hotlanta ladies: come one, come all!

hey y'all! exciting stuff today for any girls in atlanta:

the lovely ladies of three happy eaters and i are hosting a clothing swap this weekend benefitting hagar's house, a women's shelter in decatur, and YOU are invited!

the short and sweet details:

what: a clothing swap. bring $5 and any unwanted, gently worn clothing/shoes/purses/jewelry
when: this saturday, april 13th at 10:30am
where: amanda's house
why: to support a local ministry, clean out your closets, shop, eat good food and drink mimosas

for full details check out the facebook event page and make sure to rsvp while you're at it.

all proceeds go straight to hagar's house and all leftover clothing will go to oakhurst presbyterian, where they will be distributed to hagar's house and other ministries in need.

who doesn't wanna snag some cute clothes with a drink in their hand and good food in their belly all while benefitting a good cause and enjoying some girl time?!

it won't be the same without you!

<3 jojy and the three happy eaters


p.s. the photos above show just a taste of some of the clothing we have already collected for your shopping pleasure! and yes, we are considering being part-time models... but we'll probably still have to keep our normal jobs.

looking towards summer: how do you protect your skin?

good morning! i was catching up on the interwebs this morning [something i haven't done much of with the new pup!] and i came across this post from sally and molly at a piece of toast about a new brand of swimwear called cover. designed by a couple of skin-conscious ladies who wanted better looking protective swimwear. i think they succeeded! their collection is spf 50+ and still attractive/mature/sexy. 

it got me thinking about summer and what my game plan is for protecting my skin. if you have ever been poolside with me, you have probably witnessed me covering myself in opaque white sunscreen + sitting under an umbrella + covering myself up with a towel. i love feeling the warmth of the sun and being outside, but i do not want to mess with the wrinkles, sunspots and possibility of skin cancer that can come from too much unprotected sun exposure. 

inspired by cover, i started checking around for other cute, long-sleeved swimwear. i found these at j.crew. i love the cute prints and the bright solids. i'm digging the bottom right one. i would pair it with some patterned bottoms and call it a day. i also like the tomboy feel of the swim shirt. it would make me feel like the surfer-girl that i will never be!

what about you guys? how do you protect yourself in the summer? have you ever worn protective swimwear [in your adult life]? do you love to tan despite the health risks?

<3 jojy

[photos from left to right: one//two//three//four// via j.crew]

imogene + willie

every once in a while something just hits you hard, and you can't stop thinking about it, and you have to find a way to be involved in it in some way, and you want you to tell everyone about it.

that thing for me right this very moment is imogene + willie.

i know, i'm late to the party on this one. someone probably feels smug and cool cause they already knew about this brand and i didn't. i don't even care, y'all.

maybe it's because i am continually on the search for the perfect pair of jeans [most jean shopping trips end in ugly cry face], or maybe it's because harrison and i dream of starting our own business one day and we've been dreaming particularly hard lately...i don't know, but for whatever reason, imogene + willie has resonated with me to a divine degree.

their products are perfection. the above photos are my favorite pairs of jeans from their website. besides several different styles of jeans, they also have a variety of cool button down shirts, jewelry, bags, shoes and other goodies. i'm currently coveting all of their work shirts and that beautiful pair of jeans in the top left [imogene slim black].

a great pair of jeans is nice and all but what about the brand behind them? imogene +willie is a brand to admire. based in nashville, TN, USA. husband and wife team. made in store. rich family history. i just can't think of a better place to buy my jeans. the duo behind the company, carrie and matt eddmenson, are passionate about what they do and have built their company on things that matter. they even named it after carrie's maternal grandparents! if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, or even if you just love a great story, watch the video and read about their history. it brought me to tears. i love the way that their families and values played a part in the creation of the perfect pair of jeans.

i told harrison today that we need to save our money and plan a road trip to nashville this spring, specifically to go to imogene + willie [the store is an old gas station!!!] and get fitted for jeans.

until then i'll probably just be pants-less. cause none of my current wardrobe measures up.


