"Elegance is the balance between proportion, emotion, and surprise." -Valentino Garavani

Sometimes, when I'm thrifting, I see something that takes my breath away. Right away, I know that I won't be able to walk away without the item. This was one of those times.

I first fell in love with the Valentino Noeud d'Amour ("love knot") clutch a couple of years ago. I have a pair of red satin Ralph Lauren Collection bow heels that I thought the red Valentino would match perfectly. However, I was much younger at the time and only had a job in the summer, and my mom wasn't about to buy me a $1,095 bag (with good reason). 

So how did I get this amazing bag?

I found it at a thrift store...for - get this - $45. I recognized it right away and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the inside tags and the price tag. I researched it and also posted it on the Purse Forum to make certain that it was authentic, though I could tell it was real on my own. I love that it's a giant bow! The blue is also a very nice and rich color. This bag looks even better when you put stuff into it.

It's a very rich blue, as you can see in these photos of it in daylight.

Here is a description of it taken from Neiman Marcus's website: Pure Italian silk is all tied up into a fabulously feminine bow with this amazing clutch from the one and only Valentino. The "Noeud d'Amour" features a double top zip with leather pulls and a detachable, adjustable 20" shoulder strap. Specify Pink or, not shown, Red or Black. 9 1/2" H x 17" W x 1" D. Made in Italy.

I bought a couple of other things as well, but I thought this beauty deserved her own blogspot post. I hope everyone is doing well!