Anyone who knows me knows the joke… they call me a purse fanatic. Let me explain. I’m a simple woman. I don’t want a closet full of purses. In fact, I want ONE purse and I’ve looked for “the one” forever. Until just recently, I’d buy a bag that showed promise, carry it for awhile and decide I needed to keep looking. I’d donate bags as quickly as I acquired them.

I finally found it and by doing so, I realized that I’d been approaching the purse search all wrong. If there are too many “organizational” pockets, I loose stuff (or I forget where something is supposed to go and everything ends up all dumped in the bottom) and I have purse-chaos.

It wasn’t lots of pockets and dividers and zippers I needed. (Too many of those and I spend my life hunting for stuff.) What I needed was a comfortable-to-carry bag made of supple, fabulous leather in a dark brown to go with everything. What I needed was to rethink what I carry everywhere and then find a bag that works for ONLY what I need.

With that said, I’ll admit I carry a lot. I’m a geek and it shows.

My Purse

Yeah, that’s right. My purse. I found a great bag — the “ideal” purse I’ve been seeking for years and years (possibly decades). It’s a great little Frank Clegg bag that I picked up at a second hand shop for a song — three bucks to be exact. It’s not “high-tech” but it’s perfect for me. The bag is hand-made and the leather is so nice I find myself “petting” it when I carry it or when it’s beside me in the truck. Yeah, it’s really THAT nice. It’s so nice that I bought a Kindle Fire to go in it.

Ok, maybe I was considering a smaller tablet because the iPad was just too big to be a “carry everywhere” device… but it sure fits in this bag like it was a purposeful thing.

It has three main interior sections – two largish ones and a central divider pocket for that “little stuff” I need to grab all the time. It also has a single slotted pocket in the back interior that fits my Bionic perfectly (all the while keeping it free from scratches and in a location where I can always find it quickly and can return it to the proper place with ease). It also offers a slotted back pocket.

The strap is a single, broad slice of leather that doesn’t constantly slip off my shoulder. I’d tried long straps, I’d tried double-straps, I’d tried “cross body” styles. All of those kept me in a constant battle with keeping the thing in place. This strap is naturally “no-slip” and it’s just long enough that the purse fits under my arm and I can “hold” it with an elbow without effort or thought. THAT’s nice.

It’s not huge, but it’s large enough for my essentials (including the Fire, which has its own dedicated pocket). It also expands as needed and goes sleek and flat when not stuffed. If a bag is too deep, stuff lands in the bottom and I have to “dig” for it. I’m so sick of that!

The coolest thing is the flap. I’ve always fought flaps. If they are too big, I have to fight them to get them out of the way so I can access the purse. Catches and zippers make that problem worse — but I like the idea of a secure closure so I don’t lose things. The X design of the leather front means the flap tucks in easily and is fast to un-tuck to get what I need. It’s perfect.

Clegg doesn’t make this model anymore, unfortunately, but I’m hoping mine will last for many MANY years to come. After two months with it going everywhere I go, I think it just might. If anything, it looks BETTER the more I use it. Isn’t THAT refreshing?

If you want one of your own, you might keep an eye out over on eBay. But, I’ll just warn you… if I find it first, I’ll have a “backup” tucked away incase something happens to this one!