You can't beat a hobo bag for it's great functionality and this Liebeskind Andrea Leather Hobo is now on sale at Nordstrom for only $185.90 (was $279). My friend Susan has it so I've seen it in person and the leather is fantastic and so soft. The photos online don't do it justice. You really feel like you are having a luxe bag. It reminds me a bit of the Alexander Wang Donna Hobo without the large price tag.
Liebenskind is a German brand which makes bags, belts and shoes. Their handbags and totes are fabulously hip and stylish. I also love their price range.
One of my favorite bags I've been using this spring is my prized Mulberry Alexa Bag ($1200) which I have in Oak. I love the way the leather has softened with use over the last few months. I find the rounded shape more feminine than the Proenza Schouler PS1. Also, I love that you can wear the Mulberry Alexa bag over your shoulder or cross-body with the straps. (You can't do cross-body with the PS1.) The interior is quite roomy but if you do need more room you can bump yourself up to an Oversized Alexa for $1,450 or bump yourself down to a cute Alexa Mini for just $800. Ever since owning this bag, I've fallen in love with the brand. The Mulberry style is sophisticated with whimsy, no doubt infused by Creative Director Emma Hill who has taken the top creative spot there since 2008 and came up with the design for the Mulberry Alexa.
The Alexa bag is named for style icon, Alexa Chung and is a cross-between their classic Bayswater bag and their men's Elkington briefcase. Since it debuted in 2010, Alexa Chung has been seen carrying the bag in all it's incarnations and it has quickly become an "It bag" among celebrities, mostly British.
Leighton Meester wore an Alexa bag as Blair on Gossip Girl. It's also going to make it's debut this fall on the big screen with Sarah Jessica Parker in this September's I Don't Know How She Does It.
I'm so excited to be a part of Vickie Howell's blog tour for her new yarn, Stitch.Rock.Love. Sheep(ish) with Caron Yarns. Vickie is a knitting/crochet queen, a fellow crafter mom who I admire for all the great things she has contributed to our craft community. Austin-based Vickie brings a Rock n' Roll spirit to her stylish designs and the same goes for her new yarn line featuring 21 amazing colors. The colors are punchy, vibrant, and majorly drool-worthy! Definitely the perfect choice for this year's vibrant color trend in fashion.
Right now, I'm making Chloe this Cloverfield cardigan (modeled by her daughter Clover) that is free on the Petite Purls site using teal (instead of green) and turquoise. I started this project in early May and have been taking it around everywhere I go so I can knit a row or more whenever I get a chance. Every time (yes literally every time) I take my project out of my bag, everyone remarks at how vibrant the colors are and asks me what kind of yarn it is. I love the feeling of knitting with this yarn!
The little flower baubles were so much fun to make! I seriously got addicted. (The baubles were done while watching a few episodes of Ally McBeal via Netflix on my iPad.) This is a great bottom up sweater pattern so you can make sure it fits as you knit along. I have about two more inches to knit stockinette stitch before I can start shaping the arm holes. Almost there! I will post up photos of the cardigan when I'm done.
After this cardigan, I'm making the knit ladybug sweater + skirt for Chloe that will be featured on CRAFT on June 10th. If you are looking for another cute toddler cardigan pattern, Vickie just whipped up another cute one yesterday, the Swiss Miss Toddler Cardi.
Sheep(ish) Yarn Details:
Weight: Worsted Roving Yarn
Content: 70% Acrylic, 30% Wool
Yardage: 167 yds, 153 m in a 3oz (85g) ball
Suggested Hook size: H-8 US
Care: Machine wash cold on gentle cycle. Dry flat
You can buy Vickie Howell's Stitch.Rock.Love. Sheep(ish) yarn online at buy.caron.com or find it at a Jo-Ann super store near you. At $3.99 a ball, this wonderful yarn is going to be your best friend!
Hear more about Vickie Howell's Sheep(ish) yarn from Vickie herself!
Garnier has done frugal snobs the big favor of creating a product that's in-line with the Clarisonic brush (Beauty Snob is a major devotee) for a minute fraction of the price.
The day after the Royal Wedding, Pippa Middleton made her debut carrying Modalu's Bristol bag in shark gray. The bag was an instant hit and sold out immediately. Talk about a new trend setter! Modalu has since cleverly renamed it the Pippa Bag and is taking pre-orders now for Pippa bags that will arrive sometime this November to their warehouses.
This week, Pippa was seen carrying the bag in the tan version which I absolutely love! The Pippa bag is very utilitarian as it is divided into three main compartments and two front zipper pockets for easy access to cell phone, keys, etc. It also comes with a removable shoulder strap which Pippa herself doesn't seem to use. The price which is around $276 (£169) is hard to beat! The bag is a classic style and is a perfect bag for everything – work and weekends.
My only question is will you be able to wait until mid-November to get your bag?
Stylehive picks some of the best products for use after the sun, aka when you have that bad sunburn. One of my favorites is The Body Shop's Soothing Aloe Day Cream because it's frangrance-free and preservative-free. It's a good idea to stock up now on some of these products because you never know when you'll need it.
I can't seem to take my eyes off of Elva Fields' bold and colorful necklaces. Just launched is the new Summer 2011 collection available online at Elvafields.com. Each piece of jewelry incorporates vintage elements and is handmade in their Kentucky studio. My favorites are (L to R) What a Wonderful Day ($238), Sunddown Style-Setter ($308), Radiant Glow ($238), and Unclouded Outlook ($318).
"We're continuing Spring 2011's celebratory feel with bold, saturated hues that only the warmest summer sun can bring. Summer 2011 is all about letting the sun shine, highlighting happy, brilliant style with radiance and color."
- Elva Fields' designer Emily Wheat Maynard
Psst! There are also some cute earrings and necklaces on sale too.
