I’m a can-do kind of girl, so I’m partial to the backpack configuration. It has even support and Astrid’s triangular shape is perfectly set off.

There are times when something a little more surprising is needed. That’s when a handy zipper in between the shoulder straps close to form a slingback.

Or, I can just carry it around with me wherever I need to go.

Best of all, Astrid has all three outside pockets where I can easily slip in my keys, ID, basically everything that I scrounge around for every day.

With its buttery soft leather, Astrid goes from easy casual to chic night out without me having to worry too. Check out some of our new bags on poketo.com.

We have some surprises in store for Poketo fans old and new. Of course, we can’t spill the beans just yet, but we are working with some great new artists that will blow your socks off. Here’s a hint. We asked two of them to draw us one of their not-so-deep, not-so-dark secrets. Can you tell who they are from their drawing?

If that’s not enough, we’re also premiering these sweet totes this week! These won’t be sold online and the only way to get them is by stopping by Poketo at booth #4634. Get it while it’s hot!

See you all at Comic Con! We can’t wait!

Top to bottom, left to right: Music Balloon. Clover Planner. Perfect Laptop Case. Diamond Ring, Ruby.

Top to bottom, left to right: Yarn and needle plate set. Polar bear pen. Slim Angel wide-angle camera. Icon clock.

Top to bottom, left to right: Canvas backpack. Blackbird fly twin lens camera. Primary bangle. Daily color planner.

Stories like Béa’s remind us that everything can have a second (even more fabulous) life like our Street Banner Bags.

From street banners on their way to the city waste basket:

come colorful one-of-a-kind bags durable enough to go wherever you go:

Best of all, each one comes built-in with a story to tell. Just like this.

What around you has a great second life to live? Share your projects with us!

Hi, Angelica, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Well, my nickname is Angie, just like Poketo’s co-founder. I’m an LA native, born and raised. I actually grew up in East LA. I’ve always been interested in art and cooking and stuff of that nature.

Angelica wearing her Poketo t-shirt and carrying the cute Marisol.

So, you’re sporting a Poketo tee I see. What attracts you about Poketo?
I like the Poketo line because it’s very artistic and it’s unique.

Oh cool. So, Angie, could you introduce us to your little one?
This is Marisol. She’s 9.5 months old.She’s just learning to stand and starting to crawl. She’s very curious. She’s trying to get at everything!

So, what’s your regular day like?
I’m a stay at home mom. I used to work. Now I stay home and I take care of Marisol. Usually our days are get up, eat, take a bath. We like to go out and hang out with other moms. I’m in a meet up group with different moms who are into arts and crafts and are artistic. I met them through Meetup.com. They’re into the same things I am. I want moms that are arts-y moms.

What else keeps you busy?
A lot of times, Marisol and I walk around a lot in the city. I take a lot of photos of the art around here and I actually started a blog called Post Mad Bills. I like to consider myself the unofficial curator of the arts district. I just started it because I’ve been taking pictures since last November. I just started collecting them and putting them up online.

That sounds like a fun blog. Any interesting stories while taking photos?
This past Friday we were at the Angel City Brewery. I saw this guy doing a cross between Sanskrit and Thai. It turns out that it was the guy doing all the Buddha and Gandhi that you see around town. His name is Bill.

The other thing was…you know that art work on 4th and Alameda? Somebody painted it over with blue paint, I met that guy. When I saw what he was doing, I went up to him and like, “What are you doing? That’s a JR!” He’s like, “Oh no, we talked about it. We’re doing a collaboration.”

That’s what I was hoping would happen throughout all this is to meet the artist. That’s always cool, to meet the artist behind the art.

So, Angelica, what Poketo goodies catch your attention?
I really want to get that Pocket Tote. It could double as diaper bag. You could take it with you to the park, on play dates, to the beach. It’s not like some frumpy thing that you’re carrying around.

I saw the paper flyers. I thought those are really cool. They’re really artsy so you could display it at your house.

The crayon rings too. It’s cool but you could also play with it with your kids at the restaurant with the paper placemats. I thought that’d be really neat.

The new dresses are also great because they’re unique. They appeal to the type of mom I am. It would help you keep your unique individual style, but at the same time still be comfortable.

Could you explain what type of mom you were referring to?
Well, I consider myself to be an artsy, liberal, unique, slightly bohemian. I’m not the type that’s like into mainstream stuff.

Awesome!

Angelica remind you of your mom? Shop poketo.com to find the perfect gift for Mother’s day.
More from Angelica Reedy at Post Mad Bills.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver
The why: Younger sister of President Kennedy, Eunice founded the Special Olympics, the athletic competition for the mentally disabled that eventually erased much of the social stigma that accompanied such disabilities.

The note: Daughter Maria Shriver wrote, “You once said you wished everyone could have a daughter named Maria. I wish everyone could have a mother named Eunice. Actually so many have. You mothered a family and a movement.”

The goods: Colorful and complicated, the Sound of Light print by PCP is the epitome of a woman who was bright, loving and generous.

