This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I was just thinking about splurgey totes the other day because I was admiring a new friend's Chanel tote and thought, hmmn, maybe I DO want one for my next big birthday. Of course Chanel bags aren't online (at least not new), so I went off looking at the sites for other splurgey totes, and was intrigued to see that this very simple Saint Laurent bag is a bestseller at both Saks and Neiman Marcus. What say you, ladies? I'm sure the leather quality is amazing, but to me this looks awfully similar to some Everlane/Cuyana totes for much less money — and even those I consider those barebone options for the woman who doesn't really want pockets/organization, zippers, or feet. (What tote WOULD you splurge on, if you had the money — or would you skip the tote and go for a shoulder bag or clutch?) This bag does come in a bunch of colors (17!), or did at one time — most colors are sold out at Saks. The gray is in stock and $995. Saint Laurent Large Leather Shopper Tote 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!Sales of note for 11.5.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 40% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 25% off with your GAP Inc. credit card
- Bloomingdales is offering gift cards ($20-$1200) when you spend between $100-$4000+. The promotion ends 11/10, and the gift cards expire 12/24.
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Fall clearance event, up to 85% off
- J.Crew – 40% off fall favorites; prices as marked
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 60% off clearance
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – New sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Buy one, get one – 50% off everything!
- White House Black Market – Holiday style event, take 25% off your entire purchase
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Never too many shoes...
So heartened to see Bill Cosby convicted on trial #2. The defence’s rape-myth fueled tactics were positively shameful.
Anonymous
I’m also relieved by this. At the same time, I keep seeing stories about many famous men (Lauer, Rose, Batali) plotting their come backs. Attempted come backs seem inevitable, but I wasn’t anticipating it quite so soon. I wonder if this verdict will slow that down at all.
Vision Loss as Defense
I too am relieved by this. The defense’s use of his vision loss to make people feel sorry for him and create doubt was disgusting. Blind or not, what he did was shameful and deplorable.
Anon
So glad.
PD
I’m fine with the verdict, but the defense was the defense. As a female criminal defense attorney, it’s exactly what I would have done. Cross-examination about bias and motivation is how we determine credibility. I am so sick of the #MeToo movement bashing constitutional protections.
N.J.
Yeah but you can cross-examine without intentionally invoking the jury’s prejudices about the way they think “real” rape victims should look and act. Falling back on using rape myths as part of your defense is simply lazy lawyering, and your gender doesn’t give you a pass to do it just because you’re a female too.
Anonymous
+1
splurge bag
My splurge bag is the Balenciaga bag that looks like an Ikea bag. I am currently rocking an Ikea bag when I take my kids to swimming lessons, but it’s time for an upgrade.
Actually, I’d probably get the loudest pinkest bag that Scout offers in its largest size (the 3 boys?) and get it monogrammed in some wild color. But I vacillate wildly b/w something HUUUGE and something that is smaller but offers more pockets (Pocket Rocket) and organization.
Anon
I just checked out those Scout bags. They’re a decent deal but aren’t you tired of bags that look like diaper bags? My kids are older now but I Could Not Wait to start carrying non-diaper bags again when they were little.
Anonymous
My dream bag is a Chanel flap. For a bigger bag, maybe Mulberry.
splurge bag
I am feeling the Boy Bag. I saw someone at a random airport flying with one yesterday (wearing real clothes and real shoes. I was in airport gear and with my OG and Away rollaboard b/c I am #BasicCorporette.
Alanna of Trebond
I love the Boy Bag, but it is SO expensive! Even second hand. I have a new Mulberry bag too, so I have a high threshold for expensive.
emeralds
Mulberry all the way. I’ve still got some good years left in my current, much-beloved Kate Spade, but my plan for the next bag is a second-hand Mulberry.
Insurance Woes
An update for anyone who remembers my post last week about insurance refusing and delaying my husband’s MRI: on Saturday we went to the ER. They called in a tech on her day off (we thanked her profusely, and DH charmed her out of her grumping, because he’s like that) and did an MRI within an hour. Now he’s scheduled for surgery next week.
But, to vent here, because I can’t complain at home–he asked my his parents to come “help”. Of course they are, from Europe (at great expense, I’m sure), because they are great parents and he asked. But now I have to miss even more work for airport pick-ups, fuss over the house more, and generally, I won’t feel like I have any real “down time” with 4 people shoved in our 1200 sq ft house. I know DH gets to have what he needs to get through a time that is way tougher on him that it is on me. But he keeps talking about them being support and help for ME, which they just…won’t be. Sigh.
