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Updated: Jun 13, 2019 103 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Book Clutch

Coffee Break

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The Outnet has a ton of nice bags on sale right now, including this “book clutch” from Olympia Le-Tan, full of appliqued details and exclusive for their tenth year annivesrary. It's worth noting, of course, that there is a HUGE range out there for book clutches — from DIY instructables to Etsy options to even higher priced Olympia Le-Tan options. I like book clutches because they're witty and playful, and I'm always in favor of being on Team Book Lovers. The pictured book clutch is $790. This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

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Comments

  1. Cambodia recs?

    Heading to Siem Reap next week for 7 days, first time in Cambodia. Give me all your tips, things to see, eat, do and avoid! Restaurant or spa recommendations? Any day trips beyond the obvious Angkor wat? TIA!

    • Rainbow Hair

      I really enjoyed seeing Beng Mealea and the little hike to Kbal Spean.

      We also booked a tour through one of the villages on stilts on Lake Tonle Sap (you can work with companies that employ locals and pay a living wage and such) and we canoed around trees and such — it was great.

    • Senior Attorney

      OMG you are going to love it!

      Abacus Restaurant is wonderful — beautiful French food in a lovely setting! Also enjoyed the Foreign Correspondents’ Club. And the night markets are fun.

    • Suzanne

      My company supports a Hotel School in Siem Reap called Sala Bai. It teaches over 100 students hotel and hospitality skills per annum and places them in employment after- all completely free for the students. Their restaurant is great and you are served for and cooked for by the kids- a really fun experience.
      Sala Bai means Bowl of Rice- because once they study and graduate they can fill their family’s food bowls for life!
      And the food is great!!!

    • Anonymous

      Posting late, but definitely check out Phare, the circus! It’s a circus/music school and performance venue that prepares very poor kids for careers in music and the circus arts, and the nightly performances also include elements of traditional Cambodian culture and stories. Also, I visited Angkor Wat on a bicycle, through the Grasshopper bike tours, rather than with a rickshaw or car rental, and it was AMAZING. The temples themselves are equally cool no matter how you get between them, but instead of being stuck in traffic, smelling exhaust, we were zipping through the jungle on narrow paths. It’s one of the most exciting day trips I’ve done.

    • Ness

      A cooking class in the Paper tiger https://www.papertigereatery.com/cooking_class.html
      Babel guesthouse is involved in a lot of environmental and fair-trade initiatives https://www.babelsiemreap.com/
      I book my tours with them and I could design my days as I wanted.
      To organize my way around I folowed the recomendations of the book “The Treasures of Angkor” by Marilia Albanese: she organizes from older and less impresive to newer and most impresive temples. It was perfect that way.
      First day I did Roulos and Banteay Srei
      Second day sunrise in Angkor Wat, you have to wake up really early but it is worthy.
      Third day we started with the Bayon.
      On top of that I did a two days tour seeing Beng Malea, Koh Ker and Prasat preah vihear

  2. BabyAssociate

    Wow, I didn’t even know these existed and now I NEED one! Beautiful.

  3. Anonymous

    Poll for today: what’s the last piece of jewelry you bought for yourself? Me: some minimal earrings in Austin on a bachelorette weekend for $30 (silver horseshoes) and $48 (triangles with turquoise).

    • Diana Barry

      Kind of off-gold (gray?) bead necklace at Old Navy for $4 or something.

    • Jo March

      $8 earrings from CVS for a friend’s wedding last month. They were cheap as anything but looked surprisingly good.

    • Anon

      A shark tooth necklace that I bought at the beach to wear tongue-in-cheek on casual Fridays (I’m an attorney)($10). Now that the two margaritas have long worn off, I realize it’s a lot less subtle than I thought at the time … but I’ll probably wear it anyway, because I’m like that. Before that, it was something much more tasteful, I think some small tortoise hoops from Banana Republic (can’t remember the exact price, but not a lot, and on sale).

    • Seattle Freeze

      A vintage/estate ring: amber-colored jade cabochon in a very unusual bamboo leaf 14k gold setting. Sadly, the estate jewelry store where I got it just closed so it’s the last ring I’ll get from there.

