A friend of mine who owns a folk art store in Corpus Christi called me and said, "I've got the perfect purse for you." And she was right. The bag was made by a woman who gathered fabric scraps from Afghanistani rugs and Indian patchwork pieces with shi-sha mirrors. They are all sewn together to make a quite wonderful tote.

I love this purse because to me, it represents my family. The shi-sha mirrors remind me of my son, who as a teenager cannot walk by any mirror or reflective object without stopping to look at himself. The singular Tibetan bell reminds me of my daughter who is very animated and loves to sing. It also announces my coming and going. The gecko is representative of my husband's love of reptiles.

This purse is a happy purse and it has been known to shed pieces of its wonderful ornamentation in an effort to spread cheer in the places where I have frequented. It has left pieces of the mirrors, wooden and clay beads, a wooden tiger and other items which once adorned it in various places to spread its joy. It's my Joseph's purse of many colors.

Someone once told me, "Many people think a purse says something about your personality." Well, as you can see from the size of my purse, I need massive amounts of room in my home and car and purse. I am looking at this bag and it is completely filled. I fill it with all the necessities of life. Do I really need all this stuff? Well, only my purse knows for sure.