Do you remember the day ...

[familiaris]

That you found the love of your life? Or the most current one, anyway. And you know I'm not talking about anything else but that beauty you've got sitting on the desk, or hanging from your chair, or carefully placed on the floor.

A few months ago I was lunching at one of my favorite cafes, and watching the foot traffic pass by through the large windows. I saw two women meet in front of the cafe, and as I was daydreaming, it suddenly sunk in. The bag one woman had slung over her shoulder was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. I made careful mental note of its characteristics, style, color ... the situation was such that I could not rush out of the cafe and accost the woman before she left. As soon as I got home that evening I started my 'hunt'.

I think I started with eBay ... and Google-ing ... and I think that led me to the Purse Forum ... and back again ... and then I found it - a Hayden-Harnett Hudson Hobo in vachetta. That was the bag! I was ecstatic, both for having the ability to have recognized what it was made with and for knowing my 'net to find it!

Then, I was broken-hearted. While that bag was a beauty, it was too large for me - so I thought I'd check on eBay and see if there were any bags by this Hayden-Harnett business. There was one... a saddle Inka ... and I thought I'd take a chance. Good feedback, photos were good, size seemed about right. A week or so later she was with me, and my love affair began.

Background: I don't (didn't) do colors. Black was my choice, always. I was a Coach, Hobo International, and Perlina kinda gal. Had even delved into Latico. ALWAYS leather, nothing else. And no ungodly amounts of money, either - don't know what I haven't been corrupted there, too - .

Now, I'm all about color, all about washed/distressed leather, as long as it's got organizational pockets and hidey-holes and places to put things.

I cannot believe that I was "corrupted" so easily!

What's your story? Do you remember the day you found her? Do tell!

P.S. - this new love of mine led me here - which led me to Anna Corinna - which led me to the wonders of having a world of women who are as handbag-nuts as me!

 

[ame]

I remember the day I saw my Dooney on the Nordstrom Website. I got it for Christmas 05. I drooled over it for like 4 months til I convinced my husband that Id die without it It was the first bag Id bought that wasn't black. Then I had my pangs of "holy hell I just spent $450 on a freaking purse!!" moment. But my aunt is a Dooney collector, as well as a Coach collector. She's got some awesome pink ostritch etc. So when she said that it was a rite of passage to adulthood (for chrissake Im almost 30, someday I guess being an adult will have to happen) I was a lot better about it...

I even cried--like full bore sobbing like a fool--when I tripped down on the cobblestones in front of my office building and it got a tiny scratch on the bottom. I never did fix it because it would cost more than the bag ever did. So now it's like...a battle scar. My coworkers died laughing when I slipped on a muddy spot on the hill by our parking structure, I broke my wrist catching myself with the other hand to prevent my bag from getting wet or dirty. I quickly started overstuffing it, and realized it just wasn't big enough for me anymore. Im still debating keeping it or ebaying it or something.

I carried it daily til Aug 06 when I bought my Clava Vachetta Tote which Im still carrying. I love them both. Clava's not really what I call "high-end" but its gorgeous and got me more compliments than my Dooney did. It also holds all the crap I carry around all day that I don't think I really need. It holds 4 magazines, and still has room for my purse brite (which I need to replace) and my brick of a wallet, my sirius receiver for the car, my makeup bag that holds my ring box, loupe and cleaning supplies for my wedding set (im nuts) and still has room for everything else I carry around.

 

[familiaris]

ame, you've got to keep that bag. It's part of your history, who you are. I made the mistake of selling one of my favored Coachs on eBay ... I just recently 'bought it back' (well, not THAT bag, but one just like it) just because I realized it had history for me.

Wonderful story! Battlescars and everything! Whoa!

 

[ame]

Thank you, my husband and my friend both said Im insane to even think about it. I was ridiculously in love with it from the moment I saw it--I even made the photo of it my desktop screen at work. And I think you're right, Id probably miss it dearly. Im probably going to use it again in winter if I can pull it together and pare down a little...I fight the battle everyday.

 

[handbag helen]

I remember being in the 3rd grade in the 70s and my mom had this huge purse with pockets on it and I loved it. When she was done with it, I carried it to school. My teacher actually shook her head at me (I remember this) So I guess I have always loved purses. Now I have a few pocket bags, kind of reminiscent.

 

[AlohaGirl01]

Yes, the Marc Jacobs Sofia...except it was an early model that the actress Sofia Coppola carried. I was instantly obssessed with that bag and ended up buying the Sofia that came out a little after that. A beautiful black with ballet pink suede lining. I loved the organazition of the bag too.

 

[HauteMama]

Yesterday! I was depressed that I couldn't find Miss Congeniality, a Tano style from last year, anywhere. Then I walked into a boutique yesterday and there she was in the glass case right up front! I had been agonizing over ordering the only one I could find online from a site that didn't have very good customer service, and instead this one was just waiting for me. I figured it had to be a sign, so I took her home with me.