Would You Carry a Tool Bag for a Handbag?

(No, I'm not talking about this kind of tool bag)

Last weekend I was on the hunt for a replacement for our sorry "toolbox" (which is currently a worn out old shoebox) and I stumbled upon Klein Tools canvas tool bags.

(Klein 16" Canvas and Leather Tool Bag - $49.94 at Amazon)

$50 seems like a little much to spend on a canvas bag for tools, but I think one of these bags could make an awesome ant totally unique purse.  They have such a cool, authentic feel.   Upon browsing Amazon I found that Klein offers some other leather goods.  This one could also be cool open handbag:

(Klein Tools  15 inch Leather Bag - $100 at Amazon)

They also have some cool leather pouches that would be great for organizing stuff inside your handbag, or maybe as a clutch (A utilitarian twist on the American Apparel zippered clutches that it seems like everyone seems to be carrying)

(Klein Tools 12.5" Leather Pouch - $29.38 at Amazon)

If you like the look, but these are too utilitarian for you, there are some higher end brands that make similarly inspired bags.   I love the buttery yellow of this Heritage canvas and leather mason bag:

(Heritage canvas mason bag with leather bottom - $79 at Hickorees)

Or finally, Fleabags has some beautiful looking versions in a variety of colors and patterns.   The classic beige and brown leather is my favorite

("The Original Flea" in pebble - $440 at Fleabags)

So, what do you think?  Would you ever carry  one of the Klein tool bags or would you hold out for a more conventional handbag?

Loving: Kate Spade Spring 2012

I caught the Kate Spade spring 2012 on Facebook today and I love all of the bright colors.  Doesn't this lineup make you want to rewind back to summer? It's so bright and cheery!

Of course I love this orange and white outfit, but what caught my eye was the "Eat Cake for Breakfast" bag.  I love the motto and it almost reminds me of a re-imagined version of a canvas tool bag.

Closet Update: Bookshelf Shoe Organization

As I mentioned,  I recently re-organized my closet, and one of my biggest challenges was the shoe situation. As you can see - I just didn't have a good storage solution for my growing shoe collection.   I looked EVERYWHERE for a shoe rack, but ran into a couple of major challenges:

1 - Slatted/open shelves - arghhhh! these just don't work with heels.  My old (ikea) shoe shelf had open shelves and the heels always fall through!  Why do so many shoe racks have these racks?

2 - Short shelves - I bought a shoe rack at Target and it didn't even fit my shortest heels!

So,  after lot's of hunting (and buying and returning), I finally picked up a bookshelf from Ikea to store my shoes.  (It's this "Billy" bookshelf plus 2 extra shelves)  With 5 new shelves for my shoes, I feel like I have a whole new closet!!  I can actually walk into my walk-in closet! 

Blog Crush: Lovely Pepa

I found super cute Alexandra, aka Lovely Pipa,  on Lookbook.nu a couple of months ago and she slash her daily fashion posts are so cute that I had to share! Agree?  I love that I can get fashion inspiration from a girl across the globe that I don't even know! (She's a 23 year-old in Spain)  She does a great job making simple basic pieces look chic and modern.

(All images from Lovely Pepa's Lookbook.nu page)

Closet and Organization Inspiration

I'm in the midst of cleaning/re-organizing my closet and I thought I'd take a break for some inspiration. I'm lucky enough to have a big walk in closet, but it's the main storage for our 1-bedroom apartment so it gets messy quickly.   One day,  I hope to have an entire "dressing room" dedicated to my clothes etc  like Jenna Lyon's closet above.  For now,  I'm just going to work on organizing....

Anybody have any tips for keeping stacks of shirts/sweaters neat?  For me, those are always the first thing to start getting messy.