Anyone have this diaper bag?

[celfsh]

http://www.fleurville.com/default.asp

DD is already 7 months old, and I'm still DISO a decent diaper bag for not too much $ (missed out on the $19.99 Nicole Miller bags at Baby Depot a couple weeks back :(). This one looks like it has potential. Has anyone seen/used this bag IRL? Apparently, it is featured in the May issue of InStyle magazine.

TIA!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[kathsmom]

Celeste,

I hear you about the diaper bag search!! I have bought and returned probably 20 diaper bags and tote bags. Do you know where this bag was in the InStyle magazine? I searched the section where Catherine Bell is modeling maternity clothes, Brooke Shields' baby shower, and the "A Star is Born" section (I showed my DH the Tod shoes for babies for $158 and he nearly choked!LOL! He told me not to get any ideas about ordering those for DS). How much is this bag? I didn't get a chance to search the link you gave, but the bag does look very nice.

Have you tried ebay for a diaper bag? I have seen several there that are made from scratch, as well as some embellished bags. Most of the embellished bags are too small for me, although they do have some in larger sizes. Some of the sellers even say they will do custom orders. If they don't state that they do custom orders, but you like the style of the bag, you might e-mail them and ask if they will make you a bag in the fabric of your choice, or if you need a different closure or handle length, they could probably do that too.

Sorry I couldn't be more help!

Good luck!

P.S. I have seen Nicole Miller bags on ebay, but can't remember the style or pattern.

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[zen_bliss]

ouch! another $150 bag to covet.

there was just a nicole miller bag in the storks pattern on eBay that didn't sell at $50... maybe you could email the seller and strike up a deal? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2319031824

[celfsh]

Toni,

According to the manufacturer's website, this bag is supposed to be featured in this month's issue of InStyle, but I just searched through it and couldn't find it either--maybe they meant last year's May issue?

Anyway, zen_bliss is right, the bag retails for $150 (ouch!), which a few months ago I wouldn't have even considered spending, but now...I just want a diaper bag! And since it will be replacing the purse I've been using (no longer big enough to use as a diaper bag now that I've switched to cloth diapers), I really want something cute but still functional (i.e. lots of pockets), too. It seems like all the bags out there are just one or the other--cute but not functional or functional but not cute. Am I missing something?

BTW, what kind of bag did you finally end up with? Sounds like you tested quite a few!

Oh, and I'll have to prowl eBay to see if I find something. Thanks to you and zen_bliss for the tip!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[casey]

WOW !! i love this diaper bag.this is exactly what i was looking for.
but, i don't like the nylon lining(outside). Dose anyone know similar looking diaper bag with non-nylon material?
thank you

[celfsh]

I called the manufacturer about this bag (actually DH did, I have been "hinting" about wanting a diaper bag for Mother's Day), and they said that they will be coming out with a new version without the plastic on the outside in a couple of weeks. Apparently, some stores in Texas are carrying the new bags already, but online retailers won't have it until sometime next month. Those are all the details I have. HTH a little. BTW, which fabric do you like?

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[RiaHannam]

WOW, this is a great looking diaper bag! How come I like the pricey stuff?? I have no excuse to purchase a new bag at all but gosh it sure will be on my mind for awhile! Especially if I have a girl - love that pink stripe.

Thanks ladies for the temptation! Post if anyone gets one!

Maria
EDD 5/9 w/#4

[khakismom]

I was reading this thread and just had to comment on how adorable your daughter is Celeste, especially in that hat! She is just soooo cute. :)

...Maureen

Mom to
Kathleen 3/22/01
Ellen EDD 6/12/03

[celfsh]

Maureen:

Thank you so much! You are so kind. I was just going to post something in the lounge about your little Kathleen (she's an absolute doll--you have to tell me where you got that amazing photo done!), as well as all the other adorable new faces we're seeing. Isn't it so much fun to ooh and aah over all these cuties?

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[khakismom]

Thank you sweetie! Would you believe that this picture was taken at Wal-Mart? They're great for cheap pictures to send to family, because they always have some special, like $4.98 for a ton of pictures. But what brings me back there is seeing the preview of the picture before you order. And I totally agree--I love seeing all these cute faces on the board. :)

...Maureen

Mom to
Kathleen 3/22/01
Ellen EDD 6/12/03

[sbaker]

Do you happen to know what stores in Texas? I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area...
Thanks.


