Sorry that I've taken so long to respond, time sort of slipped away from me. I've been desperately trying to figure out what to do about my car... it's 15 years old. I'm supposed to drive out of state in about a week to meet up with family, and while my little car has been such a trooper, I'm worried about taking it on a 6-7 hour drive at this point.

I think I've found something that might work on Carmax, but it's in another (nearby) state. I asked them on Saturday to ship it here, and they are (!) - but they haven't given me any kind of estimate about when it might arrive, so I'm going absolutely crazy trying to figure out if it will get here in time, or if I should look at other cars, or get mine fixed (some issues from last year, but they will cost more than the car is worth to repair), or if I need to rent a car for the trip. I feel a little nuts

Thanks for all the feedback about purses, it was fun to hear everyone's experiences!

I sent back the last one (#2, a cute Vince Camuto tote) - it was nice, but a little bit on me and not comfortable to wear. It might me feel a bit weird and short due to its size.

And, I just today ordered a Kate Spade bag. I've got Shoprunner, so it should be here in a couple days. I like that it has (I think?) a removable crossbody strap and an exterior slip pocket...

I got this one in black (I had a coupon, so saved a little off the price):
polly medium convertible shoulder bag | Kate Spade New York

Wish me luck! I think this 3rd try at buying something will be a charm

HappyCrafter -- Ooh! You've got really bold tastes, it sounds like? The feather boa purse sounds intriguing and I bet is a great statement piece, and honestly, the denim purse sounds so comfy and exactly like something I'd use! Thanks!

BethRags -- Oh no! I mean, between the baby and the backpack and the diaper bag, that sounds like an exhausting amount of stuff to have to haul around! Thanks for the recommendation of Osprey, I haven't heard of them, but will check them out. And, the crocheted bit of sari silk around the handle of your cross-body purse sounds really nice! I've never had any kind of "decoration" for my purses, but I've seen those little mini-scarfs that people tie around the handles, and they look so pretty! I might need to look for something like that, to add a splash of color! Thanks.

Access_Denied - Hi! Thanks, I love all the safety-related, anti-RFID ideas... I may need to look and see if I can find some sort of wallet like that to carry my credit cards in. The car that I'm looking at has one of those "keyless" remotes (where it sends out a signal, so the car just magically unlocks as you approach) which seems really unsafe to me - so I might try to a little RFID-blocking pouch for the keys too, to see if I can prevent the signal from getting out.

By "lopsided", I meant that the bag isn't set up to be used as a cross-body. So, instead of just 2 places to hook straps, it has four - one at each corner. So, attaching a crossbody would have to go diagonally across the opening of the purse and could be a bit odd, since it wasn't designed for it.

But it doesn't matter, I sent that one back - it felt a little too big on me, and wasn't comfortable on my shoulder. Sad, it was otherwise cute!

I thought I might like an SUV, but the ones that I've tried out all feel too big, and I feel a little tippy in them. Like I'm riding on a tractor. The last car guy told me that some people just like sitting high up, and some don't, and I may be someone who prefers to be closer to the ground. I don't know, I like the *idea* of them - but I'm one person, no kids/pets/etc and I don't tend to haul a lot of stuff, so it's probably overkill for me.

I'm staying open, but the car I'm looking at right now (from CarMax, not sure if you have them by you) is just a regular sedan. It's supposed to be comfy and quiet and hopefully reliable, and should have decent handling, mileage, and a nice sound system. My last car had terrible sound and was very noisy, so this would be a really nice change!

All the new technology though is so hard to get used to! My car is 15 years old - so *everything* is new and different now!!!

Anyway, yup - one day at a time. I'm trying! But I'll feel much better when some of this stuff gets settled and I can stop obsessing over it. Hopefully this new purse will work for me, so I can put the purse-search behind me. I will miss my current purse, but it's shedding parts of it's outer layer!

Thanks!

WishfulThinker66 -- Oh wow, that's scary (re: your friend who had her purse slashed off of her shoulder - yikes!) The RFID and slash-proof stuff sounds so intriguing. I will look into it some more, for sure. Probably more security than I need right now (I don't get out much), but it would definitely be nice to have something like that for traveling or even going into busier areas in the city. Hope the new one works out well for you! Thanks!