Anonymous
Cabs, nope on more house cleaning, and excuse yourself for a walk/run/gym when you need it.
Anon
Say that! Tell him point blank “I’m glad your parents will be a source of support for you. But having them here is a burden on me so please stop saying that this will be a help to me.”
Anonymous
Tell them to take a car service! Don’t fuss over the house. Don’t entertain them. You don’t have to!
Yellow
+1 to reframing it correctly at a time when you’re still feeling patient and generous. My Husband caved to my MIL coming to stay with us for 2 weeks after our first baby and correcting his point of reference beforehand was huge so we were looking through the same lease.
As in, she wants to be able to say she’s here to help and all that, but she really just wants to hold the baby. She was a high maintance guest as I knew she would be, but by the end of the trip my husband had reached the conclusion- we won’t be doing that ever again- all by himself.
Yellow
Same lense!
It’s like MIL bingo- you have to know you’re both playing so you feel like you’re on the same team.
Anonymous
I’ve been in your husband’s position, where I was sick and my parents visited for 2 weeks. I know everyone has a different relationship with their parents and in-laws, and you didn’t go into detail about yours. They are there to help and support at least your husband, and reasonable people would not expect their son’s spouse to entertain them or perform for them. If the burden to entertain or have the house a certain way or pick them up from the airport is at all in your head, let it go. (This was really hard for me–I used to get really annoyed when my in-laws helped with anything.)
This might be harder, but can you ask them for the support and help you need? Make a list of things that would be helpful for them to do, or ask them to take over meals. My parents like to be really helpful when visiting, and they have an at-times annoying quirk of being unable to sit still. The best way to cope with it is to give them projects. Otherwise, my mom either walks around creating endless loads of laundry from stuff that’s still clean, or goes out to buy me stuff she decides I need but isn’t always to my taste.
Insurance Woes
Yeah, I am very bold about asking, so I know that will make things go better. I think they will both be reasonably comfortable cooking at our house, which I will really appreciate. They are very nice people, and I have a pretty good relationship with them–but FIL is a classic patriarch who expects others to manage his emotions, and I just won’t with that ish. But they are reasonably good to me, and will be wonderful to their son, so I’ll deal.
NYC Finance Drop Out
Going anon for this because I’m not ready for anyone in real life to know yet- I think I might need to make some major career changes.
I’ve been at the top of every track I’ve ever been on- Division 1 athlete, Ivy League college, top tier grad program (not MBA), summer internships at the most “prestigious” bank in NYC, started full time, promoted to VP by 26, promoted again into another role a year later that required me to be a producer and find my own clients (private wealth management). I guess I never really thought about where I was going because opportunities always came up that seemed like they were things you just *couldnt* say no to.
Except I’m starting to feel like I’m selling a service nobody is interested in because everyone who needs it already has a team in place. We touch a little bit of everything (tax, asset allocation, risk management, etc) but have teams of specialist that we lean on for everything so I don’t feel like an expert in anything. And I’m not even really sure how I ended up in this industry. I feel like I’ve just been putting one foot in front of the other on a track that’s supposedly a prestigious track to success and I woke up halfway down it like how the heck did I get here?
I like the money, I like working with people, I find the planning around taxes interesting. I have young kids and I appreciate the flexibility of having to be responsive to clients but not being tied to a trading desk (not always missing school plays etc). I’m generally a practical person and believe that you’re paid for a job because it’s usually work and not a passion so I’m not looking for a miracle job. But it’s taking a toll on me to feel like I’ve been doing this job for a few years and don’t have a lot to show for it (though my boss seems fine with my progress I don’t feel like I have much to show for all this time). There’s also no next step on this track- in theory this job is the same job I’d have for the next 30 years, just more/larger clients. I feel like I caught the brass ring only to realize I have no idea what to do with it.
What do I do? Are there other roles I should look at? Are there people I talk to? Recruiters? Career coaches? Therapist?
I’m totally happy in my life so this isn’t general depression seeking out into other areas. I just have this pit in my stomach that I’m not going to be successful in this role long term and I only ended up here because it was the path of least resistance.
Help!
Anonymous
This sounds really boring to me.
