Check it out: this is my new black-and-white houndstooth check hobo bag, no label — $6.99 only! My frugal heart leapt for joy when I spotted this.

The bag has one big exterior pocket with a snap, and inside is a silky black lining with a good-sized zipper pocket and another smaller open pocket that’s the perfect size for keys or an mp3 player or such. The main part of the bag zippers up, too, so nothing falls out when I drop it oh-so-casually onto the nearest flat surface, which I am sadly prone to do — but then, aren’t we all?

So yes, I went purse-shopping in the hospital gift shop while my mother was having a pre-op poking and prodding… how bad is that?

But after all, it’s not like I abandoned her in her hour of need, and it’s not like I didn’t urgently need a new bag (because I did), and it’s not like I spent a whole lot of money either… did I mention, $6.99?!