Straw Totes - which one?

Rebecca Minkoff Endless Love Straw Tote

vs

Madewell Bamboula Ltd. Market Tote

With warmer weather fast approaching, I've been feeling the need for more casual summery bags, and these straw totes just hit the spot for me.  I confess I already have the Rebecca Minkoff tote with me (thanks to Shopbop's recent sale) and I love the way it looks and feels.  Having said that, the much cheaper Madewell tote caught my eye today, thanks to my e-mail inbox.

I'm tempted to return the Rebecca Minkoff tote and purchase the Madewell one instead.  What's stopping me?  I prefer the overall lines of the Rebecca Minkoff tote.  I also like that the bottom is reinforced with leather to give it some structure and that it zips close.  The Madewell tote looks really bulky in the photo above and it doesn't look like it has a zip closure.  It's nice that they both have leather handles, and the Madewell tote is also handcrafted from Africa using fair-trade practices that directly benefit the artisans. 

What do you guys think I should do?

Rebecca Minkoff photos from Shopbop.com
Madewell photos from Madewell.com

Emersonmade Apparel

I first posted about Emersonmade almost 2 years ago, when she was simply making the prettiest fabric flowers.  Now she's also making clothes!  Clothes that are perfect in their simplicity.

Just look at the Mod Dress in Black.  It's so basic yet the sleeve length makes it a bit different.  It would be so easy to dress up or down, and it's great that it has pockets.

Another item I'm loving is the Linen Topper Coat for Spring '11.  It's 100% linen -- and did you see the gold linen lining?  So pretty!  I would totally wear it all the ways she has it styled in the photos.  I'm petite enough that I'm not worried it will be too short for me to wear as a dress.

(pics via Emersonmade) 

Belated Happy Mother's Day!

I'm late but I still want to wish my beautiful mommy a Happy Mother's Day!  Look how fashionable she was (and still is!).  Notice the maxi dress in the first photo and the wedges/platforms in the second.  My mom's love for fashion led to her opening her own boutique, which eventually became a chain of boutiques.  From her, I learned that hard work and doing what you're passionate about will lead to your success and happiness. 

Happy Mother's Day, mommy.  I love you.

J. Crew Red Dress

I haven't had much luck with clothes from J. Crew recently, but this Fall 2011 red dress is calling my name!  I love the color and the shape looks very forgiving, which I need since I haven't gotten my pre-pregnancy body back yet.  I can't wait to see this in stores so I can try it on.

(pic via Stylecaster.com)