Yes, it’s true. I bought another Birkin. Say hello to the latest addition to my Hermes family…the Hermes Black Epsom Birkin 30. Epsom leather is known for its durability and structure and the 30cm is the perfect size to take me from day to night. I absolutely love my Hermes Orange Togo Birkin 35 but I find that it is a bit too big at times to carry at night or to events. This classic black Birkin 30 goes well with just about everything in my wardrobe and will likely be a staple in my bag collection for years to come.

Speaking of Birkins, if you are interested in buying or selling a Hermes Birkin (or any designer item), be sure to reach out to us at Fashionably Yours, and we’ll scour the world to find your dream bag or sell an existing bag for you. Although we are based in Toronto, we have some of the most prestigious clients in the world and specialize in the resale of Authentic Luxury Products from Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and much much more….be sure to check out FashionablyYours.com or follow FY on Twitter for Up-to-the-minute updates. xo

People are always astounded by how much I pack whilst traveling. As much as I love clothes, I’m totally obsessed with accessories and have managed to collect a lot of everything over the years. Some people collect art. I collect designer accessories & platform shoes. I get rid of a lot of my clothing every season, but accessories last decades. To me, accessories are every day essentials and without them I feel naked. Here’s just a few goodies I packed for my trip to Vegas & New York. Absolutely necessary for 8 days of frolicking.

From Top to Bottom: Chole, YSL Vintage, Gucci Vintage, Leonard Paris Vintage, YSL Vintage, Marni.

Louis Vuitton toiletry bags are an absolute travel must-have. I use them to keep my accessories, makeup & toiletries organized in my suitcase & carry-on. They are extremely durable & most of them even have a washable interior with bottle holders. I would highly recommend you invest in one or two or three of these for every day or travel. There’s an amazing selection available now in several shapes & sizes at Fashionably Yours, for much less than retail.

The Louis Vuitton Eden Runway Speedy, my go-to travel bag with Louis Vuitton Accessories Pouchette which I use for every day make-up & my Louis Vuitton Cellphone case which was originally produced only one year to hold a Motorolla Flip phone back in the 90’s, but just happen to fit my Blackberry perfectly!! I love this little thing.

Options.

I wore this outfit to the Franke 10 Year Anniversary Photoshoot, which was held at the stunning new Bisha Hotel & Residences. on Friday, March 18/2011. With the warmer weather creeping us on us, I was looking for an excuse wear my Topshop cape.

Hermes silk scarf, Hermes Medor bangle, Hermes Extra Wide Clic Clak, Links of London friendship bracelet & Chanel watch. Check out the amazing collection of gorgeous Hermes silk scarves & accessories available now at Fashionably Yours!!!

My latest obsession is this Chanel phone case which holds both my iphone and blackberry!!! You’ll be seeing a lot of this.

The uber cool Louis Vuitton Evasion travel bag with convenient shoe compartment, which also fits a full sized laptop. This thing is really gonna come in handy!

Keep reading for full outfit breakdown..

I’ve been slacking on my blog posts as of late, but I’ve pretty much spent the month of January moving into my new home, furniture shopping and building a dream closet (finally)!!  Perhaps I’ll show you the finished product once I’m settled. With a little pressure from my friends and readers (I read your comments!!), I realize that the blogging must go on. After more than 4 years of blogging, I still enjoy it, but the catch 22 of blogging is that the busier you are, the more you have to blog about and the more difficult blogging becomes at times.  I once read that, “The more we do, the more we can do, the more busy we are, the more leisure we have”.  This is where I need to be. lol.

Here’s an outfit I wore to work and and a couple of after work events the other day. It was a good excuse to wear my YSL Palais Block Heel Boots again (the amazing cutout wedge boots shot by fashion photographer Tommy Ton from Jak & Jil) and my Jimmy Choo Tatum fringe bag, one of the fun & flirty bags in my collection of over-sized bags. Fringe always seems to make its way in and out of fashion, but whether in or out this season, I’ve always been a fan of fringe, when done right.

I’m loving my Lanvin for H&M shades but wish I had more sunny hours in the day to enjoy these fully. I’m anxiously awaiting Spring.

Photographed by Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil Blog for the Pic Me event at Holt Renfrew…

The glamorous J-lo rockin the same bag in brown.

