Attend 'Power of the Purse' auction

The clock is ticking on reservations for the Mount Prospect Historical Society's "Power of the Purse" handbag auction, which will be Thursday, Oct. 29, in the community room of the Mount Prospect Village Hall, 50 S. Emerson St., Mount Prospect.

Your $10 reservation is encouraged by Monday, Oct. 26, at the Mount Prospect Historical Society, 101 S. Maple St., (with cash, credit card or check) or through PayPal at www.mtphist.org, according to Rachel Toeppen, event chairman.

The event will feature a variety of new and gently-used designer, vintage, quirky and handmade purses and tote bags for adults and children donated by retailers, members and friends of the society. So far, the stock of purses includes brand names like Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren, Coach, Brighton, Fossil and Dooney & Bourke.

Of special interest will be a variety of handmade purses and bags, ranging from quilted and pieced purses to a felted wool purse made by members of the Sew-Bee-It Quilters and the Mount Prospect Historical Society board of directors.

Add to that the pair of Paris-themed purses donated by Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene Juracek. She purchased them specifically for the auction while visiting that famed city last month. Mayor Juracek purchased the small evening clutch and small cross-body bag in a boutique in the St. Germain district of Paris, across the River Seine from the Notre Dame Cathedral. Toeppen expects this unique donation to earn a lot of interest at the auction.

The evening, which will begin at 7 p.m., will feature a mix of wine, desserts and both silent and live auctions to help participants pick up some truly unique handbags.

They will be supporting the restoration of the one-room 1896 Central School, 103 S. Maple St., on the museum campus. There will also be a "cash and carry" area of purses offered for sale rather than auction.

"Ask almost any woman and she will tell you that there is no more important accessory than a handbag," Toeppen said. "It tells you something about a woman's personality and state of mind, and since most women carry them day in and day out for an entire season, a purse gets identified with its carrier in a way that a single outfit does not."

For information, call (847) 392-9006 or visit www.mtphist.org.

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