If you’re looking for a recap of the second round of The Silent Real Housewives of Atlanta vs. Andy Cohen, well, you’re SOL. The only entertaining thing that happened for the entire hour was that we accidentally found out that Dwight has had his Dwang surgically enhanced, and I almost turned off my TV and went to bed right then. I have seen enough of Dwight’s manparts this season. I don’t want to know their medical history.

And I should have, because when Real Housewives of Orange County came around, I didn’t even get the new housewife with the giant diamond and the unmoving face as I was promised by the approximately 4,839 commercials that I’ve seen for this foofaraw over the past month.

But despite that, and the despite the fact that most of these women qualify for the title of Worst Person in the World on a weekly basis, the recap must go on.

The worstiest of the worst is, obviously, Vicki. She hoots, she hollers, she makes a spectacle of herself, and she never stops talking or judging or click-clacking away on her laptop. Hot on Vicki’s heels of terribleness is Tamra, Vicki’s blond, evil Bobbsey Twin. In what was easily my favorite moment of the episode, we got to see Vicki hurl herself out of a plane at the advent of last night’s show, and I realized that I would find this series much more enjoyable if the only thing that happened was that Vicki did things that made her unhappy and uncomfortable. I would tune in every week, even if I wasn’t obligated to for my job.

Speaking of Tamra, her and her awful husband Simon are on the rocks, and he flipped out over her friend making a sexual comment about her. But I ask you, readers: if your Best Gay can’t make a teabagging joke, WHO CAN? I could almost understand his irritation if the person joking had been a straight guy that tends to flirt with her (since she is still his wife at the moment), but I think this particular friend prefers slightly more penis in his women. Tamra makes mention of financial difficulties in the family, and maybe that’s the reason for the couple’s trouble, but I think it just might be that seeing Tamra on TV made him realize what a shrewish swamp creature he married.

And then there’s Jeana, who seems just about as sad as she was last season, but now with less money. She’s always been my favorite of the OC housewives, and I was so happy when she left her craptastic husband, but she still appears to not be fully in control of her life (that, and her sons are dicks). Combine that with a lack of cash flow because of the real estate collapse, and Jeana doesn’t seem to be feeling too good about life right now. She might be putting her house on the market because of her financial situation, but we’ll likely learn more about that in coming episodes. In this one, she doesn’t get much of a story line.

One housewife that appears to be weathering the recession well enough is Lynn, but she may just be a little too spacey to really grasp it anyway. She’s the one that makes those cuffs that probably match really well with Ed Hardy t-shirts, and if those are selling for her, then hey! Congrats to her! I’m not going to throw her any shade, as Nene would say. Also, she has managed to make Housewife Detente with Tamra, who hated her last season as far as I can remember, so she’s officially part of the In Crowd.

Which leaves us, of course, with Gretchen. She’s managed to be one of the most polarizing figures in all of Housewifedom, and not without reason. The beyond-middle-aged cancer patient that she was engaged to last season has passed away amid rumblings that she was either cheating on him or that he paid her to take care of him in the first place, and to all of that, I say: WHO CARES? If she made the dude happy in whatever way in the last months of his life, why do we care so much? So what if it was an arrangement? Or if she moved on too quickly (and with Slade, who seems to staunchly believe that his one true calling is to have sex with housewives)? He sure seemed to like having her around and lavishing her with gifts, and if that’s what he wanted to do with his money and energy before he died, then Tamra & Co. should just shut their pie holes about it.

But Tamra never shuts her pie hole about anything, so when the girls all got together at a little dinner party that Lynn threw for jewelry line (and the producers had to have her throw it because she’s the only one on speaking terms with all other members of the group), things hit the fan. It was mostly a rehash of last season’s Reunion Battle Royale between Gretchen and Tamra over weird phone calls and nudie pictures. Or maybe the nudie pics weren’t out by then – who knows.

Tamra got all high and mighty about it, and like last season, it just came off as jealousy. Gretchen is younger, prettier, and not married to a jerk that no longer brings in the big bucks. And it’s not like Tamra should really be telling anyone that they’re exposing themselves too much to a public audience – haven’t we seen nearly every inch of her that there is to see on the show itself? Pot, kettle, black, etc.