Stacking is an art, that with just about any Hermes wrist accessory, perfects such art with one of their stunning & beautifully crafted iconic bracelets….from Collier de Chein (CDC) to Kelly Double Tour, Hermes is the creme de la creme of all designer wrist gear, at least in my books. With many of their designs heavily incorporating the prestigious “H” logo and being that my last name begins with the letter “H”, Hermes hits home for me hence, exactly why I just can’t resist a good wrist stacked with Hermes. xo

House of Harlow 1960 Collection – Olivia black

I’m a big fan of fun and fancy eyewear, mostly because it gives me another way to feed my obsession with accessories, whether shoes or sunglasses. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of Nicole Richie’s House of Harlow 1960 Sunglasses Collection for Spring 2011, especially one of the six acetate, over-sized cat eye or circular frames, reasonably priced from $110-$195. My favourite is the Olivia in black with silver chain or the Chelsea in black (below). Purchase at Shopbop.com.

House of Harlow Sunglasses 1960 Collection- Sasha

House of Harlow Sunglasses 1960 Collection – Marie black

I wore this outfit to my FY Xmas Potluck and since I always try to wear a pop of red on Xmas, I rocked my red Versace platform booties with this Michael Kors rabbit fur vest atop this Helmut Lang super cozy over-sized sweater. As you can see, I wasn’t kidding about my cross-body bag obsession. I just couldn’t resist this calf hair leopard chain cross-body bag by Stuart Weitzman. I discovered it whilst Xmas shopping for loved ones.

My Favourite Things #2 are CROSS BODY BAGS!!! They are an essential part of my everyday wardrobe and I use one almost every single day, mostly so I can run around hands-free at work without having to lug a big bag around or when I’m traveling so I can have my blackberry, iphone, camera and lipgloss conveniently nearby. Although these little pouch style bags will never take the place of my need for a massive bag in the day, they come in handy and can usually serve as double duty into the evening, especially now that cross body bags are such a hot trend. For me, cross-body bags have always been a necessity and is here to stay.

I have accumulated an eclectic collection cross-body bags over the years, in a variety of colors, brands, and finishes, but one of my favourites is definitely the Rebecca Minkoff BF Pouch (below). Don’t let the size of this little bag deceive you. It fits way more than you would think because of its depth and pretty much goes with everything.

Here are 7 cross-body bags from my personal collection that I would highly recommend as the perfect gift for someone special or as a treat for yourself. Pick just one or one for every day of the week:

1. REBECCA MINKOFF BF Pouch $175. Reasonably priced. Comes in different colors. Convenient outside zip pockets for cards. Perfect for every day.

2. GUCCI 1973 Small Shoulder Bag…starting at $795 depending on the finish. A little pricey for these little bags, but it’s distinctly Gucci and it’s something you can keep for years to come. Love the vintage feel of the new logo. Comes in many different colors and finishes including leather, suede and snake. Can be used alone or part of the entire 1973 bag collection.

3. HERMES Constance Bag…starting at $4000 depending on the size & finish. The creme de la creme of all my mini bags. There’s just something so special about the signature Hermes ‘H’, not just because of its prestige, but perhaps it’s because my last name begins with the initial ‘H’, it feels all that more personal. Regardless, this is definitely a splurge, almost like wearing an expensive piece of jewelry.

4. CHANEL Wallet On A Chain (WOC). $1550. Perfect size to fit all your essentials. Can be used daily as an actual wallet, especially if you don’t change your purses very often. Makes a great evening bag. Comes in a an array of colors and finishes with either the classic CC interlocking closure or mademoiselle closure (pictured below). You can always count on Chanel for it’s longevity, quality and wow factor.

5. ALEXANDER WANG Brenda Camera Bag $399. Great to use as an actual camera bag. Fits a large camera and accessories with room for lipstick, blackberry and cards. Comes in several classic colors in leather or suede. Great for bloggers don’t leave home without their cameras.

6. ORYANY Sequin ‘Wendy’ Cross Body Bag $135 Super flashy but cute for evening but can also be used to compliment a casual day outfit. Fits a ton. Inexpensive. Can be found at high end department stores like Holt Renfrew and Neiman Marcus in the U.S. and comes in several fun colorful sequin options.

7. Marc Jacobs Day to Night Single quilted turnlock cross-body bag. $595. Truly a day to night bag, appropriately named. Comes in an array of classic and vibrant colors. Signature Marc Jacobs quilt and studded variations. If you had to pick just one, this is a good one