<3 jojy




[all images courtesy of imogene + willie:  imogene slim black // imogene rinsed // willie rigid // hencye]

fashion inspiration

i sometimes get asked where i come up with my outfits. it's kind of a funny thing to think about. i think that a lot of us [myself included] like to think that we are just so fashion forward that we magically dream up our outfits in fabulous ways, but really i think most of us have tons of subconscious images in our heads from magazines, movies, pinterest, etc. i personally gain a lot of inspiration from a lot of different places. usually i see an image or color swatch or real life person and, rather than copying their outfit exactly, i try to figure out what about the outfit i like. is it the texture, color, shape, accents or just simply the emotion that it evokes? [yes, fashion can be emotional in some senses!] what i mean is, all growing up, from childhood on to adulthood, i loved to stand in front of a mirror and put on all sorts of different outfits. i would then pick out what my "story" would be in each one. for example:

i'm wearing a floral, knee-length skirt paired with a short sleeved, white sweater and sandals. it's early spring and i'm having a picnic deep in a field surrounded by unknown woods. i am inexplicably motivated to trudge right into these deep dark woods and end up on some crazy adventure. i am missing for weeks, but when i finally find my way back i am still wearing the outfit, slightly dirtied, and my cheeks are flushed from all the hiking. from that day on, it is my favorite outfit because it reminds me of that wonderful time in the forest. 

that story really is from my childhood imagination. it's something i made up while trying on that outfit in a dressing room when i was probably 8 years old. i still do this today! not quite as involved now. it's usually just a general theme. like a "breezy parisian afternoon" or something like that. you can ask my husband. i usually test my theme on him to see if he can feel it. anyways, i know it sounds funny, but i've just always been this way. i have a vivid imagination. its a blessing and a curse.

whatever method i use for inspiration, i always try to put my own personal spin on the outfit i am wearing. i hate to be just another copycat. when i flip through a j.crew catalogue, i don't go buy the exact pieces in the outfit, i go to my closet and put together my version. and when i have some extra spending money, i may go buy one piece of an outfit i see and pair totally different things with it than they did at j.crew. my versions don't always turn out better necessarily, but they are always me. i think if you're someone who likes to follow the trends, its important to remember to be true to what you actually like and to make each trend your own. otherwise you don't really have personal style, you're kind of just a fashion robot.

so there you have it! these are the things i think about as i get dressed. 

<3 jojy

[all images found on pinterest...not a source in sight. if anyone knows the original sources for these images, please share. i believe in credit where its due.]

rainy day wish list

yesterday i did not leave the house. i barely left the bed. i wasn't sick. just one of those days. it was raining and i was absurdly tired. but i feel pretty certain that i would have gotten up bright and early and finished all my errands if i had the accessories above! 

the bubble umbrella is one of those things that is forever on my wish list but i haven't coughed up the cash for. i've been looking for an affordable and classic trench coat for about a year now and have yet to find THE one [the trench shown is NOT affordable]. and those rain booties just kill me. i would definitely wear them even when it's not raining! i have some of the tall hunter boots, but i've been thinking about selling them. i'm more drawn to short boots these days. 

i just realized that i have wanted all three of these items since i visited NYC for the first time almost a year ago. it was pouring down rain the whole time we were there. hunter's are a pain to pack [and not very comfortable to walk around in all day], my outdoorsy rain jacket didn't go with my outfits, and our umbrella kept flying up. obviously these things could have solved all of my rainy day problems.

<3 jojy



1. clear bubble umbrella; 2. classic trench coat; 3. chic rain booties

what is the big deal about leggings?

[audrey hepburn looking chic as usual in funny face. wearing something remarkably close to leggings as pants]

for whatever reason, leggings as pants have been getting a lot of bad press lately. i'm not sure why...this trend has been around for years now. i can speak for everyone born in the 80s that we lived in leggings as pants 24/7 and so did our moms. leggings with a chambray shirt anyone? that was like my mom's uniform when i was a kid.

here's my quick take:

we are all trying to squeeze into the skinniest skinny jeans we can find anyways, so why not be comfortable while being stylish and just wear leggings? to me, the main difference is just that skinny jeans have pockets and leggings don't so they show just a tad more curvature. i think leggings create an even sleeker look than skinny jeans because they don't bunch up around the knee and you don't have to put them in the dryer before every wear to tighten them up. take the photos of audrey hepburn above. doesn't she look lovely? if you've seen funny face then you know that iconic scene where she is dancing in that outfit and being amazing. i've always loved that outfit. and i think its a good representation of how pretty and chic leggings as pants [WITHOUT wearing a shirt that covers your bum. GASP!] can be.

they can be worn so many ways. dressy, sexy, casual, trendy, sporty. the possibilities are endless, really.

