Pebbles On Ice will participate in the "X-mas and Creative" Fair on November 29th and 30th.
Location: Antwerp Expo.
We will bring along our X-mas spirit as well as lovely and unique evening and party bags. You will also be able to touch, sniff and buy our Winter collection of handmade leather bags.
Finally our Summer sale has begun! We've discounted all of our handbags, so don't miss out and grab a bargain while you can.
Our new collection will be in our shop windows sometime in August, so be sure to come back and check out the funky new additions. We'll also be starting our very own line of handmade handbags. The first creations will be added to our collection in August, and to tell you the truth, we can hardly wait to hear your reactions.
When I was at an Egyptian airport a couple of weeks ago, I witnessed an animated discussion between two women. Both had bought a similar travel bag at the airport. Woman A was convinced her bag was an authentic Vuitton bag. Woman B was dead certain her bag was fake. And both women used big arm gestures to convince the other one they were right.
I was intrigued by the whole scene and sat pretty close to it, so it didn't take much effort to study the bags. And it really was a dead giveaway. After a couple of seconds I was sure both bags were fake. Not that I'm an expert in spotting counterfeiting, but come on, flashy red stitching on a Vuitton bag? That just could not be right.
When I arrived back home, I made a mental note to write a short article about the difference between authentic and replica designer bags. As the holidays are just around the corner, and the handbag temptations abroad will probably be hard to resist, I will give you some tips on how to tell whether a bag is genuine or fake. An informed women is so much harder to con than a non-informed one, right?
1. Quality of the stitching.
Designer bags are so expensive because, welll, you pay for the brand name, but also because the bag was created with great care and eye for detail. Stitching on designer bags is faultless. Do you notice that the stitching on a bag that is presented to you as a designer bag, is asymmetrical, sloppy or in a colour that clashes with the rest of the bag, you can be sure the bag is fake. Be sure to check the bottom and inside of the bag if you're in doubt. The less visible places tend to be the ones that have bad finishing.
2. Material
The competition on the black market of fake bag is enormous, which means that the quality of the material used in replica designer bags, has improved a lot. Gone are the times when fake bags were all made out of pvc. Nowadays good quality leather is used, making it harder to tell whether the bag is ffake. Nevertheless, this leather used for replica designer bags is never as supple and flexible as the leather of a designer bag. Also check for discolorations. Do you notice that the leather's appearance is uneven, chances are the bag is fake.
3. Pricing
Buying a Prada, Gucci, Coach or Vuitton handbag for a mere € 100, is just not possible (unless of couse you buy them secondhand ). Think about it: if retailers cannot buy these bags for € 100, how would they be able to make any profit out of them, selling them to their customers at that price?
4. Label
Check the label for spelling mistakes. Big brands go out of their way to attach a label to their products that is clearly impressed, has good stitching attached to it, and does not have any grammatical mistakes. To spot fake labels, it helps to now how the real labels look like. Burberry for instance, will never put a label mentioning Burberrys" in a bag. It should say "Burberry - London". What's more, most brands will give you a booklet with your bag, describing the company history and how to take care of your bag. If you don't receive a booklet like that with your purchase, you have reason to suspect the bag is not genuine.
5. Packaging
Each designer bag comes in a original, luxury packaging. When a salesman sells you a bag he claims to be a real designer product, he should give it to you in a box or a luxury bag with the brand name clearly printed on it. If he wraps the handbag in paper or puts it in a regular plastic grocery bag, he's just not telling the truth.
A couple of days ago we returned from our Egyptian holiday, and I thought I'd share some funny and not so funny things with you guys. About how I ended up in an Egyptian hospital (nothing serious, although I did manage to bring a nurse close to a nervous breakdown - more about that later), and about how much I enjoyed checking out the variety of people hanging around lazily at the pool. I'll post some pictures to illustrate what I'm talking about.
Anyway. The moment we set foot on the plane headed to Hurghada airport, I wasn't feeling very well but I thought, hey, it's just a cold or a virus or maybe that tequila sunrise I'd drunk the night before. I'll get over it in a couple of hours. But unfortunately I didn't. Fever set in and on arriving in Egypt, I found myself saying: "They dropped us off in the wrong country. It's FREEZING out here. I thought Egypt was supposed to be like an oven." But then I looked at Nearly-My-Husband and noticed that in the five minutes we had been standing outside, he'd lost so much sweat that his pants were sliding off his hips. And that's when I understood that there was something wrong with me and my internal thermostat. I was shivering and having arrived at the hotel, I decided to stay in bed until I felt less like something the cat brought in and more like a human being again.
Just before the holiday, I'd bought this great new sunhat that I had hoped to be flaunting at the beach, but instead I looked like this:
Very glamorous, 'ey? Every hour, Nearly-My-Husband lovingly put a wet handkerchief on my forehead, and he regularly went out to the restaurant and smuggled some food out to bring to his ailing fiancé. Proving again what good taste I have in men. Bless him.