Lillian Moller Gilbreth
The why: Meet the first career woman. Often called the “mother of modern management,” Lillian combined career with home life with much success. She’s the recipient of more than a dozen honorary degrees and served as consultant to five government councils. Did we also mention her 12 children? She was the inspiration for the movie Cheaper By the Dozen.

The goods: Minimal and clean in design, Collette satchels are compact yet versatile. Wear it as an over the shoulder purse or carry it as a clutch. Perfect for a woman with a very, very busy schedule.

Joan Feynman
The why: In the 1960s, women in science was almost unheard of. We found Joan in this touching article written by her son and Popular Science News Editor Charles Hirshberg. She is best known for developing a statistical model to calculate the number of high-energy particles likely to hit a spacecraft over its lifetime, and for her method of predicting sun spot cycles. Both are still used today.

The note: Charles writes, “To become a scientist is hard enough. But to become one while running a gauntlet of lies, insults, mockeries, and disapproval-this was what my mother had to do. If such treatment is unthinkable (or, at least, unusual) today, it is largely because my mother and other female scientists of her generation proved equal to every obstacle thrown in their way.”

The goods: Made from 100% vintage leather sofa, this two-toned patent leather tote in green and cream has been through a lot yet still comes out looking fantastic. This bag’s also big enough to fit your laptop plus all other daily needs. Handcrafted, one of one, there is no other bag like this in the world.

Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro
The why: President Obama’s mother. Nuff said. A white woman from Kansas, she’s widely known to be the parent that most shaped our current president. After the relationship with Obama’s natural father ended, she married an Indonesian, moved to Jakarta and became an anthropologist. She worked for the Ford Foundation, championed women’s work and helped bring microcredit to the world’s poor.

The note: In the preface to his book, “Dreams From My Father,” Obama wrote: “I know that she was the kindest, most generous spirit I have ever known, and that what is best in me I owe to her.”

The goods: Why be round like everyone else? Shaped in an unusual hexagon, these sophisticated and understated watches are simple in design and unquestionably classic in style.

Know of any more exceptional moms? Perhaps yours? If you have story, please share it with us in the comments below!

Because we all live in one world, Poketo’s sharing some cool stuff to benefit Japan in–not just one–but two (!) fundraising events, both happening this Saturday. If you’re in Venice or Hollywood, please do stop by.

To Japan, From LA with Love at Space15Twenty

“To Japan, From LA with Love,” is a “coming together of the Los Angeles community to celebrate the beauty of Japanese Culture and raise money to help rebuild through art, music and generosity of spirit.” The event will be at Space15Twenty, where “Los Angeles, I’m Yours” was held almost a year ago. (Missed it by a day!)

Works from some awesome people (Ashkahn, Chris Bettig, Florencio Zavala, Gary Baseman, Gina Osterloh, Katsuo Design, Kozyndan, Marc Atlan, Mel Kadel, Saelee Oh, Travis Millard, Little Paper Planes, Busy Being… whew, running out of breath!) will also be up for grabs.

Space15Twenty is on 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd. The benefit party runs from 7 to 10 pm and includes an art auction, pop-up shop and raffle.

Poketo and OK store at Tortoise

All this month, Tortoise has set up a series of Japan Relief events. Proceeds from their event go to building Japanese architect Shigeru Ban’s temporary quake shelters. Ban and his team are building temporary partitions using his recycled cardboard tubes, which give evacuees a sense of privacy in the crammed school gymnasiums or community centers they now call home.

Tortoise is on 1208 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice.

Here are some cool things you might find at the pop-ups.

Meet Doug, Janet, Claire and Perry–the Middletons–melamine plates who each bring a little special something to this family of tableware.

This little planner gobbles up your to-dos and weekly plans in one fell swoop. Designed by PCP (who also made these awesome designs for us), the Digest Your Life planner is printed with soy ink on 100 percent recycled paper.

Notefolios are what you get when you mix a portfolio with a notebook. Write down your important notes, but keep track of all those papers and receipts you always seem to lose along the way.

There’s a story waiting to happen with this wallet on the far right, says Jeremyville. What it is, we’ll all have to wait to find out. Perhaps you can make your own story happen in “the so far away.”

Made through a collaboration between Hideyasu Moto and Maho Shimao, these wallets are reminiscent of a simpler time in our lives, filled with cartoons, mushrooms, stars, rainbows and yes, an occasional lemon.

This colorful tote first came into the world as street banners. Upcycled for a second (for fashionable) life, the Street Banner bags are a colorful stand against waste.

Not only are they stylish and surprising, but they’re quite practical as well. The large exterior pocket makes the perfect niche for your boarding pass and ticket. Inside, discreet slits are perfectly sized for IDs and credit cards. The side pockets are large enough to fit your passport and even a little bit of cash.

In one passport case, you can see traces of up to four different types of leather, each tastefully handcrafted in South Korea by a design non-profit known for giving new life to cast-off materials.

We love the many textures and colors in even just one passport, so we decided to show them off to you, our wonderful readers.

Solid and trustworthy cream and black becomes a natural bronze and brown with a hint of baby blue

Dark and luxurious in black and taupe, this case holds a surprise in blue.

Cool in cream and green is simply solid and dependable in browns and blacks inside.

So, matchmaker, which one is your favorite match?