At the bottom you’ll find a special promotion for Daily Dish readers from ShopSueyBoutique.com!

About this time of year, when it still tends to snow once in a while and the temps are below 30, I get a serious case of spring fever. And nothing helps cure spring fever more than a fabulous new outfit or accessory, am I right, girls?

Shop Suey Boutique, which I’ve featured before on Boutique Cafe’s Daily Dish, has a wonderful collection of celebrity-inspired handbags (along with some fab jewelry and other accessories). They sent me the Cammy Hobo in off-white, which features super soft leather-like material, silver hardware and lots of pockets. (I love lots of pockets!)

Though a little larger than my typical handbag, I love this design. It has plenty of room for everything, including my ginormous bag of lip gloss, an extra pair of gloves and extra Kleenex for the 20-degree weather we still have here in Utah. It has a large zippered center divider-style pocket, which would fit a netbook, or in my case, a notebook because I tend to forget everything unless it’s written down.

Being my first off-white handbag, I wasn’t sure what I’d think of the color, but I am loving it! It goes with everything, even my favorite outfit: jeans and a t-shirt. And even though the Cammy Hobo is oversized for me, I could still find everything easily. Nothing got lost inside that bag, not even that travel pack of Kleenex!

The only negative thing I was going to say about this bag is no longer true. Here’s the story: When I first got the bag, I thought you had to buckle/unbuckle it when you wanted to open/close it, which left this sort of floppy buckle hanging off the side of the bag. And then at one point I lost the buckle and thought it was a really, really bad design…

...until I realized it had a magnet on the back and you were supposed to keep the strap buckled and simply open and close the handbag using the magnetic closure. (Can you tell I’m a bit slow when I don’t get enough caffeine?)

So there’s pretty much nothing I don’t like about the Cammy Hobo—including the price (less than $60)! Shop Suey Boutique even has a short video showing you the ins and outs of the Cammy Hobo. You can check it out here.

If you’re starting to feel the onset of spring fever, I recommend you take a look around ShopSueyBoutique.com. I guarantee you’ll find something to boost your wintry spirits—and at a price that will boost your budget!—Emily

*** Promotion! Cure your fever now with 20% off your purchase! Simply enter code cafe20 at checkout and you can start accessorizing for spring today! ***

It has been far too long since I’ve been able to review a chic diaper bag (my fave is still my Amy Michelle Gladiola), but that’s okay because I no longer give a true, dedicated diaper bag a full-fledged test drive. Yes, I still have one in diapers (even the world’s blingiest crown won’t get her out of them) but my youngest are now old enough I can survive on much less. It’s been a long time coming, trust me!

As nifty as it is for me to be out of the diaper-bag phase, I still need a handbag that can multitask as well—or better—than I do. Though I don’t require room for multiple changes of clothes, bottles, pacifiers, Cheerio-filled snack cups and board books, I do require space for a couple fruit snack packets, one Hot Wheels, a few Smarties (less messy than suckers) and my Envirosax reusable tote.

And then I want to be able to use that same bag to hold my HP Vivienne Tam netbook, old-school notebook, pen, extra business cards and other necessary gear when I head to a networking event or conference.

Oh, and then I want that same handbag to transition to a chic, fabulous accessory for a night on the town. Not a small order but not impossible, especially for Ellington Handbags, and more especially for Ellington’s Bella Hobo handbag.

First, a little bit about Ellington (I think I might need to work for this company):

When we’re not at work, we’re musicians, writers, and artists; sailors, cyclists, and marathon runners; moms and dads and aunties and uncles; cooks and gardeners and avid knitters. We think life is an adventure, and a good handbag should carry whatever you need, wherever your adventures take you. We create each bag to be your perfect companion; the one you want by your side every day, whether you’re picking out veggies at the local farmer’s market or boarding a plane to Budapest. Just enough pockets, but not too many. A strap that fits on your shoulder as if it was made just for you. Luxurious leathers and fabrics that feel good, look good, and wear well. But what about style? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. We know that looking good feels good, so we focus on classic-chic designs that you’ll feel good carrying not only for a season, but for years and years.

And now for Ellington’s Bella Hobo. Gosh, I’m in heaven just writing about this handbag! The company sent me the Bella Hobo because of its multitasking abilities all hidden inside the yummiest Italian leather. Now, they didn’t say “yummiest Italian leather” but I’m saying it. It was yummy the moment I opened the box:

You can’t tell from this picture but this handbag smells fabulous. You can ask my husband’s friend who walked through the door just after I opened to box because I had him take a whiff of that fab Italian leather. An architect with an eye for good design (and not afraid to comment on a woman’s handbag), he too thought it a chic and stylish accessory. Seriously. I’m not just saying that.

I couldn’t wait to test this bag’s ability to handle all this blogger needs when attending an event. I loved that it had not only super sturdy handles with awesome hardware but an optional shoulder strap, which comes in handy when holding a child on one hip and the hand of another. I filled it with the necessary items and still had room to spare if I’d wanted to throw in another couple hundred business cards. (Okay, I’m not THAT popular but a girl can dream, can’t she?)

Sort of clockwise from top left: small leather notebook; reusable tote; sunglasses case; wallet; netbook; business cards; business card holder #1 (this one holds customer appreciation cards and gift cards); power cord for netbook; keys.

What you don’t see: cell phone and expo tickets (outside pocket); business card holder #2 (other outside pocket); two lip glosses (inside pockets); pack of gum.

And yet even chock full of expo goodies, this handbag doesn’t look like it’s “working.” And it would look just as fantastic if it were hiding diapers and wipes (and that extra change of clothes). No matter what’s inside, you’ll look like you’re ready for a day of shopping and lunch out with girlfriends—or better yet, a day wandering around the streets of Rome or Milan. Perhaps that’s the next test run I should take with my Ellington Bella Hobo handbag...

Every Ellington handbag is beautiful, classic, chic, unique…and yummy. And so are the prices. Most of their handbags retail for under $200, which is a steal considering the craftsmanship, design and that supple Italian leather. Don’t want to spend that much on a handbag for yourself? Mother’s Day is around the corner; let your husband finally get his Mother’s Day gift-giving right!—Emily

* Promotion! Ellington Handbags is offering Daily Dish readers FREE SHIPPING with code BCAFE! Simply enter the code at checkout to receive your discount. (Or have your husband enter the code at checkout so you can have the happiest of Mother’s Days.)

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