Do you like people? Maybe you’d make a good sports agent b/c you can handle the $ side of things but it might be more / better thinking work and people interaction for you. Relationship management is a definite skill.
I bet there are some field-adjacent opportunities to suit you better. Have lots of lunch meetings. Network. I don’t think you need fixing, maybe just a different opportunity.
AnonZ
I think the first question you should ask yourself is this: do you have a pit in your stomach thinking about your career because you genuinely don’t like the work, or because you don’t think you’re going to be as accomplished in this role as you’ve been in everything else in your life?
I’m sure you’ll get a lot of good suggestions about ways to discover other passions. I’d also find a way to spend some serious time on introspection, whether that’s with a therapist or just maybe some focused thought or journaling, about what your success has meant to you in life thus far and how it has defined you as a person. Regardless of what you choose to do, coming to terms with the fact that you may decide to pursue a less prestigious job, or stay in your current job but not be a rock star at it, may require some serious restructuring of your own identity.
At the very least, please read this speech by Anna Quindlen about perfection: http://julia-t.com/assets/pdf/typography-anna-quindlen.pdf I’m guessing it will strike a chord.
DCR
I’m not hearing that you don’t like it, just that you don’t feel successful. If I’m reading that right, I think it is a matter of learning that you don’t have to be the best at everything, and that good is enough. You say that your boss is happy with your work, and I would trust that. You will learn and grow over time.
If it is more that you don’t like the work, that’s a different conversation and you should spend time thinking about what types of tasks you do and don’t like. From there, it’s a matter of looking for the right job for you. Easier said then done, I know.
Anonymous
I”m wondering: Have you always had a way to be The Star — athlete, top schools, high achievement — and now there is no clear way to strive to be The Star. In fact, it’s not even clear what The Star is anymore.
I think this is a great time to pull back and look at where you’re getting you identity. One of the downsides to always achieving from an early age is that you’e never had to take a step back, re-evaluate, come back from failure, figure out a new path, learn how to separate your worth from your tasks, or even ask some core questions about what really constitutes success and value and worth in life. So I’d use this time to do some of that foundational reflection. You might find a counselor or life coach who can help you. Ask around to find someone who will challenge you to go deep; it sounds like you’re capable of it, and this is a great opportunity for it.
JuniorMinion
Team ex banker here. I found it really hard when the ivy league -> investment banking -> early years promotion based on execution ended. Once you get to a certain point on that path you sort of have to start defining success for yourself and figuring out what you want out of your job and what being good at that job means to you as opposed to getting another gold star for being better at jumping hoops set out by the people above you. This isn’t to denigrate those achievements, just that the analyst-> associate or analyst -> associate -> VP where there is a defined upward track with time periods tied to promotions ends at some point and after that it all becomes a bit fluid.
I’ve stayed in the game to some degree (because I’m a deal junkie and I love difficult puzzles), but in a different role and I’m also at a point where the way ahead is murkier and the questions I’m asked to solve are much more “what should we do with this asset? How should we manage this process? Can you lead the transition team on that?” which don’t lead themselves to getting a check plus or at least not in the way you do as a junior person in banking.
Snarky
This is off-topic, but doesn’t literally everyone get promoted to VP by 26 if you start out of college? Isn’t the hard part getting to managing director?
Yellow
I think you join as an analyst, stay there for 4 years, then go to associate for a few years and then get promoted to VP.
Everyone I know who graduates from business school and joins post MBA as an associate
Anonymous
Congrats – you have done so well.
Part of maturing is having these reflective periods, and thinking about what is important to you and how you want to live your life. This changes as you get older and gain more life experience.
There are more important things than $$/”success”. Producing value for society, having impact on people’s lives, doing good things, working with interesting and passionate people, doing fascinating work etc…. Maybe you needs to slowly move in one of these directions…..?
Time to find your passion. Or time to volunteer and give back a little. And think about what you want to leave behind at the end of your life. Is this how you want to be remembered? How much is enough $$? What values do you want to be teaching your children?
CA Personal Injury Attorney
LA preferred.
I was in a minor fender bender, and one person involved has filed a claim for medical injuries with my insurance company. I know my insurance company will handle the claim and any resulting case, but I would like to talk to an independent PI attorney. I am a litigator myself, and the thought of being involved in litigation is frightening. I am particularly concerned about protecting my assets and my husband’s assets so great if this person also know about how to handle that. My policy limit is not that high. Thank you.
