Beaudin – Convertible Backpack, Unboxing

 

BEAUDIN – Convertible Backpack, Unboxing

I’m loving this little backpack / tote!  It’s my go-to weekend bag for when I’m going to be out and about for a long time.  It’s really lightweight so I take it if I’m taking kiddo to the park, her swim lesson or going for a picnic.  I usually stuff it with my skinny wallet (essentials), fat wallet (non-essentials), sunglasses, keys, phone, phone charger, keys and I can even stuff my favorite hooded Columbia fleece in there. I keep my phone in the outer pocket and I love that the bag zips and the pocket closes so I don’t worry even when I’m carrying it in backpack mode.   Plus since it’s fully secure, I can toss it in the backseat without my stuff flying everywhere.  This is one of the few bags I have that closes securely so I’m really loving that zipper. Plus, the tassel detail on the zipper makes closing / opening very easy.

I wanted to know more about Beaudin so I asked one half of the mom/daughter duo to share more with me and here’s what I found:

  • Leather – USA made top grain.  I love that this bag is truly an American piece – – the leather, the design and the production are all American.
  • Cowhide – They use a premium cowhide with an acid wash finish. If you watch my video, you’ll see what this means.  It’s got this gorgeous shimmery light brown / gold and where the acid washes off the hair, this silver metallic shines through.  I love that the pocket is sort of this wild contrast, but the rest of the bag is a soft black.  It’s just enough interest without being over the top.
  • I also just wanted to know more about Beaudin – how they came to be, what drives them and the charities that they choose to support.  I feel good about supporting their mission and giving back to their commitment to be truly an American made product.  Here  is that detail in their own words:
We are a mother & daughter team who’s passions for freedom and fashion collided. What started as a business to create what we love has now become a way to show love. We do this by teaching others how to make beautiful things and a beautiful life. We put all we had into making products we would want to buy ourselves and began to grow. It came time that we could no longer be the only makers. We decided to follow our hearts and train and hire ladies who have overcome difficult situations. Every product represents freedom from adversity. While helping to provide freedom to those still enslaved. A portion of our sales goes to liberate those in sex slavery. Each Beaudin accessory is a PRODUCT with PURPOSE.

RELATED VIDEOS:

  • LocTote FlackSak Backpack – https://goo.gl/T8ecwF
  • LocTote Sport Backpack, Unboxing – https://goo.gl/xt1YmU
  • Love 41 City Backpack – https://goo.gl/XTZUGq
  • Love 41 Wanderers Backpack – https://goo.gl/ZEMM5s

_______________________________________________________________

BUY IT HERE:

_______________________________________________________________

  • MY AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/shop/SoniaShepherd
  • MY WEBSITE: https://www.justalittlereview.com
  • MY INSTAGRAM: @justalittlereviewforyou
  • MY CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/c/soniashepherd
  • MY FACEBOOK:  fb.me/justalittlereview

_______________________________________________________________

FTC Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Some links provided above are affiliate links.

 

 

Sandast Leather – Let’s be serious!

 

SANDAST INTERVIEW – Wine Teaser

If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong!  What a fun afternoon sitting down with Mr. Sandast himself – – wine, chocolate, cheese, coffee and leather, all my favorite things!  You know it’s going to be a good interview when you can’t stop laughing long enough to even get started. It’s gonna take a while to edit this goodness, but here’s a bit of silliness to tide you over.

RELATED VIDEOS:

_______________________________________________________________

BUY IT HERE:

  • Sandast:  https://www.sandast.com/shop/

_______________________________________________________________

  • MY AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/shop/SoniaShepherd
  • MY WEBSITE: https://www.justalittlereview.com
  • MY INSTAGRAM: @justalittlereviewforyou
  • MY CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/c/soniashepherd
  • MY FACEBOOK:  fb.me/justalittlereview

_______________________________________________________________

FTC Disclaimer – This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Some links provided above are affiliate links.

 

 

Portland Leather Dakota Medium Crossbody

Check for it here:  Portland Leather Dakota Medium Crossbody

PORTLAND LEATHER GOODS – Dakota Medium Crossbody

This is my first experience with Portland Leather Goods and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed! The thickness of the leather and the quality of the construction are incredible.  I would never guess you could get this quality for this price.  This is the best value I’ve seen in full grain leather.  It’s also very thoughtfully packaged inside and out and, you know, I love me some good packaging.

