My Pretty Purse

Finally! Here is my pretty purse! Do you love it? OK, not really. That thing would give me nightmares. Actually, I don't think I could sleep with it sitting on my dresser staring at me. Creepy.


These are much better, don't you think? Left to right - Madison lurex capacity wristlet, Chelsea optic signature satchel, and Heritage stripe signature swingpack. I love Coach handbags. They are made really well, and they look good. Style, quality, what more could you want? How about affordable? I consider Coach to be a designer brand, some may just call it "higher end," and that's OK. But Coach is one of the few designer brands that is a little easier on the pocketbook. There are some Coach styles that are definitely on the rich side, but for the most part, the bags, shoes, and accessories are definitely attainable. Take a little from a few paychecks, look at the clearance section, maybe there is even an extra % off that, or maybe you are lucky enough to live near an outlet. There are lots of options to make it happen. Or be like me, and wait for Christmas and birthday presents!

I love all 3 of bags. My Chelsea satchel was a Christmas gift from my brother. He told me to pick anything out, and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one. It is such a classy looking handbag. My wristlet was a "you deserve it" gift from Billy. We were on our way to a Chinese restaurant in the mall and I wanted to "just look" at the Coach stuff. It holds a little wallet, a cellphone, and keys. It's great as a nice clutch for going out to dinner or anytime you're not in the mood to carry a big purse. And my swingpack was a surprise birthday gift from Billy. I had been talking about swingpacks and he picked the pink Heritage stripe out himself. It's so cute and casual. It holds a little bit more than the wristlet and is worn crossbody. Hands free, try it. I have never felt so free while carrying a purse. Love it.

So, that's my little collection. I would love for there to be updates in the future, but after impulsively buying a pair of Coach wedges I'm on a self imposed ban. I do welcome gifts though!

Sand & Sable

I can go for long periods of time without wearing perfume at all, but when I do, I almost always reach for this. Sand & Sable by Coty. It's an oldie, but a goodie. The box says it's "a sensual and lingering floral bouquet of gardenia, tuberose, jasmine, and rose." I'm not a professional sniffer, so I'm not going to dispute any of that (and I'm not even going to discuss the sensual part). But, I think it smells like summer, going to the beach, coconuts and vanilla, and suntan lotion. It smells fresh, clean, and fun. It's a great price - $23.86 at Walmart for a 2 oz. bottle of cologne spray. I know it's not fancy, but I like it. But if you do want fancy, I read that Michael by Michael Kors (Dillards, $70, 1.7 oz eau de parfum) also has a fresh "reminds me of Hawaii" scent. The last time I was at a beach, it was the Jersey shore, and it was just for a day. A very short day. Since then I've been dreaming of a beach vacation. At least a long weekend to Gulf Shores. Something. Anything. And then I start thinking about gas prices. Oh well, I'll just spray on some Sand & Sable and keep dreaming.

Ped Egg

When I first got my bagless vacuum cleaner, I think I vacuumed everyday for 2 weeks. I can't describe the feeling of seeing all the dirt in the canister. Of course, there was shame and disgust - ugh, look how much dirt was in my carpet. But there was also excitement - yay! Look how much dirt came out of my carpet! If you have a Ped Egg, then you know where I'm going with this. When you rub it on your feet, the little files remove all the dead skin and trap it in the egg. Sounds disgusting right? Well, it kind of is, but it's exciting too. You can see it working. And after using the emory pad (it comes with 2), your feet are left feeling really smooth. I try to use it once or twice a week, but once a month I like to try to get around to giving myself a nice little at-home pedicure. You use the ped egg on dry feet, so I do that first. Then I remove the old polish and give them a nice long soak in the foot spa with some oil, Calgon, or even some epsom salt. Then a trim and polish. And then some lotion to finish them off. Any kind will do, but some sort of peppermint lotion would feel great. Burt's Bees makes one for $8.99 and Dr. Scholls has one for $4.99. Speaking of pedicures and polish, I recently picked up OPIs Got the Blues for Red. It looked darker in the bottle, but I think a girl should have a dark and a bright red. And a bright red is great for toes in the summer.

Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets

I put my makeup on about 6 in the morning and by noon, my face is as shiny as a... as a... I don't know, what's really shiny? How about a new bicycle on Christmas morning? Anyway, back in the olden days, I would grab some tissue and blot. And then half my makeup would be gone. Not the case with Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets. I love these things. Makeup says on, shininess gone. I tried to remember to check the price at Walmart, but kept forgetting. I think they are around $5 and you get 50 sheets. They are great if you are on a budget, but there are fancier shmancier brands out there. Madonna recently auctioned off a gorgeous croc and diamond Chanel handbag at an amfar event ($471,000!), and she left some of her belongings in the bag. Besides lipgloss, a mirror, and hair clips she also had shu uemura blotting papers (Sephora, 40 sheets, $12). Nice to know that Madonna needs a little help with the shininess too.

Max Factor Lipfinity

My mother does more experimenting with makeup than I do. So when she passed on this lipstick I gladly tried it since I wasn't in love with anything at the time. Now I am. This stuff STAYS on your lips. Seriously. Some people may complain that it's too drying, but I haven't had that problem at all. My favorite shade is Spiritual and the runners up are Spicy and Glazed. Price is around $10 at Walmart.