    • Coach Laura

      Kendra Scott adjustable necklace that can be worn as a choker or long or anywhere in between so it works with many necklines. It’s a pearl-like pendant with a gold chain. I like it so much I want to buy another of hers.

    • Erin

      LOL, I think it was a pearl necklace (three strands of natural/irregular pink pearls) for my wedding 12 years ago!

      I’m not a huge jewelry person and my husband enjoys buying so I don’t have need to buy my own. Although, I still love that necklace ;)

    • WestCoaster

      Some small rough stone (looks like rose quartz, likely not) stud earrings with a rose gold-coloured metal around the edge! ~$30. Have worn them loads and feel they wear well to the office and on weekends. I’m a sucker for cute new earrings!

    • Anon

      One of those necklaces with a birthstone and initial after I had my daughter a year and a half ago.

    • Anon

      V by Laura Vann Pamela Shell Drop Earrings at John Lewis. Small gold shells with a green crystal, about 100 $.

    • Shanan

      Just purchased a pre-owned TAG Heuer Link watch. My trusty Citizen had broken (again – 3rd time) and I decided to upgrade a bit. Found it at a local jeweler and got a great deal (better price versus anywhere online, plus warranty and service for life if the watch).

  4. Anonymous

    I’ve known my work BFF for ten years (we’re 30). We talk medical issues, boyfriends, everything. As far as I know, he isn’t on any new meds. BFF has recently gained a significant amount of weight, probably 50-60 pounds in the last year. Is there any way I can gently ask if everything is ok? Or otherwise be supportive of his health? I know work is stressful (we work on the same floor), but I’m worried about him. Right now I’m planning to say something like “I know work is stressful, I care about you, let me know if there’s anything I can do to support you” but want to run it past internet strangers. In case it influences your advice, he’s gay and I’m straight (no office romance here!).

    • Monday

      I wouldn’t do anything differently whatsoever. If you’re close, and he wants to talk about something, he will bring it up.

    • Anon

      Don’t say anything. There are lots of medical reasons for weight gain beyond “new meds.” He will talk about it if he wants to talk about it.

    • Senior Attorney

      Fat people know they’re fat. If he wanted to talk about it with you, he would.

  5. Anonymous

    Now that you’re grown do you feel like your parents have re written history? Don’t get me wrong — no resentments or anything and we’re all close, but I laughed out loud this week when I heard things like — you never asked us for a car in HS; maybe you should’ve asked and we’d have gotten you one. As I was like – WHAT?? I begged for a car in HS (and also begged to be allowed to get a job to be able pay for at least some of it/insurance etc) and was told in no uncertain terms many times NO — we’re not buying a teen a car ever, in our country no one gets a car so we don’t care what Americans do; your only job is a 4.0 gpa, no kid of ours is working even to provide for something that want etc. In my immigrant home this was a refrain for most everything — not being allowed to go out with friends etc.

    Now the next generation is raising their kids differently and buying them cars, allowing them some freedom and now my parents (aunts/uncles) think that’s SO great. And then they straight up say — oh we let you do x; or you didn’t even want y — as if they have chosen to forget those battles. Is this anyone else’s family too?

    • anon

      Hah. I don’t, so much, but DH does all the time. It’s partly because he’s the oldest of 4, and (according to him) his parents conflate what they allowed his siblings to do with what he was allowed to do.

    • JuniorMinion

      Yes in my mother’s mind she liked me. The reality and the level of critique / constant shaming in my childhood told me she didn’t.

    • anne-on

      Yes, especially as grandkids are added into the mix. Lots of ‘oh we never did xyz’ or allowed certain foods when they absolutely did. Or my personal favorite, inflating the amount of time/money they spent on kid things vs. how much is spent now…somehow they are always equal or better parents when, sorry, no my memory begs to differ.

    • Anonymous

      Yes. This is 200% my mom. 200% because not only does she re-write history, she protests our version :)

    • Anonymous

      And I don’t think it’s always just — oh we forgot it’s been a while. I think it’s realizing — how things SHOULD have been, not wanting to accept that, and then saying — oh we did it just like that.

