Starting Over with Inspiration

Almost 1.5 year ago I made a tough executive Team Junese decision and moved back in with my parents after having my own apartment for four years.  It was definitely an emotional time in my life due to a major break up with my ex-fiancé and financially defeated by the lack of increase in my salary but inflation of everything else around me (hello recession - in my Madea voice).  So I packed up my one bedroom loft and took comfort in a home that opened its self with loving and welcoming arms.

To say all of that is to say this, I basically want to start over, especially with my furniture.  I just want a fresh perspective on everything including my style and how I live…hey I can reinvent myself into a better version of myself! Why not!

I have been combing Etsy for great accessories and in future posts I will list what I want to dress up my living space.  Especially since Milwaukee is colder than a penguin’s behind and I will be spending most of my time in doors J

But like a great outfit, I need a foundation and this is what I am starting with for my living room…isn’t this great inspiration! 

Etsy Find: The Button Lady

I have become a lover of vintage and I think it took me browsing through many of the vintage shops on Etsy to discover that fact about me.  During one of my scavenger hunts I found The Button Lady.  The owner, AnnMarie is like a master curator of vintage buttons J For those of you that love all things buttons and vintage, you would love to browse through TheButton Lady’s shop; she has loose buttons as well as practical items such as super cute bracelets, picture frames, ponytail holders and hair clips all made from her collections of buttons!

Etsy Find: Darn-Licious

Etsy Find:  Darn-Licious

With peaks of Fall showing its’ beautiful self here in the Mid-west, it is definitely time to get cozy and warm up.  Darn-Licious is a one-woman, Yasmein, crocheting show!  She has a young and fresh perspective on the art of crocheting. Yasmein’s Etsy shop consist of crocheted clutches, infinity scarves (mmm…Milwaukee = warm scarf, I will be putting in an order) and even a cute angry man iPone case.  I can not wait to see what else Darn-Licious will be producing in months to come.

Milwaukee Here I Come!

Who knew I would actually leave the Buckeye State…ever.  But a good opportunity came my way via a promotion from my “real job” and I could not refuse.  I am excited to get to know another state and city even though I am moving from cold to colder (booo) in the mist of winter (who does that).  But I have faith that this journey will produce good fruit.  Eleven35 is still my underground passion but unfortunately with a move like this, I will not be able produce many batches as I thought for the holiday season (I tear up just thinking about it).  Nonetheless, I will keep a mini stock pile of Whip Crème, Bath & Body Oils, Suga Whip and Salt Glow on my Etsy Shop.

I will continue to do spotlights on my Etsy’s favs and journal my journey to Milwaukee from Ohio.  Here we go!

Etsy Find: Bliss Street

Bliss Street is one of many Etsy shops that I truly admire.  The pictures are truly amazing!  Erica is the owner of Bliss Street and she offers beautifully crafted papered flowers with vibrant colors.  I can see these little darlings as a centerpiece at my one day hopefully not too long off wedding (lol).  Seriously, this is a great alternate to real flowers that do eventually wilt and die.  As I am sitting at my desk on my lunch break I wish I had these to admire at (note to self, treat yourself to Bliss Street flowers).

Etsy Find: Jahzara Design Studio

I am amazed at the talent of Etsy's artists!  Jahzara Design Studio is no exception.  I absolutely ♥ how Jahzara Design Studio take the rich culture of Africa and displays it in modern fashion.  I personally always loved the garb that African women wear (I am an African American woman but I own a couple), the colors are beautiful but at the same time wished I could find garments with the a modern twist.    


Jahzara Design Studio's mission is to, "bring unique and artistic elements to the design world. Keeping up with current styles but also bringing in new ones by breaking the "rules" and getting away with it."

You're Suga Whip

This scrub kind of started it all.  One day on a boring day back in 2008 in my cozy one bedroom apartment, I wanted to exfoliate.  My intuition said, "hey look at the ingredients on this empty jar of scrub" and from there I mixed coconut oil, olive oil (which I somehow magically had on hand) along with sugar and I was in love.  

Fast forward to 2011, Suga Whip is now apart of Eleven35 but with added nutrient for your skin such as jojoba oil, cocoa, shea, and avocado butters with added humectant of honey...YUM!

Sunrise Passion is also one of my first fragrant blend that I am in ♥.  The combination of Egyptian Musk, Vanilla, Amber and Strawberry give off a aroma of sweet but warm sexy vibe.

