Mardi Gras Beads and Purses

Katherine Watson here and ready to celebrate Mardi Gras! This weekend's preview is in Langley, on Whidbey Island. It's the annual Langley Mystery Weekend. This is the 36th year of mysteries! And this year's mystery occurred during the rehearsal for the mardi gras parade! I'll be there to put my sleuthing skills to the test, and I'm certain I'll follow the clues and solve the mystery. I've already figured out which purse to carry that will best set off my mask and beads, while being very practical. It's a beaded, vintage white and floral, Lumured purse. This one is from the 1940's. Just look at this amazing beading! The company started making these purses in the 1940's, but really amped up production in the 1950's, and some in the 1960's. The amazing beading will set off my mardi gras beads.

Katherine, let me, Moonjava enlighten with a little history. Mardi Gras actually started its story in medieval Europe.  And the practice of throwing beads was inspired by Renaissance festivals that took place before Lent, where revelers would toss things into the air to celebrate before the coming fast. In New Orleans, it started groovin' 300 years ago. Throwing favors out to celebrate started in the 1840's, and it was in the 1880's that glass beads got their start. As a proud flower child, I'm happy to report that the tradition of women flashing their breasts for beads began right after the hippie sixties - one of my favorite times in history.

The traditional colors of the beads are purple, green, and gold, which represent justice, faith, and power. Originally party goers would toss the beads to people who showed the colors' qualities. So ladies, know that you don't have to show anything more than your character to receive beads.

I'll keep that in mind MJ, in the meantime just look at the intricate, detailed beading on this purse. And although it looks like a straightforward pouch style, it's actually a two sided bag. That will give me plenty of room for all I normally carry on one side, and on the other side the clues I pick up along the way. The beaded handles are strong, yet flexible and very comfortable to carry either in the palm of my hand or on my arm.

The beading on the interior panel is very tight and strong, on a metal frame.

The beads actually shine a little in the right light, and the gold colored beads form the shape of small flowers are woven into the white.

Yes Katherine, the gold beaded flowers show your power in solving mysteries! And my meditation for Mardi Gras is - Let your heart speak to other's hearts

Bags, Basie, Ellington, & All That Jazz with Katherine Watson and MJ

The morning after a Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra celebration of the Battle Royal, when Count Basie and Duke Ellington Bands performed together in 1961. A sound-sational performance.

The '60's is MJ's adopted era - yes, she found herself and her name, Moonjava, in the appeal of the sexy sixties. As Purse Museum historian she'd tell you that The Count Meets the Duke album by American pianists, composers and bandleaders Duke Ellington and Count Basie with their combined Orchestras was recorded and released in 1961. If you listen to a stereo release of the album, Basie's band is featured on the left channel and Ellington's on the right. In the early ’60s, women coveted Hermès Kelly bags, Hermès Constance bags, or Chanel 2.55 bags. In 1961 women loved to carry the long, structured clutch handbags for evening events. I'm more of a hobo bag with fringe flower child.

What a thrilling performance by SRJO

Jazz calls for the sparkles of a beaded clutch, take it from Katherine Watson, amateur sleuth and international purse designer in fiction. This beautiful, contemporary clutch gets its glittery look from plastic specs that just pick up the light in such a pretty way, along with the glow of the sleek, silvery hardware.

And a slick, glittering back to the clutch that will sparkle in the lights at the concert hall, or in the moonlight of a clear night in the last echoes of a brilliant jazz concert.

And such a roomy interior considering the clutch style, not only in width but in length. And a handy pocket for your cards that you want to have easy slip access to. A beautiful evening that ended on a high note that echoed through the holiday weekend. Thanks SRJO!

And to see a real purse museum, plan a visit to Esse in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

                                                            

Valentine Puzzle Purse - Learn Its Mystery

Happy Valentines! What are you carrying Valentines weekend? Share a picture

Take it from me, Katherine Watson, novel amateur sleuth and international purse designer of Kat Out of the Bag mystery available in April, this is a sweet, frame bag to carry on Valentines weekend. Don't you love the hearts etched into the soft fabric? The handles and trim are patent leather with three eye-catching metallic hearts on the front. So romantic!

