Getting "the one" (handbag)

It may be a bit late coming, but I think the time has finally come to sing the praises of one of my favourite Christmas presents.

Amongst a fairly mixed haul of presents (I seem to have reached the awkward stage where most people resort to body butter or manicure sets as a standard go-to gift) I received a much longed for Disaster Designs handbag.

"With Love" Overnight Bag from Disaster Designs

Having lusted after Disaster Designs goodies since I was old enough to decide that a good handbag was preferable to toting a Billabong backpack, I've spent countless hours trawling ebay hoping to track down one on the cheap. Although not exactly designer price range, at about £60 for a large bag, Disaster Designs still checks in at wildly outside of my student budget. However, this year I decided it was finally time to get hold of the bag of my dreams.

Beautifully designed and created with immaculate attention to detail, from the butterfly zips to the envelope themed front pocket and doily patterning, the "With Love" overnight bag was an eventual winner after a week of zealously evaluating Disaster Designs products. If that wasn't enough, even the back of the bag is perfectly patterned with a green floral design, just another example of Disaster Design's dedication to every aspect of their handbags. Even better, the bag is perhaps almost too generously large, causing me to stagger into campus under the weight of my laptop, gym gear and enough books to start a small library, simply because I now have a bag that caters to this need.

And this is just the start. Disaster Designs have a whole range of treats, from purses to teacups, all beautiful offerings to everything vintage, quirky, and stylish. I've put together a few of my favourites here:

Songbird Satchel from Disaster Designs

Love Letters Wallet from Disaster Designs

With Love Teacup from Disaster Designs

Object d'art Make-up Bag from Disaster Designs

Paper Plane Alarm Clock from Disaster Designs

With their sweet by-lines and 50's style, Disaster Designs transports you back to an era of romance and elegance, bringing back love letters and thermos flasks as if the internet and Starbucks had never happened.

Not easy to get hold of, Disaster Designs products are certainly worth searching for. A limited stock is available at certain fashion-conscious high street stores, such as Yumi, but you're more likely to find them at quirky individual shops. Alternatively campusgifts.co.uk stocks their complete catalogue online, and sabrinafair.co.uk also has a good range.

So if you're looking for something a bit different accessories wise, have a browse and see what you think. I'll be busy building a small pedestal for mine, if I ever manage to empty it out...