Breaking free of backpacks

After years of imprisonment by heavy bags (this is less of an exaggeration than you'd think--in seventh grade, there were a few times when I had so much homework, all for classes with ridiculously large textbooks, that I couldn't make it three blocks home without sitting down. I broke three backpacks that year), I am FINALLY, in the fall, entering into a practical coursework program (unfortunately, just for the semester), and I'm hoping and praying and actually pretty sure that all I'm going to need with me at any given time is a notebook and a pencil (and possibly a copy of To The Actor--God, I love that book). So, what does this mean for my style? I'm no longer tied to backpacks that are made out of industrial-strength plastic-coated nylon, complete with zippers made out of reinforced steel so that they can carry 40 lbs. of books. For the first time, I won't have to look like a bag lady with a backpack that could hold multiple bodies as well as my purse! Of course, I don't have any purses that could hold a notebook (I like small), so this means that I have to do some shopping (oh, damn. . .). Since I'm going to be ordering some tops and earrings from them anyway, Urban Outfitters was my first stop:

I love, love, love the color of the first one, and the bow is sweet without being too precious. I'm attracted to the second one because it would go with a lot of stuff, and it's nicely simple. Readers know that Delia*s is my friend, so I checked them out, too:

Again, I like the simplicity of the first one. I think the clean lines look very sophisticated. The second is just plain cute, but I'm afraid that it wouldn't hold quite as much as I'd need it to. I don't normally buy clothing on Amazon, but I wanted to see a lot of tote bags at once, so I decided to check them out, too:

I like the first bag because it's easy and it would hold a lot. It's a simple design, but the print makes it interesting. The second one is definitely much busier, but I there are so many colors in the print, plus, the base color is so neutral, that I think it would hold quite a lot. Finding a Loop Design bag made me think to go check out KarmaLoop, too:

I was way impressed with their selection, and I ADORE the Andy Warhol tote. I think it's absolutely delightful, but I'm not sure how much of my wardrobe it would match easily (I'm a big fan of cool tones). The second, I chose for abnormally practical reasons: it'd be hard to get dirty (by which I mean that the dirty wouldn't show), and it'd hold a lot. Still, it's cute.

Decision time. Opinions are welcome!