Sale: Innovative and Creative Products That I Designed - Locally Made

Winter already seems particularly long this year. So I decided to hold a Winter Sale. (Kind of a way of celebrating the days growing longer.) Anyone using this discount code 17F47WX when shopping in my store will get 20% off on any of my products. (The sale is on until the last day of Winter, March 19.) They are all locally made, mostly in the New York/New Jersey area. Shopping locally and favoring small businesses — especially those owned by women — is important to me. That’s why I joined the New York City Fair Trade Coalition. To find out more about my products that I designed and created, click here for my interview with the NYC Fair Trade Coalition. You’ll learn about my 7-in-1 wallet, cross-body bag, fashionable multi-pocket vest for women, any-occasion photo greeting cards and, of course, the quirky AngryJ. Find out why AngryJ is a hit with adults. 

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Holiday Gift Guide - Local, Sustainable, Fair Trade

I’m so happy to be part of the New York City Faire Trade Coalition’s 2020 Holiday Gift Guide. Here you’ll find gifts that are from small businesses and women-owned businesses that make it easy to shop fair, sustainably and local. (My products are in the Made in New York section.)

Even better, each of the creatives in the Gift Guide is offering a gift card — $25 off — that you can use yourself or you can give it as a gift. https://www.nycfairtradecoalition.org/holiday-shop

In the guide, you’ll find my any-occasion greeting cards, cross-body bag and, of course, my quirky AngryJ plush dolly. (She may be angry but she’ll make you laugh, something we all desperately need now.

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Last-Minute Holiday Gifts for the Traveler

Looking for a last minute gift? Something that’s unique by an small, independent, woman-owned business? Gifts that are perfect for the traveler in your family or office or for a friend who already has journeys planned for the New Year? Below are two small products that fit the bill. These are items that I designed, that are Made in America, and that you won’t find in stores. And, though some of you may think you’ve seen these sorts of wallets and bags before, you haven’t.

The cross-body bag (below), like all my bags and clothing, is minimalist. It doesn’t show off that you are carrying your vitals. It opens vertically -- like all my bags -- revealing three deep zippered pockets. These are perfect for carrying everything from a small bottle of sunscreen to sunglasses. There’s also a special section that keeps credit cards secure. The best seller has been the dark camo, so much so that there is only one left!!

This 7-In-1 wallet allows women and men to have easy access to access to heir vitals, whether you wear it cross body, on your belt, over your shoulder or four other ways. Lots of zippered and Velcro pockets.

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Gear Review: Ultra-Light, Collapsable Day Pack

Even when I’m not hiking, it’s good to pack a backpack, one that’s small, light, waterproof and very collapsible. It’s perfect for carrying a water bottle, rain jacket, lunch or snacks and other items if I decide to rent a bicycle in a city, or do some light hiking. It works to carry a book, umbrella, hat, or sunscreen if I’m strolling around town, visiting museums and shopping. I just discovered a backpack that fits these criteria. The Backpack FreeFly16 is produced by Matador. It’s so small when rolled into its storage bag that it fits into the palm of your hand. (Because I don’t check luggage, this backpack easily slips into my carry-on.) It barely weighs five ounces. The shoulder straps are breathable so you don’t feel sweaty in summer heat. And even in a drenching downpour, it’ll keep the rain out. It has one main zippered compartment, and a much smaller one that's ideal for a notebook, pens and other ancillary items.

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Pop-Up Craft and Art Market Event

Save The Date!!! December 6. In New York City -- starting at 8:30PM.

Handmade goods -- including my new bag collection

and tee-shirts, photographs and plush AngryJ dollies  -- from
seven creative people.

And artisanal chocolates by Rue Claire .

Plus, yummy tacos and tostadas, wine/sake/beer available
from NYC’s prime poke place, Sons of Thunder.

If you're in NYC, I hope you can stop by.

Fun, informal vibe, good food, and big sales on some of my
creations for this event.

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My New Bag Collection

When I design clothes and accessories, I’m all about minimalism and pockets. I don’t believe a bag should reveal itself to everyone who, for example, may be standing next to you on a crowded metro. My bags -- as well as my vest -- revolve around simplicity, practicality and pockets that are hidden. And that includes my new canvas cross-body bag collection. From the outside, this cross-body canvas bag has a minimalist silhouette with a magnetic snap. Flipping it open reveals three zippered compartments that, together, are big enough for most any of your personal items, including sunglasses, cell phone, credit cards — organized in a separate, easy-to-access section with its own snap flap — currency, plane or train tickets, sunscreen, lip balm, travel toothbrush, you name it. There’s a limited quantity of these bags -- they sell for $49.95 and are Made in America -- that are perfect for traveling to far-flung locales or around town.

