Hot off the Press!

Exciting times at HHHQ - first of all we will be introducing our new blog lady, Kerry. Kerry is going to sample each of our bags and give us her opinion. Watch this space as it promises to be honest, amusing and no doubt very interesting as our Girl About Town tries out our gorgeous arm candy.

Secondly, two of our members have just today decided they can't bear to send back the bags they have hired and so have asked me for a purchase price. They are now proud owners of their favourites and I hope they'll be very happy. It's a lovely part of my job, uniting people with their heart's desire.

So, we'll need to shop soon to get more bags on the site for you to hire. As usual, I'm open to suggestions, so please let me know your perfect bags at jo@handbaghirehq.co.uk and we'll crack open that piggy bank....

Bye for now, glamourpusses,
Jo. XX.

M Andonia Daisy Kiss

One of our lovely members has just returned the M Andonia Daisy Kiss and it prompted me to give it a trial. So how did it go?
Well, as soon as Twin 1 saw it, she gushed, "Oh Mom, that's my favourite bag ever...." and Twin 1 prides herself on being a tomboy and not girlie at all, but I think it really brought out her inner laydee. Anyway, the only problem our esteemed member encountered with the Daisy Kiss was that it was too small for all her everyday stuff. I have been using it for about ten hours now and I have to admit I agree.
I took it shopping today, with the children, and I have to say, once Twin 2 got fed up with her DS and dumped it on me (occupational hazard), it joined my purse, phone and car keys and then the MADK was about as full as it could be and still be able to be clipped up. I really do love the look of it, though.
I think perhaps it's for someone far more ladylike than me. Like Lily Allen when she's in one of her Audrey Hepburn moments. Or Audrey herself. Anyway, someone who can cope with form more than function.
Today I'm enjoying playing lady of the manor. But I fear tomorrow I'll be going back to being practical. Though the Fendi B Mix is calling, so I won't sink into the pits of depression just yet....
Bye for now and happy browsing,
Jo.
XX.

Doncha wish.....

A snippet from Amanda Plattell's page in the Daily Mail at the weekend:

"Lewis Hamilton has managed to woo his pop star girlfriend Nicole Sherzinger back after they briefly split up last year. Ever generous, this multi-millionaire tax exile is already moaning about his little songbird's taste in expensive designer handbags. 'The best thing to do,' he says, 'is when you go to China pick up a whole lot of stuff - they'll never know the difference.' Silly Lewis. If you're a sportsman, you can cheat on your girlfriend with another woman, but never with a fake Louis Vuitton."

Ab-so-lutely.
XX.

It's all happening here.....and Burberry Verdict!

Yes, we're having busy old time here in Handbag Hire HQ World. Well, I suppose I should say Handbag Hire HQ HQ, but that sounds a bit odd....

Anyway, not only have I been trying out our lovely Burberry Hobo (more on that later), but I have gone even more girly than I was already by becoming a Vie at home consultant. Why would someone devoted to the sharing of handbag-love be diversifying in such a way? Well, lots of reasons really, for a start I love the stuff so it's a good way to get my mitts on it (tsk), but also as a mum of 3 with an internet-based job, I have to say sometimes I feel the need to have actual real-life-in-the-flesh conversations with grown ups who I'm neither married to nor accepting post from. Not saying that I have no friends or social life of course, but let me refer you back to the 3 small children bit....

So, I promise with hand on heart I won't be carrying Vie at home samples around in our gorgeous HHHQ bags, so don't worry about spillages, but there's a very good chance I could be showing the bag I'm currently trialling to the guests at the parties, so that I can write a more balanced review, because, lets face it, I'm a leeetle bit handbag-obsessed so I might be prone to adoring everything! (Though I do try to be open-minded.) Anyway, at the first Team Meeting I had to introduce myself and it did feel a bit "My name's Jo and I'm a Bagaholic." But I'm settling in and if you would like to have a look at my online shop, it's available at www.my.vieathome.com/jotrafford

Onto further news - for all those who remember my "performance" on the Weakest Link last year and who fancied having a go themselves, I had a phonecall from one of their researchers today and they would like to have more 30-something females on the show. So if you would like to find out more please email me at jo@handbaghirehq.co.uk and I can put you in touch with her. I had a brilliant time doing the show so come on ladies, don't hide your light under a bushel....

