Today is the 9th Anniversary of Smart Bitches! We were founded 31 January 2005, and what a long, funky nine years it's been!
Thank you for being here to talk about romance and all the other things we love and enjoy and don our ragepants about. I'm so glad you're here.
To celebrate, I usually do a silly giveaway that's tied to the traditional or modern gifts for that year's anniversary. Last year, the traditional gift included linen and lace, so I gave away fichus. (Bitches love fichus).
This year? OH, THE TRICKERYNESS. Because sometimes, the traditional and modern anniversary gifts are completely difficult, like this year: pottery and china! Or willow!
Or LEATHER GOODS.
I have some leather goods for you right here:
No, I'm not giving away a leather-clad Fabio. I wouldn't know where to find him.
I could go with The Urban Fantasy Belt, or some shoes. A leather trench coast would be interesting, but if you had to hunt vampires or werewolves, it might endanger your life with all that creaking and noisy swooshing that leather makes, so that wouldn't work.
Or, I could get everyone some pot, but that's only legal in two states.
Hmmm.
But soft! What gift idea from yonder browser window breaks? There are a bunch of different and very cute bags named “Willow.”
AW YEAH.
For our 9th anniversary, I'm giving away bags. Willow bags – bags named “willow” – each perfect for carrying one's books and reading essentials. And each one comes with a $50 gift card to the bookstore of your choice.
Meet your Willows!
This is the Kipling Willow, a canvas bag, the right size for the essentials. It has a zipper closure, and is 7″ (17.8cm) high by 13″ (33cm) wide. It also has a set of double top handles with 7″ drop, plus an adjustable detachable long strap with 26″ drop.
Another Willow! This is the Sherpani Willow bag:
It's a little funky, a little different, but still a good size for a book and your essentials — and reviewers online say the front pocket is perfect for a Kindle. It's 10″ by 10″ (25cm x 25cm), with an adjusaible crossbody strap.
But wait! There's one more Willow! This one satisfies the leather AND the willow gifts:
This is the McKlein Leather Briefcase. It's 16.5″ x 11.5″ (41.9cm x 29.2cm), with a compartment for a small latop up to 15.4” in screen size.
Want to try to win a willow and a $50 bookstore gift card? Easy! Just leave a comment as to what book you'd put in your bag, either in paper or digital format. I'll select three winners at random. One comment enters you to win one of the three bags and gift cards.
Entries will close on Tuesday 4 February 2014 at noon eastern. I'll announce the winners shortly afterward. Standard disclaimers apply. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and ready to read and rock a righteous bag to enter. By submitting an entry to the contest as set forth herein, each entrant does acknowledge and agree that, in the event such entrant is victorious, such entrant will perform a ceremony reasonably appropriate to such circumstance, including, without limitation, the Miposian Dance of Joy or, in the alternative, Gangnam Style.
Thank you for making 9 years of Smart Bitches so much fun. Happy anniversary!
Happy Birthday! I really enjoy the site and think you do an excellent job.
My Kindle would be in my Willow bag. Currently, said Kindle is providing me with Agents of Hel by Jacqueline Carey. It’s looking forward to granting me access to the new Carol K Carr and Ben Aaronovich books next week (so the gift certificate would be helpful too).
Kindle (of course) and my nice autographed Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’, which I like to fondle possessively sometimes.
Congrats and Happy Anniversary! Any old historicals by the wonderful Julie Garwood would be a must in any of the gorgeous bags!
Happy Birthday! I love/hate these threads since I always find new books to order and my wallet cringes.
I carry my kindle with me religiously – but if I had to carry one book – I would pick Nalini Singh’s “Caressed by Ice”. It’s my favorite because I just love Judd.
I would love to put my Kindle in any one of those bags. I would then read SCANDAL WEARS SATIN by Loretta Chase.
Happy 9th Anniversary!!! 🙂
Happy Anniversary! Time flies, doesn’t it?
I’d put in my copy of On Writing, because that book is always perfect for a reread.
Definitely kindle in the bag. I’m finishing up Geek with the Cat Tattoo, then trying one of Sarah Morgan’s medicals next (The Rebel Doctor’s Bride). But I might also throw in my book club book, The Lowland, in print form. Thanks so much for the giveaway, and even more for your website. I’ve been catching up on the podcasts, too, which I really enjoy even though your recs are breaking my budget! I keep taking notes for an email…I have no one to talk about romances with in RL, so this site is a gift.
Happy Anniversary!
I wish I had been reading your blog all nine of those years! (I only discovered you about a year and a half ago.) Thanks for all the great book recommendations. It is difficult to only pick one book to put in the bag, so I will put in it the first book I bought after discovering your blog:The Bride by Julie Garwood.
Wishing you a super anniversary! Congrats to you & thanks for all you do. I’d put my full kindle with all those un-reads just haunting me and maybe hop a train to escape somewhere and read.
Happy Anniversary!
I would absolutely have Shannon Mckenna (anything she has written) in my bag or on kindle! She’s my favorite, but I’m really waiting for J. R. Ward’s the King to get on my kindle or anyway I can get it.
I guess the new Tessa Dare (Romancing the Duke)?
Happy anniversary!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! What an impact you’ve made on the romance writing world!
Picking only one book to carry in my purse is the exact reason I love my Kindle! I can carry hundreds.
But I’d probably grab the latest Kristan Higgins
Happy birthday! I’d carry Lord of Scoundrels in my bag, because it’s my go-to book for all emergencies. And I’d bring my Kindle, just in case.
