Before you start sending me links to cool 17 inch laptop cases, let me state right from the get-go that I found my bag! It’s cute, suits me perfectly and does everything I want it to so I’m very pleased.

But finding the right bag was an adventure. I don’t have strict requirements: I basically need a bag that takes me from home to library twice a week. I don’t travel extensively or set up shop at Starbucks for hours at a time, so there’s no need for me to have an all-leather bag with 1001 compartments for my cell phone, PDA, GPS and lunch. I do, however, need a bag that is large enough to suit my 17 inch Dell laptop.

If you own a Sport Utility-sized laptop, then you understand my dilemma. I spent hours on the internet, looking for the perfect bag. Besides size, I also wanted a unique bag, not a standard black faux leather bag or backpack. Target.com has cool bags and some are even large enough to hold my laptop; however, upon reading the reviews, most buyers indicated that the bag wasn’t truly large enough. Kate over at Squidoo’s popular laptop case review lens, lists a huge assortment of bags, some of which fit my basic requirements. But ouch! Did I forget to mention that I wasn’t interested in spending nearly $200 for something I carry 500 feet twice a week? I even left my house to visit a few local electronics stores in search for the perfect bag. At Fry’s, I was assaulted by an entire WALL of black bags. Black backpacks, black totes, black rolling bags, black messenger bags. While I did locate a charming black tote with a colorful interior, alas, it only fit laptop screens up to 15.4″.

I wanted something kicky, something fun, something that would make people say, “Hey! Cute bag!” Is that so much to ask for?

Finally, in desperation, I logged into eBay. Though eBay is often my first shopping stop, the thought of weeding through 100s of bags in the hopes of finding the right one was daunting. But…it was worth the weeding!

On eBay, I discovered Janine King Designs. Janine designs 17 inch laptop cases, handmaking each bag and offering a variety of prints to choose from. The hardest part is deciding which design you want. After a lot of contemplation and discussion with my daughter, Cait, I choose this bag:

Cute, no? The bag is well padded, very roomy and has a few inside and outside pockets to hold stuff like pens or your cell. It’s perfect for my needs and I highly recommend it, especially since the price is right. You can find Janine’s bags at eBay.

To find a list of more 17 inch laptop bags and 17 inch laptop cases visit my other website, Bistro17.com.

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