These kids are ready to go!

Umm you see these two kids?...crazy beard and myself...well these two are actually ready to go. Yes, it's very rare for us to not be rushing around before a trip out of town. But this time we planned well I guess. Plus it's Springtime...and everything works better in Springtime. And for the Spring sunshine I've got a fresh pair of new sunnies...which I just adore. They say "Cross My Heart Hope To Die Stick A Needle In My Eye". I Totally remember saying that as a second grader on the playground. I saw these about 6 months ago on a fashion blog and was searching all over for them. Then one day I was very psyched to see them pop up on Instagram. There's a few color ways and they're available in the Lucky Cupcake Hairclips shop. Get 'em while you can!

So, we're leaving in the morning for our teaching trip down to Art is...You in Memphis. And right up to the last possible shipping day we had been working like mad to get out as many orders as possible before we left. Well, we are pretty happy with the amount of boxes that shipped. Very heavy towering loads went to the post office all week. We took the above pic just before our trip to the p.o. on Friday. We walked there since the weather was nice and Aar's shoulders ached from the weight of the boxes. One thing that rules is that the boxes that we shipped down to Memphis have arrived there safely. They're full of our class supplies and samples. Irreplaceable stuff. As teachers it can be pretty nerve racking when shipping all that important stuff.  

I can't believe we are officially all packed. I have lists of lists. And then more lists telling me to look at those other lists...(not kidding). And even with all those precautions in place I still have that feeling that I'll be forgetting something major. And by the way, Aaron's suitcase looks like he packed the same clothes as me, minus the leopard print.

We are so so excited for our classes. It is going to be so much fun! We worked on some step by step samples of cute girl faces that each fellow artist can use as a starting point for their own mixed media piece.

It is going to be so much fun seeing this template in the hands of each student. Of course no two paintings will be the same...and I'm not just talking about hair color choices. Each painter wields their paint in their own way. What we did here was try to break a girl portrait down to simple steps. This girl will be for a smaller warm up canvas. And then we'll all move on to a larger mixed media piece with all sorts of layers and texture. 

And here is another version of the same gal...but a bit outside of our natural color palette. After class we plan on abandoning her somewhere in the hotel. I know...that sounds much more cruel than it is. We're abandoning her as part of Michael DeMeng's awesome Art Abandonment movement. It's easy, just make art and then leave it somewhere so that a new owner can find it and keep it. Just include a little note letting the finder know that it's theirs to keep and maybe put your email in there so they can contact you if they want. I wonder who is gonna find her?

We even had time to make these pretty girl brooches for a couple of very special gals. These gifts are only a drop in the bucket of what these gals deserve for their friendship and dedication to the art community. We love them!!

It really does feel like I'm forgetting something even though the house is clean, the bags are packed, and the lists are checked and rechecked.  But I'm pretty sure we're all good.

And after checking everything off the lists we made an early dinner that was amazing! So light and healthy and energizing. We made the  Nourish + Glow Miracle Bowl from Oh She Glows. Besides being vegan, raw, and packed with veggies, it's also got a homemade sun dried tomato hummus, a faux tuna salad that's actually made with almonds, and a creamy lemon dill dressing...and the "cream" is actually cashews that were soaked and blended smooth. Wow is the dressing good! Fresh dill smells so amazing. And then we topped the bowl with pepita and hemp seeds. We love so many of the recipes from Oh She Glows. 

To wind down the rest of the night we're going to watch maybe 2 or 3 episodes of True Blood. Then we'll be up early for our flight. We promise to take lots of pics, and we will do our best to pop in here or facebook, and definitely Instagram! 

Cannot wait to see our Art Is...You friends and family!

xo Jenny & Aaron 

Friday Favorites

A great friday so far! We shipped a ton of orders this morning, came home and had a great lunch, sat outside with the pups for a spell, and for the rest of the afternoon and evening we worked on some last minute class details for our teaching trip down to Memphis for Art is...You next week. We are still sorta calm...the crazy running around hasn't happened yet. Since we leave Tuesday morning I think by Monday we should be in full crazy mode. It's not that we're unprepared...we just always THINK that we are. But seriously, I can't wait to get down there. Recluses like us need a change of scenery every once in a while.