On the back, the convenience of a zip pocket to keep items handy. I use it for quick access to my cell

Inside, two small pockets on the front panel and a nice zip pocket on the back wall, and room enough for pocket, glasses case, and some small sundries in the interior

Substantial pull on the zipper that snaps into place on the side, above the etched hearts. Love it!

Dear Katherine, let Moonjava enlighten. As the historian at your Purse-onality museum for purses and women's history, I want to share the love and passion of Valentine Puzzle Purses. This is a picture of one dated 1826 and donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by a donor named only as Mrs. Richard Riddell in 1981. These were handmade, folded Valentines with the message of love revealed as they're unfolded. It all started in Victorian England, but also was gifted by Americans. Some of your bloggers may want to give it a try. You know meditation is my thing so here's mine for today - Love, compassion and kindness are the anchors of life

And to see a real purse museum, plan a visit to Esse in Little Rock, Arkansas. 
 

And The Kat is Out of the Bag!

2019 National Handbag Day

It's This Week, on Thursday

Read though and you'll see exciting Kat Out of the Bag news!

Thursday October 10, 2019 is National Handbag Day

What are You carrying?

The Start of it all

This holiday was created by Purseblog to celebrate the importance of handbags in daily life for functional use and for fashion. It is a straightforward way to make a style statement. 

Share Pictures

Join in the fun and share pictures of your bag on social media. It's lovely to see the variety from wristlet to crossbody, satchel to shoulder bag, clutch to tote, and so much more. Are you a big bag girl? Are you a minimalist? The bag you carry can highlight features of your personality.

Purse/Women's History

Did you know that in the early 1900's the term handbag was used to refer to men's hand baggage?

Did you know that one of the three Purse Museums in the world is in America! It's Esse Purse Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. Check out information from my visit to Esse 

Highly recommend that you visit Esse Purse Museum, and they also have an online store!

What Are You Carrying

Share a picture on social media with #NationalHandbagDay

I am contemplating my options . . . . here are my leading contenders - 

My beautiful, impressive, somewhat impractical, leather, best Birkin alternative,
cherished "Cherish Kiss"  

Or there is always my beloved Prada. This one was also my mother's favorite purse ever. It's amazing how much this Prada can hold. The outside zipper slips are so very handy - there are two more on the back too

Christian Siriano, this pretty handbag also has the option to be carried by shoulder strap. Sentimental value here that tugs at my heartstrings, I carried this at my son's wedding

Just look at the incredible functionality of the swagger style of my Christian Siriano. So much organization, and a completely secure zipper section in the middle, flanked by two snap closures

Which one of these would you choose to carry on #NationalHandbagDay?

Enjoy your day!

And Now, The Kat Is Out Of The Bag!

My new mystery novel - Kat Out of the Bag will be published by The Wild Rose Press and will be available soon, in 2020.The mystery starts on National Handbag Day!

‘Murder at the Gala’ is not the headline that couture designer Katherine Watson wanted. At her Purse-onality Museum opening, a showcase of women’s history and purses, the victim is Katherine’s only close friend, the mayor of her hometown. Katherine intended this event would put dull Bayside Washington on the map, but not like this. Guilt for ignoring a death threat drives Katherine to investigate. Can she solve the case before the killer’s next knock off?

Her elegant cat Purrada watches Katherine analyze clues and face clutch situations. She gets to know the town’s residents and their secrets. She matches wits with cop Jason Holmes and his K-9 Hobbs. Holmes and Watson often disagree, yet a romantic tension smolders.

Little known facts and stories about vintage purses and the generations of women who carried them appear throughout the book. A love note found in the lining of one vintage bag leads Katherine to uncover a shocking secret. 

