Usually, Louis Vuitton artist collaborations are easy to describe. The French brand tends to err on the side of big, bold, graphic visuals, and subtlety usually isn’t a common trait among its collections with the likes of Stephen Sprouse and Takashi Murakami. To say that the twee, low-fi animation of the brand’s recent video, The Great Journey of Little Bagcharms, is unexpected would be an understatement. It’s a good kind of unexpected, though.

Vuitton teamed up with artist Christian Borstlap to animate this short film to fete the launch of the new Louis Vuitton Montgolfiere Bag Charm, a hot air balloon carrying a classic trunk. Even if you have little interest in the charm itself, the video’s old school line drawings and the sweet song that accompanies them are a nice little respite from your lunchtime food coma. Check out a larger picture of the charm and pricing information after the jump.

Although long a brand that had some trepidation about its digital presence, Balenciaga seems to be opening up to the beautiful pastime that is Internet shopping. Its website recently got an overhaul that made shopping on it a much friendlier and more comprehensive experience, and yesterday, one of our lovely Twitter followers pointed out to us that the brand is now available on NeimanMarcus.com. Glory hallelujah!

Balenciaga bags have been sold via Neiman Marcus’ site once in the past; a few years ago, the Dallas-based department store and its website were the exclusive purveyors of Balenciaga’s limited edition designs celebrating the Motorcycle Bag’s 10th anniversary. It seems as though the line has come to stay at NeimanMarcus.com, though, and although it’s mostly basics right now, I bet that the offerings will expand if the venture is successful. Check out some of our favorites from the first assortment after the jump or shop the entire selection via NeimanMarcus.com. Squeal! Sorry, that just slipped out. I’m kind of excited about this, okay? (Psst…there are also a couple of shoes!)

How is everyone doing on this lovely Martin Luther King Day? I hope you’re all using your day off as a day “on” in your community, but if you’re stuck at the office (or simply too lazy to do something to better humanity), the Real Housewives of Atlanta did us all a favor by showing up to work last night. Sort of, anyway.

If this episode felt like a placeholder to you, it’s because it probably was. Airing a show with an overwhelmingly female audience opposite of something like the Golden Globes telecast is a losing proposition if you actually care who sees the episode, but if it’s just a bunch of random scenes thrown together before a big plot point happens, then it’s perfect. How many of you actually watched Real Housewives last night?

2011 was a year where I began my nail polish obsession. I always enjoyed a good manicure but I never loved painting my own nails and I relied on salons to get the job done. I owned all of 5 polishes. But then something clicked and I became obsessed, and went from owning 5 polishes to now owning over 250 polishes. This is an intense addiction, but it is one where I actually use everything that I buy. I change my manicure every few days and try new polishes and new techniques.

Last week, I asked on Twitter what kind of manicure I should give myself and ginnnyna suggested a newspaper manicure. Truth be told, I never heard of this before but decided to do a google search and see what I could find out. The technique is simple and the finished design is totally nifty.

Also, I have been going bananas for rings and bracelets recently. Because my bags are held by hand, I love making them stand out even more by upping up my accessory game. Both rings in the photo are from Plukka and I am completely obsessed. If you love unique jewelry, check out their website which has a really interesting set up: what they make is what you want and the more people that order an item the less it costs each person.

While Vlad uses professional gear to snap amazing photos, I use my trusty iPhone to take photos of the world around me. That means I always look like a tourist in my own city. However, my looking like a tourist gives you great photos around NYC and the all the places we travel. Better yet, a look at my fashion accessories and a look behind designers that you know and love!

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Sale season is starting to wind down, but if you’re willing to look hard, there are still some great pieces to be had. The small accessories treasure trove is especially plentiful this time of year; during the milieu if discounts and bargains and coupon codes, most people look for big items like bags or shoes or coats. If you’re so inclined, a new wallet or cosmetic bag can likely be yours right now for far under retail.

I’ve done some looking, and by far my favorite deal in small leather goods right now are the Valextra International Passport Holders. Even though the brand is known for being a little bit pricey (above and beyond the normal price levels for this industry), at more than 50% off via Barneys, I can assure you that you’ll never misplace your passport again.