things we carry • palimpsestic

Jenn from Palimpsestic here. I've loved seeing the bags of other Dream Team members, so I thought I'd give you a look inside mine. I'm the mom of a ten-year-old boy and our whole family is outdoorsy and active, especially in the summer, so my "gear" reflects that.

My Mountainsmith bag. My husband did some work for Mountainsmith many years ago and they provided us with piles of gear. It was a brilliant marketing move on their part, because I’ve bought more since. I feel good about supporting a company local to me in Colorado. Plus, this particular bag was part of the initial haul. It’s at least six years old and still looks practically new. Everything else you see fits inside here.

2. My iPad and my GorillaMobile Yogi (those bendy legs, which are just about the best invention ever.) I used to always carry a book on me, but now my iPad serves that purpose. I also keep a photo gallery portfolio on the iPad so I always have a beautiful, high-resolution slideshow of my work.

3. Cinch sack containing geocaching necessities. I use my phone as a GPS, but this bag contains a pencil and some small toys to exchange for goodies when we find a cache. My whole family loves geocaching and we do it often.

4. Zipper bag with various cosmetic necessities—lip gloss, a stain stick (anyone who’s met me knows why I need this…I’m hopeless), miscellaneous pills, Burt’s Bee’s “green stuff” (my secret Mom remedy for everything), and some bobby pins, just in case I stumble on a lock that needs picking. (Kidding. I have long hair and those things come in handy.)

5. Moo cards!

6. Bluetooth earpiece, my iPhone, my Moleskine notebook, my favorite Bic pens, and a wire-formed hippo. What? You don’t carry a hippo?

7. Prescription sunglasses, which I rarely needed in Seattle, but always need since I moved to Colorado.

8. Reusable shopping bag.

9. Wallet

10. Headphones and a microfiber cloth for the iDevices.

11. Splenda. Pretty sure these are remnants from my recent cross-country Splenda-stealing crime wave. Also, I drink a lot of coffee.

Not shown is my water bottle-- a big, stainless steel, liter-sized behemoth. It's a necessity in this dry climate and I'm drinking from it right now.

So there you have it...the things I carry. I hope you had as much fun peeking into my bag as I've had peering into others.

things we carry • corrnucopia

Bare necessities are what it's about for me Ilena from Corrnucopia. I really don't care for carrying around a purse at all but out of necessity with my little ones, ages 3 and 5, I must. So here are my few must haves.

Wipes in a plastic baggie. These get me out of many messes. Apparently they are also very entertaining as they will keep my kids occupied when they are in the car and have had enough.

Measuring tape always comes in handy.

Hand lotion from Long Winter Farm. Love this stuff!

Money purse filed with the plastic, business cards, and the coupons that I forget I have when I'm at the store. Sometimes actual money.

Altoids. fresh breath is a wonderful thing.

Yellow goopy thing from the dentist's office prize box. It's absolutely disgusting but the kids love it. Used only for extreme meltdowns.

The phone. I've just joined the smartphone age and love being able to stay connected to my shop and Etsy. Totally addicted (to phone & Etsy).

Hearing aid batteries. A must have ~ my 3 year old son doesn't hear without them. I keep these in a little vintage leather case. Also a little tool that I devised to open the aids with (oh those child proof locks).

& these are the things I carry!

things we carry • leanimale

Laura of leanimale here with the things I carry! I believe I am organized in my purse than anywhere else. I wasn't always - but I got so tired of digging through my bag only to find the thing I was looking for very last, after spilling everything else out. I needed a more efficient way of handling all of the things I like/need to carry. So I divvied up my treasures into several smaller bags.

 In my scavenger pouch I have some creative supplies, should I feel the need to write, draw or paint. This is particularly important to have with me when I travel, as exploring and adventuring always inspires me.

My adorable juicy pear pouch holds my 'beauty' essentials which for me include chapstick (very important), a mirror I rarely use, and a hair tie.

I keep a mini Cranium game with me for spontaneous game-play when hanging out with a couple of friends. (The mini Cranium game came from a Chick-Fil-A kid's meal!) I also keep a few actual Cranium trivia cards because I think trivia is fun. And lastly, when I'm bored by myself and want to pass some time, I carry a miniature version of Boggle. I love word searches!

