Carry that Purse

It's that time again --  40 Bags in 40 Days time!  I hope things are going well for you as you declutter.  There are so many areas in your home that could use a bag to decrapify. Click  here for a printable to use throughout your 40 days.  Share your progress with us at #CowtownMinimalist on instagram!  

When the decrapifying days loom, I turn to face the music in my closet.  Clothes that don't fit, look worn, or were just a sale mistake starting me in the face each morning.   Those are easy targets to go in the "donate" bag.  

Also in my closet are a few purses.  Ok, more than a few. Several.  OK, ten.  Let's not judge, fellow minimalists.  For the record, I don't hoard purses.  I haunt the outlet malls for the designer bag shops and try to snag one at fire sale prices.  Then I keep it forever in fear it's the last designer bag I will ever own.  Until I drive by the next outlet mall.  

I have donated recently a few bags to some lovely young lady friends of my son, and that eases my guilt and pain when I know Kate and Coach are going to good homes.  So my invenTORY is slimmer (see what I did there?). 

But then I found her.  

A gorgeous tote that will hold my work stuff and personal stuff and two pairs of glasses and a phone charger.  At a real designer shop while we were on vacation.  She was a beauty.  With promises to cull the purse herd on arrival back at the ranch, I adopted the navy bag with the embroidered T logo, and home she came.  

I have carried her happily and she has done what she promised.  Looks great and roomy and doesn't slip off my shoulder (hate that).  It has a leather bottom, and I have been cautious not to set it down on anything icky, but I do toss it in the car and on my desk at home and in my office at work.  

I mentioned to the hubby (who was with me when I acquired the lovely bag) that I had better be careful as I might wear out the bottom of the bag from overuse.  Maybe I would even switch to a different one for a spell.  He said "what did you buy it for, then?  Carry the purse!"  

Hmmm.  What DID I buy it for?  To carry, to love, to USE. Not to take up a spot among other unused bags in my closet.   Makes complete sense, right?  

Yes. 

So carry her I did.  I even sorted through a few purses in my closet that made it into today's "40 Bags" bag.  Because you (usually) don't carry more than one purse at a time.  So carry that purse.  Burn the good candle, and wear the nice perfume.   Enjoy what you have today, and eliminate that which does not add value.  Don't be burdened with crappy purses (this is an analogy here -- I really hope purses don't weigh you down that much).  

Happy Decrapifying, friends!