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Sneak Peek: My New Line of Handbags

This is a sneak peak of my new handbag line. Not only will they be sold at a lower price point compared with my first micro travel bag, but they will be manufactured in a soft canvas fabric that initially will come in two different colors/patterns: camo pattern and solid burgundy. (Other colors/patterns will follow, down the line.) The bag, of course, will have multiple zippered pockets -- none visible to the casual observe -- and will have a minimalist look. Unlike my first bag, each pocket will accommodate an array of large-sized items, including sunglasses, large iPhones or Androids,  even small tubes of sunscreen. The atta-BAG label (below) will appear on the front of each bag. I expect these bags to be on the market by early Fall.

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How To Travel For A Week With Only A Small Carry-On Bag

Iceland is one of my specialties: I travel there about once a year and have been since before the country suffered that infamous bankruptcy in 2008. I usually fly Icelandair but recently I traveled on WOW air, a budget airline flying from Newark Airport in New Jersey non-stop to Reykjavik. The downside of budget airlines is the carry-on allowance. Since I don’t ever check luggage, this meant I had to find a bag that was no bigger than 17” x 13” x 10” and weighed no more than 22 pounds. The small backpack you see below is what I used to pack everything I’d need for a week.

There are many tricks to packing this small and light:

• I wear clothes with lots of pockets, including the chic and practical Pocket-Change Vest that I designed -- it has 10 hidden pockets.
• In addition, I wear clothes in one or two color, usually black and some other neutral color, so there’s lots of mixing and matching.
• I wear my heaviest dress, sweat and jacket/coat on the plane
• I pack thin dresses, tops and skirts in Merino wool, such as those sold by SmartWool, Icebreaker and Title Nine.
• I don’t carry much in the way of toiletries and, those I do bring, include travel or sample-sizes, as well as small leaves/papers impregnated with shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Even the deodorant is tinier than you’d find in the travel size aisle of the drugstore.

• I only travel with two pair of shoes: I wear the heaviest on the plane and pack the other pair, usually a slim Mary Jane style.

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Where To Safely Carry That Passport

I just returned from a bicycle trip to South Korea where the guide was -- hmm, how should I say this diplomatically -- less than competent. So, imagine everyone’s surprise when we’re about to board a ferry to an island within South Korea and we’re all required to show our passport in order to get our tickets. Sounds odd, for sure, because we’re not crossing a border. And no other form of identification would suffice: it had to be the passport for foreign visitors. Now, I know we’re often told to never travel with the passport once we’ve reached your destination, but I always have my passport safely zipped away in the 7-in-1 micro bag that I designed, the atta-Bag.  (This video shows some of it's features.) I carry it with me because numerous times, whether I’m trying to exchange money, check into a hotel, get a ticket for an event, and so forth, I’m asked for my passport. So in this South Korean situation, I was the only one in the group who had the passport on their person. The others packed the passports away in their luggage -- a common storage place for passports, it turns out -- in the bowels of the car ferry. They now had to race onto the ferry’s cargo hold, and retrieve the passport, and race back onto land as the gang plank was rising. They all almost missed the ferry, and the officials had to hold the ferry for them. Not good all around, except for me who carries all my valuable safely in my micro travel bag that’s so minimal most people don’t even realize I’m carrying it.


Because many people are making summer plans now, I'm offering a 20% discount on my micro travel bag until the end of May. Just use the discount code SpringTravel.

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Holiday Crafts Market

Are you on the lookout for creative gifts for friends, family and colleagues? If you’re in New York City, head on down to downtown Brooklyn any of the first three weekends in December. I will be there December 10th and December 17th only. And I'm very much looking forward to showing my creations at this well-curated market that’s focused on fashion, art and design, hence the acronym F.A.D. I will be selling five of my items: photo prints, AngryJ dolly, fashionable multi-pocket vest for women, unisex micro travel bag, and any-occasion photo greeting cards. Anyone who comes to my table and mentions they heard about this on my blog, will automatically get a 10% discount. And anyone buying my vest + bag will get these two items for $204 instead of $240, a $36 discount. See ya.

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Micro 7-in-1 Travel Bag for Women + Men

When I travel, I avoid being a target, whether labelled as a tourist or looked at as someone who is carrying around valuables. Instead, I carry my vitals -- all the things I can’t live without -- in a micro travel bag that I designed. It can be worn seven different ways (making it quite adaptable to your travel style) and its silhouette is so minimal, I’ve attended networking events and wine bars, and the people I was standing next to didn’t even realize I was wearing it.

atta-Bag can be purchased here.

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Fashionable + Ethical Bags for Your Weekend Travels

How perfect to find an ethical fashion accessory brand, especially one that's all about investing in women and girls, providing the women with fair work and, with the sale of each item, adolescent girls receive life skills mentoring. Also, it's so perfect that, planning to visit India in the fall, I found out that this company, Catrinka, which I originally wrote about months ago, is now selling the Kanta Weekender, a 100% cotton canvas bag with a hand drawn Indian street scene embellished with hand embroidery and mirrors.