Kat Out of the Bag is coming soon in 2020 from The Wild Rose Press

Author, Wendy Kendall

Vegan Handbagging

Vegan handbagging includes a range of materials - synthetics like plastic and natural materials like cork, kelp, pineapple leaves and other creative and cruelty free materials. Essentially, it's the use of a fake (faux) leather that does not use animal skin. Vegan products don't harm, kill, or exploit animals and don't contain animal products.

You can easily identify vegan purse products when looking for specific labels. One of these is the PeTA-Approved VEGAN label.




Another is the Leaping bunny logo. This is the only internationally recognized symbol guranteeing consumers that no new animal tests were used in the development of any product displaying it.



Concerning designers that offer vegan bags, Stella McCartney is the top designer for this initiative. All  her bags are vegan.Other luxury fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and more primarily use top quality cowhide leather.

Today's blog features two vegan bags -

This beautiful, practical, unbelievably lightweight backpack is from the La Terre Fashion line that sells vegan handbags.

These bags are PeTA-Approved. The feel to the touch is soft, pebbly surfaces. It's embellished with delightful, shiny gold studs that accentuate the rounded lines and outside pockets. Measuring 11" H x 10" W x 7" D, it's deceptively roomy and carries everything you'd conceivably want to in a very organized space.Yet it's so light, at times I've literally forgotten I'm wearing it. The front zipper works well for what you need rrequent, quick and easy access to. On each side is an open pocket that is the perfect size for a water bottle, and is so convenient you can reach around and into it without taking the bag off your back.

All zippers slide so easily. Inside the backpack, the smooth lining is a light color making it so easy to view all you're carrying at a glance. On the back wall is a secure, zipper pocket and on the front wall an open pocket. Back straps are easily adjustable.

The Matt and Nat line also includes vegan, and also recycled materials in it's purses. Their commitment stands boldly in their name - Mat(t)erial + Nature.Sustainable materials such as cork and the linings are made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles. They design and produce their own custom hardware.

Matt and Nat encourage their customers' recycling, When you're through with your bag, ready to buy a new Matt and Nat, you can donate your old bag for someone else to enjoy.

Just look at the shiny, deep black exterior bag that I love to carry. You can't detect any wear in this bag that I have used  so much as a reliable go-to bag. The strap length is very comfortable on the arm or held in my hand. It's a secure, snap closure at the top.It's a great size at 10" H x 14" W x 2" D. It's a nice roomy interior that includes a secure zip pocket securely attached to the back.

And as always the Esse Purse Museum in Little Rock Arkansas, one of only 3 Purse Museums in the world, telling the story of women's history with purses, has a fabulous selection of vegan bags for sale, Of course I also recommend visiting in person. I really enjoyed my visit!




For more gorgeous PeTA recommended purses, backpacks, and more you can check out this PeTA sponsored site  As they say - you don't have to kill animals to get a killer look!

A Purse-onal Story to Treasure - Anne Crowe McMurtrie

This beautiful metal mesh purse belonged to Anne Crowe McMurtrie 1907 - 1998. She lived in Seattle and Bellingham WA. This incredible, historic Whiting and Davis bag was among her all time most prized possessions. When she was out on the town this was on her wrist as she thoroughly enjoyed the clubbing and fun activities of the roaring '20's, and beyond. Thank you so much to her daughter and also her granddaughter, Karen Richstad, who also treasured this fabulous Whiting and Davis family heirloom. If you've never felt a mesh bag, it is truly a treat - soft, smooth, almost silky yet a shiny metal surface that is so flexible in the palm of your hand that it puddles. Whiting and Davis is the genius artistic company for these purses, beginning as a company in 1876 and still in gorgeous business today with purses and also jewelry. Their high quality purses in the 1920's were the coveted accessory of flappers, actresses and well-dressed women everywhere.

