This week’s style blog has been on my mind for almost two weeks now…well, actually longer. Basically since the moment I found out that our amazingly dedicated Project PAL blog photog, Monica, had scheduled Justin (who shall now be referred to as Jay from here on out) and his accessory/love of his life/soul pup, Braylon Dawn, for a Style Series Photo Shoot. This is Jay +Bray (new proposed celeb name = Jaylon, lemme know your thoughts on the suggested name):
The first time I met Jay, it was at a Hope Whispers walk at MCAC East. He and his fiance, Emily, were manning the bath station and, of course, the dog I was walking was def going to get a bath. We walked right up and literally the next thing I knew, the dog was in Jay’s lap and they were having a serious moment. Instantly, I felt envious. Here I had just walked and smothered this dog with love for like 30 minutes, and after one split second the dog had forgotten I existed, because, well, Jay (and well, story of my freaking life). At the time, I knew nothing about Jay other than he is tall, “my” dog totally abandoned me for him, and he seemed pretty brave (dude removed a tick like a PRO from the dog I was responsible for, I hadn’t even noticed the effing tick….so ya, I suck).
Fast forward to approximately one year later, and Jay (and Emily) have become two of my very favorite people. They even let me watch one of their dogs for a weekend (if you haven’t met Mercy…I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but not meeting Mercy ain’t one). Nowadays, I wait for Emily and Jay to announce when they will be at the shelter, and then I schedule my life around that….just so I can follow them around and pretend to be a contributing part of finding the most amazing shelter dogs EVER.
By day, Jay works as a Community Support Agent for a kick a** company that values him so much they let him work from home. Originally from Saint Cloud, Minnesota, Jay moved to Phoenix about 8 years ago. He and Emily have three dogs of their own, Braylon, Mercy, and Vita — all pit bull type dogs adopted from local shelters/rescues. A beer connoisseur, and an unofficial local restaurant critic, Jay always knows the best spots for happy hour, dinner, or a night out! Also, it seems the GMs at all of his favorite spots know him by name, so we feel like we totally get preferential treatment when he’s around.
Jay volunteers at MCAC and One Love Pit Bull Foundation, and spends much of his free time enriching the lives of dogs that are waiting at the Shelter for their future families to find them! Jay has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and this guy LOVES the mama dogs. No, it’s not the dangling boobies that he finds endearing, it’s that these ladies melt for him. Literally, we once witnessed a dog (Meg) jump a wall at Puppy Mansion to chase after him and keep him from leaving…(don’t worry Meg was fine, they moved her kennel, and she has since been adopted). Also, I lied, I didn’t witness it, but I heard about it from first-hand sources.
Anyways, now that I’ve gone on and on about Jay, here’s what he has to say about WHY he wears his Pup tees the way he does!
FROM JAY (Actually Emily):
Jay literally wears his Toms shoes everywhere. He will go to the warehouse sale and buy enough shoes for the entire year. He considers them to be multi-purpose. Whether we are walking around a farmers market with Mercy, out for drinks with our friends, or volunteering at the Shelter, Jay’s Toms are his go-to for footwear.
The shorts he is wearing are by Billabong, and are some of his favorites. Never underestimate a pair of shorts with the perfect fit. This hat is Jay’s second favorite hat (Mutt Life for the win….)JK he/Emily didn’t say any of this, we are totally putting words in his/her mouth right now. The Hat is by Fisticuffs and is clearly Jay’s life motto #GRAVEBEFORESHAVE.
Shorts, Mutt Life Shirt, Shoes, Hat
Wearing the message:
Below, Jay is wearing one of the shirts he always gets compliments on, his Original Bully Tee. When people ask him if his dogs are mean, he always tells them that he sleeps face-to-face with his dogs every single night :). Jay is always down for cuddles with our three mama dogs! He has his shirt paired with his Mutt Life hat, because (as stated above) it is probably his favorite hat, even though he/Emily never said that and we are just hoping it’s true again!
And of course, Miss Braylon Dawn’s outfit details….
Braylon is wearing a fan-favorite by Tooth & Honey….the Hippo Sprinkles Collection (Harness and Collar). There is literally nothing cuter than Tooth & Honey gear, so if you have a dog you love, you need to buy him/her something from Tooth & Honey immediately. Cutest design, and the most generous company. A portion of every purchase is donated to One Love Pit Bull Foundation. Braylon spiced up her look with a collar flower from DeegeeMarieGifts — the perfect accessory for her accessories! So effing cute.
Hippo Harness, Hippo Collar, Dog Collar Flower Bow
From Us:
Braylon is an incredibly special dog, she is the apple of Jay’s eye, the original mama, and probably the reason that he gives so generously of his time and resources to help shelter dogs. This little mama had surgery last week to remove a tumor. The good news is that they got clear margins when removing it, and Braylon has returned to her normal self. We are grateful that Jay and Braylon made themselves available to participate in our Pup Tees Style Blog, and also…we hope that these photos that Monica Adalsteinsson took of them together will serve as a reminder to them that their community loves them BOTH and is rooting for them at every single turn! So, here’s to Jay & Bray (Jaylon) and many more years of loving companionship. ❤
Project PAL 