My philosophy on the current state of the economy is - JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!!! Ever heard the phrase "perception is reality"?? It's my personal belief that it does no good to hear about the current state of dismal affairs day in and day out from the media. It wears on you. It freaks you out unneccessarily. Just get out there and live your life anyway and you'll survive. Don't listen to those that say we're doomed. Anyway, to step off the sopabox and bring the subject back to purses, you don't have to sacrifice  style this spring just because of the recession. A well made, classic handbag with a few new embellishments for spring will stick with you and be a good investment in your personal sense of style. As this article from the London Free Press so aptly states, "The recession may dampen demands for pricey status handbags, but a new purse can still be one of the easiest and least expensive ways to update your spring style."

We are seeing a lot of color this spring. The Easter season inevitably brings on the pastels. Check out this giraffe print satchel with green trim. It is just the right amount of lime green to make the entire purse POP and look really great. Another fun color this spring is fuschia. Try it out on this giraffe print purse with fuschia trim. Another good thing about both of these bags is that they are multi-functional. The satchel in particular is large enough to use as a tote bag, travel bag, or even a beach bag because the faux leather is easily cleaned.

Bold statements of color can be seen everywhere this season. If you like bright colors, you'll love our line of bright zebra print peace totes.

One of the best styles of handbag to get if you are concerned about staying power, is the hobo bag. The slouchy shape of the bag is always in style and will be a constant fashion DO. I even wrote my own blog post about Hobo Handbags.

Other styles on the DO list this Spring include bags with embellishments like fringes, tassles, and buckles, likes this leopard print purse with red tassle and this new giraffe print purse with buckle.

So hopefully I have given you enough tips so that you can still be fashionable this spring and not break the bank!

No, silly, not the bums on the street - we're talking about the hobo handbag. A hobo bag is a style of purse characterized by its crescent shape and slouchy appearance. It actually did get its name from the appearance of the bags that homeless people used to carry slung over their shoulder tied to a stick. That's kind of sad, isn't it? But I digress. Hobos are one of my favorite types of bags and we have a lot of them to show you! We have a variety of handbags including giraffe print hobo purses and zebra print hobo handbags. These purses fit the description of a hobo because they are pretty large, have longer handles that you can sling over your shoulder, and have a general crescent shape. They are also more "slouchy" and don't have a defined shape. These hobo style bags are popular and never go out of style. Check out our selection at handbagbug.com!

Apparently, this is a hotly debated topic on internet forums - the difference between a handbag and a purse. A lot of the facts out there are merely people's opinions. So I'll start with mine. I say the only difference between a handbag and a purse is the way you carry it. A handbag is more like a satchel, in that the straps are shorter and are not meant to hang from the shoulder. A purse has longer straps so that it hangs down almost to your waist. (These types of purses remind me of the older style that our mom's have.) But I do tend to use the word "purse" more often than handbag because I find that handbag is a newer term, and purse just rolls off the tongue.

But let's discuss what the so-called experts say about the difference between a handbag and a purse. When you search for "handbag" on Wikipedia, it actually re-routes you to the "purse" page. From Wikipedia:

In American English, a purse is a small bag, also called a handbag or a pocketbook.

In British English, a purse is a small money container similar to a wallet, but typically used by women and including a compartment for coins, with a handbag being considerably larger; indeed, a purse is often kept in a handbag.

A purse or handbag is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, and is used to hold items such as wallet, keys, tissues, makeup, a hairbrush, cellular device or personal digital assistant, feminine products, or other items.

In the early 1900s people began calling their bags "handbags". This term referred to luggage that men carried. They then inspired women, who began carrying bags with complicated fasteners, internal compartments, and locks. In the 1920s, it became popular that bags no longer had to match your outfit. In the 1940s, with WWII, women's purses were made out of wood or plastic since metal was being saved for supplies. In the 1950s, popular handbag designers included Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes. Today these three brands are still popular, along with Gucci, Christian Dior, Fendi, Prada, Kate Spade, and Lockheart among many others.

