2024 Resolution: Shopping my own Bag and SLG Collection

[Sparkletastic]

December Activities and Challenges - pick and choose as you please.

I. 2024 Year In Review Reflection
(Thanks @Vintage Leather)

Utilize these thought starters to evaluate your collection, your usage patterns and your lessons learned in 2024.
• What is your most useful purse?
• What is your best purchase of the year?
• We’ve all had a lot of lifestyle changes this year - how has it affected your style?
• What is the one thing we’ve learned this year that you want to take into the next?

II. Setting 2025 Goals
Take this month to consider what you want to do with your handbag collection, wardrobe or even your beautiful life in 2025. Share these thoughts in January when we start the 2026 Shopping Your Closet thread.

III. End of year optional challenges

• Holiday colors: December has many holidays celebrated across the world - red & green, brown & gold, blue & white and more! Pick the holiday that you want to honor and wear / show off your bags in those traditional colors.

• End with a bang: As we come to the last part of the year, wear the last bag you’ve purchased at least 3 times this month.

@Vlad please pin this to the top of our thread.

 

[papertiger]

Hey, feel better soon. I’m so sorry your colleagues bailed on you. I’m sure your presentation will be amazing

One I definitely believe, the other

 

[cecchetti]

I've been in bed with flu all weekend. Still really weak today, I felt I had to go into work today. Both who could have subbed today said they were ill, I didn't want to cancel the presentation.

Due to circumstances defaulted to Liberty London brief case for electricals and Evie for the rest.

Oh no, that’s terrible -you poor thing…feel better soon..❤️❤️❤️
The cats and I wish you better!
I just had one cold before I went to Harrods-I’m hoping that’s it, but flu is nasty, look after yourself xx.

 

[Bag peace]

@Vintage Leather Congratulations on the new job and big move! Incredible stuff!

@FizzyWater That is a very sweet cardigan! Nice find!

@880 You look fab, as always!

@dcooney4 I hope your wrist is feeling better!

@Sparkletastic Happy to hear your surgery went well! Best of luck on the sales. It's a tedious process but it'll be worth it when they're out of your house.

@papertiger Hope you feel better soon! Flu is awful and I'm amazed that you managed to go in to present! Boo on your colleagues for not stepping up.

@cecchetti Sorry for the loss of your FIL. Hope your mum is doing well.

Hope I got everyone in my quick catch-up of the thread.

Edit to add:
@whateve You'd suggested earlier that I use aquarium charcoal on my smelly bag, but sadly, it's not working. This bag refuses to let go of the odour!

 

[cecchetti]

@Vintage Leather Congratulations on the new job and big move! Incredible stuff!

@FizzyWater That is a very sweet cardigan! Nice find!

@880 You look fab, as always!

@dcooney4 I hope your wrist is feeling better!

@Sparkletastic Happy to hear your surgery went well! Best of luck on the sales. It's a tedious process but it'll be worth it when they're out of your house.

@papertiger Hope you feel better soon! Flu is awful and I'm amazed that you managed to go in to present! Boo on your colleagues for not stepping up.

@cecchetti Sorry for the loss of your FIL. Hope your mum is doing well.

Hope I got everyone in my quick catch-up of the thread.

Thank you so much-I’m Dreading the funeral..my Dad is in a black mood, I’m going with him.

My Mum is staying at home with her carer-I’m visiting at the weekend, I hope by then that the stress of this week will have lifted a little as I’m so close to my Dad that it’s horrible to have him like this(really I want to stay away, but my Mum shouldn’t suffer).

My sister is her usual bossy herself , organising everything..
My Mum seems to be doing well, no recent catastrophes thank goodness!

 

[Bag peace]

I may be moving again so had to do a quick inventory check on my stuff. For a few years now, I've been making capsule collections out of my belongings (all in storage) and then recycling and/or donating the whole 'capsule' when I was done with it, before creating a fresh capsule for myself. That system has paid off. I went from having "too much stuff" (arbitrary, I know) to now having a reasonable amount. Very little was wasted, a lot of great stuff went to people who needed it (or suited it) more than I did, and I have been using my belongings fully.
It's been a fulfilling exercise and has taught me a lot about my personal style and preferences.

Somehow amidst the turbulence of this year, I've significantly reduced my bag collection. A lot of bags went out and many came in. I currently have 16 bags and I love every one of them. That's still a lot, but it's not so much that I feel overwhelmed, as I once did.
I think the highest number of bags I had was 42(?) but my notes say 35. Not sure which figure is right. I know there was one point where my siblings and friends were constantly gifting me bags, so the number jumped up and I felt really uncomfortable with it.
Anyway, to have reduced the collection so significantly is a big accomplishment. All my bags went to good homes and I feel much better about where I am now.

