I’m really trying to pound through my holiday shopping and have made some serious progress. If your list is long and you’ve barely begun shopping, you may want to take advantage of some of the deals retailers have going on today:

• If you don’t know Kirna Zabete, it is time you get acquainted with the ultra chic boutique. - and today is the last day to snag 50% off of great designers like Giambattista Valli, Rick Owens, Nina Ricci, and many more (psst - if you are shopping for me, go here!)
• Today only, take 40% off (and an extra 10% off if you shop online) practically all full-priced merchandise (sweaters, jewelry, etc) at Banana Republic - you know, great sweaters for dads, jewelry for your sister
  
• Barneys is having yet another designer sale - definitely worth scrolling through (marni tights for $19 instead of near $100), plus take advantage of free shipping
• You’re probably going to stop reading my blog after you read this, but here’s hoping you don’t: Now through December 3rd, save 50% on the entire Lauren Conrad collection (yes, I’m talking about the collection by Lauren or LC from The Hills/Laguna Beach), which makes it all quite affordable. Ok, so the designs are all ripped off from Ella Moss, Vince, James, etc., but the fabric is super soft, the styles are all really easy to wear, and yes, I am placing an order. Makes for pretty good giving whether they know Lauren’s history with Brody or not
• Net-a-porter’s super sale is still going on and going strong…
• and of course, BCBG is on sale, on sale, on sale - this time with free shipping on everything purchased today

I certainly love being showered with love and attention (and yes, fabulous gifts) as much as the next girl. But what I don’t like is when someone looks at me and thinks that I’m the sort of girl who’s love is up for sale - that dangling a pair of heels in front of my nose will get me into the bedroom or that the promise of a sexy shopping spree will lead to happily ever after.

The truth is that as a woman who works in fashion in New York City, I have certainly had my fair share of men who flaunt the fact that they can buy you the world. That the more they whip out that black Am Ex, the the more you’ll love them. Now I’m not going to deny that every girl (or person actually) wants to be with someone who can support them, but what I really want is to be with someone that I am able to equally support and give endless to. Of course I ultimately want to end up with an extremely kind and generous person who is just dying to give me the world so I guess I should get used to the whole gift thing, but it’s just an idea I’m not quite comfortable with at this point. Hmm - maybe you all should just send me a fabulous pair from Barneys so that I get used to this whole thing sooner rather than later.

Anyway, I’m really curious to know how you guys feel about being gifted so please answer take my poll below - and for this one you’re able to choose more than one answer because I think this is sort of a sticky question (or at least it is for me)…

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When I became pregnant I went on a mad search for the perfect baby bag…so trust me when I tell you not to fall for the special bags with insulated pouches and pockets everywhere (they’re too damn bulky) - instead just go the Barneys and treat yourself to the standard Goyard tote (which will look great hanging from your bugaboo stroller). I promise you’ll love it from the day you buy it to the day your kid leaves for college.

But if you really want a great Goyard and aren’t knocked up (or planning to be) then splurge Monday, Nov. 17th at 7pm, when 21 very special Goyard bags go up for auction at Christies to benefit L’Institut Curie.

Goyard is auctioning off 21 unique bags - each one personalized by a different French personality, from Catherine Deneuve to Audrey Tautou and Vanessa Paradis. All the bags have been designed using the colors ofare L’Institut Curie (black or orange), and all proceeds go to support the cancer research of the organization.

And if you just happen to be in the City of Light between Nov. 3rd to the 15th, stop by La Maison Goyard in Paris 233 Saint-Honore to preview the collection before the sale. My favorites are the ones by Audrey Marnay and Sarah Biasini.

I sort of love/hate this Balenciaga bag, but right now I’m loving it - especially because I think it will look so perfect with all of the navy and black that I only want to be wearing lately.

I’m not usually one for the obvious ‘it’ bags, but for some reason I keep coming back to this one. I have a feeling that the leather is not the best, but whatever. It’s large enough to hold everything and even comes with a removable shoulder strap so you’ll be able to tote it all with ease.

This latticed beauty is exclusively at Barneys & it’ll set you back around $2,695

For all of you who are constantly whining about having no clothes and needing to go shopping: now is the time.

