FOR THE LOVE OF LUXURY & BAGS

I'm not a fan of knock offs for many reasons, and I said I wasn't going to talk about them- but! I recently stumbled upon a couple of "stores" on Facebook Market Place and found myself drawn to them for all the wrong reasons. I read the detailed descriptions very carefully and compared all the materials to the real thing, and they matched up! Of course, it's difficult to see what the construction is like from a picture and I did notice some minor differences between some of the fakes and the authentic versions, but overall, I have to say I was impressed. One store guaranteed money back, quality assurance (that made me laugh considering it was a fake lol) and even a certificate of authentication! The thing I don't understand is why a knock off made from the same materials and undergoing the same process of construction (minus a few minor hiccups in production) cost significantly less than an authentic version? I mean, what the hell are we paying for? A slight d

On the topic of replicas and affordable luxury, I thought I'd chat about fine dining at home. I love dining out at fine restaurants where you're served escargot, bone marrow, caviar, oysters (the list can go on) but we can't afford to eat like that all of the time. Luckily, I also love to cook and I like trying to replicate the food I so enjoy when we are blessed to experience fine dining.  The easiest thing to replicate are hors d'oeuvres, of course, because you can buy everything pretty much ready made with only need for assembly. I normally go to D'Arcy's Meat Market for marrow bones, which they canoe for you, and their prices are pretty decent ($11.00 online). Just season them up with some salt and pepper and any other dressings that suit you and throw them into the oven at 450. About 20 minutes later you can serve bone marrow with baguette.  If I'm planning fancy appetizers or hors d'oeuvres, or an amuse-bouche as I did the last time we had friends

I was reading up on the handbag trends for 2024, for investment purposes, and in one of the articles I read that "saddle bags are back" (in style). I then looked at the different ones by various designers (e.g. Gucci, Fendi, etc.), but the one that stood out to me was Dior's take on the saddle bag. I found it to be a clever spin on the more traditional style. It was chic and could be worn as part of a casual ensamble or something a little more elegant. I watched an episode of Dubai Bling (I think S1, E1?), anyway, one of the stars was wearing a flowy white dress with open toe sandals and carrying a white Dior saddle bag (see below).                                                                                                   $4900.00 I loved it so much (the price tag, not so much) that I obsessed over it for a few days before deciding that it was too much to spend on a purse, even if I had the money (which I didn't). I started looking for a replica. However, befor

I'm beginning to understand why luxury bags are priced the way they are. However, the craftsmanship and materials that go into constructing a luxury bag, as you're all well aware, is not the only thing people pay for. The status and prestige that follows the brand is just as important in determining its market value, if not more so.  No wonder there are so many knockoffs out there. I have actually seen  knockoffs priced at $3000.00 depending on the brand they're "replicating" (aka, kocking-off). For that price, why not just buy an authentic bag of the same value? I'm not one to tote a knockoff, which is why I won't be exploring them. I prefer the real thing or low budget alternatives instead which replicate while maintaining their own authenticity.  There are some handbags I just gravitate to and when I check the price tag, I understand why I was drawn to them. I've always loved the look and the feel of a brand new bag. If I like how it looks and I fee

Hello fellow luxury lovers. We just got back from 3 day trip to the mountains where we stayed at the Rimrock (Banff, Alberta). I've never been there so I was excited to explore the hotel and the grounds! During the pandemic we were fortunate enough to stay at the Fairmont in Lake Louise (Chateau Lake Louise) because of a great deal that was offered to us. I remember walking through that hotel as a little girl and being in awe of its beauty and elegance. I knew it was expensive because we weren't staying there and my parents cautioned me not to touch anything. Everything just  looked  expensive and luxurious.  The Rimrock smells of old money (check out the booze menu) and had breath taking views of the mountains. In fact, it's built into the mountain so the first floor is the 7th floor, with two levels above, and the remaining floors are below the lobby. It was very confusing for me, every time I used the elevator. There were no shops in the hotel, unlike at the Chateau Lak

When my business started showing progress, I thought about how nice it would be to own a luxury handbag. Not so much for the bag itself but what it represented to me- a reflection of my achievements. I started looking at the big names first (Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Dior). I was aghast to discover that Louis Vuitton was the more affordable luxury brand among these other giants! Suddenly my newly purchased Coach cross body that I bought on sale for $149.00 didn't seem like the splurge I thought it was. Never-the-less, I decided that I would treat all my purses/handbags with equal love and care because they were beautiful. Even though they didn't all cost more than $50.00- that $50.00 was hard earned!  Over Christmas, I bought 5 different bags, in all different price ranges from $50.00 to $3000.00. Two were "luxury". I hesitated to tell anyone I knew what I paid for the two luxury purses. It felt funny to try and hide the fact that I had a luxury brand purse when

Ever since I was a little girl I dreamt of fashion and luxury. I imagined myself working in the fashion industry in one way or another, becoming famous for my art and flying away on my private jet to yet another amazing destination. I never lived the same day twice.  I would day dream for hours about where I would fit into the tapestry of fashion, art and design. Every Saturday I was glued to the T.V. watching "Fashion File" (with Tim Blanks), Life Styles of the Rich and Famous (with Robin Leach), and Wild On! (with Brooke Burke). It all seems within reach in our younger years, doesn't it? But then I went to college and my parents made me take biology and chemistry, which I was sure NOT to attend as much as possible. However, unfortunately, and fortunately, I ended up on the science track and landed a very promising career in the field of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Medicine. And the dream became a pipe dream over time until I closed the lid on my white gold, cryst