There’s nothing like a new handbag, whether it be a fancy clutch for a holiday party or a hobo bag for a casual girls’ day out. Of course buying a new handbag every time you feel so inclined (or every time you fall in love with the latest fad) could really put a damper on your budget. Then again, if you found a tote you liked on Shop Suey Boutique (definitely not hard to do), you could totally afford to buy it . . . and a fancy clutch too!

Started by Heather Gray, a self-proclaimed shopaholic (my kind of girl!) and mother of two, Shop Suey Boutique has quickly become a go-to site for your fave celebrity-inspired fashion and “looks for less” styles you see featured in so many celeb magazines. Within days of seeing the hottest new trend in Hollywood, you’ll see that same trend on Shop Suey Boutique. The site also features some of the highest quality faux leather available—it looks and feels like real leather. You won’t find anything that looks super cheap or plastic in this boutique!

But enough background; let’s get into the handbags! Shop Suey Boutique sent me the Maureen satchel in gray to review on Boutique Cafe’s Daily Dish. This faux leather handbag features a woven design on the front with chic-yet-sturdy hardware and a detachable shoulder strap.

It also has a good variety of pockets (two small interior storage pockets; cell and sunglasses pockets; outside zipper pocket) and the cutest interior fabric.

Though I thought the bag would be slightly bigger (silly me didn’t check the dimensions), it is the perfect size for everyday use. And I would say its cell phone and sunglasses pockets are the best out of any of my handbags. They are the perfect width and perfect depth so I don’t lose a cell phone when I bend over to pick up yet another piece of Target popcorn Livi has dropped on the ground.

The Maureen satchel’s “leather like” material really is soft and leathery-feeling. Of course it doesn’t have that leather smell, but it also doesn’t have that leather price! The dark gray color goes well with everything and I’ve already had a couple compliments on it.

The Maureen satchel from Shop Suey Boutique is a little subdued for my taste (my fault—I did pick the style and color), so I’m thinking I may need to change it out for the Meryll hobo in purple. I mean, can you blame me? It’s adorable! And for the price, why the heck not? While I’m online I may pick up the Helen bracelet to go with it!—Emily

* PROMOTION! Shop Suey Boutique is offering Daily Dish readers 20% off their purchase! Simply enter code cafe20 at checkout.

(Think of all the holiday shopping you could do . . . for you!)

Though registration is not required to get into Handbag Heaven, if it were I’d be ready, pen in hand. I mean, we’re talking a website filled to the brim with discount handbags and purses. If you’re in the mood for a new handbag, purse or clutch, good luck—good luck narrowing it down to just one. Seriously.

Handbag Heaven’s designer-inspired collection has something for everyone. You’ll find flirty and feminine hobo bags, chic and tailored shoulder bags, date-perfect evening clutches and everything in between.

Handbag Heaven sent me the Caroline City Bag in yellow. I’ve never owned a yellow handbag, and after trying out this beauty, I think everyone should add a little sunshine to their handbag collection!

The Caroline City Bag not only looked stylish but was super functional with its large interior and multiple pockets. The hardware was pretty dang solid and the bag held up well to weeks of abuse normal, everyday use by a mom with four kids. I loved the option of shoulder straps or a longer messenger strap, though I did have an issue with one of the shoulder straps. The silver ring that attached it to the bag would slip off once in a while, but some pliers and a little squeeze fixed that right up. That little hiccup didn’t deter me from checking out—and drooling over—some of Handbag Heaven’s bestsellers and new arrivals.

By the way, I bought my mother-in-law a cute black and pink tote for her birthday and bought myself the Paisley Clutch for my un-birthday. Happy un-birthday to me! I’m thinking I might need to add the Paisley Bow Bag to my un-birthday gifts as well… My other faves? The Claire Flower Satchel in blue, the Valencia Blush Hobo in ivory and the Jackie Patent Tote in black.

Handbag Heaven handbags start at $10 without a single handbag over $85. You can browse by color, size, trend (e.g., citrus colors, animal print, quilted), price and style. The site also offers oversized bags, canvas totes and wallets. (Have you seen the Marsha Daisy Wallet? Yummy!)

