Lovely New Arrival

So I stumbled upon VVA bags a while ago. And I've been lusting after one of their Dahlias for a while. 

A search on my own blog reveals it's been at least a year!

I finally took the plunge and ordered one of these last week...

...and she arrived shortly after. See me unbox here right here:

Full review to follow!

Sweet Treat

So I went to Cheshire Oaks a while ago and spent quite a bit of time at the Mulberry Outlet store. Of course. I picked up a few items for some other lucky ladies but also treated myself with a bag I had been lusting over for quite some time!

Fancy taking a little peek?

A is for Aspinal, B is for Birthday

I blame myself for giving my mum the handbag bug. I really do. But don't tell my dad!

Last year we got her a lovely Mulberry Small Double Zip Tote. We then went shopping in Frankfurt and she picked up a lovely Aigner tote. And she recently said, she was looking for "something in a similar size as the Mulberry, something nice in black". I instantly thought of this Aspinal Brook Street Bag - and as she loved it, we got it for her birthday. 

And as she's now received her "surprise", I can share with you the moment I had unboxed it...

Repeat Offender

Is it still surprising when somebody does the surprising thing again and again? 

Like when I say 
"Oh, I like that bag", then 
"ah, I'm not sure", 
"nah' it's not for me"...and then 
- I buy it? 

Only just did that with the Cara and have been using her loads, so bound to happen again, right?

Maybe with the Mulberry Small Roxette? From "must have" to "meh" in the course of a week - and just a little while down the line and... ta daaaa...

So there you go. I gave in. Watch me unbox (or un-bag) my new Mulberry Small Roxette.

A Very Special Delivery

I know I seem to be practically married to my Mulberrys but that doesn't mean I won't allow another brand in my closet - at least as a bit "on the side". In August I had discovered and then subsequently backed Strathberry in their Kickstarter campaign and my newly made MC Midi was delivered at the end of October.

Apparently I was remarkably restrained in my unboxing, so if you fancy seeing me carefully unwrap my precious new bag, you can watch it here.

First impressions:

Nicely wrapped and packed. Big box, inside which I find the Strathberry branded box. The bag comes in its own dustbag and I get a couple of envelopes, one which contains some info on leather care and the other one with a small credit card sized card with a 10% discount code for my next order.

Lovely quality. The stitching, the leather, the soft gold hardware, the subtle branding. Everything quietly, yet confidently whispers quality, craftsmanship and understated style.

I'm surprised though to see that two different hides seem to have been used, the grain is slightly different between the main body and the zip pocket on the front. Not really something I'd even have noticed a while ago - goes to show that I am getting a tad to obsessed with this whole handbag stuff.

Smaller than I thought, feels a bit like an Anti-Tardis, as the outside is reasonably big but I can't see myself fitting a huge amount in. Maybe I am just too used to soft-sided bags - this one is certainly very structured.

The outside pocket with the beautifully running zip will be really useful for bits and bobs that I want to access quickly though I won't be able to put anything bulky in there.

When I open the bag, i.e. its top flap, the leather creases and wrinkles. It will be interesting to see whether these wrinkles will settle or affect the design.

The style looks formal but quirky enough to juxtapose with a casual outfit. I probably still prefer the look of the Nano or Mini though those would be prohibitively small.

Measurements:
Width: 34cm (13.5"), Height: 24.5cm (9.5"), Depth: 8.5cm (3.5"), Handle drop: 7cm (2.75")

All in all very happy with my purchase - I am really picking to find fault here - and I shall report back after I've used her a few times. 

Pidgeon Post

I remember somebody telling me about "unboxing" on Youtube. I had never heard about it before and, in all honesty, thought it was a bit daft when he told me. Whereas I could see the value in watching online reviews, do I need to watch others open their parcel and see what they ordered?!

When I thought about it though I thought that this could be quite useful: you get to see how a specific seller/retailer wraps and packs their goods. You get to share the excitement of a parcel received. You get a quick view on said ordered item.

So when I received a parcels from Naughtipidgins Nest, a name you may know or recognise from my "trusted sellers" list, I thought that would be a prime candidate. So without much further ado, here my first ever "public" unboxing.

Oh, and a bit of a spoiler, but this is in the box: