Xmas Gift Alert! $50 Off Ellen Allen Annapolis Bags



This deal has huge potential for gifting the ladies in your life! Check out the sophisticated yet fun bags from Ellen Allen ... oh so Annapolis and oh so chic! And you'd never guess it, but they're green too! (Oh, and did we mention you can wipe them down with a moist cloth?!)

Now through December 1 jumpstart your holiday shopping with $50 off your purchase of either the Murray Hill or the Eastport in Gloucester Yellow…or both!  Whether you buy one for yourself, or 3 of each for 6 of your best friends, you'll get $50 off EVERY yellow bag purchased. Feel free to create your gift wish list and send it to someone who loves you (and pass along the discount code listed below)!  

To get the lowdown on what makes these bags special, Economoms chatted with Ellen Allen herself:

What makes your bags unique over other bags?



Our bags are super functional but gorgeous enough for a formal event. I didn’t dream initially of designing handbags--I carried the very utilitarian canvas totes, I’m all about containment and versatility. The evolution of the Eastport began with having a bag with interior pockets…and a flat bottom so it wouldn’t tip over…and some kind of magical protective coating that would allow me to wipe my perpetually spilling coffee off the bag. I’m an interior designer. I knew I needed organization and something visually interesting for everything I carry to work, school, and in life. And then as I got deeper in the process, I decided to develop my own fabrics.

What is the inspiration behind your designs?

Our patterns are all of my passions and preferences rolled into one. I love architecture, traditions, and bold colors. I’ve been an interior designer for 16 years, and that’s my world. We live architecture in our ordinary lives…a twist here, a curve there. For example, our Capital Stripe is inspired from the State House Dome (and then inverted). I love life wrapped up in the traditions of Annapolis--important in history, as one of the early capitals of our country, all the events that go on today and for its geography. We’re all about the water and the Bay.

Why are these bags ideal for moms?

Are you kidding me? I wish I’d had this incredible fabric when my boys were babies. I resented the lack of style in diaper bags and totes. Today’s moms can buy this and use it one way for a few years and then reinvent the bag’s use when they don’t need to be carrying someone’s spare outfit at all times. We sell to women who are in perpetual motion. Some customers empty their Maryland Avenue on Sunday night from a weekend of errands and events and slip the laptop back in for Monday. Other people use the Eastport to help everything in the car stay organized, but ready to be called to action at a moment’s notice. One customer is a photographer, another is an avid horse rider, and others do the “Mom” thing.

How are the bags environmentally friendly?

Our bags are “green” in 3 ways. First, our unique fabrics are coated in TPU, thermoplastic polyurethane, using a process that has low environmental impact. Second, there is zero offgassing and they are non-toxic. Thirdly, the TPU will not impede the bags from biodegrading (if buried…and looooong after you’ve experienced decades of enjoyment with them, so buy away!). The fabric is strong, breathable, vibrant, and cleans up with just a moist towel or your favorite cleaner. You would never set it down on the muddy soccer field (like I do every Saturday in the fall), but if you had to, it would clean up in a snap.

In addition to bags, Ellen Allen also sells scarves, wallets and cases.

Here's the deal:

• Get $50 off each Gloucester Yellow Murray Hill or Eastport bag purchased between today, November 8, 2010, and December 1, 2010.
• Use promo code YELLOW50 at checkout.