:) :+ :)
Sara
SAHM to Rayce

[celfsh]

Sara:

Not sure if any of these stores are anywhere near you (I apologize if they're not--I'm no good with geography!), but these are the Texas retail stores that are listed on the website. If you get a chance to see a bag IRL, let us know!

P.S. Just saw your pics of Rayce in the lounge, and they are simply adorable--love the hair!

Children's Collection
1717 Post Oak Blvd.
Houston, TX 77056
713/622-4415

Comfort Common
717 High Street Comfort
Comfort, TX 78013
830/995-3030

Ella Bella
287 SW Plaza
Arlington, TX 76016
817/483-4222

Essential Baby
1027 Portsmouth
Pearland, TX 77584
713/305-2249

Maggie
1206 W. 38th
Austin, TX 78705
512/452-6822

Maggie
2542 Amherst
Houston, TX 77005


celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[kathsmom]

Hi, Celeste!

A couple of months ago before DH quit his job without having another job to go to, I would have paid that much for one too! I am always on the lookout for a great diaper bag!

Currently I have the LE Little Tripper (old version) in navy blue, a Baby Trend Activpak backpack in navy blue, and I won an auction on ebay and received a new handmade bag on Monday of this week (if you go to www.ebay.com and put the item number in the search box, it should bring up the page with the picture on it - the item # is 2824637697 and the seller is maryjanecreations. They are new sellers to ebay. I won the auction and paid only $20.50 for a made from scratch bag). I have been using the Activpak backpack constantly, because DS can only take concentrate formula (powder makes his spit up constantly)and I make his bottles before we leave the house, so I have to take a cooler bag. It was getting to be too much to carry the cooler, the Little Tripper, and my purse. So I got the backpack and it is large enough to put the cooler bag in. I don't use any of the accessory pieces that come with the backpack, except the changing pad. This bag gets great ratings on www.babiesrus.com and if you check the comments I believe one of the posters stated that she used cloth diapers and could carry a dozen in her Activpak backpack with no problem. I can't remember if that description is under the navy one or the black one. It was 29.99 at my local BRU store and I had a $5 coupon from BRU so I only paid 24.99 for it.

I got the handmade one off ebay, because I really prefer tote bags, but couldn't find one IRL at any stores that had handles long enough for me. I also like the open style of this bag, because I can just reach right in and get a pacifier, toy, or blanket. This bag isn't as large as the Activpak, so I will have to carry my cooler separately, but it does have some nice interior pockets that I can put my stuff in. I will have to say that the Activpak has a lot of pockets and I can easily carry my stuff in there too, as well as a couple of things for DD. I am currently looking for a cooler with a shoulder strap that is large enough to carry baby food and bottles/sippy cups.

Sorry this got to be so long, but diaper bags are kind of an obssession of mine. If you are interested in any of the sellers who have cute bags (embellished or handmade), let me know and I will write up a list - I keep the list by the computer so I can see what each of my favorite sellers has for sale.

Take care and good luck finding a diaper bag!

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[celfsh]

Toni,

Thanks for your post. The Activpak looks like a great bag, but I think a backpack would drive me crazy. I would probably end up carrying it in my hand like a purse for easy access, thus defeating its purpose! I'd love to see your list of sellers with cute bags if it's not too much trouble. It would be nice to find something different and unique. Thanks for your help!

P.S. If I see a cooler that might work for you, I'll let you know!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[kathsmom]

Celeste,

I will e-mail you through the boards of the list of sellers. Some of the embellished bags are small, but you could probably use one for a quick trip (maybe a fitted diaper or an AIO). The embellished bags usually have one pocket sewn in on the inside, even the larger ones. They are awfully cute though, so I will include those as well. Keep in mind that I have no personal experience with these sellers, but they seem to consistently have positive feedback and really cute designs.

Unfortunately, DH said he would not carry a bag made from any kind of toile fabric or anything too "kiddie". He also refused to carry anything that was trimmed with feathers, fringe, tassels, pompoms, beads, buttons, or bows. So, this eliminated a lot of the bags. This is why I chose to bid on the bag I did, because it looked stylish and simple. The sellers who made my bag just had a bag up for auction that was navy with red and navy plaid that I would have liked to get. No one bid on it, so maybe I could e-mail them and buy it and sneak it in the house!!LOL!

I hope you can find one that you like! Also, remember to check ebay for any Nicole Miller bags. If I go to my Baby Depot anytime soon, I will check to see if they have the Nicole Miller messenger bag.

