with these items.

Any suggestions on types of cuisine (beyond salads) that are full of colorful veggies (yum) and no starchy stuff?

Do you also dislike couscous? We made a ‘mediterranean’ bowl the other day and it was delicious: pearled couscous, tomatoes, kalamata olives, mint, parsley, onions, bell pepper, chickpeas, and feta. Topped with a lemon tumeric dressing of sorts.

 

[Jereni]

@Jereni both red bags look fantastic on you. Two questions, 1) within the context of your overall collection which red bag fills more of an unfilled spot, 2) which size of bag do you think you’ll reach for more frequently, what size of bag do you reach for more often with your current bags?

@More bags just wanted to say thanks for these suggestions, they helped me focus in on which bag is the right one. Fundamentally, I like handling my bags as much as possible, i.e. hand carry. And I prefer a medium sized bag for hand carry, so I think it will be the baby SDJ!

Here’s a mod shot with it hand held. Now I just have to wait one more week to buy it so that I fulfill one of my 2022 goals, which was imposing a two week minimum waiting period on any bags.

 

[880]

Thank you so much for the excurse into brain functions. It´s very helpful! I was looking for an explanation why DS and I are failing with school work at the moment. He has a big grammar test coming. For the last two weeks we´ve been going through grammar boot camp at home every spare minute next to his normal school work and it does not seem to take him anywhere. He sits down to work, but his attention span is short and very quickly he will just fold- brain shutdown. He either stares into space, gets silly, cries or gets angry...
I think my whole family is still very much affected by post Covid fatigue. Normal school work alone is a lot and this on top pushes the capacity. It´s too much for me, too. I´m always preparing work sheets and summaries, standing on tip-toes when will be the right moment to get him to study. For the last few nights I couldn´t sleep, because my head was full of grammar details- stuff I´m hopeless with. I can speak, I can write, but the theory??? DS came to a point where he shouted: "No fun anymore, nothing. I know I´m a failure!" (No, my boy, you are not!) Later he came to me asking could we get a t-shirt that says: "it´s too late to take me to the abortion clinic."
The latter I know he considered a joke. Actually a good one. This kid has a very strange sense of humour, beyond his 12 years. And guts as he wanted me to actually make this shirt so he could wear it to school. Bad idea, I guess... a while ago he turned a boring English exercise into the story of a dog planning and comitting suicide. He had great fun making up all the details. I had less fun with the very concerned teacher...

i think your DS sounds very creative and intuitive, and there are more ways than rote to learn. I was torn between a laugh ans a wow emoticon, but basically, he has a good head on his shoulders , a great sense of humor, ans a wonderful mother!

@Jereni , this looks fabulous on uou! Gorgeous color and shape! And love your hair!

@Sparkletastic, roasted veggies are about as creative as I get. . .

 

[More bags]

@More bags - Also sending you tons of hugs.

@More bags just wanted to say thanks for these suggestions, they helped me focus in on which bag is the right one. Fundamentally, I like handling my bags as much as possible, i.e. hand carry. And I prefer a medium sized bag for hand carry, so I think it will be the baby SDJ!

Here’s a mod shot with it hand held. Now I just have to wait one more week to buy it so that I fulfill one of my 2022 goals, which was imposing a two week minimum waiting period on any bags.

View attachment 5298569

Congratulations on your decision, and your delayed gratification - it looks great on you!

@Sparkletastic I love all the great food ideas suggested above! I will add

• Garlicky Smashed Chickpeas with Corn
• Pasta with Swiss Chard, White Kidney Beans and Garlic Bread Crumbs
• Vegetarian Tagine with Apricots, Figs and Olives on Couscous
• Roasted Vegetables with Creamy Parmesan Polenta
• Broccoli Leaf (or substitute Swiss Chard) Tortellini Soup
• Mediterranean Kale and White Bean Soup

 

[880]

• Garlicky Smashed Chickpeas with Corn
• Pasta with Swiss Chard, White Kidney Beans and Garlic Bread Crumbs
• Vegetarian Tagine with Apricots, Figs and Olives on Couscous
• Roasted Vegetables with Creamy Parmesan Polenta
• Broccoli Leaf (or substitute Swiss Chard) Tortellini Soup
• Mediterranean Kale and White Bean Soup

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[More bags]

My January intentions/challenges update, as suggested by @ElainePG
1) use my bags - carried 10 bags
2) wear my scarves - 4 shawls and 6 scarves

In following the style conversations, elevating outfits, and wearing my scarves, here’s a dress/scarf/H horn pendant combo I wore to work from home on Friday.