Miss Fish box clutch from Sylvia Toledano

Being a Piscean I am drawn to all things fish. I love swimming with them too. So how could I resist this simply amazing hand- embellished 'Miss Fish' box clutch by Sylvia Toledano which I came across when browsing the Net-a-Porter website?

You can add a chain shoulder strap and the crystals are all Swarovski - and there are hundreds of them. Hence the price, a cool £1050. Oh well....

Gorgeous Balenciaga Bag from Matches

Balenciaga bag, £495

I must be in a dream state as it's New Year but I have been ever so slightly hypnotised by this Balenciaga bag on the Matches.com website. It's a little messenger bag which will be filthy in no time if I ever get my hands on one - but a girl can dream can't she? Balenciaga messenger bag, £495, Matchesfashion.com

Buy a Lulu Guinness original for £15

British bag designer Lulu Guinness has put her talent to a really good cause just in time for Christmas with this exclusive tote bag which is on sale to raise charity funds for The Royal Marsden, Chelsea. Just £15 the entire profit will go to the hospital, which was the first in the world that was dedicated to the treatment of cancer.

It is available from The Royal Marsden and you will be helping some 40,000 patients who attend the hospital each year. The bag is 100% polyester.

21st Birthday Presents and beyond...

There seem to be a significant number of significant birthday's around at the moment. 18th's, 21st's, 40th's, 50th's - it's been an expensive year and it's set to continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

I do try to search out the unusual and pick up things as I go along - both in the shops and online. So I am always happy to be introduced to new shops and online stores who will help me in that important quest for  21st birthday presents or similar.

Getting something which is personalised, whether a washbag, shopper, calendar, or even a cushion is always a way round just giving the same old thing time and time again (or vouchers).

Memories can be displayed on a bag

....or even on a deckchair!

I particularly like the deckchair as it is unisex and you can fit loads of pictures on making it extra personal. And you can turn your personalised gift into a bit of a 'fan' gift too. Got a guy whose obsessed with Spurs or Man Utd? Then make him up a collage of his team memorabilia and pictures of him at those all important matches. You could have great fun with pictures for a baby shower gift or a hen-night. Once you let your imagination run wild you really could come up with a gift that is memorable and shows that you've put a bit of individual effort in - and everyone always appreciates that...

Top Shop Bow bag

I bought this gorgeous little Top Shop bag for my daughter - it's cute but then so is she.

I would love to be young enough to carry a bag like this but I would just look a bit too sad - it's a perky little shape, fab colour for the season as it sets off all those coloured jeans that are in the shops (another thing I'd love to try but am way too old).

And it was a bargain at just £25. What price a half term treat eh?

Another TKMaxx haul...

Christmas shopping has taken on a whole new slant since I discovered the joys of TKMaxxshopping. Okay it isn’t exactly a joy, far too much rummaging for the average luxury shopper, but if you have time to browse it’s amazing what you can find.

And here is my latest purchase. I have never been a designer bag lady – they tend to be too big and way too expensive anyway. I also commute on London Underground with a laptop bag and everything but the kitchen sink, so need something that is secure and perfect to keep my really valuable things safe. Hence it needs to be long enough to go across my body. Highly un-chic, highly practical.

Up until recently I had a black bag bought in a sale which was serviceable but extremely boring. So *drum-roll please* I am glad to say that I have upped the anti a bit on the bag front with this natty little Patrick Cox number which was 70% off the original price. They had it in black but this grey which is almost lilac (let’s call it Dove for argument’s sake) goes with everything and I simply fell in love with the lining.

It has internal pockets for the safe keeping of keys, phone and credit cards but is large enough to take my Kindle and make-up. I simply love it.