Anonymous
This isn’t necessary. You’re overlawyering.
CA Personal Injury Attorney
I asked for recommendations, not advice. There are more details I prefer to not to share publicly that indicate I am not overreacting. And this is easy to say when your assets are not at risk.
Anon
I don’t think you’re overreacting. A friend’s family member in CA had a similar issue and the insurance company lawyers were definitely not representing his interest. I don’t have any recs for you but would suggest checking other similar litigation and see if there are some defense attorneys who pop up repeatedly and who’ve gotten good results for their clients.
Also try posting again tomorrow on an earlier thread.
Anonymous
No recommendations but commiseration. I just went through this; I had a fender bender at less than 5 mph in a parking lot but you’d have thought I mowed him down going 100 with the injuries he was claiming. Your insurance company will try to resolve the claim without litigation, but if it’s getting close to the statute of limitations and the claim hasn’t settled yet (possibly because treatment is ongoing), the plaintiff is going to file a lawsuit. Send the papers to your insurance company as soon as you get them and be sure to keep a copy of everything for yourself.
Your insurance company will probably tell you that you have the right to have your own lawyer. I didn’t get one in my case but I personally knew the attorney I got assigned to and I have decent policy limits (100/300 at the time). If you think you might be on the hook personally, then it might make sense to get your own lawyer. I’m not sure I’d trust the insurance company’s lawyer to try to limit my out of pocket. That said, it’s my understanding that plaintiffs’ lawyers just ask for policy limits. I’d probably wait until a lawsuit is filed and see what their initial number is before hiring a lawyer.
It was a very stressful year plus for me. It didn’t help that my insurance company would periodically send me this disclaimer letter telling me I’m on the hook if my claim goes over limits. And the case was pending before a judge I regularly practice in front of. Oh and if you’re a lawyer you have to disclose the lawsuit to your firm for conflicts reasons. Basically a whole lot of embarrassment and anxiety for me. I bumped up my liability coverage across the board as high as it would go.
CA Personal Injury Attorney
Thanks for this. I know what number he is seeking, and if he got even a quarter of it, I believe my best option would be to file for bankruptcy. I think I’ll PTI my firm for a local rec. I hadn’t updated my policy limits since I took out the policy over a decade ago, but have since upped to even more than you have. Dumb mistake.
anon
“I’m not sure I’d trust the insurance company’s lawyer to try to limit my out of pocket.”
Just wanted to say, as someone who has done insurance defense, the lawyer hired to defend you should absolutely do everything possible to limit your out of pocket- obviously I can’t speak for everyone, but I and the attorneys I worked with took protecting our insured’s interests very seriously. That’s literally the attorney’s job- to limit your exposure. I’m not a California lawyer, but in my state, the attorney’s duty is to you, not the insurance company. I can’t imagine why it would be different in CA. I don’t know if you have coverage issues, but defense counsel is not supposed to consider coverage in any way shape or form.
If this is a new claim and not close to approaching the SOL, do not wait to make a decision about a lawyer until a claim is filed. There is no benefit to doing that and resolving claims without litigation is always preferable. The claimant, if they have representation, will likely make a pre-suit demand before filing suit.
Lastly, yes, Plaintiffs allege crazy things when they get hit in minor fender benders. They all do. I don’t know what your other circumstances are and I know you’re concerned, but know that these outrageous claims get settled out of court for a tiny fraction of what is claimed all the time. And the ins defense lawyer hired to protect you will know how to achieve that.
Kat in VA
Former insurance claim transcriptionist here*, and I can attest to the fact that some people claim the most outrageous things when the accident was clearly a “pull the dent out and move on with your life” situation. One woman claimed her life was completely ruined after she and another person backed into each other pulling out of their parking spaces. She was claiming headaches, nausea, double vision, back aches, shoulder strain, persistent diarrhea…the list went on and on. She also admitted that the accident was “Probably 2 to 3 miles per hour, tops.” It was…astonishing.
*I’m the person who typed down every single thing thing you and the adjuster said after they run through the spiel of “This call is being recorded, do I have your permission to continue?” It was a sometimes fascinating, sometimes boring job but didn’t pay well enough for me to continue working from home.
Anonymous
Mod is killing me. Check back for a longer post, though I don’t have recs on attys. Sorry you’re going through this.
ANON
West Coast Trial Lawyers. I know the co-founder personally and he is smart, aggressive and extremely experienced. They’re in DTLA and specialize in PI cases. Good luck!
