Cameron Diaz Marni Balloon Bag Look for Less

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz loves her yellow Marni Balloon bag and why wouldn’t she? It’s almost as fabulous as she is! This beautiful bag currently retailing for $1620 on marni.com can be carried over the shoulder with the shoulder strap or as a tote with the double handles on top.

I absolutely love the mustard color and the patent leather on this bag. I also like the added detail of the contrast handles.


You can now get the look for less at shopdistinction.com. Distinction’s Melie Bianco “American Dogwood” bag captures the style and hip design of this bag for a fraction of the price. You can get the bag on sale now for only $59.99.

Melie Bianco "American Dogwood" Bag $59.99

10 Questions for Tim Gunn

I love this guy!!

Five Fabulous Handbags under $50 - Part 1

Times are tough, no doubt about it. While all our handbags are under $100 at shopdistinction.com, here are five fabulous handbags that are less than $50!

Melie Bianco "Ramona" Handbag in Olive $49.99

Melie Bianco Crocodile Clutch in Red $24.99

Val Patent Pintucked Shopper in Black $39.99

Melie Bianco Stone Clutch in Gold $39.99

Melie Bianco Shoulder Bag in Turquoise $49.99

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 4

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 4 ..... T minus 10 days and counting!  Yay!!

Party Girl Bag by Philosophy

I absolutely love pomegranates. I love pomegranate juice, my pomegranate lip gloss, body scrub, candles, you name it....I have it in pomegranate! What can I say? I spent 12 years in California where these beauties are proud and plentiful.

Well, much to my delight while browsing Sephora tonight, I found this fabulous Party Girl Bag by Philosophy that would make a great gift this holiday season. Especially if you happen to know anyone as fond of this delightful little, red piece of fruit as I am. Uh...hum (audible clearing of my throat as to allude a carefully placed "hint hint" to anyone who knows me. ) Just kidding. Well, sort of. Anyway, here is the 411 for any of you looking for a nice gift for that party girl you know and love.

Philosophy's Party Girl Bag $35

What it does:Every party girl needs to freshen up before the big night out. Philosophy's Party Girl Bag is a must have for the girl who wants to feel energized and beautiful. The pomegranate bubbly scent was created to inspire contagious fun and excitement. Primp pomegranate style for smooth, soft, shimmering skin that makes the best accessory to any outfit. Shimmery, glossy lips add the perfect finishing touch to a life-of-the-party look.

What else you need to know:This fun-loving set includes a 4.0 oz Bubbly Exfoliating Shower Gel, a 4.0 oz Shimmer Body Lotion, and a 0.5 oz Lip Shine in a chic white cosmetic bag. Delight your favorite gala gal with this gift that's as fresh, bubbly, and charming as she is!

Best Beauty Bargains

Take a peek at People Stylewatch's beauty editor Laurie who appeared on The Today Show this morning to bring us her great beauty finds!

Trend Alert: Purple Handbags & Purses Reign

Hayden Panettiere - photo: fashionpudding

This royal hue can be spotted on the arm of just about every celebrity right now. While we don’t have the same bank account to purchase our favorite celebrity’s arm candy; here are some fabulous options under $100 for the purple handbag lover in you!

Urban Expressions Purple “Magnolia” Bow Bag $59.99




Melie Bianco Purple Belted Gathered Handbag $79.99





Urban Expressions Purple “Paris” Satchel $62.99





Melie Bianco Purple Fringe Hobo with Studs $77.99

Will the real Melie Bianco Handbag Diva please stand up!

I received an interesting email this morning from the owner of a top rated blog dedicated to handbags. She wondered why I was using my screen name to link to a website selling handbags that looked like it was designed by kindergartners. Yikes!

I had no idea what she was talking about. She and I have had numerous very positive exchanges over the past few years so I was taken back at first. Well in talking to one another, we have figured out that a lesser known competitor of mine has taken my well known blogging screen name "Melie Bianco Handbag Diva" and is using it to lead people to believe it is me and linking to her site! Yep, not much class there.

But I’m a bigger person with much more class so I will not publically out her. But, my dear blogging extraordinaire who informed me of this has not taken this so lightly. She has sent out my imposter’s information to a wide distribution of blogs to inform them of this huge blogging faux pas that is not acceptable to any respectable blogger. Apparently this is not tolerated in the blogging world and personally it is nice to feel protected in this fabulous community we all share in the blogosphere.

So I did want to publically share a great big warm THANK YOU to all of you who have sent me messages supporting me by monitoring your comments in an attempt to stop her unethical antics. You guys are wonderful!!! While I suspect it won’t entirely be eliminated, I feel good about running my business in a respectable manner.

