green & indie finds for your uncommon life – modern handmade + sustainable design

I just got a heads up from Brooklyn-based designer Jenny “JiJi” Kim about her handbag designs, and I think they’re super cute. Her most popular design is the Everyday Tote, which functions great as a laptop case and diaper bag as well as, you guessed it, a perfect tote bag for everyday life!

Jenny also designs possibly the most stylish jogging accessory I’ve ever seen. Her iPod armbands will keep you looking good while you’re breaking a sweat.

Check out all of Jenny’s fabulous work at her shop, JiJi’s Creative Designs.

{ 0 comments }

I think I’m a little obsessed with dresses lately… I seem to be falling in love with a new one each week! This week my new dress obsession is the gorgeous Monarch Dart Dress by San Diego-based designer Jennafer Grace.

Seriously, isn’t this print amazing? It’s somewhere between really classy tie-dye (is that even a thing?) and the wings of a butterfly. I absolutely love this one. Jennafer has some other pretty dresses in her shop, but this one is my favorite!

{ 4 comments }

I’ve got a lot of friends with summer birthdays. Heck, I’ve got a summer birthday too. (July 28, same day as Jackie O and my dear friend Todd!) So I love the wonderfully quirky birthday cards by artist Andrea Breitman of Sunshine & Molasses. Not only do I love the artwork on each of these cards, but I can also really appreciate the whimsical, totally random sort of humor that each card contains.

“Some people wonder why you like to walk around in a box. I simply wonder why they don’t.”

“At that moment Dahlia knew it was her life long mission to rescue all birthday pinatas before it was too late.”

“I am thankful for friends who will do just about anything to make me smile.”

The friendship cards are the perfect sentiment, and Andrea also has some pretty great cards for out-of-the-ordinary holiday wishes! Check out all her clever cards at Sunshine & Molasses.

{ 2 comments }

I’ve seen a lot of variations on recycled paper products used to create cool accessories, but I think these bangle bracelets crafted from recycled magazines are a particularly stylish solution to the waste problem:

You can select from these three different styles, and find them along with many other unique clothing and accessory ideas at Artfulwears.com.

{ 8 comments }

A couple of weeks ago, Molly Goforth of Molly B Bikinis contacted me and offered to make me a custom bikini for review. Seriously? A custom-made bikini? Who am I to say no to that!?! Here’s the style I requested:

Well, it arrived yesterday and I tried it on, and it’s perfect. I was having some serious doubts about my ability to measure myself (I even got Dave to help check my measurements a second time). I was convinced that I’d done something wrong because they just didn’t sound right. (Ahem. It’s been awhile since I’ve measured myself. Like… 5 years?) But I sent in both versions of what I measured (bust, waist, hips) along with my normal bra and panty size and Molly worked her magic!

The suit fits amazingly well, really. No boob spillage or weird bunching like with some off-the-rack swimsuits. All of Molly B’s suits are made to order, so you’ll get the special treatment just like I did!

Molly grew up surfing in Southern California, and fell in love with the beach lifestyle. She needed different types of suits for different occasions, and soon her collection of bikinis had grown, as did her skills on the sewing machine! Her latest line, The Genevieve Collection, is named after her grandmother, who was a talented seamstress herself. The Genevieve Collection blends retro inspiration with modern styling.

If you’re in search of a new swimsuit this summer, be sure to take a peek at Molly B Bikinis — they won’t disappoint, I promise!

{ 2 comments }

I haven’t done a Things I Love Thursday here in quite awhile, but I’ve found a few new obsessions in recent weeks that I thought I’d share. These things have certainly been brightening my days, so maybe they’ll brighten some of yours!

Poppies Circle Skirt from Trashy Diva!

I’m going to go pick up this one for myself tomorrow afternoon, as I’ve been coveting it for months and my sister’s wedding this weekend is the perfect excuse. Trashy Diva also just opened up a new shoe boutique in the French Quarter next to their other stores! I’m so excited for my former employer and how they’re growing!

Sweet potato chips & fries! Dave, my boyfriend, has been making sweet potato fries at home lately and they are delicious! I’ve also recently discovered the joy that is Zapp’s Sweet Potato Chips.  For those of you not in the know, Zapp’s is a yummy local potato chip company based right here in south Louisiana. If you live in the lower 48 states, you can get their delicious chips shipped right to your door!