Gretchen eventually told her to STFU, which seemed to completely SHOCK everyone else at the table, despite the fact that Tamra had been calling her a hooker, among other things, and insulting her dead fiance all evening. I’m not sure why telling someone to shut up is any more rude than those things, but these people live in an alternate reality, and it’s important to remember that before we try to parse their actions with reality in any significant way.

It was a good catfight and a dramatic start to the season, that’s for sure, but I think my favorite part of the whole dinner was when Jeana interrupted the yowling to ask if one of the others was going to finish her mac and cheese. Jeana? She’s a woman after my own heart.

But there’s also usually a problem with creating eccentricity for its own sake, which appears to be what was done with the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Charleston Chain Flap Bag. And I think we can all tell that it didn’t work out particularly well.

The best fashion trends come from the cool kids. And I’m not talking about the popular kids in high school – I mean the kids that looked different, that wore things you’d never think of wearing, and that are authentically cool despite doing precisely what they felt like. They existed in a universe that was sort of parallel to the normal popularity structure, and they probably will for the rest of their lives. Many of those girls go on to be “fashion people.” They’re tastemakers, it’s part of their personality. They’re the reason that Alexander Wang is selling handbags hand over fist right now.

But instead of embracing trends that come organically from people that are cool enough to make trends, Dolce & Gabbana appears to have simply decided to make something weird for the sake of being weird, which doesn’t really work. I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but I think I could actually make this bag myself, given the proper tools. All it appears to be is woven grosgrain ribbon (the weaving isn’t even particularly straight) and some beads stuck in the chain, and perhaps it’s presumptuous of me to think that I could recreate it, but I don’t really see why I couldn’t. And even if I could, I wouldn’t want to. But rest assured, if I did, I wouldn’t charge anyone $2600 for it. Buy through Nordstrom for $2595.

Hurry!!! Head over to Bluefly and check out the serious handbag sale they have going on! Shop around because there are some designer bags that can be yours at 65% off. Talk about an amazing deal!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Ok, you know me, I am pretty honest with you all. If I love a bag, I tell you. If I hate a bag, I tell you. And all of that is true no matter if you agree with me or not. So here is where you can continue to express your opinion… TWEET WITH US! Many of you follow us on our Purse Blog twitter page, but there is another one you should know about and follow.

Our Bag That Style twitter page. And trust me, follow us… it will be worth your while! If you like celeb gossip and style (whether you admit it or not), this is the site for you!

PurseBlog has been on Twitter for about a month now and we are loving it! Once we figured out what was going on, we became hooked. And who wouldn’t. All of our handbag loving friends are there along with websites we love. If you are not on Twitter yet, you need to sign up! And if you are not following us yet, start following us now.

Below you will find a bit about her and make sure to join me in welcoming her to this amazing community!

Hello everyone! I’m Anna, and I’m so excited to be interning at Purse Blog. I’m a rising sophomore at Columbia University, where I most enjoy my classes in Italian, French, and computer science. Of course, a major perk of living in New York City is the fashion! One of my favorite things to do, besides sneakily reading US Weekly, is practice aerial fabric and contortion. I love handbags, obviously, walking in Central Park with friends, quesadillas, and anything in royal purple. And because this is Purse Blog, I’d like to add that my favorite handbag brand is Goyard.

No need to write much right now, other than tell you about our new website!

Please welcome Bag That Style, a site devoted to celebrity handbag style. Check us out over there and make sure to check back today to hear more about our giveaways!

Also, Purse Forum is down for maintenance right now. Vlad seemed to want to guarantee he would not sleep tonight. So on the eve of our new site launch he is also performing some scheduled maintenance and upgrades on the forum. Sit tight!

Here at PurseBlog, we love to bring you different aspects of the fashion world. From designer interviews, handbag reviews and fashion related stories we love keeping you in the loop. If you are looking for other ways to stay involved in the fashion world – especially if you are in the market for a job in the fashion world, head over to HauteNet and get connected – for free! And after you’ve signed up, make sure you check out our weekly posts in the Expert Advice section.

Click here to check out HauteNet!

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love when designers take time out of their schedules to get to know their clients. I consider handbag enthusiasts clients, don’t you? Today, Tuesday April 14th, the lovely Monica Botkier will be conducting an online chat over at Luna Boston and will be answering questions from 6-8 pm EST. Head over to Luna Boston, check out the fabulous merchandise they offer and see what information you can find out from Monica.

