I didn’t start carrying a proper handbag until quite recently. I’ve always been a minimalist in many things: When I go to Burning Man I bring a fraction of what most people do and don’t bring food that must be kept cold or cooked. I only have enough dishes for two full place settings. When I travel I fit most of my stuff in a small carry-on bag. When I’m out and about, I have a small purse, or no purse at all, and just put my wallet in my pocket.

So not only did I not see a reason for a larger handbag, I couldn’t even imagine what I’d put in it! If I need to carry more than the bare essentials, I usually had my laptop bag with me anyhow and could slip my miscellaneous crap in there. And if I used a purse larger than just my wallet, it was really a satchel or messenger bag.

However, a few years ago, I stopped carrying my laptop with me on a regular basis as I was no longer freelancing. Now, I’ll never ever stop using my car as my purse – why carry a bottle of soda when you can carry a six pack? – but I decided to make the plunge and get a new bag. When I was traveling frequently, I fell in love with the Michael Kors “Jet Set” line – a sleek bag with a sleeve for my laptop? Sold! But I never ended up with one, and the , as I said, transitioned from carrying my laptop with me everywhere to carrying my iPhone and sometimes my iPad Mini.

My first designer bag was a present from Rachel! She had a Coach purse she didn’t use because that ho is like a hermit crab and carries her entire life with her (love you! 😘). The perfect size for me, though! It holds my wallet, a compact, lipstick, and my phone admirably. It is indestructible, soft like butter and both dressy and casual so I can use it for anything.

But last Christmas, I decided to make the large purse plunge and went shopping for something “me” enough that I would use it and sturdy enough that I wouldn’t kill it. I’m real hard on my bags, shoes and clothes, what can I say?

I picked up an awesome Michael Kors purse at the Macy’s after Christmas sale – a medium sized tote/handbag from the same Jet Set line, but without the pocket for my laptop. It’s the perfect size for… Well, everything. I carry it all the time.

So I guess I was late to the tote/larger purse party, but it’s nice to be able to carry a little bit more stuff than I usually would sometimes. I’ll never be a hermit crab, though — I literally don’t have enough stuff to carry with me!