One of the hottest brands of handbags to own is Botkier and the Eden bags are some of the most stylish and popular Botkiers to carry.

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The Eden Flap Satchel is available in traditional colors like black and butterscotch/black but the ones that catch my eye the most are the color block bags.  A fluorescent pink and orange with black accents is my favorite but the navy blue and green bag is a close second and is the more practical color scheme of the two.  The bag itself is on the small side being that it is 9.75″H x 10.5″W and only 4″ deep. This is not an everyday bag that can carry all of your essentials but rather a bag to take when you do not need a lot with you. The pink and orange bag is definitely more spring / summerlike vs. wintery but on the other hand what is better than a bright bag to have on a grey and cloudy winter day? The blue and green bag is one that will coordinate easier with your wardrobe so it is a bit easier to carry. It also is more appropriate for winter but will also work well in the spring.

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The Eden Hobo Bag is another great bag available in the green and navy combination. This bag is more casual and a great everyday bag not only for the style but for the fact that it is larger and you can carry all of your essentials in this bag. The dimensions of the Eden Hobo bag are : 15.5″High x 17″Wide x 5″ Deep. This bag is also available in a black as well as a butterscotch/black combo.

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The Botkier Carlyle Satchel  is a great bag if you want something that is structured, angular, and most importantly bright and colorful. This bag comes in a Sunflower Yellow, Ruby Red, as well as Black. The Carlyle is very ladylike which is a popular trend right now but has a bit of an edge to it which sets this bag apart from other structured satchels. This bag has a money clip style latch to close the flap as well as an exposed zipper that can be seen even when closed completely. You can carry the Carlyle Satchel either by the duel rolltop handles or with the detachable adjustable shoulder strap. The bag is not that big, but large enough to carry a phone, keys, sunglasses, and wallet.

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Color Blocking has been around for decades but it really was not until Spring 2011 that it has really taken off. If you remember, most of the colors used for this look have been quite bright and bold but now for Fall 2011, the colors are are deeper and darker shades. There are lots of reds, browns, earthy, and jewel tone colors.

While you can easily take a top and wear it with a different color bottom and perhaps a third color belt or scarf there are many great items that are also color blocked already. One of the best ways to find these items is in dresses. There are so many great color blocked dresses ranging from casual to more formal.

One of the first dresses that caught my eye was the Thread Social Colorblock Turtleneck Dress. This dress had a very 1960s mod look to it. This long sleeve dropwaist dress has a grey cotton turtleneck top and a colorblock silk skirt. While the dress may be a little to short to wear for work, this is a great dress to wear for a get together with friends.

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If you are wanting a great color block dress that is more appropriate for work, there are plenty of those to choose from. There are two in particular that I love a lot. The first is the Joseph Van Colorblock Dress. This dress is a long sleeve lined crepe dress. The top of the dress is white with red sleeves and the skirt part is a solid black. The length is office appropriate and it is perfect to wear for an after work get together as well. Wear this dress with a pair or black or red heels and your outfit is complete.

The other dress that grabs my attention is the Alice + Olivia Short Chloe Coloblock Dress. This dress is a gorgeous brown and cream dress and comes with a detachable narrow gold belt. This is a great dress that is comfortable as well as fashionable.

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Moving on to dresses that are perfect to an evening party or formal get together the choices for color block dresses are practically endless. One of my favorite is  the Herve Leger Colorblock Dress.  Like most of the other great Herve Leger dresses, this is a form fitting banded dress. A gorgeous shade of green with blue and black, this dress will have all eyes on you this holiday season or whenever you wear it.

Another great colorblock dress that will show off your figure is the Pencey Colorblock Cutout Dress. This dress is available in pink/ burgundy (pictured) as well as blue/aqua. While both are great color combinations, the pink and burgundy dress is a bit more fall like. Keep in mind you will have to not be self conscious when wearing this dress because of the exposure at the waist.

Though not as form fitting, but equally if not more gorgeous than the previous two dresses, the Matthew Williamson Paneled Mini Dress is a great colorblock dress. This red, pink, and black dress has a array of materials and textures on this dress. You will definitely get a lot of attention when wearing this dress.