Spoiler: Personal update. Finally figured out some lingering health issues.

Caring for my mum has also brought a lot of insight and peace in an unexpected way. I was struggling for several years with not feeling like myself. I felt needy, confused, overly-sensitive... a lot of mental health issues that I've shared with you all as it was happening. At one point, I even had a thread asking for advice because I felt so lost with these symptoms. Many people said I sounded like I had ADHD, but repeated testing showed I didn't. I've finally figured out what it was and I'm so happy to have finally put the correct label on what was going on.

Mum had a lot of mental health issues after she was discharged earlier this year. I noticed a lot of the mental confusion and emotional turmoil she was experiencing was similar to stuff I'd gone through. Thankfully because I'd felt similarly in recent years, I was able to emphasize and support her properly, but it was unexpected to see her mirror so much of what I'd been experiencing myself.
Anyway, I arranged for her to see a specialist and they explained that all her cognitive issues were from her extended time in hospital and isolation in the ICU. She needed to socialize again to get back to normal, and that is indeed what has happened as she's slowly returned to normal life. She has slowly come back to her usual self.

Many of you know that I've spent a lot of time in hospital and in quarantine, and the pandemic obviously added years to that period of isolation. Now I can see that so much of the mental confusion, memory lapses, panic attacks, and emotional neediness I was feeling was just from the extended periods of time I was alone in the hospital. Now that mum has moved here, I'm no longer in medical isolation, and have started having more social interactions, many of the issues I was battling have resolved.
Nobody ever told me that this was something I would experience and that it was completely normal. I mentioned my cognitive issues to all my doctors, but nobody connected these dots. The answer was always "hormones" or "ADHD". Nobody expected that extended ICU stays in someone my age would have the same effect as it does on the elderly in that situation.

I feel such relief having figured this out! I wish I'd known sooner. So many of my friendships have suffered because of my mental state at the time. I can't undo that now, but I am filled with regret. Had I known, I would have at least been able to warn people in my life that these symptoms were expected so that they could understand and give me some grace, and vice versa.
Oh well, life lessons! At least I know now and can try to manage better in the future, should I have to go through these types of treatments again.

*I'm not sure if this clarity has come from caring for mum or from the new medication I'm trialling! Both, perhaps? Anyway, it feels good to have a clear head after being so lost in my own mind for so long!

I can't quite believe we're almost done with the year! It's felt like one of those years where everything was unsettled for everyone. I don't know a single person who hasn't had a big life event in 2024. Hopefully we all have a peaceful, healthy and joyful holiday season ahead of us. Make sure you're all spoiling yourselves and enjoying time with your loved ones! You deserve the best, my pocket friends!

 

[dcooney4]

I've been in bed with flu all weekend. Still really weak today, I felt I had to go into work today. Both who could have subbed today said they were ill, I didn't want to cancel the presentation.

Due to circumstances defaulted to Liberty London brief case for electricals and Evie for the rest.

Feel better soon!

 

[dcooney4]

@Vintage Leather Congratulations on the new job and big move! Incredible stuff!

@FizzyWater That is a very sweet cardigan! Nice find!

@880 You look fab, as always!

@dcooney4 I hope your wrist is feeling better!

@Sparkletastic Happy to hear your surgery went well! Best of luck on the sales. It's a tedious process but it'll be worth it when they're out of your house.

@papertiger Hope you feel better soon! Flu is awful and I'm amazed that you managed to go in to present! Boo on your colleagues for not stepping up.

@cecchetti Sorry for the loss of your FIL. Hope your mum is doing well.

Hope I got everyone in my quick catch-up of the thread.

Edit to add:
@whateve You'd suggested earlier that I use aquarium charcoal on my smelly bag, but sadly, it's not working. This bag refuses to let go of the odour!

Thanks! Sorry to hear the bag is still stinky.

 

[dcooney4]

I hit selling fatigue about a year ago. And then I moved, and discovered a suitcase and a tote full of things to be sold. So bribery. Bribery works.

1) start by establishing goals.

My goals are to not need to move things again, and not have to throw them in the dumpster. So they need out.
My second goal is what to do with my selling funds. I decided on a family vacation, priced it out and made that my target. It divorced the emotion from the sale - I’m not selling a formerly beloved tea set, I’m making 1% of my goal.