Who: Kooba Co-founder and Creative Director, Abbe Held

What: Henri Bendel Trunk Show and PA with Abbe Held

When: Monday, April 13, 2009, 4:30- 6:30PM

Where: 712 5th Ave New York, NY 10019 – (212) 245-8346

Why: Come to Henri Bendel’s to see the Spring 2009 line and meet Abbe Held, co-founder and creative director of Kooba! Free Kooba make up pouch with purchase.

We are up for an award at the annual Glam Awards. We would love if you all took a few seconds to vote for us. Thank you to all of you who make our site what it is today. And remember to vote once per day (after a 24 hour period from your initial vote).

Please make sure to join our official Purse Blog and Forum Group on Facebook!

Vlad and I have been on the Facebook train since its inception, it being the social media network that begun while we were still in school. It was the “underground secret” when we started. Not so underground anymore. Anyhow, make sure to join us on Facebook and follow us. We will be posting exclusive photos there (more images from our Bag Art categories) along with Facebook giveaways and group discussions.

So if you are on Facebook, be sure to join our group. And if you are not on Facebook, it is time to join!!!

This is an event I would absolutely love to attend, but we will not be able to make it. So if you are, make sure to check it out for us!! Saks is having a Mother-Daughter Fashion Show hosted by Monica Botkier, Cynthia O’Connor, and Rebecca Minkoff. Two of our favorite designers (so nice in person) along with Cynthia O’Connor, a mastermind in the fashion world, are sure to put on a great party tomorrow, April 4th. This event will be at Saks Fifth Avenue, Tysons Galleria in McLean, VA.

Here are two of my favorite Botkier bags which will be delivering this month!

What: Accessories Trunk Show & Silent Auction to benefit Dress for Success Miami

Where: Mayda Cisneros Boutique. 4102 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Coral Gables, FL

When: March 12 – 13th. From 10am to 6pm.

Who: Featured Vendors include Mayda Cisneros Couture, Adriana Castro, Beirn and more!

More: 10% of proceeds will be donated to Dress for Success Miami

As always, find more on Adriana Castro online!

If you have been reading our website, you will know that Vlad is a major photography buff. A lover of the art of photography, we even transformed our guest room into an office and photo studio for the man behind Purse Blog. Designers send us bags to review and shoot, which has been an exciting adventure for us. When it came time to pick a wedding photographer, Vlad, of course, was very hands on. We would not settle for anything less than amazing when it came to the photography, and we ended up with more than we could ask for. After asking around, researching like crazy, and examining work, we ended up choosing Jeff Kolodny as our photographer.

Jeff’s work wowed us from his previous jobs and has blown us away for our own wedding. There will be hundreds of other photos he will be showing us to add to our album, but we got a first look at Jeff’s work from our wedding today. Being able to capture true feeling, emotion, and beauty in every photo, Jeff Kolodny photos amaze us. An array of photos from our wedding day can be found at Jeff Kolodny Photography. And as shown above, Jeff knew about my love of handbags and he integrated my Hermes Kelly Longue into many of our photos, which is ever-so-perfectly-fitting.

Thank you to Jeff and his wife Robin for their amazing work. Not only do we love it, but I know all of the handbag loving world will appreciate my Hermes bag being part of our wedding day!

When we set the date of February 20th, 2009 for our wedding it seemed as if that day was so far away. Slowly but surely the day creeped up on us and as it got closer to the wedding day, the amount of work for the wedding grew exponentially as did my excitement. And finally, when the day arrived, I was overtaken with excitement, nerves, and love. One week ago today, I was lucky enough to marry the man of my dreams. Seems so cliche, but it is absolutely true. Vlad and I have been together nearly six years. We swam together in college. He moved to Germany. We started a website together which turned into our company and full time job. He moved back from Germany. We moved to Florida. We went though so much together, but from day one I knew I was going to marry him and live my happily ever after. Our happily ever after began six years ago, but the wedding last Friday was the last little piece of the relationship finalization.