Kickboxing & kettlebells! I’ve been exploring an athletic side I never even knew I had until recently. I started taking some kickboxing classes at a local mixed martial arts gym about a month and a half ago, and I’ve been absolutely loving it. I am seriously not a gym type of girl, or I wasn’t until recently at least. We just transitioned from kickboxing for 6 weeks of strength training with kettlebells. It’s pretty intense, but I’m dreaming of the day when I’ll be all buff and able to kick some ass in an instant!

Sweet Olive Soap Works! I sold some of Emily’s wonderful soaps last week at the Triple Threat Birthday Bash, and they were a HUGE hit! I sold out of a couple of the scents (notably the Ponchatoula Strawberry, Red Beans & Rice and All Souls). Emily grows herbs for these amazing soaps right in her backyard here in New Orleans and uses local produce like Ponchatoula strawberries and Creole tomatoes to make her sweet-smelling blends. You can find all of her handcrafted soaps in her Etsy shop.

Stuff You Missed In History Class podcast! I’ve been listening to this almost constantly at work for the last few days, and I recently wrote to them with a suggestion for a podcast: “How Storyville Works”. I’m a little obsessed with this turn-of-the-century red-light district in New Orleans, and editor Candace Gibson likes the idea too! She wrote back and they’re going to work on my idea for a future podcast! You can check out their articles on HowStuffWorks.com or find the podcast for free on iTunes.

david-tennant.com

Doctor Who! I feel like I’m a little late to the game, but Dave and I have been catching up on the new Doctor Who series recently via instant Netflix episodes on Xbox Live. I was growing fond of Christopher Eccleston by the end of the first season, but David Tennant is downright dreamy. I’ve definitely got a new crush!

{ 5 comments }

Once again this week, I’ve discovered another awesome designer via the magic of Twitter. Julie-Anne of Curious Tales added me there, and I went to check out her website and instantly fell in love! She designs amazing recycled clothing, like this kick-ass reconstructed jacket. (It even has a train… how fancy!)

Check out her amazing designs on her website, or follow her on Twitter too!

Amanda Fisher, the designer behind Inhabit, also creates some pretty amazing handmade eco-friendly clothing using recycled materials. Amanda chops up vintage clothing and pieces it back together to give it new life.

My favorite thing about her work are the adorable appliques, based on her original artwork of animals that she creates using watercolor, acrylic, and newspaper clippings. You can find more of Amanda’s work in her Etsy shop, or you can follow her on Twitter as well!

{ 1 comment }

The lovely people behind Twelve NYC have offered up one of their fantastic grocery tote bags for me to review and give to one of you lucky readers!

All Twelve NYC grocery tote bags are made in the USA by union workers under fair conditions. The grocery totes come in three different sizes, which are all made out of super sturdy heavyweight cotton, and the cute grocery-themed print is available in black, purple, bright green, orange and pink. (All printed using eco-friendly water-based ink!)

The tote they sent for this giveaway is the brown bag shopper, and this bag is no joke! It can certainly hold a lot, as it’s the size of one of those brown paper grocery bags but the material is extra thick and strong to withstand lots of grocery weight.

Twelve NYC also makes lots of other types of great basic bags… everything from totes to messenger bags to duffle bags to cosmetic cases. I’ve gotta say though, I think these grocery totes are my favorite of their designs!

If you want a chance to win this handy brown bag shopper tote (printed in black ink), all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post by midnight on Sunday, June 28, 2009 (Central Standard Time – go here to figure out what time that is where you are). One winner will be chosen at random and I’ll get in touch via email to find out where to send your new bag!

{ 39 comments }

Ever since I discovered Frank & Faith Ethical Fashion a week or so ago via Twitter, I’ve been obsessed with this gorgeous 100% organic cotton pointelle lace knit dress:

It comes in black and white as well, but the blue is my absolute favorite!

Frank & Faith is a UK based line of socially conscious, eco-friendly clothing. They use organic, recycled and sustainable yarns and fabrics in all of their designs, and produce all of their clothing within the British Isles under ethical working conditions.

You can find their clothing for men, women and children, as well as a selection of beautiful blankets and tote bags, in their online store as well as at select boutiques around the UK and the globe. Unfortunately they’re not yet sold in any stores in the U.S. but they’d like to change that! So if you know of a boutique that would be a great fit, let them know!

{ 4 comments }