One of my favorite places to get my handbag fix is TJ Maxx.  They have THE most gorgeous bags, clutches, shoes and other accessories in town.  I also love their body lotion, pillows, and skin care.  But their claim to fame in my world is their designer handbags (Baby Phat, Gwen Stefani’s line, Giorgio Armani, Dooney & Bourke, Chanel, Kathy Van Zeeland, Tommy Hilfiger, etc…)- bags you can’t find anywhere else…and certainly not at the prices they sell them for.

So when I got an e-mail alert telling me that TJ Maxx is having a “Designer Handbag Event” starting this Sunday (August 5, 2007), I nearly dropped my coffee.  With my birthday this month, I can definitely see a handbag or two in my immediate future. Now to backtrack and give a definitive answer to a few of those family members who asked what I wanted.  “Ohhhh, noth-ing…” has been upgraded to “Ohhhh, a TJ Maxx handbag….”

See their website for the store nearest you, as well as to whet your appetite with their goodies.

You know who the beauty, above, is but you may not be familiar with her gorgeous handbag. Accessories are one of the first things i notice when looking at pictures of celebrities, and I’ve noticed that Jessica Simpson always, always, always has the most amazing handbags and shoes.  Her taste in accessories is as flawless as her face.

This particular bag is a Kathy Van Zeeland hobo ($99).  She was carrying it while shooting a scene for the upcoming comedy, Blonde Ambition.

If you aren’t familiar with Kathy Van Zeeland’s work, if you hang around this blog very much, that’ll soon change.  I’m absolutely in love with her stuff.

Kathy Van Zeeland was founded in 2004, and has never missed a beat in keeping up with the hottest trends in fashion.  Without fail, KVZ uses the best materials to create products that are second to none in quality.  Strangely enough, however, her handbags and other accessories aren’t as expensive as those of other designers.   Shopahaulics like me are very, very, very grateful for this fact - as we have no desire to count ourselves amongst the broke and busted.

Kathy Van Zeeland offers over 15 different Collections, so you’re sure to find exactly what you’re hoping for.  One of current favorite collections is the Crown Royale Collection (its logo is to the right).  Not only are Crowns ridiculously “in” right now, the handbags in this collection are nothing short of amazing.  The hook, however, just might be the gorgeous logo.  I’m not sure what it says about me, but I love a great logo.  And, quite frankly, I love for the logo to be out there, you know?  Admitedly, the bag, itself, is the main thing - if it’s well-made, functional, and drop-dead gorgeous.  But, let’s just be honest - if we’re carrying a really, really nice bag, we want everyone to pretty much know it!

This logo lets the world know that you settle for nothing in life - well, nothing but the very best, that is.  That’s a statement and a testimony that all of us want….we’d be crazy not to!

In addition to some of the most amazing bags you’ll ever meet, Kathy Van Zeeland also has some really beautiful keychains.  They’ll take your keys from ordinary to extraordinary - and do so for less than $20.00!  The adorable Handbag Logo Keychain, below, is a Kathy Van Zeeland design.  It’s just one of her original Keychain designs.  This particular Keychain, in addition to others, is available at “eBags Outlet.”

Picture of beautiful Jessica Simpson courtesy of Jessica Fans.Net.  Pictures of the other lovelies are from Kathy Van Zeeland.com!