Ok, now for the Favorites...I just adore this cape! so darling! It's got a story book feel, and is maybe a bit goth, maybe even a bit cuddly yet chic grandma, if that makes any sense.

  It's actually an antique pattern, and you can find it for free over on Ravelry! I am so so jelly of you that can crochet! My skills are largely paint based. 

And while we are talking cute clothes...this outfit is adorable! Yes, we should be thinking about lighter weight Spring clothing...sun dresses and all that. But it's still chilly here in Jersey, so I would have been totally comfortable in this outfit today. I love the color scheme, and I'm a sucker for a cute collar! 

We actually own this clock! And love love love it! It might look like a pocket watch in this context...but in reality, it's BIG! 

Here it is in better context. This pic was taken when we had just painted our kitchen and everything was still waiting to be hung. Now the clock is up on the kitchen wall and we'll be sharing more pics of the room soon! I had to jump the gun and share it now since it is just so so cute! I thought some of our aqua/vintage loving friends might love it too!

I really love this Tray from Dot & Bo. I'm a sucker for fab typography. We have been on the lookout for a tray for the living room and this is perfect...both in aesthetic and meaning. 

And would you look at this adorable DIY bunny tote bag from Jene at Wear The Canvas! The steps seem fairly simple and I just feel like it makes such a bold statement in a very understated way...which is totally a contradiction...but I think you know what I mean.

Some more typography to love. This is from Jason Vandenberg. Again, aesthetically it's gorgeous...and right now it's my goal in life to live by these words. Every Spring me and Aaron try our best to reawaken the muse and squeeze the most out of these glorious warm days.

Isn't this flooring just so fantastic?! I just love how it goes from classic and rustic, and then deconstructs into a more modern graphic pattern. It's a combination of wood and ceramic! Pop over to Decor8 to see more of this trend. 

This Ice Cream Wristlet is amazing. It's from my perpetual fave Betsey Johnson and it's available on the fabulous Shop Bananas! I love 'em both but I'd def go with the aqua one. I can't say it enough...I LOVE mixing pretty pastels with gold. So perfect!

Ok, gonna get back to some more organizing for our big trip. Pulling sorta a late night...gotta "Earn my Sleep!"

Have a fantastic weekend!

xo, Jenny...& Aaron says hi!

Around here...

This pic kinda says it all. Sunny pleasant day...and yeah, this is Jack's demeanor out in the sun. He's a basker. The eyes slowly close until he appears to be asleep on his feet. 

You may be wondering why we favor one chihuahua over the other when it comes to picture taking...well, it's no fault of mine!...Carlos just so happens to never ever stand still. While this pic was being taken I believe Carlos was investigating Walt's kayak over in the corner of the yard.

Beautiful day...warmer outside than inside. Which is a very big, and very welcome change for us. 

So the mail man was bearing joyful tidings this week. Two packages that I've been eagerly awaiting arrived on my doorstep. The first being this super cute tote bag from our talented friends Beca & Doug over at Tumbleweeds Handcraft. It's a collaboration with Screenprint artist Strawberry Moth. I Love it. And the awesome wood burned coasters are perfect. I believe that this tote will be traveling to Memphis with me next week. 

And Oh. my. gosh. I have been patiently waiting since January for this Astral Crown from the sweet and talented Sue at Giant Dwarf. Sue is retiring all of her trademark glass glitter star headbands and crowns. When she announced this news she received over 500 orders! I am so happy I was able to get some golden stars! 

And she was so sweet to include this lovely red glitter heart brooch. I love them both so much! With these awesome items being subtracted from Sue's repertoire I cannot wait to see what she creatively graces us with next!

This has been the daily scene around here. The two of us packing up lots of The Sweet Life orders! We shipped a bunch yesterday and more will ship tomorrow! Thank you very very much if you placed an order! We are so excited to see what everyone creates with the collection! 

