Funchico.com - Funky, Chic & Cool Laptop Bag News

Valentine Laptop Bag Giveaway from CareerBags.com and Veronica London

I'm just about done with winter, aren't you?  And I can think of no better way to emphasize my done-ness than to start day dreaming about warmer, more pleasant topics.  Like Valentine's Day.

And what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a laptop bag (yes, yes .. I'm totally biased).

Delightfully, Ellen Hart from CareerBags.com has given Funchico.com a red version of her snazzy Veronica London business tote to give away to one of our readers! So, here's the deal:

To enter ... leave a comment telling us your favourite romantic couple from history or literature. 

Make sure your email address in the comment field is accurate - it's the only way I have to get a hold of you (don't worry, it won't appear publicly). Contest closes at 5PM PST on Wednesday Feb 4, 2009.  After that time, I'll do a random draw and announce the winner here.  Prize includes a red Veronica London and shipping of the bag to you or your significant lady.

Oh, and guys, a special shout-out to you.  If you want to score points on Valentine's Day - there's no better way that with a snazzy laptop bag :)  Seriously.  Would I lie?  Enter the contest - win a bag for your special gal.

And ladies ... you enter to win one for YOUR special gal too! Besides, then you can borrow it - Rose borrows my laptop bags ALL THE TIME!

If you want to get the scoop on the VL, I wrote a review of it a few months ago. 

Recap:

• Win an awesome laptop bag
• To enter - leave a comment with fav romantic couple
• Deadline - 5PM PST on Wed Feb 4, 2009

Good luck!

Update: Our lucky winner is Lindsay from East York, ON!  She said that Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy were her fav romantic couple from literature.  That Mark Darcy - such a cutie!  Congrats, Lindsay!  And thanks to all of you who entered - I very much appreciated the comments and commentary on your favourite couples :)

Fun Pink Laptop Backpack - the Express from Mobile Edge

It's been a long winter here in Vancouver.  Not a lot of sun.  So anything bright, pink and polkadot makes me smile.  Especially when you can put your laptop in it!  I did a review recently of the Express Laptop Backpack from Mobile Edge ...

Look, I'm not going to lie to you. I wanted to open this review with the statement, "The pink polka-dot Express Laptop Backpack from Mobile Edge is the bag that Strawberry Shortcake would carry if she were a grown-up freelance blogger/web designer."

But I was worried that some of you might take that the wrong way. I had a bit of a *thing* for Miss Shortcake when I was younger so, to me, that is a totally positive statement. See the Express is pink, but not ALL pink. And it has pink racing stripe piping down the side. Shows that you're ready for action. It's a little sporty, a little designer-y. But not so uber-sophisticated that your friends Angel Cake and Ginger Snap will accuse you of going all corporate, "You used to be one of US, Straw! What HAPPENED?!"

Ahem.

The pink polka-dot Express Laptop Backpack from Mobile Edge is a fun and functional bag to comfortably carry your laptop and other gear. The pink and chocolate colour scheme is vivid, but not overwhelming. And its silhouette is curved and feminine. But don't think that means this bag isn't all business on the inside!

If you like backpack style laptop bags, make sure you check out the full review of the Express!

Cute Laptop Bag on 24 - Janeane Garofalo Rocks It!

Yes, yes.  Bauer is back.  But you know what's more important - there's a hot new geek girl, Janis Gold (played by Janeane Garofalo) and she carries a funchico laptop bag!  Here's a kinda-crappy still shot (Garofalo is on the right; Annie Wersching who plays FBI Agent Renee Walker is on the left) ...

I'm pretty sure that the case is the Built NY Dot No 7 laptop portfolio.

And the fact that I could identify that makes me embarassingly geeky. :)

Carpetbag Luxury for Your Laptop - the Wirkin from Veronica London

I have a great affection for carpet bags. They always remind me of Anne of Green Gables, who arrived off the train at Bright River with all her worldly goods in an ancient carpet bag. Anne's carpet bag had to be carried a certain way or the handle would fall off - not very functional for the young orphan on the go.

Fortunately, the Veronica London Wirkin Laptop Carpet Bag is not your grandmother's carpet bag - it's definitely a carpet bag for the new millennium. It has a unique look and is really well-made; the vintage fabric is whimsical yet chic. The rich texture of the fabric and the pebbled leather trim and handles make the Wirkin a great marriage of classic and Bohemian style.

I'm a fan of the handbag-style laptop tote and the Wirkin's shoulder straps make for comfy carrying. I also liked that the Wirkin has the same fabulous little feet I loved so much on the Veronica London Monogram Laptop Tote. I was a little worried that the buckle closure on the front of the bag would be fussy, but it turns out the front is just a clever illusion! The bag actually zips across the top, which makes for much easier access.

There is a little gap at the top of the bag, even with the zipper closed - so between that and the vintage fabric, the Wirkin's not really a rainy day bag.

The Wirkin is very fun and fashion-forward but it isn't just about looks - inside, this bag's all business. It comes with a padded, removable laptop sleeve, which fit my MacBook Pro very comfortably (my MacBook also liked the leather detail on the laptop sleeve - a nice touch).

The laptop sleeve has its own compartment, which is also padded for extra laptop love. The laptop compartment is secured with a Velcro strap - if you're not toting your laptop around, the compartment is the perfect size for files, binders, magazines, etc.

The middle compartment has room for your eyewear, PDA, iPod, cellphone, pens, business cards and anything else you might need. None of the interior pockets are zippered, however, so I wouldn't toss small, hard-to-find items or loose change in there. The front compartment runs the length of the bag - more room for files, notebook or wallet.

The Wirkin is quite a roomy bag and has just the right amount of structure - not too firm, not too floppy. Even if you overstuff it a little (my Annotated Anne of Green Gables hardcover takes up a lot of room), the carpet bag fabric is sturdy yet forgiving, which I appreciated.

Ellen and the fine folks at Veronica London let me pick which Wirkin bag I wanted to test and review - it was a tough call, but I chose the green Wirkin (green does suit us redheads). The bag also comes in burnt orange carpet bag fabric, which I loved almost as much as the green. If you like the Wirkin style of bag but are not feeling the business Bohemian attitude, you can also get the Wirkin in red and black microfiber.

While I will always associate carpet bags with Anne, the design of the Wirkin bags are actually an homage to the famous Hermès Birkin Bag!. But while the Birkin typically starts at $7500 US, you can get a fabulous Veronica London Wirkin Laptop Carpet Bag for only $140 US at CareerBags.com.

UPDATE: It seems this version of the Veronica London has been retired.

The Bucklette. Sometimes You Don't Need a Bag.

Love this. For the times when you don't want to carry a bag and you just need the essentials: ID, housekey, a few bills and a lipstick. Meet the Bucklette, created by Philadelphia designer Sandy Alexander.

A little pricey ($112 for the belt version; $92 for the clip on), but super-handy and quite pretty.

Update: I want to make sure it's clear that the belt version actually comes WITH a belt as well as the Bucklette!

Discovered this via Popgadget (a great blog for geek chic) and am also using their photo (sheepish grin). Thanks, Popgadget!