This bag fulfills a hole in my weekend bag arsenal – – the elusive large small bag. I have plenty of small smalls and even medium smalls, but this is a legit large small that’s distinctly weekend (not professional).  I can’t wait to use it and do the full review.  I’ve already got a handful of 2.0 suggestions.  BTW, if you order this bag and you’re short, ask them to punch some extra holes in the strap.  It’s really long, even though I got the short strap.

Stay tuned for my full review!  I’ll take detailed bag measurements and show you what fits.

RELATED VIDEOS:

  • Beaudin Designs Convertible Backpack Unboxing:  https://goo.gl/Ktsrfu
  • Love 41 Large Duffle:  https://goo.gl/pG5wQa
  • Saddleback Small Tote Review: https://goo.gl/wof77f
  • LocTote Bag Battle:  https://goo.gl/Gi3kS3

__________________________________________________________________

BUY IT HERE:

__________________________________________________________________

  • MY AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/shop/SoniaShepherd
  • MY WEBSITE: https://www.justalittlereview.com
  • MY INSTAGRAM: @justalittlereviewforyou
  • MY CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/c/soniashepherd
  • MY FACEBOOK:  fb.me/justalittlereview

__________________________________________________________________

FTC Disclaimer – This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Some links provided above are affiliate links.

 

 

LM Leather Goods – Wentworth Purse Tote, Unboxing

Check for it here:  Wentworth Purse Tote

Wentworth Purse Tote, Unboxing

It’s been nearly a year since I last did a review for LM Leather Goods (Vendue classic clutch, anyone?) and it’s been even longer that I’ve been coveting the Wentworth Purse Tote!  The size and style of this tote just spoke to me.  Most bags that can house my laptop for work are just way too big for me to want to tote around on the weekend so I end up downsizing.  This bag is unique in that it can do double duty – big enough for my laptop, but not so big that I need to switch it out for weekend carry.  Plus, it’s just formal enough for office days, but not so stuffy that I won’t tote it around on weekends.  Anyways, it’s here and it’s gorgeous and this (not so) little beauty was well worth the wait.  I see why it sells out and out and sells out and sells out…

I’ve been a nerd this weekend and periodically cruise around the house with this on…and empty.  Yup, I just like the feel of it.  The leather is soft and it just feels comfortable.  My husband caught me wearing it empty, in the house and looking in the mirror.  Whatever, he doesn’t get it.  Strange to some, totally normal to me.  I mean, hey, if you like it, why not wear it?  It can also go crossbody, not super cross body (remember I’m only 5’2″), but sort of cross body the way I wore the Col Littleton No. 25 Drifter crossbody.  I also put my laptop in there and it works great.  I don’t even need a sleeve when it’s in there.  Ah, the merits of this bag.   Plus, you can feel great about supporting American made – – not just American made today, but three (3) generations deep American made.  That’s commitment.

Stay tuned for my full review!  I’ll take detailed bag measurements and show you what fits.

RELATED VIDEOS:

  • LM Leather Goods Vendue Classic Clutch, Unboxing:  https://goo.gl/cn8ZHb
  • LM Leather Goods Vendue Classic Clutch, Review:  https://goo.gl/LaugG5
  • LM Leather Goods Wentworth Purse Tote, Review: Coming soon!
  • Saddleback Small Tote Review: https://goo.gl/wof77f

__________________________________________________________________

BUY IT HERE:

  • My Amazon Shop:  https://www.amazon.com/shop/SoniaShepherd
  • LM Leather Goods Wentworth Purse Tote:  https://goo.gl/BHaab7
  • LM Leather Goods Vendue Classic Clutch:  https://goo.gl/7NU1Ys
  • Saddleback Small Tote: https://goo.gl/NmsuWb

__________________________________________________________________

  • MY AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/shop/SoniaShepherd
  • MY WEBSITE: https://www.justalittlereview.com
  • MY INSTAGRAM: @justalittlereviewforyou
  • MY CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/c/soniashepherd
  • MY FACEBOOK:  fb.me/justalittlereview

__________________________________________________________________

FTC Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Some links provided above are affiliate links.