Types of handbags

• Clutch: Small, yet long (rectangular), evening bag without a handle.

• Satchel: large bag with small handle that is carried on the arm rather than on the shoulder.

• Duffle: A large bag usually used for travel or sports.

• Tote: A medium to large bag with two straps.

• Messenger bag : A bag with a long strap to be worn across the body.

• Sling bag : A bag with a long strap (similar to a messenger bag), yet smaller.

So see, even Wikpedia agrees with me. There's not much of a difference!

Here is an example of what I think is a handbag and a purse. Our designer inspired white handbag has shorter handles, making it the perfect "arm" bag. It is easily held on the arm, as opposed to up higher on the shoulder (though you can fit it up there too.) The giraffe print purse has slightly longer handles that you would definitely wear on your shoulder, hence we call it a purse.

I hope you've enjoyed this little lesson on the handbags vs purse subject!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or wonderful Kwanzaa (though I think Kwanzaa goes until Jan 1, so contine to enjoy that one)! We had a Christmas Eve party at our house this year for the first time, and although it was a lot of work, it really turned out to be a good time. The weather did not cooperate, however, because it was about 70 degrees outside and didn't feel like winter one bit. We still managed to light a fire outside and enjoy ourselves despite the warm weather. Speaking of insane weather, I can't go without mentioning the SNOW that we had on December 11th. We woke up to our cars covered in snow and it was just blasting down from the sky like I had never before seen in my life. It was such a magical day, I couldn't stop smiling. Anyway, I hope everyone was able to enjoy the holidays stress free. Hopefully Handbagbug.com was able to help out with some of your gift-giving ideas this Christmas.

If you didn't get the purse or handbag you were hoping to receive this Christmas, buy yourself a belated Christmas gift! Or if you did get that giraffe print handbag you've been wanting, buy yourself a giraffe print wallet to go with it! We have giraffe print purses and wallets in stock, as well as your favorite tote bags, duffle bags and diaper bags. Try a designer inspired purse, like the spy handbag (my personal favorite!). I'll be doing some videos and product features on our new purses while I am on vacation this week, so check back to see those! If there is any purse you'd like to know more about, email me at alanna@handbagbug.com and I'll do a special product feature video on it to show you all the features!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year! And if you get a chance, go see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with your family. It is a wonderful story and it is filled with scenes of New Orleans. Not only was the movie filmed here, but the movie plot is set in New Orleans and it is just magically beautiful.

Happy Holidays!

This giraffe print purse has a unique turn and lock closure which I love. (It also zips closed on the top to keep everything secure. The turn and lock closure is for looks and for fun!) It's also got big, bold hardware on the front with the zippers. Have your choise of either brown or black straps. I personally like the brown straps and trim for the giraffe print handbags because the spots themselves are more brownish, but either one looks great. It's a medium-sized bag measuring 14"X10.5"X4.5" made of faux leather. It has metal feet on the bottom which is great for keeping the bottom of your purse clean. There is a zippered front pocket, rear pocket, and includes both open and zippered pockets inside. 

The giraffe print flat wallet measures 7.5" x 4" and has black lining on the inside. It has a push button to open. It's a great accessory to your giraffe print handbag.

I hope you've enjoyed this product feature on our giraffe print handbag with turn and lock closure as well as our flat giraffe print wallet. Stay tuned because Chad promised me he'd write a blog about the Dtv switch. I know nothing about the subject so I thought it might be interesting to see what his thoughts are!

I don't have time for a full entry, but I just couldn't let the night get away from me without mentioning that we officially launched our website!!! And just in time for the holidays, I might add. We are leaving for New York on Thursday morning and I hear the forecast may have some snow and rain in store for us, so I've got to get packing and shopping for a warm coat. As if I can find that in Louisiana! I am going to be so cold, but it will be sooo worth it. I'll be taking my new giraffe print purse with me, because it is so roomy and has all kinds of pockets so it can fit all my stuff!

Enjoy browsing our site!