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No matter the occasion make sure that you have some sort of color block dress to wear this season. You can find so many that have the colors combined for you already or mix and match colors on your own.

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By now most people are aware of all of the shatter/ crackle nail polishes that are out there and Nicole by OPI the latest to jump into the game. Their polish dries in a graffiti finish with each application looking different from the next.  I have tried a few of these different types of polish and Nicole by OPI most definitely goes on the smoothest and easiest of them all. Each nail “graffitied” great and there is not a single one I am disappointed with.

When I recently was sent some Nicole By OPI Texture nail polish I wanted to wear it but not just the normal way of putting it on over a single color. I went through my nail polish collection and found some colors that would look great together but at the same time might be a bit bold ( for me at least ) to wear on their own. I wanted to create a multi color nail that would be the background for this new texture polish. I also was inspired by the colorblock look that is oh so popular right now. I decided to experiment and see how 4 colors with a texture over it would look. I figured the worst that could happen would be that I would have to take it off and figure out a new approach.

The first thing I did was find the colors I wanted and I decided on ZOYA Perrie(purple), Yummy (blue), Sweet(pink), and Creamy(yellow)

After a clear base coat was put on I painted each of may nails with all of the colors. I started with Perrie and painted a small section on  each nail, with each one being a bit different than the next. I waited a few minutes for it to dry a bit and Yummy was next. After waiting for it to dry I painted on the Sweet followed by Creamy. When I was done this is what it looked like. I was not concerned about if the nails looked perfect because I knew that the Texture coat would cover any imperfections.

When I painted my nails it was late in the day so I decided to let my nails dry completely for the night and start with the Texture Coat. This way, not only was I sure that my nails dried, but I was able to take some pictures outside in the natural light.

The next day I put on a coat of the Nicole by OPI White Texture Nail Polish and this is the outcome. Since I wanted to ensure that the Texture went on without any problems I wiped each nail with little bit of rubbing alcohol to make sure there were no oils or anything on my nails. After the White Texture Coat I let my nails dry for about 5 minutes then put on a top coat.

While this manicure could have easily been done on one sitting I really wanted to photograph it all in the best light possible. I also have the Black, Red, and Gold Nicole by OPI to play around with so be sure to come back and see what special manicure I do with them.

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Colorblocking is a huge trend right now and there are so many different ways to wear this look. You can wear a solid color top with a different color bottom and a third color shoes. You also can wear a solid color top that has a contrasting  color trim and a solid bottom with or without the same trim. The Marc by Marc Jacobs Colorblock Bikini is more similar to the second way.

The Marc by Marc Jacobs Colorblock Bikini is a solid purple triangle top bikini with contrasting white trim under the bust and on one of the triangles and the other triangle is a gorgeous coral pink. The closure of this bikini is a criss crossing tie in the back with one string being white and the other coral. All three of the colors really complement one another and work well together and at the same time each color is attention grabbing and draws you in. There are removable padding at the cups.

The bottoms of this suit are the same purple shade as the top with the same coral color trim. The suit itself is full coverage with thin banding on the waist.  This really is a great color choice and style to wear at the beach or pool all summer long.

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Marc by Marc Jacobs Colorblock Bikini

The Vest Possible Combination Vest is a multi use top that you will get so much use out of.

Often when you buy an article of clothing you really can only wear it one way but the Vest Possible Combination gives you so many different options and it costs less that $30. The vest is very versatile not only in the options of how to wear it, but in terms of what to wear it with since it is in a vivid colorblock pattern of teal, heather grey, and black.

You can wear the vest as is, open with the long tails of the vest draping down dramatically, over a simple tee shirt or tank top with a pair of skinny jeans or long shorts. You can also wear the vest with the long tails wrapped and tied around your waist creating a wrap around top. This is a great top to play around with and create your own look with.

