Funny thing about destiny.

Just when you think you know what life has in store for you (credit-card payments, antidepressants, death), it throws you a curveball.

Take Barbara Rourke of Bells&Whistles, who thought her fate lay in the furniture company she ran with her husband. One day, on a lark, she started making handbags. And before she knew it, she had a new passion — and a new career. Made from leather and vintage fabrics, these modern takes on classic styles are beautiful yet pleasantly edgy. Rourke’s background as an artist is evident in the collection’s bold colors, abstract designs, and elegant floral silhouettes.

Of course, she and her husband still make furniture.

They just don’t make any assumptions about what the future may hold.

Available online at virginthreads.com. To see more styles, visit allthebellsandwhistles.com.