Store Spotlight: J&B Custom Leather on Etsy + A Discount!

I am so excited to be sharing this extra special Store Spotlight today. The B in J&B Custom Leather happens to be a very dear friend of mine who I worked with at summer camp as a riding instructor more years ago than I am willing to admit. We have both come a long way since the days when we dressed in matching outfits and threw water balloons at each other on horseback, but I still have mildly embarrassing photographic evidence that it happened. :)

But now we are (semi) grown up gals, with a WEDDING on the way for Miss Bridget this fall, as well as a booming new business in J&B Custom Leather. Between a part-time job, wedding planning, and collar making, I was thrilled I was able to pin her down to discuss her business and truly amazing handmade products!

In the winter of 2013, Bridget and her soon-to-be hubby packed up and moved to Kentucky, where his parents are located. Like so many people, they were faced down with a tricky job market, and after a month of searching to no avail, Bridget's future mother–in-law, a well-known face in the Quarter Horse industry, offered to teach Bridget leatherworking and bring her on as part of the family business, Horsewares Custom Chaps.

Horsewares mainly deals in chaps, though they also dabble in other leather items such as belts, ottomans, and throw pillows. Since winter months are slow for riding gear, Bridget's mother-in-law had tried her hand at making Western-inspired dog collars, but they had not sold as well in stores as she had hoped. She offered Bridget the opportunity to market them on her own with the promise that she could keep the profits of anything she sold. It was then that Bridget's knack for entrepreneurship emerged--she threw her energy into growing Horseware's Facebook Fan Base and set up an Etsy shop featuring the collars. Soon after, the collars began to sell, and she received a message asking if she accepted custom orders.

Bridget realized she had a unique product that was not really available elsewhere on the market--high quality, wholly custom handmade leather collars at a price point that was palatable. (Many of the designs are under $50). She began doing custom work and contacting friends (myself included) to market her product even further--I am proud to say I was one of J&B Custom Leather's first official custom customers!!

Holly's first J&B Custom Leather Collar

Since those early days, the Etsy site and corresponding Facebook and Instagram have taken off, with collars being sent to Italy, France, the UK, and Australia, and outfitting pampered pooches from Chihuahuas to Great Danes (they have even made one for a cat!). Still, the personalizing process remains much the same: after going through the photos on Facebook, Etsy, or Instagram, a customer contacts Bridget via direct message and lets her know what they are interested in having on their collar. For my initial collar, I knew I wanted pink but was pretty lost beyond that kicking off point, and she was very patient with me, texting me options for conchos (the name for the silver hearts pictured above) and rhinestones until we settled on a design.

Modelling her collar on Valentine's Day!

Since those early days they have branched off and offer turquoise look stones, tooled leathers, and even hand stamped name plates (courtesy of Trevor, Bridget's uber-talented fiance and the other half of J&B). Bridget says her absolute favorite thing to do is to create a brand new custom design with the customer, so the sky is truly the limit in terms of creativity.

Some of the new collar designs with turquoise stones and hand stamped name plates.

MLB collars make great gifts for the baseball lover (and great accessories for Bark In the Park events!)

In terms of emerging trends, Bridget has noticed very high demand for the copper conchos, and has even had several customers request having bullet casings put on their collars (truly something for any taste!). A typical custom collar order takes about 2-3 weeks to ship out, and ranges in price from $30-$75, depending on materials selected (real silver buckles and conchos can be purchased) and detail (borders, nameplates, etc). A custom matching leash can also be added to your order for an additional fee.

Just a handful of gorgeous custom collars. Image via J&B Custom Leather on Instagram.

Hand stamped name plates. Image via J&B Custom Leather on Instagram.

Zeus, Bridget's pup and official brand mascot! Image via J&B Custom Leather on Instagram.

So I could get a real feel of the J&B Custom Leather collar process, Bridget and Trevor were kind enough to offer Holly a custom collar in exchange for this post (I swear, that pooch has all the luck!). I was very excited by some of the new leather colors that they had posted on their Facebook page, particularly in the purple family, since not only does Holly look excellent in purple, but the plum leather matched perfectly with my favorite purse (and you know how we feel about matching)!

The leather offerings. Different leathers may be paired together to create collars with borders
(like the ones pictured above)

Since I love pairing bright turquoise jewelry with my plum leather bag, I was drawn to that color combination for Holly's new collar. I wanted to keep the width to 3/4", so I couldn't add a border or large conchos, but we more than made up for it with turquoise and bling! I also decided to add a hand stamped name plate, with simply "Holly" since "Holly Golightly" has a large amount of characters for her teeny little neck!! At the end of our conversation, Bridget let me know the timeline for when she would begin work on the collar, during which time I was welcome to make any changes or additions. During this time she was kind enough to send me photos and links to a number of buckles for the collar so I could make it 100% custom and to my exact vision!

