Friday Favorites

Hey guys! Happy Friday! And I'm gonna go ahead and jinx myself and say Happy Spring. I admit that I'm trying to use the power of positive thinking here. We've had two whole days in the 60s this week, and it should be fairly warm this weekend. I'm just really really hoping it stays this way. 

Traditionally the Jersey Shore wakes from it's long winter's nap on Easter. All of the seasonal businesses open their doors for the first time on Easter weekend. The boardwalks will be open…maybe not exactly in full swing...but the Tilt o' Whirl will be whirling, the fry stand will be frying, and the Super Slide will be clogged with kids eager to get their first bumps and bruises of the season. Ha! seriously, I used to work the Super Slide when I was a teen, and believe me…kids + burlap sacks + super steep humpy slide =  cruisin' for a bruising'.

So, to begin with...I just adore this hand stitched felt bunny brooch above by An Astrid Endeavor and I bet you do too. I feel like it's got a vintage appeal and a modern feel all at once.

I was thinking about how I missed a few Friday Favorites these past weeks. And now since it's Good Friday I guess its is as good a Friday as any to decide to get back to tradition. Which makes the above sign perfectly fitting

We have been thinking about moving our studio upstairs, and if we do, we will be going bright whites and creams, with black anchor pieces, and random pops of color. I've been pinning lots of inspiration, and this pic just made me swoon. I love love everything about this! 

How magical does this cake look? It's like fancy and classic/old fashioned all at the same time. The piped pink roses look so fantastic with the glittery gold. It happens to be one of the many creations made by our friend Beca of Tumbleweeds Handcraft. As if she's not busy enough making amazing wood veneer sunglasses, utensil sets, handmade brushes, etc…she also finds the time to whip up bridal shower cakes on the side!

 You can see her steller story about this cake. If you haven't checked out Steller yet, you must. We love it. It's such a cool way to share the story of a day, or maybe a step-by-step project. We look forward to creating a few more of our own. Beca & Doug's Steller contributions have been so inspiring. You see the pics and read the stories, and you just want to jump into their little world down in the Florida wilds. 

Even if it is messy, I just love this pale pink hair paired with that light, pretty, peachy makeup. This is a back stage shot of Charlotte Free.  

Ohhh these two dresses are just beyond beyond pretty! So so up my alley! The pink may be a smidge too peach, but I'm going to pretend that it is just the lighting. 

Those stars! the ties! the ruffles! Yes! Can I please just have these in my spring summer wardrobe?!

 I came across the pic on pinterest, which only lead to a dead tumblr link. So…the search continues! 

Ok… this bench is amazing. But here's the thing…the description doesn't say what color the fabric is. My mind is seeing it as classic black…but I've been fooled in the past, only to discover the black is actually navy. But once again…who cares...we will do some pretending. This absolutely black and cream bench would look so so good in our home! 

And for good measure I think I'll maybe accent the bench with this Nathalie Lete pillow . Oh geez…wouldn't that be so so good?!!! 

I laughed when I saw this. I swear I've typed this exactly in a few texts to some close friends. ha! I love this image. It would look amazing framed. 

And let's finish on this. I would love love love to sink my teeth into one of these right now. With a tall ice cold glass of almond milk. They happen to be 5 Ingredient (healthy) No Bake bars!! Absolutely making these very very soon.

Well guys, that's it for me. It's raining on this friday night, and we plan on putting a few more hours into work before going up to our room to snuggle with the pups and do some netflixing, which happens to be an actual word. Here's proof. ;)

If we don't pop in again before Sunday…Happy Easter! or Passover! or Spring!

xo Jenny…and Aaron says hi! 

Friday Favorites

I don't actually have any sort of formula for the way I put together my Friday Favorites, but I know that if I were to go and look back at a handful of my Friday Faves posts, a fairly distinct pattern would emerge. I don't know if this makes sense…but I feel like I put together a Friday Faves post in the same way that I'd plan out my absolute perfect day…

There would be good weather, a fun location, I'd be wearing a great outfit and maybe I'd have freshly dyed hair, maybe I'd stop for some new art supplies, in my travels I might stop to take a look at a cool hand painted sign that has words of encouragement, and I'd finish off that perfect day with some fantastic food. 

Seriously…I think I have a habit of finishing my posts with a food fave. But this time I broke protocol and came right out of the gate with my food fave. And if there's one worthy reason for breaking protocol, I'd say a cake from Miette Patisserie is it. 

