A vile vial

So I have this bag which I am totally and completely in love with.  It has so many little pockets and secret hiding spots where I can keep all my essentials tucked away in their proper location.  (Because I am totally anal like that and need everything to be in its suitable position at all times.)

MZ Wallace

Here's my current model - the MZ Wallace JANE bag in Brown.  (It's actually a hand-me-down from Gretters.  She got too cool for it and moved onto bigger and more fashionable things.)  I keep my keys (car keys, house keys, office keys) in the front right pocket, my emergencies (advil, eye drops, chapstick) in the front left pocket, my electronics (ipod, blackberry, camera, cords) in the inside right pocket, my pens (six FORAY onpoint ballpoint 1.0mms - you can never have enough!) in the inside left pocket, my gum in the back outside pocket (Trident Layers how I love you), and finally, my Tory Burch wallet, glasses in their glasses case, and schoolgirl notebook for jotting down all sorts of things in the main pocket. 

Not too long ago I was running some errands on Chestnut Street - one of my favorite spots in the city to just take a stroll and window shop (or really shop).  First, I headed to We Olive to pick up some of their delicious olive oil.  It's an adorable little shop and they are super generous with their free samples at the tasting bar.  I started with some Lavender Olive Oil then moved onto some Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon Olive Oil then sampled their  Habanero Olive Oil and then a bit of the White Truffle Olive Oil and then a splash of their Napa Smoked Olive Oil and then finally finished with their Roasted Garlic Olive Oil. 

              

We Olive

We Olive sells a bunch of varieties out of big stainless steel barrels so if you bring your own bottle you can save a few pennies and fill up there.  So I came prepared with one of the little vials from my threesome O & Co set and asked them to fill it to the brim with my fav - the Roasted Garlic blend. 

I tossed the bottle into my MZ Wallace and headed on my way - to Books Inc to browse through their fantastic selection of cookbooks, to SF Optics to have my glasses tightened, to Toss Designs to pick up some extra special and adorable birthday presents, to Blue Barn for a deliciously fresh, organic, local salad, to Susie Cakes for a Fluffy Coconut Frosting Filled cupcake for dessert, and then back to my car to drive myself home. 

When I got in the car I couldn't help but smell the sweet, smoky aroma of the ambrosial Roasted Garlic Olive Oil.  I could not wait to get home and drizzle a bit on some crunchy San Francisco sourdough. 

As I walked up the two flights of stairs to my apartment after arriving home, the scent of my new purchase grew stronger.  I noticed a slight cool dampness on the bottom of my bag pressing aganist my dress.  I stopped mid staircase and peaked into my bag.  My previously completely full bottle of oil was now half empty.  The remaining half had dressed my bag's contents and was now pooled in the bottom of my MZ Wallace.

Panicked, I sprinted up the stairs and to my kitchen.  I emptied the contents and attempted to rinse the bag with whatever cleaning products I could find, but it was no use, the smell was noxious at such high a concentration.  I slumped to the floor and wept over my loss.

Enter: Walnut Cleaners.  I delivered my bag to them the following morning and pleaded for their pity and assistance.  The man grimaced and then chuckled as I handed over my foul-smelling sack.  Despite my embarrassment as the man and his fellow cleaners cackled at my stenchful situation, three weeks and $40 later the bag was as good as new.

So if you're looking for a new bag to weather even the most malodorous of disasters, consider MZ Wallace.  I promise it won't disappoint. 

xoxo

KK