Get something in zebra print. Animal prints will never go out of style, especially if you stick with a classic one. Timeless black and white stripes are safe for years to come, so if you don't want to buy a new handbag every time the trends change, get a zebra print handbag or zebra print wallet and never worry about it again. Try zebra print with a splash of color to spice things up. We have a zebra print purse with pink handles, a zebra print wallet with red trim, one our zebra print peace totes that come in green, red, blue, or pink, or our Ed Hardy version zebra print tatoo bag. A lot of people shy away from animal print because they think it's too wild for them, but it doesn't have to be. Zebra print stripes are one of the safer patterns. Leopard prints might scream wild and crazy but zebra prints say "I know how to pick my animal print and look great!" Don't be afraid, be confident. Go forth and choose one of the many zebra prints from our site!

 

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!

After a brief hiatus, I am back to blogging. I apologize to all my faithful readers for my absence (yes, all two of you). Anyway, I was sick two weeks ago and then last week I got called for 3 days of Jury Duty. They actually picked me for the trial, can you believe it? We had to deliberate on whether or not this guy was guilty of bank robbery. We said not guilty. I'm still trying to rationalize that one. Anyway, we have some great new products in this week. Check out our new arrivals section.

A few of my favorite products are the green giraffe print tote bag, the zebra print tattoo handbag in Ed Hardy style (Ed Hardy is the brand that designer Christian Audigier created) and the large zebra print satchel in black and pink! See the pictures below, and start shopping!

I own and love this spy handbag and thought I would review it for anyone wanting to purchase it and learn more. It’s a great bag with plenty of room. All of my friends say they love it and want one for themselves and yours will too! It’s also priced right at $49.86 you won’t find a better deal. It looks just like the Fendi version!

I recently reviewed one of our purple giraffe print purses.  Check it out below and let me know what you think!

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'm so excited about our new accessories. Accessories are a great way to spruce up your style and change it up often without spending a lot of money. Check out the two new clutches we have - a zebra print clutch and an olive faux leather clutch. The zebra print clutch is a really nice shape and texture. It measures 13 inches long so it's slightly longer and not compact like the olive clutch is. The olive faux leather clutch has the faux croc material which is really cool and gives it a shiny texture.

                      

This is a great selection of inspirational and religious handbags that were recently added. We have the Mossy Oak camoflaugh purses with rhinestone cross or mossy oak pattern with turquoise cross. It makes a bold statement and is a pretty brown and green camoflauge pattern. We also have some new fleur de lis items in the inspirational category. One of my favorite items is the fleur de lis shopper tote. It comes in 3 different colors!

Get one today! It has a side pocket for a water bottle, zipper front pocket and is made of durable construction.

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!

It's not too late to get that diaper bag, duffel bag, or animal print handbag for that special someone.  Just order before 2:00 pm today with UPS 2nd Day Air to get it by Christmas Eve - just in time to get it wrapped and under the tree.  Or for those of you who really like to live on the edge, order tomorrow (Tuesday, December 23) before 2:00 pm with UPS Next Day Air to get your gift 10:30 am Christmas Eve - just in the knick of time.

Merry Christmas!