Last year when I was traveling around the US and Canada for work, I hesitated taking a purse. At the time, the purses I had were not huge by today’s standards, but large enough to take up room in my carryon luggage, which meant I may be faced with paying for a bag. Let’s face it, when you’re trying to decide whether to take a bulky purse or pay an extra $25, practicality would win in most instances.

So there I was, trip after trip, left with the dilemma of not having a purse in a foreign city, and sometimes in a foreign country. I was forced to carry everything I’d normally carry in my purse in the pocket of my pants or coat. Now, I could be wrong, but bulging at the pocket seams is never a good look for a woman in most professional situations. What’s more, I never seemed to have enough pocket space to carry everything that I wanted, not to mention, finding it when I wanted.

After a year of loosely juggling my purse contents all over the country, I decided this year would be different. I was determined to find a small enough purse to fit in my luggage – but one that was both chic and practical.

A few weeks ago, about the time of my birthday, I was shopping for said purse, when what do my wondering eyes should appear, but a sale on Coach purses at Macy’s. I must have looked at and tried on a dozen purses over the course of a week, hoping to find that magical mix that would hold my “night on the town” contents, but still fit neatly into my rolly.

Enter the above leather wristlet in peony by Coach. Technically, her given name is “Kristin”, but I have renamed her Pippa, for Kate’s sister. And, for those of you who don’t know, I affectionately refer to my Kate Spade leather handbag as “Kate” in all social situations. So it is only natural that sisters Pippa and Kate should stick together. But I digress.

My new Pippa purse, with it’s soft leather and creamy color, has the beautiful combination of size, style, practicality, and sass – all perfectly proportioned to fit on my wrist. Oh, and did I mention that it can hold all of my necessities – ie. iPhone4, lip balm, lip tint, pressed powder, and a handy dandy new petit wallet sleeve – also from Coach – with a credit card, ID, and cash. Voila – I now have the answer to all of my travel purse needs.

Whew, all of this pomp and practicality has me dizzy.

By the way, Pippa’s first trip will be this week as she travels to San Antonio and Denver.

Ciao!