Would you look at this! We pretty much assaulted the craft store gearing up for our trip to Memphis. We shipped all of this and so much more down to Dixie today! The boxes weighed a ton. We are SO EXCITED for Art is...You! So crazy to think that in less than 5 days we will be in Memphis, TN! We cannot wait to make art with everyone. And it will be amazing to see old friends and make new ones! 

When we were picking up supplies for the trip we hit the dollar bins at Michael's and found these adorable little macaron notecards. I couldn't pass them up!

So you know that we love to cook, and we love to try lots of new recipes. We just really love to mix up the menu...try new flavors and spices. We do a lot of meals that include a bed of fresh greens...which are very saladesque...but do much more than salad. Our favorite part is making homemade dressing.

Well tonight we tried out a recipe for a Macro bowl that we had come across on pinterest. We can think back to being in NYC a whole lot about a decade ago when the macrobiotic thing was hitting hard and there were new restaurants opening up all over the city...many of them riding the wave of Gwyneth Paltrow, who was all about the macrobiotic diet. We've tried a few macro bowls over the years at veg restaurants, but we haven't made any at home. So this Vegan Macro Bowl was a great start!

We both love tempeh. It is sooo darn delicious! If you aren't familiar with tempeh...it's a vegetable based protein but isn't like tofu which is kinda soft and pillowy. Tempeh is made of grains and is firmer and sautés very nicely. It can be marinaded, and man does it get nice and crispy in a skillet. In this recipe it comes out perfectly glazed and caramelized on the outside.

Then there is brown rice and white beans that are tossed with nutritional yeast, which gives them an awesomely cheesy flavor. There are shiitake mushrooms...and I'm not a fan of mushrooms usually...but in this dish the flavor works so well. Jeeez, there's so much good stuff...kale, sprouts, broccoli, a deeelish homemade tahini maple dressing, a satsuma laid on top for a sweet contrast, and sauerkraut...which Makes it. And when sauerkraut is done right...meaning raw and without vinegar...it's  far from being just a hot dog topping. It's actually a probiotic, it's got cancer fighting properties, and its loaded with vitamin C.

It was one of those meals that made both me and Aaron stop and say "seriously?...we can eat this good whenever we want?" I totally recommend this recipe for anyone who wants to eat dinner and then walk around the house feeling energized and ready for round two.

And it was fun to cook together. 

How is tomorrow Friday?! No... really...how?!

well, regardless...I hope yours is fabulous!

Thanks for popping in! 

xo Jenny & Aaron

Recipe Review: Roasted Sweet Potato, Wild Rice, and Arugula Salad

Easter Sunday was quiet for us, and this was a welcome change of pace. Its very very rare for us to take a day off. And even when we say we're taking a day off, a little bit of work will sneak into the day...like packing some orders, or priming boards for the next day. But this Easter was an actual day off. And being that it was a sunny day we decided to go for a walk. All of the boardwalks and amusements parks up and down the Jersey Shore open up on Easter Sunday, including our very own right here in town. So the two of us walked up there to check out the festivities. It was very crowded, which is great. All of the boardwalks are still in the rebuilding phase after hurricane Sandy, so the more business the better. But at the risk of sounding like a downer, it was sad to see that so much of the old charm was gone. Everything is rebuilt and new, so the kitsch value is lost. The owners of the stands definitely did their best to add some fun with bright paint colors, but for me, so much of what I love about these sea shore fun spots is their vintage appeal. But I'm confident that with time it will all be restored to its former glory. A couple things did not change at all. The signature smells. The pizza stand smelled exactly the same...and so did the French Fry stand. But as great as those smelled to us, we weren't going to be stopping for a bite. Why? you may ask...

Well, because we really couldn't wait to get home to make our dinner. Which was Roasted Sweet Potato, Wild Rice, And Arugula Salad from Pinch of Yum. 

Now make sure that you don't take the word salad at face value. I guess the underlying bed of greens makes it a salad...but this dish is real hearty and bursting with flavor! It is so bright and fresh and comforting. And it was perfect for the day! When you get glimpses of sunny Spring weather you instantly start thinking of fresh, healthy meals. This was a great dinner but would also make a fantastic lunch. I know this because we had it for lunch the following day! The star of this recipe is the homemade lemon dressing. It is just plain magical. The big dose of lemon zest is wonderful.

