Bag Tour: Inside my Kimball Satchel

Good day, fellow bag carriers. Today I would like to walk you around my Kimball Satchel.
The Kimball is such a great day bag. Perfect size with just the right amount of organization for a day running around. This weekend I had mine out to brunch, at the Farmer's Market, out shopping and enjoying the sun.

Lets have a look at the bones of the bag:

Like the Lucy, Kimball has the single clasp flap so you can get to those pockets without unfastening. The front pockets under the flap constantly rotate for me. My phone is always in one of them, but the other rotates around Altoids, my glasses, my card case and my keys. 

The back pocket is still my catch-all while running around. Receipts, cash, or my small notebook full of lists.

Inside there is a cell pocket for those of you who prefer to keep yours in the bag instead of on the front. Its also a good size for an iPod or an Altoid tin. While inside you'll find there is in addition a pen slip, a larger pocket and a zipper compartment.

Now, my mess:

I am able to fit my whole makeup bag in here as well as a notebook and glasses. If I'm going to be sitting on the train for a while I can even fit a paperback in there for the ride. You know what else slides nicely into the Kimball? An iPad - that's what.

I would like to mention the new straps we are using. I used to make the straps with canvas but they were rigid and I felt they could be a little more cushy and comfy. I finally found the right stuff and these straps are soft and easy to adjust. Not to mention hearty! These things can take a beating.

So that is all the mess I shove into my Kimball. Don't forget we are Etsy testing a new market tote, go get you one!

Get out and enjoy your day!

Get to Know and Fill Up That Lucy!

That's right, it says "CLURSE". The Lucy can be both a clutch AND a purse, so I made up a word for it. Or at least I think I did. Is "clurse" already a word? How about "clandbag"?

I digress, back to the important stuff! Let's take a Tour de Lucy, shall we? She has only a few differences from the 2011 version. The zipper pocket has been moved inside, she's a bit more compact and includes a removable/adjustable shoulder strap.

In the words of Bob Vila, "let's have a look."

"That's all fine and good, but what can I fit in there?" Is what may be crossing your mind right now. Or maybe it's tacos, I'm not a mind reader, but we'll stick with the first idea - fit.

To answer this question I thought I'd go fashion blogger on you and do a What's In My Bag for all ya'llz.

Have a look. In the front pockets are my quick grab things - phone and card case. I abandoned my wallet and went to a simple case. (Want one to match your bag? It can be done. Let's talk.) I designed these bags with the central clasp so that you could still access those pockets with out unlatching if you need to. And I do that a lot.

The back pocket is open and I use it to stash papers and things I need out of my hands quickly. It's also a good spot for your keys or a shopping list.

Inside I have only the necessities. Altoids (you're welcome!), a little make up, my glasses, and my weird assortment of pens. Why do I carry a variety? I never need more than one. But should I need an option of fine or extra fine in a pinch I'm ready!

And that there is Lucy. I love carrying this as my Saturday bag so that my arms are free to carry loads of produce from the farmers' market and/or tightly grasp the rails on the train. Its also great come Saturday night when I dress it up a bit for a drink because all I do is remove the strap and BOOM! Evening clutch. Don't need to change bags.

Another great Lucy use: I stuff one into my Margot or Randall when I'm carrying a laptop or books. That way if I need to, I can take my Lucy out of my giant bag if I need to run to the coffee shop and don't want to lug my big bag with me.

Versatility, that's what we're about.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Miss Lucy, I'll be back soon to tell you all about my Kimball!

The Shop is Back Up!

If anyone has been over to nikolettebags.com in the last few weeks you noticed it has been down while we were getting everything updated. The homepage facelift is still being worked on, but we do have the bags (with new pricing!!) all listed for sale.
The styles have pretty much the same looks, they just have been tweaked in small ways to make them faster to make. This means a new lower price!
Here are some comparisons for you (these are just some quick looks - I'll have more detailed posts soon to school you on the major differences):

2011 Lucy: sold as a clutch with optional wrist and shoulder straps. 

2012 Lucy: a bit smaller and removable shoulder strap is included.

2011 Kimball: came with removable strap

2012 Kimball: (looks the same, huh?) strap is not removable

2011 Margot

2012 Margot: pretty much the same on the exterior, but we rearranged the inside a little.

2011 Randall

2012 Randall: Hard to tell, but the pockets are all different under the flap!

And no fear, I'll do some walk throughs of each style just like I did the 2011 ones. Its a little hard to tell from just the outside how the bags have changed. We have a new canvas provider, which is evident in a few of the images. The new canvas is sturdy and dry to the touch. Last year we were using canvas that felt a little waxy and we wanted a dryer feel (as did our machines!).

So if you haven't been to the shop lately head on over!

And lastly, I have a new style just about ready to Etsy test - I'll keep you posted!