Thanks everyone! I just got back last night, so I still haven't used the bag yet.
Savvy - i see what you're saying with the color, and it's only on that one side. It's very subtle in real life, but i understand how people would be annoyed with it. of course now the bags come with a disclaimer about "varied shading"...
It's always a risk when ordering online since we don't get to pick our actual bag. For me, this one is subtle enough to keep, and I do really love it. I'm interested to see more Beau pics...