There is a guilty pleasure many women have that men will NEVER understand: handbags. As my ex once said, “It’s a thing to hold your stuff, for God’s sake!” But it’s more than that: it’s a fashion statement, an accessory, and, for a lot of us, an obsession runs deep.

So whenever a new season comes around, I know I look forward to seeing what the bag trends for that season are gonna be. While there is always a seasonal “it” bag (or 2 or 3) that generally costs more than your monthly rent, you don’t have to break the bank each season to have a trendy bag on your arm. It may be hard to believe, but there are plenty of budget options out there!

As is true with most seasons, this season brings us some new shapes, styles and textures, but there is also a lot of recycling going on. A key with bags is that you don’t need to go matchy matchy, so don’t be afraid to add a pop of color, or if you go with a neutral like grey or brown, you needn’t match all your accessories.

Bags are meant to be a statement piece, so don’t fear going bold and adding some zest to your look with your handbag - be it a clutch, tote, or, this season’s most popular shape, the satchel. Read More »

• Katherine Heigl’s sunglasses… Hayden Panettiere’s Maxene boots… Get the look for less.

• If you could only choose 5 cable channels… which ones would they be?

• The Shin’s Martin Crandall roughs up America’s ‘Almost’ Next Top Model.

• Anne Frank’s Diary… The Musical???

• Milo Ventimiglia is a baby.

I remember the first time the heard “Umbrella”. I thought I might like it. Then I heard it again.

And again…and again.

Except, I was so late to jump on the Rihanna train that when I told people I had never heard the song back in June, I got more confused stares than I’m sure this next little tidbit of information will garner:

Rihanna has her own line of umbrellas. Because she has a song called “Umbrella”.

She will also probably get very rich off of all this.

Ranging in price from a reasonable $14.99 (on sale!) to a nauseating $50.00 (very much not on sale), these things aren’t even interesting! One has her name on it…another has a pink strip around the bottom. Which is cool, I guess.

Most of them remind me of the umbrellas you find in the back of the hall closet before you run out the door in the morning. Read More »