The beautiful collar came packaged with love and exactly how I imagined it.

Holly modeling the finished design. 

Even without our personal friendship, I would have been drawn to J&B Custom Leather collars for their handmade quality and reasonable price point. I am a sucker for custom items for Holly but even I can't quite justify a purchase over $100 on something custom for my pup! Bridget and Trevor are a dream to work with and do everything to make sure you are comfortable with your final design and are getting exactly what you want (I even requested a hole be made so the collar could be a very specific length, and they were happy to oblige!). They will also help the design-confused like myself to make the best and most beautiful product, suggesting elements that have worked in the past and letting you know if something clashes or can't be made in the size you are looking for.

So the next time you are in the market for a collar, I highly recommend checking out J&B Custom Leather. Not only are you sure to get a high quality, handmade, completely custom piece for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere, but you will be supporting a small business backed by two very big hearts. And as an added bonus, J&B Custom Leather is offering readers of Little Holly's Big World a 10% discount on their Etsy shop with code LITTLEHOLLYBIGWORLD. So get shopping and support small business! Your pup will thank you :)

Until Next Time, Darlings!

Little Holly's Big Book Club: Interview With Sue Chipperton, Gidget the Dog's Pup-sonal Trainer!

As part of our first “Little Holly’s Big Book Club” series, I was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to speak with Sue Chipperton, co-author of A Famous Dog's Life and trainer behind the "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" ad campaign's famous Chihuahua star, Gidget, around whom the book is centered. Sue was kind enough to take time out of her crazy training schedule to chat with me about Gidget, the book, life with dogs and her career.

The book was born out of a collaboration between Sue and her friend Rennie Dyball of People magazine. Shortly before Gidget’s death, Rennie put together a story about famous animals featuring stars such as Moondoggie (Bruiser from Legally Blonde, and another Sue trainee), Salem the Cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and of course Gidget. After Gidget passed away, Sue reached out to Rennie to see if People would be interested in running an obituary for the little Chihuahua with the big personality, which they did (you can read it here).

Despite the fact that Gidget hadn’t been on TV in years, the article was met with overwhelming response. Sue recalls googling her shortly after the article ran and going through 45 pages of responses…with still more after. Realizing that there was still significant public interest in Gidget and that she had a number of personal photos, Sue spoke to Rennie again, this time about the possibility of a picture book. Rennie suggested they take it a step further, to a full memoir style book, of which she became the co-author. 

It is clear from the overwhelming response to the article that the “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” campaign is more than just an ad campaign: it was a defining moment in 90s popular culture, and cemented Gidget as an icon for generations to come. Though there is no telling whether the campaign would have had as wide of an impact without Gidget and Sue at the helm, there is no denying that Gidget became “a little personality,” and that she had something special that viewers responded to. I asked Sue if there was a specific “star quality” that they looked for in studio animals. In her 20 years at Studio Animal Services, Sue worked with everything from ducks to cats and squirrels, but when it came to dogs she was considering for studio work she always sought out those with "outgoing and borderline obnoxious behavior" in the shelter, knowing they could later channel that over the top energy into something that worked on camera. Although shy dogs in shelters can make wonderful pets, they aren't always the best to be on set, where there can be a lot of overwhelming components.

Of course, every once in a while a critter shows such megastar talent they simply can’t be denied. When Sue adopted her pup Beans from the shelter, she had no idea whether she would work as a studio animal, but she ultimately became one of the most requested stars at Studio Animal Services!

Outside of the famous coworkers (both two and four legged), Sue says the best thing about her job is the travel, and the fact that every day is different. However, it is this spontaneous aspect to the job that can make it difficult to maintain the elusive work-life balance. Many opportunities early in Sue’s career were based largely on the fact that she “had a passport and could leave the next morning at 10am,” and there are some days where she doesn’t get home until 3am. She admits that the unpredictability and long hours have taken a toll on her social life, since Friday night plans can often be derailed by a last minute commercial assignment coming in on a Wednesday. But I suspect when you are spending 12 hours on set with Brad Pitt, or strolling the red carpet of a Hollywood premiere, you don't mind missing that happy hour after all :)

Gidget and Sue on the red carpet at the Godzilla premiere. Photo by Ron Galella. Image courtesy of A Famous Dog's Life on Facebook.

