Finding the Perfect Fit Inside My New-Old Handbag

Days before having a RSOJ moment

Oh my gosh, I have to tell you my most recent RSOJ moment. Remember Random Spasm of Joy as coined by my bartender friend, John, at the girl and the fig restaurant in Sonoma? He told me about that phenomenon on a Tuesday in May and the very next day I experienced it when I paired my old yellow Chanel Talbot’s jacket with my new yellow Etro shirt and realized they looked brilliant together (Anatomy of an Outfit: Hello Yellow!). True to John’s explanation, when I realized my iPad would fit into my new-old black straw bag, I had that feeling go through me that could barely be described in words. It could only be a RSOJ.

RSOJ is bulletin board worthy

John shares RSOJ with me

Falling in love with my new-old straw bag

Black vintage bag visits Farm Shop

My girls own SAX, a consignment store in San Anselmo and when this vintage bag came into the store they thought, maybe Mom would like this. They let me try it out and I kept bugging them to give me the price because I wanted to pay them for it. But, when we celebrated our birthdays (me and my twin brother, Brent) they told me it was my birthday present. Gotta love that!

It’s wider at the bottom and gets narrow toward the top. The clasp on the frame works really well. It even has little metal feet at the bottom to keep it protected when you set it down. I’d love to know who originally owned it. I’m thinking a car executive’s wife in Detroit in 1953. She chairs big charity events. Your guess? Anyway, I started putting my things inside and now I’m using it practically every day.

Bags inside my bags

My handmade handbag organizer

This cutie pie mini bag is one of my go-tos for organizing my handbag contents. Handbag contents can get so out-of-hand that I do what I can to keep myself from going crazy looking for things. When I go to change bags I can pluck this mini bag out of one handbag and move it into another one in two seconds. This one is bright and easy to see. I keep things I use the most in this little bag: my keyless car key, my plaid eyeglass cleaner, an orange lipstick and a red one, my blue Pilot G-2 07 pen (can’t write with any other pen), my turquoise pen for highlighting lines in books I’m reading (yes, I mark up books), and my business cards.

Mini Sydney bag contents

I have quite an attachment to this handbag organizer. I purchased it directly from the designer in Sydney, Australia in October, 2011, when I visited a local artist collective. I was down providing training to image consultants. (Thank you, Sydney!) Do you see the likeness between the face image and the artist? Evidently her husband is an artist too and paints versions of her all the time. I get it!

Sydney artist who made my handbag organizer

In addition, I have other important things to carry like my little journal (Caitlin brought me this one from her Costa Rica trip) and my leather wallet, purchased in Fargo, North Dakota on Broadway when Willi Nilli was there. The artist, Susanne Williams, now lives in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Check out her whole line at www.willinilli.com. Her work is creative and unique!

And of course, I always carry one of my mother’s handkerchiefs. But this one isn’t Mother’s. It was given to me by Bonnie Swanson, one of the church ladies in Mother’s quilting group in Dent, Minnesota, and a good family friend. She knew how much I loved Mother’s handkerchiefs and when Mother died, she came over to the Mom and Dad’s house one day with a tattered box overflowing with vintage hankies. Were there tears? Oh yeah, you betcha. Lots.

Other handbag essentials: wallet, journal, handkerchief

Here’s what turned this lovely bag into a RSOJ

So this is all buildup to the very second I experienced a RSOJ. I was parked in the Sonoma Plaza. I’d already been using this bag a couple of weeks. I planned to snag some me-time before working on writing projects in the afternoon. I’d lunch at Sunflower Caffe and then head later to Peet’s Coffee and Tea to buckle down and do some writing for the blog on my iPad.

Me time at Sunflower Caffe

Problem: It was 102 degrees outside. Even though I wasn’t going to be using my iPad while having lunch and reading a book, I couldn’t possibly leave it in the car to melt. I didn’t want to bring the tote with me that had the iPad, keyboard and my notebooks which I’d be using at Peet’s. So what to do?

Oh well, I thought, I’ll just carry the iPad with me and hope I don’t forget it on the table when I walk away.

Hmmm, I wonder if my iPad would slide inside my purse…

I tried it. It did! Ding, ding, ding, RSOJ RSOJ RSOJ!!!!

Imagine that! My vintage handbag had nary a glimpse into the future when it was constructed decades ago probably to hold theater tickets, white gloves and one of those hankies like Mother had. And now it meets the most modern of times and the two things meld. What are the chances? Fashion, yes, check. Function, YES, check. Love, yes, yes, yes! Can you feel it?

Old meets new and RSOJ fireworks go off!

The iPad slides right in as vintage meets tech

I can’t wait to tell John about my latest RSOJ. He’ll be so tickled.

Oh, and let me explain the guy on the iPad. I set this up just for you. My bestie in Minnesota insisted I start watching the Australian TV series on Netflix called Rake. It’s a comedy about a lawyer in Sydney who’s a real rascal. She insists that our new thing on Netflix is to watch anything Australian. I have to say, I’m loving it!

How are you at organizing your handbags? Do you have tips to share? We’re here to listen!