we’ll be talking more about holiday gifts soon, i promise. but today, i’m still obsessing about a clutch – how i’ve managed to get this far and not have one is seriously beyond me. and now, with the holidays upon us, i not only want a clutch, but i want a pretty, sparkly one. you know, something really useful, that i can take anywhere…i mean, nothing says versatile like sequins and metal studs.

some of the many pretties i’m coveting this week:

this super sparkly option is by seven for all mankind…i didn’t even know they made bags. but i completely love the metallic leather and the chain mail look – this is definitely a piece that’s going to turn heads. plus, the style would work with everything from jeans to a cocktail dress, which is a tough line to walk with a clutch.

i don’t know where i’ve been, but i just discovered the bags over at emporio armani’s online shop. really amazing prices on exotics, i have to say. i love this grey lizard version – the shape is so classic, but the skin and the studs give it a great edge. plus, it’s on sale for $450, which is high, but crazy reasonable for an exotic. or, for $350, i also really like this piece in eelskin – i’m loving the delicate chain and the unique closure, which makes this one really perfect for the holidays.

when i found this weyman clutch by kale, it was love at first sight. you can pick it up in a metallic, but i sort of love this oxblood color. the patent is stunning, and perfect for the holidays. and the studs add the perfect edge to an otherwise very girly piece. best of all, it’s on sale right now for $267, which is a crazy steal for a clutch you’ll wear for years to come.

i absolutely adore this orange leather version that i found on etsy (also available in lavender). $140 feels like such a steal for something this gorgeous. clearly, not an evening clutch, and doesn’t really fit with the theme of this post at all, but i think it’s fabulous nonetheless.

sigh…it is so hard to be selfless this time of year…

remember those foldable shoes from newport news? ordered them. got them. they’re gross. totally cheap, and make your feet look ridiculous. do not, under any circumstances, purchase them.

guess cheap thrills aren’t all they’re cracked up to be

i’m one of those people that’s obsessed with pretty paper. i love it. i drool over letterpress, spend hours in paper source, and agonize over which card to get someone for their birthday. i spent more time picking out my wedding invitations than i did picking the dress.

and i’m not alone. so, at least one of the paper freaks on my holiday list is getting this letterpress gift set from linda and harriett. it comes with a notepad, set of 8 cards, and a completely gorgeous calendar – all letterpressed – for $50. but they’re offering 25% off for daily candy readers, making it a cool $38, well within the limit for most friend gifts. to get the code, just head over to daily candy’s site, and sign up for their weekly “deals” emails (which are fabulous, and totally worth signing up for anyway).

my favorite thing about this set is that you get to choose which notecards and notepad you gift. i love the orange piggies and the alligator, but the sunny bloom is a perfect choice if your friend is a little less animal-friendly.

shop fast – that discount is a daily candy deal, which means the site’s sure to be mobbed!

the lovely ladies over at the daily obsession have culled a pretty amazing list of the holiday sales, discounts, and other fabulousness currently going on. definitely worth checking out!

i owe the girls behind almost heeled, a fabulous new shoe blog, a great big huge shoppingsmycardio lovefest-style thank you. i’ve been mourning the loss of my nine west ‘luv my flats’ for almost a year now (the link is to a really ugly version, i realize…it’s purely for illustration, as it’s all that’s left out there). i loved the cute little pouch they folded up into, because it meant i could pack twice as many shoes when i travel, plus they were small enough to throw into a regular purse as an emergency “my heels are literally going to kill me if i don’t take them off this second” option.

i’ve been teetering on the brink of ordering some of those yummy sue london flats that everyone seems to have…but just wasn’t ready to take the $130 plunge for shoes that i’m hearing aren’t the most durable things out there.

so, huge, huge thanks to the darling writers over at almost heeled, who turned me on to these much cheaper versions over at newport news, of all places. yes, they’re satin, not leather. but they’re on sale for $24, plus if you use code 521 you get 20% off, and L79 gets you free shipping (we all know what a free shipping whore i am). i ordered 2 pair for about $35….which makes me deliriously happy. at that price, i won’t even care when they fall apart in a month.