TheElms
It won’t fix the current situation but I think it would be a good idea going forward. I have a personal umbrella policy with a limit that is equal to my and my husband’s net worth. Its more designed for a slip and fall in my home, but I think depending on the policy, and I was lead to believe this regarding my policy, it serves as excess insurance in the case of an auto-insurance claim. I was skeptical at first, but but it was only about $200 on top of my homeowners insurance and car insurance.
Anonymous
+1
All of us should never skimp on insurance. Especially auto and an umbrella if you are of higher net worth.
Remember, an auto insurance policy most importantly is to protect YOU. Not just to protect your assets if someone sues you. But because if someone who is uninsured or underinsured, you want your policy to pay you absolutely everything you deserve.
I have a family member that was hit by an uninsured driver while crossing the street. Amazingly, he was covered under his own auto policy for this, and he always had the highest level insurance he could afford. It was needed, as he was injured so badly he never worked again. Everyone in our family increased their insurance coverage dramatically after this happened.
Anon
not for OP but for you high-earning ladies, please buy high limit liability insurance and an umbrella policy. My umbrella policy costs about $200/year. It’s not a lot of money. You don’t want to be in OP’s position of worrying about someone attacking your assets over a minor incident, and there are a lot of people out there who would do just that.
Anon
+1. I have a $1M umbrella policy for $150 per year. My parents impressed on me that anyone with significant assets must have one.
CA Personal Injury Attorney
I am going to look at this as well. I am embarassed to admit I had never even heard of this. I don’t come from a background where anyone n my family would know anything about stuff like this.
Anon
Thanks for the advice! Never thought much of it until your posts.
Anonymous
Anyone have any favorite acid exfoliants for skin? Meh on Good Genes, haven’t tried Drunk E or Ordinary…
Jennifer
I am on my second week of The Ordinary regimen for “textural irregularities” https://theordinary.com/regimenguide
So far, so good. My skin is sensitive and aging, and I really feel the texture changing. Visibly smaller pores and less redness as well. Can’t beat the price either.
Anon
Pixi Glow Tonic is amazing
anon
I have sensitive skin and this stuff makes my face feel like it’s on fire, so YMMV. I’ve read rave reviews; I just don’t think it’s for people with reactive skin.
grapefruit
Love the DE framboos night serum, but if you want a real kick, try Babyfacial once a week. It legitimately feels like you’ve just gotten a professional facial. I’m 32 and just got mistaken for a college student.
To compare, I hated Good Genes, and my husband thought it smelled like cat pee.
givemyregards
haha! My SO thought Good Genes smelled like pencil shavings – will have to give babyfacial try!
grapefruit
Make sure to use a really good moisturizer afterwards, because it’s really strong – but very effective! Also be careful not to get it around your eyes. I got it on one eyelid once, and it stung terribly. This stuff is no joke. (It’s banned in Canada, sorry to my friends to the north.)
Anonymous
Good Genes isn’t banned in Canada?
grapefruit
Sorry, that comment was about babyfacial. That one is banned because of the high acid levels.
escandalo
When organizations have big scandals, what do they typically do? Like local and perhaps state-wide print and nightly news drama?
Not: call Olivia Pope
Perhaps: call their insurance provider; circle up with their GC; do some sort of internal investigation to ascertain what the facts are (perhaps with outside counsel); get some sort of crisis PR people (who aren’t their usual internal marketing / PR people)? My guess is also that private companies do this better than governments (esp. local governments).
Is there a primer on this somewhere?
MJ
Recommend corporate communications or crisis management books. Deloitte has a practice for this too. People who work in PR sometimes specialize in crisis communications.
Mylife
Is anyone familiar with this horrid site? I googled myself and my name came up on this site with all kinds of inaccurate information – it also includes a “reputation score” which a paid subscription allows you to improve. I’m livid. Supposedly it culls information that’s “already out there” but that’s not the case with me – it’s got all kinds of things wrong about me, and it’s misinformation that no other site seems to have.
Ellen
I looked there but found nothing. That is b/c I never did any stuff with men that they could later say I did and get away with it. That is kind of like Cyberbulying. FOOEY on men that do this stuff to us women. The best is to steer clear of loosers. DOUBLE FOOEY!