Um, I’m thinking Handbag Heaven was the perfect name for this site. How about you?

For any of you who may be handbag challenged, Handbag Heaven recently launched a handbag glossary; you can even subscribe to Handbag Heaven’s Affordable Style YouTube channel.

You can find Handbag Heaven on Twitter and Facebook or you can check out the Handbag Heaven blog about all things handbag (and backpack and clutch and purse and style and fashion).

*** Giveaway! Handbag Heaven is giving away one (1)
$50 gift certificate! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•  Visit HandbagHeaven.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite handbag, purse, clutch…whatever!
•   “Like” Handbag Heaven on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•  Follow Handbag Heaven on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•  Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•  Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: September 2, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Huguette E., the winner of the Handbag Heaven giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I am the bag lady. I received a weekender bag from Peasant & Travelers and i love it.

It is made for a man, yet perfect for me. It is a metro man’s bag. Designer Jee Kim has designed a refined and contemporary line that delivers exceptional detailing that marries style and function for men.

But…hold up. It is just perfect for a lady too.

It’s big but not too big. Small but not too small. Sounds like a contradiction right?
Yet, the bag is just that—big but small.

Big in that it fits so much!
I took off for the weekend and I put it to the test because I didn’t want it to look like I packed my closet, but, I also needed 3 pairs of shoes, plus warm and cool clothes. Suffice to say I got my 3 pairs of shoes in and all outfits I wanted to bring. I didn’t have to skimp on my packing and I didn’t need a mule to carry my load.

It is small enough to strap on your shoulder and carry as an adorable oversized bag. The classic brown exterior with bright cobalt blue and white gingham interior has all the makings of a must-have bag. It really could be for the male or female in your life. It has durable material, pockets inside & out and the bag can collapse down flat.

This cool urban overnighter bag is durable and versatile.
I pretty much love my new bag and think you would love one too. Really…it could be used for more than just packing up your closet and going. It could be your toy bag, your picnic bag, your errands bag. I love it and think you will too!

It can be found online at Peasants & Travelers.
-Amber

I’m much more a jeans and shoes addict than a handbag addict but my new tote from Ann Judge Design may have me hooked on a new habit. I recently discovered Ann Judge Design’s totes on another blog and simply had to review it for our Daily Dish readers. Her designs are fresh, fabulous and extremely functional.

To thoroughly review a tote from the Ann Judge Design collection, the owner sent me one of her Everyday totes…and it arrived just in time for our recent Caribbean vacation. (Whew! Don’t know what I would’ve done without a fashionable tote while perusing shops in Old San Juan. See photo at right.) At a travel-friendly size of 11” by 11” by 5” deep the Everyday bag was the perfect airline carry-on, old-town shopper, port-perusing carryall and even beach-going bag. The two convenient pockets held my cell phone, gum, business cards, Carnival FunPass and a lip gloss or two. The main pocket held a seriously too full cosmetic bag filled with the rest of the lip gloss, mini hand sanitizer and passport along with my wallet, MP3 player, Flip camera, digital camera and a couple single-serving cereal boxes (our snack while away from the ship). And I still had room for a few souvenirs!

The canvas held up wonderfully well to all I threw at it, including sand, sun and a small rainshower while hiking to Trafalgar Falls in Dominica. That tote and I were inseparable! The only thing I wish it had were a sturdier bottom (don’t we all?). I rarely if ever put the Everyday tote down for fear the canvas bottom would get dirty. If it had either a vinyl, leather or even pleather bottom or small brass feet, I would’ve thought this tote absolutely perfect in every way…kind of like the Mary Poppins of everyday totes.

Ann Judge Design offers four styles of totes from the Mini to the Day Tripper and even a line of cosmetic bags and coin purses. Her totes are not only perfect for travel but for everything from a day at the office to a day at the Farmers Market. Plus they’re stylishly affordable—the Everyday tote is only $48. (I swear we paid more than that for Carnival’s in-cabin bottled water my husband mistakenly opened.) Need a new favorite tote or the perfect excuse to go on vacation? Pick up your own fabulously functional Ann Judge Design tote online at AnnJudge.com.—Emily

*** Giveaway! Ann Judge Design is giving away one Pink Star Everyday tote and matching coin purse to one of our readers (a $72 value)! (If I weren’t exempt from this giveaway you better believe I’d be all over it!) Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•  Visit AnnJudge.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite fabric design/style.
•  Become a fan of Ann Judge Design on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•  Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•  Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: November 3, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Audrey, the winner of the Ann Judge Design giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I’m not one to pass up the chance to review a new handbag or other accessory, especially if it’s from a company new to me. If it’s new to me then there’s a good chance it’s also new to some of our readers and all the more reason to feature it on the Daily Dish!

