Thirty-One Organizing Shoulder Bag

Thirty-One is a company that sells different kinds of bags and organizational tools by way of home shows. It is a faith-based company, and continues to provide fresh, new designs and fabrics with each season. I purchase my Thirty-One products from my friend who lives down the street, and I absolutely love the products! I have lots of different items from Thirty-One, but one of my favorites is the Organizing Shoulder Bag. Read on to find out why it's my favorite purse!

I bought this bag specifically for a trip to Walt Disney World, because I did not want to be burdened with a heavy purse or backpack. I also wanted the safety of being able to wear the bag across my body, to prevent having it snatched off my shoulder or being picked clean behind my back. I love the quilted pattern, and the fact that I have it monogrammed to my taste.

The best part is having my hands free! It's like a backpack in that regard, but safer because the bag is not behind my back where I can't see it.

The wide strap distributes the weight in the bag so that your shoulder never gets tired or sore. Many times, I have found myself shifting a purse from one shoulder to the other, wondering why I had to bring the kitchen sink with me. But that has never happened with this purse, thanks to wearing it across my body and having a good, wide, adjustable strap. If you would like to wear the purse on one shoulder, you can shorten the strap and do so. Or if you would like to wear it acorss your body but feel safer with the strap shorter, you can adjust it after you have it on. I did this at Disney World, so that it would not get caught under the bar on the rides. The adjustment is a quick, easy slide of the metal buckle, but it holds fast once you have moved it.

Photo Credit: Perrin Conrad

One open and one zippered

The outside pockets are ample. There is a deep, open pocket on the back where you can stuff your keys or anything else to which you need quick access. On the front of the bag, there is a zippered pocket for smaller items which need to be more carefully guarded. I use this pocket for receipts. They are so lightweight that they might fall out of the open pocket when I remove my keys. But the zippered pocket is a quick, safe place to store them. I also slide my smartphone in the zippered pocket for extra safety.

The interior of the purse is secured by a zipper on the top. But inside the purse, there is plenty of room for my checkbooks, wallet, hairbrush, lipsticks, pens, and various other items. There are two open-topped pockets (my smartphone also fits in each of these) and another zippered pocket capable of holding checkbooks, pens, and more. I just love the striped lining in my bag, too! Thirty-One always chooses a nice, complementary lining fabric for each bag.

I would add a picture of the inside, but none seem to do the bag justice . . . trust me, you can squeeze a lot into this bag!

It's the perfect size!

It’s often difficult to tell how large or small a bag actually is in pictures, so I have included a picture with other items to show what a nice size this bag actually is. When we were at Disney World, I had everything I needed, and the bag was never overstuffed. I had all the typical essentials in addition to a big Ziploc bag with a change of clothes for my 4-year-old. I also wedged a bottle of water into the bag each day.

Here, I pictured the bag next to a normal-sized lipstick, checkbook, and pen so that you can see the size.

These are fabrics or patterns that are retired and are no longer offered by Thirty-One.

One of the best things about Thirty-One products, in my opinion, is that you have a rep to whom you can direct your questions. Sometimes, it's nice to be able to find discontinued patterns that you love online (like on Amazon or Ebay), but I especially like having a friend who can give me the new catalog for every season and keep me up to date on monthly specials. You can't beat personal customer service. Don't forget, your Thirty-One rep can order your bag with your monogram just the way you like it.

If you don't have a rep, contact mine! She is in South Carolina, and her name is Kristi.

Do you like Southern fiction? If you enjoy Southern short stories, please give my collection a try! It's available in paperback, Kindle version, or Nook version from Barnes & Noble.