The Search for the Perfect Gold Handbag

Last week, I mentioned in my Five On Friday post that I was in search of the perfect gold handbag.  After much deliberation, the search is over!

What do I look for in a handbag? 

I am not one to pay a lot… most of mine come from Target and are under $30 or $40.  The thought of spending more than that makes me cringe… don’t get me wrong, designer handbags are gorgeous and I wouldn’t be one bit mad if, say, Coach decided that they just had to send one to me, but I just cannot bring myself to spend the same amount on a handbag that I would spend on a large TV.  Or a piece of furniture.  I would buy 35 Target handbags before I would buy one very expensive one.   

And y’all, the older I get, the pickier I am about them… it used to be all about the look, but now function is just as important, and I have a lot of requirements: 

• At least two large separate compartments – one for my wallet and makeup bag, and one for my planner.  I don’t like for everything to be loose and floating around in there, because inevitably, whatever I need at any given time will have made its way to the bottom and I won’t be able to find it.
• A massive zipper pocket large enough to hold ear buds, lotion, medicine (ibuprofen, etc.), emergency inhaler, epi-pen (I’m allergic to a lot of things and I have seasonal asthma – so lame.), and a plethora of other odds and ends.
• An inside pen pocket and cell phone pocket
• An outside zipper pocket for easy access to my keys

All three look great on!

Handbag # 1: The Walmart Handbag, Found Here 

Pros – Two large separate compartments, a massive zipper pocket, and a bonus small inside zipper pocket 

Cons – No inside pen pocket or cell phone pocket, and no outside zipper pocket…  Seriously, what were they thinking??   

Verdict – While I loved the style and size of the handbag, I didn’t love the shade of gold… it just didn’t look as nice as the other two bags (which is expected since it was from Walmart), and I also didn’t like the lock charm hanging on the front.  None of that really matters, though, because the lack of pockets was a deal breaker.  I just can’t wrap my mind around why they didn’t include pockets!  Where the heck do you put your phone?!  I couldn’t return this bag fast enough! 

Handbag # 2: The Amazon Handbag, Found Here

Pros – Two large separate compartments, a massive zipper pocket, cell phone and pen pockets, a bonus small inside zipper pocket, and an outside zipper pocket!!  Score!! 

You would think this would be the winner, right?!  It has everything!  But it wasn’t…  

Cons – Super floppy, weighs about ten tons without anything in it, doesn’t stand up by itself, handle is always in the way, and I don't like the black interior... it looks like a black hole and I'm afraid everything would get sucked in and lost!

Verdict – While this handbag has every single feature I am looking for, the design is just awful!  The purse has to weigh at least two pounds with nothing in it.  Add all of my crap to it and that’s just a recipe for a future shoulder surgery!  Seriously, I have enough stuff of my own to put in there… I don’t need the purse weighing more than the stuff itself.  Also, it is so floppy!  There is no support whatsoever, and the handle is always in the way!  You’d never even be able to open it appropriately to get anything out.  I’m so easily frustrated, I would end up throwing it out the window the first time I had to get my wallet out to pay for something.  On top of all of that, the gold color and overall look just doesn’t live up to the Macy’s bag.  Therefore, this bag has already been packaged up and sent back to Amazon… thank goodness for free return shipping! 

Handbag # 3: The Macy’s Handbag, Found Here

Pros – Cell phone and pen pockets, an outside zipper pocket, a bonus small inside zipper pocket, super wide opening, cute interior lining, and it’s GOOOORG! 

Cons – No separate compartments and no massive zipper pocket, and more expensive than my usual handbag purchases. 

Verdict – Well, you would probably think that I would be sending this one back too, but lucky for me I came up with a genius plan to solve all of my problems.  I purchased an adorable Bando iPad sleeve at Marshall’s a few months ago for only $5, and I haven’t used it because I don’t even own an iPad.  This sleeve fits perfectly right in the middle of the bag, thus creating two separate compartments and a massive zipper pocket all at the same time!  Genius, right?!  Also, the bag is lightweight (before I put my stuff in there), and it was by far the most beautiful of the three.  As stated in the cons, it was more than I usually spend on a handbag, but I got it on sale, and I was also given a Macy’s gift card for Christmas which covered the whole thing, so I didn’t have to feel bad about spending too much money. 

So there you have it, folks – I got to keep the prettiest bag + it’s as functional as it is pretty!  Macy’s for the win! 

Y’all have a good Thursday night… I’m already going through Scandal withdrawals.  :o(