The other night The Purse Forum seemed to have some problems. I know many of you emailed us and tried to see if we mentioned anything on Purse Blog. Whatever the kink was, it appears to be fixed. Please do email us if you are still having problems. Sorry for the down time, but we look forward to spending more of 2008 with you all!

This past holiday season I gifted many clutches to my friends and relatives. Clutches are the perfect gift to give to just about any girl. Throw a great lipstick in and you have a bag that is ready to be taken out. For many of my friends that are still into the bar scene, I opted for a bag which would look cute and provide perfect usability. My sister received five handbags from me; one of them being the Marc by Marc Jacobs Lovely Zip Clutch which is perfect for happy hour after work. Most of us have been to a bar (I went to one of the largest universities in the country, I know bars very well by now) and have seen the sticky bar tops. Not only have we all seen the dirty bar top, but we have leaned on it, put our elbow in it, spilled on it, heck, even slept face first in it. So between the bar top and the spilled drinks, you never wear your nicest outfit to the bar and you never carry your nicest bag. This Marc Jacobs clutch is perfect for a bar; it is cheap, it is cute, and it will hold the essentials for a night out. I picked rose for my sister, which offers a nice pop of color, and is offset nicely with white topstitching and silver hardware. There is a logo plate detail on the front that breaks up the clutch and a touch of gathering on the leather. I patted myself on the back for this pick, it is perfect for the gal who loves to go to the bars or good for a younger gal who wants to begin a collection. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $188.

For 2008, I’ll be periodically reporting on interesting/exciting discussions that spark up on the Purse Forum. It’s a very diverse and active place, this forum of ours, a fantastic & friendly community of handbag enthusiasts from all around the world.

This week, Voodoo wants to see your Christmas loot. This thread discusses what bag will most likely be the new ‘IT’ bag for the upcoming year. The tPF Balenciaga Inventory is growing like mad, the BalLadies so mean serious business!

The Your Chanel In Action thread in the Chanel Forum is also going strong, it is a fantastic visual reference for any Chanel bag lover.

In Hermes, ilovemylife asks the community for help on what to wear for the day. A visual feast for Hermes lovers. I can see why she loves her life!

With over 56,000 replies and over 3/4 of a million views, the Authenticate This Louis Vuitton thread is the busiest on the whole Purse Forum, by far. It is undoubtedly the #1 destination for answers for your authenticity questions.

With over 210,000 ongoing and past discussions, the Purse Forum is the most active handbag community on the Internet. Register today if you haven’t and join the fun!

The post-Christmas period loves markdowns like fat kid loves cake. Merchants are pushing off the season’s stock at marginal profits to make room for the next season’s goods. Our British friends at Net-A-Porter have countless high-end designer handbags up for grabs at up to 60% off retail price. When is the best time to shop big than now? The goodies fly off the shelves at light speed, smart shoppers hang out on the Purse Forum to learn about the ongoing sales first.

A few of our favorites:

Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Shoulder Bag WAS: $2,380.00 NOW: $1,666.00 (30% OFF) LINK

Chloe Paddington Large Tote WAS: $2,065.00 NOW: $1,239.00 (40% OFF) LINK

VBH Manila Velvet Clutch WAS: $690.00 NOW: $483.00 (30% OFF) LINK

Check out the NAP sale for many more fabulous bags, clothes and shoes available for 30-60% off.

The prices keep dropping and the sales keep moving. Act quick before an item you have been eyeing is gone! Bergdorf Goodman has got in on the sale action and has marked many items up to 50% off. There are a few great handbags left, but the clothing selection is even better. Go shop the BG Sale now!

From left to right:
Bottega Veneta Metallic Knotted Clutch. Was: $7,700.00 | NOW: $4,312.00
Prada Cervo Flat Hobo. Was: $1,510.00 | NOW: $846.00
Gryson Laura Tote. Was: $895.00 | NOW: $627.00

Today and the rest of this week, Vlad and I will be bringing you many after Christmas/Holiday sales. After the build up of opening your presents, there is still a way to get your fix, shop the sales! I use my gift cards towards the sales to snag great deals, and there are many great deals to be had! First, we must tell you about the Neiman Marcus after Christmas Sale. Right now Neiman Marcus has sliced an additional 25% off already reduced items! The sale ends 1/4/08 at 8 am CT. There is no better way to spend the days after the holidays than saving money shopping online and spending time with family and friends.

There is a lot going on with this clutch. Not only is there a brown and white zebra print pattern, but the material is ponyskin. And Choo has added another dimension with the gray watersnake trim that seems to have a bit of a glimmer and shine to it. The Marin clutch has been a huge hit for Jimmy Choo, but is the Jimmy Choo Marin Zebra Clutch fab or drab? This is the oversized version, which if you don’t realize it, is huge. The dimensions are 14.5″ W x 9″ H. While NAP shows this with a moo moo-esque dress (better known as a Temperley London kaftan), this clutch would look great with a very simple outfit; skinny jeans, white top, and sexy heels. Does the ponyskin/watersnake/zebra combo put this bag over the top for you in a good way or bad way? Available through Net A Porter for $1,875.

Fab or Drab?

See the clutch paired with a moo moo below!

If you think your gift receiving is over, think again. Not only are we offering three fabulous prizes for the month of December (really, amazing prizes!), two of our favorite sites have bags up for grab too. So after you sign up for our Candilicious Giveaway (sign up is easy, it only takes minutes to register on the forum then you can submit your entry!) make sure to check out fab giveaways from Fab Sugar and Bag Snob. Fab Sugar has the Zac Posen Abbey Satchel up for grabs. This bag is a great everyday bag and you simply need to register to be a member of Sugar sites to enter. And Bag Snob is giving away an exotic piece, the Nancy Gonzalez Turquoise Crocodile Tote. You simply need to register to win this funky and fun croc tote. Between these two bags, you can add a great essential to your growing bag collection!

Don’t forget to sign up for our fabulous Candilicious Giveaway! Our first place prize is the Chanel Classic Flap Bag ($2,350), second place is a $1000 gift certificate to Hayden Harnett, and third place is the Adriana Castro Crocodile Zippered Wallet in blue ($450).

Make sure to visit our sponsors: Hayden Harnett and Lux Couture!

Megs and I at the Purse Blog would like to wish you all Merry Christmas, we hope that all of our readers will enjoy this holiday with family and loved ones. May the Christmas tree be adorned with plentiful of shiny gifts, or even a pretty new bag, or two!

We’ll be continuing the regularly scheduled blog program in a few days and will be covering the post-Christmas sales from our favorite online shopping destinations.

Enjoy!

I am finally back in the states enjoying time with my family and attempting not to fall asleep randomly from jet lag. I made my lists, checked them twice, but still forgot a gift or two. The best answer to this is to avoid the lines in the stores today and order a virtual gift card. Both Neiman Marcus and Saks, who are two of my favorite department stores, offer virtual gift cards that can be delivered Christmas day. This is the best way in our virtual world to show someone you care! And gift cards are always great gifts, assuring the recipient will buy whatever suits their fancy. Check out these gift cards and make sure to order today so the cards can be delivered tomorrow!