A Gift for Everyone On Your List

‘Tis the season to shop ‘til you drop. This year, skip the retail chaos and complete all your holiday shopping in one place. Moxie & Oliver is your one-stop shop for everyone on your Christmas list! No need to fight mall crowds or search aimlessly for the perfect gift—cross off your shopping list at our online store without leaving the couch. Our variety of handmade leather products offers something for everyone.

For him. Play up his manly side with quality, vegetable tanned leather. A gift such as a flask, guitar strap, belt, wine tote and wallet are both masculine and practical. He’ll think of you each time he uses his new leather companion.

For her. Along with a plethora of leather women’s gifts to choose from, Moxie & Oliver makes beautiful jewelry for her. You can never go wrong with a necklace for that special lady in your life. Our handmade jewelry features shaped pendants with fun and floral images she’ll be sure to adore.

For your BFF. You know everything your bestie owns, so what to get him or her for a gift? Opt for something unique and out of the ordinary, like a mason jar lantern straps. These nifty leather straps attach to a mason jar to add adornment and hanging capability for a cool DIY project.

For Mom. A mother can never have too many handbags, and we carry plenty to choose from. Pick something special for mom among our wide variety of bags and purses, which come in all sizes and styles. Mom will love a long-lasting wristlet, clutch, or tote bag in a unique design chosen especially by you.

For Dad. What to get the man who has everything? Add a personal touch to Dad’s favorite tech items with a handmade electronic case, such as iPhone or iPad cases, laptop bags, Kindle cases and more. For a less tech savvy Dad, go for a high quality leather belt or watch.

For man’s best friend. Yes, even your furry sidekick will love Moxie & Oliver. Our assortment of pet products includes leashes, saddlebags, collars and horse leads.

Click here to shop!

Hey Jude - Happy Birthday!

I’ve been keeping this piece a little bit of a secret, since I know as soon as it hits my Facebook feed, the new owner will know it is for her.  Or, she’ll be tempted to ask me if she can buy it.  This Jude Travel Bag is a gift for my stepmother for her birthday – she has been a wonderful supporter (both by purchasing M&O goods and by taking care of my little girl so I can make them) over the last few years and she deserves something special that was designed just for her.

So, inspired by Hawai’ian quilts, I made this bag.  The pattern has little turtles (which she loves) worked into a symmetrical floral pattern.  I didn’t want the piece to be too turtle-y, so the flowers and vines seemed like a wonderful way to incorporate them into a pattern.  The colors are yellow, green, sage, white, bronze and antique black has brass hardware.  It’s available, as a made-to-order, piece through MOXIEandOLIVER.com if you’d like one of your own.

xo

c

Built to last

Wintergrass got me thinking about the durability of leather again this year. Last year, a guy named Arthur brought me two pieces. First, he came up to my booth with a guitar strap that a friend of his made him in the 1970s. Though the guitar strap probably didn't look just the same as the day he got it (apparently it started out a deep red/burgundy) it was clearly nowhere near giving up. He asked me to make him a guitar strap, the same as the one he had, but new. I looked at it, and said okay.

Then he came back with a belt. It was a brown crackly sort of color. Apparently it had started out black. The belt was also from the 1970's, and had clearly gotten a lot of use since. I agreed to make a belt as well.

The guitar strap was a little harder than I anticipated. It was two sections of what is called a "magic braid" where you take a strip of leather and slice the middle. The ends stay connected, then you weave the strips in and out of each other to form a braid. I remember recruiting my husband when I was trying to figure it out. It took weeks before the mathematical part of my brain kicked back in and I finally got it, and could do it consistently. Anyway, here is the result:


I did dye the leather a darker color after this, but for some strange reason didn't photograph it. Must have been pregnancy brain kicking in. Anyway, he came back with the strap this year and it still looks great. Seeing pieces out of the same materials that I use that have lasted generations already, with so little signs of wear, just makes me happy. My philosophy has always been to buy it once, buy it for life. Yeah I know someone has a slogan similar to that (Kohler? I can't remember) but what I mean is basically that it makes more sense, from an economic, environment, etc., standpoint to buy the thing you really want, that is good quality, and built to last, the first time, rather than compromising on your initial purchase when it will just result in a) you breaking down and buying the other thing later, or b) the thing that you bought breaking down and needing to be replaced. After all, part of the reason that I started making leather goods in the first place was that I burned through three vinyl bags in one year! And since the big hole in them couldn't be repaired, off to the dump they went.

This past month, the first messenger bag I made for myself turned four:


and she's still going strong. Looks as great as ever - made the daily commute with me on the bus for years, now doubles as a smaller diaper bag for shorter outings. No worse for wear, either. Someone said recently that the bag just looks better with age - it develops a patina all it's own. Just think, if I had been buying synthetic messenger bags this entire time I would have gone through 12!

Off to bed, so I can make new iPhone cases in the morning. And yes, I am sure the case will last longer than the phone :)

Moxie