  

Yes, cake first! And as I said, it's not just any cake. It's Miette Patisserie and Confiserie's "Old Fashioned Cake". I have yet to taste it "in real life" but I have been drooling over it for years thanks to blogs, and Flickr…which is where I first saw it!

 And don't you just love their sign! 

One day I will get to Miette, eat "Old Fashioned Cake", and take my own photos. But for now, lets all just be thrilled with the fact that we have the recipe!

And then there's this place. I just adore the basic black and white styling, the fantastic lettering on the glass, the simple yet artful display, and the classic styling of the mugs! This place is just really up mine and Aaron's alley. I can almost smell the beans roasting.  

To read more about Barista and to see more absolutely gorgeous photos check out this fabulous post over on Endlessly Enraptured. What a great blog!

These Aqua soup crocks are so so beautiful. We have been making lots and lots of delicious soups recently, and it truly is the perfect cold weather meal. Me and Aar are definitely soup aficionados. I'd love to have a collection of soup crocks all in different styles that suit different types of soup. I totally feel that the taste of the food is enhanced by the vessel it's served in.  

This bag from Stay Home Club... Just YES!!! 

Love everything about this outfit. It's simple, casual, chic, and cute. Though as freezing as it is right now, I'm kinda dying over her bare ankles. But those shell toe Adidas bring back so many memories. I had a pair in my late teens/early twenties that, I kid you not, I would paint the stripes of to match my outfits. There were times when Aaron's band would play a bunch of shows over a weekend, and I can remember painting and re-painting the stripes right before bed each night to match whatever outfit I would be wearing the next evening. The colors of my wardrobe back then were most often red, lavender, or sea foam green. 

This building in Rome. It is what dreams are made of. My ultimate fantasy would be decorating the big open rooms inside. In my minds eye I can clearly see all of the interior details…the high ceilings, giant doorways, moldings like piped buttercream frosting...

I just adore this little outfit. It makes me think of a Parisian carnival…and I know that the little girl wearing this would have an adorable doggie sidekick that wears a clown hat, and can balance rings on his nose. 

You better believe that if this came in my size I would certainly own it. 

These DIY Edible Chocolate messages from Sugar & Cloth are fantastic to look at…but you can also make some for yourself if you follow the detailed tutorial! How cool is that?!

I love this! And a little change, or a big one, is always a good thing.

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my Faves again! I hope you're staying warm and staying inspired wherever you are and whatever you're up to. 

xo, Jenny…and Aaron says hi!

Friday Favorites

I'm definitely in a bit of a Valentines state of mind, and you'll notice that some of the Vday vibe has rubbed off on these Friday Favorites. Valentine's Day is fabulous all around. I love it for so many reasons…first, it's a great pick-me-up holiday…it comes just in time to brighten us all up after the big post Christmas and New Years lull. Second, me and Aaron have been sweethearts for a million years and it's great to have a day to focus on that. And third, it is aesthetically perfect. All that pink and red and plenty of hearts and glitter and chocolate. I love going to the store, any store really, and looking at their Valentines offerings. Everything is so sweet and fun. 

Me and Aar have been so busy catching up on orders, so we haven't really had a chance to do any Valentines crafting…well, except for the giant Charlotte Sweetheart wreath you may have seen in the previous post. But we hope to do more this upcoming week. Even if it's simple little things…even if me and Aar just make cards for each other…that would be fun. 

Ok, so now for the Favorites! My feelings for this duffle bag from ban.do kinda bring me back to junior high. This is a bag I would have begged my parents for, or I probably would have ended up saving every dime until I had enough. I was fairly good at saving back then.

For some reason this bag reminds me of this store in upstate NY called Book & Record. I remember buying those stackable pastel plastic bangle bracelets there, and one of those pastel string mobiles that you hung from the ceiling. Geez I loved that thing! 

This is like the ultimate sleepover bag. It just looks so late 80s or early 90s to me.  

And yes...it also comes in this red heart pattern! 

I love this article on London's 30 most instagrammed restaurants. The above place is called Sketch. And I can attest that more than a handful of my fave instagrammers have indeed eaten here and posted pics to prove it.

I think I need this…both for it's practicality in this frozen tundra they call Jersey, and also as a daily reminder to myself. Maybe I'll have a better chance of actually receiving the message if it's hugged right to my skull. It's from Marc Jacobs, which translates to - not in my budget. But I love it all the same.

I don't have plans for cutting my hair anytime soon, but lets say there was an accident involving a wad of chewing gum and I had to have an emergency hair-ectomy, I think this gal's color and cut are beyond cute.

