Holiday Tag Post – Join me and share your answers

Are any of you YouTubers? There is this entirely separate YouTube world roaming on the internet. We have a channel that is updated very sporadically but we are planning to create more videos in the upcoming year.

Anyhow, one of my good friends, Elle Fowler, is a YouTube beauty guru under the name AllthatGlitters21. In the world of YouTube, ‘Tag’ videos are huge. While I was chatting with Elle, she told me she was finishing filming a Holiday Tag Video (here is hers). The premise is you answer a bunch of questions and tag other YouTubers, hence this being called a tag video (or post for our purposes). For a bit of something different for PurseBlog, I decided to answer this tag and share it with you all. I added a few questions and tweaked the questions to be for Christmas (which is what I celebrate), but you can change the questions to be for the holiday you celebrate. Join me and share your answers in the comments section!

1. What is your favorite holiday movie?

Love Actually – this is the quintessentially perfect holiday movie! Vlad and I have started a tradition to watch this movie Christmas morning. It gives me that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

2. Do you like to stay in your PJ’s or dress up for Christmas?

I start the morning in PJ’s when I open gifts and then *try* to change into ‘real’ clothes later in the day. We do dress up for a Christmas Eve party we go to every year though.

3. If you could only buy one person a present this year, who would it be?

Anyone who may not be able to get or give a gift.

4. Have you ever built a gingerbread house?

Of course, I love making them and eating all of the ingredients!

5. What do you like to do on your holiday break?

Shop, relax, and look at the lights and decorations people put up. Holiday break has always been about spending time with family and relaxing.

6. Favorite holiday smell?

The smell of pine trees. I am obsessed with the Yankee Candle Mistletoe scent!

7. Favorite holiday meal or treat?

COOKIES. And hot chocolate. Lots and lots of sweets.

8. What is your favorite gift you purchased for someone ELSE this year?

I can’t tell, because they all read this site – but I can say they are sentimental gifts that I think the people receiving them will truly love.

9. What handbag is on your holiday wish list?

MANY! But mostly I am lusting after a Proenza Schouler PS1, Celine Classic Box Bag, and a Balenciaga City!

10. What handbag do you plan to carry on New Year’s Eve?

I haven’t decided yet – but it has to be a fun and funky clutch! Anything metallic or sequined would be ideal. New Year’s Eve is all about fun and I plan to carry an eye-catching clutch when we ring in 2011.

The holidays can be hard. Treat yourself to something sparkly.

I know that we’re all supposed to put on a happy face, sing holiday songs and pretend like we just love dealing with our various and assorted sociopathic family members this time of year, but let’s face it – Christmas is often as stressful as it is exciting. I’m blessed with a small extended family, almost all of whom I get along with swimmingly, but not everyone is so lucky. If you’re one of the people who will have to drink for your entire trip home so that you don’t stab your sister-in-law with a fork, then perhaps a little present to yourself is in order. Might I suggest something sparkly, fun and entirely anti-utilitarian like the Judith Leiber Crystal and Bead Embellished Clutch?

Sparkles always preoccupy me at this time of year because of the looming New Year’s Eve parties, but I think that this clutch is cool enough to grab my attention no matter the season. Leiber’s work is usually relegated to the use of tiny crystals, so seeing larger-scale beadwork on one of the brand’s clutches feels a bit refreshing. The geometric pattern that these beads create is perfect, and the amber-gold color manages to stay just this side of tacky. If you need to treat yourself and something like this is within your budget, this is an evening bag that you’ll have for the rest of your life. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1995.

Get a closer look at Chanel Cruise 2011

If you’ve been disappointed in Chanel over the past few season for the brand’s sometimes wacky handbags, take heart: Chanel’s Cruise 2011 handbags contain at least 75% less crazy than we’ve come to expect from Kaiser Karl. Although if you like your bags a little on the wild side, there are still a couple of pieces that should tickle your fancy, including a black patent mesh sack with a detachable Classic Flap Bag on the front. Full pictures, after the jump. For purchasing information, please contact Chanel at (800)550-0005.

Gift Guides 2010: The stuff dreams are made of

Now that most of us have our Christmas shopping done and will be setting out to deliver gifts to our relatives over the next few days, let’s talk about what we really want, when economic concerns and dollar amounts aren’t taken into account. We all have a few if-I-won-the-lottery items in the backs of our heads, and maybe for a lucky few among us, the contents of our Fantasy Gift Guide 2010 aren’t even all that fantastical. If you’re one of those people and you happen to be in the market to adopt a 25-year-old who can make a mean pot roast, send me an email. I also do light housework.

