Intro

So here I am - daughter napping, morning sun shining down on me and a sleeping cat through my kitchen window - trying to think of what to write for my first post of my first blog. I'm trying not to get caught up in the potential momentousness of the occasion, trying not to imagine what people will THINK of me when they read the things I have to say. I'm trying to be cool and casual, like I'm completely used to the idea of posting my ideas about the world out into the world, for the world to see.

My husband - God bless 'im - told me that he wants to see me have an outlet for my writing, that I am a good writer and I have a voice, and that's why I should have a blog. Oops - I probably shouldn't have told you that. I should let you judge for yourself, right? Maybe blogging won't be the best thing for me, since my ability to determine what and what not to share has been a little bit skewed by having a child. There is a person in my life now who follows me into the bathroom for each use and watches my every move with great curiousity and concern (is it pee-pee or poo-poo that Mama's making?). My husband always tells me that I share too much with strangers. He says why don't you just tell them where you live and when you'll be out of town. I suppose I always want to let people into my life so that they'll feel more at ease with me somehow. So they'll identify more.

Why Mama's Purse? Well, I'm not really sure. I do want to clarify that I do NOT own the HERMES Birkin bag - not even a fake - so don't go thinking that I'm a great big bee-yotch right off the bat. I just happen to think that they're gorgeous bags. I think that if I could own any bag I wanted right now, it would be some sort of creamy-white Salvatore Ferragamo boxy number. Yum. You know, I haven't checked the Neiman Marcus website lately to put together my fantasy purse collection. I should do that, and get back to you. But Ferragamo is always one of my faves. I own one pair of the shoes - they're satin and I picked them up at a vintage shop years ago. They kill my feet and I can't wear them for more than about five minutes, but I hold onto them because they are so beautiful and just a classic shape. They're what a shoe should look like.

I am a Taurus. I don't go in for all the chains and animal prints and giant logos (usually). I prefer high-quality, sumptuous materials and design that does not go out of style. I wear a lot of black. I do not care for shorts or sporty sandals. Blech. I am what some people would call unadventurous when it comes to fashion. I prefer the term "well-advised."

My baby girl is fascinated with purses, and with my purse in particular. It is a simple black leather Coach, bucket style (about the fanciest thing I carry around these days), and she loves to carry it around, heaved over her shoulder, or dragged about in the crook of her little elbow. She has figured out how to unzip the zipper and pull out pens. "Pen!" she triumphantly yells each time she finds one of the Sanford Uni-Ball micros (oh yes, I am VERY particular about my pens, too). She is currently learning to put words together, and whenever she spies the purse, she gives me a big smile and says "Mama . . . PUHS!" For some reason, this almost always brings tears to my eyes. I think it's because she has identified something in particular that means "Mama" to her. It brings me back to that absolutely heavenly feeling when my mom would pick me up from daycare after work and gather me up in her arms and she would smell like Chloe perfume and Trident spearmint gum and brown leather (from her own old Coach purse) and sunshine. And I remember my heart just singing because I thought my mom was the most beautiful woman in the whole world. That's why.

I am really like most young women you know. I am fortunate enough to own a few luxury clothing and accessory items, and the rest of my wardrobe is generally from Old Navy, Costco, and the Banana Republic outlet stores. But I love to fantasize - to pick and choose what I'd buy in a fantasy life, if I was making the actual 140K annually or whatever they say that stay-at-home-moms are actually worth. I love to keep a running list of the order in which I'd buy the things, and change that order around constantly. And most of all, I love to use my creativity and think about how to get the most from what I do have. That's what I want to talk about. I also want to talk about people - people I love and people I hate (and try not to give anyone away), and why. I want to talk about raising my daughter, and (sorry, folks) to brag about her frequently. I just want to reflect here on this life so that I can remember how lucky I am to do so. Mama's Purse is fashion, it's female, it's love, and it's a few handy items you can't get through the day without. Cheers!