Happy Halloween from the whole PurseBlog staff! Stay warm, safe and out of trouble! And don’t overdo the tasty treats like I did last night…

Last night’s Real Housewives of Atlanta Reunion wasn’t the rolling boil that we’re all used to from our motley crew of drama queens – it was more of a slow, fastidious burn that didn’t quite heat all the way up until the cooking was almost done.

Because I’m a blogger, I’m blessed/cursed with copious reading time that allows me to wander about the internet and find interesting tidbits of information about various and sundry reality TV stars that perhaps those with real jobs wouldn’t have the time to suss out. And, according to Kim’s ex-publicist’s Twitter account (lord, help me), our housewives were tight-lipped on purpose.

The rumor goes that Real Housewives of Atlanta is going into syndication, but that the cast is not going to receive any extra compensation from syndicated airings of the show. So they’re pissed, and they sat at the reunion for eight hours and were mostly civil and reasonable, in order to punish King Gay Andy Cohen and the rest of the folks at Bravo. So what did they reveal? I think you know where to click to answer that question.

I’m going to go slightly out of order now because I want to go ahead and address Kandi first – holy crap, I’ve ever heard someone describe the body of a dead loved one on broadcast television. The entire thing was so sad. You have to have a certain level of delusion and narcissism in order to be an effective Real Housewife, and Kandi might just be too normal and nice. At any rate, she spoke in a surprisingly candid and detailed way about her relationship, breakup, and AJ’s death, but I’m starting to feel like this show might eat her alive. Maybe it has already started.

But, before we spend too much time thinking about anything serious as it relates to the freakin’ Real Housewives, on to the traditional RHOA drama – financial issues, daddy issues, and Big Poppa. And also, did you see all the glorious tranny shoes that they were wearing? Amazing!

Lisa still isn’t pregnant, in case anyone cares about what’s going on with her uterus. She also danced around admitting whether or not her house was foreclosed upon, which is silly, because lying about things which are contained in legal documents that are available to the public is pointless. For whatever reason, a foreclosure happened. You can’t have that much pride and also be on reality TV, Lisa.

Speaking of housewives with foreclosed houses, the only things that were really said about Sheree were that her boobs are real and that she’s not a lesbian (apparently someone at The Daily Beast thinks she is. I’m going to have to start making non sequitur accusations about the housewives’ personal lives so that they’ll say my name on Bravo too. Dwight is the father of Nene’s younger son!) She didn’t even bight on a question about why she’s so narcissistic. To which the correct answer would have been, “Because you have to be in order to be on this stupid show.”

And then there was the fight between Kim and Nene that no one saw, which is now the fight that no one is talking about. Andy said that cameras weren’t there when it happened, but most of the accounts of the incident that I’ve read contradict that, so I’ll continue to wear my tin foil hat and say that it is all just a not-so-clever ruse designed to trick us.

The fact that they won’t say anything about it now only makes that seem more logical – they’re not smart enough to lie in tandem! Kim and Nene don’t have the collective brainpower to both lie convincingly about the same thing, and the Powers that Be at Bravo took a lesson from Balloon Boy’s parents and didn’t make them try. Life lesson: lying on TV is hard.

Suddenly, our housewives were demure and unwilling to dredge up old drama, which is not at all like we know them to be. We know them to be crazy hags. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. Even Kandi commented afterward on Watch What Happens Live that she thought the reunion was boring and that Kim and Nene had agreed beforehand to not comment about the fight. Conspiracy!

But they saved the best part for last in order to motivate all of us to watch next week (at which point I will have to watch and recap the reunion, the Real Housewives of OC premiere AND Project Runway in one night. Oy vey), and that was the Big Poppa update. Kim was no longer wearing her engagement ring (which we found out was eight carats) and Poppa is still married, so if you have two brain cells left to rub together after watching a whole season of this mess, then that’s probably not that surprising to you, I guess. And Kim said that they’re not together anymore, but then Andy outed her by revealing that Big Poppa himself had popped up during the break and kissed her in front of everyone. To which I say, again: pics or it didn’t happen.

