camera bag extraordinaire

My camera needs a home.

Correction:  needed a home.

For the past two months I've been toting it around in my diaper bag, cushioned by Asher's extra set of clothes.  This worked out - a little - but wasn't going to be a good long term solution, so I've been searching and searching for the perfect bag.

Found it!

Ahh, lovely.  :-)

There were a few criteria that I wanted my new bag to fill:

big enough to hold my camera and some baby stuff
must stand up on its own {I hate it when bags fall over when you set them down!}
comfortable to wear
doesn't scream "camera bag"

This bag does all that and more!  After scouring the internet and talking to some friends I realized that the Kelly Moore B-Hobo bag was the one for me.  There was only one problem...$$$.  Kelly Moore is well known for making beautiful bags - that come at a not-so-lovely price.

Solution?  My go-to deal finder, eBay!  I decided on my max price and started bidding.  It took a few tries, but eventually I won my new friend.  She is brand new and came with the tags attached inside a Kelly Moore dust bag - but for a significant discount.  Win-win!  I know a lot of people are nervous about using eBay, but I can tell you I've used it for a dozen or more purchases with no problems. 

After using this bag for a weekend I can honestly say that I'm in love.  I took it with me to the zoo and was able to carry everything we needed.  It easily holds:  my camera with lens attached, diapers/wipes, Purell, diaper disposal sacks, wallet, snack bag, and an outfit for Asher.

I need to be honest here and add in that if you're a serious photographer with multiple lenses or an external flash then you won't have room for the baby stuff.  I'm just a clickin' mom, so only carrying my camera with attached lens is enough for me.  If I get additional equipment someday then I'll probably just go back to bringing a separate diaper bag.  The hobo is one of Kelly Moore's smaller bags, which is what I wanted.  I'm a petite person and huge bags make me look even smaller.  Not to mention they kill my shoulder.

I also wanted to mention a complaint that I ran across a lot in my research.  The one negative I heard several time was that the bag is not leather, but the price seems to reflect a leather bag.  I have to agree with that.  In fact, that's one of the main reasons I refused to pay for full price and went the eBay route.

However - I have to say I LOVE that's it not leather!  We got caught in a rain storm at the zoo and I had zero concerns about the bag getting ruined.  With a toddler there is sky-high spill potential all the time, so I like having no worries regarding my bag.  I simply wiped it dry after the storm and everything was perfect.

Asher and I went to tour a model home yesterday {we're looking for a new home for us, too} but Drew was working so I took some photos to show him last night.  Can you spot my new friend?  I prefer to carry the bag cross-body, but Asher riding in the Beco put a little damper on that idea. 

We worked it, regardless.  :-) 

This ended up being really long - if you're still reading, thanks!  Guess I'm a little excited.  ha!