Meet jewelry designer Mary Sahagian of Hope & Celebrate, our feature sponsor for June!

In the previous post Aaron let you guys know what we've been up to for the past few months. It was an unscheduled hiatus, and therefore we didn't really have a clear idea of when we'd resume a more normal schedule. We have been keeping current on our Instagram, and sharing bits of daily life and work. But we're super psyched to get back to blogging. We recently went to the Country Living Fair in beautiful Rhinebeck, NY and we had a fantastic time. We also attended the CL Fair back in 2014 and blogged about it here. We have yet to share the details of this year's excursion and we look forward to getting that post up very very soon. We'll also be blogging all about a recent awesome weekend of New Jersey flea marketing and antiquing. As you know we've been away from blogging for quite a while, and we're planning on cramming a whole lot in this summer. Which is exciting for us…More Blogging equals More Living. We're looking forward to More Living…lots More Living!  

As far as this specific blog post goes…we couldn't be more thrilled with the subject. Our favorite aspect of blogging is getting to share cool stuff and great people with you guys. Hope & Celebrate perfectly embodies "cool stuff and great people". We got to know Mary through Instagram and we hit it off instantly. She definitely approaches her work with the same spirit that we approach ours. And we share the same "celebrate everyday" philosophy. We hope you enjoy this little interview with Mary of Hope & Celebrate. And make sure to read to the end for a special discount on her super sweet stuff!

……

1. What is your name and/or business and blog name?

My name is Mary, and I am the creator behind Hope and Celebrate.

2. What do you do? ...and when did you start?

Before my kiddos were born, I was a 5th grade teacher. However, for the past 3 years, I have been a stay at home mom to my two little ones. Evan will be 3 in August, and Emma,  is a year and a half.  During my 2nd pregnancy with my daughter, I thought of Hope and Celebrate and wanted it to become a reality. Soon after adjusting to a toddler running around and a newborn, I plunged right in and opened up shop May 2014. I've been loving every single second of this new chapter in my life. I love minimal and dainty jewelry so it made sense that I would create pieces that I myself would wear.The whole idea behind hand stamping is to preserve that memorable moment/date, or that special person by wearing the piece of handmade jewelry close to your heart. I've slowly started introducing beads and crochet wire into the mix. I have so many ideas, but for now, finding time seems to be my only challenge. 

3. What/Who are you inspired by?

I am inspired by so many things and people. Where do I start? Nature, art, color, music, my children, family, images I come across Instagram/Pinterest. Really, anything and everything. 

4. Where do you create? home studio? kitchen table? sofa?

We have a guest room in our home that is part office/ part craft room. I have a corner table with all my metal stamping supplies. I've created a very pink, and mint colored working area covered with macarons, doughnuts and cupcake die cuts from Everyday Is a Holiday, along with a scented candles, and multiple nesting doll sets. I foresee a cotton candy die cut to add to my collection in the near future. It is in my very sweet corner where each piece of jewelry is made. 

5. What are some of your fave movies/shows/bands/music?

I love Three's Company, Friends, Seinfeld, The Office, Mad Men, and Homeland. I could watch reruns of these all day if I could! 

When it comes to movies, it's has to make me laugh. Nothing too serious. As for music, it depends. When I'm tucked into my corner making jewelry, I like to listen to different Pandora stations. Right now, I'm really into Milky Chance Radio. 

6. Do you collect anything?

Can one collect too many things? Yarn (this one is an addiction really), Craft Books (knitting, crochet, felt, sewing, mixed media arts), rubber stamps, fabric, colorful beads, nesting dolls, cute stationary, washi tape, and my newest addition, metal stamps. 

7. Favorite art/craft supplies?

My favorite art/craft supplies are my metal stamps, yarn, and my knitting needles/crochet hooks.

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years, both kids will be in school! They will be 8 and 7 years old! Wow!  I could be doing one of two things. I could either be back in the classroom doing what I love and teaching full time, with Hope and Celebrate on the side. Or, I could put all my focus and energy into Hope and Celebrate and take it to the next level. Who knows? Only time will tell. 

9. Three favorite websites/blogs/shops...etc

 DIY and colorful craft blogs are my favorite types to read. If I had to choose my top favorites, it would be Everyday Is a Holiday, Mochimochiland, Studio DIY, Oh Joy, and A Beautiful Mess.  

We love Mary and her adorable aesthetic! Isn't everything so sweet?! 

As I said up top, Mary has a special discount code for Everyday is a Holiday readers! 

This weekend only…use code HOLIDAY15 for 15% off all jewelry, except the 14K gold stackable rings. 

Visit her shop here.

You can also find Hope & Celebrate on Instagram, so be sure to check her out 

 @hopeandcelebrate

Thanks so so much for reading! Check back soon. We've got lots more to share. We've been working hard 24/7 but we also plan on playing hard this summer. And we'll make sure to report back here as much as possible!

xo, Jenny & Aaron 

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!

