It's In The Bag


So many magazines arrived on Monday that they had to be heaped inside the storm door rather than dropped through the slot.  A good day.  Carefully sitting down to lunch with my stack (which one first - start here, go slow) I welcomed two happy surprises.  Town & Country, to which I subscribe for the jewelry ads and articles, has several very good home features. And, Elle Decor, to which I subscribe for the heavenly homes, had a big, fat jewelry feature on Jean Schlumberger.

R. Louis Bofferding tells us a tale in Elle Decor that Kitty Miller, Duarte Pinto-Coelho and Billy Baldwin, legendary bon vivants, were discussing what the contents of a lady's bag reveals about her.  (What else would you be discussing in the '60's sipping Bloody Marys in Majorca?)  Tipping Miller's bag produced a cascade of Jean Schlumberger goodies, "cigarette lighter, cigarette case, powder box, lipstick case - everything you can imagine." recalled Baldwin.



It does, indeed, say a lot about Mrs. Miller.  What then, friends, would the contents of my bag say about Mrs. Blandings?  Phone, Mason Pearson brush, vintage Wayfarers (I charged them to my dad while in college and received an earful,) three lipsticks, all different brands, all the same color, calendar, Moleskin, paint chips, workout schedule (I grab one nearly every time to eliminate my excuse of not knowing when the classes are,) two pens, a pencil (I can be manic about having a writing instrument,) a jazzy little J. Crew card case that has become my wallet as it holds business cards, check card and driver's license (I never seem to have cash anyway) and three Legos.  My bag usually holds my camera, too, but I was, well, using it to take the picture.  While this might seem a bit styled, you can be assured that it is not, as I would have never chosen a green Lego.  And I can't believe there were only three.

I'm a bit envious of Mrs. Miller.

Center photo Town & Country, October 2008.  Photograph by Gabriella Imperatori - Penn.  The enameled bracelets in the bottom left of the image are Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany, just to give you and idea of what filled Kitty Miller's bag.  The Smythson aqua Deluxe Five Drawer jewelry box would be such a happy home for one's baubles.

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