THIS ENTRY IS FOR GIRLS ONLY

The other night we went out with friends to one of our favorite hangouts. About halfway through my meal I excused myself to use the restroom and did the unthinkable: I brought my camera with me and took a picture of my purse hanging on the hook of the stall door. Why? The Annie Leibovitz mood struck me. Now looking at it, I think its one of the coolest shots I've ever done, artistically speaking. This is no ordinary purse. It symbolizes a love affair that has been going on since its date of purchase, about a year and a half ago. I bought this grey metallic leather purse in a small artisan shop in Cotacachi, Ecuador where I lived for a while. It was the kind of shop that you walk into and the leather still smells of the farm and an old woman is leaning over an old sewing machine crafting her next design right in front of you. It was a shop that prices could be bargained lower than what you'd pay for a new lipstick at the mall. It was a shop the size of my bedroom but held quality pieces of workmanship that rivaled anything you'd find on Rodeo Drive. This purse has lived on my shoulder like a parrot on a pirate's ever since I first "modeled' it in the store for my sister who was visiting me there. I love the way it feels, the way it smells, the way it meshes with my body, the way it reminds me of my South American adventures high in the Andes. I love the compartment across the front that perfectly holds my lip-gloss and spare key. I love the way the metallic is slowly rubbing off on the corners showing its worn-out chicness. I love how it can't be replicated. Ever. I don't know what will be the fate of this purse. Maybe it will simply be loved to death; the zippers will break off its tracks or the strap will tear in two and end up in a landfill long after I'm dead and in purse heaven. Or maybe it will end up in a cedar trunk in an attic waiting to be passed on to someone's great-granddaughter for a graduation gift. But if you are a girl like me, you will understand the importance of a good purse and how it, like Starbucks on a cold day, just makes you feel good.
(back to the table: "Chelsea, what took you so long in the bathroom?)