July is just around the corner, so I thought it would be a good time to do a mid-summer check in. Here’s quick update since my last post about spending this summer outdoors, so far we have gone on two road trips, the kids are riding bikes almost every day, we have started the Marvel series but have decided to go the novice route of watching it in release order (not chronological order) and have purchased some fun books that I’m hoping my kids will be tempted to crack open soon. How is your summer going?!
As for this particular post, I want to go back to talking a bit about the Notebooks & Honey bag since this is my pride and joy. After my kids, of course. We’ve talked about how the interior bottle pockets make this bag a modern and sleek diaper bag and how the large interior pocket helps us wear our many hats and now, I want to talk about the three exterior pockets. The outside pockets were the epitome of how to design according to aesthetics and function. I wanted discrete pockets that did not take away from the overall streamline of the bag and needed them to check the boxes in terms of usefulness. In designing the front zipper pockets, I knew that I wanted to maximize the functionality. I didn’t want any old pocket, I wanted each one to have a purpose. Of course, it’s up to you how you ultimately end up using the pockets, but I thought it would be fun to share my intentions with you. One of the best things about designing this bag is that I can really put myself into the situation and how I would want the bag to not only look, but also how I want it to be used. I’m a practical gal. I have reasons for everything I do, so of course this is how I’m going to go about my designs. It’s my totebag and I can do what I want to, right?
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POCKET ONE: I call this the “sunglasses” pocket. One of my favorite design aspects of this bag is offsetting the front pockets so the pockets can have more intentional uses and the smaller pocket is intended for holding sunglasses. I was tired of searching through my bag for my sunglasses case and since most of the time, the need for sunglasses is pretty swift, I thought it made the most sense for them to be easily accessible from the outside of the bag. But of course, I didn’t want the sunglasses to be floating around; I wanted a designated area for the sunglasses that felt secure, nicely cushioned by the soft nylon lining and just the perfect dimensions to keep the sunglasses snug and safe. I betcha I can find my sunglasses faster than you can find yours!
Sunglasses Pocket
POCKET TWO: The pocket adjacent to the sunglasses pocket is simply the “larger pocket” and it’s super useful because of its extra depth in the compartment. I typically have my headphones in there, keys, coins, candy or any small trinkets that I wanted to keep reachable yet zipped up. There was such value in having the deeper pocket, you can put more items in it and making the bag more useful overall.
Larger Pocket
POCKET THREE: Lastly, at the back of the bag is a tiny “hidden” pocket, hidden because you can’t see it from the front of the bag. This is where you can stash small items that you want easy access to but discretely. I often have mints there, chapstick or my valet / parking tickets tucked in there (isn’t it brilliant to have a place to always put those tickets?) and when my kids were babies, the PACIFIER! I needed an easy to find place for the pacifier in the bag, not just for me, but for my husband who often had to rush to find the pacifier and you can’t expect him to go digging into a bag, right?! Please, he can barely manage to find what is right in front of him (sorry, I love you but you know it’s true).
Hidden Pocket
There you go, a world wind tour and explanation of the exterior pockets. I wanted to take a moment to go through the details of the bag because I personally love it when items have a personal touch or story to them, it shows you the care, thoughtfulness and heart from the initial conception. It’s been a pleasure being in the design world. Everything starts with an idea and inspo, what’s the saying … this didn’t exist yesterday? Meaning creativity starts somewhere and goes somewhere. You feel like you are leaving a mark in the world somehow. I’m not a brain surgeon (although I have a pretty impressive boo-boo kit), have yet to published my #1 Best Seller, and haven’t designed the most beautiful architectural wonder but I designed a bag with some kick-ass pockets.