Help Me Pick a New Work Bag

I started a new full-time gig on Monday that I am very excited about. To celebrate, I am treating myself to a new work bag from my favorite handbag maker, Kate Spade. While all of my everyday bags accommodate my personal, sleek, 13-inch laptop, I'll now have to tote around my ugly work ThinkPad with the huge battery attachment that just barely doesn't fit in anything.

Which bag should I get?

| 1. Vanston Maryclare | 2. Cooper Square Katarina in black/creme | 3. Cooper Square Katarina in doe | 4. Vanston Stripe Maryclare |

I was originally planning to get a bag before my first day but I walked into my local Kate Spade store and figured it didn't hurt to ask if any sales or promotions were coming up soon. It turns out that from August 12th through September 4th, they're offering 20% off any single, full-priced handbag. Enter the promo code FALLBAG11 if you're ordering online, or ask for a coupon in the store.

| Photo Credit: 1–4. See links provided. |

Harry Potter For Designers

Over the weekend, I watched the last Harry Potter movie and gave myself a pat on the back that I only cried during about 10% of the overall movie, as compared to Part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, during which I was sobbing about 40% of the time. I know, it's pretty lame to be crying over a movie adapted from a fictionalized novel. And one that is basically a youth version of The Lord of the Rings with more charm. But sometimes tears are just a little less cynical. (Truthfully though, I am an HP fan.)

Feeling much in the Harry Potter spirit, I was poking around on Pinterest when I discovered that there is some seriously good-looking fan art out there. I find myself particularly drawn to the minimalist approach. I'm sorry, but I was definitely not a fan of the illustrated covers we got stuck with here in the States. Maybe in publications generations later, those covers will be replaced with ones as gorgeous as these?



| top. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by M. S. Corley | middle. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by Christian Petersen | bottom. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by Travis English |

| Art Credit: See links provided. |

Summer Picks From Zara for Less than $40

I bought this skirt from Zara last weekend. I don't usually wear things with floral patterns but I thought the flowers were small and abstract enough and I really liked the combination of orange and yellow over a soft cyan. The store is currently filled with great pieces for the summer—lots of bold-yet-bright colors and light fabrics. It's really too bad that Zara doesn't have an online store for those of us who are Stateside because I'd probably have a lot more Zara items in my closet if they did.

Zara is a label that has always baffled me because some of their stuff is very reasonably priced while other items will give me mild sticker shock. I wouldn't expect a thin, polyester-rayon T-shirt to be $60 but I'd expect to pay more than $40 for a well-constructed, 100% cotton, pleated skirt. I know they have the more casual, youth-oriented Trafaluc line that is priced lower overall but their main collection also has plenty of dressy items that are half the price of similar items at, say, J.Crew. These are some of my favorite summery items from their site, and they're each less than $40.

| left. V-neck Dress With Belt | top-right. Full Skirt | bottom-right. Sequinned Skirt |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; bottom. See links provided. |

Weekender Bags That Don't Look Like Granny Bags

After my post on swanky weekender bags for men, I got a couple requests to do a roundup of my picks for weekender bags that are a little more feminine. I personally favor luggage that is unisex or a little more on the "masculine" side, but I'm also a bit too monochrome-obsessed sometimes, so I thought this was a good suggestion for ladies who know how to work color into their lives. Here are my favs from around the web.

| 1. Dooney & Bourke, Ostrich Medium Duffle | 2. Dooney & Bourke, Calf Medium Duffle | 3. Floto, Lugano Sport Duffle | 4. ASOS, Ticking Stripe Holdall | 5. DwellStudio, Dots Chocolate Weekender | 6. Orla Kiely, Large Car Large Tote |

Despite the reader-requests, I didn't truly realize the extent to which finding ladies' overnight bags that looked hip rather than hid was a chronic problem until I started looking at what is out there. I think with men's accessories, it is fairly safe to stick with solids, but once patterns get put into the equation, the possibilities are endless in both directions. Here are some of the outtakes for this post—that is, bags that, well, didn't quite make the cut. You can see some examples here and here and here.

I also got a request for tips on reasonably-priced rolling luggage that doesn't look dated. I am a fan of the rolling duffel concept because it lends to a more interesting shape than the usual boxy suitcase on wheels. Plus, it's incredibly convenient to have the options of both the wheels and the duffel handles when you are trying to navigate in places like London tube stations where ramps are unfortunately sparse. The luggage I brought on my last handful of international trips is the same model as this, but I prefer mine because it's a classic solid taupe rather than a flashy monogram pattern. Some other cute options can be seen here and here and here.