      Don’t even get me started on child behavior (and I don’t even have kids so no skin in the game here!)! I feel like there’s constant criticism of and downplaying young parents’ parenting of young kids. At a family wedding once where we were all arriving at the hotel at different times, they were all using the hotel landline to call each other (don’t ask – everyone has a cell) — accidentally call up the room of a young cousin who has a 1-2 year old at the time who was napping, phone wakes up the kid who cries and cries for a long time and the attitude is — so what’s the big deal?? Or criticizing someone’s 3 year olds — they’re 3 they STILL nap?! It’s like they’ve forgotten how hard it is and now when young parents imply it’s hard/are thankful their kids are still napping etc. — it’s like something is wrong with the parents!?

      But still I think the young kid parenting is different — the teen things are much more that now they notice how much time and $$ this generation is spending on their teens, and they want to say oh we TOTALLY did that too. It’s amusing — no resentments in my family about it but it’s funny.

    • Anon

      OMG yes! My dad recently started with the revisionist history. I can’t decide whether it’s related to the “mini strokes” he had a couple years ago or guilt over the way things really were, but he has actively pushed back when I recalled an activity my brother and I did occasionally as kids or a behavior the family dog regularly engaged in. He has no grounds to argue with me, as he was not present for *much* of my childhood (extreme workaholic + extensive travel). So, no, of course you don’t remember that… Not because it didn’t happen, but because you weren’t there for it.

      In addition to challenging our memories that don’t include him, he also clings very strongly to the shared experiences we do have and magnifies them (so something that was an off occurrence gets turned into a bigger thing or representative of a pattern that didn’t exist).

      I have a generally good relationship with him, but this really irks me.

  6. Anon

    I’m confused. $790 for a book clutch, an item that no one knew existed and no one needs? High credit card debt and lack of savings in the U.S. are starting to make more sense.

    • Anonymous

      Actually lots of us knew this existed. They’ve been popular for ten years. What is confusing? It’s a fancy luxury handbag in the shape of a book. Books are wonderful. I don’t think actually any part of the problem of credit card debt and lack of savings is explained by this one niche luxury item that I have been saving my pennies for for years.

    • Anonymous

      That’s what I’ve been saying! It’s not wage stagnation, the out of control price of higher education and medical and child care, the concentration of decent jobs in expensive urban areas or anything like that. It’s that everyone with these problems has several purses like this! I pleaded with my husband to sell some of his book clutches so that we could pay the electric bill but he’s just too into them. I can’t blame him, it’s a vicious cycle. I’ve bought several myself but I’m trying to stop. It’s a real problem in this country. I called my congressman, only to get a speech on “personal responsibility” I get that we’re to blame too, but it’s hard. I just wish they weren’t so cute and clever, you know?

    • pugsnbourbon

      The leading cause of bankruptcy in the US is medical debt, wages haven’t kept anything close to pace with inflation, the cost of college is staggering but go off on a luxury item I guess

    • anon

      Do you really think that a large number of people are buying these? Like, do you actually think the vast majority of people who are struggling with debt are struggling with debt because they bought a $700 clutch or equivalent? It’s not a good look to moralize and judge people while being *this* hopelessly obtuse.

  7. Skipper

    Does anyone have a favorite OPAQUE nude-for-white-ladies nail polish? I keep buying cute pinky tan polishes that prove to be sheer. I do not need people seeing my black toenails after every long run.

    • Kate

      I buy Sally Hanson insta dry tan nail polish – I think it’s called something sand? – it has a flat brush, goes on fast, dries in seconds, and stays on my toes. One coat is enough for me but two would definitely work to cover any bruises.

    • Anon

      The ever classic Essie Topless & Barefoot. Looks great across a range of skin tones! Essie now has put flat brushheads on this shade (and other shades that aren’t just their gel-like line), so application is a breeze :)

      • Anon

        I’m Anon at 4:16 below and second the new Essie flat brushes! I LOVE them!

    • Anon

      Colors like that typically require three (thin!) coats versus the standard two coats. Essie’s Ballet Slippers and OPI’s Bubble Bath were my go-to colors when I painted my nails neutral.

    • Anon

      Get fitted or re-fitted for running shoes. Yours’ are either too small or the toebox is too narrow (or both). Nail polish isn’t the answer. Multi-marathon runner, cyclist, etc here… never blackened a toenail. Too many runners think that black & missing toenails are just something to be accepted as the price of admission. They’re not.