And so from the original and only “Melie Bianco Handbag Diva” …I love you guys!!! I look forward to our continued partnership bringing you the latest and greatest Melie Bianco Handbags!!

Ciao!

Night of Legends - Women of the Year 2008

I am a girl’s girl no doubt about it! My office wall is covered with women I respect, admire and aspire to. We live in a time where women who have gone before us and women who are currently paving the way, have opened up doors my grandmother could only dream of. I for one do not take these opportunities for granted.

I remember back in 2002 when I launched my first business, I was motivated by the thought of a girl I had seen on the cover of National Geographic, Sharbat Gula. When I first saw her photo, I knew very little of the girl whose eyes completely captivated me. My thoughts often drifted to how different her life must be from mine. All I knew was that Sharbat was forced out of her home in Afghanistan as a result of the Soviet War and was living in a refugee camp in Pakistan where her photo was taken by journalist Steve McCurry and landed on the June 1985 National Geographic Cover.

photo: Steve McCurry - National Geographic

Of course I know her name now. When I started my business in ‘02, the identity of the “Afghan Girl” was revealed as Sharbat Gula. I remembered feeling I had no right not to try to start my business as women like Sharbat were never even given the chance at an education, let alone entrepreneurship. To read more about the amazing search for the girl who captivated the world as the face of the human suffering during the 1980s Afghan conflict Click Here.

I’m reminded of Sharbat today as Glamour has just celebrated their Night of Legends which honors their women of the year for 2008. Click Here to visit their website to read the stories of trailblazers, activists, environmentalists and Olympians that made their list. You are sure to leave inspired to do good in your own life!

So from one woman to another, here is one heart felt wish of good luck and much prosperity and success to you all!

Women Rock Breast Cancer Fundraiser Huge Success!!

We had a great turn out at this year’s Women Rock, in the Fight Against Breast Cancer on Saturday. It was wonderful to see so many of you and I had a great time! While the totals are still being counted, this year is expected to beat last years total in excess of $54,000! Well done everyone!

Charter Media did a fabulous job organizing this event as usual and a big thank you to the many volunteers who helped out as well. I would like to personally thank MS. Christy C-S! This gal is simply amazing at her ability to pull this all together. We at shopdistinction.com love being a part of this event. You all know our personal commitment to the fight against breast cancer and we look forward to doing our part at this event each year.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation

On a national level, we always like to plug The Breast Cancer Research Foundation every chance we get. So be sure to check out their website to learn more and to donate to an important cause!

So once again, thanks to all of you who attended and for your support to help find a cure in our lifetime!

Join Wendy Brandes in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

If you’re in the New York area on November 19th, be sure to RSVP to celebrity jewelry designer Wendy Brandes’ trunk show. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Young Survival Coalition, a nonprofit network of breast cancer survivors dedicated to issues unique to young women impacted by breast cancer.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 Wendy Brandes Fine Jewelry Trunk Show

6:30 - 10:30 pm

Distinction has been proud to partner with this group in the past and would love for you to support their efforts! So RSVP soon and nab a spot to this great event!

Click Here for more information.

All in the family..The Beckhams, Armani & Underwear

Photo - AP

Victoria Beckham has followed the lead of her equally fashionable husband David in that she is now representing Armani's new fashion house lingerie line. Not one girl on earth doesn't remember seeing Mr. Beckham large as life in the house's underwear campaign about this very time last year in Times Square. I'm still blushing! So move over David; it's Victoria's turn!

Click Here to read the full story by the AP.

Dress code for election day?

Okay, so I know what you are thinking. A dress code for election day? No way. But honestly folks, there is!
No, it's nothing goofy like "wear a green shirt and blue jeans," like you might be thinking (and shaking your head at me). It is honestly something that we should all take note of. While visiting the polls tomorrow (which you all should do if you are over the age of eighteen, and I know you know that so I won't rag on you)-make sure that you wear your normal attire and NO CAMPAIGN GEAR. In some areas they will make you remove it! The goal is to keep the voting sites campaign free, so wearing your "Obama" or "McCain" gear is corrupting the party-free atmosphere that most places are trying to uphold.
So, before you walk in to the polls tomorrow, make sure to remove your campaign hat, put a coat over your t-shirt, remove your election button off of your jacket, and for goodness sakes keep your yard signs in your vehicle. The only kind of election propaganda you should be rocking after you walk out of your polling place is your "I voted" sticker.

