You’ve got $1000 to spend. Where did you get it? It was a gift. A gift from a really, really good friend (of your choosing) who just so happens to love giving you money. You probably have a lot of friends like this. Anyway, you decide to do a little shopping to get rid of it. You head down to your local Nordstrom to shop for a new summer handbag—after all, they usually have a good selection.

You know you want a bag that’s roomy and substantial. After all, a good handbag should hold all the necessities: lip gloss, sunglasses, mints, credit cards, money and more. Plus, summer calls for a fun, bright punch of color. Your new handbag needs to be a color that gets compliments but something with staying power (meaning it won’t go out of style in three months).

After grabbing a coffee at the Nordstrom café and avoiding the shoe department, you head to handbags. Not surprisingly, your best friends are all there waiting on you: Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors and a couple guys you call Dolce and Gabbana. Everyone looks really happy to see you. You begin tearing through all the beautiful purses, picking them up, throwing them over your shoulder, hanging them over your elbow and checking yourself out in the mirror. There are so many options, but you finally narrow it down to two favorites.

Option #1:

The first is the Jen Shoulder Bag by Marc Jacobs. It’s classic and chic in an updated pink color. The roomy inside, top zipper and two handles make it easy and convenient to tote around. Plus, you remember seeing a woman carrying the Jen Shoulder Bag in Panera last week. It was really cute—and looked great tossed over her arm. It would look much better tossed over yours. At $825 it’ll give you a bit of leftover money to blow in the accessories department.

Option #2:

The second bag is the Botkier “Sasha” Duffel Bag in a bright, summery orange (that could transition to fall and winter very nicely). It’s roomy, spacious and has a very boho-chic feel. The supple leather gathers nicely and adds to the effortlessly cool vibe the bag gives off. You can either carry it by the small duffle handles or use the shoulder strap. The extra hardware is edgy and a price tag of $635 means you can also afford the extra pair of super-edgy Dior Shades you’ve been eyeing to complete your look.

It’s a battle of the bags—which one would you pick? Leave a comment explaining the bag you picked and why you picked it! If you want to elaborate, tell me how your life changes after you pick your favorite bag (this is like extra credit). I want to hear from as many of you as possible. Let’s see which bag wins and what “adventure” you actually choose!

*Photos courtesy of Nordstrom. Click here to make your adventure a reality and buy one of these bags for yourself.

I used to love “Choose Your Own Adventure” books when I was kid. I loved being a part of the plot and thrived on knowing that my decisions actually mattered. Let’s be honest, I liked the control.

Enter me in my 20s. I’m so sick of choosing my own adventure I could puke. Everyday is a “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel. What to eat for lunch? Where to live? Should I watch TV or go to the gym? When you’re an adult, everything you do has an outcome—everything has consequences.

Take the last question, for example. Should I watch TV or go to the gym? I pick watch TV. Here’s how the ending to that adventure might go.

You decided to stay in and watch TV on a rainy Tuesday night. You put on your favorite pair of sweat pants and tuned into American Idol just in time to see Paula and Simon exchange words. You also decided to eat ice cream. Your lack of activity lulled you to sleep at 9:30 p.m. Although you got a full night’s sleep, you awoke in the morning feeling and looking five pounds heavier. The entire day you had severe guilt for not going to the gym and all you could think about was the 900 calories you ingested by eating a bowl of ice cream.

Sounds like quite the adventure, huh? So what if I picked the gym?

You decide to spend your Tuesday night at the gym. After work you grab your gym bag off your bed and head to the health club. As soon as you step on the elliptical your favorite song starts blaring over the speakers—Britney Spears. After a three mile run, you decide to break for some water. As you head towards the wall, you catch sight of yourself in the mirror and notice that you look as if you’ve instantly lost 10 pounds. As you approach the water fountain a muscular, toned gentleman with dark hair and deep brown eyes steps toward you and winks. Just as you’re about to take a sip, he taps you on the shoulder and…

And that’s how “Choose Your Own Adventure” goes in the real world. Lame. I know. That’s why I’m introducing a new section to Pretty and Poor that shares the name of those beloved childrens books. It’s where you choose your own adventure—you choose what you want to buy. And guess what? Unlike living arrangements, Tuesday night plans or your boyfriend…it doesn’t matter. You can pick whichever option you want. And you can even change your mind (mostly because you don’t actually get to buy it, it’s imaginary). Stay tuned for the first “Choose Your Own Adventure” imaginary spending spree coming up soon!