As for the topic at hand, I love Chanel bag’s, even tho they are expensive, there is NO substitute for a good quality leather tote. I now have 1 Chanel bag but could use another, as Mason damaged mine in the subway. He was a mess and the cobbler on 3rd said I should have it professionally retanned. How do I do that? Go back to Chanel? He said he could buff it, but it would still look scratched and dented. FOOEY! I thought I would give it to one of the kids as Rosa does NOT like to give anything expensive to her kids, but the girls are to young now, and who knows if they would ever treasure them the way we do? DOUBEL FOOEY!
MJ
You can ask to be removed from these s tes. I go through a google search every few months and ask to be removed. I used to be a notary public, which is for sure public…forever. And that’s what pulls be back onto these s tes again and again.
Mylife
Thanks!
Anonymous
Did you pay for the full report? The basic info screen showed people I’m not related to, but everything else it showed is publicly available (I own a house). I don’t really care if the internet links me with people I’m not really related to, my name is not unusual.
Are your concerns privacy related? Job related? These sites are always going to exist and if someone wants to stupidly pay money to see my full report, meh? They must be bored. However, I am not in security work and I don’t have an abusive ex or a stalker, so my POV is definitely different than someone in one of those scenarios.
Anonymous
Mine has my net worth at a very, very high number relative to my actual net worth and lists my profession as “barista” in a city 1000+ miles from where I actually live. (I am not a barista.) I also have a “good” reputation score. IOW, I don’t think anyone is going to take this seriously.
Torin
Ally Invest vs. Vanguard — anyone have any thoughts?
Anon
Vanguard, for this reason: https://about.vanguard.com/what-sets-vanguard-apart/why-ownership-matters/
I’ve been a satisfied user of their funds for my spouse and my Roth IRA’s and brokerage accounts. Their technology/platform is not amazing, fairly basic, but their fees/expense ratios are the best in the business. In the investment game, you get (to keep) what you don’t pay for ;)
TCFKAG
This looks exactly like a bag I bought for $20 at the Burlington Coat Factory or TJ Maxx; no matter how high the quality, I feel like a bag this expensive should at least be special. But that’s my personal preference.
pugsnbourbon
I feel the same way. Though I did click the link and the Fog color is really lovely – it still looks too much like that reversible tote that Target was selling last summer. But maybe that’s the point? I’m not much of a bag person.
grapefruit
+1 I’d never consider spending so much on such a basic bag. I’d pay maybe $50 for this.
Anonymous
And here you are – recommended on this site a couple days ago.
Lodis leather tote. Gives with a wristlet
$49.99
Costco
https://m.costco.com/Lodis-Bliss-Leather-Tote-with-Wristlet.product.100389903.html
Anonymous
I’m quite sure the quality of the bag you might get at Target would not be the same. Besides, if you are thinking about how you won’t pay X amount of money for Y kind of bag, then that bag is probably not marketed to consumers like you.
AlsoAnon
Yep. I had that bag too. But it gaped open and I’m a small woman in a dangerous city so I stopped carrying it. I can’t imagine paying more than $20 for a bag that allowed the entire world to see what I’m carrying – including my kid’s leftover snack, trash, and tampons lol.
trefoil
I can’t imagine spending this much on a tote like this, but I really like the longer drop–i find that most totes have straps so short i can’t get them over my shoulder when i’m in my winter coat. Has anyone found a long-drop knock off?
Anonymous
I have not. The most comfortable bag I’ve ever carried is the N/S canvas Baggu. Their leather bags have different straps.
nutella
Hi everyone, no, I am not the Gal Meets Gl@m bl0gger and I don’t think I’ve ever done a review here, but I do think it’s pretty cool that she did dresses for such a large size range and I got some last night and wanted to report back. I got the “pearly trim fit and flare” from N0r strom and have to say I am decently impressed! I got both the black and the white. The material is a little stretchy so not the most high-end but not the cheapest either. Looks nice but this is more a feel. What really surprised me was that it is fully lined – sleeves, bodice, and the whole skirt. It feels so rare to find that these days. The white is fully opaque – in fact, I tried it on with a sports br@ and red under we@r and you couldn’t see it at all. I was wishing I had this last year when I got married and was looking for a simple white dress for wedding things that wasn’t so beachy or summery for February and March. The pearly trim was not itchy and not horribly cheap-looking either. I am more looking forward to the summer/casual dresses as I think you know exactly what you are getting with a cotton sundress but roll the dice with a more formal one, as these were. The size was a little big for me – I ordered a 4 based on the size chart so will return for 2s if there are any available. (I am reliably a 0 at j crew.) I ordered a couple others, though, so I’ll see how those turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised because it seems like everybody cuts corners on lining nowadays.