A big HUG came in the mail today.

I have been blogging since 2006, and when I started this blog I had no idea if anyone would read a single word of it. Back then my internet "neighborhood" looked nothing like it does today. I used Flickr a heck of a lot more, and I only had a few fave blogs that I followed. I started my own blog very soon after Aaron's near fatal van crash. Prior to the crash we had been living a super fast paced life. We had been making and painting our own line of furniture, and had a home accessories collection...both of which we sold to stores all over the US. We were often being featured in our favorite magazines and in general, we were sorta on fire. But then it all came to a grinding halt. 

Aaron was laid up for quite a while and there were several surgeries over a handful of years. It was a long hard road and most of it was spent at home. Running our business at full speed was no longer possible, but we still needed to make a living…so we had to figure out how to live life at half speed and half strength. To start out we took some of the artwork that we had been selling in our real life retail location, and listed it on ebay. Everything sold right away. So then we started doing lots and lots of that stuff…mainly one-of-a-kind pieces of wall art. Aaron did most of his work on a little work table that he'd pull up to the side of our pull-out couch. No heavy lifting required.

Anyway, it was in that period that I started blogging. I desperately needed a social outlet and the blog world was amazing back then. It was the days before Facebook and people were really passionate about blogs. On average a post would get like 30-50 comments. And oh jeez, the swaps were insane! I even hosted a few. Some of the swaps had over 70 participants. (was I crazy?)

I have so many great memories of those early blogging days. Many of my fave bloggers no longer blog these days, and we now keep in touch through Facebook. 

I still love blogging and I hope to start doing more of it. I love sharing bits of our life with you guys, and it's a thrill to see comments from names that I've been reading since those early days. I love knowing that we're still connected!

These days, hands down, my absolute favorite social media platform is Instagram. For me it is the closest thing to the old days of blogging. There really is such an amazing sense of community. Makers, Crafters, and Artists all supporting each other. We've got swaps, giveaways, get togethers, shared hashtags, we get to check in on friends daily…see what they are buying, wearing, eating, making. And I love how easily I can scroll back to see what me and Aaron have been up to for the past few weeks or months…in seconds I can just flick my finger and see a colorful stream of snapshots from our life.

Wow, I had no intentions of being so wordy in this post. I guess this most recent act of generosity and community has got me feeling nostalgic. But I can go on all night, so let me cut to the chase. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have heard that recently we had some of our artwork stolen and used on a toy that is sold by some very big stores. It was a shock and a heartbreak. But I don't really want to get into all of that right now. It's all too negative and this is a positive post. 

This post is all about our Instagram creative community being alive and well. And some stellar proof of that arrived in the mail today.

@candelles

We got a package on our doorstep. It arrived totally out of the blue, with a return address from Kelley of Candelles. Kelley, along with a handful of incredibly talented and very very kind gals from Instagram all collaborated to put together a care package to cheer me and Aaron up and to let us know that they support us and that we are a part of an amazing community. To say that I was overwhelmed with emotion would be the understatement of the year. Just wow! Kelley sent me a custom Cake scented candle with this sweet sentiment on the label. I've been burning it the past hour and it is wonderful! 

@evamarietypography

This hand lettered print is by the incredibly talented Eva Taylor. The message is so perfect and it will hang as a constant reminder in our studio. Eva is so gifted when it comes to typography. 

@gulushthreads

This beautiful hand embroidered hoop is by Kristen of Gulush Threads. Kristen is also the gal hosting the Galentine's swap I mentioned in my last post. 

How beautiful is this floral? And that lettering is so so sweet!

@madebybettyb

Can you even handle how cute this is? A one of a kind hand stitched dream catcher from Made by Betty B. Customized with Everyday is a Holiday and bunny ears! How could you have bad dreams with this hanging in your home? 

Isn't it adorable? Jeez, I can't even believe all of these amazing gifts. 

@honeyandthehive

And these fun fun fun prints from my friend Kelsey of Honey and the Hive. I love her style! so vibrant and happy! 

Kelsey also sent along this hoop. I'm pretty sure it is also a Made by Betty B. piece.  

I love this saying: "There are two ways of spreading light, to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it". 

@mytrashandtreasure

I adore this beautiful hand stitched necklace from Ruthie of My Trash and Treasure. I love the colors and the contrast of the geometric design set against the antique brass. So pretty! And Ruthie also sent along a Starbucks gift card. So incredibly thoughtful! 

I'm just so blown away by how kind and generous and thoughtful these gals are. My gosh, I never thought today's mail would bear such a big big box of really good medicine. I'm so thankful for the friendships I have made through blogging, flickr, Facebook, ebay, etsy, and now Instagram! The world truly gets smaller every day. 

