Bitch, you wasn't with me shootin in the gym....!

I've been a fan of Vanessa Bryant or I should say her style/ fashion sense since I first saw the picture below years ago... I completely fell in love with the white balenciaga she was rocking. This was the start of my passionate love affair with the giant hardware city; in gold, rose gold, silver--- anything and every hardware I could land my hands on!

       

My very first balenciaga... (founds ALL the pics online...)


They stopped making gold hardware shortly thereafter... from what I hear now, Balenciaga stopped production on ALL GIANT hardware.

Second, forest green with silver... (sorry, best pic online I could find)


Third, the green on the left--- the first two I had bought from Saks in Greenwich, I had no intention of buying ANOTHER green one buttt I was at the Woodbury Commons with my mom and sister-n-law and stopped into Balenciaga and was floored to find this bag in the store. The outlets supposedly never get giant hardware since they sell so well in the store. In the few cases they do, the sales reps purchase the bags so the public never really gets a chance to buy a popular bag at a discounted priced. (This was true with the Prada fairy and lace bowler- they often sell to friends or have friends put them on ebay for them...) Anyway, I believe I bought it around $11-1200; I remember I bought my first Balenciaga around $1,500 (they're $1799 now I believe) and Balenciaga was increasing them $100 every year so it was around $1,600 or $1,700 in the stores at this point.


The bag below I receieved for my birthday last year! AMAZING AMAZING GIFT! My family completely shocked me. All four of them + my grandmother (who I share a birthday with) went to the city especially (while I was at work - over the weekend) and chose this bag. I was blown away on my birthday to see my parents carrying a huge barney's box with a big white bow on it, especially since my mum had been telling me all this time that she didn't have the chance to get me anything this year... LOL






Bishh is bomb in the accessory department!

Gucci boots Vanessa rocked at 08 mtv music awards that I was obsessed with!


Timmy Woods Eiffel Tower Clutch/ blue Manolo Blahniks


Same bag as Sex and the City Film

 

YSL clutch




Noted fashionistas, MK and Ashley BOTH rocking the YSL clutch...





I remember seeing these pics on tmz and dyinggg. The necklace is a fashion statement by itself.
 

WHO dresses like this at basketball games?? Kinda redic & kinda fab... lol


Everyone else rocking t-shirts and jackets... LOL


VB yellow diamond at Kobe cheating press conference


CHANEL j12 at this year's Olympics in London


Fair to say Vanessa Bryant (or should I say Kobe??) made purple diamonds famous!


Supposedly, this is the infamous "I'm sorry" $4 million 8 carat purple diamond ring...





Yellow Gold Leopard Rolex Daytona...

Wouldn't wear this myself but I like how different of a Rolex it is. Steven Tyler is also wearing the same watch below...



So, back to the post, it really pissed me off when I read some of Vanessa's quotes in the article in NY magazine, "The Belles of B-ball"...

Birkins or Chanel 2.55 bags are ubiquitous, unless they’re being left in the closet on purpose. “I’m not really a handbag person anymore,” says Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa. “I’ve collected Birkin bags, Chanel 2.55 jumbo flap bags, and the Marc Jacobs Stephen Sprouse collection for Louis Vuitton since I was a teenager. But now, as they say, everyone and their mom is buying a Birkin or a regular size 2.55 bag in black, taupe, or beige. I’ve been sticking to a magenta suede Proenza Schouler bag.”

"Everyone & their mother??" I get the whole product exclusivity thing, believe me- I. GET. IT. I guess it's the same reason I desire those same things. But, everyone and their mother? Not everyone buying these products is a celebrity and has a rich husband's credit card in their back pocket... or I should say their croc Birkin, Vanessa. These products are not easy to come by! For women, like you- they are... but for hard working women, such a myself, who follow fashion and often dream and desire to purchase these items? We work incredibly hard, often 7 days a week to afford luxury STAPLE items as the ones stated above. AND not on credit card either, it's paid for by a debit card! :) So, have some respect, BISH! lol As far as I'm concerned you sure aren't better or "holier than thou" compared to all the other women who are able to purchase these products.