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[emmiem]

I just saw this bag in person! The fabric is beautiful but the plastic covering cheapens the bag. If your child is off bottles, the insulated bottle holder inside the bag is useless and it takes up quite a bit of space. The changing pad is also bulky.

[pjkart]

I just ordered this bag from pokkadots.com - they had it on sale for $134.10. I iwll let you know when I receive it. I too have been searching for the last 10 months for the perfect diaper bag. My best friend gave me a lavender Kate Spade diaper bag but it is too impratical (not enough pockets, straps too short to put over my shoulder, etc.) I then got a really cute homemade diaper bag over Ebay which I like but it is too small when I need to bring bottles of milk with me. So I think this will fit the bill!



Kristine
Mom to darling Louis
6/19/02

[sbaker]

Have you found the I'm Still Me bags on Ebay? I have two of them. They don't look like diaper bags and they have eight pockets in them. I have looked at several other sellers bags, but none of them seemed to have pockets.
If your curious I've posted pictures of my second bag on Shutterfly. Here's the link:
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b338e4d9a477

Just my two cents....
:) :+ :)
Sara
SAHM to Rayce

[toniteach]

Thank you so much, kathsmom, for recommending the Activpak by BabyTrend. I went out to BRU and purchased it today. It's so much better than the BRU's Eddie Bauer backpack. I read all the reviews on Amazon.com, and felt really comfortable making the purchase. You've added to the quality of my life! Bless you! :)

Toni
Kelly 12.4.02

[kathsmom]

Toni,

Hi, it's great to have another Toni on the boards! I am glad that you like the Activpak. Which color did you get? I really like mine, even though I am a tote bag kind of girl. It has really been a great bag for me at this stage with DS and for DD! I have not been disappointed with it at all. I hope you get a lot of use out of it!

Sara (sbaker),

I sent Celeste a list of sellers on ebay and included the seller caseydesigns, which is the seller's user i.d. on ebay for the I'm Still Me bags. I did tell her that you had a custom bag made, but I couldn't remember the thread, so thank you for posting that. In fact, this is one of the ones I recommended to her. However, these bags on ebay did not pass the "no toile" test set by my DH!LOL! Maybe I can save up some money and get a custom one made. BTW, yours looks great!

Take care!

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[celfsh]

Toni, thanks so much for sending me your list of sellers. Can't wait to start checking them out! I've given up trying to find anything that DH and I can both agree on carrying, so I am just going to get something that I like!

Oh, and Sara, thanks for the pic of your "I'm Still Me" bag--way cute! Where did you find that fabric? How do you like the bag? Does it hold its shape when not full of stuff?

Thanks for all your help!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[sbaker]

Celeste,
Mackenzie (the I'm Still Me lady) gave me several choices of fabrics for the body of the bag and then gave me couple of options for the bottom. I like the bag alot. You have a couple of options on how the bag closes too. It does hold it's shape well.

:) :+ :)
Sara
SAHM to Rayce

[celfsh]

Kristine:

Just curious--did you get your bag yet? I am dying to know what it's like. I'm leaning towards getting one when the new ones (without the plastic on the outside) come out. So, what do you think, huh? Tell us!

:)

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[pjkart]

Celeste,

I did receive the bag last week but didn't have a chance to put it to use until this weekend. I was going to post my review today so here it is:

The bag is very big and gorgeous (The picture doesn't do it justice)! I love the plastic lining over the fabric because inevitably I brush up against my car which is usually dirty and it gets onto whatever bag I am carrying so I should be able to keep it clean. The bag seems to be very well made. The interior (I got the pink striped one)is a red vinyl.

Exterior: One back pocket that is small - I use it to slid papers in - shopping list etc. Each end of the bag has exterior pockets that velcro close. The pockets are the perfect size for sunglasses, cellphone etc. They are not very wide but are long - rectangular shape. I am using one for my cell phone, sunglasses and lip gloss the other I keep miscellaneous stuff for DS (tylenol, little flashlite, bandaids, orajel, etc). The front flap of the bag has a magnetic closure.

The strap fits so nice on my shoulder - it is wider at the top and has a rubber underside so it stays on your shoulder and is comfortable. I am 5'6 and the bag hits me between my waist and hip. The strap is not adjustable.