      • Anonymous

        +1 from an ultra runner who has only ever had one black toenail and it came from a new shoe that I promptly sent right back.

      • Skipper

        I have super weird feet (which is another reason I like the unobtrusive nudes) and have been fitted by everyone, everywhere and am wearing orthotics. I look forward to the day I become fully custom running shoe rich. But thanks! It’s good advice generally.

    • Diana Barry

      Further, does anyone have a good *white* nail polish that is opaque? I have tried a few but none of them are opaque.

      • Anon

        Yes! Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro in Amazing Grace. Expensive but two coats and it looks great, plus I love the brush. I didn’t know it was a gel until I just looked at the bottle and use a standard base coat with it. I use Essie’s Gel Topcoat, though, with all of my polishes.

    • eertmeert

      I use American Classics “Nude Nail Veil” and it is a neutral, natural your-nail-but-better color with two layers. I am pale, and it looks nice with and without my self-tan.It’s actually a hydrating strengthener treatment, which means it dries quickly, removes easily, and can be a base for other nail polishes. If your toenail is discolored, I’d add this to your routine under the above suggestions, or just alone. the brush is great, wide and flat. I got my bottle at Sally’s for around $8.

    • Anon

      Very late to the party, but OPI Macchu Peach-u comes out very close to nude for me, and is not sheer.

  8. Anonymous

    Question for you savvy homeowners. If one has a porch, does one need a storm door? The hinges on mine were damaged a while ago during a heavy storm that blew it open, and it either needs to be removed or replaced. I can’t think of why I actually need it, but presumably it was put on by the former owners of the house for a reason. I live in the DC area, so hot summers and cold winters, but it seems the front door does a reasonably good job of not letting in hot or cold air.

    • Anon

      Do you ever leave the front door open in the spring and fall? We have a storm door, but it’s main benefit is that we can leave the main door open so that it is cooler and don’t have to worry about bugs

    • Mpls

      No…you don’t *need* a storm/screen door. But it can help protect your front door from weather. If it has a screen, you can open the door, and get air circulation from the doorway. Even if your front door does a good job, it can still help provide additional insulation. But, if you think you’ve been fine without, you don’t have to replace.

    • Anon

      I would think the fact that you had a storm strong enough to damage the storm door would mean you need one, but honestly I have no clue about these things.

    • Anonymous

      You don’t “need” one. Both houses I’ve bought have not had them. I put one in the first so we could open it to full glass for more light on occasion and am planning on installing one in my current home for the same reason but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

  9. Anonymous

    Baby shower menu ideas? It’s at noon for 25 people. I’m overwhelmed by the idea of doing it all myself but also can’t afford fancy catering so wondering about easy options, what kind of things you’d want to see etc. Current thought is I bake a cake and lemon bars, and get grocery store catering fruit platter, green salad, mini breakfast pastries, macarons, and fancy sandwiches. Enough? Something missing? No one is vegetarian or gluten free. Mimosas obvi.

    • Rainbow Hair

      What about a complicated salad instead of/in addition to the green salad? Like something with chicken in it or some such? Chopped up real small so that it’s easier to eat. I’m not big on fancy sandwiches and they seem like a lot of work so I might swap in like a flatbread kind of situation — especially if it’s something you can make one big version of and then cut up small. Basically pizza, but fancy.

      • eertmeert

        Great suggestions. I’d maybe also add a veggie tray with a dip, and a bowl of potato chips for salty snackers.

        • LaurenB

          Something a little more posh than potato chips – that’s backyard BBQ food, not baby shower food. Try a cheese tray with nuts/apricots/cranberries/fig jam. Or specialty gourmet pretzels.

    • Anon

      That sounds perfect. I’m a northeast Jew so it would also be totally typical in my crowd to have bagels and some salads and call it a day

    • Anon

      You could also do a variety of dips (storebought or homemade) with breads and veggies. I love a good white bean dip! Some people might prefer the finger foods, too.

    • NOLA

      Last time I threw a baby shower, we did one of those fruit salads where you carve a watermelon to look like a baby carriage. It was adorable and a huge hit. My SO at the time even made a little wheel base for it.

