Origami Pyramid Bag

It’s a hot July evening and I’m feeling like a wilted flower. Fashion has always been a great pick-me-up and I’m looking forward to sporting Silvermint’s strawberry Origami Pyramid Bag with a simple black sundress to a friend’s party.

The bag attracted me with its unique design, convenient wristlet style, and high quality, interestingly-textured fabric and materials. The vintage button accents in soft pink and grey give it a girly but sophisticated charm and the grey origami-style animal characters printed on the off-white fabric also elevate it to a conversation piece. When I mentally put together my outfit I saw the bag as an artsy, yet practical and intriguing accessory, perfect for holding onto the few essential items I’d need while at the party. Yet as I stand before the mirror the little 6.7 x 5.9 inch pyramid looks funny hanging from my wrist: like a starched handkerchief or an old-fashioned nurses hat.

While the bag didn’t make it to the party, it has occupied a prominent place on my desk, awaiting the writing of this review. Given that my home office is also the living room, I’ve been gazing upon this finely constructed bag with a mixture of delight, curiosity and appraisal daily for the past two weeks. Each time I look at it I think I really love this little pouch!

Silvermint has an interesting story on how she moved from the world of online gaming to the world of handmade crafting. She began to study how real things are actually made vs. the world of “clicking on an icon with the mouse and Poof! a mechanical chicken has been created.” She gets bonus points for her support of ACRES (Animal Concerns Research & Education Society) and a waste-free philosophy, which leads to greater creativity with materials and design. Her Etsy store is stocked with other cute and adorably unique little clutches and pouches as well as graphic-printed tote bags.

I’ve tried the Origami Pyramid Bag on a few times since the night of the party but I doubt I’ll frequently wear it as a purse. I am sure it will find a welcome home storing small treasures or perhaps protecting a snag-prone item in a drawer or suitcase. The cotton webbing strap is detachable so it can hang from a peg and it also stands on its own (especially if the packing folds are ironed out) so it would also make a cute storage container on a shelf or other visible location.

Review by Matsya Siosal

The Stork and the Pitcher Tote Bag

As a frequent book reviewer, college instructor, and all around bibliophile I have a book on my person at all times, and usually two or three. This fact has lead to the destruction of many purses not equipped for carrying novels, and often means lugging around an extra heavy bag. My friends will often extend invites to bars and clubs to me with the addendum, “Leave your giant bags at home!” Silvermint’s The Stork and the Pitcher Tote Bag solves this dilemma.

Given that the tote bag is the same width as a hardcover novel, I easily can fit three paperbacks into the bag, eliminating the need to shove them into my overflowing purse or cart around a cumbersome (and oh so unbecoming) backpack. The tote bag’s small and narrow size may not be a selling point for those expecting to carry a backpack’s worth of belongings, but it works well for people like me who are interested in bringing a few books along or the day's lunch.

The bag's very soft corduroy handles are also a plus, as it lessens strain on the shoulder. I often suffer from scratch marks and sore arms due to the stiff fabric on many bags. The sturdy corduroy also ensures that the straps will be able to handle a heavier load, another plus for me since my fondness for books has lead to strap rippage.

Aesthetically speaking, the bag’s design is bright and whimsical, yellow with a stork on one side and striped on the other. The design evokes a child’s sense of whimsy, especially since it seems to be a reference to the children’s fable of the same name.

Another key selling point concerning this bag, and perhaps most of the other bags available at Etsy, is the fact that chances are slim I will run into another girl carting around the same bag as me. As a frequent shopper of Forever 21, H & M, and Target, on several occasions I have run into women carrying bags and accessories identical to mine. With Silvermint’s The Stork and the Pitcher Bag I can rest assured that I will be toting around an original and unique piece.

Review by Adrienne Urbanski

Marolsha Jewelry

When you live in a city like New York or Chicago, it's fairly easy to find your way around. For the most part, urban planners patterned these cities on a grid with numbered streets indicating one direction (East/West) and avenues or named streets indicating the perpendicular other (North/South). So if you're at my favorite Mexican restaurant in the East Village and want to get to my favorite all-veg diner in the Lower East Side, you can do so with ease simply by knowing the cross streets. Easy peasey.

Like most things in India, however, navigating the chaotic streets of Kolkata isn't so simple. There is no helpful grid to indicate the desired direction, and good luck finding anything in its proper place on Google Maps. In order to get where you're going, one must rely on the kindness of strangers who live or work locally to point you in the right direction. But sometimes that direction isn't clear. I mean, how do I know I'm still walking south when the street I'm following seems to have veered to the left?

Instead of going the route of a Boy Scout and carrying around some clunky chunk of magnetized metal, Marolsha has come up with a solution to help you find your way in style: the Vintage Compass Silver Ring. Lightweight with an adjustable band, the silver compass ring is a utilitarian's dream. I tested it out in a place where I am direction literate to be sure it works, and sure enough, it pointed north. Although the aesthetic is a little reminiscent of something you'd get out of a machine for a quarter, the construction is vastly superior and ensures a significant cost per wear lifetime of getting you where you're going.

The compass ring isn't the only offering from Marolsha that piqued my curiosity. I was also interested in two seemingly opposite feathered finds: Twin Owls Earrings and Mod White Love Birds Earrings. Owls are birds of prey, which means they are solitary by nature to facilitate their livelihood, and, based on their appearance in Hieroglyphics, that rugged individualism has kept them around a long time. Love birds, on the other hand, form long-term, monogamous bonds marked by a social demeanor and affectionate nuzzling. But you won't find their likeness in Egyptian caves. Despite their differences, both birds make regular appearances on adornments, as they captivate the human imagination.

Twin Owls Earrings are made of a sturdy antique brass and fall two inches below the earlobe on a thin kidney earwire that is easy to attach and detach. Their color is so bright it could be mistaken for a matte gold. The Mod White Love Birds Earrings are about a half-inch in length and dangle from silver plated leverback earwires. The color is painted onto the pair with a white enameled finish. Like the compass ring, both set of earrings are well-constructed.

Based in Singapore and created by Canadian fashion lover and jewelry designer Maddy, Marolsha peddles unique, vintage-style jewelry that is inspired by the natural world. Whenever possible, Maddy repurposes and recycles her findings in the process of creation. This eco-friendly sentiment is also found in the paper box in which the pieces arrive along with a handmade gift card that resembles a postcard. All of which is to say that Marolsha's jewelry reminds me of both the abundant joy of travel and the warmth of returning home.

Review by Mandy Van Deven

** Marolsha is offering our readers a 10% discount on all orders placed between now and May 2nd. Just include "Feminist Review" at the checkout. For more offers, check out Marolsha's Facebook fan page.

Earth Day Eco-Friendly Sex Toy Giveaway

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Gilmore Girls Giveaway Contest

For the first time ever, Gilmore Girls: The Complete Series is available for download (with a two-week exclusive on iTunes), and Seasons 3-7 are even available in HD.

This month Feminist Review is giving one of our readers a chance to win a unique keepsake from the groundbreaking show, courtesy of Warner Bros: a coffee mug from Luke's and the Dragon Fly Inn. (Fans can also purchase the mugs from the WB shop.)

Here's how it works:
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