Currently can be purchased on my Etsy Shop for $10/8 oz

Etsy Find: HomeStudio Arts

I love the concept of taking something familiar and transforming it into usable art.  HomeStudio Arts does just that by taking original Scrabble® game tiles and turning them into pendant charms, necklaces.  The creative brain behind HomeStudio Arts are husband and wife duo Stef and Mark.  

HomeStudio Arts have an awesome array of pendants (at least 300+) with prices starting at $8.95 each without the chain. If you wondering what to give that is inspirational for Christmas, with prices like these you will be able to give one to each of your sisterfriends, daughters, nieces, aunts and yes they even have pendants that the man in your life would enjoy wearing.

The NEED for Organization

My sisNlaw is the best at organization; she literally has a place for everything.  Every square inch of her home is tidy.  I do not know how she does it with my brother and four kids.  It could be the results of her coming from a small island called Okinawa, Japan and everything on the island (from what I've been told) is compact so the people of the island have to make the best out of tight spaces.

(picture of an apartment building in Okinawa Japan)


I absolutely suck at organization. SUCK!  I wish when I take something out of the it's place, i'll put it back.  I'm alright at paring down but it is the actually sustaining the efforts.  Anywho I found some tips from HGTV that I hope will help you and me:

Make Your Bed Every Day

Remember when Mom used to force you to make your bed each morning? She was practicing the basic tenet of staying organized. According to Julie Morgenstern, "Don't think of [organization] as 'putting things away,' but think of it as positioning [something] for its next use." Treat your bed as the sanctuary it is by positioning it for use every day. If you spend three minutes each morning to tuck and fold, you'll develop a habit of keeping order in the room, which may translate into motivation for picking up the pile of clothes on the floor.

Keep Flat Surfaces Clutter-free

Papers, books, brochures and magazines tend to accumulate on flat surfaces all around the house, and the family room is no different. "You need a household information center, and the family room may be where that happens," says Julie Morgenstern, author of Organizing from the Inside Out. In fact, the family room is often more cluttered because it's a central gathering place in the house. A two drawer lateral file is Morgenstern's ideal recommendation — on average she says that's really how much paper it takes to run a home. If you don't have the floor space, a stackable file cart will do.

(my dream organized space for Eleven35)

Curb Your Collectible Enthusiasm

Collections, if you're not careful, can take over valuable storage space in a family room and can be even harder to organize. Large collections display best when bits and pieces are shown at a time (think shadow boxes) and rotated to keep the decor fresh. Cut your displayed collection in half by putting half of the pieces into an appropriately sized container and storing it in a hall closet. For added value, personal or otherwise, keep an inventory of each piece (date acquired, date of piece, description/significance) in the storage bin.

Etsy Find: Fabuluster

Everyone that enters into our lives leaves an impressionable imprint on us. I love Etsy for its creative community and Fabuluster is an awesome addition. The dynamic dual creates unique fingerprint jewelry to include wedding bands and necklaces. They even have a custom pendant made with baby toes! How cute!  The process seems simple, they send you a kit, you send it back to them and then they create your jewelry out of precious metals.

Serving up Some Whip Crème

If you ask any good or great cook how they learned to cook, most will say their Mothers or Grandmothers.  I am no different.  All of my memories of my Grandmother are around food, cooking and eating.  Just typing this, I smell the raw fish that has yet to be fillet and yeast rolls baking in the oven ready to be devoured.  This is my Eleven35, home cooked meals made with love and hardly no recipes.
The same philosophy my Grandmother had and Mother has towards cooking with love for family, I put into making Whip Crème.  I wanted Whip Crème to be the ultimate moisturizer that will leave the skin drenched and hydrated like a long sip of lemonade ice tea in the summertime.  It is indeed just that, a skin loving moisturizer that will leave you smooth and touchable.



With three butters whipped into this crème, shea, avocado and cocoa, the look and consistency is that of whip cream (hence the name).  It is frothy and glides on super easy, it even cools the skin.  It is best to apply Whip Crème after a shower/bath to absorb extra moister; if you’re a night time bather (like me) you will notice that your skin (yes even your elbows, knees and feet) is still moisturized throughout the next day without reapplying.  The great attribute of Whip Crème is a little really does goes a long way; there is no need t apply huge amounts.

