I’m not much of a girly girl. I’m always wearing jeans or leggings, my nails are very au naturale, it takes me about 10 minutes to get ready for work in the morning, and I get a haircut like once a year. For a long time I never even carried a purse, then finally caved and had something very tiny. Somehow over the years, as things tend to do, that purse has gotten bigger and bigger, and more filled with junk. My last purse, a Kohl’s special that I bought like 6 years ago, had to have weighed like 15lbs and contained just about everything but the kitchen sink. 

Since I’m downsizing everything else in my life, I really thought it was past time to downsize the bag as well. Plus the cats had made a game out of playing with the tassels on the old purse, so that thing was… looking rough. Even for me. So when Outfoxed, a small company that makes handbags, stock ties, and a variety of other things, had a Valentine’s sale, I jumped on it. 

As you may guess from the name, Outfoxed does have a lot of foxhunting themed items mixed into their collection. In the handbags especially, there are a lot of really cool prints built into their bags. They also have a lot of other prints too, both equestrian-themed and not. They do a lot of custom work, and can make basically anything you dream up, but they also keep a stock of pre-made items for sale in a variety of styles. Totes, larger handbags, crossbody, wristlet, wallet… you name it, they make it. 

Since I was looking for something small I was thinking either a crossbody or a larger wristlet, and as I paged through the sale items one in particular really caught my eye – a mid-size wristlet in a vintage-looking foxhunting print with hunter green cork accents and a touch of rose gold. Into the Etsy cart it went. I deliberated over a couple others, because it was really hard to choose, but in the end I really liked the size and the colors of this one, so it was the winner.

The construction is really nice and it’s quite well-made. The inside has a zipper pocket and an open pocket, and it definitely looks like it could take abuse. I think the size is pretty perfect: small enough to be easy to carry, but still big enough to fit all the necessities. 

The first step was dumping everything out of my old purse, which was… relatively embarrassing. It contained:

• gum
• a package of plastic buckle snaps
• a usb to wall plug converter
• triple antibiotic ointment
• bandaids
• ibuprofen and aspirin
• alcohol wipes
• sunglasses
• 3 rolls of elastic wrap/tape
• 4 carabiners
• a roll of exercise band
• braiding wax
• two yellow sharpies, a highlighter, two pens, and a Tide pen
• lottery tickets
• omeprazole paste
• a latex glove
• a dog poo bag
• rubber bands
• a tape measure
• a unicorn pin
• a bracelet
• two wallets
• a tootsie roll
• three peppermints
• one spur
• a pack of needles
• a dover gift certificate
• a few old dressage tests, health certificates, and copies of coggins
• lots of stickers
• a Mr Rogers postage stamp
• a hoof pick
• a noseband gauge
• a pulling comb
• two tubes of chapstick
• proof of insurance
• checkbook

This is why I can’t have a big purse. I’m a walking dumpster.

The only things that made the cut into the new bag were one wallet, the chapstick, the gum, the tape measure, the hoof pick, the gift certificate, the proof of insurance, the checkbook, and the bandaid/alcohol wipes/antibiotics/painkillers. Oh, and the tootsie roll. For emergencies. 

Everything fits perfectly, and the new bag is way cuter than the old one. Much easier to carry too, now that I don’t have tons of junk.

I think my favorite thing about the new bag, though, is that it comes from a small business and was handmade with love by a fellow equestrian. It’s so professionally made, and much more unique than anything you’d buy at a big box store. All of those things make me love it even more. I think I may need a crossbody bag too, for when I travel. 

If you’re looking for a gift or a new bag (or a stock tie) or have been thinking about something custom, I highly recommend Outfoxed! To follow along or get in touch with them, you can check out their website, Etsy, facebook page, or Instagram. The Valentine’s day sale is still going on, too, so check out the sale section for even better deals!