Rare and Reserve

I like unique and quirky things, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has read my blog for a while. So when I spied this bag called "Desert Storm" at the Louis Vuitton boutique I knew it was right up my alley because of its unique and kitschy design, but I had no idea just how special it was. The sales associate told me that it was one of two that were in the United States and only 24 were made in total by the company, which is a little different from the sea of canvas monogram bags that one usually associates with Louis Vuitton. I wasn't sure if it was maybe too unique and kitschy, so I walked around Caesar's Palace for a while mulling it over. When I came back to the boutique I decided to splurge on it. Maybe it was seeing the comedian Carrot Top outside of the boutique (what could be a more auspicious sign?) or the fact that Vegas makes you do some crazy things with their dark casinos and hypnotic slot machine sounds, but whatever it was I'm glad I took the plunge.

The bag is particularly meaningful to me because the day after I purchased it my husband and I went to Valley of the Fire State Park in Nevada, which you can see here. The breathtaking vistas of the west that we saw on our excursion reminded me of the scene that is etched in the leather of the bag. Whenever I look at the bag it will always remind me of the experience...and Carrot Top, but mostly the first memory, which was much more pleasant and romantic than the latter!

One of my other qualms about buying the bag that initially gave me pause was that I wasn't quite sure what I would wear it with. There are so many colors featured on the bag, but because the design is so bold it is somewhat limiting. I decided it would look great with something simple, but since I don't do simple very often I had to put some twists into today's look of a plain blazer with jeans, which is where the stripes and polka dots come in. Below are some options I've selected that are either similar to or inspired by my ensemble.

1. Red blazer, 2. Polka dot wallet, 3. Baby blue cross body,

4. Striped cross body, 5. Black pumps, 6. Skinny jeans,

7. Polka dot pumps, 8. Striped turtleneck

Jacket: J. Crew "School Boy" similar
Shirt: J. Crew here
Jeans: J. Crew "Reid" similar options here
Shoes: Kate Spade similar
Bag: Louis Vuitton "Desert Storm"
Sunglasses: Prada here

Linking Up With: Fun Fashion Friday, Fabulous Friday
Flashback Fashion Fridays
Hello Monday, How I Fall, Still Being Molly, Shoe and Tell
I will wear what I like 
Turning Heads, Garay Treasures, On Trend Tuesday