Jumeau is a new-to-me collection of unique, stylish, professional, trendy, hip handbags and belts. The company’s focus may be on “premium function with exceptional materials” but the line is also all about design that “complements your body.” Have you ever known a company creating its designs with your body’s contours in mind? Didn’t think so.

Jumeau sent me the Zoe handbag and Hip P belt from their Institution Collection. This is by far my favorite collection, but I tend to lean more towards a professional look than hip and trendy. Yes, totally boring but what can I say? I can say the Zoe handbag is even better in person. The “razberry” color is rich and yummy while the rip-stop fabric adds a bit of fun. I love the “Better than Leather” abrasian-resistant material used in the trim—my bags can take a beating when hauling four kids around! Though it looks on the small side, this little bag is really rather roomy with pockets inside and out, including two magnetic easy-access pockets, something I think every handbag should have. The only thing this magnificent little bag is missing is a matching pair of shoes. (Don’t worry, I’ll get on that right away!)

As for the Hip P belt, those little floral etchings turn what could be a very masculine belt into something wonderfully feminine. Unfortunately the size they sent was a little too large for how tight I like to wear my jeans so I haven’t been able to wear it, but I still pull it out and look at it so I can check out those super sweet etchings. Right now it’s only available in two sizes, large and extra large. Jumeau seriously needs to add two smaller sizes to the mix unless their target customer wears her pants below her butt cheeks. Perhaps I should try that…Hmmm…

Jumeau has five collections: Deft, Now (very trendy), Institution, Green (focuses on natural materials) and Commando (go, camo!). Not every collection offers belts but they all offer some truly unique styles. By the way, Jumeau also incorporates sustainable and recycled materials and offers a 45-day, no questions asked, satisfaction guarantee AND a 5-year replacement warranty. Okay, I’ve NEVER heard of any kind of warranty on any handbag I’ve purchased. That’s gotta make you feel good…almost as good as you feel when toting around a bag that complements your body…—Emily

Handbags are like jeans and shoes—you can never have too many. So when you come across a limited edition, retro- and vintage-inspired bag that exudes quality, it takes only a moment before it becomes a “need” and not a “want.” That’s how I feel about the handbags and wristlets from 144 Collection.

Lesia Griffin launched 144 Collection in February, 2006 as a hobby after taking sewing lessons, which she took to help express her creative side. (Sewing helps me express my all-thumbs side…) Lesia soon discovered she loved designing her own patterns and especially creating one-of-a-kind handbags and wristlets. I’m sure when friends and family saw her fun and funky designs they requested their own bags—I know I would have! Because 144 Collection’s bags are handmade each one is not only unique but also made with attention to quality and detail.

When not hauling around the diaper bag, my bag of choice is 144 Collection’s Jessica handbag. I love its simple style and its ability to hold a lot of stuff without anything getting lost in the shuffle. It has two interior pockets so my cell phone, lip gloss and gum don’t disappear, and the straps are the perfect size to work either on the shoulder or off. Plus there’s something quite satisfying about carrying a limited-edition handbag. And how can you not love the retro, unique fabrics!

144 Collection offers five styles of bags plus a cute wristlet. I love my Jessica bag so much I may pick up a wristlet. At 8” by 6” it might even be big enough for diapers and wipes. (Hmmm…I may have to get two.) Along with the retro fabrics you’ll find 144 Collection bags have a retro price. For something this high quality, this detailed, and this unique you could easily pay over $100 but you’ll find these bags won’t bust your budget—leaving room for another pair of shoes, of course. To purchase your own 144 Collection tote or wristlet visit the designer’s store on Etsy.—Emily