Then---
"I’m inspired by Ann Miller and Monica Bellucci,” she says. “My mom dressed so ladylike, with high-waisted knee-length skirts, nylons, and long tailored coats, always on her way to work.” As far as Kobe’s style goes, “for the longest time I tried convincing Kobe that he should wear things a little more fitted,” she says. “And for years and years he was like, ‘I don’t feel comfortable, I feel like they rise.’ And now all of a sudden the stylist says it, and it makes sense.”

Bish, please look at the picture below. You look NOTHING like this now so let's not act all hoity toity! A stylist obviously "fixed" you too!


I know I am going to RAMBLE but I seriously don't get some women...
After reading this article and having conversations with my two friends on this topic, I was thinking to myself why are some women the way they are? Yes, I get everyone's different but I will never understand why some women lack THE RIGHT ambition or do they not have enough faith in themselves?

I can't speak for everyone but I have two friends, I won't say too much about them in the case they read this LOL but both have bachelor's degrees, one has a Master's and one does not YET... so, both educated, pretty girls from good families. One of them, we'll call her "M", talks to guys when she's out *ones that she's not interested in* just so they can buy her drinks... or for anything else she can get out of them. Listen, I'm not on a high horse here but seriously? Whatever happend to self respect? WHY CAN'T YOU BUY YOUR OWN DAMN DRINKS! LOL My other friend, "I" is not as bad but has said to me in the past "if it was enough money, I would definitely marry for money" ... her words. Ahhh, I'm sorry, for writing this if you read it...! I still love you, we just have different view points... lol

I don't know maybe I'm crazy or different but I think it's sexy and powerful if a girl has her own ambition and will. Maybe, because I'm Indian and have so many family members who are traditional and don't work, therefore they are dependent on their husbands for income, that I never want to be like that. I don't ever want to spread my hands in front of anyone for money and I hope to God I'll never have to. I don't ever want to ask a man for permission to buy something for me or my family members nor do I ever want to take money out of a man's wallet because I don't have money of my own. I don't EVER want to depend on my dad, brother, boyfriend/husband/significant other for gifts or leave "notes" "hints" like some girls do for anything I might want.
Listen, I'm human too; do I look twice if I see a good looking guy get out of a nice car? Yes, I do. But, I feel like there's no reason I can't be the same way. Being in the business I'm in, I've heard women walk into the house I'm selling and say "he's going to buy me my dream house." WHY can't you buy your dream house?? It might not be $500,000 but YOU too can be smart and make investments without a man backing you. Once you are married there's no reason you shouldn't carry your own weight and be able to buy a home WITH HIM instead of getting married to depend on him. This is also why I can't stand the Indian tradition of giving a dowry to the husband's family.

A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to the marriage.  Dowry is an ancient custom, and its existence may well predate records of it. Dowries continue to be expected in some parts of the world, mainly South Asia.

When I googled dowry to find a definition to post, these are the three articles that came up:

News for dowry

1. In-laws set woman on fire over dowry demands

   
   

   Hindustan Times‎ - 6 hours ago

   A young woman was allegedly set on fire by her in-laws over dowry demands, police said on Monday.The incident took place on Sunday at ...

1. Man breaks up marriage over dowry demand

   Business Standard‎ - 2 days ago
2. Daughter of senior Pb official kills self over dowry

My cousin recently got married and my aunt and uncle purchased an expensive necklace and earrings to give to her mother-n-law. When my aunt was showing me the necklace, my cousin said to me in a joking manner (in Indian) this is what they're giving my mother-n-law so she's good to me. I, too laughed, but then it struck me as odd because there's some truth in that statement. You often hear often in law's blasting their daughter-n-law if she didn't bring enough money/ jewelery/ other various goods to the marriage because they feel as if they are burdened with her weight and have to now provide for her too. Maybe this is a naive statement but if she is self sufficient doesn't that eliminate the need for a dowry. If she too is bringing a paycheck home with her husband isn't that enough?

This is why it astounds me that even in today's day and age woman are so hott and heavy to land what they deem a "good catch." Why not be a "good catch" YOURSELF??! I'm not a feminist and one of those chicks that will say "girl's can do everything a guy can do." I can't (nor do I want to) change my tire or change my oil. Gross! LOL I will, however, pay a man (or a woman--- equal opportunity employer here lol) to do it for me. I just wish woman had enough faith in themselves... and God! AND had the will and drive to work hard within themsleves. (Don't short change or underestimate yourselves!) Once, you do that there's no reason you won't be able to accomplish your goals and achieve your dreams.