At last, I come onto my review of the Burberry Hobo. It is one of those bags that people notice, but it's not over the top. I was a bit daunted by the Burberry Check - was it a look I could pull-off, especially this time of the year when I seem to be all in black or dark plum, but the contrast worked really well and I have enjoyed using it. Of course it's not exactly massive and downsizing is ALWAYS a challenge for me, as my regular readers will know, but the open-top design, whilst not exactly suitable if mixing in light-fingered company, does mean you can slot plenty in. It also makes FINDING things easy, which is a bonus.

The magnetic fastening is really strong, which means you only need to throw the strap over and it latches on very easily. I loved the length of the shoulder strap - it sat neatly under my arm. I also loved the pale brown lining - its simplicity compared to the outside check was greatly satisfying. My final plus - like the Louis Vuitton canvas, the Hobo is made from a strong, hardwaring and waterproof material, so I didn't feel scared to plop it down on a table, etc. So, although it is a light colour, it is supremely practical.

To sum up, I thoroughly enjoyed sporting the Burberry Hobo, though long-term it would probably be too small for a clutternut like me. I had lots of favourable comments from friends and strangers alike and no negative ones.

Now, that's my lot for today. Remember to let me know what bags you'd like to see on our site, and also if we can pop you on our Waiting List for any of them.

Bye for now,

Jo. XX.

Checking. Me. Out.

New trial: Burberry Hobo. Watch this space....
XX.

Me and My Bag We Got Issues....

....I just can't find me my tissues.

Well, I've been using and a-testing the LV Neverfull and it really is a whopping great bucket of a bag. Now, it's lovely and a truely recognisable piece of arm candy. A very stylish business associate of mine cast a loving eye over it and I felt a pang of pure love for it right there and then, but the problem is that it's such a spacious thing that I can't help just chucking stuff in there. I'll give you an example, at the till at the supermarket, the very helpful check-out lady asks if I would like a bag, my response: "No thanks, I can just pop it all in here." Easy as. The thing is, I just don't know when to stop.
I've ended up with countless DS's and DS chips from the children, enough make up to buff up all the actors on a mini-series, a money box in the shape of a pink stilletto boot (this belongs rather worryingly to my son and is full of coppers and silvers!) and at least one diary. Amongst all my other stuff, please check previous blogs for full list. There's no kitchen sink as yet but just watch this space.

My Virgo instincts tell me to go for a mini bag and live life in the ultra 0rganised lane, but it is just SO easy to keep plopping stuff in the Neverfull. It just carries on looking so lovely and really doesn't give away the total chaos going on inside.

Ah. So I continue to fool the outside world that I'm stylish and orderly. And inside I'm a mish-mash. C'est la vie.

XX Jo.

Introducing Quute Illumina and Sade

Here at HHHQ we have had a very exciting delivery - two exquisite Quute Illumina clutch bags. Designed exclusively by the lovely Sade, these beauties have a very, um.... illuminating.... innovation - open them up and a delicate (yet surprisingly powerful) row of lights switch on automatically, so you can check your make-up, find your keys, pick out a pen to write down that all important phone number....
Sade has been nominated for the coveted British Female Inventor and Innovator Awards. See her website at http://www.quuteillumina.co.uk/ for her full story.
We are delighted to introduce two of these unique bags to our site. We have the red and the black. No prizes for guessing which is my favourite*. I'm sure all our members will love them. Both clutches are 13.5" wide - a similar size to the lovely Gucci Hysteria Clutch, so you can pop plenty in there on a night out, without resorting to a day bag.
With Valentines Day coming up, which one of our faithful members will be trying them out first?
Bye for now and happy browsing,
Jo. XX.

*The black, with the red, oooooh.....