As you know, we are big fans of donuts over here…the edible kind and the painted kind. So you know that I swooned when I discovered these adorable donut valentine's! Sooooo cute!

You may already know that I have a soft spot…ok it's maybe closer to an addiction, or an obsession for rolling carts. They are one of my all time fave things! Especially when they are aged and industrial looking. This one from Urban Outfitters is killing me right now! It would be so incredibly perfect in our studio! And yes I already know what I'd keep in each section. 

This pic has been making me laugh all week. I came across it on pinterest. This cat kills me. And the second I saw it I immediately thought of a certain actor. You may not agree…but I simply can't not see the resemblance every time I look at this kitty. 

I wanted a little confirmation about my opinion on the resemblance, so I texted my friend Beca the pic above along with the pic below. I'm not sure if she agreed or not…but she did call me a kook. 

So I'm putting it out there, and I don't mind at all if you agree with Beca. She's often right. 

I hope you agree…because it makes the cat even funnier if you consider that he's Kenneth McMillan's feline doppelganger. You may not agree. But I'm sticking with it. HA!

Ok…hope you guys had a great week and I hope you'll have an even better weekend! Do something fun! Maybe some Valentine's Day crafting! 

Thanks for popping in! 

xo Jenny…and Aaron says hi!

Friday Favorites

I am not a quilter…and sadly, I can't even use a sewing machine. 

Oh jeez, I just said that first sentence out loud and it sounds like I'm confessing to some horrible sin. But in a way, I guess I am. Being able to sew is a dream of mine. I would absolutely love to sew my own clothes, and it's a shame that I cannot. 

Now here's part two of my confession, and I kinda feel crappy admitting this: 

I own a sewing machine. It was a fabulous gift from fabulous friends of mine, given to me over a decade ago. And this is the bad part…I took that sewing machine out of it's box a total of two times. Ugh.

 I'm not exactly sure what my hangup is. I'd probably be at least semi-adequate. When I took Home Ec in high school, part of the curriculum was sewing, and I actually did really well. I sewed a hat, a tote bag, and started a skirt…key word "started". But still, at least I gave it a whirl back then. I think having a teacher hovering, and being there to answer questions helped. And now that I'm a teacher of art…at least a few times per year at art events…I can definitely relate to what the students are feeling. Most of them possess the abilities, but they just want to have a helping hand there in the room "just in case". 

So yeah…silly me. Here I am at these fantastic mixed media art events a few times a year…and often there are classrooms buzzing with sewing machines. When me and Aaron walk around an event, and pop in to visit other classes, I'm always enthralled by the classes that are all abuzz with the magical sound of sewing machines, fun conversations, and laughter. I would love to be one of those students. Maybe I'll do it the next time I get the chance.  

So yes…the reason why all this talk of sewing came up is simply because I laid eyes on this amazing quilt up above. It is such a work of art. It's pretty much the fabric version of an abstract painting. Just so incredibly beautiful! It is by Amelia Bennett, and it's title is Blocks and Strips, from c. 1965, Cotton, measuring 84 x 79 inches.

So, I did a little research, and the maker of that quilt was part of a southern group of women called the Gee's Bend Quiltmakers. Above and below are a few more examples of their work. Make sure to click the link and read the story of the Gee's Bend quilters. There are so many fascinating details about each featured quilt.  

This one caught my eye. Check out the zoomed in shot of those strips of fabric. From a distance it looked like floral fabric…but when you see it up close…those are actually candy colored puppies! Is that a white chihuahua in the center of the right strip? 

Aren't they all so fantastic?! 

This is such a beautiful dress. And yes, I would indeed pair it with black. Lots of black. And possibly some leopard print. It's sorta on the purply pink side, but every once in a while I go a bit more lavender when mixing my pink hair dye.  

I think it would go great with this hair color that I had a little while ago…purply pink fading down into a rose pink. 

I love these pieces by artist Do-Ho Suh. They're lightweight sculptures of everyday fixtures found in his Manhattan apartment. Out of translucent polyester fabric he constructed his oven, toilet, bathtub doorknobs, etc... 

I love the colors, and I love how they sorta look like digital 3D renderings.  

This sweatshirt seriously says it all! 

When our friend Heidi Swapp posted pics of her new Marquee Love collection on Instagram a few weeks ago I just about died. I've been a longtime fan of Marquee signage, and I'm always posting pics of fave vintage pieces, and I've also blogged a handful of tutorials as to how to make your own.    Marquee signage is super trendy right now but at the same time so old timey and classic. 