• Pretty dresses, tops, bikinis, bags and more - all up to 75% off at BCBG
  
• Now through Saturday, get 20% off orders of $175 at JCREW with code SALEJULY
• Barney’s Designer Sale - Up to 75% off and they still have a bunch of hot heels…
• Last Call at Neiman Marcus - Save an additional 40% on already reduced prices
• The Sale Extravaganza at NET-A-PORTER.COM is still alive and kicking too

Honestly, if you just wake up before noon this weekend and get out there and shop, you’ll notice that most every single store is having a sale - all except for Apple, which is of course the one store I’ll be headed to for my iPhone

If you need a place to recharge or regroup, stop at Penelope for delicious food in a super cute environment - I went there for lunch this Thursday and simply adored everything about the place. I recommend the Arugula Salad with Warm Chicken Meatballs - so, so yummy.

New bag crush: Marc Jacobs Eve Flo Ranna Pouchette
Price: $795 at Barneys

I’m sort of annoyed at myself because I am really not a Marc Jacobs fan, but (for some reason) I keep posting things about/or involving his designs.

Anyway, this bag that really is adorable and after looking at it this weekend at Barneys, I’m now sort of obsessing over it (although the leather really isn’t the best). The thing about Marc Jacobs is that he is over the top and fun and crazy. He isn’t afraid about sending out into the world a little green bag embellished with a big golden frog with glowing emerald eyes, and I truly love that.

Maybe I am - gasp! - a Marc Jacobs fan after all.

Here’s a weird thing: I ‘like’ Barneys the store, but I absolutely adore Barneys online. Online, Barneys has a different point of view than everyone else and seems to not really give a shit about what others think. Their email subject lines often make no sense, but they stand out. I love the layout of their category pages. And I (almost always) love love love their homepage images - especially the recent one with an artichoke.

That being said, I’ve recently developed a crush on Barney’s Creative Director, Simon Doonan. A lot of it has to do with the fact that his new book, Eccentric Glamour, is simply everywhere, although I have no intention on reading it even though I would probably enjoy it - I may seem like the girl that has read the Shopaholic books, Lipstick Jungle, Bergdorf Blondes, etc., but I haven’t and really have no interest in doing so. I hardly ever ready the best-sellers, and if I do, I usually find them much less interesting and thought provoking than other books I have read (I’m a big fan of science fiction, actually).

But back to Simon…he just has a wonderfully effervescent persona and seems to be just the kind of person I’d love to meet or even work for - a little bit out there, totally in love with fashion, passionate about life. He also doesn’t seem to take fashion so seriously, which I think is ridiculously important. Fashion excites, fashion explores, fashion is fun. Fashion makes the world a prettier place. When fashion is stripped of fun and frivolity, it becomes serious, snotty, annoying. Barneys motto really says it all: Taste, Luxury, Humor. So silly, and yet so right on.

A week or two ago my bag broke…again. I haven’t made a big bag investment in a few years, but think it might be time.

After I had Oliver, I ended up hauling my Kate Spade bag everywhere simply because it could hold everything I needed. It was navy & black and I really didn’t mind it that much, but a co-worker of mine did. She sort of freaked out each time we went out for drinks and seemed deeply concerned that I wasn’t going to buy the latest YSL masterpiece. To make a long story short, I ended up buying a great bag by Bulga (a company I had never heard of before) through a contact at a showroom to literally shut up my co-worker. But since I’m so rough on bags, I’ve already had to sew it’s handle back together once, and just the other day, the stud that holds the strap to the body popped off. Now I’m walking around with a big white thing from H&M that I’m growing attached to, even though I bought it as a picnic bag for Sundays spent at the park and it really is just a little too huge.

I’m hoping to make it down to the garment district to have my Bulga repaired, but I’m also just ready to move on. Now, I am a true Prada girl at heart, will always love Miu Miu, but lately I’ve been feeling Lanvin - although spending over a thousand dollars on a nylon bags seems like a little much. Anyway, I’m debating and still sifting though all of the options out there, but what do you think: How much is too much to spend on a true everyday bag?

I often spend my evenings watching really bad reality tv on MTV, VH1, and E! while simultaneously looking at other blogs, eating popsicles & perusing Barneys, Saks, Bergdorf, etc.

Today, during MTV’s show The Paper , I stumbled across the most fabulous jewelry at Barneys by a designer I’d never heard of before named Renee Lewis. After a bit of investigating, here’s what I’ve discovered:

• Each piece is unique.
• Her jewelry has been worn by Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Faith Evans, Gwen Stefani, and many others.
• Lewis says, “I always place a small diamond on the side of my necklaces-slightly off center-so that the twinkle comes from an unexpected part of the neck and catches you by surprise. It’s magical and sexy, I compare it to Cindy Crawford’s beauty mark- she doesn’t need it, but it sends you over the edge.”
• She abhors new diamonds and insists on working with vintage stones.
• Renee Lewis is available at Barneys and you can shop it here.