Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Splurge or Save, and Ipa-Nima Love...

I have been meeting lots of new people lately, partly due to my relentless search for a good piece of property (or two). So I've been collecting lots of business cards - from housing agents, bankers, lawyers, owners, building management, etc.

Work-wise, I also got business cards from other oil and gas companies as I've started attending meetings with them. Heck, even my car wash gave me a card.
So, of course (any excuse will do), I'm in the market for a card holder. And I've decided that I don't want something in my normal style - plain and simple with a touch of sophistication (or so I think). This time I wanna indulge my feminine side a little. A whimsical (but not too ridiculous looking) one is in order.

My favourite so far is this one from Ipa-Nima, a Hong Kong bag designer who is based in Vietnam. Her designs apparently showcase Vietnam's fabulous embroidery and needlework traditions and is a fantabulour success. I've read that the sitcom Friends showcased it and her bags are frequently toted by Hollywood stars. And she makes 1st class amenity kits for Cathay Pacific - how nice.
This is perfect - lots of space for lots of cards, whimsical and unique but not too comical. I mean, I saw ones on Etsy that have birdcages and peace signs on them. Some have caught my eye:


AccessoryHeaven


Same
But no love. All of the above are too cutesy for me.
This one I'm pretty keen on though. According to the site, it holds minimum of four cards (that's not much). But for just 13 US dollars, it's worth giving it a try? Or should I hold out for the one the Ipa-Nima?

But, sigh, I have fallen head over heels over Ipa-Nima stuff! Not sure if I'm bold enough to carry her larger bags but they sure are pretty to look at.

These patchwork ones will go well with bohemian white dresses. Or even a white shirt-and-jeans combo. But given that they're so fancy in their own right, best not to pair them with anything too colourful.



I love elephant motifs, especially Indian-inspired ones. Ever since my colleague gave me adorable key chains shaped like colourful elephants, I've been wanting to get more of the like for my home. Not too sure about wearing them though...like these 2 would make such adorable mummy bags, given their pastel colours. So sweet.


I can just picture this one holding clean diapers and milk bottles.




This one's slightly funkier, but still very cute.


These are absolutely gorgeous - embellished clutches that come in yellow and teal. Pity they're so difficult to match - and it's not like I'll be needing anything like these anytime soon - Miri is a strictly jean and tee town. So for now, for admiring only.
This one I'm absolutely pining for - an elephant motif coin purse. I love it because I believe that the fanciest stuff should come in small packages so they don't overwhelm. Subtlety is best. But the price tag...sigh, even with the exchange rates, is something to just dream about for now. RM300+ for a coin purse is crazy extravagant.
But it comes with this adorable elephant charm...surely that's a plus? :) Why, it's almost like buying two things for the price of one!



Even with my hard-earned increment coming up, should I splurge or practice some delayed gratification?

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