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Aug 2009  |  By Susan B. Noyes  |  Comments

Pursuit Of The Perfect Green Purse

While through Italy last month, I learned about a Genoan aristocrat who claimed to travel through time and space by focusing on the spiritual properties of musical chords and the color green.

That sounded absurd until I learned that luminaries like JFK and Albert Einstein regularly travelled to Genoa to visit with him.

Absurd became intriguing.

I love the color green. It reminds me of fertile landscapes, Feng Shui decor, thoughtful stewardship of resources and my husband’s eyes. Perhaps I subconsciously choose green as my favorite color because its spiritual quality speaks to my soul. However, I have to admit that vanity plays a role, too; I think that I look good in green.

I was in Italy with my husband to celebrate a landmark anniversary. We hiked green hills. I gazed lovingly into his green eyes during candlelit dinners. And I noticed that green purses were THE fashion accessory of the season—particularly large green bags.

Because our green-eyed, fashion-maven daughter attends Tulane University, home of the Green Wave, I just had to find the perfect green purse for her during our travels. I scoured the boutiques of Florence for one. It was easy to find a spectacular green purse costing thousands of dollars; my favorite budget-breaker green bag is made by Ferragamo.

But just a few blocks away from the Ferragamo flagship store, on Borgo Sant Jacopo, is a nameless, much smaller shop selling knock-off designer bags for a fraction of the cost. That’s where I found the perfect green purse for my Tulanian. It isn’t as large as the Ferragamo, but this ostrich leather-like beauty only cost $45.

Saving all that green money tickled me pink. And that’s definitely good for my spirit.