For those who want to make a life out of the undeniable adventure that is studio animal work, Sue says the best place to be is in LA. There are markets in places like New York, Chicago, Detroit, or Miami, but they are often too small to offer much experience. Sue says the best thing she did for her career was making the move to LA, and being open to interning for no pay until she learned the craft. She was lucky that she had a background in training marine animals in Florida prior to moving to California, which helped her move through the ranks quickly, and says some prior knowledge of animal training can be a real asset. There are two year courses available that some trainers opt to take first, which can also lead to careers in zoos or as a veterinarian. Either way, experience is key, and, like many careers, a willingness to put in the grunt work at the beginning can pay off big down the road.

Even if you aren’t jetsetting to a movie set, it doesn’t mean your pooch can’t travel like a star! Since Gidget and Sue became adept at travelling throughout the Taco Bell campaign, I asked her about her own tips for travelling with a pet. She linked me to her own blog post on the subject here (jackpot!), which goes into detail on flying your pooch in the cabin, in cargo, and even internationally, but she also had a few basic tips worth mentioning.

For pups flying in the cabin with you, Sue cautions against opening the bag and taking your dog out en route to your destination, as it discourages them from sleeping (the ideal situation for a long flight). This is not only best for you and your pet, but also fellow passengers who might have an allergy or other concern about dogs that could make for an awkward flight. Sue often kept Gidget in her bag with a sweater covering it, and was so discreet many passengers didn't know there was a pooch on board at all!

Traveling in style. Photo by Sue Chipperton. Image courtesy of A Famous Dog's Life on Facebook.

Sue also recommends taking your pup out and about as much as possible prior to airline travel, to get them used to going places with you and being in their bag. Giving your pup exposure to more environments and situations contributes to a "more well-rounded, well balanced dog,” who will be less likely to be stressed and overwhelmed by the situation.

Of course the downside to being out and about in New York City is the unavoidable stressors that can spook a small pup. Sue says the key to dealing with these environmental stressors is to be aware of the situation around you. If you can cross the street to avoid the scary thing, then there is no reason to put your animal through the anxiety of encountering something that makes them nervous.

For situations like garbage trucks where you absolutely cannot avoid it, she recommends having a plan in place before you leave your house. Her top tip: have treats (or, for really scary things, really good treats, like cut up steak or chicken) to whip out when something scary happens to draw your pet's attention back to you. As a last resort with a small pooch, you can always pick them up and walk away, but be sure not to pet them and coo at them, as they can misinterpret that as a reward for acting scared. As soon as you are a comfortable distance away from the thing that spooked them, set them down and make them go through basic commands to redirect their focus (this is the time to use that steak!). And most importantly, set them up for success when you leave the house, "even if it means walking half a block and coming back."

Another downside to life in New York is that we aren’t blessed with the year round gorgeous weather that Los Angeles and Hawaii (two of the places Sue has been lucky enough to call home during her career) have. Luckily, Sue has a creative (indoor) way to wear out your pup on days the weather simply will not permit a walk. Since "mental stimulation is more exhausting than physical stimulation," she recommends hiding food or toys throughout the apartment for your pooch to find. Start out simple (under the coffee table, behind a couch cushion), and increase difficulty to make your pup use their brain (and their nose) to track down the reward. Sue played this game with a Jack Russell who could sniff out a toy at the top of a very tall dresser, and then would sit patiently while she retrieved it for him. Fun for two and four legged family members, and certainly more pleasant than a walk in 2 degree temps! 

For those readers who are considering adding a pup to their life but have not yet taken the plunge, Sue had a few tips to ensure you end up with the paw-fect relationship. Regardless of where you are in life or how big or small your home and outdoor space is, she cautions that "people need to be really cautious and responsible when getting a dog," and do the leg work in researching the breed and understanding their needs and natural "job" prior to bringing them home. For example, not all small dogs are well suited for apartment life, as "many smaller breeds are more active" and will require a fair amount of exercise to exert their energy on something other than chewing your collection of Ikea furniture. In fact, she said an Irish Wolfhound is less active than a Jack Russell, and is very well suited for life in your tiny studio...if there's room for the both of you, that is!

Irish Wolfhounds make excellent apartment dogs, despite their impressive stature. Image via Dog Breed Info.

No matter which breed you choose, "each dog is an investment in your time," and you owe it to yourself and your pup to look into what they were bred to do to ensure you can meet their activity needs. You are responsible for your pup's happiness, and taking the steps to make sure you get the right breed for your life and circumstances will make everyone happy! And when you do make the decision on the perfect pup, Sue gives great tips on housebreaking here. Consider your rugs AND furniture legs saved!