 

 

Colonel Littleton – No. 36 Trekker Review Part I

Check for it here (Customizable!):  No. 40A Leather Campaign Bag*

*The No. 36 Trekker is no longer for sale, but the Leather Campaign Bag is the most similarly styled bag.

No. 36 Trekker Review, Part I

The Great American Leather Company

This video is everything I love – leather and coffee and animals plus husband and kiddo.  Remember my first review of the Colonel Littleton Drifter where I made my husband stomp around to get rid of the snakes?  Well, he got me back!  Let me just say that he knew the goats would come after me, but encouraged me to take my coffee out and shake it, knowing they would mistake it for food.

This is such a great weekend bag for medium carry!  I love that the long front flap means it’s perfectly secure, but still easily accessible (especially, since I never snap the strap closed).  Plus, it’s got great organization and is just so comfortable to carry.  I had it on all day – during the coffee roasting, goat mauling and dog mauling and just about forgot that it was on.  The capacity is very surprising! I didn’t get to showcase all the features of this bag (as to be expected when a goat is trying jump on you), so stay tuned for a more serious Part II review of this amazing bag!

So, if you fall in love with this bag, I gotta say – I’m sorry! This bag is no longer available on Colonel Littleton.  Out with the old and in with the new.  The bag that I’ve found that most closely resembles it (including some amazing upgrades – removable pocket, hello?!) is this one.  Hopefully, that’s the next bag in my arsenal because I can use that one for weekday carry also since it will fit my laptop!

 

RELATED VIDEOS:

Col. Littleton No. 25 Drifter

A Day in the Life of Col. Littleton

Colonel Littleton Play List

__________________________________________________________________

BUY IT HERE:

No. 40A Leather Campaign Bag*

*The Trekker is no longer available, but this new bag is very close!  It’s upgraded in size and is the work version of my Trekker as it can house a laptop up to 14”.

No. 25 Drifter

__________________________________________________________________

MY AMAZON SHOP

MY INSTAGRAM: @justalittlereviewforyou

MY CHANNEL

MY FACEBOOK

__________________________________________________________________

FTC Disclaimer – This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Some links provided above are affiliate links.

 

 

Ranchlands – Chico Tote Review

Check for it here (Customizable!):  Chico Tote

Ranchlands Chico Tote, the Full Review!

THE BASICS

I had so much fun carrying this tote! Part of that is it’s just a REALLY well made bag.  The other part of that is it’s part of bigger story about Ranchlands, caretakers of land and animals who make an effort to educate the community and preserve the ecosystems that make up their ranches.  It’s a bag I just feel good about carrying.

The tote itself is one of the heartiest bags I own.   The leather is thick and this bag is gonna be around for a lifetime.  The craftsmanship just shines through – reinforced corners, rounded edges, thick straps, a peek of suede on the exterior pocket.  All finishes that most leather bags don’t bother with.  It’s a good size and can carry all my needs for work or for weekend.  The best part of the bag is even when it’s full, I can see just about everything inside.  It’s got a wide bottom and it’s fairly structured with a wide opening.  This means everything stays exactly where I packed it (vs. everything falling in on itself when the bag is floppy).  With thick leather and a good sized bag packed full, that means some weight.  The weight of the bag is distributed nicely with the wide, thick handles so I don’t notice the weight.  I carried this at length on two (2) separate occasions and no issues!  The handles are also unlined so the handles stay put on your shoulder.

What’s customizable about this bag?  You can add your initials to it!

THE NITTY AND THE GRITTY

Exterior – The exterior is simple and clean.  It’s got one full length pocket that’s fairly snug / tight to the bag.  It’s perfect for something with a slim profile (think your tablet and your phone, both could fit easily). The only hint of branding is their signature diamond imprinted into the bottom right corner of the exterior pocket.

Interior – The best part of this bag is the visibility.  Opening is wide, bag is structured and it really just allows for easy access of your things.  There is a single divided pocket on one side that also runs the full length (but is not full height).  I LOVE that they did not divide this pocket in half; it’s more like 1/3 and 2/3.  The phone is perfect for the 1/3 side and the other side can house a tablet, slim wallet, etc.  There is no key fob in this bag.  This doesn’t bother me at all because I bought a fish hook key chain that perfectly hangs off the interior pocket and takes no room at all.  At first I thought the leather on the pocket was too thick, but it’s not.  You just need to push the leather against the back of the fish hook and then it slides right over.  I actually started keeping my keys like this on other bags, too.  It’s better than the key fob because it doesn’t require any clasping / opening of a dog leash.  Plus, my keys stay within easy reach and I can put them anywhere along the length of the pocket so they aren’t hidden behind something.

