Handbag Caddy

I guess it happens to some men, but it often happen to us women, that we constantly have to find a place to put our handbags. The back of the chair is one favored place, save that it's one of the easiest places to lift it up from. Then even if we were willing to take the chance, some places don't have a propper chair back because either the chairs are couch-like (like at Leroy), or they have no back, like the stools at many bars and discos. Men have this amazing hability at packing all they need in their pockets, which sure make women think that: a) they must have Mary Poppins pockets, or b) they walk around with one key, one credit card, one ID and a state-of-the-art ultra thin mobile. (The trick is, and I know this because now I have a boyfriend, that men actually pack into their wives and girlfriends and girl-friends' purses... the sneaky bastards.)

Then again, I must admit that sometimes I try to man-up myself, and carry around the strictly necessary things, and that's when the plot thickens. After all, what us women need? Our cosmetics bag filled with at least one lipstick, one chapstick, one eyeshadow, one eyeliner, one compact (hopefully mirrored, so you don't have to carry a mirror), alcohol gel, hand cream, comb, hairband, hairpins, a tiny parfume (samples work wonders! Use them!), one blush (if you use it), panty liners, pads or tampons, headache pills, period pills... and this is The Basic Kit. Because you may want to ad eyebrow clippers, nail clippers, earrings (a change of earrings can make the difference for that sudden change of plans. Large hoops for the sexy look and studs or a small dangling pearl for the solid, business-look), concealer, foundation, contact lens case, contact lens liquid, eyedrops, face cream... you name it. Well, I want to see the magician who can put all this in a pocket. And then, if we add to this our wallet, our keys, mobile, PDA/planner/filofax/agenda, notepad and pen or notebook, umbrella, water bottle, chewing gum or box of peppermint candy, half a chocolate bar and an iPod... well, we do need a purse.

When it comes to work, we usually manage to put our purse somewhere in the office, whether in a drawer or on a corner of our desk, on a shelve unit, some furniture... If there's really no other chance, we place put it on the floor, but as much as we can, we avoid doing so. But what happens whe you have to attend a meeting? You won't put your bag on the table because that's not proper, and sometimes meeting rooms are so uncomfortable you can't hang your bag from the back of the chair or the arm of the chair, because either everybody is sitting too close to each other or they are walking behind you and dumping your bag on the floor, or twisting it and turning it until it's contents rain out onto the floor, with your rather expensive Blackberry leading the fall. So what can you do? Well, thanks Hyne someone already thought of that, and invented the Handbag Hanger or the Handbag Caddy (also known as Purse Caddy). This thingie is some sort of hook that can be twisted into a flat shape (like you see in the picture) which you can store in your bag, and when you need to place it somewhere, you just twist down the wire part and place the decorative wide piece on the table, the hook underneath and you can hang your bag from it. Ain't that just cool?

The first time I saw it, Rose and Cyn flapped theirs out of their bags at a meeting. Hooks down, shiny millefiore squares framed in chrome-like metal on the table and their handbags, otherwise too big and in the waym went underneath, hanging close to them, entirely at hand to fhóish out phones, agendas, pens and whatever they needed, and yet keeping them comfortably seated without protuding bags anywhere. Needless to say, I had to have one, and now I do. This piece is not too extended, for I have not seen it in many places, nor have I seen other women or men using it, but hopefully it will. At the same time, things like a simple handbag caddy give me hope. In a world filled with "the only people with the success guarrantied are the ones who speak English, so you too purchase this no-pain-no-effort 16 CD program for just $19.99 a month for a year", and "it's not your fault that none of the diets you've tried worked! Get out super-revolutionary system and loose a pound a week!", and "tired of all that work in the kitchen? Sweat not! But our revolutionary cook-it-all and get a dinner in a snap!", and other stuff of the sort, there are shy, quiet inventions that are really good, that do not look forward to stiffle people, and deliever what they promise. It's not another sweeper that pretends to do the same thing the old sweeper does "but better", only to replace it in a few months or years for another that claims to do it even better, while the first one did it just fine. Truth is, ladies and gentlemen, that us women need our purses, and through the time we all struggle with the question of where to put it without exposing it to robbery, risking forgetting it, having it soiled, kicked or accidentally stepped over, or bumbing into people, or plain and simply, representing a source of discomfort. This invention is a relief, and if you don't believe me, look at women around you, trying to place their bags safely.

I'm happy with my handbag caddy. ^_^