 We have a Marquee style heart that hangs in our studio, which was a gift from our sweet friend Becky. And to remind us of our sweet friend we hung it near our Christmas tree this year!

So, like I said…Heidi's new stuff looks amazing! I am so incredibly excited about this collection and the endless possibilities! 

It's as easy as tracing, cutting, and taping! 

There are fabulous washi tapes and glitters too!

I seriously cannot wait to get over to Michaels to see this collection in person! Now I just have to narrow it down to one idea to get started. 

Thanks bunches for popping in on this first Friday Favorites of the new year! Me and Aaron are still very hard at work on orders that were coming in right up until Christmas day. We've got lots of new artwork on the drawing board that we'll be finishing just as soon as we can. Plus, we plan on blogging more…namely, tutorials…art projects…fave supplies…stuff like that. 2015 will be a very creative year...I promise.

Have a great weekend!

xo Jenny... Aaron says hi!

Friday Favorites

Oh my gosh, excuse me while I take a deep breath. I have been buried under piles of ornaments-in-the-making for the past week or so. Cutting and pasting, cutting some more, trimming and sanding, stringing and sealing…all of this over and over and over again. We are deep in that holidaze! Days are just totally melting into one another. Of course we are thrilled beyond belief to be creating these pieces that will be sent off to happy holiday homes! And of course we're making stuff other than ornaments. Lots of in-progress diecuts and signs are lying around on any available flat surface, and Aaron has been perpetually coated with a thin layer of sawdust. We'll be sure to pop in and blog a little behind-the-scenes stuff at some point in the next few days. 

But for now, while I pause for a big glass of seltzer and some puppy cuddles, here are some Friday Favorites! 

I've been a fan of Dottie Dollie brooches for a long time. And I'm embarrassed to say that I have yet to purchase one. I guess I've been waiting for the perfect little gal to come along. And I think I may have found her! Her name is Rose.

 She's handmade from paperclay, and handpainted with acrylic paint and soft pastels. Dottie Dollie has so many darling pieces to choose from! You have to check out the shop! 

I just adore these latte mugs from NS Pottery. I just love simple designs…basic stripes and polka dots in classic black and white. And I love the roughly hewn paint strokes. Mugs are sorta like intimate objects and we have a very up close and personal relationship with them, so it makes sense that the patterns bear so much of a "human touch".

I am such a sucker for old photos, cabinet cards, tintypes... We've been collecting them for years, and we especially love old portraits. We have a fabulous photo portrait pillow that we found at IKEA a few years ago.

Recently I came across this fellow while browsing on Curious Sofa, and I just had to add him to my holiday wish list! He'd look pretty great in our living room .

I honestly can't remember the last time I shopped at Gap, but the other night I was just clicking around the interwebs and I ended up on Gap's website, and there was this outfit. It is just sooo cute! So classic! I love the fair isle oversize turtleneck paired with the all black skirt, leggings, and shoes…perfect! Too bad the sweater is sold out. 

I love this black and gold Starry Skies cross body bag by Milkhaus Design, available from Moorea Seal. I think it is kinda perfect for day, night, and all year round! Oh, and Moorea is having a Secret Sale! Take 15% off all bags and scarves With code: SECRETSANTA Sale ends today!

This free DIY Printable Christmas Village from "Thoughts from Alice" is so incredibly charming. It's childlike and sophisticated at the same time, very much like a Hilary Knight illustration. 

It comes as a nine piece set including a church, town buildings, a city hall building, a cozy house, two little carolers, a snowman and lamppost, a decorated town tree, and two vintage cars taking their Christmas trees home! 

It's so cool of "Thoughts from Alice" for sharing these so you too can make them part of your holiday display. Just click the link above, and print them out on card stock! And if you do… she'd love to see pics! …so would I!  ;)

If you're reading this blog, chances are you have browsed our shop. But to get to the shop you probably just click the link and don't really pay attention to the actual address. Well, our shop is over on BigCartel.com, and there is a Big Cartel directory where you can browse categories, or search key words.

 Well the other night, in my five minute break from work I was browsing other shops on Big Cartel and I came across the awesome Georgie Peachez Wreaths. It turns out Suzy of Georgia Peachez is an old friend and long time collector of our work. It was so great coming across her shop out of the blue! Her wreaths are some of the best vintage ornaments wreaths ever! This one here makes my heart beat a little faster! Wow! You gotta go see more of her work. Amazing. 

Ok, guess what??…it's time to get back to work for me! I hope you enjoyed my fifteen-minute-break-Friday-Faves.

xo, Jenny…and Aaron says hi!