Love the patchwork, Toothfairy. And your outfit is completely adorable with it. I'm like you - my back has been hurting so much lately from the wight of all my bags, so i've had to just use my Chanel 2.55 for a week (which is hard for me as you can fit hardly anything in it and i'm used to my roomy stams, etc) because it's light. Need to learn to not carry so much stuff around, and not be tempted to fill my stams just because they're large.
GG, I wish i'd got the slate patchwork too, I love it! I don't think i've ever seen that one of yours though (only your plum stam and was it the mouse stam?). Do post pics! I'll have to get around to taking photos of mine one of these days too.
And I agree, although they are much lighter without the chain, that is the whole fun of them! They look completely naked, and almost like impostor cheap stams (even though they're the real thing) without it. Plus, I like to carry mine by the chain so it looks more casual, and the Mina and baby versions only had chains, not handles, so there is no choice.