Ok, first...can we pause to acknowledge the awesome size of this organic sweet potato. Aaron instantly was striking Heisman trophy poses with it. You could totally round up the kids to play a game of Easter touch football with this. 

So the recipe started off with peeling this beast.

And then after you dice it up you get it coated with some olive oil and the spices. Roasted sweet potatoes are just sweet and buttery and work great as the foundation of a meal.

And once the potato is seasoned and oiled it goes for a ride in the oven to roast until it's tender and the edges brown a bit. Would you believe that a single potato filled this entire cookie sheet?! 

And while the potato was roasting we whipped up the awesome dressing in the food processor. I don't know about you...but I get absolutely invigorated when I zest some lemons. That's probably the element in this dressing that makes it far superior to any dressing you can buy already bottled. The fresh lemon zest! It's all about the Zest!

And while I was doing the dressing Aaron was getting the wild rice made. We added some classic spices like sage, thyme, pepper, etc...And once it was ready we added some of the dressing to it in order to marry the flavors.

When everything comes together it lays atop a bed of Arugula and other favorite Spring greens. The warm wild rice and roasted sweet potatoes make the dish so comforting...and by gosh, it's topped with a handful of cashews. The cashews are the perfect finishing topper...and then you drizzle the whole bowl with the dressing.

Oh my goodness! I can't get over how good the dressing was. Our mouths were so so happy! It was the perfect meal for our Easter day. It was just us two, a nice walk in the sunshine, a quiet calm day, and the punctuation of this fab meal to cap the afternoon and bring us into a relaxing evening. We wouldn't change a thing!

If this recipe seems even a tiny bit your style, you just have to try it!

So, bolstered with this fab meal we finished our night with a few episodes of True Blood...yep...we are late to that party. We just never got around to watching it. The two of us aren't the hugest vampire fans. We definitely consider ourselves zombie people. ha! So we honestly weren't sure if True Blood would be for us. But after 2 episodes we were hooked. Its really entertaining. We also thought we were watching a show that was over and done with. So when we saw a commercial this weekend for a new season we were shocked. We have a whole lot to watch in order to be brought up to speed so that we can watch the final season in real time with everyone else.

But yes...to stay on topic. Huge thumbs up for this recipe. Make sure to go and check out all the details on Pinch of Yum!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter! Happy Spring! 

xo Jenny & Aaron 

Around here...

Hello everyone! Just wanted to pop in on this fantastic Saturday to kinda sum up the week over here. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and we're possibly going to head to the boardwalk. We've got more warm weather in store for the next couple days so we're definitely gonna try to get outside. A highlight of this past week was the arrival of my new favorite shirt, seen above. If it looks familiar , it was a Friday Favorite a few weeks ago. When I said I needed it...I really meant it. It most certainly is a fitting phrase for myself. And its super comfy. A few gals told me they'd love to get one for themselves. Word to the wise...it runs a bit big and is a loose fit. So make sure to check the sizing guide before ordering. 

So this has been the scene over here the past few days. Lots of orders have gone out to happy new homes. All sorts of things! prints, stickers, plaques, signs, diecuts... nothing makes us happier! This stage of progress that you see above is the moment right before we start to fill the boxes. This is our time to double check everything all at once.

Wrapping orders up is seriously a favorite thing. Everything gets wrapped in pink and tied with baker's twine. We had to do the wrapping on the kitchen table due to every other surface in the house being taken. We had signs and diecuts drying on any flat space we could find.

I snapped this pic of Aaron to show just how big our larger prints are. We offer our prints in a few sizes, the 8x10 within an 11x14 mat is the most popular, but these large prints are great as a statement piece. A perfect way to really establish a theme for a room, or a bakery, or for a kid's room. The large print is 11 x 14 and fits a 16 x 20 frame. And definitely, the vintage pink mixer you see above is a customer fave! 