A Birkin might be the obvious choice for a fantasy handbag, but go with me on this one. Adding a Hermes Jypsiere Bag to your collection not only puts you firmly in the dream-gift realm, but it say, “I’ve already got all the Birkins I could possibly want, bring me something new.” And what’s more fantastical than that? Nothing. Plus, the “bougainvillea” color is perfect for spring’s orange trend. Buy through Hermes.com for $7600.

Although the brand new Rolls Royce Ghost isn’t as expensive as the Phantom we all know and love, I like the sleeker, more city-appropriate look of this sedan much better. It’s a little smaller and a little more appropriate to drive yourself (instead of being driven), and the lines are much cleaner and more modern. So for those times when you’ve given your driver the day off (you’re such a saint), forget the Bentley. The Ghost is what you should be pushing, and with a 6.6 litre twin turbo V12 engine, you won’t have to push very hard. Retails for around $225,000. Visit Rolls-RoyceMotorCars.com for more information.

I’m not a wine expert, but I do know that the Krug 1995 Clos Ambonnay Brut Champagne sounds like it’s just about the most luxurious champagne experience you can have. Forget the Cristal – only 3000 bottles of this stuff exist on Earth, and the 1995 vintage marks the first time that the Krug family ever produced a single-vineyard wine. If you’re going the spend-y booze route for a gift, there’s no better way to celebrate the holidays. Buy through K&L Wines for $3500.

Many iterations of the Cartier Panthere Bracelet exist and their prices vary depending on the amount of bling present, but the one pictured above is among the shiniest of pieces from the jewelry house’s iconic big cat collection. The platinum band is set with gobs of diamonds and blue sapphires, plus emerald eyes and a black onyx nose. Cartier has yet to get back to me with a price, but based on the available information, I’d guess that this bracelet is in the mid to high five figures. For additional information (or to make your own price request), visit Cartier.com.

If you’d prefer that your bling is functional as well as fashionable, allow me to recommend the diamond and rose gold version of the Rolex Lady-Datejust Pearlmaster. It comes in a couple different versions, but the chocolate face is by far the most interesting choice. This piece isn’t as obnoxiously bling-covered as some Rolexes that I’ve seen, and if you dig rose gold, I can’t think of a more perfect timepiece. Rolex doesn’t like to give out prices, but I’d make an educated guess that watch this will run you into the mid-five figures. Visit Rolex.com for more information.

I’ve been sitting here for a few minute, trying to think of something more bizarrely opulent than having a piece of furniture constructed out of actual money, and I can’t think of anything, so the Johnny Swing Coin Chair is where we’re going to end this list. This seat was constructed by welding together 1500 half-dollar coins, and although the raw materials are only worth $750, the finished product costs much more. If you have a huge budget and and equally huge loft, this thing would actually look pretty cool in the right space. Buy through Vivre for $59,000.

Amanda’s 2010 Christmas Wish List

I’d like to begin my wish list by saying that I am almost entirely opposed to the concept of the wish list. I’d much rather have a thoughtful surprise than something picked off a list based on price and/or availability, but with the way holidays go, that’s not always possible. Plus, I’m a difficult person to buy for in general; if something’s reasonably priced and I like it enough, I’ll probably buy it for myself long before any holiday comes around. Add to that the additional complication of my birthday falling on Christmas Eve, and I’m sure it’s just easier for people to pretend that they don’t know me at all during this time of year. But if my friends and loved ones had unlimited budgets and felt like being generous with me, these are the things I’d tell them to buy.

At this point, I think we’re all aware of how I feel about the Celine Boston Bag; my love of leopard print is equally well-documented. Put them together in a bag that combines both winter and summer materials for maximum versatility? It’s a no-brainer. I can’t find the specific price of this version, but bags in this line usually start at about $1500. Contact Celine for more information.

I think that every fashion person has their personal style statement jewelry – some do earrings, some do rings, some do gobs of bracelets. I like giant necklaces like the Erickson Beamon Duchess of Fabulous Necklace. First of all, how can you resist that name? Second of all, what’s better than lots of giant bling that looks like it was made for the offspring of a rock star and a princess? Nothing that I can think of, that’s what. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1145.

Despite the fact that anyone who’s anyone already has the Rick Owens Blister Leather Jacket or one of its many imitators, I want it anyway. Even Taylor Swift already has one, and she’s the last person on the face of the planet who I would expect to see wearing Rick Owens. I don’t care! The industrial simplicity of this design is perfect, and it would go with anything and everything in my closet. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1970.