Two Cents
Thanks for the review! That dress is actually the only one I really liked of the bunch just by looking at the pictures, but not enough to pay full price. Also wasn’t sure of the pearl trim.
Anon
I’m still amused that someone thought you were Julia.
nutella
I KNOW I WISH!!!! People tell me I look like her, actually, only my hair is a shade darker. Just a regular attorney, though, workin’ for the weekend :-/
Anonymous
Honestly, after reading this post…. I thought so even more!
Anon
I feel like I’ve read here and elsewhere about having kind of a honeymoon period after the birth of a baby when you’re all head-over-heels in love with your spouse and I have just not experienced that at all. My husband is a great dad and definitely does his share of the childcare but I feel just sort of low key annoyed with him all the time. I’m not yelling at him all the time or anything but I definitely didn’t experience that “omg I just loooooove watching my husband be a dad” thing. If anything I feel more disconnected from our marriage than I have in a long time, maybe ever. At first I thought it was just the exhaustion, but the baby has been consistently sleeping through the night for several weeks now so I don’t think it’s that? Hormones? Please tell me I’m not the only one? I don’t think I’m depressed at all, I generally feel happy and energetic and I absolutely adore the baby.
oil in houston
this is actually super common, and why divorce rates are highest in couples with kids under 2 …
all I can say is, with more sleep, and more me time, things went back to normal in my marriage, so there is hope!
Anonymous
Agree that a new baby is stressful but I think it’s actually a myth that divorce rates are highest then.
Anonymous
Lol no that is for sure not a thing. You are 109% normal.
Anon
I like the extra 9%.
Grump on, OP. Comes with the territory.
anon
I don’t remember any kind of honeymoon period after the birth of a baby. Sleepiness, hormones, changes in your daily roles if you’re typically working out of the house, the demands of constant feeding/changing/taking care of the baby, the physical healing from childbirth – plenty of reason for things not to be at their best. Totally normal. BUT. It’s still probably time to get to work on bringing the state of your relationship back to where you want it. I’d recommend the cliched stuff like making some time for just the two of you, but more importantly: next time you start to feel annoyed with him, force yourself to analyze whether he’s actually doing something “wrong” (in which case it would be more productive to come up with a loving solution), or if you need to consciously cut him some slack on that particular issue because he’s going through huge adjustments and figuring out the whole baby thing too.
biglawanon
I had never heard of this honeymoon period, and the idea of it makes me laugh. I was exhausted, and we were annoyed with each other. He had 1 week of paternity leave, so if anything, I felt low-level annoyed that I was stuck at home with two screaming babies for months. I of course love my kids, but the baby phase is a phase I struggled through and did not love.
Anon OP
Yeah that’s been part of the problem I think — I’m enjoying the baby phase more than I thought I would and the baby is easygoing and not a crier but it’s still hard seeing my husband go off to work all day (where he gets to do stuff like run out for a cup of coffee and eat lunch with friends) while I’m home alone with a baby (who doesn’t ever really nap so the whole day is very…intense). Then once he gets home it’s a crazy whirlwind to eat, put the baby to sleep, shower, clean up a little and get to bed ourselves. I definitely have no “me time” and I feel like I’d actually have more if I were going to the office every day since my job is not that intense. I’m heading back to work soon and he’ll be home alone with the baby and I’m looking forward to it. But anyway I appreciate hearing from everyone and knowing I’m not alone.
Please go hunt, gather & leave me alone. :)
I’ve never heard of a honeymoon period with the dad. My non-napping baby is now a teenager so this must be something new. In fact, I completely understood the historical significance of the Red Tents where women would go live to bond and nurse their babies. First, breast-feeding exclusively strips many women of all hormones that make us want to have more babies (i.e. sex) so that was a big deal conflict that did not resolve itself physically for me until my child started eating food. I basically wanted to say, “Please go hunt, gather and leave me alone. I’ll just be blissfully taking care of our new baby.” You sound super normal to me!
Anonymous
If there was a honeymoon period, it lasted for me about as long as it took for the epidural to wear off. And then I had the same experience as everyone else. It’s trite and over-used, but only over-used because it’s true — it gets better. I’ve got a 5 yo and a 18 month old and while there are rough moments, we’ve hit our stride. It may take some serious gritting of teeth and some willingness to have serious talks though to get there.