2) Make listing part of my daily practice.

I’m listing 25 items a week until the middle of December - about 5 hours a week, that I can split up as I choose. I do designate a reward for myself for completing my weekly chore.

3) I’m not banned from new purchases, but I cut off the budget for new purchases.

I can only fund new purchases with my sales money - so I have to decide, for example, if I want to give up 29% of my goal for the new necklace, or if I’m content.

This is such a good way to look at selling.

 

[880]

@Bag peace , I’m glad that things are working themselves out. I think your insight is something that some professional could have suggested along the way, and I’m relieved and thrilled for you and your mom for this outcome. Hugs

 

[Bag peace]

@Bag peace , I’m glad that things are working themselves out. I think your insight is something that some professional could have suggested along the way, and I’m relieved and thrilled for you and your mom for this outcome. Hugs

I think because my symptoms were things like getting details confused, struggling to focus, general anxiety and forgetfulness, they naturally assumed neurodivergence or early perimenopause. I can't recall anyone saying anything about extended hospital stays and cognitive disruption...

Although, you may be right (if I'm understanding you correctly) and there may well have been someone along the way who figured it out, but as I wasn't in a clear headspace, I didn't register what they were telling me. It would suck if that had been the case and I was spiralling when the answer was right in front of me.
I was certainly at my wits' end around a year ago as my anxiety was peaking and the brain fog was intense, so it may have been the case that I was told but it didn't click.

Thank you

 

[cecchetti]

The funeral was so sad and very moving.

I wore my Alexander McQueen suit(see OOTD) and carried my Marc Jacobs black matte mock croc leather satchel bag.

Everybody cried, my brother in law , and his sister both gave speeches, both broke down, it was pretty awful.

My sister’s husband isn’t Jewish, so it wasn’t a burial, so afterwards we went for lunch, my lovely Niece was there so I chatted to her, snd I left with my Dad as he had to get back to relieve my Mum’s carer.

I’m glad it’s over, I hope it’s a very long time before I attend any more funerals-I couldn’t even imagine losing my own parents, particularly my Dad, who I’m so close to.

Miss Bianca has red lipstick on her fur where I kissed her for comfort when I returned home.

 

[whateve]

@Vintage Leather Congratulations on the new job and big move! Incredible stuff!

@FizzyWater That is a very sweet cardigan! Nice find!

@880 You look fab, as always!

@dcooney4 I hope your wrist is feeling better!

@Sparkletastic Happy to hear your surgery went well! Best of luck on the sales. It's a tedious process but it'll be worth it when they're out of your house.

@papertiger Hope you feel better soon! Flu is awful and I'm amazed that you managed to go in to present! Boo on your colleagues for not stepping up.

@cecchetti Sorry for the loss of your FIL. Hope your mum is doing well.

Hope I got everyone in my quick catch-up of the thread.

Edit to add:
@whateve You'd suggested earlier that I use aquarium charcoal on my smelly bag, but sadly, it's not working. This bag refuses to let go of the odour!

I'm sorry. I never tried it myself but had high hopes. Is the bag something you can wash?

 

[Sparkletastic]

I hit selling fatigue about a year ago. And then I moved, and discovered a suitcase and a tote full of things to be sold. So bribery. Bribery works.

1) start by establishing goals.

My goals are to not need to move things again, and not have to throw them in the dumpster. So they need out.
My second goal is what to do with my selling funds. I decided on a family vacation, priced it out and made that my target. It divorced the emotion from the sale - I’m not selling a formerly beloved tea set, I’m making 1% of my goal.

2) Make listing part of my daily practice.

I’m listing 25 items a week until the middle of December - about 5 hours a week, that I can split up as I choose. I do designate a reward for myself for completing my weekly chore.

3) I’m not banned from new purchases, but I cut off the budget for new purchases.

I can only fund new purchases with my sales money - so I have to decide, for example, if I want to give up 29% of my goal for the new necklace, or if I’m content.

I love this approach and will be adopting it.

1. My goal is to a) clear out my “for sale” closet asap. Beyond the bags I have about 30 other items to sell. I want the closet space back. And b) to use the funds to pay for an updated wardrobe once I lose the surgery / steroid weight I put on this past 18 months. It will be fun to track proceeds for that.
2. I’ll list 2 things a day starting with the most expensive items. Anything under $100 I’m just going to donate. It’s not worth the time or mental noise to have them in my house anymore. I’ll check tomorrow to see how many items this leaves me with so I can set a date and have everyone hold me accountable.
3. I’m already on a handbag ban because I’ve bought quite a few bags this year. The ban isn’t really an issue at all because I don’t feel the urge to even look now that my gaps and need for variety have been satisfied.
4. I’m adding a fourth rule. Since I just want these GONE that I’ll list everything 10% below current market price. And I’m going to bundle items wherever possible.