Tiffany Gemstone Cocktail Rings

Tiffany Cocktail Ring $800

I know I've posted the amethyst cocktail ring from Tiffany & Co. before but I just received another email from them illustrating this fine piece of art. Ah, they are so beautiful. It's like taking a bullet every time they send me photos of these beautiful creations. Unfortunately the only thing I can afford from Tiffany is their Elsa Peretti catalogue. Oh, and did I mention that's free?

Words of Wisdom : Coco Chanel

"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone."

- Coco Chanel

Guess Who Celebrity Halloween Costumes?

Recognize this famous rocker channeling her inner Bozo?

Or how about these two projects?

Give up? Go to E! and view their photo gallery of Celebrity Halloween Costumes to learn who!

Botched hair-do's Halloween silver lining

Hello all!
I hope that everyone is recovering nicely from this weekend's festivities. As I sit back and analyze this last week, I just wanted to share a story with you all.
The weekend before this last one I had suffered from a botched hair coloring incident. I had tried a new hairstylist because my old one was not a good person to talk to and started talking politics (and yes to all of you, we did not share opinions so you can only imagine the outcome of our conversation). Yes, I do want a hairstylist who is a joy to talk to! I pay for her services and I would hope that someone I have to spend over an hour with would be able to hold a conversation without having to steer toward the three deadly topics (religion, politics, and abortion). ARG!
Anyways, after trying a new hairstylist and walking out of the salon with gold/orange streaks through my hair AND making another trip to "fix" (read-"damage more") my hair, I decided to make an appointment with Berta's hairstylist to make my hair beautiful again. The catch? It's not for another week because I had no idea that I had to budget getting my hair done twice in one month (and I am no money bags, let me tell you).
So Friday was Halloween. I had no idea what to do because it is always hard for me to come up with a costume to wear out. After a long time of brain storming I decided to play on my favorite permanent accessory-my hair-and be Goldilocks for the 31st. I am so cleaver, let me tell you. And you know what? For one day/night, I did not dread my hair being more golden in color than I would normally prefer. I actually cherished it. Lesson learned- find the silver lining in every situation! :)
(and I am so sorry but I actually have no pictures of my get-up. But if any of you have some great pictures of your wonderful Halloween costumes, feel free to send them to me and I will share them with everyone! :)

The Color Orange

Happy Halloween Everyone!

As I sit here in my Alexander McQueen skull scarf (appropriate for today yes?) looking around at all of the Jack-O-Lanterns and fall foliage that celebrates this time of year, I’m reminded how fabulous the color orange is. I know purple is all the rage which I love, but orange is truly a force to be reckoned with. I remember in college I had a pair of bright orange boots. I would often don a complete black ensemble except for these anything but understated boots. Believe it or not, they did not look obnoxious but I'm sure I was ahead of my time for this look. :)

I know it may not be the easiest color to pull off for every hair color or skin tone; but everyone can pull off a great orange accessory. So with a bit of nostalgia brought on today by the thought of my college days filled with fun nights and orange boots, I bring to you some glam orange accessories at uber cool prices!

Pumpkin Hat & Scarf Set $30

Yellow & Orange Beaded Ribbon Necklace $8.99

Melie Bianco Patent Olivia Handbag $39.99

And my favorite is this great clutch with a detachable chain shoulder strap from Melie Bianco for only $34.99!

Melie Bianco Patent Envelope Clutch $34.99

If I Were A Boy, I'd Be Carrying A Miu Miu

Beyonce - New Music - More Music Videos

Okay, I am officially obsessed with Beyonce's latest release "If I Were A Boy". What a great song! And have you seen the video? Wow! Could she be any prettier?


I like the premise of the video. The role reversal, the black and white imagery but most of all, I like the cameo of the Miu Miu Metallic Patchwork bag. I so wanted this bag a year and a half ago.

Miu Miu Metallic Patchwork Bag

I think about the only place you may land one of these now is from Bag, Borrow or Steal. Even our perpetually perky yet pretty Whitney Port has been seen sporting this fabulous bag. Ah, the perks of being on The Hills. Admittedly I'm a bit green right now. Oh well, I'm off to go sing this song a few times in my mirror before I go to bed. Cause well....that's just me. :)

Whitney Port

Living With Distinction - Mixing Fashion and Philanthropy

Photo Credit: Studio One Photography - Copyright The Woman Today

The story of Distinction and Distinction's owner Berta's unique philosophy of mixing fashion with philanthropy was shared with readers of The Woman Today Magazine in this month’s issue.

