My name is Afton Baily Griffin and I am an accessory addict.

Ask anyone that knows me and they will confirm that this obsession extends all the way back to my childhood. Jewelry making was a perfect extension of this obsession because it allowed me to make the things I wanted and could not find in stores.

As I’ve grown up I’ve also become more spiritually aware - specifically regarding the metaphysical realm. One fateful trip to Sedona (cliché, nah!) and several psychics later I had confirmation on something that had been percolating for a long time: I needed to get back to one of my creative outlets. Not a month later and the COVID-19 pandemic shook my world and everyone else’s. Suddenly I had buckets of free time (+zero childcare & unlimited White Claws) and infinite nervous energy (see anxious) to pour into a passion project. And voilá: T O T E M was born.

Sick of seeing things I loved online and a) could not afford or b) were sold out/back ordered/not available or c) not exactly what I was looking for in terms of rock-n-roll/hippie/biker mom style or d) made for real adult-human-arm sizes; I decided to get to work on making my own jewelry using the charms and gemstones I personally cannot resist. Wearing these things out in public garnered a lot of compliments and many questions of where it was from. This is where it is from. Enjoy.