Monday, November 25, 2013

Happy Belated Birthday to Me!

Normally, I buy my birthday present to myself way in advance and have to wait weeks, even months, to open it.  It didn't happen that way this year.

After reading a brief mention about Celine bags in Vanity Fair this summer, I decided to buy a Celine bag.  I didn't know any of the style names, but I'd heard the name "Phantom", so I just moseyed on over to Barneys and asked the 1st sales associate who approached me for a "Phantom".  The SA showed me a gorgeous slouchy black leather top-handle bag.  It was the beautiful bag that matched the picture in Vanity Fair.  Then the SA showed me another bag that looked very similar to the Phantom.  I told her I thought it was the same bag, but she shook her head and showed me the inside.  It turned out that the 2nd bag was a Luggage.  I couldn't decided, but I liked the Phantom more, and the SA pushed for me to buy it, but I just couldn't at the time.  I had to go home and think.

The following week, I went into a Celine boutique for the 1st time.  It was a very sleek minimalist space.  A very nice red-haired SA offered to help and showed me the slouchy black Phantom.  I wanted it, but I couldn't bring myself to buy it.  I went back another 2 times, and the SA was so gracious and helpful every time, even getting other SAs to help other customers who approached her.  I gravitated toward the black smooth-leather Phantom each time, but just couldn't bring myself to buy it again and again.  I then came across a tabloid with a picture of Reese Witherspoon with an orage (grayish blue) Luggage tote and thought it was the bag for me.  I went back to Celine and bought one, happy to do so so that the SA would finally get the sale she deserved.

I took it home and was...underwhelmed.  I thought it would wow me and make me scream, but it didn't.  I took it back to the store 3 days later and got a store credit.  I asked for the black Phantom, but was told they were currently sold out and would call when more stock arrived.  Lesson learned.  Buy only if you're over the moon, especially a Celine bag, cuz those ain't cheap!

So here I was with a $2800+ Celine credit sitting in my wallet for over a month.  After work on Saturday, I headed back to the Rodeo Drive boutique to see if I could finally find something to spend my credit on.  It was on a shelf...there was my birthday present!  My SA came out of the back and immediately brought her to me.  I also asked to see the regular black smooth-leather Phantom, the same one I'd looked at before.  It turned out that there was a recent price increase, so it was $400 more this time.  I nearly kicked myself.  Why, oh why did I pass it up just 2 months earlier?  But I needn't have fretted.  I decided to go with the 1st bag I saw in the store on Saturday that took my breath away.  I needed to see it only once to know she had to be mine.  So...without further ado...here is...my medium black croc-stamped Phantom!


And since: a) I was in the area; b) there was a limited-edition salty caramel cupcake they'd stop selling at the end of this month; c) their cupcakes are just yummy, period; and d) I was celebrating my birthday, I stopped by Sprinkles after my shopping trip.  Like I needed a sugar high!  I was already on cloud 9!

And finally, here's a modeling pic.  I'm wearing it with my burgundy "Smile" sweatshirt from the Isabel Marant pour H&M kids collection.  I love this collection, and this sweatshirt is so perfect cuz it allows me to still express my "California casual" style but still not look ratty:

I apologize for the dirty bathroom mirror.  I didn't even notice it until after I saw the pictures uploaded lol

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