I'd bet on this pony

I have always loved the Alexander Wang Rocco bags. But then again, I am a huge fan of the Louis Vuitton Speedy and the Gucci Boston, so that's probably no surprise. The AW bags have all been leather up until this point. Finally -- something to shake things up a little -- the newest Rocco is made of ponyhair and leather! While this pushes it over the four-digit mark (much to my dismay), this gorgeous bag is on my short list.

Creamsicle colors for spring

Chanel is already thinking about spring nail colors. Although the names of the colors are nothing fancy (April, May, June) they do look like frosty drinks, don't they? I'm told they will be available for purchase in January 2012.

I'm singin' the blues

Don't get me wrong, I liked Chanel's Blue Satin when it came out. But I LOVE the Jeans de Chanel collection. They are not sparkly, the colors are very saturated, rich and creamy. I had to get a set of three. Get them while you can, as they are a limited edition and are already selling out. They're still available on the Chanel  website.

Fall is arriving and it's furry

Shearling coats often are a little too overpowering in my opinion and sometimes have too much of a Western look for my taste. However, I think this coat from Vince is more streamlined and chic. I love how it's paired with an infinity scarf and casual top. I can see myself wearing this often. The retail price is steep at $1,975, but maybe someday it will go on sale. A girl can dream, can't she?

Some cheap bling (relatively speaking)

I was shopping at my local Neiman Marcus today and chatted up the sales associate in the Chanel makeup department. She mentioned that nail polish is the new impulse purchase as opposed to lipstick. I thought this was very interesting, but absolutely true. Cosmetic companies have been bombarding consumers with new colors every few months. And it is easier to go wild with crazy colors on your nails than on your lips. (Remember those horrible gothy lipsticks that Chanel put out a few years ago? They didn't look good on anyone.)

And of course, a new bottle of nail polish is $25 at Chanel, far below the price of a new Chanel bag, or any designer handbag for that matter. Cheap bling.

As nail color is the new impulse buy, I had to participate. Chanel's Fall 2011 colors are in stores now, and I felt the draw of buying two new colors, Graphite and Peridot.

Soon I will need more nail polish storage, but colors like this make it worth it. 

On the hunt for the perfect off white bag

It is really difficult to find the "perfect" off white (or bone) handbag. Mostly because there are so many variations of the color. White is sometimes too stark, and often an off white handbag has too much of a yellow undertone in it for my liking. I started out with the Coach Kristin Hobo, but it had too much of a grey, almost dingy feeling to it. So back it went. Admittedly I also get annoyed when my Coach bags go almost directly to the outlet after they are released, but that's a story for another day. Maybe I will re-buy my Kristin again, but only if it is deeply discounted.

I've come across another coup by Alexander Wang, and I have been a big fan for quite some time. His Rocco bag can do no wrong (well, except I would love it if it were a bit lighter). I think this new color, which he is calling Bone, is a great warm color, which I prefer. Alas, the price tag I do not prefer, so I'm hoping I can snag this one on sale at some point.

Here comes the sun

I love a little flash of color here and there. And what is happier than a yellow bag? Yellow can be tricky, especially in clothing, as it can cross over into too-close-to-neon territory. But splashes of yellow are fun, never over the top and always make you smile. Kate Spade did a wonderful job with this bag -- just bright enough, a delicious texture, a great size and extremely functional. Sadly it has sold out on the website but something tells me it will show up elsewhere, and you can also probably spot on on eBay or Bonanzle at some point.

Now I'm craving a frothy, fruity drink

I know it's not spring everywhere, and a lot of people are still buried under snow. Thank goodness there's no snow where I live, and I'm even seeing some sunshine through the rain this morning. An inexpensive way to infuse the ol' wardrobe with some spring goodness is nail polish. Relatively cheap and a small pick-me-up. How could I resist Chanel's new spring line? It was impossible. Check out one of the great new shades, this one called Orange Fizz. I got it at my local Neiman Marcus but it's also available for purchase on the Chanel website.