Duluth, MN (THE WOMAN TODAY) October/November 2008

Living With Distinction, Mixing Fashion and Philanthropy – By Sheryl Jensen

A self-described “geek” who spent twelve years working as a safety engineer in California in Silicon Valley, Berta has channeled her energy and talents in an entirely new direction, moving back to Duluth and taking her love of handbags and jewelry into a whole new realm of fashion and philanthropy.

To view the entire store, visit The Woman Today Magazine.

The Real Housewives of Orange County on Oprah

Yay! 28 days and counting until the return of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Season 4 on Bravo. I’ve admitted this show is my guilty pleasure but I’ve come to realize that I’m a Bravo Junkie! Project Runway, Tabitha Salon Takeover, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, The Rachel Zoe Project, Shear Genius….I could go on and on. But my favorite is definitely The Real Housewives of OC. I’ve watched New York and Atlanta but there is just no comparison to these over the top women of Southern California. Remember, I was a Northern California girl. I worked as an engineer in the Silicon Valley for nearly 12 years.

This is a picture of me (as a brunette) rocking the circa 95 “Semiconductor Industry” fashion collection complete with my 3M full face air supplied respirator. Talk about needing a makeover! And yes, to all my fabulous fellow coworkers from my former world; I am now happily selling handbags for a living. I do really miss you all though! Especially my partner in crime Kelly. Remember this photo Kell?! :) He he.


So anyway....back to my OC girls. They appeared on Oprah Monday to take part in a “Make Under”. Oprah’s show was dedicated to women who had lost their mojo and took part in her special to “Get Your Sexy Back Make Over”. Well the OC Women were examples of what not to do and Oprah had them made “Under”. The result was splendid but not one of them appeared comfortable in their new ensembles. My favorite look was on Jeana. She looked amazing!



To check out all the girls, visit Oprah’s website or get a copy of her November issue of O Magazine. Enjoy!

Tickle Pink Your Office & Join The Fight Against Breast Cancer

I’ve spent the last several days organizing paperwork with the goal to be ahead of the game when tax time rolls around. It was not pretty. Paper is the number one thing that gets me at my house. I never loose anything and miraculously I always remember which pile the item at hand resides in, but I knew eventually I would once again want to sit at my dining room table for dinner.

One great tip a professional organizer I hired gave me was to temporarily put my paper piles on the chairs and not on the table which makes for an unsightly mess. I think the word “temporarily” was supposed to resonate with me but, well, it didn’t. I did think that was the best advice though. I could now continue my paper piling habit incognito. :)

This past week I was definitely motivated and managed to successfully organize all of my paper into a fabulous new filing system. What helped was my super cute filing box. Liking pink the way I do, shopping like I do and fighting breast cancer like I do; I was able to find the perfect system that combines all three for only $15. I wanted to pass this along as 10% of the proceeds of these super cute kits is donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Yay! We could all use a little help when it comes to organizing so here's your chance to do it in style!

Pendaflex® Breast Cancer Awareness File Box $14.99

Share a Survival Story, Inspire the World

Hi Everyone,

I just learned of a courageous battle against breast cancer fought by Ms. Kristen Nelson Thibeault of totalbeauty.com. She is a fabulous woman much deserving of some pampering so please click on the Green Vote Box to vote for her entry in the "Share a Survival Story, Inspire the World" contest. Please help spread the word as well!

Share a Survival Story, Inspire the World Sponsored by Estée Lauder Companies

Guccioli Medium Tote & A Paltry Girl I Once Knew

I have house cleaning on my agenda this Saturday morning, blech! So to procrastinate, I have been on Gucci's website drooling over the Babouska bag I want so dearly for the last 30 minutes.

Well look what else I found...this bag is just so darn cute!

Guccioli Medium Tote $750

My dog would look so cute in this bag if he wasn't a 13 year old, 60 pound black lab mix. :) I like little dogs but I like big dogs more. Years ago when it became fashionable to tote around your miniature in a $5,000 designer bag, I always felt sorry for the little dogs who really were just an accessory. For those that really love their dog for what it is, a fabulous companion, I admire. But for those who are a clone of Paris Hilton....ick.

It reminds me of this girl I knew only as an acquaintance named Courtney when I lived in California. She so wanted to be Paris Hilton, even claimed to be an heiress. Being around her always made me want to vomit. Seriously. Anyway, of course doing everything Paris did, she went out and shelled out a boatload of money on a miniature dog and a designer carrier to tote around her latest accessory. Well guess what? Much to my amusement, the dog she bought ended up being no miniature I assure you. Very soon her "miniature" grew out of that designer carrier and into a decent size 20 pound dog! Ha Ha Ha!! Pure justice! I still feel sorry for the dog though.

