'What's In My Bag?' Series: Nicole.

I feel like a peek into my handbag is a glimpse into my soul, but this seemed like a good idea at the time, so here is what I keep in my bag:

• Wallet: I'm not a huge fan of big compartmentalised wallets because I don't hoard discount cards or receipts, so I just use a little purse instead. The one that I am using at the moment is particularly special because it was given to be by one of my good friends on my twentieth birthday. She found the little handmade purse at an RMIT student stall one day. 
• Car keys: I have a Finding Nemo house key because mum knows I like Disney and thought I would appreciate a Nemo key (and I do appreciate it very much!). I also have a little Gorman watermelon keychain that I scored for free after a lovely worker at Gorman said she had a few of the keychains at the back of the store that were old stock. 
• iPhone: I don't really check my phone that much when I'm out, but I always have it on me just in case I need to use maps, because my sense of direction is terrible. 
• Diary: I love being organised, and I always buy my diaries from Kikki K. You're guaranteed to find lots of crammed, colour-coded details on each page. I'm still a fan of having a physical diary - I can't bring myself to use my iPhone to organise my life. I'm a bit of a technological dinosaur when it comes to those kinds of things.  
• Reading glasses: I'm usually wearing my glasses, but in the odd case that I am not, I will have them on me in case I need to read. Which brings me to my next point. 
• A good novel: I can't leave the house without a book in my bag. I am a big reader, and whenever I get to places early or have time to spare, I'll pull out my book and find a quiet little spot to squeeze in some reading. At the moment I'm reading Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, which is really great. I'm such a fan of Gladwell's work. 
• Sunglasses: Because you never know what Melbourne weather is going to bring. 
• Bottle of water: I can honestly say that I only drink two things - coffee and water. Water seems like the safer option to store in my bag. I just recycled my Pressed Juices bottle because I find that square bottles don't crumple up in my bag. 
• Make-up bag: I don't really wear much make-up, but I carry around a little make-up bag with some lip balm, Shea body butter, mascara, an eye pencil, and lipstick just in case I feel the need to touch up, or for when I am meeting someone after work. 
• Notebook & pen: Anyone who knows me know how much I love writing. So it just makes sense to carry around a notebook for when I need to jot down an idea or write something important down.
• iPod: I would usually just use my iPhone, but I recently found my old iPod from 2010 and have been loving it. I cringe at some of my choices in music, then stumble across great artists that I had forgotten about. It's brilliant. 

I'm a fan of bigger bags because I usually use one bag for everything - work, university, and for everyday purpose. It gives me space to bring my laptop to work or uni if need be, and is a good incentive to pack my own lunch so I'm not spending so much on weekdays. If you're at university you will be able to sympathise with me when I say that food is one of the great comforts during stressful times, and the money just seem to roll out of your wallet during each semester. 

Now, I bid you all adieu as I go to neatly pack everything back into my handbag! 

- Nicole