General

Just wanted to give you all an update why this week has moved slowly (especially today). I had a mini, turned major, health scare and have spent much of my time since yesterday at Dr’s offices. A super long story short, I am fine! There was a bug bite, with a rash, with a stiff neck, and the doctor’s began to think of all sorts of possible things wrong. But, it is just a rash, an itchy and unsightly one, but a viral rash. So we should be back to the regular grind tomorrow!

This Wednesday is the one year anniversary of the tragic school shooting Virgina Tech experienced on April 16th, 2007. Recently, Northern Illinois University (NIU) experienced a shooting tragedy on their campus as well. These tragic events have effected everyone, and hit home to the college community. This year a team of alumni from Virginia Tech and the Ohio State University (OSU) will hold an event to remember both tragedies and raise money for both memorial and scholarship funds created by the Universities.

This event has nothing to do with handbags, but I find it very compelling to share the information. I remember sitting in my hotel room listening to the news unfold of the VT school shootings. At the time I was in Europe and their cities were speaking about it and even offering condolences when they realized we were American. These tragedies affected all people of all countries around the world. While Vlad and I cannot make the events in San Diego or Virgina this week, we hope any of you in the area will stop by, have some food and drinks (proceeds from each restaurant will be donated to both schools). If you happen to make it to Dogfish Head Alehouse, make sure to ask for Shannon Mahoney, my sister, who has helped put this together and will be representing Purse Blog.

Read below to find the restaurants involved on Wednesday!

Last week things were very slow on the web side of Purse Blog but by no means were things slow in the world of Purse Blog. Vlad and I spent the entire week in NYC, enjoying the city and mostly delving further into the fashion world. Each day was increasingly more hectic and it seemed like our week long trip was not going to be long enough. Thankfully, we got mostly everything accomplished that we went to NYC for and then some. Over the next few weeks we will be bringing you designer interviews, exclusive photos, Fall 2008 previews, information from events, and much more. The world of designer handbags and purses is a force to be reckoned with, as new designers emerge weekly and finding true talent takes a little more sifting through.

Today will be our first designer interview that we will share with you. This designer has been featured by us before and the reaction was great. As her popularity grows, this designer stays grounded. Best news is, we have exclusive photos of her Fall 2008 bags, a great interview, and a highly coveted tour of her factory in NYC

We look forward to bringing you interviews from Rebecca Minkoff, Lambertson Truex, Devi Kroell, Jane August, Treesje, and Monica Botkier.

Along with this we have Fall 2008 bag previews from Nancy Gonzalez, Michael Kors, LAMB, Kotur, Kidrobot, and more. Vlad had one of his dreams fulfilled as he got to sit in a 1001 horsepower Bugatti Veyron par Hermes, which he will tell you all about. Stay put, you won’t want to miss all of this!

Today is our last full day in NYC and one of the days we have been looking forward to most! Today at Saks there is an event being held with some of our favorite designers in the handbag and purse world. If you can make the event let us know and make sure to look for Vlad and I. We will be there chatting with the designers that we know, getting to know the designers we do not know, and meeting readers from our site. Here is the information, we hope to see you there!

On April 5th (today) from 2:00 – 5:00 PM Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC is hosting an event for customers in the New York store on the Fifth floor. Saks has confirmed personal appearances with Monica Botkier of Botkier, Emily Ironi and Rachelle Copeland of Alexis Hudson, Rebecca Minkoff, Laura and Shelia from Treesje, Rene Huber of Goldenbleu and the Andrew Cotton of Linea Pelle.

This week has been very slow for updates, but this means that next week will be full of exclusive interviews, photos, and information. We are finishing up our week long trip in New York and are looking forward to sharing all of the fabulous news we have gathered here!

Also, for your New Yorkers, there is an event tomorrow at Saks Fifth Avenue which will showcase an array of designers and their bags. Vlad and I will be attending. I will bring more information later today about it, but keep your schedule free from 2-5 PM tomorrow if you would like to attend!

Sorry for not updating sooner, but we have been traveling all day and I will not be updating today. We are in New York City right now, and while it is cold, miserable, and rainy, we are still thrilled to be here. We have exciting interviews set up along with sneak peaks at handbags for next season from some of our favorite designers. Stay tuned!

For those of you who celebrate Easter, have a great weekend. We are spending time with the family on the West Coast of Florida, so we will see you all Monday!

As you can see, Purse Blog and Purse Forum got a makeover! Valentine’s Day is so out and it is time for something refreshing. There are a few changes on the Purse Blog design. The comments section is now found directly below the title of each post. Ok, I lied, not that many changes. Hope you all enjoy the new look!

We brought you information about the movement, Go Red For Women brought to you by the American Heart Association during the month of February.

Go Red For Women is a movement passionately dedicated to helping women fight back against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women in America. By putting our passion together with positive action, we can continue to educate other women about their risks and help them find their own personal path to better health for life. The goal is a 25% reduction in coronary heart disease and stroke risk by the year 2010.

So now, to raise awareness for yourself, take the Go Red Heart Check Up Quiz on the site HERE. By taking this quiz it can help women of all ages put the right facts together so they can continue to make wise decisions when it comes to their heart health.

Fendi Spy Bag

We all have been with the Fendi Spy Bag as it has taken its ups and downs in the handbag world. What I love about the Spy is that it is different. The look of the bag is not similar to any other. The handles set it apart with the knot detailing. The shape has become household; we all know it. And as I have watched the Spy go from the hottest bag to less desirable, I have noticed that there is still a huge following of the Fendi Spy Bag. To be honest I continue to carry my Spy bag and love it! It is chic and my version, in honey, is able to be worn year around. The Fendi Spy has been re-invented hundreds of times, in different colors, leathers, materials, there was even a luscious Fendi Alligator Spy. There have been huge misses, like the Fendi Sequin Spy Bag, but the fact remains that this bag has held its own for years. So if you ask me, while it may not be at the peak of its curve, the Fendi Spy Bag is a classic bag that will always be recognizable and always be something a little different from the mainstream. There is a new color at Net A Porter, a stunning hue of purple, dubbed plum. Buy through NAP for $2,250.