Let’s get one thing clear: I wouldn’t be able to read the Nixon Newton Watch. Not in a million years. I’m so used to checking the time on my cell phone that I have to paus for a second when reading a clock with actual hands and numbers, so reading one that’s just two dots with no other markings is basically out of the question. But I don’t care! This little thing is so modernist and cool that I wouldn’t actually need it to serve any functional purpose. Buy through ShopBop for $100.

This being a handbag blog and all, one bag just isn’t enough. For days when I need something lighter and hands-free, I want the grass-green Proenza Schouler PS1 Pouch Crossbody. It’s compact and lightweight, but you still get every ounce of style that you’d find in the regular PS1 that we already know and love. I can’t think of a better weekend bag. Buy through Proenza Schouler for $1225.

I’ve already included this Yves Saint Laurent Leopard Print Scarf in a gift guide, but I couldn’t resist writing about it again. Not only is the color – somewhere between neon green and chartreuse – interesting and current, but the variation and print are beautiful. This is a thoroughly modern accessory with a nod toward the 80s, and I know just what I’d wear it with. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $995.

I can’t resist Mulberry’s blue Bayswater

At this point, I honestly thought that I had seen everything the Mulberry Bayswater had to show me. Yes, it’s a great everyday bag. I’ll never deny that. But I’ve seen it in so many leather, colors patterns and other materials that I didn’t expect to be surprised by it any more. I was wrong.

Never doubt the ability for a resourceful brand to have one more trick up its sleeve when you least expect it, and this time, that trick is luscious soft calf leather in the shade of blue that I imagine the sky would be on the most perfect evening in the history of weather. Somehow, Mulberry managed to wrangle that color and put it on a handbag, and for that, I salute them.

It’s just so…pretty. And the texture of this leather is so soft and chewy, which sort of feels like a revelation to me. Normally I shy away from bags like this because the leather tends to be stiffer and more structured (not to mention shiny, ick), but with this treatment, it looks as soft and touchable as anything in my closet. With any luck, I’ll be touching one soon. The gunmetal hardware adds the perfect touch. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1572.

Alexander McQueen Leather Biker Satchel handbags

We are self-proclaimed Alexander McQueen fans here at PurseBlog. And this bag is no different.

The Alexander McQueen Leather Biker Satchel infuses a design that I wasn’t completely in love with to make a bag that is speaking to me. With all of the pockets and zippers from the Alexander McQueen Leather Biker Tote and the laid-back satchel style, I am loving this bag from Alexander McQueen. Confession: Amanda wrote about a grey version of this bag before and thought it was a misstep from McQueen. I too felt like that bag was lacking something. Actually, in grey it is completely blah for me.

Not only is this bag killer in both black and electric blue, but it gives the bag an entire new appeal and look. In fact, I can’t believe the grey version is the exact same bag as this one. I would have bet it was not. In black/blue I am sold. I need more satchels in my life and this is the perfect example. The bag has a long shoulder strap, with a 14″ drop, for you to sling the bag over your arm. There are top handles as well, but like I said before, I am all about the long shoulder strap. The body shows of multiple pockets and silvertone snaps, bringing that edgy look McQueen is known for. On the outside there is two zipper pockets and one snap pocket while the inside boasts a zipper pocket and open pocket.

The grey just looks way to safe and lame, but the black leather brings back the edge and the blue is that pop of rocker color that McQueen wearers can rock. Buy via Saks for $1450.

Alexander McQueen Camouflage Skull Rose Tote

For those of you who think that Alexander McQueen handbags might be a little too out there for your taste, I may have found a bag for you.

Looking at the name of the bag, I was wondering what was really meant by the word camouflage. Did it have to do with the colors, the design, some hidden meaning? It is not that McQueen camouflaged his genius or his innate ability to take design to the next level. Perhaps the word surrounds the idea that the bag is a bit more understated than most of us might be used to.


The Alexander McQueen Camouflage Skull & Rose Tote has understated beauty and edge written all over it. In fact, at first glance I barely noticed the skulls intertwined with the rose print design. The combination of rose and skull print on the canvas provides a great way to introduce femininity and edginess at the same time. Since the skulls aren’t as prominent as the roses, they do require a double take in order to be noticed. The canvas has wonderful brown leather trip and a great chain strap with 7″ drop. Everything works together in perfect harmony for a fabulous tote that would look good on the shoulder of so many women no matter what your taste may be! Buy through Saks for $930.