Orange is the New Black

I've been working pretty hard lately which, as I'm sure I've harped on about a lot, leaves little time for things like sewing. Moreover, the weather just went supernova, bat shit, freakin' gorgeous. (No, one absolutely cannot count on it in May, but I'll take what I can get). The combo of delicious outdoor time and little other time has made for quite a shop-y Krissie.

In truth, I have a rationale. In truth, I always have a rationale, as should we all, so let's just pat ourselves on the back and get to the (regrettably mediocre) photos. Cuz I'm not spending time inside with a camera when I could be on every patio within a 3-block radius drinking Cava:

Fossil Preston Crossbody Monarch - $178 CDN

See this adorable expansion feature which I love on any bag? So good for when you need to put an umbrella in there...

Alas, this photo doesn't give you a true sense of the colour, but it shows the proportions.

The orange colour has been discontinued in this style, which shocks me because orange is the perfect neutral, in my books. Seriously, it goes with everything and it tells people that you have personality. Plus it's cheerful. I'm wearing this today with a pink/brown/orange tropical floral print dress (handmade years ago but I can't be bothered to link to it right now) and it looks terrific.

But back to the rationale... Y'all know I cannot carry around a large bag any longer. (Brief aside: You shouldn't be either. Eventually, it's bound to lead to pain, especially if you walk long distances...) But the mini-bag I purchased in the fall was just all kinds of "wrong shape" and slightly too small. I mean, you have to recognize that the bare minimum needs to come with you everyday. What I discovered, when I transferred all of the things I was carrying in my oddly rectangular Rudsak bag (and I must carry them), was that they all fit just beautifully in a square shape (10x10). Not to mention that the expandable zipper feature on the Preston is all kinds of genius, if not novel. I never seem to find a bag I like with this feature, however, so this is a lucky state of affairs.

What do I carry (in case you wonder)? Glasses case with either sun or regular glasses contained within. (Non-negotiable and my sunnies are absurdly large so this case is big.) Credit card holder. A bit of cash (not in wallet), subway token holder (size and shape of a business card), keys, work ID, wireless headphones and iPhone, lipstick, lipbalm. Yeah, that's it. You'd be amazed to find how difficult it is to fit this in a small bag.

I've never owned a Fossil bag before. I'd actually never heard of Fossil till I ran into the shop on Bloor Street the other day. I'm really not a "bag person" and I tend to stick to Roots, M0851 and Rudsak on the rare occasion when I do add to my little collection. But the brand seems to be of quality and the leather on this orange one is like butter. Totally gorgeous. Small complaint: I hate the name which, for some reason reminds me of Diesel (so not my scene). Could they not have come up with something prettier? As it happens, the store didn't have the orange colourway in stock, so I ended up buying it at the Bay (also so not my scene but if you've gone to the upgraded, Sak's-funded one on Queen Street it's looking pretty awesome-American). The Bay was having a Mother's Day sale and I convinced the SA to give me an extra 5% which saved me 20% in total. Not bad (and I wouldn't have got this discount at the flagship store).

So, that's my weekend treat - very practical AND affordable. Thoughts?