Well what do you buy for the girl who has everything? And, er, no, I’m not talking about my wife or girlfriend. The two of them have enough as is ;) It’s my niece I’ve been having trouble shopping for. I mean she has a trampoline, a bike, and the use of her brother’s skateboard, what more could an almost eight year old girl want?

Apart from a pony, more Sylvanians, and, er, hanging in cafes with her friends (yeah; that threw me too).

So her birthday is approaching. The other week while wandering along the high street I spotted a clutch bag in the window of a local shop. I was drawn to its redish-pink hues and designs of fairy like ballerinas. That’s my niece all over I thought. The shop was closed, so I made a mental note to return the next day.

Well that was three weeks ago. These things can’t be hurried can they? The fact the shop in question is on the commercial side of my apartment building, and I go passed the place at least five times a day, doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a return visit will actually occur. Ok, whatever, but the bag was gone, when I did eventually return.

That evening I was surfing the net, as I do, and landed on the website of a clothes and handbag maker based in Canberra. Though there was a certain familiarity about the place, I couldn’t quite pin point why.

Then I noticed a bag almost identical to the one I had seen in the local shop. And there happened to be just one left in the site’s on-line shop. I decided to act immediately, rather than in three weeks time, and bought the bag straight away.

Act immediately? Yes, indeed, it was a rare, and bold moment, that’s for sure.

It was then I realised exactly what site I was on. Red Instead Bags, sister site of Red Instead, which are all part of the web empire of Jen Leheny. Known as Jen Honner before marrying, Jen made a name for herself in what we now call the Web 1.0 era, and is probably best known for her trashed.org website, though there were more.

Jen and I were also part of the first working group that set up the Australian INfront back in 1999. I mentioned Jen’s sites to another INfront 1.0 (nah, I’m not trying to start anything here) member, Greg Chandler, who now lives in Brisbane. In the meantime Jen had posted the story on her blog, and Justin Fox had also pitched in. Hey, instant INfront reunion! :)

It was a fun, nostalgic occasion. And so long as my niece doesn’t look at my site, all will be well ;)