Work Totes Worth the Splurge

Carrying a laptop to work everyday can be a total pain and on top of that, most work bags aren't very glamorous. (I even considered a backpack!) So, when a friend asked for help finding a good "go-to" bag that would work both for the office and beyond, I started thinking about what makes a good carry-all.  In my mind, the perfect "work bag" is one that looks and feels like a handbag, but can also fit a laptop and other day-to-day essentials.    Here are my current picks for stylish work bags that are worth a bit of a splurge: 

1. Black Radley London Earlsfield Work Tote  ($398)  

2. Red Lodis Audrey Zip Top Tote Bag ($255)

3. Tory Burch Mae Leather & Suede Tote Bag ($695)

4. Maxmara Tan Tote ($845)

5. Marc by Marc Jacobs Lady Army Green Leather Tote Bag ($455)

6. Kate SpadeBlack Vanston Maryclare Tote ($525) 

Cute Art from Paint Chips

I've been following Jessica who blogs at How About Orange for at least a year now, and she always has fun projects and "How To's."   Her most recent one was so simple and cute that I had to share.

She showed how to take these:  

And make this darling little aret piece:

All she did was cut the paint chips into triangles, arrange them in a pattern she liked and pop it in a frame.  (read the full How About Orange "how to" here)

This would totally work with any colored paper, but I love the texture  and saturation of the paint chips!

(I take no credit for the idea or photos.  This is all re-posted from How About Orange. I just loved it and had to share!)

West Elm Takes a Cue from Anthropologie

I just had to share... You know I love colorful dishes, and these new West Elm dishes are the latest on my wish list. (I actually need to pick up some coffee/tea mugs, but I'm having decision anxiety.)

They remind me of this set that I have had my eye on at Anthropogie.  I love the price point at West Elm so I'm hoping this is a sign that they will be coming out with more fun and colorful decor items. 

Quick and Tasty Asian Summer Slaw

During the week, I'm a huge fan of one-dish dinners.  In the summer, this means a lot of chopped salads.  I'm in love with peanut sauce, so  when I saw this recipe that combines peanut sauce and fresh veggies,  I knew it would be perfect.

By replacing the home-made dressing with a similar Trader Joe's version that I had in the fridge, and making a few adjustments I was able to whip this up in 15 minutes without a major trip to the grocery store.

Here is the adapted recipe that I used:

Asian Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing

1-2 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups chopped spinach

1 cups shredded carrots (I bought the pre-shredded version because I don't have a food processor)

1 red pepper, thinly sliced into bite size pieces

1 cup edamame (I quickly boiled the frozen Trader Joe's version)

1 cucumber, thinly sliced into bite size pieces

2 medium scallions, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cooked chicken breast (A great way to use leftovers, mine was teriyaki)

Red pepper flakes and salt (to taste)

Dressing:  I used Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette but if you want to make your own,  this recipe is also delicious.

Directions:  Add everything to a bowl and toss.   This is the type of salad/slaw that gets better when everything soaks in the dressing so don't hesitate to toss ahead of time.  

Enjoy!

P.S.  Thanks for reading!  If you  want to stay up on my posts you can subscribe to the RSS feed here or with bloglovin here.

Top 5 Designer iPad Cases (That Double as Clutches)

 When I bought my iPad, I picked up a sunny orange case from Apple. However, in recent travels I noticed that while it does a great job of protecting the screen,  my iPad could use a little bit more protection when I toss it in my carry on.  In shopping around,  I've noticed a bunch of cases are pretty enough that I would happily carry them out as a purse or clutch too! Plus given their prices,  I would feel better getting double use out of them.

Here are the top 5 cases/clutches that I'm currently coveting:

1.  Capulet London "Alison" leather clutch ($340)  - I love the beautiful color of this calfskin leather!

2.  J.J. Boyles "Penny Loafer" leather iPad case in antique brown ($185) - The darling shoe inspired details make this a bit whimsical, but it's still classic enough to carry every day.

3. Marc Jacobs quilted leather iPad bag ($495) - With the look of classic Chanel,  this chain strap would make it as easy to pull out this bag for an evening out as it would be to throw in your carry on.

 4. Beyza Red Leather iPad Sleeve ($117)  - This would be the perfect pop of color to a simple black and white outfit. (or if you don't like red, it comes in black and tan too)

5. Michael Michael Kors "snake effect" leather iPad case ($130)- This snake skin clutch is for one glamorous techie :)

 

Bonus:  This Yves Saint Laurent case is stunning, but at double the price of an iPad ($795)  I'm not sure it's worth the investment.