I just decided to start freelancing as a writer and Social Media whatnot, which is exciting and just a bit scary. So I need a lot of comfort reading currently 🙂 I’m considering putting “able to read and rock a righteous bag” on my business cards, just to prove that I’m a total professional.
Happy Anniversary!
I would carry my kindle. I am re-reading the In Death series, so that’s a lot of books lol.
Congrats on 9 years!
I would carry my Nook so I could have lots of options to read but if I really just had to have one I would choose Warlord by Elizabeth Vaughan. It’s one of my favorite comfort reads,
Happy Anniversary!
I would carry Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston in digital or print. I love her Pride series and I can’t wait for it to come out! As for an old favorite- Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard.
Happy anniversary 😀
Cute bags! The alst one is my fav.
Right books…the new Patricia Briggs, I am dying inside to read it
Oh rats—and the bag lust blinded me to the most important part:
Happy 9th anniversary to the SmartBitches Pink Palace of strong, opinionated, passionate, intelligent, diverse, generous and articulate women who make up the amazing Bitchery.
Thank you, SBSarah, for keeping it up and running all these years—and hoping it remains running as successfully for at least twice that long more!
I’m glad you went with leather bags rather than leather shoes. The nice thing about buying a new purse is it doesn’t make your feet hurt at the end of the day.
Anyway, I always put all the essentials from whatever bag I’m carrying into the new bag before I buy it, otherwise, how will I know if it works? These days it has to hold my NOOK, and generally that means it’ll also accommodate a trade paperback like the upcoming The Pirate’s Secret Baby by Darlene Marshall. I like having a copy of my new releases with me so I can whip it out for potential readers who might not yet have enough piratical sexystuff in their lives.
Happy 9th Anniversary!
I’ve been re-reading my old Penny Jordan Harlequins so I would put a couple of those in the bag.
Happy Anniv!! Wishing you many more fab years 🙂 bags are all cute (as is the little gorilla on the first one). think my new copy of Tessa Dare’s new book would look great in any of them.
Thank you for all the happy wishes! I’m so, so happy you’re here. Y’all are one of the very best parts of the site. Thank you for being here. 🙂
I’d keep a fold-up pair of comfy ballet flats, a bottle of water, a toothbrush, and my kindle. That way I’ll be prepared for any adventure.
Happy Anniversary!
The bigger the bag the more books it holds. So my Nook and its books, my “borrowed” from work I-pad, my journal and what ever book I just borrowed from the library based on a SBTB review.
Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!
Technically I would put in my tablet, but I’m currently reading Mockingjay (again)!
Happy 9th Anniversary! I think they would work well to carry a weeding list to a branch because you can’t buy all the new books unless you make room on the shelf…
Happy Anniversary!!
I would cary my Kindle because I always have at least 2 books going at any one time.
Happy Anniversary to the Pink Palace!
Those bags are tots magoats adorbs. I would put my Kindle in the McKlein bag (me want, may have to purchase if I dont win) for rereading the Colbana Files series by JC Daniels/Shiloh Walker.
Happy anniversary! By the way, why anniversary instead of birthday? Is this a relationship? Hmmmm….
I think that Sherpani bag is adorable, and I’d put my Kindle with The Rosie Project in it, because that was my favorite book of last year.
Happy Anny!
As for what book I would put in my new Willow bag… Anything by Jamie McGuire… Like Red Hill , haven’t read it yet!
That briefcase one looks big enough to carry around King’s Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman, which is nearing the top of my ARC pile.
Happy anniversary! Here’s to many more fun years at Smart Bitches. I would put Beauty by Robin McKinley in the bag. I’ve been wanting to reread it.
I would be putting my ipad in the bag, that way I have ALL my books (and all of amazon and all the ebooks I can get from the library) in it! My kindle TBR list has about 45 books at the moment
It’s my anniversary too! Now I’ll always remember yours. 🙂
I’d put my kindle in the Sherpani bag. Uour recent emails put me on a Lisa Kleypas re-reading binge (yes, I have them in print, but now I have them digitally too). So perhaps “Tempt Me at Twilight” will be read next. I would also look forward to using it for the new Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson book next month!
Wow, that canvas bag is really cute! I’d put the new reissue of “The Windflower” in it. That grey would tame the fuchsia a bit.
I think leather-clad Fabio may have scarred me for life.
I would carry my Kindle in the bag, loaded with the BDB books I am binge-reading!
Well now! Happy birthday anniversary! Here’s to another nine fabulously smartbitchy years!
Those Willow bags are adorbs. I would put my iPad in one—my own books are on it yeah yeah sure sure but right now it’s cued up to the middle of Tessa Dare’s Romancing the Duke and I’m not letting go of it till I turn the last virtual page!
I would put all of Nalini Singh ‘s Guild Hunter and Psy Changeling books in a bag..and since I own them all in kindle format they will easily fit.
Happy Anniversary!!! I have my kindle with me everywhere I go. I actually buy purses based on if they will hold it or not. I just found the Kate Daniels books, so currently reading Ilona Andrews’ backlist. Of course since I’d have my kindle with me, could pick other books as well. 🙂
I love this site! I can’t believe it’s been 9 years! Thanks for all the wonderful snark over the years! If I won one of those bags, I would put in Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half. It’s my favorite non-romance right now. It gives me the smiles. If there’s still room, I’d put in my Kindle. That has all my romances in it!
Here’s to another nine more years! Happy Anniversary!