And guess what!?  Our "The Sweet Life" order arrived the other day and everything is now listed in the shop! Quantities are limited and we've already sold a bunch, so if you've been waiting...grab some goodies now! The resin pieces are so great! So fun seeing our paintings in this form! So many possibilities! And the 6 x 6 paper pads are too cute for words! And don't get me started on the treat bags or journaling cards! ha! I love it all I guess!

The windows were actually open today. Which is such a welcomed change form the past few cold days. Today the sun was shining bright and it made the workday way more pleasant. I like to be able to bounce around from project to project. So while orders dried I worked on a few personal projects. Including these collaged stacking stools that I started about 4 years ago! ha! I just set them aside for some reason and only now have I decided to get them finished up. Better late than never right?  I'll share pics of them when I finish them completely. Hopefully it wont take another few years.

And due to the sunshine outside Aaron got to do lots of cutting out on the deck. This is our trusty scroll saw which is responsible for the precision cutting of our diecuts.

Here we have an ice cream cone, an extract bottle, a cupcake, and a plate of cupcakes. We love working with wood! I grew up in my father's wood shop, so sawdust is in my blood.

We took a break from working to make one of our favorite meals. We call it the Harissa bowl. We got the idea from Sarah over at House in the Hills. It is so incredibly delicious. In this bowl are roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower that get tossed in Harissa spices before roasting. The roasted veggies are then served over coconut basmati rice with currants. Add a side of sautéed lime spinach, top with avocado, and yummmmmm. The balance of flavors and texture is so comforting. You won't believe that something so tasty can be so good for you. 

And finally...a pic of these two little nuts just for the heck of it. Jack's little "hand" get's raised if he's asking you for something. And I think Carlos has a perpetually blurred tail! ha! 

I hope you are enjoying your weekend so far! We may pop in tomorrow to say hi, but if not...Happy Easter friends!

xo Jenny...& Aaron says hi! 

Friday Favorites

It's Friday... and it's a Holiday Weekend. Those are two plusses in anybody's book. I love Easter for the pastel colors, the sweet treats, and the baskets full of fun. I have vivid memories of picking out Easter outfits to wear to church...oh geez some are cringe worthy...like that white 1940s inspired hat with veil combo...and the fact that I wore it with a pink and cream damask blazer, layered over a white blouse with black bow tie! Oh and by the way...I was 11 years old. Always the style maven. And my mom totally allowed my adolescent self to get as disgustingly inventive as she wanted. Luckily I really didn't do heels...that would've added injury to insult. Horrible fashion memories aside, I've always found the aesthetics of Easter to be right up my alley. 

Speaking of Easter aesthetics...I just adore adore adore these bunny nails. So simple yet so effective. Perfectly sweet.

 This tutorial for these coffee filter Fascinators from Aunt Peaches is just so much fun! A totally worthy improvement upon the Easter Bonnet. 

Now does it get more adorable than these? What a perfect way to to present macarons this Easter. Or anytime if you just love cute bunnies like I do. Check out the simple and sweet tutorial over at Sugar & Cloth

 Love these gold leaf eggs! Fabulous! There is something so magical that happens when you pair pastels with shiny gold. These are absolutely enchanting.

And these super simple, super cute doodled eggs are just as sweet as the gold leaf eggs, but they're for those of us who love that scribbly hand drawn look. They're simply rendered with a sharpie. To see them from start to finish check out Paper & Stitch.

This is such an adorable little project...DIY iron on bunny tees.  How cute would these be for the littles in your life! And again, not just for Easter either! Of course I would wear one myself in a hop, skip, and a jump! 

And I just had to include this image. Need I explain why? The word holiday...in that font! And this totally resembles the fab old motels we've got peppered all up and down the Jersey Shore. Oh jeez, Easter weekend is when all of our boardwalks open for the season. I'm predicting at least a short trip to see the sights and sounds of the stands, the rides, and the waves crashing in the distance.  

Whatever it is you have planned for this weekend we hope that you have a wonderful time. Lets hope for some warm sun. Get out there and enjoy it!

xo Jenny...& Aaron says hi!