I gave my younger girlfriend my white BCBG Max Azria white faux fur coat today.

I bought it in 2021, it was far too big for me despite saying sz 0(XS), definitely vanity sized.
Not my style at all, I looked like Miss Bianca(my Balinese cat), or a snowman, I just didn’t want it taking up closet space.

She’s bigger than me and quite busty, I hope it fits her, she was over the moon with it and couldn’t believe I’d gifted it to her…I don’t want it back.

Tomorrow is my sister’s father in laws funeral, so emotions are running high in the family, my Dad uncharacteristically snapped at me, I impulse bought a bottle of my favourite Kilian Roses on Ice, I’ll be glad when tomorrow is over….

I’m seeing my gf on Wednesday , I’ll find out whether the coat fitted her-I do hope so, it drowned me.

I would have loved to see the fun coat.

I DESPISE vanity sizing. Men can buy their size and have it always be the same. But the fashion industry thinks women are stupid(?), emotional (?), weak (?) and can’t handle knowing our “true” size. So buying in person is always a trial and buying online is utterly grievous! Grrrrr!

I’m glad you and your family were able to come together for the funeral but send my sympathies for your loss.

I've been in bed with flu all weekend. Still really weak today, I felt I had to go into work today. Both who could have subbed today said they were ill, I didn't want to cancel the presentation.

Due to circumstances defaulted to Liberty London brief case for electricals and Evie for the rest.

I hope you feel better soon!!!

I may be moving again so had to do a quick inventory check on my stuff. For a few years now, I've been making capsule collections out of my belongings (all in storage) and then recycling and/or donating the whole 'capsule' when I was done with it, before creating a fresh capsule for myself. That system has paid off. I went from having "too much stuff" (arbitrary, I know) to now having a reasonable amount. Very little was wasted, a lot of great stuff went to people who needed it (or suited it) more than I did, and I have been using my belongings fully.
It's been a fulfilling exercise and has taught me a lot about my personal style and preferences.

Somehow amidst the turbulence of this year, I've significantly reduced my bag collection. A lot of bags went out and many came in. I currently have 16 bags and I love every one of them. That's still a lot, but it's not so much that I feel overwhelmed, as I once did.
I think the highest number of bags I had was 42(?) but my notes say 35. Not sure which figure is right. I know there was one point where my siblings and friends were constantly gifting me bags, so the number jumped up and I felt really uncomfortable with it.
Anyway, to have reduced the collection so significantly is a big accomplishment. All my bags went to good homes and I feel much better about where I am now.

Spoiler: Personal update. Finally figured out some lingering health issues.

Caring for my mum has also brought a lot of insight and peace in an unexpected way. I was struggling for several years with not feeling like myself. I felt needy, confused, overly-sensitive... a lot of mental health issues that I've shared with you all as it was happening. At one point, I even had a thread asking for advice because I felt so lost with these symptoms. Many people said I sounded like I had ADHD, but repeated testing showed I didn't. I've finally figured out what it was and I'm so happy to have finally put the correct label on what was going on.

Mum had a lot of mental health issues after she was discharged earlier this year. I noticed a lot of the mental confusion and emotional turmoil she was experiencing was similar to stuff I'd gone through. Thankfully because I'd felt similarly in recent years, I was able to emphasize and support her properly, but it was unexpected to see her mirror so much of what I'd been experiencing myself.
Anyway, I arranged for her to see a specialist and they explained that all her cognitive issues were from her extended time in hospital and isolation in the ICU. She needed to socialize again to get back to normal, and that is indeed what has happened as she's slowly returned to normal life. She has slowly come back to her usual self.

Many of you know that I've spent a lot of time in hospital and in quarantine, and the pandemic obviously added years to that period of isolation. Now I can see that so much of the mental confusion, memory lapses, panic attacks, and emotional neediness I was feeling was just from the extended periods of time I was alone in the hospital. Now that mum has moved here, I'm no longer in medical isolation, and have started having more social interactions, many of the issues I was battling have resolved.
Nobody ever told me that this was something I would experience and that it was completely normal. I mentioned my cognitive issues to all my doctors, but nobody connected these dots. The answer was always "hormones" or "ADHD". Nobody expected that extended ICU stays in someone my age would have the same effect as it does on the elderly in that situation.