The second best part of this bag is the sheer volume of stuff it can hold and still feel very organized because it’s structured.  It’s only 13″ X 13″, but in Alice in Wonderland style, it can (easily) hold my:

  • Laptop
  • Laptop Cord
  • Fat Wallet
  • Skinny Wallet
  • Essential Oils Pouch (I keep lotion, chapstick, etc. in here)
  • Hard Sided Sunglasses Case
  • Hard Sided Glasses Case
  • Band Aid Holder
  • Keys
  • Phone
  • Tablet

VERSION 2.0

This is my favorite go-to tote now!  It just makes me happy to carry it and think about their story.  I have only two (2) small items on my wishlist for the next iteration of this bag:

  1. All three pockets are open.  The two (2) interior pockets are fine because they’re inside the bag so I think that alone provides a decent amount of security. They’re also pretty far down (vs. having the pocket opening close to the top of the bag) so I feel like things in the pocket can’t fall out or sticky fingers can’t get in.  That said, I’d like to have at least one pocket with some security so I’d love to see a magnet (or some other type) closure on the exterior pocket.
  2. The interior divided pocket is a bit shallow for me.   I’d love to see the pockets a little bit deeper so 90% of my phone is covered.  I think it’s fine to have a bit of your phone poking out the top of the pocket as it makes retrieving it easier.  This would also help if you choose to carry your tablet on the interior pocket since those can be pretty tall.

WHAT ELSE?

Ranchlands, please make a purse / handbag with this amazing leather.  I’d love to see one that’s about 8 X 11 with those gorgeous handles so I have something to take with me on nights out when I’m carrying just the essentials.

MEET THE MAKER

TAKE ME ON A WORKING RANCH VACATION

LEARN ABOUT RANCHLANDS STORY

WATCH THE UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

FTC Disclaimer:  This bag was sent to me for my review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Moose Leather Adjustable Tote – How’s it Wearing?

Moose Leather Adjustable Tote (Customized) – Get it here!

Happy Saturday, All!  Is anyone else doing the Orangetheory Fitness Hell Week?  If so, “Thigh-Day the 13th” was brutal (kudos to whoever was clever enough to come up with that name!).  Typing is about the only thing I can do because my fingers are the only thing that’s NOT sore.  So, time to get caught up a little.  Somebody asked for more photos of my  Moose Leather (aka The Leather Shop) customized Adjustable Tote.  If you saw my earlier unboxing vid, then you know there was some controversy on the sizing of this bag.  So, on my unboxing post, I took photos with the measuring tape so you could decide for yourself if this is the right size for you.   Long story short, I took a ton of photos.  So, I was tickled that somebody asked for MORE photos….finally, there’s somebody else out there that obsesses (really obsesses) over a bag before they purchase it.  Basically, I’m a purse stalker and I’m glad to know I’m not alone.  So, you know who you are and I applaud your crazy.  If ever you want to see MORE PHOTOS of any of my bags, hit me up and I’m all too happy to oblige.  Welcome to Crazy Town; I’m the Mayor.

HOW’S IT WEARING?

It’s wearing quite well!  I was a little nervous because the info sheet it came with said something to the effect of – Store the handles inside the bag so that it doesn’t scratch the exterior.  That gave me a bit of pause because if the dangling handles might scratch the bag, how badly might it get scratched from my use and abuse.  In general, I don’t baby my bags (though there’s always a few exceptions!) so I was concerned that it would look really beat up. I’ve been carrying this thing Monday through Friday for about three (3) months and on the daily it’s holding:  a laptop, hard sided sun glass case, hard sided glasses case, essential oils pouch, my giant clunky keys, phone, laptop cord, phone cord, and  a lunch purse with my wallet and other non essential essentials.  Did I mention I ask a lot of my work bags?  A few days, I even had some presentation type stuff to do so there was also a bunch of files.  Well, I’m pleased to report this bag came out the other side looking no worse for the wear.  I really can’t see any deep scratches, just a bit of wrinkling here and there.  The bag basically still looks really new.  One thing about this bag – – I never NEVER put it on the floor.  Not to say that it couldn’t handle being placed on the floor, I just don’t like the idea of it. Plus, I didn’t pay up for the “feet” so it would literally be the leather just resting on the floor – no thanks.  So, that step alone probably saves some wear and tear on the bag.  I also only carry it to work so I don’t have it on my person for very long either (vs. my weekend bags, which I might carry for hours at a time).