I would be remiss if I neglected to ask about Gidget's fave Mrs. Hedgehog toy (buy it from Amazon here, and yes, I bought one for Holly), and whether there are other toys that Sue has found to be favorites among her famous pooches. Antlers won out on pup-ularity for chewing, and plush toys with squeakers got the boot since studio pups with high energy and drive tend to un-stuff them rather quickly. She said if a dog shows a particular interest in one toy, she will keep buying that one over and over (my drawer full of Nylabone sticks says AMEN to that tactic), and that she will save extra special toys as motivation for big jobs, taking them from the pup for a day or two before and then producing them on set when they need an extra oomph (after food and treats have lost their appeal). And toys don't have to be Christian Loubarkin to make your pup flip--Sue has a Jack Russell who would do anything for a tennis ball.

Even Gidget's favorite Mrs. Hedgehod didn't make her happy during this photo shoot with William Wegman. Photo by William Wegman. Image courtesy of A Famous Dog's Life on Facebook.

As our interview was winding down, I knew I had to ask Sue the age old question: can you teach an old dog new tricks? She said not only can you teach an old dog, but an old squirrel, duck, rat, or cat..."as long as you find the motivation you can train any animal." Of course, some pets may be more motivated than others…I don’t suspect my parent’s 17 year old cat will find motivation beyond napping any time soon!

I had a wonderful time chatting with Sue and hearing her reminisce more about Gidget and her lifetime of studio work. If you still can't get enough (I know I can't), check out the most recent book she is featured in, available for pre order on Amazon here.

Until Next Time, Darlings!

Paw-sitively Fabulous: Mom & Pup Fashion for the Fourth

Hello and Happy Fourth of July Weekend!!

Holly and I are so excited to be travelling back to Colorado this year to visit my family for the Fourth, especially since my mom's birthday is the Fifth! We had a great Fourth of July with friends last year, but Holly was not a big fan about being in close proximity to the fireworks, so we have learned our lesson and will instead be sticking to a low-key evening barbecuing with family far far away from any big scary noises!

I'm also really excited about the outfits I have picked out for Holly & myself this year. Usually I keep my Fourth of July look low key with denim shorts and my American Flag scarf, but as soon as I saw these pants from the Gap I knew I had to indulge. The pattern is definitely patriotic but not so over the top that I can't wear them with a chambray shirt to work post Fourth festivities.

For Holly, I have an "Uncle Sam" costume from last year that she does look quite dashing in, but I can never really help but shop around for new wardrobe options for her when the opportunity presents itself :). And she's happy wearing whatever as long as people tell her she looks cute and I let her dig while wearing it (really mostly the second one)!

This year, I'm loving the Ralph Lauren Flag Hooded Dog Fleece, though I am a little worried that it could get warm in the July heat. For an evening outdoor BBQ in Colorado, though, the little bit of extra warmth might be just right!!

I'm also completely head over heels for this Miss USA dog dress, but it seems to be sold out everywhere in Holly's size!! If someone happens to stumble across it in their internet dog outfit searching (this is a thing people besides me do, right?) leave a link in the comments! I will be eternally grateful :)

Of course, the thing we're MOST excited to wear this holiday are our matching sparkle Fourth of July bows from Jumping and Jellybean. I know I have talked up this shop before, but Molly seriously makes the most adorable things, and I can't help but keep adding to my growing Jumping and Jellybean collection!

Holly senses there may be another matching outfit in the works.

PS--I'm also seriously obsessing over her latest coffee cozy, which is not only a seriously cute compliment to my upgraded walking wardrobe, but also benefits a great rescue organization!! Sparkle, puppy love, and proceeds to charity? Trust me, it's already in my cart :)

Have a fun & safe Fourth of July!

Until Next Time, Darlings!

Paw-sitively Fabulous: Barkfest At Sniffany's Photo Session

I'm so excited to finally share our fabulous photos from our portrait session with Seriously Sabrina Photography. Sabrina was so wonderful to work with, and really took the concept and ran with it! I told her while we were strolling thorough the Park that seeing engagement photos on Facebook inspired me to photograph the most significant relationship in my life, and I truly feel like she was able to capture that through these images. Enjoy!

Until Next Time, Darlings!

A Sneak Peek at our Barkfest at Sniffany's photos!

While we wait patiently for our ah-mazing photographer, Seriously Sabrina, to work her magic on our Barkfest at Sniffany's photos, I thought I would share a little sneak peek and talk about how Holly and I achieved our paw-sitively fabulous Audrey Hepburn look! We loved spending the day with Sabrina and my mom running around one of New York's most iconic areas and playing homage to Holly's namesake :)

Sabrina has some Serious photography chops (pun intended), as you can see from this teaser photo she posted on Facebook last week! I can't wait to share the rest of the photos soon!