The chain mail inspired bags associated with the flapper fashioons of the 1920's were luxury products of jewellers and silversmiths. It was the technical advances of the Whiting and Davis Company that made these more widely available. Early collaborations of Whiting and Davis with eminent fashion names Paul Poiret and Elsa Schiaparelli and continual celebrity endorsements made these bags the forefront of fashion. Anne Crowe McMurtrie's bag is a perfect example of the 1900's coin bag or vanity compact hand bag. The top is a very detailed, round silver. The Chain attached is meant to loop around your fingers, your wrist, or attach to your belt. When opened each came with a very small mirror. As a modern woman you may be thinking, where would I carry all my stuff? There's room with the mirror for small compact, lipstick, perfume, handkerchier, money and a little room left over for whatever else that says - you.

Look at the incredible artistry and detail that still jumps out at you on the top of the hinged lid of this beautifully preserved purse.

What a glorious sparkling accessory. It measures 5" tall and tapers to the top from a bottom width of 4 1/2". The chain hangs almost 5" long. In this shot the hinged gop is flipped open. Dance bags such as Anne McMurtrie's were designed to hang from the wrist so fingers can touch dance partner's fingers. How delightful! Until 1912 this gorgeous mesh was handmade, after that a machine was invented to automate the mesh making process. It's made of small, precious metal rings and are unpainted for the most part, like Anne  McMurtrie's. This striking design comes from a mixture of metal colors, artfully joined rings and metal fringe. By the end of the 1920's flat armour mesh painted in bold Deco designs and Dresden mesh, with tiny rings silkscreened by hand in dreamy Impressionistic shades were created.

Were you wondering how this cute bag opens? With the lid flipped up then the crowning top can expand in a crown that measures just over 3" across

Here's a look at the linen lined interior

Timeless - A bag expresses you to others and to yourself
There are three levels that measure a person's reaction to a purse:
Physical Properties
Performance/Functionality
Reflective/Emotional tie

Can't you visualize clubbing in 1920's Seattle with your friend Anne, with a shining accessory dangling from your wrist, a sophisticated accent to your flapper ensemble.

The original Whiting and Davis tag inside this beautifully preserved treasure.

Anne Crowe McMurtrie in 1948. Now she's carrying a very vogue purse of this era. By the end of the 1940's bag design had become more structured and leathers were dyed in fashionable hues to tone with the fashions of the period. The 1940's bags were made with clasps that are more discreet, and had wide, soft handles.

Anne and Doris in 1951 in downtown Seattle

In the 1920's women dressed with so much fun - shimmering jewels and rich feathers. There was a freedom in the 1920's; a certain liberty and evolution of women. From the 1920's to the 1950's neon-lit streets pulsed with visual excitement. Thank You so much granddaughter Karen Richstad, for sharing a chapter of the treasure of this Whiting and Davis purse's personal story -  in tribute to Anne Crowe McMurtrie

Purses With Purpose - Buzz Aldrin Purses!

Purses with a Purpose - 

What a great combination -  fun purses + helping others

Delighted to find an out-of-this-world purse by Buzz Aldrin where the purchase benefits the 501c3 nonprofit Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Education Foundation which will enable, inspire and educate the game-changers of the future. Of course I bought one! Thank You Buzz Aldrin!

The ShareSpace Foundation, which in its current iteration was founded in 2014 as a non-profit dedicated to inspiring children's passions for science, technology, engineering, arts and math, provides interactive tools to educators across the United States.

It's a 7" height x 9" wide very comfortable crossbody that also fits so nicely on the shoulder. Inside a roomy space for your essentials that is lined in a soft vinyl. There is also a zipper secure roomy pocket along almost the full back side.

The silver flap over is beautifully shiny material that is fashionably highlighted in room and outdoor lighting.

Altogether a well made, fun and light carry that you'll enjoy during the day, and also when the moon rises

This purse is hard to find right now, even online at sharespace.org, but watch for it particularly at aeronautics museum gift stores like the Seattle Museum of Flight and similar spots. And also check Amazon.com for this and for Buzz Aldrin men's wallets.