i.heart.orla.kiely.

Many of you may know that I have an unhealthy obsession with orla kiely bags. My favorites are the ones made of oil cloth- they're super easy to wipe clean, plus, they have great patterns and colors. I purchased my first bag about five years ago. It was a steal at $78 (although at the time it was a big splurge for me) and I loved that no one else had her stuff. Five years later, the demand for her stuff has skyrocketed, as have the prices. While I haven't seen people on every street corner carrying one yet, I do come across the occasional orla fan. While in london, I had the dream come true of visiting her flagship store in covent gardens. It was heavenly. The sad news was that with the strong pound and weak dollar, her expensive bags were ridiculous. I could barely afford the zipper clutch I splurged on. Also, since her things are much easier to come across, tons of snazzy londoners carry her bags, thus diminishing the "special" factor I get to experience here when I'm the only one. A few days ago, my london friend e-mailed me telling me about the orla kiely sample sale that's happening there from may 31st to june 3rd. I'm so jealous, but I'm checking out some of her past season patterns and *kb's* going to pick up something for me- at fantastic discounts. I may have to get up super early so she can call and report what they have in stock from the sale. Or maybe I'll have to get a last minute ticket to london. Ha!