<3 jojy

p.s. awesome leggings that i want: geometric, triangles, galaxy, wet look, star wars

christmas shoes

i just got these beauties in the mail this morning. my mom usually takes my sister and i shopping for christmas but i'm more of an online shopper so lately, for any gift giving occasions, my mom just gives me her credit card and i get to go online shopping within the budget. [i'm not spoiled, i promise! i usually only get one thing because i value quality over quantity...specifically when it comes to shoes..] so on cyber monday i checked to see if these pretties were on sale, and of course, they were. my mom graciously gave the OK to get them with her card after my frantic texts [MOM THOSE SHOES I HAVE BEEN WANTING ARE ON SALE CAN I GET THEM FOR CHRISTMAS TODAY?!?!]

these shoes are by kork-ease which is a brand that was all about the chunky platform clog styles that were popular in the 60s and 70s. the platform clog style has been repeated so many times in fashion history and it appears to be back in again now. it reminds me of when i was 8 years old and my sister was in high school wearing her chunky "candies." anyone remember those shoes? they had the big wooden heels and were really loud.

i have a thing for comfortable, quality shoes [clarks, fryes..] and so as the clog style peaked my interest, i have been researching and looking at different brands. dansko, swedish hasbeens, kork-ease... they all have lovely, quality clog heels. i was almost swayed by swedish hasbeens, but in the end i felt a little more comfortable with kork-ease. and so far i really like them! they are super comfortable and light weight which is great cause i don't like to have my heels hold me back at all. i've been known to walk a couple miles while wearing heels.

i think i'll be wearing them this winter with colored tights, socks, dresses and probably flare jeans.

<3 jojy

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]

land girls

this is a fitting second post for the day since i just posted a few of my thoughts on tomboy style...

while doing some chores around the house today, i started watching a tv series on netflix called Land Girls. i found it by clicking around on things suggested by netflix based on my interest in Downton Abbey. Land Girls isn't nearly as good as DA but i was in the mood for any tv series or movie set in a similar time period and place. and i found one! and the main characters are girls, which is always fun. the series follows 4 main characters around in their adventures in the Women's Land Army during WWII. 

and despite the fact that i've already read that the series has tons of inaccuracies and the writing isn't all that great, i'm really enjoying it!

...all of this is to say that i'm LOVING all of the clothes that the girls wear. from their work clothes to their party dresses. its all lovely, vintage tomboy style goodness. 

i'm inspired. 

<3 jojy

[top photo from tv.com / bottom photo unknown source]

tomboy style

this weekend i picked up a copy of the book Tomboy Style at the book signing party, held at Ann Mashburn in Atlanta. it was a wonderful time! the best part of course was having the opportunity to meet and chat with the author, Lizzie Garrett Mettler herself! she's friendly, down to earth and well dressed. just like you would imagine her to be if you read her blog, Tomboy Style.

i couldn't wait to get home and open up the book. and when i finally did, i was struck by how much i identified with what she had to say about the idea of "tomboy style." yes, its a way of dressing [think trousers, blazers, worn in jeans, boots, loafers, button downs, stripes..] but the outer layer is only a small detail. the clothing itself is not the defining characteristic, but rather a symptom of whats on the inside of those stylish women. confidence, intellect and originality all come to mind. 

all of this got me thinking. 

when i really sit and think about the women and men who have influenced my personal style over the years, i am kind of surprised by the fact that there were so many that actually dressed very plainly. no frills. and to anyone who follows "fashion," they were probably far from being considered "stylish." but while going down my mental list of these women and men whom i wanted to dress just like, i realized that it wasn't their fashion sense at all that attracted me to them, it was their confidence, wisdom, wit and strength. the people who influenced my style the most were influencing me in a way that was much deeper than just the outer layer of clothing. they helped me to find myself and discover that its okay to be exactly who i am even if who i am is considered weird to someone else. 

i think that by them handing down that confidence, i found the freedom to dress exactly how i wanted to. skinny neck ties paired with pin-striped [pajama] pants, shaved head [twice!], big black doc marten combat boots, high-top converse all stars, holey jeans, thrift store t-shirts, newsboys hats and beanies, wool pencil skirts paired with fishnet tights and velvet blazer... all of these things may sound hideous to you, but to me these things represented the freedom i had to display the real me. i felt different. so naturally, i looked different. 

reading Lizzie's book reminded me of the importance of being true to yourself. think of your style or fashion as an extension of who you are. 

have fun with your clothes! be creative. be confident.

<3 jojy