For many fashion lovers on a budget, the quest for a classic, high-quality leather bag is one that never ends. Fortunately, designer sample sale websites like The Top Secret are making that journey a little easier. Today, you can pick up a timeless handbag from The Sak, a popular brand sold at major department stores, for up to 55% off retail price. The Sak small Ashbury shopper, for example, available in either black, yellow or white leather is now just $60. I've seen these at Nordstrom, and they look top-notch! Shop the sale now at TheTopSecret.com. Need an invite? Drop me a comment.

All this week, I'll be featuring new, never-before-seen (on this blog) online stores and websites, so be sure to check back every day for the scoop! (I considered calling this "Forever 21-Free Week," but I can't guarantee that I can go a whole 7 days without mentioning my favorite fast-fashion chain.)

To kick things off, I'd like to introduce you to a store that was recently brought to my attention called Ruche (www.shopruche.com), and I think you guys are going to LOVE it.

If you've ever wished you could buy your entire wardrobe from Free People or Anthropologie, but couldn't afford the prices, then Ruche may be your answer. Touted as a "modern women's boutique with a vintage touch," this California-based online store carries a tightly edited collection of unique, fashionable clothing and accessories with that same free-spirited, creative, nouveau-bohemian/gypsy vibe that those pricey stores do so well, but at much lower prices.

Ruche averages a few dollars for beautiful jewelry to about $50 for a coat, with dresses, shoes, tops, handbags and much more falling in the $20 to $30 range. Ruche even has a dedicated eco-friendly category, a handmade accessories category and an awesome sale section.

We'll let the goods speak for themselves, so here's a sampling of just a few of the many amazing things we've found at Ruche so far. Click any image to learn more, and let us know what you think!

Norwegian kimono dress, $39.99. I love the hand-painted feel of the flowers on this dress.

Today marks the 2 year anniversary of The Budget Babe (can you believe it?!). Seems like only yesterday I was rummaging through the clearance racks at Target, and now here I am, two years later, STILL rummaging through the clearance racks and sharing all my bargain finds with you, my gorgeous readers! Here's a look back at some of the highlights from the past two years of living the "Fab without a fortune" lifestyle:

• We waxed philosophical about the virtues of budget fashion with The Las Vegas Review Journal.
  


• We debated the pros and cons of knock-off Christian Louboutins.
  


• We traveled to Boston for a behind-the-scenes tour of the TJ Maxx/Marshalls headquarters.
  


• We headed to NYC to celebrate The Budget Fashionista's 5th Anniversary—a full-circle moment!
  


• We had a heated discussion about the Coach coolness factor.
  


• 
  We played a small part in getting Asos, the online fashion store, to reduce shipping rates to the U.S.! Woohoo.
  


• We were invited to the Vivienne Tam Fall 2009 presentation at NY Fashion Week (channeling Wayne & Garth: We're not worthy, we're not worthy!).
  


• We got mentioned in People StyleWatch magazine. Sweeeet.
  


• We were ranked one of the top 5 budget fashion blogs by SheKnows.com.
  


• We finally got noticed by our biggest fast-fashion crush.
  

Most of all, we got to know all of YOU fabulous readers and fellow bloggers. Your questions, comments and love of a good bargain are what make this job so incredibly fun and rewarding, and I couldn't be more thankful. Here's to more great times and great deals at The Budget Babe!

xoxo,
BB

This post is a slight diversion from my usual routine, but I found a recent comment by reader Kelly (read it here) to be especially thought-provoking, so I wanted to examine the topic a little more in depth, namely: Mixing muddy and clean colors in the same outfit. Can it be done? Successfully?

Looking at the world through an artist's lens, I think muddy and clean colors can blend together in the same ensemble—not to create a sense of harmony, but rather to create an intentional sense of contradiction, unease, even discord. Why would you want to do this? Art imitates life... Is every moment of every day happy? Nope. So why not let your clothing express a wide range of emotions and ideas?

Here's where I'll try to make the case that it's possible for muddy and clean colors to come together; obviously there's no right or wrong answer, I do believe fashion is subjective and deeply personal, and I'm curious to hear what everyone thinks:

There's a Superga sneaker sale going on right now at Rue La La, and since I was looking for cute sneakers for the spring, I picked up a pair in classic white canvas for $35. Superga's an old-school Italian brand, very popular wordwide, with celeb fans than include Ashley Olsen and Liv Tyler. Can't wait to get mine nice and dirty for a worn-in look (shouldn't be too hard.) They're going fast, so head on over now! If you need an invite, drop me a comment.