    • Anon

      This might be an ignorant question, but why mimosas when the guest of honour cannot partake?

      • Anon

        Because when hosting it’s not only about catering to the person of honor, it’s also important to make it enjoyable for your guests. And in my various crews, mimosas or similar would definitely be welcomed by the guests. That’s not to say you have to have alcohol if you as a host don’t want it for whatever reason, but if you don’t mind and you think your crowd would enjoy it, go for it.

        (I say as someone who has been pregnant and had booze-available showers. I would definitely have not wanted them to be dry solely for my sake. But agreed with a commenter below that at least one fun NA drink would be a nice touch).

      • Anon

        Yeah, I’m aware that other people drink. I’m a vegetarian but I serve meat at parties and at my wedding.

        But the guest of honour would likely *want* to drink and *cannot* precisely because of the reason for the party. Like, you all can’t not drink for two hours?

        • Anonymous

          To be clear, the guest of honor is completely fine with us all drinking. But I don’t think you actually care, you’re just trying to make drama on my innocuous menu thread for no reason.

          • Anon

            +1, let’s stick to helpful suggestions on food and not whether anon internet stranger would hypothetically be offended if she were the guest of honor at her baby shower. It’s not relevant.

    • Irish Midori

      YMMV, but I always appreciate a fun non-alcoholic beverage, which is usually pretty easy to make (dump some different fruit juices together with some concentrated lime-ade and Sprite). Don’t know about your friends, but mine tend to bring only wine to parties, and forget that at baby showers the guest of honor is probably off wine. (Remembers my first baby shower at which the theme drink was sangria… which I couldn’t drink.)

    • nutella

      This is a know-your-crowd situation but ever since Miranda had fried chicken at her baby shower, I have dreamed of going to a bridal or baby shower where substantial (and tasty!) food was served. Just a thought in case you needed permission to add something like pizza to the mix. :)

    • anon

      We just threw a large open house, and I served Trader Joe macarons (the frozen kind) that were a huge hit – we went through several boxes, and they are super easy and so much cheaper than actually buying them (even from a store). We also served a punch that was pink cranberry juice (half a bottle) + 1 can pink lemonade (frozen) + 1 L club soda (or to taste) – I bet you could sub out the club soda for fancy pink mimosas for the non guest of honor.

  10. Irish Midori

    OMG until I got to the price of this clutch I was ready to buy it. It is so perfect. And… so expensive.

    • anon

      Same. For that much money I’m expecting a magic clutch. Like at least Mary Poppins-grade storage abilities.

  11. Emma

    Can I just vent for a moment? Went to a hematologist appt today–I had a pulmonary embolism last year and this was my final appointment after 6 months of blood thinners. The subject of birth control was discussed because I can’t be on estrogen birth control anymore, and the hematologist doesn’t want me even on progestin only pills, either. (He said IUD was ok, so I’ll probably get that.) In any event, his nurse practitioner was there and kept making comments assuming I would be having kids. Like “oh yeah, you say you don’t want an unplanned pregnancy but that’s because you need to take that folic acid first!” and “Come back and see us when you get pregnant so we can help you out with any clotting issues while pregnant!” I felt super judged, because of course the whole reason I want to be on birth control is because I DON’T WANT TO GET PREGNANT. Ugh. Like I don’t want to explain to you that I’m not in a good place in my marriage and don’t think kids is a good idea, and you’re a hematologist not my therapist! She just transferred from Texas to my more liberal state, so maybe that’s more common there–sorry Southern ladies if that’s what you deal with regularly! Even my Ob-Gyn doesn’t act like that toward me…

    • Anon

      Ooohh, the Baby Watch down here is awful. It’s like, if you’re so baby crazy, use your own uterus.

    • Anemone

      I would complain to the practice. Not only is her behavior inappropriate if you’re childfree, but it could be hurtful to the infertile.

      • Anonymous

        Yes – write or call to give feedback. It helps to be specific.

        I am an attending and work with PA-C / CRNPs. I will say that complaints from a patient will be taken much more seriously / more likely to lead to behavior change than if the hematologist mentioned anything afterwards.

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