For a while now, I’ve been intending to blog about my purse, which may sound like a seriously trivial subject, but bear with me. A couple of years ago, my friend Dena set up a side business with her niece producing one-of-a-kind, handmade purses, and since that time, she’s been generous enough to give me several of them. My favorite is made of an embroidered-look material, black with simple flowers and buds and vines, and with a lovely silky black lining. For ages, I just had it sitting in my room because I felt like it was too nice to use on a regular basis. But about a year ago, I decided to start using it, and I discovered that I loved it even more on my shoulder than I did on my dresser.

Something about this purse just makes me feel special. I think the fact that it’s unique and looks expensive gives me an added boost of confidence — so if I go into a slightly upscale store, for instance, I feel like the staff judges me by my purse and not by my average-looking jeans and shirt. And of course, the purse reminds me of my far-away friend, and that’s good too.

I recently bought a new purse with a bit of my birthday money. I almost didn’t buy it, since I’m so happy with my current purse, but Mom twisted my arm. And it is, quite frankly, adorable, despite not being nearly as roomy as my embroidery purse. I’m taking it out for a spin tomorrow, since it will coordinate nicely with what I’m wearing to church. But after that, my stuff goes back into its regular home; the new toy won’t be replacing my older favorite.