Been keeping off the forums for the last little while to avoid temptation-- but even from Ban Island, the water looked so tempting...

I dipped one toe in the water, then tried to back away.

By then I couldn't help it.

An opportunity had presented itself, and I had to take the plunge!

Who's joining me for a celebration reveal?

Me, me, me!
I am here!

I am^

can't wait to see!!! welcome back

can't wait ............... cin cin

am here....

It's wine-thirty, so I'll join in the toast! Reveal-away, s'il vous plait!

Oooooh!!!! Here here!

Let's see, let's see:)

Hello Hermes: gosh, I hope this merits all the happiness!

fasnionista0: hi again!

BHMommy: Aw, thank you! :)

spicegirl: Cheers!

chincac: Hope you like!

Monceau: I shall do my best; apologies for any slowness on my end.

Purselover88: just in time!

hopiko: photos should be ready to go now, hopefully...

So: storytime.

I finally finished school a couple of weeks ago. I had a nice little celebration for it and got a couple of lovely items: four new pairs of runners (Reebok is to me what Manolos are to normal people) and a new iPod (goodness, did I need one; my last was worn to pieces), but I felt the occasion really ought to be marked with Hermes.

Nothing particularly appealed to me the day I visited the shop with a very lovely TPFer, except for the Menthe colour. Unfortunately, none of the bags they had in store (Evelyne PM, Victoria, Bolide) work for my style, so I had to leave empty handed. I could have gotten a scarf, but I've promised myself no more frivolous scarf buying. I have way too many blue ones, for starters, so I've sworn to only purchase scarves in colourways that I don't already have!

Of course, I should stop here to make a confession: before I finished school, I was very naughty with a scarf in a colourway that I love (but shouldn't buy any more of!) in a design I could not pass up. Not part of the reveal, but I just remembered that I had photos taken of this one, too, so a bonus reveal before we get to the big bag:

CMSC in taupe/blue/teal.
(Not 100% sure about the accuracy of the colours; have since misplaced the tag. Please also excuse the terrible photos-- I was taking these to send to a friend, and the duck photo is a long-standing in-joke.)

love that scarf! go on!!!

We love bonuses!!!

here! :)

Purselover88 -- thank you! It's one of my all-time favourite designs, so there was no way I was letting that slip by me. I had intended to get a different colourway, but in the end, the siren song of blue claimed my wicked heart.

fashionistaO -- thank you! ...So do I, come to that. Especially H ones!

Minismurf04 -- just in time!

Right, now that the naughtiness is out of the way, let's get down to serious business.

Fun fact: this time last year (within a couple of days!), I was lucky enough to score a bag in Paris through a series of truly weird and wonderful coincidences. Unfortunately, Paris for this summer is well and truly out (the Olympics pushed the hotel prices up to be frankly terrifying), but I got lucky right here in my own back yard! This one was meant to be, I think.

Any guesses?

You look fabulous in that gorgeous CSMC- what fun!