On day five, the doctor came by and said I'd better go to the hospital to get an X-ray. So we ended up at the ER and met a great physician who had studied in the UK and was really into literature. We had a great chat, he put me at ease, and then sent me to the X-Ray room, where I was told to take off my t-shirt and bra.
And that was when the screaming started.
It scared the shit out of me, people. I had begun pulling my shirt over my head when the nurse who was standing beside me yelled: "No no nooooooo!" and started pushing me with great force out of the room. "What are you doing woman?" I asked. But she was so shocked she couldn't speak. And she just kept on pushing me -head still inside my t-shirt, so I couldn't see a thing- out of the room. It took me a couple of seconds before the penny dropped. Of course, in a Muslim country, a woman cannot strip in a room where men can see her. I'd done something completely unacceptable. For the entire time I was in hospital, the nurse couldn't look at me without her shaking her head in disbelief. How could I have been so stupid.
But the good news was that there were pills to cure what was ailing me and that I could return to the hotel, armed with six different medications. And the following day I felt good enough to spend some time around the pool:
And float away in the Red Sea, with dozens of little fish swimming around me:
I just loved seeing the great variety of people hanging around the beach. I was fascinated by this older guy who was lying on a deck chair in front of me in some sort of "sun worshipping position". He just had the greatest belly. I had a hard time fighting the urge to get up and perform a drum solo on it. Just look at it:
Isn't that a sight for sore eyes or what. What a relief there are still people our there who would rather die than go under a plastic surgeon's knife.
Anyway, all in all the holiday was great. During the last couple of days I came up with a great new idea for this online handbags store, and I'm really excited about that (I'll share more with you within the next couple of weeks). So check back soon for an update.
In the meantime, I hope you are all well and enjoying the warmer temperatures. O yeah, there are still a couple of days left to enter our competition, so if you haven't participated yet, do it now and maybe you'll be the lucky lady that wins a gorgeous evening bag. Good luck!
A house in the Borsekoutestraat in Zwalm got burgled by thiefs who'd drilled small holes. The house was searched. A handbag and cellphone were found missing.
Some time ago I met a fantastically creative English woman while I was surfing the world wide web. Since a couple of years, this talented woman's been making the most fabulous bags from retro fabrics (by the way: retro's totally back in fashion!). On thumbing through her entire bag collection, I almost started drooling. That's how adorable I thought all of her bags were. They are the ideal companions on a day out, as hand luggage or as diaper bags.
And with mother's day only a breath away, a funky retro bag would be the perfect gift to wrap up for a fun-loving mum.
As of April 25th, these wonderful bags will be right here for all to see in our internet store. So don't miss out on these beauties and stop by to adore them and take one home with you.
O yes, another thing. There's more good news. As of Tuesday, April 29th, we're adding new cotton bags to our collection. These bags were handmade in Nepal especially for Pebbles On Ice. We're sure you'll love them as much as we do.
A couple of weeks ago, I had to get some petrol along the E40 motorway in the direction of Brussels.
I was in a hurry 'cause I was expecting a courrier with a handbag delivery from Africa.
Anyway, I was standing at the pump when I was addressed by a man-from-television. He said: "Excuse me, do you happen to know how I can get to Ghent from here?" I thought: that's a bizarre question. Ghent is just a couple of miles from here, he must have just passed it.
So I said: "You've just passed it. I suggest you drive to the next exit, across the bridge and head back to the E40 motorway in the direction of Ostend."
"Oh," the famous person replied. "Isn't there like a shortcut? Maybe somewhere along this petrol station?" And he pointed in the direction of a group of trees.
I said: "Those are just trees. There's no road there."
The man then brushed his hair out of his face and stayed put, silently. I kept on tanking up. People who work for television shouldn't assume that everyone wants to strike up a long conversation with them, just because they are on television and we're not. Moreover, when I'm getting petrol I don't feel like multitasking. I just want to get petrol and move on.
The man-from-television said "thank you" and I said "you're welcome" and then he walked back to his car. I didn't watch him drive off.
And in retrospect, I thought it was wonderful to know that people who are on television can be awfully confused, just like us, and have jumbled thoughts like: aren't there supposed to be roads between the trees at petrol stations?
To keep up-to-date with what's buzzing in the fashion accessories world, we regularly visit trade fairs. Now there are a lot of clichés about people who visit fashion trade fairs.
And I can tell you this: almost all of them are true.
1. There's a lot of Italian folk at fashion trade fairs.
Correct! And let me tell you something, Italians know they are hot in the accessories world. And they act the part. As a small retailer it is impossible to impress those successful Italian wholesalers. They might not be tall, but the minute they say something to you in that English-with-a-Godfather-accent, I swear you instantly feel yourself shrinking.
