Handbag Mania (1) -

Margaret Smith of Gardiner Maine

When I have visited my sissie in Tulsa, we always-always-always went to the flea market on the state fair grounds. Mostly, the prices are excellent, and I load up on goodies, like the homemade strawberry jam that tasted like berries, not sugar. Or vintage postcards, books, etc.

One of the first times I went to the flea market, my sissie introduced me to a woman who sold Margaret Smith of Gardiner Maine handbags. I broke down and bought a nice tote and still use it today. On a second trip, I purchased a smaller one and carried it to death.

Here's a bit about Margaret Smith:

Margaret Smith made beach bags and totes in the forties, eventually leading to the formation of the Margaret Smith Company. Her bags were considered the Kate Spade of the fifties, sixties, seventies. She became the first woman to represent Maine in the Senate and the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress.

I love my other handbags. Not long ago, something caught my eye on eBay, and I investigated. I found a Margaret Smith bag, one totally different from the ones I have. And the price was fantastic, way more affordable than the garbage bags currently found at the department store. (I really should have been a handbag buyer or designer in another life.)

I bought several more in various prints and sizes. Here are my precious babies:

So what's your favorite style of handbag? And do you change weekly like I do? Or are you a "one bag fits all occasions" gal?

 And leave your email addy in a comment, and we'll have a drawing for a never been carried Margaret Smith bag!

(entries from She Writes, Plotting Princesses, Handbags, Books Whatever are combined)

With a diet coke in hand, Vicki is currently thinking about heading over to eBay or ETSY to look for a new "prize." She can be found at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com or at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com.

"Store Wars," a hilarious romantic short story, is available in August from MuseItUp Publishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?keyword=vicki+b...