Review of January's bags

In January I took to testing out a bag that I didn't use in 2014. It was my black Kate Spade Wellesley Elena tote - After a month of using her for work I have decided to keep her (at least for now). She was originally purchased for work and she has lived up to her standards. After using her for so long on a regular basis, she is much easier to carry than I remembered and the only thing that keeps me from loving her 100% is that she is very structured and I'm used to having some saggy-ness in my bags. All in all though, I love looking at her and since I find her much easier to carry now, I will be keeping her.

Weekends are when I switched out my bags for smaller bags and the first weekend, I switched into my white gold Cole Haan "Village II" zip satchel - I love this bag. It's size, versatile color and convertible wear (hand-held, or shoulder/crossbody) makes this one of my favourite bags in my closet. Not to mention, I got it at a steal last year and its cost per wear is well into the single digits.  

For my second weekend, I was spending it at my parents and didn't need much so I decided to go for my Coach small hobo (I think from the Soho collection) in brown leather - this was a bag that I was trying to sell in 2014, but with no success, I tried to use her again and found her to be quite comfortable. I mostly use larger bags (the usual size of my bags are at least the size of the Cole Haan mentioned above) so this is quite a stretch for me. I have learned how to use it and it now works great - in fact, I ended up using her for most of the remaining weekends in January. While I won't be buying any more bags in this size or style, I am glad I did not part with this beauty because her leather is phenomenal and I love watching her leather change. 

Happy New Year! and 2015's debut bag and SLG combination

Happy New Year to everyone! 

Thanks for all the support you have shown me in 2014 when I started my journey. I'm really hoping to continue on my path towards minimalism and staying focused on my goals. Blogging about it has really made me accountable and more aware of my wardrobe and lifestyle choices, and I look forward to sharing my ups and downs with you. In fact, I have enjoyed blogging so much that I'm getting a bit distracted from work, so I will be posting only on Tuesdays and Fridays (with the exception of this post =)). 

As the new year begins, it's time for a fresh start so I'm starting with an overhaul of my bag and its contents. 

One of my resolutions is to continue to use and assess the bags I currently have and decide what to do with some of the bags I didn't use in 2014. 

I'm going to start the year off with a saffiano leather Kate Spade Wellesly Elena tote that I purchased at the outlets for the purpose of a polished, professional look. I have used it in previous years but did not take it out in 2014. 

I very much like its structured shape and how well it holds itself up on its own, as well as its organized interior - all great for meetings when I have to bring pitch books and need to reach into my bag to easily grab things I need. However, her pluses are also her minuses - because she is so structured, there is no give and it means that I cannot pack her too full and for someone who takes transit to work on a regular basis, this is a slight problem; added, I have to leave enough room for pitch books so this really leaves me with one side of the bag for 'personal' items. This is a bag that I have been debating whether to keep or let go - her structured, professional look and indestructible material make her a keeper but her lack of space keeps me thinking... 

For my wallet, I have chosen this coated canvas Coach Poppy zippered wallet - this was a 'because I love you' gift from my then-bf, now husband, and she has seen much use. 

I have semi-retired her as she is beginning to show signs of wear (although not bad for a 5 year old wallet) but since my husband will be away for 2 months, I have decided to bring her out while he is gone so I something from him to carry with me every day =) This wallet actually made me realize how much I like zippered wallets and with this bag I'm carrying, knowing that everything in my wallet will be secured and compact, is much appreciated! 

For those of you who do not use a key holder, I highly recommend it. My keys used to be loose until my brand new LV Epi Sarah fell victim to a cluster of key marks - ever since then, I have been using a key holder. I have 2 key holders and for 2015, I will be switching into a brown leather Fossil keyholder, given to me by a friend and fellow co-worker during my university days in Toronto. 

I can actually fit a substantial amount of keys, plus lipbalm, eyedrops, and perfume; also great for bobby pins, hair ties, and loose change. 

For make-up and random first-aid bits and pieces, I'm going simple and just using a Bodyshop pouch - simple, light and spacious. For those extra VIP cards and coupons of the sorts, I'm using my Coach made for factory keyholder that I was using last year for my keys. 

These will all fit nicely into one side of the bag, with enough room for an umbrella, leaving me with the other half free for my pitch books, pencil case, and calculator. I have learned to leave the middle zippered section empty, or for small amounts of paper as it bulges and makes it hard for me to access my stuff on the sides.