Yearly Archives: 2023

Toteme T Lock bag review

 in General Fashion / Handbags  tagged handbag reviews / outfits / satchels / shoulder bags / toteme by

Pictured: Toteme T Lock bag / fall nail polish /

Can a handbag be both an IT bag and an investment bag? Yes! Yes it can! The Toteme T Lock bag has all of the qualities of a trending IT bag, as well as an investment purchase to love a lifetime.

Toteme has been for around for almost a decade, but their handbag collection is barely a year old. This doesn’t mean it lacks longevity, quite the opposite. The brand stands for high quality, eco-conscious materials and manufacturing, as well as creating items which transcend trends. For their T Lock bag to launch and immediately become an IT bag, could be contradictory to what the brand stands for, but that doesn’t make it confusing.

The reason this beautiful handbag is so highly sought-after, is because of what it stands for. Consumers want eco-conscious brands, in fact, they hunger for them! Not only that, timeless styles coupled with high quality fabrications and craftsmanship, creates an equation that equals success. This is exactly what makes both an IT bag and an investment bag. Love this!

The T Lock bag by Toteme is not only high functioning and styled beautifully, but also versatile. This quiet and luxurious handbag can be both a satchel and a shoulder bag. It is versatile and can be worn to suit one’s mood, outfit, and lifestyle. Love this!

wearing: hoop earrings / stripe tee / handbag / fall nail polish / black belt / flare jeans / black boots /

In addition to being able to wear the Toteme T Lock bag as both a top handle bag and a shoulder bag, it is roomy and strong. I wanted a bag slightly larger than the small shoulder bags I have been carrying for the last year.

This roomy handbag suits the need for more space as we head into colder months. As you can see below, there is extra room on top of my purse essentials where I can place a pair of warm gloves and a thin scarf.

The interior of the Toteme T Lock bag offers slip pockets where you can store credit cards, receipts, or other slim items. I have not used the pockets, but it is nice to know they are there if I need them.

The shoulder strap can also be stored inside the handbag when being worn as a top handle bag in case you want to quickly convert it into a shoulder bag and free up your hands. The loops are inside the bag, and the strap has easy to snap on hardware. I have found I prefer wearing it as a shoulder bag, so as of right now, I am keeping the strap intact.

The Toteme T Lock bag has a signature T Lock which twists to allow the lock to open. After the first time wearing the bag, I got the hang of the lock and find it easy to maneuver. The top handle is right there when you reach inside the bag, but if you slip your hand in front of it when reaching inside, the top handle isn’t the nuisance it might appear to be in photos. Therefore, getting in and out of the bag earns an A- grade from me.

There are two sizes, or should I say versions, of the Toteme T Lock bag. The one I am reviewing is the regular sized bag which comes with a top handle and detachable shoulder strap. The other version is smaller and named a clutch. The smaller version can be worn as a clutch or a shoulder bag. I prefer the larger size since the top handle is more useful to me than holding a bag as a clutch, plus, I like having a roomy bag in addition to my current line-up of small shoulder bags.

This is a difficult bag to find! I have linked up the Toteme T Lock in stock around the web, so hopefully when you read this and click the link you will find the bag in stock. If not, you can sign up for the wait list, and in some cases, pre-order the bag.

Lastly, I love the design of the Toteme T Lock handbag. It doesn’t have any loud logos and just showcases high quality and craftsmanship. Although a current IT bag, it transcends trends and has the markings of an investment bag to cherish for generations.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

BAF Weekly IT List

 in General Fashion  tagged baf weekly it list / fall 2023 by

BAF Weekly IT List from top left: stripe sweater / Chanel fall nail polish / Dior fall nail polish / black shoulder bag / tan convertible bag (hot IT bag) / star necklace / hoop earrings (under $100) / black loafers / slouchy tote / black boots / caramel hobo bag / silver bracelet / Mary Janes /

Beautiful handbags are dominating the streets, runways, and everyone’s shopping list. Love this! Handbags made from high quality materials, and often made with sustainable practices in regard to materials, manufacturing or both, are what makes up the IT bag dur jour.