Anonymous
+1. Never heard of this and seriously thought we would be divorced by the time baby was 1. Things only got better around 5 months when I kicked baby out of our room so I could SLEEP. The dad thing didn’t fully kick in until maybe 18 months. In the beginning he adored her but looked at her as an alien and I was responsible for every little decision. Like if she should be changed because the stripe turned blue. Now a much better decision maker. And it really helped that I had to travel while still breastfeeding. He had frozen milk but was on his own completely for 3-4 nights a month starting 7 months old. I would come home to a much smarter and wound up husband.
Admin Forever 2.0/Project Managment?
Hi all, I posted a few weeks ago about feeling stuck in an admin role that I took as a way to get a paycheck/out of unemployment. I got some good responses and have been doing some thinking and I feel like Project Management would be a good fit for my skills and personality.
Is anyone here a project manager? I don’t even know where to start to learn information for these types of roles: would/should I go back to school for a specific degree? Are there certifications? What sort of beginning job titles should I be searching for on job sites? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
S
You can take PMP course work (that’s the certification). I’m in publishing, not project management, but have found even basic courses hugely helpful in my day to day. I believe to achieve the PMP you actually need to be a working project manager but not sure. As you investigate, you’ll get better insight.
pugsnbourbon
I’ve looked a little into the PMP and it has pretty significant requirements and yes, you do need to be managing projects. There’s a midlevel one called the CAPM that has a lower bar.
trefoil
Super late, so I hope you’re still reading–the project managers i’ve worked with have generally started as business analysts and then stepped into the PM role as they’ve gotten more senior and experienced, while taking the courses.
K
Hamilton is coming to my city and I just got tickets!! I’m sosososo excited!
Anonymous
Congrats! I’m seeing it for the first time next week and Can. Not. Wait!
Tetra
Piggy-backing off this: I’m going to Chicago in mid-July and want to see Hamilton while I’m there. Should I buy tickets now or wait until closer to the date?
Anonymous
Unmmmm. Whenever you can get them if at all? You do realize they are constantly sold out?
Anon
Nah, there are many upcoming Chicago dates (including July) for sale on Ticketmaster. It’s been here a while and I think the hype has kind of died down because everyone who really cares has seen it and it’s not like Lin Manuel is starring in this production.
Anonymous
Yes, there are tix. For several hundred dollars. But maybe the OP is ok with that.
Anon 2
If you are still checking back. I just helped my aunt buy tickets for May by booking through the theater, on a week day and doing individual seats for her and my uncle (they will not be seated together but in the same section), the tickets were $72 a piece. Tickets are still available at face value if you are willing to do a weekday performance.
Anonymous
What would be the point of waiting? If you know you want to see it, I’d buy tickets now.
Ms B
You will not be disappointed!
Miami for a Day - Recs?
Going to be in Miami Saturday for the first time ever – recommendations? Totally open to suggestions ranging from cultural experiences, street cart recs, beach thoughts, anything! Thanks!
Cat
Are you the poster who’s staying in Palm Beach? The trip down to Miami for just the day doesn’t seem worth it IMHO, but then I am more of a ‘give me a chair and a book’ beachgoer than ‘I get bored at the beach after an hour or two and need more warm weather stuff to do.’
Last time I was there (several years ago, though) we had fancy drinks at the Delano, though if you’re just day tripping in casual wear you might be underdressed.
Anon
Wynwood is the arts district with murals etc. There’s also the Ice Cream museum if you’re interested in instagramming yourself in a pool of sprinkles. Walking around South Beach and finding a good patio for people watching would be fun, too.
Anon
I looove this bag and considered it, but read a few reviews that say the inside marks really easily
Lobbyist
I’ve been eyeing the Leatherology totes of late. I also like their folios and folders — has anyone bought from this brand?
Anonymous
I just got a zippered folio and I really like it. Quality, soft leather. Sturdy zipper. Seems like the right value for the price point. However, just got it, so cannot comment on durability.
MSM
I have a non-zippered folio that I got in December. It is as Anon above states – soft leather, high quality. It is holding up well.
Lobbyist
Leatherology tote — available in multiple colors
https://www.leatherology.com/large-zippered-downtown-tote-blue-leather-teal/