Sure, you come across lots and lots of depressing stuff online…but it's up to us to look for the positive good stuff. 

I hope you'll check out all of these sweet and talented gals on Instagram and in their online shops. I'm honored to be connected to all of these super talented people.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being here! 

xo Jenny…and Aaron says hi!

Meet our Feature Sponsor: Pei Li the Miniature Patisserie Chef

One of our very favorite things to do is to share. Share art, art techniques, vintage finds, recipes, favorite blogs... And what's most rewarding is to share the work of our talented friends. Every once in a while we come across an artist who's work is right up our alley. And currently, that credit goes to miniature artist Pei Li! Her work hits me on several levels. First, the sheer cuteness of her miniatures absolutely tickles my heart. Her choice in subject matter is exactly what the doctor ordered...I love the itty bitty macarons, and the diminutive cakes and cupcakes with their icing and frosting that looks tastier than the real thing. The next thing that grabs me is her color palette...so soft, dreamy, and enchanting. And then, what completes my love for her work is the admiration I have for her technical mastery. As a lifelong professional artist I have firsthand knowledge of the effort that this type of work requires. (though my work isn't even a fraction as demanding) In looking at Pei Li's art, and seeing the attention to perfect detail, the pieces come alive...they are physical embodiments of her passion and dedication.
We are honored to have Pei Li as our Featured Sponsor this month. It's a thrill to be able to share all these adorable pics of her work. And she was sweet enough to take the time for a little Q & A so that we can all get to know her a little better. Enjoy! 

What is your name and/or business and blog name?

    Hi, my name is Pei Li and my business name is Pei Li Miniatures. I'm also known as the Miniature Patisserie Chef.

What do you do? ...and when did you start?

     I started making 1:12 scale dollhouse miniatures after taking a class teaching paper clay in 2005. I never looked back since and have been making miniatures. I opened my Etsy shop in 2008 and after a few years, I also started to turn some of my creations into cute jewelry items. After another few years, I had my own website where I slowly started to sell some supplies and teach individual workshops locally in Singapore. 

What/Who are you inspired by?

   I get a lot of inspiration in real life....such as shops that I visited, or photos and pictures that I see on Pinterest, or in magazines. I love the zakka style, as well as the shabby chic, feminine style. A lot of the creations that I create are a reflection of the things that I love in real life: desserts, pastries, home decor, flowers etc.

Where do you create? home studio? kitchen table? sofa?

   I currently live with my family in Singapore. All my crafting is done in my own bedroom. I have a long work desk, and I usually craft while listening to music or videos! I really do listen to videos more than watching them as I need to pay attention while I'm crafting. When I conduct classes, depending on situation, I will do that in my kitchen or dining room. 

What are some of your fave movies/shows/bands/music?

   I listen to a variety of music, and what I like listening to largely depends on my mood. Sometimes I like classical music, or flute pieces combined with nature sounds. I find that really relaxing! On most days, my music playlist is comprised of songs by Samantha James, Sade, Blue Six and Urban Humming Stereo.

 Do you collect anything?

  When I was a kid, I used to collect stamps, post cards, stickers and letter pads. I outgrew that, and then before I started making miniatures,  I collected cross stitch magazines, charts and books. As for miniatures, I am more selective and do keep a few items that hold a special place in my heart. 

 Favorite art/craft supplies?

  My favourite craft supply would have to be air dry clay, which is what I use mostly in my work. I'm also a fanatic of paints, from acrylic paints, to oil paints to watercolours. I have quite a large collection when it comes to paints as it is also one of the important supplies that helps to transform my work. I experiment with different kinds of paint and am always excited to try different things.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

  I don't really have a long road map. All I know is that in 5 years time, it will be a blessing to be enjoying what I'm still doing, continuing my creative journey, being happy, contented and healthy! 

Three favorite websites/blogs/shops...etc?

  Pinterest is definitely one of my favourite websites, I get so happy and inspired when I see beautiful things! 

Another one of my favourite websites will be Zita Elze. From her website, you can find other resources to view her fantastic flower work. My work has no resemblance to her style, but it is her dedication to artistry that inspires me to strive for the same in my course of work.

Is there anything else you'd like to add? 

  Being able to share my love for dollhouse miniatures on the internet has been one wonderful journey. Having people telling me they smiled when they see my creations brings an unexplainable sense of happiness. And oh, I don't have a dollhouse, if you ask me (due to tight space constraints), but it doesn't stop me from making these mini accessories! 

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Isn't she great?! We'd love for you to pop over to Pei Li's blog and say hi! And it would be extra sweet if you let her know that Jenny & Aaron sent you. Thanks so much again. We hope you love what you see!
xo, Jenny & Aaron