I love sharing why I choose various ingredients in Eleven35; listed below are some of the ingredients of Whip Crème and their descriptions:

SHEA BUTTER (Butyrospermum Parkii): Taken from the pit of the fruit of the African karite tree, shea butter has many skin improving conditions, including blemishes, wrinkles, eczema, and dermatitis. Additionally, Shea Butter has properties that treat skin allergies, insect bites, sunburns, frostbites, and a number of other conditions of the skin. It is rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins A and E. Shea butter heals, soothes and protects the skin from environmental damage. Safe for even sensitive skin, it is a superb, easily absorbed emollient.
AVOCADO BUTTER (Persea Gratissima): Crushed from the fresh flesh of the avocado fruit, it is a rich additive appropriate for all skin types.  This deeply penetrating oil has wonderfully emollient properties, making it excellent oil for mature skin. Avocado oil is also known to be especially beneficial in relieving the itching and dryness of psoriasis and eczema.  It is also high in Vitamins A, D, and E as well as sterolins, also called plant steroids, which are reputed to heal sun damage and scars as well as reducing age spots.
COCOA BUTTER (Theobroma Cacao) - this creamy, rich fat obtained from the seeds of the cocoa (or cacao) plant is an excellent skin conditioner, often used on dry skin or wrinkles. It has been called the ultimate moisturizer, widely known for soothing scars and stretch marks. Cocoa butter is easily absorbed into the skin and leaves a protective layer which holds moisture to the skin, making this an often-recommended treatment for skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis
SWEET ALMOND OIL (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis) – pressed from the sweet almond, this oil is suitable for all skin types. Its emollient properties help to soften and condition the skin.  Sweet almond oil is often used to relieve eczema, psoriasis, stretch marks and itchy, dry or inflamed skin.  This is favorite oil for massage therapists because it is easily absorbed and balances the moisture levels in the skin.
Always remember to take some "me time."
With love & passion,
Junese, 1135

I'm In LUV...

with Eleven35 Mango Butter! It is summertime and it’s time to show off your skin in your own beautiful vanilla, pecan, chocolate or dark mocha brown hues. Mango Butter has scent of mango with added papaya, vanilla and red musk (YUM). This sweet but heat treat is a combination of mango and shea butters with beeswax! That’s it…nothing more or less. Mango Butter is super concentrated; therefore, a little goes a long way.

The best application for Mango Butter is after you towel dry from the shower/bath, apply to the heels of your feet, elbows or all over your body. In efforts to educate Eleven35's customers, listed below are Mango Butter's ingredients descriptions:

MANGO BUTTER (Mangifera Indica): traditionally used in the rainforests and tropics for its skin softening, soothing, moisturizing and protective properties and to restore flexibility and reduce degeneration of skin cells. Often recommended by dermatologists for treatment of wrinkles and stretch marks, this butter is a favorite for many skin types, but particularly mature, sun-damaged or stretching skin due to pregnancy.
SHEA BUTTER (Butyrospermum Parkii): Taken from the pit of the fruit of the African karite tree, shea butter has many skin improving conditions, including blemishes, wrinkles, eczema, and dermatitis. Additionally, Shea Butter has properties that treat skin allergies, insect bites, sunburns, frostbites, and a number of other conditions of the skin. It is rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins A and E. Shea butter heals, soothes and protects the skin from environmental damage. Safe for even sensitive skin, it is a superb, easily absorbed emollient.
Beeswax (Cera Alba): this is the natural wax made by honey bees in the hive. It is used widely in cosmetic and skincare products as a thickening agent, emulsifier and humectant. Beeswax contains vitamin A, which is essential for human cell development. It also has anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties and therefore has some free radical scavenging ability and fights off harmful pollutants.
Always remember to take some "me time."
with love & passion,
Junese, 1135

My Passion for B&B

To adore your body with scents is a practice that dates back BC; Ester is the first woman I know of in the Bible that was pampered silly for her initial date with the King.  I love the thought of spraying or rubbing my body with perfume that will leave men wondering, “What do you have on.” 

I started mixing my own natural products some years ago when I was broke and needed to exfoliate badly; it really isn’t that hard to do, I took some sugar, oil and voila, a hearty exfoliate.  I want this blog to be about taking care of your body through pampered bath, body and hair products.  Some of the highlighted products will be my own offering and some will be from known businesses…but the focus will always be indulgance and natural. 

So stay tuned for product updates and offerings from Eleven35 (BTW, Eleven35 is the numeric address of the house my Grandparents own and my brother, cousins and I grew up in).