but then, suddenly, i’ll come across something that i just know is perfect – it just snaps into place.  and i think, dear readers, the ’snap’ for this latest bag itch has come from a brand new line called romygold, which launched just this month.  personally, i’m partial to the biker slash collection, if only because it’s utterly unlike anything else out there right now.

aren’t they pretty?  while i love them all, that slashed tote on the left is definitely calling my name – i think i’ve found my new bag.  in black, it’s the perfect tough counterpoint to all of spring’s sweet florals and tiered miniskirts, but it’s so much more subtle than all of those studs out there!

though i love the tote best, the messenger and micro mini are fabulous too. i’d love to see the messenger as a work tote for someone with a less conservative job, and the micro mini is a great, slightly tough version of the tiny crossbody bags we’re seeing everywhere, which can get a bit too sweet for my taste.

you can check out the full collection on romygold’s new site – and, best of all, prices are definitely in the attainable range, running from $275 up to $695.  my biker tote is $475…a little more than i was hoping to spend, but you never know when the handbag fairy will show up (fingers crossed)!

naturally, the awards are totally secondary to the commentary going on in my house about the fashion. i’m usually commenting so loudly about the presenters that i barely even hear the names of the nominees. and so, without further adieu, my list of the good, the bad, and the positively heinous.

first, the good (all photos, by the way, are from yahoo!’s completely excellent oscar photo coverage – definitely the place you want to stop to see the full looks!):

i thought penelope cruz was stunning in her pleated ruby ballgown from donna karan- a dress simply couldn’t be more flattering or elegant. and i adored the dreamy abstract print on rachel mcadams‘ almost-ethereal elie saab gown.

cameron diaz looked better than i think i’ve ever seen her (oscar de la renta can have that effect) – that silver gown is simply perfect. and even if maggie gyllenhaal could have picked something a bit more flattering to her beautiful figure, her dries van noten dress was gorgeous. i might have sacrificed some tummy camouflage for the chance to wear that beauty too.

kate winslet just owns a permanent spot on this list – i love every single thing that woman puts on, and last night’s sleek silver sheath by yves saint laurent was no exception. but the one who’s most likely to be overlooked is queen latifah, who i thought looked unbelievably gorgeous, and showed off her figure so perfectly. and last, but not least, honorary props to tom ford, because he’s just always beyond impeccable. we should all dress our men so well.

next up, a little ranting about some of the unfortunate “bad” that showed up on the red carpet:

for all that sarah jessica parker loves fashion, it makes me crazy that she continues to show up on the red carpet with these bizarre choices. this year’s choice from chanel isn’t the worst, but it just doesn’t do it for me. if i’m being honest, she might have escaped my “bad” list (i’d have just chalked it up to her generally unwise fashion sense), but for that awful tan and the fact that she was chewing gum when the cameras panned to her in the audience. really? gum? at the oscars? i have no words.

people seem sort of split about vera farmiga’s gown, and i understand the dilemma. it is interesting to look at. sadly, however interesting, it’s hideously unflattering – the woman has a rockin’ body, and this just made her look twice her normal size.

charlize theron, i generally adore you, so i hate to say anything too harsh, but…boob rosettes? it’s hard to look any less than fabulous when you look like her, and yet she managed it. better luck next year, ladies.

and now, last – but most certainly, not least – my award for the truly, heinously ugly (drum roll, please…):

there’s one every year: that dress that just makes you wonder what someone was thinking when they spotted it and said “oh yes! that’s the dress! i definitely want to have my photo taken, viewed by millions and judged by critics for years while i’m wearing that.” zoe saldana (from avatar) really knocked it out of the ugly park with this tiered, ruffled, multitoned, glittery….whatever it is (by givenchy). when she showed up on the red carpet, i believe my comment was something along the lines of her needing to have someone remove the muppet clinging to her knees. part can-can, part showgirl, and one hundred percent deserving of the worst dressed award.

so, how’d i do? did we agree on the red carpet recap? what were your favorite hits and misses last night?

but then a pot of the newest velvet eyeshadow shade from benefit magically appeared in my mailbox – in a shade called “nice melons”. (sometimes, i swear, i buy benefit products just for the names…)  i was still scared, but since it was already here, i swapped it out one morning for my usual bland pale pink.  turns out, this extremely light shade is actually pretty gorgeous on – it gives a touch of color, but is still light, sweet and perfect for spring.  and it happens to do lovely things for green eyes (i’m guessing brown would look pretty amazing too).

now that i’d seen the light, i ventured a bit further – bobbi brown released a whole new collection of “cabana corals” for spring, and i couldn’t resist checking them out.  most of the lip shades were still a little too, well, coral, for my pale skin.  but if you happen to have anything resembling a tan, or are just blessed with lovely dark skin, these corals were definitely not of the old-lady variety.  my favorite is the nectar shimmer brick (i’m an utterly devoted fan of bobbi’s shimmer bricks) – it’s going to look seriously amazing topping a little bronzer action this summer.  i can hardly wait!

what do you think?  will you be venturing into the coral trend when the weather warms up?

but even in the depths of my despair, i always know that even when spring fashion disappoints, i’ll have all of those lovely spring sandals to fall back on.  sadly, not this year.  this year, they’re just…yuck.  woven peep toe boots, *more* gladiators, prep school oxfords and clogs?!  (okay, the oxfords may not be all bad.)  normally, the unveiling of all of those warm weather shoes put a definite spring in my step, but this season’s “hot” shoes have left me pretty cold.

the source of this rant?  an email this morning from saks, telling me to check out all of their hot new contemporary shoes for spring.  to-wit:

those were the first four shoes that came up.  are you depressed yet?  seriously, am i expected to wear these messes?