The artisans behind this fashionable and ethically-produced bag is a mother-daughter team from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The bag is named for Kanta, the 33-year-old daughter on the team. (Her mother, Bhagwati is 52 and she learned embroidery craft from her mother.) The mirror work on the bag is traditional to Jodhpur, each panel taking two days to complete. The embroidered snowflake pattern originates out of Lucknow. (Both women are noted locally for their skillful hand embroidery work.)

The bag -- it'll hold all your clothing, accessories and toiletries for a weekend -- with its cow suede base and handles, cotton lining with zip pocket and top closure is assembled in a small woman-owned workshop based in New Delhi. Each bag provides three days of fair work to women in India. And indigenous adolescent Mayan girls receive a week of life skills mentoring through Catrinka's NGO partner, Redmi, with the sale of each bag. (Redmi strives to reach out to poor and at-risk indigenous girls, aged 8 to 19 in rural Guatemalan communities.)

So many of my activities, whether it's mentoring seniors at Barnard College where I did my undergraduate work or creating a fashion and accessories line, revolve around working with women and girls. Catrinka whose motto is "buy a bag, employ a woman, educate a girl, fits right along with this sensibility.

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Ultra Light Carry-On-Only Packing

Most people who travel to Paris for a week take along enough luggage for months of wardrobe changes. My trip will include not just five days in Paris but also more than a week in Brittany where I'll be walking 20 km from village to village with all my gear.

 These trip logistics dictated that I would be carrying my lightest pack ever. And it's especially timely given the new proposed carry-on rules that, hopefully, won't go into effect. (But they probably will.) According to the International Air Transport Association, the standard carry-on size would be 21.5" X 13.5" X 7.5". No problem for me: Aside from what I'm wearing on the plane, I've packed 3 dresses, one extra pair of pants, one pair of leggings, 2 tee shirts, rain jacket, one pair of Mary Janes, a hoody, warm synthetic fiberfill jacket, 5 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of underwear, 2 tank tops, iPad, first-aid kit, vitamin supplements, and toiletries, and a mini umbrella. All this went into my Flight 30 model by Six Moon Designs that's sized 17" X 11" X 7". (I managed to fit everything by placing different categories of clothing into individuals zip-log bags and squeezing the air out.) Because my clothes are either black or grey (plus bright colors coming from the tees, tanks, and scarves), there are myriad possible garment combinations. The very small Timbuka messenger bag that I will sling over my shoulder contains pens, antacids, chocolates, earplugs, eye shades, extra pair of eyeglasses, notebooks, batteries, connector wires, credit cards, cash, flashlight, dental floss, and peppermint lozenges.

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Holiday Discount: Ethical + Fashionable Bags Making A Difference For Women + Girls

I met a couple of very wonderful women last week with a company called Catrinka. It's an ethical fashion accessory brand that's dedicated to investing in women and girls. All the products are made by women, and a share of the proceeds goes to education and mentoring for teen girls. Their motto is: Catrinka: buy a bag, employ a woman, educate a girl. This is completely in line with my sensibilities, especially given  that I'm a former educator who now mentors women at Barnard, the all-woman's college that's part of Columbia University, where I graduated; and the products I'm designing mostly are focused on women and girls. This company is graciously offering a discount to all my readers and followers: 10% off everything through 12/31 by using discount code: J10. Check out these chic, fashionable bags:

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Holiday Discount: Cute, Fun, Fashionable Belt Bags

I just met a very cool designer who has some cute, fun, fashionable and practical fanny packs.  Lots of different patterns and fabrics. The clutch converts to a belt bag; the tote converts to a backpack. And she graciously offered all my followers a 20% discount (Code: FREEHANDS) through January 1. Check out her collection, Beau and Ro. 

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A Perfect Shoulder Bag for Travel

On my recent trip to Madrid, I decided to check out a new bag: the AmeriBag. I was looking for a smallish bag that I could wear all around town, without fear of getting attracting pickpockets (as happens in Madrid). But I also had a lot of other criteria that the bag had to fulfill. It had to have a lot of interior as well as exterior pockets to organize sunglasses, notebooks, Spanish-English dictionary, pens, digital recorder, camera, iPod, map, makeup, and plenty more items should I buy something during the day. It also had to feel comfortable all day long as I walked 3+ miles each day checking out new hotels, restaurants, parks and art galleries. (In other words, no strain on my neck, back or shoulders -- body parts that often take the brunt of carrying a lot of gear on one shoulder.) I also hoped that the bag could be easily worn if I decided to go bicycling in the city or, if there was the opportunity to go hiking.

After wearing the bag for four full days, my verdict is that the AmeriBag definitely performs admirably. It looks sporty and chic; it didn't fall off my shoulder; and it was perfectly comfortable whether walking or cycling (I biked 10 miles). Plus, no shoulder, neck or backaches after 7+ hours of brisk walking each day. (The price can't be beat either.)

(It can be worn like a messenger bag or as a regular shoulder bag.) But, I decided to wear it slung in front so that I could easily protect it from thieves.

And, saving the best for last: Even my Samsung notebook fit in this bag, along with everything else. Perfect. I'll be taking it on many more trips.

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