PonyUp! Kentucky Handbag Review And #GIVEAWAY ARV $125.00 10/20

By now, you all should know I have a huge obsession with purses and handbags. I love bright, colorful bags to help celebrate summer time, and I equally adore elegant, more classic bags for everyday use and more special occasions. But one of the things that makes a handbag company stand out in my mind are unique prints and styles. The more, the merrier! I love seeing a wide variety of designs, since I truly believe a woman needs a handbag for every occasion, or even to match every outfit!

That's why I was so excited to discover PonyUp! Kentucky. This great company offers a drool-worthy selection of handbags in a ton of limited edition prints. Yep. Every single design is produced in a limited quantity, and they are always introducing fresh, beautiful new styles from classically beautiful to fun and playful and everything in between. PonyUp! Kentucky has something to suit every taste and fit into every woman's lifestyle. The possibilities are endless!

But another thing that makes PonyUp! Kentucky special is that their bags are created using authentic horse harnesses. The real deal. These are used as the straps of each and every PonyUp! Kentucky handbag, and feature a gorgeous brass plate that can be custom engraved! These heavy duty leather harness straps can be buckled or unbuckled to adjust the length of the straps, too! Utilizing horse harnesses makes these bags truly unique.

Why horse harnesses, you might ask? Well, PonyUp! Kentucky is a company with a heart and a passion for equestrian living, and proceeds from their sales go to help rescued horses. Here's a bit more about their history and mission, as found on the PonyUp! Kentucky website:

"Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, founded PonyUP! Kentucky to raise money for horse rescue operations. As Rallie searched for the perfect fundraising product, she was also searching for a handbag that reflected her love of horses and equestrian gear. One day as Rallie was carrying a leather halter slung over her shoulder on the way to the pasture to get her horses, she thought, “Wouldn’t this be a great shoulder strap for a handbag?”

Rallie searched for a purse featuring a horse-halter strap and came up empty. That’s when she decided to design a unique, equestrian-style handbag that she and other horse women would love. After a year of perfecting the design and building a team of skilled craftspeople, the PonyUP! Kentucky line of handbags was created.

For its first fundraising project, PonyUP! Kentucky donated 20 purses to Old Friends: A Kentucky Facility for Retired Thoroughbreds. The brass nameplates on these leather purse straps feature the names of some of the greatest retired Thoroughbred race horses, and all of the money from the sale of these 20 purses goes to support these and other horses at Old Friends. Rallie plans to make the donation to Old Friends and other horse rescue operations an annual tradition. In addition, at least 10 percent of all PonyUP! Kentucky profits will be donated to horse rescue operations."

How cool is that?! So not only can you own some of the most visually stunning purses around by shopping with PonyUp! Kentucky, you're also doing your part to contribute to a wonderful cause and help improve the lives of these gentle creatures. It's a win-win situation!

Remember I spoke of variety? I wasn't kidding when I said they offer a ton of great styles. Take a look at some of my personal favorites!

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I just adore the rich brown and blues of this bag!

Hot pink is perfect for that girly-girl! So fun!

I LOVE the deep red and floral pattern of this bag!

I was ecstatic to receive a PonyUp! Kentucky bag in Tie Dye Fever for my review. This is SO me! (Ask anyone who knows me in real life!) My bag arrived quickly, and was very well packaged. When I opened my package, the first thing I noticed, other than the vibrant, fun colors of the bag, was the beautiful leather strap. This strap features brass buckles and hardware, and also comes with an adorable nameplate that says "PonyUp! Kentucky" on it. (This can be personalized as well.)

Aside from being gorgeous, the bag is also quite sturdy and very well made. The strap is unbelievably durable, adjustable, and made to last a lifetime. The bag itself is also fairly sturdy. The outside of the bag is made from a medium-thickness canvas material, and the inside has a beautiful, satiny fabric. There is even a convenient zippered pocket inside this roomy bag to hold essentials like keys, cameras, or other items you'd like to keep at easy access. This bag has a sturdy magnetic closure.

Another thing I really like about PonyUp! Kentucky handbags is that they can also be bought without the strap. So if you purchase your first bag with the strap, you can then buy additional bags and change up your look just by switching the straps over! How cool is that?!

Take a look at some of the stunning details of my PonyUp! Kentucky handbag!

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I love the sturdy buckles and attractive brass hardware.

Check out the beautifully engraved nameplate.

This bag is very, very roomy, too!

Overall, I absolutely love my handbag from PonyUp! Kentucky. It has already gotten me several compliments while running errands and even at a concert we went to last night. These bags definitely stand out in a crowd, and are unlike any other bag you'll ever see. And with durable construction, room for all of your "girly stuff", as my husband likes to call it, and so many gorgeous designs to choose from, PonyUp! Kentucky handbags are a must have in my opinion. The only thing I would change is the closure. I would much prefer a zippered closure to keep contents in the bag, even while being swung around by my crazy toddler! Other than that one itty bitty detail which is simply a matter of personal preference, this bag is just about perfect! I feel good about carrying my bag from PonyUp! Kentucky and sharing their mission with the many admirers I meet. These are beautiful bags for a wonderful cause!

BUY IT:

You can purchase PonyUp! Kentucky handbags on their website.

You can also follow them on Facebook and on twitter to stay on top of their latest products and promotions.

WIN IT:

One VERY lucky reader will win the PonyUp! Kentucky bag of their choice! How cool is that?!

Please use this handy Rafflecopter form to enter!

This giveaway is open to residents of the US 18+ until 12:01AM EST on  10/20/2011. Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced here, tweeted, shared on Facebook, and contacted via e-mail. The winners will have 48 hours to reply and claim their prize. If I receive no response, I will be forced to draw a new winner.

***Disclosure:I received a complimentary product to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***