Interior: On the front - two elasticized pockets - perfect size for diapers and wipes. I have 5 diapers in one and a travel case of wipes and diaper creme in the other. On the back side - one large elasticized pocket that also has a large seperate removeable zipper case (dirty clothes)in it. I put my wallet and checkbook in this pocket because I don't want to carry another purse. The pocket is very large and could hold many more items. The 2 interior ends of the bag - one is another elasticized pocket that holds the matching rolled up changing pad - the other end is the bottle holder cooler sleeve. In between all of these pockets is one big opening in the middle of the bag. I put change of clothes, some toys, snacks and my insulated milk bag in the middle.

A couple of items to note. The cooler sleeve for the bottle is very thick and heavy but I can't tell what it is made of (it's supposed to be insulated). Since DS still is getting breast milk - I put his sippy cup of juice in that sleeve and his bottle of milk in an insulated bag with freezer packs and put it in the big middle pocket.

I am thrilled with the bag since I have had a hard time trying to find one that I can carry all my stuff plus the milk bag in it. That being said it is a heavy bag when it is fully loaded! I have not yet tried putting it on my stroller because I have the Combi Ultra Savvy and I know that the weight of the bag would probably tip the stroller if DS wasn't in it. This bag would definitely not fit under the Combi in the basket. When I get my second stroller (If I can ever make up my mind) I will test it out then.

I have a small bag perfect for the quick trips so this will be my regular diaper bag most of the time. I am done with diaper bag shopping, yeah!

I hope that helps - any questions let me know!


Kristine
Mom to darling Louis
6/19/02

[celfsh]

Wow! I think I'm sold! In desperation, I almost bought a Kate Spade at Nordstrom over the weekend, but this one seems SO much more practical...and cute, too! Glad your search is over--I hope mine is, too!

Thanks for the fabulous review.

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[khakismom]

Celeste...

If you are still hunting for a cute diaper bag, I came across this one which looks very similar to the the one you posted about originally:

http://www.totshop.com/shop/Tots/catalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=CHB%2D600&bt=chb

I was debating buying one--I *love* the Fashion Ladies pattern. So cute! (This web site also sells the Fleurville ones too:

http://www.totshop.com/shop/Tots/fle/fleurville.asp

Good luck and let us know if you buy one! :)

...Maureen

Mom to
Kathleen 3/22/01
Ellen EDD 6/12/03

[celfsh]

Ooooh, Maureen! Don't do this to me! I agree--the Fashion Ladies print is SUPER cute...although, FYI, if it's the pattern you like, I have seen some bags on eBay in that print for less $.

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[pjkart]

Celeste,

I also have a Kate Spade diaper bag that my best friend gave me and I don't like it all. This new bag is soo much better.

Kristine
Mom to darling Louis
6/19/02

[pjkart]

Celeste and Maureen,

I also saw that bag at posh tots. I like the Fleurville bag better because it seemed to have more pockets and a better strap. If I can't carry a bag over my shoulder I hate it!

Kristine
Mom to darling Louis
6/19/02

[sbaker]

Would you mind measuring the dimensions of the bag and the strap drop length for me? I haven't seen it anywhere online. I would appreciate it very much!
Thanks!

:) :+ :)
Sara
SAHM to Rayce
02/09/02

[honeybea]

I just saw that diaper bag in a baby store the other day! Too cute! They have tons of cool colors, and it's so stylish! I love it!

Kaylee

[celfsh]

Kristine,

I, too, would appreciate it if you would measure and post the drop length on the straps. I am wondering if the straps are long enough that you can wear the bag messenger-style or if it works best over one shoulder.

Thanks again for posting your review!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[casey]

i just find out that it is out on e bay now with free shipping.
i love this diaper bag!!
casey
from nyc
mom to alex 10/22/02

[luvtoshop]

HI--I just saw the white bag at Hannah Anderson in Seattle IRL. I picked it up and threw it over my shoulder. Way too big for me, but I thought it looked cool. I took notice of the name and thought I had seen it somewhere...I also saw the bags in InStyle.

Good luck!

[toniteach]

"Toni,
Hi, it's great to have another Toni on the boards! I am glad that you like the Activpak. Which color did you get?"

---I loved the navy color best, but got the black because it matches the carseat. I used it all day today, and I can't believe what a difference it makes! I felt organized for the first time, and didn't have to wrestle with keeping it on my shoulder when bending over. I'm with you, Toni, I guess I'm a backpack kinda girl, too!

Takes a good Toni to know one!

Thanks again, Toni, and all for this thread about diaper bags. I hope you all obtain the right bag for you! ;)

Cheers!
Toni
Kelly 12.4.02