Number 14 on the list asks “What is in my handbag?” and while I realise that isn’t exactly a groundbreaking subject it did make me think. I have several handbags (or purses if you prefer) which I swap out for different days and occasions but I usually come back to my favourite. It’s a sunshine yellow satchel that I wear across my body, from the moment I saw it I knew that I’d buy it.
I’ve never been a girly girl, a handbag or shoe girl, hell not even close to fashionable but this bag called out to me. It was bright and cheerful and completely out of my price range for what I would normally spend on anything and frivolous as a bag. That said it’s faux leather with a pretty floral print lining, a couple of pockets and not a lot of room. And that is part of the appeal. Ever since I was little I would always overpack for every occasion, silly amounts of books, art supplies, music on cassette tape (showing my age there) and toys. I never worried about clothing as that was usually my mum that packed all that in a suitcase but my own bag would be full to bursting. I’ve never been great at parting with things or taking the bare minimum when travelling but over the years of moving and packing I’ve whittled it down to the items I love above everything else and mostly things of sentimental value. So when this handbag came into my life it joined the one other bag that I owned, a yellow patchwork cloth bag that I made for myself when I was trying out yet another thing to sell.
The interior space allows me to carry a handful of things plus my mobile phone – an iPhone 4s (I need an upgrade so badly) which is not pictured below as that’s what I took the picture with.
Now I grant you there’s usually some loose change in the bottom and maybe a stray receipt but that’s basically it these days for a casual day out. Work days are a little different, I’ve got my makeup, my apron and two wrist braces to contend with as well so sometimes the yellow bag gets left behind in favour of a larger cloth bag.
There’s my wallet, a pen, a notebook, my eye drops, keys, painkillers, lipstick and the bottle my husband gave me – the lumpy thing with wings. Most of that is pretty self-explanatory I think, the wallet has a bunch of cards, shops cards, ID and silly notes etc.. The notebook is for when I inevitably need something to write on – hence the pen.
The lipstick I don’t wear that much, I’ve never been a fan, I’ve hated the taste for as long as I can remember however this one is a little different. My sister gave it to me and it’s just basic packaging as it’s a sample from the makeup company she works for but it’s really nice! It’s slightly flavoured with chocolate and is a plum red/brown colour.
The bunch of keys have my work, home and car keys plus a few that I’m entirely sure of the use for at this point. There’s also some store cards and two key rings, one has the crest of the former Royal Hong Kong Police, my Dad was an officer, and the other has two pieces of film from movies inside it. I used to work in a cinema and sometimes the film projector would stick so tiny sections, no more than a frame or two would sometimes have to be cut out to remove issues with the film. The two films I have in there are the original Pirates of the Caribbean and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
The painkillers go hand in hand (no pun intended) with my wrist braces to help with my carpal tunnel syndrome that I have in both hands. I’m getting surgery but for now, the braces are there to help out when it gets bad.
The last item goes in any bag I take with me, whatever the occasion and whatever the bag. It was a gift from my husband when we got married and I had to come back to the UK leaving him behind in the USA. It’s a glass phial sealed with string and wax with two little wings on it. Inside the bottle is a little bit of soil from where we were living in the USA so that wherever I go I have a little bit of where he is with me. Maybe it’s weird to some but for me, it’s a little bit of the USA that I can keep with me to remind me of where we’ve been, how far we’ve come and the adventures we might have one day.
What kinds of things do you carry with you? Do you have good luck charms, trinkets or a photo you just can’t leave home without? Leave a comment and let me know!
21 Reasons 