Thanks for the post suggestions! If you have a suggestion for a post on The Yuppie Lifestyle, leave it in the comments or send me a note.

| Photo Credit: 1–6. See links provided. |

Weekender Bags That Don't Look Like Gym Bags

Nick was out of town on a business trip for a couple of days but before he left, he tasked me to look for a new weekender bag for him. His one stipulation was that "it not look like a gym bag" because our current bag for overnight trips is an embarrassing blue vinyl duffel bag. I know I never do enough manly posts here, so instead of bookmarking a bunch of bags I decided to put my favorite finds in a composite that I could show to Nick later (some within budget and some not so much). In the cases of large bags and totes, I often prefer the look of masculine bags myself; I'm especially drawn to soft-looking warm brown leathers, contrasting handles, bold white + color stripes, and brass hardware.

| 1. Bally, Terret Bag | 2. Ossington, Houston Duffel Bag | 3. Cole Haan, Handpainted Aviator Duffel | 4. Mulholland Brothers, Hippo Duffel Medium Weekend Bag | 5. Coach, Op Art Coated Canvas Boston Bag | 6. OBEY, Uptown Duffle |

What are other features that savvy guys look for in weekender bags?

| Photo Credit: 1–6. See links provided. |

Tut-Tut, It Looks Like Summer Rain

We had some random rainy weather here in San Francisco, just when I thought summer was on its way. I think this is pretty lame because I love sunny skies. Some people argue that summer is actually the coldest part of the year here in San Francisco because of the heavy fog that we get in the mornings and evenings, but I happen to live in the Potrero Hill neighborhood, where it is always sunnier than the rest of the city. Lifestyle Tip: If you're thinking of moving to San Francisco but are concerned about the cold and fog, move to the Potrero/Dogpatch area where it always feels about 10 degrees warmer than Golden Gate Park on the other side of town.

While lamenting about how gloomy it was outside, I came across this print by photographer Sarah Illenberger. It's called "Meloncholie" and I think it is the best way to picture summer rain.
If you, too, are feeling meloncholy about the summer rain, here are some cute and summery rain-themed things to help charm the clouds away.

| 1. Kate Spade, Kate Spade Umbrella | 2. Blanca Gómez, Monsieur I Print | 3. Zakka Nouveau, London Fog Tea Towel | 4. Joules, Millie Wellies |

| Photo Credit: See links provided. |

A San Francisco Treat at Anthropologie

I think at this point it has been firmly established that I love San Francisco. And those who have experienced shopping excursions with me also know that I love Anthropologie. While Anthropologie is indeed one of my favorite stores, I tend to find their decorative displays a little too avant-garde for my case. But I was very excited to see this San Francisco-themed display over the weekend at the San Francisco Anthropologie store on Market Street.

It's the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline, built out of Rice-A-Roni boxes! Unfortunately there is a giant pole in the middle if you are looking at the display from the angle that it was meant to be viewed, so this terrible photo does not capture the Rice-A-Roni skyline. But I think this is the coolest odd Anthropologie display I've seen in the store and I am stoked by the quirky way that they worked San Francisco pride into it. I just hope that some poor intern did not have to consume all that Rice-A-Roni in order to make the display.

Here are some of the things I'm currently loving at Anthropologie; these would be perfect for enjoying a lovely, warm day by the bay.

| left. Moulinette Soeurs, Diamond Lattice Dress | middle. Jeweled Honey Earrings | right. Handcarved Iced Tea Spoons |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; bottom. See links provided. |

California Poppies

I took this photo a couple weeks ago at the edge of Mission Dolores Park while we were waiting for the J train line. As a little kid growing up in the dessert, I always wondered why the poppy was the California state flower because the only ones I ever saw had been planted in people's flower beds. Now I see how they make our state pretty by growing wild in unexpected places. I love being constantly reminded of how magical this city is—there are poppies blooming all over even these ruddy old train tracks.

Here are some other ways to bring the brightness of poppy orange to your life.

| 1. Penguin Group, Postcards from Penguin | 2. RJ Graziano, Chain Hoop Earrings | 3. Jack Spade, Leather Flask | 4. J.Crew, Retro Dot Underwire Tank |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; 1–4. See links provided. |

Mystery White Flowers

I saw these pretty white flowers at Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous a couple weekends ago. These are just the right kind of flowers to throw in jars around the house if guests are coming over because you don't have to buy very many stalks to get a full-blooming arrangement. Does anyone know what kind they are? I will give a gold star to the person who can find me the answer!