2. There's a lot of Asian folk at trade fairs.
Das stimmt! But most of them don't wear cameras, and they don't come in big flocks like they normally do. So I have to say that you sort of don't notice them. We gave a lift to a guy from Hongkong who told me he imported handbags from Nepal, and I said: "So do I!" but he said: "I mean, from Nepal!" And I replied: "Yes, from Nepal." He then shook his head and repeated: "Ne-pal. Ne-pal." It took me ten minutes (he had already left by then) to understand that he meant Napels, not Nepal. God, I'm glad I didn't hear 'nipple' 'cause that would have really embarrassed him.
3. There's a lot of booze at a trade fair.
Gallons! No matter which stand you walk into, there's always someone harrassing you until you take a glass of sparkling wine/champagne and start gulping it down (note to self: next time bring Tupperware containers!). Yes, we always have a jolly good time at trade fairs. It's exhausting and I don't always find what I'm looking for (handmade bags aren't hot at big fairs) but it's good to see what's out there. And there's a LOT out there, I can tell you that.
When we get home, I usually stay out of the stock room for about half a day because I just cannot bear the sight of yet another handbag. But after those four hours, I get to work again, counting myself lucky I am one of those people who actually likes their job. And who gets to know wonderful people like yourself, who visit Pebbles On Ice and adopt one of the bags I selected.
Katrien is the owner of Pebbles On Ice. Every week she presents you with bits and pieces of her life.
I don’t mean to moan, people, but I’ve got to get something off my chest. You see, I cannot help but think there's a conspiracy going on in the fashion industry. A conspiracy to uglify women.
Let me try and explain by tackling four present-day fashion statements I truly abhor: skinny jeans, shapeless and baggy dresses, leggings, and miniskirts.
Skinny jeans No and I repeat no woman who’s over twenty (that’s years or kilos) looks good in skinny jeans. These clingy trousers are as big a fashion crime as National Health glasses were. They shorten your legs, emphasize love handles, and they make you walk funny. More than that, every respectable doctor will tell you that skinny jeans are a health hazard; they can contribute to yeast infections and varicose veins. And they can explode after a meal. There is just not one thing to like about skinny jeans. I remember one time in the eighties when wearing skinny jeans without being mocked, was the prerogative of hardrock-fans. Whoever in his or her right mind thought that now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the timing was perfect to kidnap skinny jeans from their natural owners and bombard them to a worldwide fashion statement? Hellooo!
Shapeless dresses The female body is a wonderful creation. It’s curvaceous, sensual and soft. Its beauty is unsurpassed. So I tell you, the fashion designer who came up with baggy dresses must have been one misogynistic guy. I mean, even the most gorgeous curves in the world are completely lost underneath a dress that might have served some soldiers very well as a tent. Someone should get tortured for this invention. Not even a splendid handbag can save a dress that makes all women look pregnant and ugly at the same time. But come to think of it, baggy dresses are just perfect for a certain group of people. Kleptomaniacs! Think about the cargo that can be stuffed underneath a tent dress. So shopkeepers, join forces with us against baggy dresses! You will stop losing money, and we will stop losing our temper.
Leggings It actually hurt my fingers to type that word. Let’s try it again: l-aw-e-aw-g-aaaw-g-stopitplease-i nonono-n-mercy!-g-thehorror!-s. My God, I’ll need a week to recover from that. If I ever do. But let’s consider this. Do you remember the time when only athletes and ballerinas wore leggings, to keep their muscles warm while working out? Leggings were no fashion statement back then. They just served a purpose for a particular group of people. Then Flashdance came out, and we all got a bit crazy and maybe for a year or so when we were 15 or 16 with our brains still developing, we got a bit wild and wore a pair of leggings to a party or so. It all seemed perfectly okay. That is, until we turned twenty and realized that sometimes fashion is crap and that leggings will basically always be crap. It’s a general truth, along with the law of gravity. We should erase the word legging from the dictionary and from fashion history. And if anyone should ever re-invent leggings, let’s only hope we are wise enough to institutionalize that person before he does any more harm.
Miniskirts I’m afraidfashion designers don’t know much about human anatomy. Surely they all know about that joint in the middle of our leg called the knee. But has someone ever told them that women’s knees start to sag after the age of, say 33? And that therefore it is cruel to declare miniskirts the next hot thing? If I remember correctly, it was Demi Moore who got so self-conscious about her saggy knees, that she got knee lift surgery. See what the emphasis on miniskirts can do to a perfectly lovely looking woman? It's a shame. Anyway, miniskirts are a much too flimsy subject to devote too much attention to. Let's just leave them to girls with perky knees and teens with brains that are still under construction. They should enjoy miniskirts while they can, 'cause we women, we know that the Big Pull will spare no one.
