Cult Gaia Ark Bag

Happy Monday! We had a fun-filled weekend, which is making it especially hard to get back into the swing of things this week. We watched pro golfers at the American Family Championship (a PGA seniors event), went on a 20-mile bike ride (which may have been too much for my second time out this year!), spent a few hours in the pool, enjoyed a doner kebab sausage (a convincing substitute for the real thing, which is impossible to find here) at Madison’s O.S.S., and finally brought this bag on its maiden voyage.

I bought the tote a few months ago, before its popularity led to a sharp price increase. (The large size was $48 last year, I bought it at $58, and now it rings in at $98!). The rising price doesn’t seem to deter fashionistas, given that there’s a wait list to purchase the piece. The bag is a replica of a vintage Japanese picnic basket and I’ve actually come across a few on Etsy. They’re now sold out, but it’s worth keeping an eye on if $98 seems like too much to spend on a wooden, slightly impractical bag. The slats are close enough together where most things won’t fall out, but I still corralled my necessities in a cosmetic case.