of course, if you’re being picky about it, you can still pick up the sue london version, or this new version by coach, which i also happen to love. but seriously, tough to pass up the $24 option, don’t you think?

if you saw the post this AM, well, things seem to have traveled back in time a bit. i’ll re-post when the fabulous new shop gets back online!

i think we’re pretty well-established rebecca minkoff fans here at shoppingsmycardio by this point. so, when i got the word that that she was holding a sample sale next week, well, my heart was all aflutter. until i remembered that her shop is in NYC (you manhattan girls have all the fun!).

but just as i was ready to go cry into my martini, things improved: rebecca’s decided to offer pre-orders…by phone! so, starting tomorrow (that’s 11/5), at noon eastern time, flex those dialing fingers, and put a call in to the amazing sales staff at the rebecca minkoff store at 212/677.7829!

now, for the sample sale virgins out there: we have no idea what’s going to be in stock (in fact, i chatted with some of the fabulous girls over at the shop to see if we could get a little sneak peek, and even they don’t know yet). so, use some sample-saling common sense on this one, and pull up their website before you call, so that when they tell you they have one black mini nikki left, you have sense enough to say “i’ll take it!!!” instead of “now, which one is that again?”

all the gory details are above, and i’m even adding the official RM disclaimer about the sale (essentially, these are samples, ladies – they’re in great shape, but no guarantees and no returns, no matter what).

have a blast, buy a lot, but be patient with the store….monday’s going to be no small nightmare of craziness for them, i’m sure. ooh, and of course, feel free to let them know shoppingsmycardio sent you their way!

[official RM disclaimer: Pre-sale begins Nov. 5 at 12pm and ends Nov. 9th at 12pm (eastern time). Orders are taken in the order phone calls are received, no email or website orders will be accepted, and no orders will be guaranteed to ship until your credit card is actually charged. All orders will be shipped within 10 business days after it is received. The samples being sold during the pre-sale are NOT damaged. All are certifiable to sell retail. All leathers used by Rebecca Minkoff are natural leathers. Slight differences in color and texture are characteristics of natural leather. All sales are final. No exchanges, no refunds, no repairs. Only Visa, Master Card and American Express are accepted. Shipping and taxes are included in prices quoted over the phone. Actual sale begins Tues, Nov. 13th and ends Friday, Nov. 16th, 12pm-8pm. It is at 158 Grand St. #207, 2nd Floor. (between Lafayette St. and Centre St.) New York, New York.]

…then these are they. plus, they’re only $200 through lucky magazine’s “lucky shops” event (hosted this year by bluefly). helluva deal for a quite gorgeous michael kors boot that will be a no-brainer this fall & winter.

because my sweet puppy is having the roughest of rough weeks, she gets her pic in the blog today. she’s coming home this morning from emergency surgery, and is looking more pathetic than i care to admit. so, here’s a pic of her from one of her better days.

and if you’re feeling at all bad for me (or, more specifically, the massive vet bill i’m still too scared to look at), maybe click on an ad or two while you’re here – jezebel says thanks!

(ooh, and if you want to see how this post actually is fashion-related, check out the photo spread starting on page 286 of your october issue of in style. my pup is definitely cuter, though!)

it pains me to mention this, but the reality is that the holiday season is fast approaching. seriously – i walked into a linens-n-things not long ago (don’t ask) and found that the entire front of the store had been taken over by fake christmas trees and dancing santas. i was, to say the least, disturbed. i mean, it’s not even halloween yet!

anyway. holidays are coming up, which means all of those holiday parties are also coming up. the work party, the significant other’s work party, the friend’s party, the parents’ party…the list gets pretty long. by the end, i’m more than a little sick of my favorite LBD.

so, this year, i’m thinking that the thing to do is to pick up this gorgeous gold tunic by loeffler randall. it’s as comfy as a t-shirt, as easy to style as a dress (i can think of at least 4 different ways to wear it without even breaking a sweat), and so glamorous, no one will ever suspect you’re actually comfortable. plus, it has that floaty, non-skintight quality that is oh-so-important after your third glass of eggnog.

at $225, it’s about the most reasonably-priced piece of high-end fashion i’ve seen in a while. grab it now, before everyone else realizes they have nothing to wear.