The weather is on a roller coaster ride, it was 62 degrees yesterday and it was in the 40s today. It’s that time when Spring Fashion 2019 trends are rolling in. You know that 2019 fashion lines were created last year and designers are now working on designs 2020.
QVC had a two-day Spring Style Out. On one of those two days, Dooney and Bourke had the Today’s Special Value, a woven embossed leather satchel. From seeing the presentations on-air, I thought the handbag would be perfect for spring; but could also be worn now going into spring. I liked the woven look and thought it was much different than the other Dooney bags. QVC offered five colors that were ideal for spring. I decided on the coral because that was not a color I didn’t have in my collection. And it is the Pantone Color of the Year. So how could I go wrong?
JT with Seppe
I received the handbag late last week and I was excited to see what it looked like. When I took the bag out, my initial thoughts were that the bag was much smaller than I had thought it was going to be. Granted I didn’t look at the dimensions on the product description, but it looked much bigger on-air. From there, my eyes were drawn to the wrinkles on the back side of the bag. Take a look at the pictures below. You can see in the upper left corner, next to the zipper, the big wrinkle. There is also a large wrinkle on the underside of the bag, as well. You will also notice that the leather does not lay flat next to the zipper. It is not smooth. And the bag is not a true coral color. It has more orange, like a dreamsicle popsicle from my childhood. The coral is not available on the QVC at this time. Only pink and blue are currently available. I also reviewed the Dooney and Bourke Beacon Woven Embossed Beacon Leather Satchel on my Youtube Channel. You can watch it here.
Dimensions of the bag:
*Measures approximately 10-1/2″L x 11″W x 6″D with a 22″ to 28″ strap drop and a 4″ handle drop; weighs approximately 2.13 lbs
*Body 100% leather; lining 100% cotton
Overall the embossing on the handbag is different and I like it. However, the bag should be flawless when it arrives, with no wrinkles. I will be returning the bag after I test it out for a few days. The overall design of the bag is different for Dooney and Bourke and I can see it being very popular. If a Dooney and Bourke representation is reading this, please find out why some of the bags are wrinkled during the manufacturing process. The bag is not $5,000, but it doesn’t need to be. It still should be in pristine condition when it gets to the customer.
If you have this bag, please let me know if your’s arrived in perfect condition or it was wrinkled as well. I would like to know if mine was a rarity or if this is a more common problem.
You have always been a very spiritual person who likes to connect with their mind and body on a regular basis. Whether you’re taking ten minutes out of your day to meditate or you’re choosing fashion accessories that make you feel calm. If you are looking to reconnect, then there are a few healthy upgrades you can make to your life right now. You are always looking for ways to live a healthier lifestyle overall and the following ideas might just be your ticket to a calmer and more confident life.
Find Your Fashion Sense If you have never been confident in the way you dress, then now would be the perfect time to change that. Dressing elegantly is very important to you so you want to find unique pieces that make you feel truly sophisticated. If you’re looking for wardrobe inspiration check this out; you will find a ton of outfit ideas to suit your personality. Whether you’re looking for a long flowing maxi dress or some tailored trousers to use as a staple, you will soon find everything you need.
Meditate and Exercise You should never underestimate the power of meditation and exercise. Spending just ten minutes a day focusing on your breathing can relieve so many of your stresses and strains without you even realizing. Similarly, you should aim to get outside at least once everyday for just twenty minutes of exercise. Whether you’re taking a brisk walk in the park or heading to a dance class with friends, moving your body will always make you feel reconnected.
Enjoy Much Needed ‘Me Time’ It can be very easy to lose yourself amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, so time out is incredibly important. If you can master the art of ‘me time’, you will feel so much calmer every day. Whether you take ten minutes to read your favourite book, enjoy a hot bubble bath or drink a soothing cup of tea, these relaxing activities will make you feel much more connected to your mind and body.
Savour Every Special Moment in Life It can be very easy to bury your head into a mobile phone or computer in this world. Everybody in this day and age could do with being a little bit more present in day to day life. Instead of scrolling through social media on a train journey, sit back and take in the beautiful world around you. Savour every special moment in your life and you will soon feel more connected to your mind and body.
When you’re feeling lost or disconnected from yourself or God, it’s time to re-evaluate the important things in life. Take some much needed time out to write down all the things you are grateful for in your life and you will soon feel much more empowered. Do whatever you can to instil peace and serenity into your day to day life, whether you’re dressing elegantly or enjoying some much needed time to yourself. Find your own unique ways to reconnect with your mind and body and you will feel calmer than ever going forward.
As much as we don’t want it to, money does control a lot of things in our lives. It’s much easier to spend the money than it is to save it and when we’re adults, we spend our money carelessly because we don’t have any responsibilities. However, you do get to a point in your life where at some point, you’ll need to think about putting some money towards your future. If you’re a spendaholic, then here are some top tips on how to save your money.
Transfer Into An Account You Can’t Touch We all have payments that must be made, like taxes, rent or mortgage payments and these are expenses that leave our accounts automatically, and we really don’t have a choice in stopping them. So with this in mind, set an amount that you could take away without making life difficult. It doesn’t matter if it’s a few dollars, ten or more because it’ll all add up eventually. Now open an account wherein you cannot touch the money until a certain time frame has passed and credit that account with that set amount of money either daily, weekly or monthly. Having little access to it means you won’t be able to remove it without consequences and it’ll eventually just be another expense you have to cater in like your taxes. You can also use acompound interest calculator to determine the future balance of your savings.
