Bags o’ Bags

4/21/25 One of six bag o' bags

I’m willing to bet that you have a bag of bags – maybe more than one. Probably in a closet or other storage area, the bag is full of plastic and paper bags that once contained purchases and that you intend to reuse. I’m also willing to bet that the ones that are hardest to simply toss are the ones made of heavy paper and with strong, sturdy bottoms and two rope handles. I call them handle bags. Surely they will be just right for gifting someday, right? So you save them.

I just wanted to establish that we all have these bags of bags – before I show you mine.

After I finished Phase 2 of my big downsizing project, I decided to start on several minor areas that still need work. These are areas that I know I can finish in a couple of hours or less – a closet, a cabinet or a drawer. First up was the front coat closet, which is in my studio/office. I had planned to procrastinate on this one for a while longer, but I was motivated to do it now for one reason only: After still more downsizing after moving downstairs, I had three bins of stationery and art materials that could not find a home in the studio/office proper, yet I was not ready to get rid of them. I needed a small, limited amount of overflow storage area. The closet was a convenient location.

Aside from my coats and jackets (which I had previously downsized), the closet was jam-packed with bags – lots and lots of freebie, logo’d tote bags (every organization’s favorite tchotchke), higher-quality, purchased bags, backpacks, bag-in-bag organizers, insulated lunch bags – bags, bags, bags. What I thought was a two-hour task turned into two days because I had to downsize all the many bags I no longer needed (two boxes filled for Goodwill!).

The truly impressive part, though, was the number of handle bags in the closet. About a decade ago, I spent some time sorting, organizing and reducing the humongous collection. Like everything else, though, they continued to multiply.

Needless to say, the floor of this small closet was overflowing with handle bags. I wish I had thought to take a photo before I started cleaning, but I did remember to take one after I had pulled everything that was on the floor out into the studio for sorting. My intention was to recycle shabby handle bags, but most were so reuseable! The bright colors and sturdy handles! How could I possibly toss them?

The contents of the closet . . . mostly from the floor. 

St. Vincent DePaul and the Salvation Army are delighted to take reusable handle bags for their shoppers to use, and I had donated many then, but the last of these stores that was convenient to me has closed. I recently learned, however, that food banks also need handle bags for their customers, so I just donated a bunch to the one in the U District (along with some food).

My handle bags, which multiply faster than bunnies and almost as fast as colored pencils.

Most important, though, is that my small overflow of art supplies now fits tidily in the closet. (I will not let the closet become a new general art supply storage area! No, no, no! I’m saying it aloud here so that if it happens, you can shame me!)

Nice and tidy now. The three bins on the floor contain unused notebooks, miscellaneous pencils and pads of drawing paper. A small collection of remaining handle bags tucked in back.

By the way, if you think the Space Needle on that tote bag looks like a sketch I would make, you’re right! It’s a digitally printed tote bag from Rickshaw Bags (a service they stopped shortly after I got mine, sadly).

4/23/25 My reward at Rossellini's