Photo courtesy of Seriously Sabrina photography.

To copy Audrey's classic style from the film, I used a sock bun form as a base and wrapped pieces of my hair around it to create a structured bun (held together by approximately 6,000 bobby pins). Audrey topped hers off with a sparkly broach, but to make our approach more modern and whimsical I turned to my incredibly talented friend and fellow Chihuahua Mommy Molly, who custom made me not only a fabulous sparkly bow to top off my top knot, but also a sparkly black and white coffee cup cozy to give a nod to Audrey's 5th Avenue coffee break in the film!

You can now buy the black & white cozy and the bow in Molly's Etsy shop, Jumping and Jellybean

I wore an old dress from Banana Republic (similar style here), pearls I picked up at the Albuquerque Museum, a Chanel charm bracelet, and Christian Louboutin pumps. Holly wore a Smoochie Pooch sweater from Petco's winter collection that is now sold out, but we are loving the classic black & white pattern on this dress for a similar look!

My mom captured this shot of our complete ensembles as Holly and I set up for a fun pose.

I was concerned about achieving Audrey's classic black cat eye from the film because I have eye allergies that have caused me to wear very little eye makeup, and thus my eyeliner skills were a tad rusty. I also am very self conscious about my hands (I know, it's weird) since my years as a horseback rider and as a pottery & photography enthusiast in high school has made them less elegant and ladylike and more weathered. Luckily, the answer to both my dilemmas came in my Spring VoxBox courtesy of Influenster*, which included my all time favorite Kiss Everlasting French glue on nails (I have long relied on them to create a chic, elegant French manicure look when I have no money and no time for a mani, which is always), and Rimmel Scandeleyes Retroglam Mascara, which in it's name alone promises a retro chic look perfect for emulating Audrey (and, I am happy to report, has not caused a single issue with my very sensitive eyes)! When paired with a winged black eyeliner that took more tries than I am willing to admit, they provided the finishing touches to my Holly Golightly style and really helped me feel in character on camera.

I can't wait to share more details on our experience from the day and of course, more photos!!!

Another picture from my mom in the cab on the way home. Being this chic is exhausting!

Until Next Time, Darlings!

*I was provided with these products to test courtesy of Influenster.

Paw-sitively Fabulous: Holly's Second Birthday Party

Holly & I were sad to send her Grandma back home to Colorado this morning, but loved having her in town for the past week! We had so much fun hanging out and enjoying the city, and this past weekend was packed with Holly's Second Birthday Party Saturday and our Barkfest at Sniffany's photo shoot Sunday (more on that later, though you can see a preview of the pics over on our Instagram).

Saturday promised bright skies and warm weather after a few days of rain, which was perfect for our outdoor venue of the West 79th Street Boat Basin. Lucky for us, even if it had rained, the covered portion of the restaurant is also pup friendly, but the sun stayed out and there was a breeze off the water that made the weather positively party-ready! We decided to ditch the matching black polo shirt idea and instead went with a polka dot theme for our ensembles--me in an old Betsey Johnson dress, and Holly in a cute little number from Baxter Boo. Even Grandma got in on the matching fun with a polka dot blouse!

Holly, my mom, and I ready to party in polka dots!

We arrived a little bit before 1:00pm and there was plenty of seating, so we were offered a large table in the back where we could set up shop and display our custom cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake (a custom "logo" or photograph can be added free of charge to large orders, just e-mail the store's catering manager for more info), and home baked pupcakes using Puppy Cake batter. Many more pups came with their parents this year, so Holly was glad we came prepared with treats for them too!!

A close up on the gorgeous and scrumptious cupcakes created by Georgetown!

Lexie is Holly's bestie from our block--they wanted to play so badly they wouldn't even hold still for a picture!

Holly with new friends Zoe and Guiness (and their humans)

Our registry at myregistry.com proved to be a huge success--but there were some great gifts from off the registry as well! Michelle's beau picked out a couple great toys including Holly's new favorite rope chew (she has since brought it with her everywhere she walks in the apartment), and Mariel brought some hilarious (and great smelling) Juicy Crittoure by Juicy Couture Pawfum Puppy Perfume that I know will come in handy between baths when Holly still needs to smell her best at the park!

Holly checking out the Juicy Crittoure Pawfum. Sniff approved!

Posing with the Bloomingdale's "Little Dog Bowl" from the registry! Thanks Michelle!!

It was great seeing all of Holly's human and pup friends, and we can't wait until next year's celebration!

The whole crew--thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate!

Until Next Time, Darlings!