Cut Back On The Luxuries
Giving ourselves a treat every once in a while is a great way of praising yourself and giving yourself credit for something you’ve done or achieved at that moment. However, materialistic things can become quite addictive, and it’s important to keep a reign on these luxuries so that you don’t end up spending beyond your means and therefore get used to a lifestyle that you simply cannot afford at this present time. Luxuries are anything that isn’t household bills, medical prescriptions, and groceries. So, count any extras like a hefty phone contract or gym membership as a luxury and find ways to cut back on some luxuries each month. Ask yourself if you need it, rather than want it and whether it’ll be used or bring you more joy in your life.
Set Yourself A Goal Or Two
We can benefit from goal setting because it provides that motivation needed to be successful. There’s a lot of gratification that can come from achieving a goal, so when it comes to your finances, setting goals can help avoid falling off the saving wagon. Don’t set unrealistic goals because this will de-motivate you and will reduce the chances of you saving any money at all. Make a daily, weekly or monthly goal and don’t forget to set some big goals for the year. These little goals that you hit will help go toward your bigger targets. Start small and then go bigger!
Ask yourself what you want to save money towards too. You might have just gotten engaged or have plans to buy your first property. Having a reason for your goals will only encourage you to commit to saving.
Build Up An Emergency Fund An emergency fundis great for those blips that occur in life. They are normally unexpected, and some can be a financial nightmare. That’s where your emergency fund comes in. An emergency fund should be used in the event of an emergency where you cannot supply the funds from your current savings or on a credit card. Having this fund is going to ease some of that worry and pressure when owning your first home or paying for a wedding. You’ll know that you have a bit of a safety net to fall back on should you need it.
Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself Saving can be difficult, so it’s important not to be too hard on yourself. Reward yourself whenever you’ve reached a milestone and don’t feel guilty when you spend money on something you really needed and wanted. At the end of the day, you’ve worked hard to earn the money you’ve got so there shouldn’t be any guilt in treating yourself. Always assess your savings too as there will be times where you may be able to save more or have to reduce your saving amount.
As you start to save money, it may be tough, to begin with but it will usually get easier and it’ll eventually turn into a habit that you don’t even notice! So start saving your money today so that the future is a little less bumpy and your finances are healthier.
My team and I wanted to thank each and everyone who entered JT’s Valentine’s Day Giveaway. You just don’t know how good it makes us feel to offer a giveaway. The Dooney and Bourke Patterson Leather Paige Sac with a matching Continental Clutch was a different choice for us because we wanted to offer something different. The Azure blue reminded me of the ocean and we wanted to make sure it was a giveaway that you could use right now and into spring and summer. The giveaway ran from February 10 through February 24th at 11:59pm.
The winner chosen through Random.org is Sally G.! Everyone of the Elegant Lovelies have been so gracious and congratulating Sally G. Again thank you for entering and you never know when a giveaway may come up or what it may be.
Blessings and Thank you for being a part of our community.
Sometimes, it’s as little as the beginning of a new year or a new season that make us want to take a bit better care of our health. Other times, however, we need a major wake up call in order to change our habits – but, as long as you’re able to focus on the road ahead, your chances of changing your ways are quite high.
Getting rid of bad habits and leading a much healthier life than you used to can be a challenge, though, and make people before you have fallen back into their old ways despite a former health scare. Here is a handful of ways to make sure that you’re able to stick to your goals and keep your eyes on the price. It just makes it a bit easier to stay positive and happy about the future.
First: Replacing your bad habits You won’t be able to quit a bad habit unless you have something to fill the void with; it’s that simple. While some people encourage you to have a glass of water every time you feel like having a cigarette, for example, a bigger lifestyle change is in order to make you turn away from your harmful habits.
Focus on exercise, for example, and join a jogging team in order to improve your health. It will feel almost impossible, to begin with, but sooner or later you’ll crave that dopamine that a good run gives and you certainly don’t want to ruin your lungs by having a cigarette either.
You can have a look at Inspire in case you’re a cancer survivor to find just a bit more inspiration and encouragement.
Next: Start a healthy routine Sure, a good run now and then might make you feel like you’re heading somewhere – but, unless you manage to stick with it, you’ll quickly fall back into your old ways. A great way to ensure that you’re keeping track of your effort and get a sense of reward from your hard work is to keep a health diary.
Start by tracking what you eat, for example, as well as the hours you put into exercising and make a habit out of writing down your mood as well. How does it make you feel, where do you think you’ll be able to be in a few weeks from now, and how can you encourage yourself in the future?
Remember to reward yourself This brings us to our final point; rewarding yourself after a good exercise, a proper portion of self-control or a day free of sugar is going to help you a lot along the way. Don’t be afraid to use food as an encouragement, by the way, unless you’re trying to lose weight, of course.
If this is the case, you might want to take yourself out on a shopping trip, tap yourself a nice and long bath, and just turn off the outside world for a bit. Every bit of reward and encouragement is going to tune your brain into preferring your new and healthy habits so keep up the good work.
I also reviewed the Dooney and Bourke Beacon Woven Embossed Beacon Leather Satchel on my Youtube Channel. You can watch it here.
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