Honestly, what do you think is inside? What does, Alan Garner,
aka one quarter of the Wolfpack have inside of his “man-bag?” I’m punting for
baby wipes, aspirin, eye drops and a phone card but who knows.
In fact this could lead to quite an addictive
game: Guess the Man Bag Swag.
But I digress.
I’m writing today after a bit of a hiatus for an incredible
reason. To share what gets me through the day. To be inspired to write more. To
open myself up…or at least my handbag. Moneysupermarket.com are running an
amazing competition to win my dream handbag here and that was enough to make me
shout “a handbag?!” Oscar Wilde style.
But then I got all paranoid. What if people
judge me based on the contents of my handbag? In an episode of Boy Meets World
(90's teen romantic comedy featuring such name treats as Tapanga, Minkus and Mr Feeny)
Shawn finds a handbag whose contents enthrall him. Shakespeare sonnets, classical
music, cinema stubs, sweets and lip gloss all lead Shawn to one conclusion: the
owner is his one true love.
Now the power of 90's teen sitcoms aside, how amazing would
it be to be able to express who you are through the contents of your handbag
and how would you protect this part of yourself? Moneysupermarket.com’s contest
also highlights this point by asking bloggers to think about the cost of the
contents in their handbags.
So here it is.
My bag is a white leather handbag from brand Valentina. It
was an ebay buy and cost me the grand total of £15. I love it and of course the very cheap price tag.
My jewel in the crown is my hot pink Ted Baker purse. I love
the shiny pinkness (is that a word?) and the gorgeous patent design just slicks
away scuffs and dirt. But more expensive than most bags I own at £59.
A fan of 60's cat eyes and Bardot glamour, I never leave home
without my eyeliner pen (£5) and my BeneFit They’re Real mascara (£18). And I
feel extra gorgeous when sporting hot pink lipstick by Barry M (£5). Then just
to channel my inner movie star even more I sport large sunnies on the rare occasion
the sun comes out to play. These came from River Island and cost £15.
Hay fever sufferer, sad movie watcher and occasional sneezer,
I always need a pack of tissues on hand and these wrapped in leopard print (my
fave) called my name at £1 for 6 packs.
A self-confessed nerd, I also love to read and am currently
making my way through the veryyyy long Anna Karenina on my Kindle (£169) which I'm sure makes me very cultured indeed (or just more of a dweebus). When
not reading I’m mouthing along to Macklemore’s Thrift Shop on my iPod (£150).
I’ve lost my phone (£100) twice and twice it has been
returned to me. The power of people never ceases to amaze me. Pictures of my dog fill the sim card and first texts from my boyfriend from years gone by are forever saved. My keys
let me into home and work (maybe I should separate them) but I know I’m lucky
to have both.
And at a total cost of £537 I’m shocked at how much so few things can be worth!
I loved leafing through my handbag, if not just to see an up
to date version of myself and wonder, would my boy find my bag and fall in love
with me? I hope so. Here’s hoping Moneysupermarket.com fell in love with this entry and who
knows, maybe next time you see my next “What’s inside my handbag?” post I might
be opening up a Mulberry.
