Day, Eight: Lust/Must

I have come to realize quite recently that when you use three or four of the same handbags/purses to carry all of your belongings (books, clothes, perfume, small animals and children, etc.) for a few years (three to be specific), that your bag begins to fall apart. The detailed stitching on your favorite purse from Gryson begins to be nothing more than a dirt attracting knot of expensive thread. The "can-do" attitude of your beloved orange J-Crew canvas tote begins to die away, as the orange fades to brown. And your faithful vintage clutch leaves the era of "thrift store wonder" and moves into the age of "museum worthy antique". With this realization, I have begun to hunt for the perfect purse. I have been restlessly searching for a bag of decent size in a brown or neutral beige color that is simple and classy and effortlessly chic. Preferably leather (sorry PETA, but I'm a carnivore and the smell of leather is mouthwatering) and preferably CHEAP.

But alas, this poor slave of fashion has been suffering greatly for the torture of overpriced handbags. Curse  you, Coach and Marc Jacobs! So in desperation, I turned to my trusty Modcloth to provide the perfect purse.

I "oohed" and I "awed" when I saw these stunning bags...

Lust

Purchase Links

1. The Festive Feast Bag: http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Accessories/Bags/Festive+Feast+Bag

2. The Chocolate Terrine Bag: http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Accessories/Bags/Chocolate+Terrine+Bag3. The Enviable Status Bag in Peach: http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Accessories/Enviable+Status+Bag+in+Peach

I thought to myself, "Oh how lovely! Oh how will I ever choose which one to call my own?". Visions of prancing through a field of wildflowers with one of these bags on my arm intoxicated my mind! Just as I was about to proclaim all of my praises for these bags from a mountaintop, I looked at the prices....and choked. Immediately, Longfellow's poem "The Rainy Day" came to mind:

"My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast..."

Oh Henry, the hopes of my youth too have just fallen. They have fallen and shattered and the pieces were lit on fire. All because of these tempting yet overpriced purses. A bit melodramatic? I concur.

The first bag is a whopping $279.99. Ouch. The second is a horrifying $237.99. Eek. The final bag is only $109.99, but it still hovers beyond my price range. In despair, I gave up my hunt, and resolved to continue to use my aging bags until they are nothing more than tatters. 

Then a few weeks later (which happened to be today), I went to Aldo to buy some shoes for winter formal, and then, a ravishing sight met my eyes...

Must

Purchase Links

1. The Louden Bag:

http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/handbags/handheld-bags/product/81772538-louden/352. The Cyphert Bag: 

http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/handbags/handheld-bags/product/81739025-cyphert/36

Was I hallucinating? Could these absolutely perfect leather, neutral beige purses really be only...

$45.99????

 Yes, yes they can! The miracle that is the Aldo store has created two stunning purses, the Louden and the Cyphert bag, that are both affordable and beautiful! They are spacious enough for carrying most everything, and the beige color allows them to match with anything! They both have hand and shoulder straps, making them easy to carry and transport. Yes, I have found the perfect purses!

Also on my quest to Aldo, I purchased these beauties that I will wear to my Winter Formal for a mere $59.98!

Purchase Link

The Laforest Heel: 

http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/women/shoes/high-heels/81763754-laforest/36

Oh, Aldo, I would be so lost without you.

-Valerie Joy