What I Want Now

Elliott Lucca Zafra Hobo - $298 at ElliottLucca.com

I saw this bag featured in April's People Style Watch and loved it immediately. Lucky for my budget, this bag is not available until May. I've been a fan of Elliott Lucca bags for a few years now. They have very current designs and with lovely, intricate weave or braid leather work. The bags are good quality but the price is very moderate, in the $150 - $300 range. I also found that their customer service is excellent. I bought an Elliott Lucca bag on Zappos and just a month or so later, one of the metal embellishments on the bag became unfastened and fell off. I lost it so I couldn't carry the bag anymore. So I called the Elliott Lucca customer service and they gave me full credit for the bag in a gift card. I immediate used it to buy another bag and have been happy with it.

There is a Santa

Santa didn't disappoint this year, mostly due to my universal wish list and of course me being an all so nice girl this year. Here's the best of my loot this past Christmas.

Elliott Lucca Addison Leather Clutch - $109 I received this clutch in a bronze metallic color. It's beautiful. I now wish I have more opportunities to carry this and look fabulous.

Delicate Raymond gold monogram pendant - $165 This delicate package arrived on the afternoon of Christmas Eve through snow and ice and it was all so worth it! The pendant is made to order and is as lovely in person as it is in the picture. This is like my own "Carrie" necklace (Bradshaw not Underwood).

Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum -$19 I've read tons of reviews that Olay offers great quality at a low price, compared to department store brands. I've already tried Olay Denfinity line and it definitely lightened my sun spots or "freckles".

To Fake or Not to Fake

As you probably know, copyright laws are loosely enforced and rarely followed in China. That's why you can find an abundant of pirated software, music, movies and of course fashion. One of the most popular knock off items is designer handbags. Manufacturers will meticulously copy designs and sell the imitations at a fraction of the price. This Gucci large hobo retails for $1350 USD and you can get a high quality knockoff for around $50 USD. In China, knockoffs are everywhere so that everyone is guessing "is she or isn't she", faking it that is. However, if you bring one back to the US, no one will guess that it's a fake. So now the question is, if only you know it's a fake, would you fake it? My rationale around that is people buy designer bags not for function or really for the style alone. They're status symbols. They're aspirational. The longing is a part of the experience. Buying luxury items is the ultimate retail therapy. Trying to pass off a knockoff as genuine really diminishes how rewarding it feels to own one of these coveted bags. On my trip to China, my cousin gave me a well-made knockoff of this Gucci hobo and I reasoned with myself that I will use this bag in public as a shopping bag and if my friends see it I will tell them it's a fake. That means that strangers will probably think that I'm carrying a real Gucci but I'd be truthful to my friends. So I guess I'll be half fakin' it then?

The Search for a Cute Laptop Bag: Mission Accomplished!

I recently upgraded my laptop from a Dell D610 to a Dell D420. This not only means that my work laptop is lighter and smaller, it also means that my options for a cute laptop bag have greatly expanded! And sure enough, after only a week of searching and browsing, I finally have a winner. I originally wanted to spend only up to $250 for a bag that's cute but also good for work. I only want one bag that will hold my laptop and wallet, etc. It has to be lightweight because my Coach leather tote weighed quite a bit just on its own. Now that I'm taking the bus, I definitely notice the weight when I have to stand on the bus. Anyway, I paid another visit to Nordstrom Rack and there it was: the Kate Spade 'Malabar - Rudy' tote. I think there must have been a new shipment to the Rack because this bag is still available at its full price for $325 on Nordstrom.com. I had my work with me so I tested it out with my laptop and my letter sized file folder and they fit nicely. The bag is structured so it still holds its shape when it's full of contents. I like the snake skin pattern because it is versatile and not necessarily season specific. It's also light weight because it's not leather. The best part is that it was on sale at the Rack for $159! I'm not normally a Kate Spade fan since her bags are a bit on the boring side but this one is perfect for what I was looking for!

Going Green Shouldn't Cost Lots of Green

I consider myself pretty social conscious and I'm getting into the whole anti-plastic bag movement. It's funny how things go in cycles. When I was a small child in China, plastic bags were a commodity. When you go shopping for anything, the store itself doesn't give you a bag to hold what you bought so you have to bring your own. My grandfather used to wash and reuse plastic bags and puts them in his pocket when he went shopping. Fast forward 20 odd years forward after many years of retailers using the shopping bag (plastic, paper, whatever) as a mini billboard, the trend is now reversing to reusing bags. A couple of years ago the Anya Hindarch "I'm not a plastic bag" bag was all the rage. In the US, it sold at Whole Foods for $15 but were being re-sold for much higher prices on eBay and such. Just a couple of days ago, I walked by a Juicy Couture California Go Green Canvas bag at Nordstrom and joked that it must cost $120. Well you know what, it does. The Miss Marc Goes Green shopper bag costs a cool $128. OK, really? I personally prefer the Lululemon plastic shopping bags that are absolutely free. I'm all for capitalizing on consumer demands by producing what the market is trending but if you're going to make a $120 canvas bag targeted at the environmentally fashion conscious, at least donate your 1000% mark up to a charity of the same cause. That makes a bolder statement than simply making "going green" couture.

Update: the Juicy Go Green Bag is $75 on shopbop.com

The Search for a Cute Laptop Bag

I currently use a simple and classic Coach tote like the one on the left for my work laptop. It's a quality leather bag that's sturdy and leaves my laptop well protected. It also makes for a great work bag because it's large enough to hold letter-sized file folders for bringing home paperwork from the office. However, my dilemma is that I was also carrying another shoulder bag to hold my makeup, wallet and such. Why carry two bags to work? Is there one stylish bag that doubles as a laptop bag and a handbag? I haven't decided on which one will replace my reliable Coach tote but here's what I found so far.

Coach Hamptons Weekend multi-function tote. $378. It's large enough to hold a 14.1" laptop.









Elliott Lucca Bettina Shopper. $318 This is not meant for laptops but based on the dimensions you should be able to fit a 12.1" laptop comfortably.












Kate Spade clinton street cally latop case. $295 This is a true laptop case, classy and simple.








Burberry Check Tote. $595 I would say this bag it outside of my price range but for a staple such as Burberry, it's worth the investment if you love this classic look. This bag can double as a travel tote or a diaper bag.










LAMB Jacquard-Jolie Tote. $675. This bag caught my eye and I'm a big fan of Gwen Stefani but I'm having a bit of a sticker shock.




UPDATE: Here's a great, affordable one from Banana Republic:




Sutton Straw Laptop Tote - $89.99