But Kim admitted that she was probably making bad decisions and the other girls were relatively mum on the whole topic, one which almost caused a physical altercation at last season’s reunion, I’ll remind you. After watching the whole debacle twice, all I can say is this: the fix is in.

With so many handbags on the market, there are always options that can give you a look you love for less. Let’s face it, we don’t all have endless handbag budgets all the time. We have already given you a studded clutch option for less and a Chanel option for less. Now it is time to give you a Leather Hobo Look for Less.

As you know we are huge fans of YSL here at Purse Blog. I recently saw a leather hobo from YSL that was simply beautiful. The YSL Leather Hobo gives you a simple hobo shape, which is integral to your handbag wardrobe, in luxe taurillon leather (taurillion translates to bull-calf from French). The YSL Hobo features a 9″ drop, magnetic closure, and suede lining. Entirely effortless yet everyday usable. Price is $1595 via Saks.

If you love the look of the YSL hobo but do not feel like dishing out $1600, we have found a Look for Less. Bringing you a similar shape and size but a lesser price tag is the Hobo International Amelie Leather Hobo. Why did we pick this bag?

It also features butter leather, a soft and slouchy shape, and a single shoulder strap. The shoulder drop is 14″ versus 9″ from the YSL hobo. The lining is not suede like the YSL bag, rather cotton/rayon lining. But I will not gripe about the lining when the price is 1/6th of the price of the YSL hobo.

If you want to nab the YSL hobo look for less, grab this Hobo International bag via Saks for $268.

Get your sparkle on this fall. It seems Swarovski crystals are one of the fiercest trends of the season. With the influence of Swarovski crystals by Balmain on everything from boots, to handbags and jeans, the tiny bits of Austrian sparkle are not just for jewelry any more. We love a bit of glitz now and then and all taken in moderation.

Beginning with a touch of Swarovski on our favorite jeans. Take your ordinary denim to the next level of luxury with True Religion ‘Julie – Disco Big T’ Skinny Stretch Jeans, (upper left, $297.00 at Nordstrom.com). These are not your everyday skinnies; they are adorned with while black-colored Swarovski crystal buttons. The dark crystal buttons on the front and back add just the right hint of subtle chic to these rocker glam inspired jeans. Balmain’s Leo Swarovski crystal bag (upper right, $2,920 at Net-a-Porter) sports a Swarovski crystal animal-print pattern as well as silver tone hardware and a fold over flap. This bag is definitely a statement maker, especially if worn with a moto jacket and skinny black jeans. Next up are Giuseppe Zanotti’s Swarovski-embellished sandals, (middle right, $1,150 at Net-a-Porter). These sandals are spooky and sparkly at the same time, the perfect shoe for a glamorous Halloween ball. Paint your toes with Chanel Vernis Black Satin to complete the sinister look. The sparkly and sweet Chloe Bow Clutch (bottom right, $1,095.00 at MadisonLosAngeles.com) features just the right amount of crystal embellishment upon an oversized bow. Inside is a small patch pocket. Lastly, Judith Leiber’s Snowy Owl (bottom left, $3,800.00 at RobertsFineShoes.com) is creepy cute as well. I’m not a fan of these animal themed bags, but it could be just the right accent to your favorite Little Black Dress.

Back in June, we found out that Jimmy Choo was going to be releasing a line this fall in conjunction with Elton John’s AIDS charity, and now the first vestiges of that limited edition line are making their way to market for pre-order. Everything from flip-flops to clutches will be available, but the centerpiece of the effort is the Jimmy Choo Project PEP Glazed Canvas Tote.

Just as they said it would, the bag’s pattern includes a mishmash of symbols from the Choo design lexicon – studding, eyelet, the British flag, animal print. The overall feeling is slightly punk but still high end, just like what they appear to be going for lately. It’d be a great bag for casual weekend use or for bad weather since the canvas is glazed.

The best part of the bag, though, is the big charitable contribution that it will make – 25% of the net sales from the Project PEP line will go to the Simelela Rape Center in South Africa, which provides anti-HIV medication and healthcare to rape victims. Nearly $250 will be donated for every one of these totes that is sold. Buy through Nordstrom for $995.