WORK BAG OR WEEKEND BAG?

Weeeell, a LOT of people say they got this bag and have forsaken all their other bags and this is their weekend and their weekday bag.  It’s a nice bag for sure and it’s got enough interesting features (and colors!) that I can see why you’d carry it on the daily.  For me, however, this is strictly a work bag for a few reasons:

1.   It’s very structured.  I like my weekend bags to have a bit of give to them.  I relax, I mean really relax (like no makeup, sweats / “athleisure”, uncombed hair type relax) on the weekends so for me to carry this bag would be like someone wearing high heels with their cut off shorts.  Again, this is just my personal opinion and if you want to rock this bag seven (7) days a week, more power to you.  I like my bag to match my mood and mentally this bag says work to me so I tend to pick a more slouchy and / or small bag for weekend wear.

REDS, YELLOWS AND BROWNS, OH MY!

You can customize a ton of feature on this bag.  I chose this yellow/ orange / natural for the main body and the brown for the side / bottom and topped it with red handles. I saw that someone else did all black with red handles and I thought it made the bag look very sharp and sophisticated whereas my bag is more whimsical.    All that said, the person requesting the photos wanted to see some shots of the colors of my bag.  That said, all these photos were taken rapid fire on the same day in about seven (7) minutes.  You can see it really depends how the light hits it.

The body of the bag is darker than this photo would lead you to believe, but I still like this photo because you can see all of the good detail on the front.  The front and back exterior panels have no pockets.

The way the main color of the bag is shown in this picture is closest to how it looks in real life.  It’s got an orange undertone that I think will continue to darken.  The brown sides are also pretty true to life in terms of color.  I love that the snap is permanently affixed to the brown panel instead of the orange / main panel. That way, if you have a tall water bottle in there that won’t allow you to snap the pocket shut, the snap doesn’t get in the way at all – smart design!

Ok, the main body is not nearly as dark as this photo, but it’s still a nice shot of the back of the bag. No pockets, just a bit of branding and some rivets and contrasting stitching. Overall, a very clean looking bag for something that has a ton of organization on the inside.

I wanted to show you how bright the interior is. The contrast of the unlined bag with the dark pockets and red trim makes it really easy to find things.  There’s pretty much a pocket for every conceivable need though I wish I had made one side of the bag a laptop sleeve since I don’t need quite so many pockets.

I wanted to show you an aerial shot so you could see all the pockets in their glory.  There’s even pockets on the interior sides of the bag. I have a red tote bag stuffed down in the center just for depth purposes.   The side pockets are designed so they don’t get in the way or take away from the full use of the bottom of the bag…if you didn’t hear me the first twenty (20) times, this bag is really smartly designed!  You can also see the placement of the key fob on the side so your keys dangle out of the way.

A close up shot so you can see how all the stitching is a double row.  I’m not an expert on sewing, but I think it just speaks to how everything on this bag is built to last.  Why sew once when you can sew twice?

Here’s a close up of the key fob.  You can just hang your keys from the D-ring directly or you can use the other end of the dog leash which is an actual key ring and then just unsnap this when you want your keys.  The other side of the bag also has an identical D-ring.  People seem to be obsessed with D-rings these days so I guess the more the better, For me, one is plenty.

Here’s what it looks like if you use only the short straps.  Basically, if you’re using the short straps, the long straps MUST hang on the outside of the bag.  Looks fine to me, though I may have some Version 2.0 suggestions when I finally get around to doing my full video review of this bag.  I’m always a shoulder carry gal, but this bag changed me.  I carry it almost exclusively by the short handles. It feels like a feminine version of a briefcase to me and I love that!  

For what it’s worth, I get compliments on this bag from a wide cross section of the population (hipsters, lawyers, business people, receptionists, etc.).  It’s just a bag that speaks to a lot of people.  Hope this helps you understand this bag a bit more!  Happy shopping!