tote bag round up

lately i've been pining for a good, sturdy, pretty and functional tote bag for the everyday. i used to always carry a huge bag full of books and journals etc., but then for some reason i switched to smaller bags and clutches. i guess it was only a matter of time until i felt the need to carry everything with me again. i think it has something to do with the fact that i am reading 3 books at once and would like to carry at least one of them with me. along with a water bottle, glasses case, lipsticks, pens, notebook, planner....the list goes on. so i put together a little tote bag round up for myself! all under $100 except for the last one... it's a dream bag, i guess. 

<3 jojy

p.s. thank you to my darling husband for spending so much time in photoshop helping to make this blog look respectable!

from top to bottom: classic tote: everlane; yin yang: rensk solkesz; saddle brown leather: leah lerner; cotton canvas: angelina; too hot to handle: marc by marc jacobs

my favorite etsy shops: soapwalla

i adore this shop. Soapwalla has some serious bath and body products. y'all know that i'm all about the natural and organic stuff and this shop is definitely my go to for soaps, body oils and of course the deodorant. 

the Soapwalla chef, Rachel is one inspiring lady. she started making her products in her own kitchen because she has lupus, a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease that was causing her to have painful skin rashes. she needed to use products that were free of all those toxic chemicals and made instead with wholesome and organic ingredients. thus she created Soapwalla:

"Soapwalla products are comprised of the highest quality products available, made with organic, vegan, food-grade ingredients, and never harmful or synthetic additives such as petrochemicals, parabens, pthalates, or sodium lauryl sulfate. Our skin is our largest organ and in order for it to function at its best we must feed it with wholesome ingredients. If I refuse to put something in my body, I shouldn't be putting it on my body, either."

                                                   -Rachel, Soapwalla chef.

my favorite product of hers so far [sadly i haven't tried all of them yet] is the deodorant cream. it is THE BEST deodorant i have EVER USED [organic or not] IN  MY LIFE. i have always had sensitive armpits. deodorant always made my skin get red and rashy and it hurt so bad. i used dove for years cause it was the least irritating stuff i could find but when i changed all my products to be more natural, dove had to go. after some research i finally came across Soapwalla's deodorant and i've been hooked ever since. i never stink. i'm serious. it works so well. and it doesn't irritate and it smells wonderful. 

you know how bath&bodyworks is the typical "i don't know what to get this lady" present? well just stop it. you know that stuff always ends up collecting dust in the guest bathroom [also it's filled with gross chemicals]. go check out Soapwalla and buy them something that they'll actually use! 


<3 jojy



[photos courtesy of soapwalla]

my favorite etsy shops: olivia terrell jewelry and metalworking

this one in particular is near and dear because olivia is one of my good friends. we originally met through our boyfriends, who were best friends growing up, and then they both became our husbands. when i first found out that olivia "makes jewelry," i gotta be honest, i wasn't expecting a whole lot. i had never really known anyone to make real jewelry..you know just friendship bracelets or something. but that was just my naivety cause i quickly realized that THIS GIRL CAN MAKE SOME JEWELRY. 

olivia manipulates metal in a perfectly beautiful and fresh way. she does subtle everyday jewelry to statement-like jewelry [which in my opinion could still be for everyday]. i have several pieces from her and i wear them all the time.

there are two photos above [top and bottom left] that are from her portfolio. aren't they lovely? i think they showcase her talent and versatility. pretty much all of the other photos you see are pieces that you can buy from her etsy shop. she can also be found selling her jewels around various holiday craft fairs and things of the like. for anyone in georgia, she'll be in athens for the indie south fair on december 8th, selling her creations

i have never been much of a jewelry person until olivia and i became friends, and now her's is pretty much the only jewelry i wear! while you're poking around her shop, you should also check out her website and her blog.

<3 jojy



[photo in the right middle by clark brewer, styling by caroline brewer styling/ all other photos by olivia terrell]

my favorite etsy shops: KiNGFLY

next up in my etsy shop series is KiNGFLY.

KiNGFLY has bags, totes, clutches, card holders and other accessories. they are made with quality leather and fun fabric interiors and they are all one of a kind! handmade by Rachel Pepper, these bags are so unique and fun! 

Rachel does everything herself. she picks out the materials, designs and sews. no assembly lines, no factories. just one incredibly talented lady!

i have one of the iconic shoulder bags [similar to the big one above] and a natural leather clutch [middle] and i love both of them. the design for the shoulder bag really is perfect and its so different than anything else i've seen in the bag realm. i get a lot of comments on it when i wear it out. i received the natural leather clutch as a bridesmaids gift earlier this year and it was definitely a winner all around. 

these bags are for anyone who appreciates quality, style and originality. i love how Rachel doesn't duplicate a bag. the color of leather, thread and interior fabric is only used together in that combination one time, insuring that your bag is in fact the only one of its kind out there. so cool!! 

if you have a special lady in your life [wife, girlfriend, sister, mother, daughter] who likes purses and individuality, i recommend something from KiNGFLY for any gift-giving occasion.

<3 jojy

p.s. tomorrow is small business saturday!! shop small and show your support for small business owners like Rachel!

[photos and logo are from KiNGFLY]

my favorite etsy shops: bark decor

as christmas is nearing, i figured i could feature some of my favorite etsy shops for inspiration in case anyone gets as fracking stressed about buying gifts as i do.

bark decor is one of my absolute faves. i am generally a huge fan of anything that incorporates geometric shapes, lines and animals with hints of native american flare. Sara from bark decor does all of that and produces some seriously cool designs.

i think one of the coolest aspects of bark decor is that they use eco-friendly and water-based inks and they use the sun in their backyard when screen printing. i like this quote from Sara as she explains their process,

"Choosing to work this way makes our process very dependent on the conditions of our environment and reminds us of how much we truly need our environment to work and function, for our business and for our world."

pretty cool, huh?

her shop has some beautiful pieces. she has a variety of different designs screen printed on t-shirts, tank tops, sweat shirts, leggings, scarves, pillow cases, tea towels... also some pretty jewelry and prints to frame and hang on the wall. i want all of it so if you're buying gifts for me this is a one stop shop. jk. but you know.

for valentine's day this year i bought harrison the wolf totem shirt [pictured above] and the tank top version of that for myself and we wore them to get our marriage tattoos [harrison seriously considered changing our marriage tattoo to include the wolf totem!]. the tattoo artist said, "so, what are these matching wolf shirts all about?" classic. 

anyways, you should go take a gander at bark decor. you won't be disappointed!

<3 jojy

[all photos and quotation are from bark decor]