a good week = three new bags

I'm a bag girl. So is Kate (an entire closet in her house is devoted just to bags and dresses). When I visited her last weekend in Providence (those pictures are coming soon), I told her I was on the hunt for a new bag. If I'm not biking, I need a bag for work that will fit my wallet, makeup bag, a book, shoes, a wrap, and a laptop. It also needs to have compartments for a little notebook, gum, my MP3 player, and phone. So it needs to be really sturdy--ones I've bought from Target have cracked under the pressure of carrying my heavy loads.

Kate took me to a shop called Strada and introduced me to Ellington bags. She bought one last fall and swears by it. She says she hasn't used any other bags since--a pretty strong statement from girls like us who love buying new bags.

I ended up buying this bag in red (admittedly, Kate spied it first and was going to buy it for herself. She graciously let me have it, but then this week bought another one online.)
Doesn't look like much, right? You can't tell in this picture what a smart design it has, including four outer pockets perfect for carrying water bottles, shoes, umbrellas, etc.; two large interior pockets, one with compartments for phone, pens, and a clasp for keys; two additional zipped interior pockets; a very roomy interior; and a zipped pocket that lets you slide it over a luggage handle.

I got to know this bag really well waiting all day in the airport when my flight was delayed, and it was a godsend. It's sturdy, all canvas (so vegan, which is nice), fits my laptop and all my essentials, and the compartments made it easy to find my plane tickets, itinerary, etc. I'll definitely use this bag for travel, but it's quickly becoming my go-to work bag too (easy to find my bus pass and other necessities quickly).

I loved it so much that I just bought another Ellington bag!
This is the same one Kate has. She uses it for work and for going places with her two-year-old son. Like the tote I bought, this has four exterior pockets, lots of compartments, is very roomy inside, and is very sturdy. It's smaller, so I'll use it to whenever I'm out and about and need to carry my camera, a water bottle, a wrap, and other necessities. It will be great for exploring places on day and weekend trips since it fits so much. I can't wait to get it in next week!

In addition to the Ellington bags, I bought a bike messenger bag from REI that I desperately needed. I use an old backpack, which is pretty embarrassing since big backpacks are so ten years ago (which is pretty much when I got it). Dave has the same bag and says it fits nicely and doesn't swing when he's riding, is waterproof, and is roomy enough inside for my laptop, shoes, change of clothes, and everything else I carry to work. I'll pick it up from REI next week.
My idea of a great week: one where I get three new bags!