(okay, so maybe those elizabeth and james sandals on the right are actually kind of cute. but what exactly are those shoes on the left? they’re like keds…gone very, very wrong.)

personally, i’m rebelling…if this keeps up, i’ll spend the summer in my sperry topsiders (oh, and those luscious loeffler randalls i nabbed a few weeks back…), and not a single new shoe box will enter my closet until next fall.

what do you think of this season’s choices?   i’ll admit, there were a couple of styles mixed in that didn’t make me want to hurl (and don’t worry – i’ll be weeding them out for you)…but for now, i’m a little blue.

lately, i’ve been reaching more often for my smaller, more ladylike accessories…i think i’ve finally tired of all of those big, bold chains from last year.  i love that these little dandelions, by rebecka froberg, are simple and classic, but still just modern enough to be hip.  perfect!

pick them up at refinery 29 for $70 (silver) or $190 (gold).

i didn’t think i could love kelly wearstler much more than i already do – when i’m rich and famous, i’ve always planned to have her design my dream house.  but apparently, there was more love to be had.  the only thing missing from her older work was a nice big blast of color (previously, i’d planned for jonathan adler to come along and put the finishing touches of fun on that dream house), but her latest book, hue, shows that she’s seen the light – and it’s bouncing off a bowl of skittles.  this is one serious book of eye candy – i’ve been through it a million times since it arrived.  definitely a perfect addition to your coffee table, or your amateur interior design arsenal.

(oh, and all of these lovely photos are ©2009 courtesy www.ammobooks.com)

divine, isn’t it?  with that, have a wonderful weekend, everyone – i’m  hoping to see you all back here next week!

fortunately, my tardiness is being excused: my dear friends over at joya have let me know that they’re now available at joya’s website, which excites me to no end.  at $80 each, these are definitely an affordable splurge…the only problem now is choosing which version i love best.  i’m not a spider girl, but it’s a very, very tough call between the cameo and that big gold orb.  with victorian jewelry so in this year, i’m sorely tempted by both.

i’ve only been able to check out the scent for the cameo (okay, so i tackled a salesgirl at anthro last week when i spied her wearing one. “can i smell your necklace”…definitely not a phrase i use often), but it’s divine.  it’s called ambrosia and, true to its name, it’s packed with orange, coconut, vanilla and cinnamon – perfect for a light spring day!  if you’re more of a complex floral girl, i suspect you’ll fall for the orb’s “potion” scent, with notes of lotus, lavender, and amber.

sigh…could i possibly just have one of each?

are you seeing it too?  not that i’m complaining…i actually love that breezy plaid/floral thing, especially if you put them together – and layering contrasting patterns is going to be huge for spring.  i can rarely afford to splurge on the real deal at steven alan, but most of the gap pieces are under $60.  even better, this week you can score 25% off all new arrivals with code GAPNEW25 through sunday (2/21).

i picked up the minidress version of this utterly wonderful cowl neck tank from t by alexander wang (isn’t that blue gorgeous?) from frances may, a local boutique that gets loads of love from the fashion world (check out their feature in lucky this month!).  if i hadn’t been set on a tunic-length, i’d have picked up this tank version instead, as i’d probably wear it more.  $62 is as close to a steal as this line gets, and i can tell you, the cut is *un*believable.  divinely drapey, flowing, but curve-skimming…it’s sheer layering perfection, and can you imagine it with shorts this spring?  (sizing note: i’d say it runs a smidge big…i think going down a size would be totally appropriate here.)

sadly, my latest completely awesome bargain find – a military-style jacket at anthropologie yesterday for $9.95(!) – isn’t online.  but i will say in general, their (in-store) selection of coats is excellent right now – i fell hard for a buttery leather cropped moto jacket in burnt caramel, for $124.  as for online finds, this striped michael stars tee is right on trend for spring, and definitely a steal at $29.  i was utterly shocked by the flattering styling of these joe’s knit chelsea leggings (leggings, not jeans…don’t let the pockets fool you), and they’re maybe the most comfortable thing i’ve ever worn. they’re $78 for now…i’m holding out for one more markdown.

those of you on the east coast are lucky enough to be near one of my favorite shops.  CUSP is a spinoff from neiman marcus, and they’re one of my must-shops when i hit the east coast.  but don’t fret – if you’re not nearby, there are some serious steals at their online sale right now, especially in the “under $100″ section.  the fillmore moto jacket ($81) is maybe the best version i’ve seen of the classic moto – the asymmetrical styling makes it infinitely more hip, and infinitely more wearable for those of us over the age of 25. plus, that bright indigo shade will be fabulous layered over your spring floral dresses (or that striped michael stars top!).  and, if you’ve been wanting to try the sequin trend, i love their version from MK2K (i have a feeling this one’s more sleek than it appears – those microsequins never photog well).

have you been braving the weather to hit up the winter sales in your ‘hood?  i’d love to know what steals you’re scoring these days!

from top left: idris navajo sandal, $375; belinda snake print platform pump, down 30-ish% to $332.50; sydney birdcage flat in stingray, down 50% to $225(!); shireen studded flat, $395; carlie mignon twist sandal, $325; anna woven platform, $725 (i know, i know…but it was too pretty not to include).

oh, and here’s a little valentine for you all – one of my best frugal fashion tips: don’t let loeffler’s splurge-worthy pricing get you down!  this is is one of my favorite lines not only because they make stunningly amazing shoes, but because they routinely get marked down astronomically at the end of the season.  so, if you fall in love, hang in there and google regularly, paying special attention to small, indy boutiques.  i’ve scored some unbelievable (under-$100!) deals that way.  like, say, these blue python athena flats for $225 at lamb’s ear shoes, or these sable pale gold sandals for $112 at confederacy. (whoops, i’m sorry…did those sell out suddenly? cough, cough…)