Editors Best of 2009: The coolest jewelry and handbags

Welcome to our annual year-end roundup of our favorite picks of the year! Trying to cull down our favorites is never easy, but this year, with more than a thousand posts to go through...well, let's just say we could have picked about twe…

Editors Best of 2009: The coolest jewelry and handbags
Welcome to our annual year-end roundup of our favorite picks of the year! Trying to cull down our favorites is never easy, but this year, with more than a thousand posts to go through...well, let's just say we could have picked about twenty in each category. Each day we'll present some new favorites right through to New Year's, starting with today--some of our favorite jewelry, keepsake jewelry, and handbags to help keep you all looking your most fabulous. What's that saying about fake it 'til you make it? Yeah, that's what great accessories do for us too. Liz: We're such admirers of the stainless steel jewelry (at top) from artist Melissa Borrell and Australia's Polli; so much so that it's what we bought our own editors for Christmas this year.   Kristen: The Survival of the Hippest Twitter necklaces helped make "geek" super chic this year. (An accolade that does not in fact belong to Oprah joining Twitter.) Thanks to mine--courtesy of Santa, er, Liz--I'm proud to join the ranks. Liz: Nearly ten months after we've featured it, I'm still coveting the poppy clutch purse from Sakura Urban, and that's saying something. Can't wait to see what she has in store for '10. Kristen: I snagged this awesome red bag from Mod Cloth after we featured it this summer, and I still get compliments on it six months later. I'll definitely be visiting them again when it's time to retire it.   Kristen: I'm a steadfast fan of incognito keepsake jewelry, but the instant I saw the new sterling silver Life-Squared Wax Seal necklace from Julian & Co I said "Heck yeah, I'd wear that." Great price too. Liz: If money were no object I'd hook myself up with the solid gold globe charms from Heather Moore jewelry, with two teeny diamonds to represent the cities where my daughters were conceived. (What? They were romantic cities!)

More in Gift GuidesView all picks →

Our pro-mom back-to-school tip each year: Mabel's Labels

Our pro-mom back-to-school tip each year: Mabel's Labels

Back-to-school shopping gets a lot of attention for backpacks, sneakers, and new clothes, but the unsung hero of a successful school year might be something much smaller: a good name label. Mabel's Labels makes it easy to put a name on a…

The kids' backpacks we're swooning over right now

The kids' backpacks we're swooning over right now

Back-to-school shopping has a way of turning into a marathon, but finding a backpack your child actually wants to carry shouldn't be the hardest part. That's why we're so excited about the brand-new collaboration between STATE and Magnet…

The best back-to-school tech for teens

The best back-to-school tech for teens

Back-to-school shopping isn't just about notebooks and sneakers anymore. For today's teens, the right tech can make studying easier, staying organized less stressful, and after-school activities a whole lot more enjoyable. The trick is c…