National Handbag Day is Friday

I've saved something very special for National Handbag Day, October 105th.  A special purchase by a friend.  She's been saving and treated herself to a Michael Kors.  This is a beautiful, limited edition, "Hamilton in apple green".  It can shape as a tote, or snap the ends in for a lovely satchel.  Use the short straps, or clip on the shoulder strap.

It's a treat for the blog too.

What will you be carrying on Friday for National Handbag day?

Happy 193rd Birthday Louis Louis

 Happy 193rd birthday to Louis Vuitton, the man not the brand.

But go ahead if you also feel like celebrating beautiful works of art for the arm like this classic Louis Vuitton satchel.

At 14 years old he ran away from home and arrived in Paris 2 years later.  He found work as a box-maker's apprentice which was a highly respected craft at the time.

He was later hired as the Empress of France's personal box-maker and packer.  His duties included, "packing the most beautiful clothes in an exquisite way."  He obviously took that objective to heart.  Voila!

And you can take to heart that the double zipper on this satchel zips all the way around and down to the bottom of the bag for a huge, gusseted, easy access to all you've packed to carry.

 

 

The inside coral, linen lining makes finding just what you need tout de suite so easy.  There's also a zippered pocket and in this classic style, the label

Louis Vuitton

Paris

made in France



Disco Donation

Last dance
Last dance for love
Yes, it's my last chance
For romance tonight
I I need you by me
Beside me, to guide me
To hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad

So let's dance the last dance
Let's dance the last dance
Let's dance this last dance tonight
Donna Summer
Queen of Disco

A trip back to the 1970's and the lovable disco era. Donna sang it and I danced it. Notice the jagged edge hemline in my favorite disco dress, the blousy top, the spaghetti straps . . .

and of course the small disco purse you could wear while dancing your moves to Donna, to the Bee Gees, and more!

I'm dedicating this blog entry to my sister Joan who gave me this beloved disco purse for my 21st birthday for when I went out in San Francisco during the peak disco fun era. I was addicted to disco, and I loved this purse.  It was great to leave the big, leather, flap closure generic shoulder bag of the '70's at home, and dance the steps and twirl the twirls with my date - little disco bag flying. Now that's style'in

Look at that intricate, beautiful weaving.  And see the strategically placed knots on the woven strap, for display.  And that perfectly fuzzy tassle.

The Esse Purse Museum at Little Rock, Arkansas is an amazing and comprehensive collection of 20th century purses recording women's herstory.  But I did find one tiny purse puzzle piece that was missing.  The 1970's was missing an actual disco purse.  I am so excited to be donating my beloved disco bag to Esse to be immortalized at the museum.  Thank you to my sister Joan!  When you all visit Esse, please look for my purse in the 1970's where it takes its' rightful place in herstory.

When you visit Esse Purse Museum, if you happen to find a purse puzzle piece missing and want to donate, you can.  See Esse link here -
http://essepursemuseum.com/purse-donation/

You didn't need much on the disco floor.  Here you see that I carried Almay to rub on the roses in my cheeks.  And it was Avon that provided the gloss on my lips.  Both had to be freshened periodically through the night.  A girl needed some cash, I didn't have any credit cards yet. Inside also my driver's license, student id, and keys.  Notice the snap closure to keep all secure through the twirls.

That's right, these were days long before cell phones, no cell phone pocket.

See the silky lining behind the woven exterior.  And notice no label, this is a generic bag.

I admit it, it's difficult for me to see the back of my beloved disco bag as I will pack it for mailing to Esse Purse Museum.  So many fun memories! But those memories will be "Stayin' Alive" (thanks Bee Gees) in Seattle in my heart, and will be suggested in the display in Little Rock

During the tremendous Disco Daring times, I harbor only one regret. I could never afford those amazing platform shoes with the flashing lights in the heels that flashed on the dance floor every time your heel hit the ground.  Talk about ground breaking!  At the time this was the most amazing new novelty of technology, and I coveted every pair I saw.

Of course, soon after disco fever the cost of these flashing shoe lights went way down and became favorites in children's shoes.  Both my sons enjoyed this novelty.  Ah well, c'est la vie.

In the profound words of the Bee Gees, I want to encourage you to get up and move - "You should be dancin', yeah!"
 

Morgan Hill Jewelry at Esse

Store Manager Lara Kahler, she's on the far left in the picture, makes sure the Esse Store has fabulous purses for sale, and even more items. Next to Lara in the picture are Anita Davis, Owner/Collector/Visionary, and next to her on the right is Laura Hardy Public Relations and incredible Wordsmith.

Among other things for sale are books, stationary, clever cards, scarves, and jewelry.  One of the jewelry collections sold is by a resident artist. 