The spring 2024 runways have shown us that the anonymous handbag is going nowhere. We saw small and medium bags, slouchy totes and hobo, and strong attention to quality craftsmanship and materials. This is the investment dressing era and I am here for it!

Speaking of the anonymous handbag, are you familiar with Toteme? If you are a handbag fan like me, you most certainly are! Toteme introduced their handbag collection a couple of years ago and everyone is going nuts over them! So much so, that their T-Lock bag in both the standard size and clutch size, is blowing off store shelves. If you can get your hands on one without wait listing, you live a charmed life. I finally got my hands on one in the standard size, so stay tuned for my upcoming review! In the meantime, see if you can snag one online, or at least get on the wait list. Here are a few around the web:

The Mulberry Amberley is proving to be wildly popular on the streets. I am literally seeing it everywhere from back-to-school night to the supermarket, to the movie theater, the mall, and more! I feel like the only one carrying a black one, most of the ones I am spotting on the streets are blue, orange, and green. It is a beautiful investment bag, and I am in love with mine! If you have been on the fence, what are you waiting for?

Fall nail polish, boots, and Mary Janes are also hot right now. They are an easy way to update your wardrobe and add a little bit of fall while the weather is still in second summer mode.

Shop the BAF IT List online:

What are you loving for fall right now?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Should you go to parents weekend?

 in College Parent Tips  tagged college parent / lifestyle by

Treat your student to a meal at a restaurant and give them a break from dorm food

There is a question many parents of college students, especially first year college students, asks themselves. Should you go to parents weekend? (also referred to as families weekend, or parent and family weekend, at some universities)

Most colleges offer a weekend of activities for parents and families roughly six weeks into the first semester or quarter of the fall term. This is about the time when many students become homesick, are stressed out from mid-terms, and/or simply miss their parents. It also goes the opposite way where parents really miss their children! If you are like me, you started to miss your child at drop-off, before getting in the car, or the boarding the airplane home.

A parents weekend is a great time to visit your child, as long as you understand they cannot spend every waking moment with you. This fun-filled weekend is smack in the middle of mid-terms. Your child will likely have a big exam to study for, or have other activities they need to attend to such as club meetings, practices, work shifts, or volunteer duties. You will need to be patient and supportive of your child, and speak with them before-hand as you plan the schedule for the weekend; especially if you are making dinner reservations or there are ticketed events on campus which need to be paid for in advance.

The itinerary for parents weekend compensates for this conundrum by offering sessions for parents which you can attend while your child is busy. You can learn more about the degree your child is studying, learn about school traditions, find out about extra-curricular activities your child might be interested in, find ways for parents to be involved in booster activities etc., learn about on and off campus housing, and more. Save the fun stuff such as a tour of the football stadium, tour of all the haunted spots on campus, etc. for when you your student can go with you. These are fun bonding moments and things they might not do on their own when you aren’t there.

So, the question remains, should you go to parents weekend? Yes and no. Yes, if your child can carve out the time to spend with you, no if they have a huge mid-term and you don’t need to attend any of the sessions offered for parents. If you don’t go to parents weekend, find a weekend which works for your child and visit them at that time. This will allow you both to have fun. If your child has a huge exam on Monday and you flew across the country for parents weekend, your student will feel obligated to spend time with you and this could cause undue stress. So, before booking those tickets, speak with your student first to make sure parents weekend fits into their schedule.

Parents weekend is not just for first year parents, it is something you can attend every year until your student graduates. It is also the perfect excuse for visiting your student without looking like a helicopter parent. I love parents weekend for that reason! Haha

This is also a great time to bring your student a gift such as a squishie or homemade cookies. It is also about halfway between drop-off day and thanksgiving break, so the timing of parents weekend is genius.

Shop college student gift ideas online:

So, should you go to parents weekend? My short answer is yes, unless your student has a huge exam or other conflict, then, find another weekend where you can visit and enjoy some time with your child.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy