What I received in the #epicgalentinesswap

Last week I had told you guys about the Galentine's Day Swap. In case you missed it, I blogged about it here. And I had promised that I would return to share what I received in the swap…so here goes!

The package that my partner sent me arrived several days prior to Galentine's Day, so I'm proud of myself for maintaining adult-like composure and somehow not sneaking a peek at what was in the box until the big day. As a group, we all planned to open our packages at the same time on Galentine's Day (Feb 13th). The gal that sent to me was Meghan from Juneberry Stitches. And oh my gosh did she do an incredible job putting this package together! So so me! Just look at the above pic! 

First was this vintage Valentine. Sweet as can be! 

Too cute right? They used the best fonts ever back then! A happy new addition to my vintage Valentine collection! 

Meghan also sent me this sweet pink and white check vintage apron with black detailing.  I love it! 

It looks right at home hanging in my kitchen! 

Meghan makes some of the most adorable bags, and I was so excited to receive this one. Linen burlap with a black doily and pink zipper!

Annnd this incredibly cute custom "basket". It's like a bag that stands up and can be used to store things…like make up…or craft supplies...or whatever.  I love it so much! 

One of the questions in our Galentine's Swap questionnaire asked what new craft or hobby we'd like to learn. My answer is that I would love to sew. So once again, Meghan paid attention to the fine print and handmade me this darling needle book! 

So so so cute!! And beyond thoughtful! So much care and time went into these beautiful things. 

She also included some black and white baker's twine…which I love! Never enough baker's twine!

And those top three rolls of washi tape are from Meghan...the black with white hearts, and the aqua and pink scallops. As you can see they are also right at home in my studio! She perfectly nailed down my aesthetic. 

And I love this adorable little cupcake stamp. 

I totally cracked up at these pencils! So so good!! She sent a whole pack of them! "Hoes before Bros" A Leslie Knope quote from Parks and Rec. 

“You know my code: hoes before bros. Uteruses before duderuses…Ovaries before brovaries.”

And check out this crazy cute vintage cake decorator! Ahh!! The pink plastic handle! It is so perfect in our kitchen. The shelf you see here in the background is it's new forever home.

Such a fun swap and geez what a perfect and incredibly thoughtful package I received. So glad I found the time to participate. Such a great group of gals. Sweethearts. If you'd like to see what everyone else got you can check out the #EPICGALENTINESSWAP hashtag over on Instagram! 

Meghan also sent me a bag of chocolate kiss truffles...I didn't even know they made those! 

Seriously, life moves so fast. Seasons blend together and holidays come and go in a flash. So taking time to connect with others for a holiday themed event such as a swap is so meaningful. First, it's so important to set aside the extra time and effort for making things and gathering stuff for someone else. It's so rewarding. And then there's the super duper added bonus of receiving a package like this. There are things here that I can display year round and know that they came from a great place.

Hope you enjoyed!

xo, Jenny…and Aaron says hi!

Pink and Red Galore

Ahh February! Also known as the month that contains Valentine's Day. This is the holiday that makes this pink loving gal expand her color palette to include red. Well, from time to time I will add a tiny pop of red to our pastel palette, in the home and in my fashion. I see red as the oh so necessary maraschino cherry placed atop a neapolitan sundae or cone. In our decor I feel like red makes the pastels pop…like if there are red accents on a hand painted pink sign, then the pinks look even pinker. And when it comes to my wardrobe, all it takes is some deep red lipstick to totally set off an all pastel ensemble. So yeah, red acts both literally and figuratively as the cherry on top. 

And at this time of year red appears in great abundance around here. Lots of vintage Valentine ephemera is heavy on the red, and with us nostalgia wins big. So instead of sticking to our tight palette of pastels, we'll cast red in a starring role. 

As I said on Instagram earlier today, if you accompanied me to the grocery store and I happen to wander off…you can find me in one of two places...the baking aisle or the floral dept. 

And yes, this most recent trip to the grocery store was no different. I wandered off and came back with this bouquet. I simply couldn't pass it up! It made me so happy, and it was only $5.99!

It actually came with double the blooms you see here. The rest are placed in other vases around the house. 

I love the pink, red and white paired with the aqua-turquoise hue of this vintage ball jar. It is one of my favorites! 

 This time of year means pulling out some of my all time favorite decorations, including my Magpie Ethel assemblages form our friend Laurie Romanaggi. We have been collecting her creations for years.  I was looking for more pieces from this collection, rummaging through some boxes I had stacked way in the back of a closet, when sadly I was reminded that I lost the pieces I was looking for to Hurricane Sandy…that complete jerk. 

Ah well…it's senseless to lament...I'll just have to add more to our collection! 

So, not only is it nearly Valentine's Day…we've also got Galentine's Day on the way! For those who do not know what Galentine's Day is…it is a Parks & Recreation reference/episode that kinda took on a life of it's own. 

Here's a little clip to bring you up to speed. 

I love the whole concept of Galentines, so I jumped at the chance to participate when I was asked by my friend Kristen to take part in a Galentine's swap among Instagram friends! This swap works in a way that's unlike a traditional swap, in that the person we send to is not the person who sends to us. So that means no one knows who has who! 

We all filled out a little questionnaire and then the info was passed on to our would-be partners. We all mailed our packages out in time so that we could all open them on Galentine's Day…Feb 13th! I was joking the other day to Aaron that I sorta feel like a grown-up, because there is a box here full of gifts for me and I haven't opened it yet. ha! I'm in awe of my adult-like restraint.  

Above are pics of the gifts I sent off…if you focus reeeaaly hard you can indeed see a name on a tag. oops! ; ) Still lots of surprises.

Oh and this. Just a typical scene around here. 

Hope you guys have been having a great week! And thanks so so much for all the sweet words about our Sweetheart Valentine's Day wreath! And for entering the giveaway! We are LOVING reading all about your fave Vday memories!! Some are so funny, and some are just so sweet! You still have 2 days left to enter if you haven't already! 

Thanks for popping in!!

Love from the Jersey Shore!

xo Jenny…and Aaron says hi!