Handbag and Book with guest author Jennifer Wilck - On Not Embracing Imelda Marcos

As a child, my dream was to be Imelda Marcos. No, I did not want to be a dictator’s wife—I really had no idea about the political or humanitarian consequences at the time—but boy did I want her shoe collection. I know, this is a handbag blog, but stick with me for a moment. She had thousands and thousands of shoes, and I was in love. I pictured custom closets filled with all the shoes I could buy, and dreamed about the different occasions I’d have to wear them. But in addition to the shoes, I imagined the handbags (see, I told you your patience would be rewarded). Because in my mind, you needed a matching purse for each pair of shoes. Purses and shoes galore. It was my dream.

I tried, I really did. But between my parents who were slightly more practical, money that still apparently doesn’t grow on trees, and a lifestyle that doesn’t call for a change of shoes and matching purse daily, I failed. When I was single and working in an office, I had added to my shoe collection, and also my handbag collection. At least when it came to working and to socializing, the shoes and the purses matched. Navy went with navy, black with black, and I threw in a few fun purses and shoes to satisfy my desires. The dream, albeit smaller, lasted for a time while I was married, as well. My husband didn’t understand, but since I didn’t fuss about his Star Wars collection, he didn’t fuss about my purses and shoes.

But then I had kids and I got tired. It was hard enough getting two girls dressed. I considered it a win if the three of us were presentable. Had I stuck to my shoe and purse dream, though, I would have created two mini-monsters who would have wanted to emulate me, so I stuck to diaper bags and then a handbag that was smaller than a diaper bag (I hated carrying that thing around) but big enough to still accommodate everything I needed as a mother of two. And every once in a while, I’d buy a small, impractical purse that reminded me that I was still me.

Today, I’m older, wiser, and still in love with purses. While I no longer dream of matching every purse to my shoes, I do like to change them up with the seasons. The lighter colors brighten my mood after a long dark winter. The darker ones have a richness to them that I find satisfying.

This spring, after spending more than a year in quarantine, I realized, much to my delight, that my spring purse was falling apart. I’m not sure why. I didn’t go anywhere. It sat on my counter as a storage container, as did my winter, fall, and summer ones. But as I was able to get out and start to do things, I took a look at it and realized it was time to get a new one.

Not yet ready to do a lot of shopping in person, I shopped online. I was determined to find a purse that was colorful, practical, feminine and flirty.

I failed.

Buying a purse online is almost impossible. I can’t gauge the size even with the dimensions given to me, or how it will look on my arm or how it will feel. I ordered all of the ones in the photo, thinking I’d have a hard time choosing one. I ended up returning them all.

So, I braved the store. It was one of my first times out shopping for a non-necessity. It was weird. But I found the perfect purse. Pale pink, soft, with lots of pockets inside and two types of straps—an over-the-shoulder kind that I use daily, and a hand/wrist strap that I can use if I choose. I’m in love.

My next purse purchase will be a fun, colorful summer one, to replace the one I used that is too small and awkward. I suspect it will take m a while to find the perfect one, since that perfect specimen exists in my mind only right now and I’ve yet to perfect the mind meld with a purse designer. But I’m not giving up. And now that I can get out of the house more, I’m hopeful I’ll find something soon.

Do you believe in the legend of True Springs?

Mr. Right doesn’t exist…Anna Levinson was raised by a single mother, who sacrificed her dreams to give her daughter a warm, loving home. Now a respected professor on the tenure track, Anna is driven to live the life she thinks her mother should have had. She's long since come to terms with the understanding that “having it all” is impossible if she wants a successful career. 

He’s been told he’s Mr. Wrong more times than he can count…Despite being left at the altar twice, Ben Diamond still believes his soul mate is out there. He’s ready to marry and start a family of his own. He just clearly won't recognize her when he does find her. And then he meets the maid of honor at his cousin’s wedding, and his world is thrown off kilter.

Settling down might be more than they bargained for. A long-distance relationship isn’t what either of them has in mind, and Anna isn’t about to ruin another person’s dreams. However, giving each other up is harder than it looks. Can Ben convince Anna that she’s got him all wrong, and that he’s finally gotten it right?

Fall in love with Anna & Ben in this steamy contemporary romance. Ticket to True Love is a steamy contemporary romance series about new beginnings, second chances, and finding true love in unexpected places. Fall in love all over the world with bestselling and award-winning authors JB Schroeder, Savannah Kade, Moni Boyce, Shirley Hailstock, Holland Rae, Julie Strauss, & Jennifer Wilck. Start your next romance with Better Together in Boston now! 

More about Jennifer Wilck: Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she 

couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after. In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate. She writes contemporary romance, many of which feature Jewish characters in non-religious settings (#ownvoices). She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Answer these questions:

Red, White or Blue?—Blue! It’s my favorite color.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter?—Spring. I love the flowers and watching nature awaken from winter.

Cake or Pie?—If it’s my mom’s apple pie, then I choose pie. Otherwise, cake. Preferably chocolate.

Coffee, Tea, or Champagne?—Coffee in the morning, tea at night.

Country music or Michael Buble?—I love Michael Buble’s voice, but I love the stories that are found in country music.

Pencil or Pen? Pen

Find Better Together in Boston at: Amazon

Find Jennifer Wilck at: Website