Turquoise is one of the “it” colours this season, so if you fancy a turquoise handbag, stock up in the next six months. But turquoise is not the only option in blue handbags. Think cobalt, teal, ink blue and royal blue as well. Dark blue bags look great with jeans because they pick up the colour of denim. Bright turquoise bags look fabulous with white, apple green, yellow, rich purple, coral and tomato red. Teal bags look amazing with muted reds, chartreuse, dark purple and earth tones.

I have a three year old, dark cobalt blue patent snake skin handbag which I like to wear with black, white and turquoise ensembles. But really, as long as I wear dark blue jeans or a denim jacket, my blue bag works with the outfit.  It took me a little while to get used to pairing a dark blue bag with outfits, but as soon as I got my head around it I was smitten with the look. In many instances, my dark blue handbag has become my “black” bag.

The addition of a new handbag makes existing outfits look and feel new. The power of accessories knows no bounds. So who’s liking the idea of a blue hued handbag?

I’m more conservative than the wash care labels in jeans suggest, because I’m convinced that caring for my jeans keeps them looking better for longer. At premium denim prices you want those jeans to last forever, so it’s worth the extra bit of effort.

So I am absolutely religious about how I care for our jeans! I turn them inside out and wash them in cold water with mild detergent. I take them out of the washing machine and turn them back out. While damp, I clip the waistbands onto clip hangers and hang them in an empty wardrobe in the guest room to air dry. (We live in a small house that doesn’t have a laundry room, which is why our laundry ends up drying on hangers in the guest room cupboard).

I NEVER put wet or damp jeans in the tumble drier, even though washing instructions insist that you can tumble dry them on low heat for any length of time. Even with as little as 1% stretch, tumble dryers have unfavourable effects on denim. The heat first causes the lycra to contract (which is why our jeans feel tight after we’ve tumble dried them), and then subsequently to lose its elasticity completely (causing our jeans to “grow”). In my experience, if you tumble-dry your jeans, their fit will never be the same again.

It takes a day or two for jeans to air dry, leaving them crunchy, hard and wrinkled. The ideal solution is to iron them back to their original soft and smooth state. But like most people, I loathe ironing and avoid it all costs. I’ve found that if I put clean, air-dried jeans into the dryer on low heat for two minutes, they come out soft, wrinkle free and don’t bag out when we wear them. I shake them out, fold them neatly onto a hanger and put them back into our wardrobe. No ironing and no harmful tumble drying effects.

I’ve been caring for jeans in this way for years and years and am very satisfied with how our old jeans (6 years plus) have weathered the effects of this laundry process. How do you care for your jeans ?

Arty and eloquent New Jersey native and ex-Manhattan resident Maya is going to tell you all about her festive YLF birthday gathering in NYC last week. Maya has been reading YLF since 2006, which makes her one of our longest supporters. This is her third guest post and I’m sure there will be many more! Maya, thanks for your loyal support, and I’m glad that you had a special birthday celebration.

After a brutal winter, signs of spring are finally popping up in New York. Ice cream trucks are back on the street, store windows are full of florals and light hues, crowds are flooding Washington Square, and shop owners are leaving their doors open. This usually doesn’t happen until later in the season, but lucky for me, it happened just in time for my 26th birthday, when YLF forum members Shana April, Medusa, and Debora joined me for a celebration. Medusa’s boyfriend and Debora’s daughter accompanied us and the day was a resounding success!

We began the day with brunch at a French cafe, fueling our bodies for the shopping that lay ahead. It took no time at all for everyone to relax and enjoy getting to know more about each other. We chatted about everything from the forum to our families and friends, jobs, and so much more. There was not a dull or awkward moment to speak of, much like on the forum.

After the check had been paid and I was about to put on my coat, Debora pulled out a tiny black and white gift bag from under the table and handed it to me, explaining that everyone pitched in to get me a birthday present. As silly as it may sound, I was actually surprised to get a gift for my birthday! I just assumed the gathering itself was my birthday gift. Needless to say, I hadn’t done any speculating as to what they might get for me. Looking at the size of the bag, I couldn’t imagine what was inside. A necklace? Oh no, it’s not a belt is it?

I removed the tissue paper to find a card (that appropriately acknowledged my love of cats), and inside the card was another card: more specifically, a Zappos gift card! Few people outside of YLF could appreciate what this means to me. I have extremely fussy feet and comfortable, stylish shoes are the hardest thing for me to shop for on my budget. To me, this gift card was so much more than just its cash value. It truly represented the generous, considerate, and helpful nature of the YLF community.

After I thanked everyone a hundred times and we bid our goodbyes to April, who had to get back to her son, we grabbed the next train to Soho to hit the shops. The beautiful weather meant that the shopping crowds were even more intense than usual, but we persevered.

The stores we saw were dominated by the pale spring color palette, which didn’t particularly enthuse any of us, but we managed to find some treasures anyway. Medusa found a nautical striped top at Zara, Shana and I both scored denim leggings at Uniqlo, I finally bought a pleather moto jacket I had been eyeing at H&M, and Medusa’s boyfriend found a bigger haul than all of us girls combined! It will probably be the first and last time that I witness a single man out-shop five women. At Banana Republic, Medusa and I tried on the Martin skinny pant, which would work perfectly as part of my creative business casual wardrobe, but the $90 price tag forced me to look away. Happily, Shana shared a 40% coupon with me, so hopefully soon they will be mine!

As the crowds grew more intense, we decided it was time to sit and relax. Debora’s daughter led us to a tiny and cozy cafe where we concluded the day with brownies, pudding, tea, and great conversation. By the day’s end, I felt as though I had just finished meeting with friends who I had known my whole life. I had such a blast spending the day with all of you, and couldn’t have asked for a better birthday celebration! I look forward to many more New York YLF gatherings in the future!

In case you’re wondering, the Zappos card went towards a pair of Pikolinos that I have been drooling over for months. Every time I wear them and look down at my toes, I smile. Thank you for giving them a place in my closet, ladies, and thank you Angie and Greg for creating such a loving community!

Congratulations Eve from Boston! The random number generator chose you as the winner of the $100 accessory gift coupon from Outfit Additions. Please contact me to arrange the receipt of your voucher. Enjoy your new goodies!