P.S. I've been fiddling with a new template that I am hoping to implement very soon, so I apologize in advance if things are a bit askew during the transition. Thanks for your patience! ♥

Updated on 05|03|11: These flowers appear to be called chincherinchee.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Veggies Are Good for You and Pretty Too

I am kind of obsessed with monochromatic art so this print caught my eye on Pinterest. Pinterest is a neat site for creating virtual pinboards for beautiful things you stumble upon on around the internet. You just put a little bookmarklet in your browser toolbar and you can "pin" any image right away. They're a startup out of Palo Alto and I was lucky enough to snag an invite from a friend in the first couple months of the site, when people were really using it for what it was intended to be and it was awesome to see what designers, photographers, and other creative types were sharing.

This fantastic print is called "Hello Spring" by an illustrator named Heidi Schweigert; she has a shop called Red Cruiser on Etsy that has other great work like this. But for some reason, when I saw it on Pinterest it was credited to Eric Carle with no backlink to the Red Cruiser shop listing. Not cool. Like a game of telephone, it got repinned over and over with the wrong information because people assumed it was labeled correctly in the first place. So, this is a little reminder about how important it is to give people credit for their work.

You can follow me on Pinterest here.

| Art Credit: Red Cruiser/Heidi Schweigert. |

Cheap, Chic Flats

A couple of my friends have recently alerted me to some of the cute flats they have going on at Target right now. These would both be great for showing off brightly-colored pedicures. I tried to get a pair for myself over the weekend but the Target I went to was out of my size.

| 1. Merona, Makana Cutout Sliver Wedges | 2. Xhilaration, Sinead Peep-Toe Flats |

| Photo Credit: See links provided. |

A Host of Golden Daffodils

What I love about daffodil season is that it means they are being sold everywhere for pretty cheap. For a few bucks or so you can pop over to your local grocery store and get a few bunches of bright yellow blooms, stick them around your house, and make your home feel like it is ready for spring. Daffodils are also cool because they are actually Narcissus flowers, and because of this rap.

I took this photo in Regent's Park when I told Nick to go pose in a big patch of daffodils. Here are some other ways to incorporate these bright spring hues into your life.

| 1. Something Bleu, Bow-Topped Slingbacks | 2. Kate Spade, Chrystie Street Large Anisha | 3. Latte Bowls | 4. Kate Spade, Sunny Kolette Skirt |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; 1–4. See links provided. |

Scrabble Designer Edition for Designers

I cannot help but share when I find something on the internet that appeals to not just one, but multiple loves of mine. This proof-of-concept by Andrew Clifford Capener for a designer edition of Scrabble combines my love of wood grain, typography as art, and—of course—Scrabble.


I spent a lot of my spare time playing Scrabble when I was younger because I was a big nerd but this set makes Scrabble look way cool. You can see and read more on Andrew Clifford Capener's site.

| Photo Credit: Andrew Clifford Capener. |

A Different Take on Stripes

Last night I had dinner with friend and It-girl, Taleen, and we agreed that stripes are really big right now. I am seeing the classic combinations of white-and-navy and black-and-white stripes all over the place, and we seem to have developed an addiction for buying striped things. But here is a completely different take on stripes that totally wowed me and bursts out of the classic striped look.

These pumps from Kate Spade are totally brilliant. I love how most of the shoe is a soft neutral shade but the heel is striped in a rainbow of color. I'm definitely keeping watch for when these go on sale.

| Photo Credit: from Kate Spade. |

The Fellowship of the Bling.

Ostentatious cocktail rings always catch my eye because I like how something small can at the same time add serious bling to an outfit. It can be the only piece of jewelry you're wearing and yet it will say— Hey, I am serious about accessorizing. I'm always jealous when I see people who can rock a cocktail ring without it interfering with their daily lives. I have to moisturize my hands a lot, so I don't think they'd work for me, plus they don't really make them in sizes for my child hands. I was particularly sad that this one was way too big for me:

| Betsey Johnson, "Under the Sea" Octopus ring |

A dear friend once pointed out though that cocktail rings are the sort of things that would make great gifts for girl friends if only everyone knew each other's ring sizes. So I am asking all of mine to post or message me your ring size, so I have it on file for some occasion long after you have forgotten this blog post when I can surprise you with a cool ring. Do it.

| Photo Credit: Zappos |