Artist and Esse Shop Gal Morgan Hill, she's the fourth on the right in this picture of the Ladies of Esse, is a wonderful jewelry designer. Morgan has a BFA in Furniture Design and Woodworking, and designs unique jewelry treasures that are sold at the Esse Store. Her classic lines in wood bring a new dimension to your accessories.

With the popularity of selfies these days, I thought I'd try it.  I just got home from work and am relaxing on my backyard balcony.  I'm wearing my Morgan Hill necklace.  This geometric piece gives me a splash of color against an otherwise rather plain, beige dress.  The sparkling silver chain is the perfect complement to the light weight wood.  I've received so many compliments on this necklace.

For variety, my necklace is reversible, with the neon green now hidden you can see a deep blue.

 



It was hard for me to decide on a single piece from Morgan Hill's selection, but now you can see what turned the tide. Blue and Green are Seahawks colors! In addition to wearing my necklace for work and personal life - it's obviously ideal for Seahawks game days! This isn't what Morgan had in mind, and isn't what the NFL had in mind with their jerseys either, but this will be a winner among the 12th man gatherings and tail gatings.

 

 

Go Hawks!

And go look for Morgan Hill Jewelry on Pinterest - 
 Morgan Hill on Pinterest



Ready for Take Off From Esse

Esse's display of 20th century travel bags is delightful. Oh how travel fashion has evolved. Here's just a glimpse into a small sample you'll see.

Confronting  my own packing to return to Seattle, I found I was a bag short for all I was bringing home. What better predicament to be in while browsing the Esse Gift Store! I found this modernized version of the classic Pan Am carry all. It's all the classic lines and logos, but stepped up with more pocket storage and softer/lighter materials but with a very sturdy structure. Carry this over the shoulder with the most comfortable shoulder strap I've run into for some time, or carry by hand. Strong straps too!  Believe me, I really stuffed this bag, but it showed no strain. When I was straightening out after the TSA security, one of the inspectors had a chuckle at my expense and mentioned that he'd never seen so much stuff packed in a bag this size.



I had so many compliments on this bag at the airport, from employees and from other travelers. These pictures are taken at home in Seattle, and the bag is still in mint new condition despite the voluminous packing and the long trip across the country, from Little Rock to Memphis / from Memphis to Dallas / 3 hour delay for the connecting flight / from Dallas to Seattle.

You can see lots of the roomy pockets in this picture. The zippered side pockets are so handy as you're carrying it to grab things out, or to put things in.  The front pocket is almost the full length of the bag, with a velcro closure.  And look on the left side to see the zipper pull for the hidden pocket inside that front slide pocket. And don't forget, the other picture shows the back which has its own big slide pocket with a velcro close. Great!

Check out my big, fat notebook calendar with all my works and writings zippered inside easily fitting in the back slide pocket. Easy access so I can work on it at the airport or on a plane. This pocket would easily fit a full size laptop. This picture shows you the duo zipper pulls for opening the main, center section of the bag.

Here you see the inside. Don't you love the airplanes lining! The light color makes it easy to find everything you have inside. See the side pocket on the one side.



In the process of slipping my phone into the side pocket. It easily fits all the way inside and securely zippered in, but quick, one-handed access.

Here's the inside pocket on the other side. Suddenly these pictures are making me think, I need to pack and take off on fun travels again.

Esse Vintage

Back to Esse Purse Museum, & Store in Little Rock, Arkansas. This time my browsing nets a wonderful, Vintage find. 

There she sat before me, just behind a couple of other pretty handbags, I was drawn to this lovely Vintage White and Floral Beaded. She called to me and I answered. The tag said (as is), I didn't want it any other way. This has been a loved bag. In the spirit of the museum, I could vividly imagine the interesting women that had carried this purse in the past.

Here's a close up of the intricate beading, showing off the delicate flowers. Turns out this is a Lumured handbag from the 1950's. This was a very popular handbag maker in New York, for that time

See the thick beading on the straps! Here's the purse from one side when it's closed.  In the next picture, check it out when it opens!

That's right, it opens from both sides!  There's so much room for carrying all you want, yet not looking bulky. And on one side there's a forward thinking slide pocket.

See how the sturdy center panel is fully beaded, and that's on both sides.

Just think of all the places this purse has been.  And now its' travels continue from Little Rock to Seattle.  My Lumured and I were cutting edge Vintage at the Chihuly Museum 10th Anniversary Party last weekend.

Here's the Space Needle as seen through the glass ceiling of the Chihuly Glass Pavilion, part of the museum.  Framing the Needle is part of a tremendous, suspended glass sculpture of vines and flowers that is stunning all along the entire ceiling of this very large Pavilion.

Esse Gift Shop and Luxuriously Lingering Over Decisions

On my trip I was lucky enough to have time on two separate days to visit Esse Purse Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.

http://essepursemuseum.com/

  Thank goodness I had time because contemplating my purchases in the gift shop took time.  This was truly luxurious lingering as I pondered what I'd take home to Seattle.  Well, I needed a new and fashionable bag to carry in my everyday, active life.  Something versatile, but eye-catching.

