The Ones That *Almost* Got Away — Great Ganga Week Finale

About four years ago, I discovered Kooba bags at a local boutique.

Supple leather, tasteful hardware and impeccable workmanship — I'd never seen such nice purses. I didn't even know purses came with dust bags.

I fell in love with the Kooba Natasha. A functional, basic bag that was tote-ish but had these cool side turn-locks to make the bag look scrunchy. Awesome, simply awesome — as was the $695 price tag. Even if I could be that girl, I wouldn't be that girl. Paying so much doesn't make much sense for someone who schleps snacks and Matchbox cars and tosses her bag into Target and grocery store carts.

Still, the fashionable heart wants what it wants.

Off and on over the years I'd check eBay to see if any Natashas had come down in price. Maybe someone who uses high-end bags like Kleenex would get bored, and I could snatch it up for a song. That very thing happened last month. I was the first bidder, but then the auction spiraled beyond what I was willing to pay.

And that was the end of that. Until.....the seller contacted me with a second chance offer weeks later, after the initial buyer never paid. I negotiated that blonde beauty down and made her mine.

Forgive the less-than-professional quality photo — we're very low-tech here at SomeHotDishes Central. And, we obviously have no issues about using child labor. If you look closely, know that no child was hurt during the making of this. Middle Child's face is flaming red because she was the Queen of Hearts yesterday at summer camp and had her entire face painted. She'll be about 16 before that red fades.

But wait — there's more to the Kooba tales.

Last year, I'd crushed hard on this little Kooba pouch bag, loving the shape and chain strap but not the $60 price tag, marked down from $145. I carried it around the store, but in the end just couldn't justify such a purchase. I was sorry later, but by then it was too late. Went to a good home, though, a friend got it.

Well, the same exact bag popped up on eBay and I made it mine and for considerably less. It still has the tags attached, too.

That, my friends, concludes Great Ganga Week. It was a good run, probably my last for a long, long while since I'm taking a huge chunk of unpaid leave this summer. From here on out, it'll likely be fantasy shopping, like one of my husband's fantasy baseball leagues. Sigh. Glad I ended on a high note.