Fitting that since the kid is to blame for my prolonged absence, that the kid also be the cause of my latest obsession...the quest for the perfect diaper bag.

Yes, a diaper bag is not a true necessity, I never even had one for my older child, I just tossed the barest of necessities into a Vuitton tote (yes, the monogram fabric is impervious to all sorts of stains...the vachetta leather, not so much), Hogan Messenger, or old Prada bowling bag and went on my way. However, since I now have to fish out stuff for 2 from a cavernous black hole of tote, I really need something more compartmentalized.

To start, yes the current crop of bags has come a long way since the Kate spade messenger was the hot bag du jour, but I still can't get past some of the too cute names like Petunia Pickle Bottom, StorkSak, or a Fleurville style called "The Mothership", never mind the plastic coating which brings to mind my great aunt's plastic coated sofa

**the Fleurville Mothership
**
I did find one from Cameron Nicole, the Eve, which looked for all I could tell like a handbag

Cameron Nicole Eve

Which, upon further investigation via the company website, it seems to be, albeit a bag with a difficult to stain interior, and 2 side pockets which "can" be used for baby bottles. It is also billed as a laptop bag, overnight bag...it's like the Ginsu of bags...bet it can't cut through a tin can...

All things considered, it is not bad looking, just not perfect, and for the price, $575, I would expect perfection.

Continuing on in the handbag looking frame of mind, I came across something from Tylie Malibu, they make a diaper bag.

**Tylie Malibu diaper bag
**
I never went for the rhinestone guitar strap LA look, but maybe for a diaper bag I wanted something a little bit glitz, a little rock and roll. It is a real diaper bag complete with a little poem inside, pockets built for bottles, and a changing pad. It also has a ridiculously long, non-adjustable strap.

But, it got me into a rock and roll frame of mind. Maybe a diaper bag need not be like something I would carry sans baby. Maybe it should be a bit more tongue in cheek, which brought me to the website Psycho Baby Online (which is where a friend ordered a Ramones onesie for the baby) and I found a bag that truly served a double purpose.

Sourpuss Skull and Cherries Diaper Bag

Extremely tongue in cheek, including the cheerful red cherries printed on the side (not shown), it certainly might send the message..."don't f%$# with me or my baby". Just think of the loads of unsolicited advice givers I could potentially scare off with that...actually, considering the $35 price tag, it's worth it even for days I'm just in one of those moods (they also have a Ramones one, just a drop too matchy with the onsie)

Moving right along, I did actually find what I think is close to what I'm looking for at Little Dudes and Divas. It's not trying to be a handbag, it looks like a diaper bag without screaming it, and the mix of texture,color and patterns is definitely to my taste.

Room Seven Floral Print Diaper Bag
****
Also, and most importantly, for $145, I don't really feel like it's such a big investment I have to use it all the time.