I woke up on the wedding morning with a bit of wedding day jitters. Hair and makeup came at 10 am (many more details on hair and makeup in a later post). I am the Purse Blog Queen, so my accessories truly had to be fit for a queen. Luckily, I had the most ideal wedding handbag and jewelry to complete my look. My handbag that I carried on my wedding day has a special place in my heart. Two years ago over two-hundred of the lovely members of Purse Forum shocked me with a gift that left me speechless. For my birthday I was gifted the ultimate gift of all time, a gift that I knew would be a major part of my wedding day. I anxiously opened the orange box to find an extremely rare Hermes Kelly Longue in white with palladium hardware. Tracking down this bag was a massive feat in and of itself, creating quite the chase around the globe for a white Kelly Longue. But with persistence and perseverance the bag was found. This was the first accessory that I thought of and knew I HAD TO CARRY. I planned on carrying this bag with my on my wedding day before I was engaged. THAT is how much I love and adore this bag! Thank you again to every single person that made this wedding day dream bag a reality. {Read more this gift at tPF}

Now when it comes to the bridesmaid handbags, there will be another post! Once our photographer, Jeff Kolodny, found out that we were unofficial King and Queen of purses, we took many shots of me with my Hermes Kelly and the bridesmaids with their matching Adriana Castro clutches. We will share many shots of the rest of the bags later.

Back to my accessories! The lovely Elana of Future Fashionista outfitted me with the most sophisticated, stunning, and perfect bling for my wedding day. I wore a pair of diamond chandelier earrings that caught the light with every small movement and were the perfect piece for my overall look. The details on these earrings are so intricate. Absolutely unreal! I opted to go necklace-less and pair the earrings with a diamond bracelet, also from Future Fashionista. The bridesmaids gifts were specially made by Elana as well, details of those to come in a later post. A very special thank you to Elana and Future Fashionista for making my wedding day full of sparkle and bling!

      

My shoes will go on another post as well. In fact, my shoes are so magnificent that I am now on the hunt to find a shoe cleaner to help spiff them up so I can store them to someday show my daughter. Since many handbag lovers are also shoe lovers, I think the shoes will be appreciated! For many of the photos we carried our handbags rather than flowers, but of course I had a bridal bouquet. Jorge from Dream Occasions was so much fun to work with and gave me the bouquet that I dreamed up in my mind. Garden like, elegant, flowing; and he completed this look with white mini calla lilies, champagne and ivory roses, green amaranthus, ivory stock, green berries, seeded eucalyptus, and an ivory ribbon crystals finish. The bouquet was perfect for our part garden wedding, thank you Jorge and Dream Occasions!

The last wedding day accessory I will share with you all today is my wedding day gift from my groom. Close your eyes if the mushy-gushy-so-in-love comments drive you crazy. Vlad is most certainly a romantic. Sure, it took a bit of time for him to come around to this, but since he figured out how much I love romantic gestures, he has been amazing. A homemade meal, a date night plan, random flowers. It is not the gifts that get me, it is the thought and meaning behind them. But my wedding day gift was beyond thoughtful, beyond generous, and is a reminder of the best day of my life. Vlad went to our jeweler and designed a pendant for me. The pendant is made with matte gold and in diamonds reads 2.20, our wedding day.

Our wedding day was the best day of my life so far and a day I will never forget! Thank you to everyone who made the day so special for us. We appreciate it more than you all know.

And yes, many more details and pictures to come!

I know it is such a cheesy, cliché thing to say… but for the sake of trying to express my emotions, I’ll still say it:

I married the woman of my dreams. My excitement over being married to my love goes beyond anything I could attempt to express on our Purse Blog.

Meaghan and I had our wedding last Friday at the Spanish Monastery in North Miami. The event took a lot of stressful planning, it turned out absolutely beautifully. Both Megs and I could not be happier over celebrating this joyous event with close friends and family, obviously we will also share the festivities with our readers. Stay tuned, the pictures will be posted as soon as they are processed by the wonderful Jeff Kolodny. In the meanwhile, Purse Blog business shall return back to usual tomorrow, as we are settling back into our home and working through piles of neglected emails.

Thanks to all of our readers who have followed us on this beautiful journey over the past 4 years.

We will share some details of our wedding afterward, especially my bag of the Big Day shot!!

…So we’re going to the Chapel and we’re gonna get married!