The One with the Green Vintage Bag

Okay, so this is one of my favorite photo shoots EVER! My daughter, who is my faux-tographer, got really creative with this one and we had a ball in the freezing cold. The (empty) bag in my hand is one of my prized possessions from my European vacation last summer. I found it at a small, vintage shop in Rome on the last leg of the trip. I was broke and weary from over-shopping, but the shop owner and her friends were like an Italian version of the SATC crew and I ended up having a ball with them and leaving with a genuine leather, vintage, carry-all bag worth every bit of 300 euros for – 40 euros!! I saw the bag and fell in love. I asked how much and she said 300 euros to which I replied with a sad face. I fawned over the bag for about 30 minutes more and went on about my business. The next day as we passed the store again it began to rain so my baby girl and I went in to seek temporary refuge and I began to chat with the owner and her same two friends who were there the day before. They told me (in their limited English)  that they meet there everyday at the same time to talk ‘ish’ and drink wine – and then they asked me to join them! I ended up staying for hours and sending my kid back to the hotel (around the corner), but before she left Katarina, the owner said, “I want you to have this bag bc you love it so much – name your price!” I didn’t know what to say and her girl said, it’s your 40th birthday trip – 40 euros! Everyone cheered on this idea so much that I had to say yes. Turns out I only had 20 euros in my pocket – her friend put in the other 20 under the condition that I finish the bottle of wine with them and I used every one of my Italian words: Vino? Ci! Grazie! Bella! 😉

The One with the Green Vintage Bag

The One with the Green Vintage Bag

The One with the Green Vintage Bag

The One with the Green Vintage Bag

The One with the Green Vintage Bag

The One with the Green Vintage Bag

Jacket: H&M (old, but similar here); Sweater: She Inside; Skirt: Dorothy Perkins (sold out but this and this are both cute color block options) Shoes: BCBG (old, but I hope you have a good variety of nude/beige/tan pumps in your collection. If not try one of these: Here, Here or Here); Bracelet: Banana Republic; Sunglasses: Old Navy (in store only).

P.S. Here is a picture of my Italian chicas!