I will spend the last week of December and the first day of the new year gallivanting with Uzi and some of our friends around Luzon. We will check historical landmarks and shop for cheap finds (craft supplies, in my case) in Manila, gawk at the rice terraces in Banaue, and take in the sights of Baguio.

I’ve spent the last several weeks looking for a bag that I can take with me. Knowing the “industry” I’m in, one would assume that I shouldn’t have bothered looking for bags since I can easily make one. Very true but I wanted one that was made with leather and had a hobo-jordy look. I wanted a girly but sturdy bag. Unfortunately, my Lorelai can’t tackle leather. So off to the stores (vintage, malls, online) I went.

But a burst of frantic sketching yesterday afternoon led to a perfect design. I cut and sewed the bag (using the Robert Allen fabric I bought recently) in a little less than 4 hours. It turned out to be a cross between a diaper bag, a messenger bag, and a hobo bag. I might just call this mutt bag.

It’s large enough to fit a cardigan, other traveling essentials, and some items I might buy while sightseeing. The front pleated part is a huge pocket for my tissue, hand sanitizer, and sunglasses. There is also a zipped pocket at the back for valuable items, such as keys, mobile phone, and cash. There are more pockets inside the bag, attached to the lining. I guess this is more like a kangaroo mutt bag.

My favorite part is the 3.5-inch strap that is incredibly nice on my shoulder. It’s not painful and it’s cute to look at, too.