Sort of like these fun mannequin displays in the Esse Museum.

And I pondered some more.  I'm so interested in expanding the barely existent Vintage presence in my personal collection.  I'd love to take home a fabulous, Vintage find.

And I definitely needed a new big bag to take home on the plane because of the wonderful, fun time I had in Little Rock and nearby Memphis, Tn on my trip.  How else to get my great souvenirs back to Seattle.

Did I mention that I love a bag that is truly a work of art?  That's what I found in this beautiful, all material, woven, fabric purse from a Los Angeles designer called "Material Things". 
http://www.mthandbags.com/

This bag is amazing art, and the most practical, functional fun I've carried on my arm, and back!  Yes, here's the surprise.  With the fabric handles slid through like in this picture, I can carry on my arm, so comfortable and light weight.  But you'll see, with the handles slid through the back, in the wink of an eye this is an urban backpack.  So convenient!  This bag is all natural, and also a natural.

Notice the beautiful and large zippered pocket on the front?  There's another one on the back as well for keeping necessities close at hand for fast access.

A sturdy snap holds the front and back together at the top.  When you unsnap you see the very secure zipper that will gain you access to the insides of my new bag.  Don't you just love the artistic mix of materials and the complementatary colors and patterns!

Unzipping!  See how the sturdy fabric handles automatically fall away and out of the way as you're opening this purse up.

Well, I love all bags, but in my everyday life I do gravitate toward being a big bag girl because I always have so much to carry.  I am a pack mule.  But the roominess of this bag even impresses me.  I have yet to fill it up more than halfway.  Yet, with the unique design, this purse does not carry like a big bag at all.  You can see part of the zipper for the zippered pocket just above the label in this picture.

Voila! In an instant its closed and the straps are pulled to be a material backpack.  Well, I guess I am a Material Girl after all.

Next blog I'll tell you all about the incredible Vintage find that I embraced.  In fact, I'll be carrying that with me tonight when I attend the 10th Anniversary Party at the Chihuly Museum in Seattle, right next to the Space Needle.

But I will tell you this, I'm going back to Esse and when I do I'll be picking up a wonderful Anya Sushko work of art, like this one front and center on Anita Davis' (Esse Visionary) desk.  Despite plans for a return trip someday, I can't wait until Esse has an online gift shop.

http://essepursemuseum.com/
 

Esse Purse Museum - A Dream Trip in Herstory

I'm so excited to tell you about my incredible trip to the Esse Purse Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. What a wonderful destination; I highly recommend a visit!

Of only 3 Purse Museums, this is the only one in the United States.

A splendid collection spanning the entire 20th century, there's so much to see. Beautiful displays artistically capture the essence of women through the decades. As if its not enough just to see all these purses collected, they are really the vehicle for exploring the herstory of women.

This is the herstory of the real women, who have been the backbone of the family and society, not limited to celebrities. I greatly appreciate the way this museum brings our women's herstory to life.



The dynamic women who bring us the treasure of Esse are all so creative, friendly and engaging, I know you will enjoy meeting them on your visit.  Here they all are in the captivating gift store. From left, Lara Kahler, Anita Davis (Visionary), Laura Hardy, and Morgan Hill.

Morgan also has a beautiful jewelry line that is featured. Yes, I treated myself to two wonderful purses from the Esse collection, and a wonderful necklace from the Morgan Hill collection.



Owner, collector, and visionary Anita Davis in her beautiful office, which reflects her creativity and artistic appreciation.



This is just the tip of the iceberg of the incredible collection.

This is a different kind of weigh in that's lots of fun.  When you sign the guest book you get to weigh your purse and record the weight.  It's lots of fun to skim through the guest book and see what women are carrying.

The beautiful vision for Esse; a thoughtful tug at your heart.

It's really what's inside that counts, and reveals some of our herstory

Everyday woman on the move

Fascinating!  I have studied about war rationing in England, and am so interested to see the war rationing coupons at the Esse display.

A lovely evening bag, one of many displayed.

I was lucky to be at Esse during a temporary exhibit of vintage hats. Another piece of herstory that I very much enjoyed. 

Here's my favorite purse in the exhibit, although there were many that tied for 2nd place favorites. I hadn't seen a Whiting & Davis before, and it really grabbed me. Can you imagine, this intricate design is on both sides of the beautiful, metallic bag.

Yes, I did buy 2 purses and a pretty necklace, but you'll have to wait for the next blog entry to see the wonderful buys I brought home from the Esse gift shop.  To learn more about Esse, as you plan your own visit, take a look at their web page at http://essepursemuseum.com/

Any of you who have already visited Esse, blog in on what was your favorite purse?