Okay...I'm off to clean now...ugh.

Ken's Pick of the Week: Urban Expressions Josephine Balloon Bag

Josephine Balloon Bag in Navy $78.99

Single Handle 12" with 5" Drop
Adjustable, detachable 42" Shoulder Strap
Snap Lock Closure
Faux distressed leather
Fully lined interior includes inside zippered pocket and cell phone pouch
Gold toned hardware

~ 15” Wide x 13” Tall x 5"Deep

Ken's Pick of the Week

Dressing on a Budget Doesn’t Have to be Boring

Dressing on a budget doesn't have to be boring, because your everyday essentials are the building blocks to a great outfit. With a little creative pairing, these simple pieces can be transformed to look trendy and chic! Bobbie Thomas, TODAY Style editor and author of the Buzz column for In Touch Weekly, shows you how to breathe new life into your oldies but goodies.

Handbags for a Cure ... Join the Fight Against Breast Cancer with Celebrity Style Handbags all Under $100

shopdistinction.com announces all handbags under $100 and a commitment to the fight against breast cancer

Duluth, MN (PRWEB) October 10, 2008 -- shopdistinction.com, the online celebrity boutique with a philanthropic mission, is excited to announce that all handbags are now under $100.

"Times are tough and spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a handbag is simply not an option for most of us," said shopdistinction.com's owner Berta. "I want to offer the same great handbags our customers love, but with even more affordable price points."

shopdistinction.com, the online counterpart to the hip brick and mortar boutique, Distinction Handbags and Accessories, has always offered great handbags at affordable prices. But with the current state of the economy, Berta is committed to finding the best deals on quality handbags and passing those savings on to her customers.

Distinction Handbags and Accessories is where "fashion meets philanthropy". Their fabulous handbags create quite the stir no matter what the occasion. At the same time; each handbag sold helps in the fight against breast cancer as a percentage of each sale is donated to organizations working to find a cure.

Click Here to read full Press Release

Gucci 'Aviatrix' Boston Bag - Look for Less

So I was on overstock.com tonight trying to find a new frying pan. I’m convinced the little black specs of Teflon that have been chipping off my old pan and into my food just isn’t safe to consume anymore. If I come down with a mysterious illness, remind me that I once ate this stuff. Anyway, I would very much like a pink, non-stick frying pan. Well I don’t know how it happened, but when I entered “pink frying pan” into the search box on overstock, the results came back with the Gucci 'Aviatrix' Black Boston Bag. Odd yes, but I figured I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. (Is that the expression?)

Gucci 'Aviatrix' Black Boston Bag $1899.99

This is the bag that I remember absolutely dying over when Lucy Liu’s character on Cashmere Mafia opened it up in the opening scene of the show. Well the series didn’t make it, but that bag sure did. Admittedly it doesn’t rival my all time favorite Gucci, The Mini Indy, but I really like this bag. I love vintage and this bag reminds me of the details I like in my vintage bags. It’s structured, has a push lock closure and looks absolutely divine carried on your forearm. Overstock currently has it on sale for $1899.99

Ahh…If I only had large sums of disposable income I would snag one, maybe the suede one too. If you like this style, we have the Melie Bianco “Vera” Bag at Distinction with a very friendly price of $44.99 that captures a lot of these same elements. And if you choose to get the real deal on sale at Overstock, let me know if you happen to run across a pink frying pan will you? :)

Melie Bianco "Vera" Bag $44.99

Adina Reyter Breast Cancer Awareness Rose Gold Heart Ring

Wow!! We introduced Adina Reyter’s Limited Edition Breast Cancer Awareness Collection earlier this month and the response was HUGE!! Thank you very much for making this such a great success. We still have a few days left to special order the beautiful Rose Gold Ring seen in US Weekly, Star Magazine and In Touch Weekly.

Simply go to our site, order your ring and we will special order this handmade piece from Adina in LA just for you! Remember, you do good each time you shop at Distinction as we donate a portion of each sale to the fight against breast cancer. In addition, Adina donates an extra 20% of proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund. So go on, look good and feel good with this beautiful limited edition piece.

Adina Reyter Breast Cancer Awareness Rose Gold Heart Ring $59.99

Design a dress for Mariah Carey and win big!

I saw Mariah Carey on Good Morning America today speaking about an initiative to raise money for breast cancer awareness. It sounded like the perfect contest for all you budding designers out there.


With the launch of Mariah’s new fragrance, Luscious Pink, Mariah has also launched a fashion desig