There’s no nicer way to say it: The day I found five gloves in my purse was the day I realized I needed to get my shit together.
FIVE gloves? Five almost-but-not-actually identical gloves?! How none of them matched is beyond me. My thought process went quickly from Ooh, look, a glove! to Two gloves! to How many gloves have I purchased? and finally What else is in this Mary Poppins bag of garbage? (Hint: Actual garbage, in some cases. Trying to reseal that 25-cent bag ‘o chips to save for later seemed smart at the time, but was, alas, foolish.)
As a result, I became weird-obsessed with organization. Please note that I did not say ‘weirdly obsessed,’ as my house is laughably — cry-ably — cluttered, meaning I obsess over weird little things like my purse or a drawer but I ignore the larger issue of everything in this apartment and my car. I bought a makeup bag and a medicine bag and a coin purse and a pouch for store cards and a coupon envelope and a sunglasses case and a smaller bag for every item to go inside my larger bag. Before long, the bag was cluttered with more bags, which I assume is the secret to opening the portal of ironic hell. I wasted a bunch of money and solved zero problems.
And then I fell off the bandwagon (bagwagon?), and my bag — which grew much larger with age — returned to its wasteland-like appearance. It was full of loose utensils and spare change, ticket stubs and gum wrappers, all peppered with tangled chargers and a light film of dry cereal dust. At the time, I drove a car so old that when every employee car was burglarized, mine — which had an iPod Mini sitting on the seat because I’m an idiot — was ignored. My, albeit charming, apartment was even older and quite literally falling apart. Why would my purse be the one tidy part of 18-year-old Julia?
My disorganized ways came to a screeching halt one day, on my way out the door to Taco Bell. I remember it well, only wanting to leave and get a sweet, sweet mango Frutista Freeze… I worked at Border’s in college (RIP Border’s, I miss that sale rack and the Raspberry Cream latte more than you know) and, like many retail stores, we did bag checks at the end of shifts or before leaving for break. I opened my disheveled purse for the cafe manager to look in and waited for her to approve my exit so I could get my delicious frozen treat. Then she gasped.
“Oh, Julia…”
“What?”
Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Applesauce.”
That’s one hell of a word to hear someone say ominously.
I had brought a foil-lid applesauce cup to work, because I like the same snacks I did as a child, and a stray RSVP ink pen stabbed it—and subsequently, my figurative heart—right in the middle. The store-brand cinnamon applesauce leaked into my purse and all over everything, including my Blackberry* (RIP) and outdated-but-beloved iPod Mini (RIP) named Johnny Catastrophe. I was betrayed by one of my all-time-favorite snacks… and it was because of one of my all-time-favorite tools. Or rather, it was because my pens were floating around in the bottom, not in a case.
*Minor perk: Trying to convince a cellphone employee you didn’t ruin your phone with water is easy when it was, in fact, fruit puree.
So I turned back to purse organization. Unfortunately, I settled for heavy items from a discount store that left my bag weighed down and left me limping around campus. These days, after obviously learning my lesson, I stick with lightweight bags, like these cuties sent to me by LeSportsac. Now, if your bag feels too heavy, it’s actually because you’re carrying way too much stuff. No more blaming the purse.
Because these LeSportsac bags are so durable and lightweight, they are perfect for travel — both on the train and once you’ve reached your destination. I just got back into town, and using this lightweight purse made all-day touring a breeze. Be gone, sore purse shoulder!
Currently wearing… Signature Helana Satchel c/o LeSportsac [HERE in current colors] | Hat, World Market [SIMILAR] | Scarf, Nordstrom Rack [SIMILAR] | Shirt, Old Navy [SIMILAR] | Jacket, UO [SIMILAR] | Jeans, AE [HERE] | Boots, c/o Naturalizer [HERE] | Earrings, Nordstrom Rack [SIMILAR] | Necklace, c/o Pitaya | Belt, vintage
See? Lightweight. (Plus, it comes with an un-pictured shoulder strap [seen below] for more travel convenience.) I contemplated taking photos to highlight the lightweight nature, like me throwing it without strain, but I’m too emotionally attached to assault my new purse.
To keep my bag organized — without owning a million teeny bags — I keep everything sorted. Oh, and I bring non-leaking snacks now. Lesson learned. Never. Again.
Inside my purse… LeSportsac cosmetics bag, LeSportsac tech bag, LeSportsac papers bag, glasses, sunglasses, keys and LeSportsac Key Coin Pouch [c/o], Ice Breakers, the Purse Hippo, Liz Clairborne wallet, a snack, TicTacs, and Trident Gum
Yes, I carry a small plastic hippo. Lance bought it for me years ago as a mascot for inside my bag. It’s hilarious.
Inside my tech bag… MyCharge external battery, headphones, and a phone charger | Small Passerby Cosmetic bag c/o LeSportsac [HERE]
Inside my papers bag… Coupons, business cards, and pens | 3-Zip Cosmetic bag c/o LeSportsac [HERE]
Inside my cosmetics bag… Bandages, Starbucks napkins, tissues, tampons, a sanitary pad, flossers, Chapstick, It Cosmetics face powder, hair brush, Butter London lipstick, pain relievers, hair ties, a spare earring back, extra nose rings, tweezers, Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream, Benefit Boi-ing concealer, Model Co. Party Proof lipstick, and hand sanitizer | Kevyn cosmetic bag c/o LeSportsac [HERE]
Notice the multiple compartments in my cosmetics bag? There is a large compartment and two mesh smaller options, meaning I’m organized in my organization tool. I know, I know: Mind-blowing. It’s like handbag Inception.
See more of my LeSportsac style here!
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