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Colorblock is a big trend at the moment and it is easy to find this look in clothing. There are some great colorblock shoes, specifically sandals that should be high on your must have list for summer 2011.  For clothing there is a wide variety in colorblocking, you can find plenty of shirts that have blocks of  different colors or you can wear a solid top, with a different color bottom, and perhaps a scarf or some other large accessory in another color. For shoes though, you need to find a sandal that has large areas of colors put together in a way that all the colors do not clash and no one color is overpowering. A sandal that is multi-color us great to wear with a solid color palette, either a neutral like black, white, or grey because it will bring in some color and” pop”. You can also wear these shoes with a colorful outfit, using a color in the shoe to pick up on a color from the clothing.

Bettye Muller Dizzy is a colorful and bright high wedge slide sandal with colorful blocks of color on the uppers. Besides the colorblock trend, these shoes also feature a raffia wrapped platform which is another big Spring/Summer 2011 trend. The colors on this shoe are bright pink, blue, and orange so they will be sure to liven whatever outfit you choose. The Dizzy sandals are casual and will look great with a pair of shorts and a tee shirt or with a casual, simple maxi dress.

Bettye Muller DIZZY (Murcia Festival Multi Fabric)

The olsenHaus Women’s Spirit Wedge is another great colorblock sandal that comes in two great color choices, a hot pink/purple with green as well as a burnt orange/lilac with beige. Both are great choices and it really depends on whether you want a bright or more muted color combination. Besides the colors of the shoe, I love the cork base for the wedge. Cork is a great material to wear when you are going to be on your feet for a while because it is shock absorbent, keeps your feet cool, and molds to the shape of your feet to add even more comfort.

olsenHaus Women’s Spirit Wedge

Miz Mooz Women’s Moss Thong Sandal is a very colorful and busy sandal with all the little squares of color adorned with a metal stud detail. These are a flat sandal with a slight heel and split toe. These shoes have so many colors so it is easy to wear them with such a variety of colors from your closet.

Miz Mooz Moss

I hate commercials especially during long awards shows so I always use my DVR to record them so I can fast forward through commercial and parts of the show that I have little interest in seeing. The 2011 Grammy’s are not an exception. I had a plan with watching this show, to see the performances of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Eminem, and Bruno Mars. I would fast forward though the majority of the show unless something caught my eye. The Cee Lo / Gwyneth Paltrow caught my eye so I watched. Their performance was definitely one of a kind, and besides Cee Lo wearing a costume that reminded me of Elton John from the 1970s, the thing that was most memorable to me was the shoes that Gwyneth Paltrow was wearing. I knew that they looked familiar to me, in fact I briefly talked about them in a post I made a few weeks prior about Bright and Bold Spring 2011 Shoes.

The shoes that Gwyneth wore are Christian Louboutin Color block Booties and they are most definitely out of my price range. I knew that since this was the second time these shoes caught my eye, the search had to begin to find similar more affordable color block shoes. After a bit of research I found that Jessica Simpson makes some fabulous color block shoes and they are a great affordable alternate to the more expensive Louboutin shoes. Below are the two most popular Jessica Simpson color block shoes and a couple of other brands that are also very stylish and chic. I hope you enjoy.

The  Jessica Simpson Scarletta is a peep toe pump with unique detailing at the ankle. The brown allows the shoes to match so many different items in your wardrobe and the pops of blue and orange are bold but not overpowering.

For More Information or To Buy Click Here

The  Jessica Simpson Women’s Ely Mary Jane Pump is a bright and colorful colorblock Maryjane Heel that is priced under $100. This shoe has a high heel, 5″ to be exact so make sure you are comfortable walking at such a height before buying them.

For More Information or To Buy Click Herel

7 for All Mankind Women’s Farran Strappy High Sandal is a more muted colorblock sandal prefect for days when you want more neutral, not bright and bold colors. With a mixture of different textures and patterns, this T-Strap 3 3/4″ heeled shoe is practical and visually pleasing.

For More Information or To Buy Click Here

French Sole FS/NY Women’s Wedgewood Ballet Flat are a great colorful flat shoe that can be worn for work or for fun. This shoe comes in three color combinations : bright multi (as pictured), cognac multi, and multi metallic. All three of these color choices are perfect for the spring 2011 trends.