A couple weeks ago we launched a fabulous giveaway with the wonderful Katherine Kwei. If you haven’t already done so, make sure to head over to the original post HERE and enter to win! This giveaway ends tomorrow, October 30th at 5pm EST so act fast!

If you aren’t familiar with Katherine Kwei designs, make sure to check out this bag and all of its handmade intricate detailing. Celebs like Eva Longoria have been fans for years! Once you’ve seen one of these bags, you are bound to never forget them.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

I’ve never been a Tod’s, by and large. I’m sure that their bags are well-made, but they always seemed to be lacking in the design department, and for that kind of money, I want a bit of visual flair with my perfect construction.

And in the Tod’s Ribbed Leather Bag, I may have found it – this is easily my favorite of their bags in quite a long while, if not ever.

The ribbed leather reminds me of Louis Vuitton epi, except for slightly softer and slouchier. Which is to say: slightly more awesome. The shape is also great – slightly triangular and with handles that would allow it to be either arm or shoulder carried, depending on your preference.

The thing that really makes the bag, though, is the closure strap over the center. Indeed, its boldness and studded facade are not something that you’d normally expect from the brand, but that’s what makes me like it. Instead of blending into the background unnoticed, this bag would be an equal part of any outfit, and that’s exactly what I want in a bag. Buy through Bluefly for $1316.

I know some of you are already familiar with the online retail store, Portero. It is a great resource for authentic, pre-owned handbags and accessories. In fact, we’ve been working with Portero lately and come to find out, there are several available items at a given time that have actually never even been used, yet you still can grab it at the discounted price!

Well, today, Portero is offering an additional 10% off Louis Vuitton Handbags & Accessories. With this additional 10% off, potentially you could snag a new LV for 70% off! This sale begins today at Noon EST and ends at 5pm EST. So head over and start shopping! Make sure to enter promo code: PURSEF at checkout! And of course, don’t forget to come back and share all the great items you picked up!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Do any of you guys watch Dexter? I’m utterly obsessed with it. I can’t recap it because it’s not at all fashioned-related, but if I could, I would. Also, I would marry Dexter and I wouldn’t be nearly as annoying and self-righteous as that a-hole Rita. Ahem.

I also really love the aesthetic that they have for their advertising and promotional materials – a bit minimalist, a bit comic book, a bit blood-spattered macabre – and when I saw the Giuseppe Zanotti Red Sequin Clutch, I couldn’t help but be reminded of America’s favorite serial killer.

For the uninitiated, Dexter is a killer than only kills other killers, and his day job is as a blood spatter analyst at the Miami Metro police department. The red-on-white, scattered visual that this sequin clutch creates remind me a lot of the blood spatter pictures that you see throughout the the series, although I’m sure that that probably wasn’t the inspiration for this clutch.

It’s merely a coincidence, but it makes me like this clutch a lot more than I probably would otherwise. It would be the perfect thing to wear to a Dexter-themed party, were you to have hundreds of extra dollars sitting around to spend on your themed outfit. Buy through BlueFly for $712.

Do any of you guys watch Dexter? I’m utterly obsessed with it. I can’t recap it because it’s not at all fashioned-related, but if I could, I would. Also, I would marry Dexter and I wouldn’t be nearly as annoying and self-righteous as that a-hole Rita. Ahem.

I also really love the aesthetic that they have for their advertising and promotional materials – a bit minimalist, a bit comic book, a bit blood-spattered macabre – and when I saw the Giuseppe Zanotti Red Sequin Clutch, I couldn’t help but be reminded of America’s favorite serial killer.

For the uninitiated, Dexter is a killer than only kills other killers, and his day job is as a blood spatter analyst at the Miami Metro police department. The red-on-white, scattered visual that this sequin clutch creates remind me a lot of the blood spatter pictures that you see throughout the the series, although I’m sure that that probably wasn’t the inspiration for this clutch.

It’s merely a coincidence, but it makes me like this clutch a lot more than I probably would otherwise. It would be the perfect thing to wear to a Dexter-themed party, were you to have hundreds of extra dollars sitting around to spend on your themed outfit. Buy through BlueFly for $712.