Little girls and handbags…. July 29, 2010

That's Madison on the left, Emmaleigh on the right....

I was in Carroll County earlier this week, shooting a health story about one of the two precious little girls you see above…I won’t tell you the nature of the story(it would spoil the surprise and someone else might grab it-you know how journalists are), but I think you’ll find it interesting. I knew the focus of the story was five years old….and I also know how shy little girls can be, so what could help be an ice-breaker for a little girl? A present, that’s what.

So I went into my daughter’s old room(which looks, by the way, as if she slept there last night and still occupies it)….because she has a rather extensive handbag collection that has spanned the years. I found two cute little bags, just made for  little girls. 

Vera and Lilly...better together...

 The one with the wooden handle is a Lily Pulitzer, and you can switch covers on it( if you have an additional cover that is), and the other is a cute pink and white gingham Vera Bradley wristlet. My daughter really never used these bags, so they were in pretty much perfect condition. So I wrapped them in tissue and off I went.

As you might expect, they were a big hit. Little girls love pink and green..and they love purses….so it was a win-win….and the thaw was instant. Seriously, these two will win your heart when you see the story(I’ll let you know when it’s gonna be on)….

Al and his delish Carroll County tomatoes

And as we’re on our way back to the station….I begged the photographer Howard Melnick, to stop at a roadside vegetable stand. I had missed the weekend’s farmer’s market, and so was tomato-less…a sad predicament to be in, mid summer. The farmer’s name is Al…he bought his place in Eldersburg in 1965…and he says his Father used to own the land that Wal-Mart is on out there…his Dad sold it for around $30 thousand dollars, and then it was sold to Wal-Mart for five million. Sigh….but he loves Eldersburg…”Isn’t it pretty around here?”, he asked. I assured him it was indeed lovely. And when I asked did he really grow the tomatoes, he looked at me oddly, and said, “It’s not that hard growing tomatoes.”…..easy for him to say. But Al, I am very much enjoying the fruit of your labor….had a fantastic BLT with avocado for dinner that night. And thanks to all of you…for your tomatoes, and the story.

Time for a 2010 handbag makeover? January 7, 2010

My Kooba handbag...gift from my sister-in-law!

I was inspired this morning by a funny segment on the Today Show, talking about “man bags”….I can’t criticize. Men are entitled to carry a bag…my son carries one and so does my husband.  But there’s not much inside…and that’s the real difference between a boy bag and a girl bag….all the stuff inside. Which made me wonder..what is really in my purse? I haven’t cleaned it out in a looooong time. Deep breath…here goes.

Exhibit # one....who doesn't rubber bands or tape?

In exhibit number one(a single picture couldn’t capture it all)….we have: a hairbrush, sunglasses, stamps, reading glasses, 2 emery boards, 2 containers of hand sanitizer(really can one be too sanitized?), a MAC compact, a whole bag of makeup(more on what’s in this in a minute), random movie stubs, receipts and tickets for dry cleaning I already picked up, a box with a necklace inside( the silver one I’m wearing tonight!), and a little flashlight on a key chain(I always think that ONE DAY I may be in the dark and voila, it will become useful).

the little pink corner at the top is my wallet(Lilly Pulitzer)

Moving on to the left side of the grouping, exhibit # 2…..we have: a videotape that I should have put in my desk drawer yesterday after a shoot ,but brought it home instead, my pink print wallet(hand-me-down from my daughter), a little owl change purse(that easily weighs a pound), coupons( so thrifty), two tubes of hand cream(love the Olivina), makeup brushes(I know the case needs washing, leave me alone), and more reading glasses.

Does anyone need this many lipglosses? I think not.

And inside the makeup bag? No fewer than 8 lipglosses of all kinds and colors, 6 lipsticks, 3 eye shadows(ones by Tarte I love), 1 lip pencil, 1 eye pencil, 1 eye pencil/eyeliner combo, 1 lip balm, mineral compact by Jane Iredale, and another Mac compact.

Oh yeah, and what you didn’t see is all the little bits of crap and pennies in the bottom of the bag, that I shook out into the trash can after I unloaded all this stuff. You’re probably thinking…..great idea…clean out the purse, get rid of things you don’t need, but here’s the thing. I put it all back in…except the old receipts and dry cleaning tickets. All of it. It’s my stuff…I need it all!