And little man, little Lola wants you

Ever since my wonderful boyfriend got me a Canon Digital Rebel Xsi for Christmas, I have been on the hunt for a camera bag. You may remember me drooling over Bankgrrl's camera bag on Etsy, but her shop's been sold out for a while now. At first I kicked myself for waiting to buy the bag... but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It gave me time to really think about what I wanted in a camera bag.

1. No black, bland, manly and boring bags that scream "I have tons of expensive gear in me!"
2. Must have compartmentalized sections, bonus if they're removable and customizable
3. Needs a long strap so bag can be worn messenger-style, bonus if it also has shoulder straps
4. Needs pockets for batteries, memory cards, keys, wallet, etc

The big minus for Bankgrrl's bag is that it's a tote with no chance of wearing it messenger-style. Not to be easily dismayed, I emailed Bankgrrl to see if she had a messenger-style bag in the wings. Here was her response:

The camera bag has shoulder straps, but no long strap. I'll be designing a new messenger style bag soon as well as one with a longer strap, but I can't say when those will be ready.

-ketti

So, with my list of demands ready, I fumbled around the Internet looking for a camera bag that could satisfy my needs. Luckily, it didn't take me long to discover Ephiphanie bags. And Lola:

And don't worry! She has shoulder straps, they're just not in this picture. Trust me, she's everything I wanted! I can't wait for her to get to me!

---

Anyone interested in picking up Lola (or one of her sisters, Belle and Ginger) should do so before the end of this month. Why? Because Epiphanie is giving away a brand new Canon 5D Mark II or $2500 Southwest Airlines gift certificate. You can do any number of things to enter, like donate to charity or sign up for her mailing list, but you get 10 entries just for picking up one of her awesome camera bags before the end of March! It's a win-win! Check out the Epiphanie Blog for more details.

Etsy Envy

I've always had the girly dream of crafting something so awesome that I could sell it on Etsy. Not only could I make money, but I could be crafty and be my own boss. Sounds perfect, huh?

That dream has sadly not come true yet, but if I were a savvy Etsy crafter, here are some things I would want in my shop:

A camera bag just like this one by Bankgrrl. I know what you're thinking: THAT'S a camera bag? Yes, it is! It's beautiful and functional, and for how much my wonderful boyfriend spent on my camera I shouldn't even bat an eye at $165 to keep it safe. I want one so bad...

An adorable and versatile print like farouche's "Crocodile Scales." I love that it also incorporates the famous poem "How Doth the Little Crocodile" from Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Felted pieces, like this lime felted bowl by shanineal. I love the color and the texture. Felting is definitely high on my list of things to learn how to do!

A magazine holder like paperdollwoodshop's "M is for magazine" in white would be a beautiful house for my new subscription of  "House Beautiful."

Necklaces made of buttons are my new obsession, so you can bet my shop would have something like minski's Golden brown button necklace. How cute!

Upcyclying is the repurposing of a material into a product of higher quality. I would love to be able to save tons of potential landfill space by making upcycled bags, like this Upcycled Sunburst Fused Plastic Wristlet by curiousdoodles.

Maybe someday, like when I am making tons of money on the side selling my own Etsy creations, I will be able to buy all of these treasures. But then again... wouldn't I be able to make my own? Argh! Catch-22!