I keep all of my keys & keychains on a key fob I won at a Thirty-One party. Keychains include: "Bear Getting Into Something" keychain from Madrid, one of the only keychains I could find in India, a hand painted Velveteen Rabbit converted from a necklace by Tuckoo and Moo Cow, a quartz crystal keychain from the Jurassic Park land of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, a keychain that looks like my dog, a Disney Vinylmation keychain from Downtown Disney in Los Angeles, and a keychain my mom made from hemp & purple beads. And those are the things I carry!

things we carry• laurenblythedesigns

Left to right, bottom row: Neutral leather bag from Banana Republic, tattered wallet, silver business card holder with my laurenblythedesigns Etsy shop business cards. Middle row: California Baby Sunscreen, Cars 2 Fruit Snacks, Blackberry, Nars and Armani lipstick collection (this is nothing compared to what I don’t carry!) Top row: Tea (coffee) cup cozy from Knit Storm on Etsy, black hair clip, bottle of Advil, vintage 1980s tortoise shell cat eye sunglasses and one of my designs: Garland earrings in black. 

Lauren’s purse

Hi, I'm Lauren from laurenblythedesigns! Here is a look inside my purse. By the way, I don’t use one purse all the time, I have a few and often change them out depending on the season. Since it's summer I am using my casual summer bag.  The day I photographed this I had to run errands: to the Post Office to mail jewelry orders, the bank and then the mall, with a Starbucks on the way of course!  The bag is from last summer from Banana Republic. It’s such a classic look that really goes with everything.

The bag may change, but the daily carry doesn't change much:

Wallet. A must of course to pay for the post office, the daily Cappuccino and the occasional mall stroll (see my lipstick stash below!), as well as 5 year old child needs. Can you say Monkey Business? Or an ice cream cone? Or snacks at the pool? The wallet is just something I got a few years ago and I liked how neutral it is. Nothing special about it except of course it does what it should!

Silver business card case was a birthday gift last year and I love it! It fits my “vintage” style and it holds my Etsy shop cards well!

California Baby Sunscreen. I carry this around for my 5 year old. When we are out at a park or something I hate forgetting sunscreen. This has no chemicals but it’s also not waterproof so not the one we use for the pool and such but it’s great to have around. 

Cars 2 Fruit Snack. Five year old obsessions: Cars 2 and Fruit Snacks! What more could a little boy ask for? I like to have one with me when I pick him up from camp and he’s hungry or just as a pick me up any other day.

Blackberry. Love it! Need I say more?

Lipstick collection! Ok I admit I have a huge lipstick addiction and this is only part of it- the rest is on my vanity table. When I am feeling down, I buy a new lipstick. When it’s a new season, I buy a new lipstick. When I am bored, I buy a new lipstick. Sometimes I think of how much all these cost and think of what I could REALLY buy instead!  Here are some of my faves: Armani gloss in #45 which looks fantastic over Armani lipstick in #101. Amazing nudes. Nars lipstick pencil in New Lover (don't ya love the name?).  I love the color but you have to sharpen it since it's a pencil and I don’t carry a sharpener with me so if it’s too low, I am out of luck! Nars gloss in Orgasm (I can't make these names up!) that looks great over Nars lipstick in Tzigane – peachy nude.  Chanel in Mademoiselle (a peachy pink). This sold out last summer so I hunted it down as I had to have it- and now I never wear it. It’s a gorgeous color though! I should wear it.

Green Java Cup Cozy from Knitstorm on Etsy. Since I am a coffee (make that a nonfat cocoa cappuccino) addict, I figure using this was less wasteful than the paper one’s you get at the coffee shops. Plus it's super cute! I also use it for ice cold drinks in the summer!

Hair clip- Target. I have them in a ton of colors!

Garland Earrings in black from my Etsy shop. I have these in my purse as my girlfriends love these earrings in black and I have a pair to deliver to a friend. Ever since one of my friends asked if they came in black, they have been a local hit ever since- well not just local, all the way to Chicago I kid you not!  I have not added black to my Etsy shop because my Garland Earrings in Mustard turned out to be one of the most amazing photos I have taken as luck would have it. Since I can’t duplicate that photo, I feel adding another color will devalue how gorgeous the mustard one's are. So mustard is all that’s available on Etsy (unless you ask me of course!)

These are very old Cat sunglasses. My mom bought these for me from a lovely boutique when I was fresh out of college in the late 1980s so they are now vintage- wow! (and boy do I feel old).  I wore them a lot then aand then retired them until the last year or so and brought them back out. They fit me so well and I get a ton of complements on them!

So that's the purse of the moment! The only thing missing is my car key which are always hanging on the key holder by the door and my little snapshot book that holds my son's photos and my wedding photos.

That's it. That's the daily carry.