- la vie est belle - pour moi pour vous

As the Parisiennes say, "life is too short to dress boring". Indeed. What more can I say? This marked the "beginning" of a long love affair which commenced more than a decade ago.

I can't speak for anyone else, on my own I have never really been a clothes girl, which translates to say that I would not spend my last shopping d$llar on a dress. A shoes girl? Perhaps, but it is probably not going to be difficult for anyone to guess that my ultimate indulgence lies with my handbags.

Over a decade (or perhaps even more) my handbags have built up into a tiny fortune. R calls me "the collector of beautiful things" - and it is not unusual to see just why. I suppose I am not proud of my spending legacy, and to set the record straight, personally I believe it OKAY to be in debt for a mortgage (but not a car!)...However, I would never be in debt for a pair of Manolo's or a Kelly, goodness, talk about getting your priorities wrong. I buy something luxurious (and often quite unnecessary) with the money that is left over from investments and everything else, the money that I could afford to miss/lose/waste. For instance, if I get double pay at first quarter earnings announcement, then....WOW, yes, I would splash out into something gorgeous. And with this, a gentle reminder again that I have to remain employed or it would mean the end of my Chanel love affair.

I learned over time I have grown to love what I buy. My paintings, coats, shoes and bags live their lives with, grow on and grow old with me. It might be hard to fanthom but I've also grown more comfortable in my own skin and with time, have begun to carve out for myself my own tastes, and style. R also started showing me how to really take care of clothes. He can fold, stack, organize like crazy - inevitably makes me wonder if he was a Parisienne woman in his previous lifetime ha! Just like art. Stepping into the largest Fendi boutique in Rome made me go "wow" and it wasn't simply because the Fendi handbags were amazing - but the boutique looked like an amazing museum showcasing some of the designer's best creations. I left empty handed but so very much inspired such that even over coffee after, I was still smiling thinking back on some of the amazing pieces I saw at Fendi. Priceless!

And this was the exact feeling I had when I saw the 2 handbags winking at me...

The YSL mombasa (Limited Edition, Tom Ford era) which I acquired second-hand, fresh back from the cleaners - with the current season V-mail pouch...