Author Archives: Krista Mckinney

Designer Handbags – And Me


Posted by Krista Mckinney

I’ve decided that I’ve got an almost uncontrollable urge to buy designer purses. I came to this conclusion a few weeks ago, whilst I was out looking for wedding jewelry. The order of that particular day was to find a pair of discount diamond rings, which went a bit astray judging on the fact that I came back home with:

Designer purses - Marc Jacobs purse

Cool huh? I know that it wasn’t until I got home that I realized what I’d done. Somehow my inability to ignore a great looking purse meant that I came home empty handed – and yet I’d still spent a few hundred bucks.

I know that when I sat down and thought about it (afterward), I determined (quite rightly … ) that if I didn’t avoid buying something (i.e. controlled myself when I saw a nice shiny purse!) that wasn’t on my shopping list then I was going to need  a bit more than a couple of discount diamond rings … I was probably going to need a couple of diamond rings given to me for nothing!

Yummy ... anyone got a couple of discount diamond rings going REALLY cheap?!

Obviously that’s a highly unlikely scenario so I will just have to reign in my expensive addiction. Or maybe I should start looking for designer handbag coupons and deals. I’ve seen them in magazines and on some websites I’ve landed on in the past, and one or two have been pretty attractive. My biggest problem is that I tend to like the new designs, and the deals are usually for end of season stock.

I must resist ... even if I can afford the price ...

Still, nothing ventured nothing gained and as I’m already kinda left watching my budget in the first place (hence the discount diamond rings) then it stands to reason that spending my money a little wiser is indeed the best way forward. I know that most women have the same leaning towards buying new purses … shoes … clothes, and that no matter what, it’s something that most of us will keep right on doing.

Perhaps if the financial crisis ‘thing’ would right itself and things could get back to normal, then maybe me and others like me can go back to our irresponsible attitude towards buying ‘stuff’ that we know we don’t really need but … like a kid in a candy shop – we just can’t resist!


Louis Vuitton – A Trip To The Store


Posted by Krista Mckinney

There is something about visiting a Louis Vuitton outlet store that’s kinda mind-blowing. If you love fashion and designer trends then there is absolutely every need for you to find the time to plan a trip to at least one store at some point. Due to my job (I’m a stylist for a world famous fashion magazine) I get to not only see quite a few designer stores on my travels, I even get to meet the designers themselves!

Louis Vuitton - designing for almost 160 years!

Having been lucky enough to visit more then one Louis Vuitton store, I have to say that my favorite has been the time I was over in London and I got the chance to visit the one that’s to be found on New Bond Street. Just to digress – if you’re looking for an outlet in the UK and you (like many others around the world) don’t realize that Louis Vuitton do indeed have ‘outlets’ then click here for the address for the London store (and check your speakers are turned down – there’s music!).

Louis Vuitton - New Bond Street             Interior

The store itself stock a full range of LV products – from purses to shoes, accessories to clothing and much much more. The doors were first opened back in May of 2010, and the store has been a massive hit from the outset. Beautifully designed, the store oozes the luxury and class that we have come to expect from this world famous brand name.

Louis Vuitton - accessories            Louis Vuitton - ready-to-wear menswear

From the minute that you step through the front doors, you feel as though you’ve been transported away into a world filled with rare works of art and utter decadence. From the tasteful décor to the opulence and obvious art-de-vivre – that’s very much a signature of Louis Vuitton – you know that you’re about to undergo an experience, rather than just another humdrum visit to a local store.

Louis Vuitton purses   

The staff are almost like the products on sale – beautiful, classy, there … and the whole ambience is one of ‘welcome, come in, do take your time’. Of course all of this is not relegated to the London outlet alone – you’ll find a similar environment at any of the Louis Vuitton stores that are currently dotted around the globe.

If you love high-end fashion, if you appreciate art in the form of fashion, then a trip to of of these stores will definitely (for you at least) be de rigueur – don’t pass up the opportunity should one present itself!


Relieving Back Pain Caused by Heavy Purses


Posted by Krista Mckinney

Let’s be honest – my back hurts all the time when I bring my ‘big’ handbags with me.  Yes, I know that the best option would probably be to just bring the little cute ones that I own, but I have a problem – I now have to bring tons of stuff for my baby (wet wipes, diapers, food, bottles, snacks, etc.).  There is no way I’m fitting that into my little mini purse.  However, fortunately, I have found a way to relieve my back pain and enable me to wear whichever purse I would like – using an inversion table.

Recently, I purchase an Elite Fitness inversion table, and I love it!  How it works is simple:

When I wake up in the morning (and before the kids are awake of course), I hang inverted for 5-10 minutes while I watch the news.  This starts my day off right and loosens me up so I don’t start with any back pain.  Then I load up my big purse and head out for the day!  Then, later in the day before I go to bed I hang for another 5-10 minutes to relieve any stress that has built up on my back throughout the day.  I also hang for a few minutes during the day if I need to (as in, if my purse really wacks me out of place).

So, hopefully this little tip helps you to!