We all know that it’s the season of giving, and that the warm fuzzies that come from making someone else’s day with a thoughtful token of your appreciation are totally worth all of the effort that you’re putting in to selecting the perfect presents. But what about you? The most important relationship of your life is the one that you have with yourself, after all. The Twitter hashtag #treatyoself has been going around for a while, and we think that for the holidays, it’s particularly apt.

Dealing with family and travel and arranging time off from work and making sure everyone else is happy is often a burden that falls disproportionately on the women in any given family, so we’ve arranged a small group of treats, all under $200, to inspire a little bit of self-appreciation. After all, if you’re going to cook Christmas dinner, you probably deserve presents above and beyond everyone else’s. If you have more ideas, leave them in the comments. (more…)

Whether you’re trying to buy a gift for someone that’s young in age or just young at heart, picking the perfect present for a woman who’s on the cutting edge of fashion and trends can be a bit of a task. The style world moves quickly, and if you’re not paying attention to this particular sector all year long, dipping in for a few Christmas gifts might seem impossible. If you find yourself in need of some expert suggestions, we present the latest installment in our Gift Guides 2010 series, with options ranging from a mere $25 to over a grand. (more…)

Belstaff is one of those awesome English brands (well, it’s Italian-owned now), a younger and hipper brother of brands with the coveted coat of arms of a member of the Royal Family. Who doesn’t want to be a purveyor to the Queen, like Smythton or Launer? Well, Belstaff doesn’t have the coat of arms, but that doesn’t mean they’re icky. Let’s just say they’re not what the ever-proper Queen would tote.

I can’t imagine Her Majesty would carry this Belstaff Large New York Postman Bag, but it would be right at home on the shoulder of a young fashionista. The bag is a replica of those carried by New York postmen in the 1930s””the description reads, “They don’t make them like this anymore,” and that’s true. (more…)

I am sure some of you might actually read this after Memorial Day Weekend. There are so many of us who love to tag an extra vacation day onto a 3-day weekend making it that much sweeter. But, for those of you who haven’t already started your trek to the beach or a mountain cabin, I might have found something that you might like to take with you this weekend. J. Crew is always a great place to check out for fun summer totes and they’ve not failed us this season either. (more…)

Valentine’s Day has always been one of those days I’ve loved. While I’ve not always had a significant other on Valentine’s Day, it is nice to sit back and remember how much love I have in my life. I have a great family, amazing friends and am constantly surrounded by love. So whether you have a Valentine this year or not, try and remember how loved you are and how many people you love!

With all of this being said, I still have a list of things I’d be more than happy to receive on Valentine’s Day. Nothing too extravagant but nonetheless lovely. (more…)

Once again, a J. Crew handbag reminds me that I need to check the site more often. I definitely have several J. Crew clothing items, but I don’t have a J. Crew handbag. Yet, every time I come across a handbag I am constantly reminded that I should make one my own. Once again, the price point is one you cannot beat. And in fact, you are usually getting a rather cute and functional bag. (more…)

For those of you who work in the corporate world, you know that it can sometimes be tricky matching a nice handbag with your work place attire. With so many gorgeous handbags out there I love when I come across one that instantly reminds me of a perfect bag for the office. The J. Crew Marche Satchel is just this kind of bag. (more…)

When it comes to Christmas I typically have a few things I’d love to have, but I rarely consider myself one to have a wish list. However, this year, there are a few things that I would absolutely love to have. So, whether any of these things are given to me or I end up getting them for myself, I am pretty sure I am going to make everything on my list mine! (more…)

I was just talking to one of my friends back in DC about what she has going on for New Year’s Eve. As we exchanged stories of what we may or may not do, there was one thing that I couldn’t stop thinking about: what handbag I am going to carry. I know this has been the focus of many of my posts lately, but hey, everything is cyclical. So, per usual, I sort of forgot about J. Crew until I went to check out their amazing sales during this time of the year and I came across this beauty. (more…)

J. Crew tends to escape my mind, but every time I visit their website, without fail, my wish list piles up like that. Meaning very, very quickly. This past virtual trip, it was the J.Crew Marabou Clutch that caught my eager eye. Of course, a clutch covered with feathers isn’t difficult to spot, but what captured my attention was the extreme finesse that the feathers appeared to have.

They look soft and cuddly, much like one of my long-haired stuffed animals was before I spilled medicine all over it. But that’s another story, so let’s just say that it would be best to avoid that situation with this clutch. But that should go without saying, because I know I’d be devastated if I ruined this clutch, the feathers of which were apparently quite painstakingly stitched on row by row. From the fluffy looks of it, it’s quite a lot of rows of stork feathers. (more…)