What’s in your purse? Event planners of all scope, this is for you.

Is your purse a fashion statement, for functionality, or more of a tool bag? I’ve found a purse can double as a lot, and in the industry it should! Last week there were three of us who stumbled upon a comical night when were forced to find many things in my purse that we thought might save our lives! It just so happens that as an event planner, you don’t carry a purse as only a fashion statement. Your purse serves as a holding cell for truly functional tools in your everyday life that could be needed at any point, but could also generate the strangest looks from those around you when pulled out in the middle of a conversation.

These are actual items that I retrieved from my purse to share. For those of you who are with me on a regular basis, you know that I do carry them with me religiously. Often you can find even stranger items in my purse, it just depends on the situation. Ultimately, you should always be prepared, and these items aide in that.

So, what do I carry in my purse that will ALWAYS be there without fail? Here we go!

Item: Lip Essentials
I may not always be wearing lipstick, but I ALWAYS have multiple shades available, with liner options and gloss, along with chap-stick (refer back to my all-time obsession in case you don’t know me).  I never put my lipstick on in the bathroom before I leave my house, it’s always the last thing I do before I walk in somewhere, or maybe the first thing I do when I get to work. I don’t know why, maybe it stays fresher in my mind? But for that reason, it stays in my purse and is readily available when I need to freshen up throughout the day. I haven’t found a long lasting that truly stays put all day long and leaves my lips feeling normal, so yes, I still reapply.

Item: Pens || Functionality
A chalk marker and a general pen. Chalkboards are huge in our industry, and it’s important for us to be able to make one “stage ready” immediately. A chalk marker and clean board and we’re good to go. In my everyday life at the office, I am very particular about what type of pen I want to use. (It’s another one of my “weird” things.) But in my purse, I carry whatever happens to have slipped in there that can double as a back up in case I run out of ink in my favorite, someone needs to borrow a pen, or Sophie needs to write a note on one of her notebooks. I must not be attached to this pen, because the chances of it lasting are slim to none.

Item: Excedrin Migraine
There is never a good time for a headache, so we all make sure something is nearby. Some react well to Excedrin Migraine, for others it dulls the pain a bit, but if it can help get you through the day a little better, it’s a win! Most of us have a bottle in our purse and a bottle in our desk just in case.

Item: Sophie’s Jewelry
Like many others out there, I am a mom of a very busy four year old. Some days she is a cowgirl with boots, jeans and a cowgirl hat, other days she is going to a dance with her fanciest shoes and all the jewelry she can pile on. No matter the occasion, the accessories typically last half way through whatever outing we’re on and end up in my purse for safe keeping for the rest of the time.

Item: Tape Measure
I do not go anywhere without a tape measure. And do you know what item I use the most? The tape measure. Scoping out venues to start diagrams, measuring furniture and equipment to make sure it fits, menu sizing, I could go on forever. My dad gave this tape measure to me in a toolbox when I left for college, and this little 16′ tape has seen many miles since.

Item: Screw Driver (Phillips or Flathead)
I carry a miniature Phillips head screw driver, but also have it’s twin in a Flathead at home that both came in the aforementioned toolbox. It’s often a toss up as to which actually is in the purse.

Item: Zip Ties
Zip ties and wire run neck and neck, but  zip ties are much easier on the inside of your purse. We use zip ties to hang, tie, secure, and generally fix many situations. Cut those ends off and they may never be noticed!

Items: Wire Cutters
The wire cutters come in handy when using the zip ties, but can also double for scissors or floral cutters when absolutely necessary.

For all of you in the industry reading this and pulling items out of your purse to compare, I hope you’re laughing right along with us! Part of survival of being in this business is not the glam, it is the functionality and real life skills that get you through each situation!

xoxo