I feel such relief having figured this out! I wish I'd known sooner. So many of my friendships have suffered because of my mental state at the time. I can't undo that now, but I am filled with regret. Had I known, I would have at least been able to warn people in my life that these symptoms were expected so that they could understand and give me some grace, and vice versa.
Oh well, life lessons! At least I know now and can try to manage better in the future, should I have to go through these types of treatments again.

*I'm not sure if this clarity has come from caring for mum or from the new medication I'm trialling! Both, perhaps? Anyway, it feels good to have a clear head after being so lost in my own mind for so long!

I can't quite believe we're almost done with the year! It's felt like one of those years where everything was unsettled for everyone. I don't know a single person who hasn't had a big life event in 2024. Hopefully we all have a peaceful, healthy and joyful holiday season ahead of us. Make sure you're all spoiling yourselves and enjoying time with your loved ones! You deserve the best, my pocket friends!

WOW! That is a huge insight (and a shameful miss on the part of your medical team.). I’m so glad you’ve gained this understanding. It really underscores how we do need healthy connections with others to be happy and whole.

 

[cecchetti]

I love this approach and will be adopting it.

1. My goal is to a) clear out my “for sale” closet asap. Beyond the bags I have about 30 other items to sell. I want the closet space back. And b) to use the funds to pay for an updated wardrobe once I lose the surgery / steroid weight I put on this past 18 months. It will be fun to track proceeds for that.
2. I’ll list 2 things a day starting with the most expensive items. Anything under $100 I’m just going to donate. It’s not worth the time or mental noise to have them in my house anymore. I’ll check tomorrow to see how many items this leaves me with so I can set a date and have everyone hold me accountable.
3. I’m already on a handbag ban because I’ve bought quite a few bags this year. The ban isn’t really an issue at all because I don’t feel the urge to even look now that my gaps and need for variety have been satisfied.
4. I’m adding a fourth rule. Since I just want these GONE that I’ll list everything 10% below current market price. And I’m going to bundle items wherever possible.

I would have loved to see the fun coat.

I DESPISE vanity sizing. Men can buy their size and have it always be the same. But the fashion industry thinks women are stupid(?), emotional (?), weak (?) and can’t handle knowing our “true” size. So buying in person is always a trial and buying online is utterly grievous! Grrrrr!

I’m glad you and your family were able to come together for the funeral but send my sympathies for your loss.


I hope you feel better soon!!!

WOW! That is a huge insight (and a shameful miss on the part of your medical team.). I’m so glad you’ve gained this understanding. It really underscores how we do need healthy connections with others to be happy and whole.

I hate vanity sizing as well-it’s hard to find Anything that fits-ironically 30 years ago when I was a ballerina I was smaller and had the same problem.I used a Greek tailor in Bond Street then.

I didn’t like the coat anyway so it’s no loss, but it looked ridiculous.Im brand loyal, and love bespoke, so tend to rely on the same brands, designers, houses for my clothes , which makes things easier.

Thank you for your condolences ❤️-I’m glad yesterday is over, together with losing Tammy(my Siamese girl) in January, it ranks as the worst day in the year.

Good luck with your selling!

Here’s a picture of the Alexander McQueen suit I wore-it’s very hard to find any off the peg clothes which fit me as well as this suit…

 

[Bag peace]

I'm sorry. I never tried it myself but had high hopes. Is the bag something you can wash?

Thanks. I had high hopes, too. It seemed such a good solution. It may work for a regular stinky bag, just not this stubborn one. I think there's something wrong with how the tannery processed the leather used in this line of bags.

Yes, it's bubble lamb leather and can hold up to washing. The first thing I did when I got it was dunk the bag and wash with dish soap. After drying/reshaping, it still stank, so I gave it another dunk in vinegar. Somehow it still stank. Then I moved onto to charcoal and baking soda, then hanging it out in the fresh air for weeks, and finally the aquarium charcoal.
Phew! I'm tired.

It really underscores how we do need healthy connections with others to be happy and whole.

We hear it all the time but it hits differently now that I've experienced it.
Great goals for decluttering, btw. Hopefully they'll sell fast now that people are officially on 'holiday' mode.

Here’s a picture of the Alexander McQueen suit I wore-it’s very hard to find any off the peg clothes which fit me as well as this suit…

Wonderful suit!
I'm sorry for your loss and hope everyone's holding up okay.