I'll take 20 of you, please.

This week I celebrated a birthday and for the first time in my life I couldn’t think of one thing that I really wanted. I had already gotten all of my friends together (and to dress up in ridiculous costumes) for a party, I got a half dozen cupcakes (and 3 full cups of frosting!), and I spent the entire day on the phone with the most important people in my life. Oh, and my oldest friend took me out for all-you-can-eat sushi. What more could a girl want?

When my mother called to ask me what I wanted, then, I was stumped.

“Uh, I have no clue. I can’t think of anything.”
“Can’t think of anything? Are you drunk?” She asked.
“No, mom. Why do you always ask me that?” I replied, now realizing how inappropriate it would be to ask for booze….
“Well, just think about it. If you could have a room full of anything right now, what would it be?”
“Paul Rudds.”

I got a Starbucks gift card and an “I Love You, Man” DVD in the mail the next day.  Clearly, her little experiment failed (no matter how hard she would try, I know she’d never get Paul Rudd to agree to be cloned… and then stand in a small room to wait for me), but I realized what a great question it was. It’s just so telling about a person. So this week I posed the very same question to the CollegeCandy writers:

If you could have a room full of anything, what would it be?

What’s your answer?

Emmy – Loyola University Chicago: Ghiradelli dark chocolate filled with caramel, and New Orleans beignets from the Grand Luxe Cafe!

Sarabeth – University of Texas: It might not be creative, but MONEY!

Jill – Universtiy of Wisconsin: I would want a room full of chocolate chip banana bread that tastes so bad for you but – surprise! – is totally calorie free. And if the Backstreet Boys and/or Jason Segel could be in said room spoonfeeding the B-bread to me, well, that’s just bonus points.

Jasmin – University of Missouri: York Mints! York Mints and freshly groomed puppies!

Leah – Ryerson University: A Marc Jacobs boutique with everything in my size.

Brittany – University of Saint Thomas: Is it fair if we can take as many things from this room out as possible? If so, definitely round trip tickets to anywhere around the world. Nope. Change my mind. My answer is puppies.

Ness – Sheridan: My dream room would just be the biggest mattress, a grotesque amount of pillows and blankets, and bookshelves all over the walls filled with books and DVDs. Oh, and a plasma screen would be nice. Sleep, sex, relaxation, movies, and reading? I don’t think a room could get any better than that. Okay, so it’s not a room full of one thing, but DAYUM.

Alex – Lakehead University: A room full of PURSES! Designer ones, of course. I’m a total bag lady.

Lauren – University of Michigan: Chanel bags filled with Lucky Charm marshmallows. OMG, I just drooled thinking about it.

Katie – Michigan State University: Money. No joke, that would be awesome. Or designer shoes in my size. Same thing really.

Zahra – Northwestern University: I’d want a roomful of all the books that I’ve heard about and wanted to read but either forget their names or don’t have time to.

Christie – NC State: Clothes! Duh.

Meg – University of Delaware: I’d have a room full of cars: one for the weekend, one for weekdays, summer car, winter car, classic, new, you name it.

Kelly – Simmons College: Hundred dollar bills.

Brithny – Duke: Those plastic wrapping bubble things. I always pop every single one (minor OCD tendencies).

Charlsie – Hollins: If I could h ave a room full of anything, it would be a room full of Jelly Bellys. But only the flavors I like!

Jackelyn – San Francisco State University: A room full of food that is free of calories, but still fills me up with nutritional value. Yeah, that would be the life!

Norah – Drake University: Books. Oh wait, that’s a library, isn’t it?

Carly – Grinnell: Probably a room full of nonperishable baking ingredients. Flour, sugar, chocolate (oh, chocolate) . . . yes . . .

Kelly – University of Iowa: Kittens!

So whenever a new season comes around, I know I look forward to seeing what the bag trends for that season are gonna be. While there is always a seasonal “it” bag (or 2 or 3) that generally costs more than your monthly rent, you don’t have to break the bank each season to have a trendy bag on your arm. It may be hard to believe, but there are plenty of budget options out there!

As is true with most seasons, this season brings us some new shapes, styles and textures, but there is also a lot of recycling going on. A key with bags is that you don’t need to go matchy matchy, so don’t be afraid to add a pop of color, or if you go with a neutral like grey or brown, you needn’t match all your accessories.

Bags are meant to be a statement piece, so don’t fear going bold and adding some zest to your look with your handbag – be it a clutch, tote, or, this season’s most popular shape, the satchel.

Satchel It To Me

As I said, the most popular shape for this season is the satchel. While totes and hobos are still popular shapes, the satchel has been seen on the arms of celebrities and trend-setters everywhere. The beauty of this shape is that you can incorporate any number of the trends listed below into the satchel, so pick your favorite and go with it.

What A Croc!

This season is all about different materials: reptile skins, lace, patent leather, or, the material du jour for the season, crocodile skin (or for those of us who are environmentally friendly, budget-conscious or both, faux croc). You can find croc in all the different shapes, sizes and colors of the season, from Prada bags down to Target clutches. Croc rocks because it adds a classic and classy touch to any ensemble.

Fringe Benefits

The hottest trend for this season is the bohemian-inspired fringe bag. Again, many designers are going with this trend, but you can find some great fringe bags on a budget at places like Nine West and Forever 21. My personal favorite is this bag from Melie Bianco, which is only $80 and can be found in some of this season’s hottest colors: taupe/grey, brown, burgundy and, of course, black.

Top of the World

A new and popular shape this season is the top-handle bag, which, again, can be found on many of the different shapes, sizes and trends of the season. Yes, all bags have handles on the top, but this trend focuses on a more structurd look and shorter handles. Definitely an updated look on your typical bag.

Treasure Hunt

As we have mentioned a million times before, jewel tones are huge this season, and this trend extends from clothes all the way to bags. Greens, pinks and teals are making an appearance, but the real winners this season are blues and berries. Everyone from Coach to Old Navy is making bags in these luscious colors and they’re a great way to give the neutral colors of fall/winter (black, greys, etc.) a festive pop.

Gift Wrapped Elegance

Giving way to a nostalgic and classic look, clutches with bows are a flirty and feminine touch to an evening look, especially in satin or patent leather. For inexpensive versions of this look, try Target and Payless; they’ve got adorable ones for under $40.

Brown Baggin’ It

As is always the case with fall, brown bags are all the rage; whether a deep chocolate color or a lighter tan, you can’t go wrong with pairing a brown bag with a hot pair of boots and skinny jeans.

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