Coffee & Donuts...and Kale!

It's always so hard to find time to paint new artwork. We have a ton of would-be new designs sitting on our drawing board, just waiting to be painted and made...when we finally get the time. 

But this past weekend we just had to get this one done. Coffee has maybe been the most requested subject for us to paint. And we really can't believe we took so long to finally make a coffee diecut. Aaron and I both love coffee, and although we've got very similar tastes in most areas, we're sorta opposites when it comes to how we take our coffee. Aaron likes his black, and he always has it hot, even during the summer. He'll do iced in the afternoon sometimes when he's outside cutting wood, but for the most part he drinks 2-3 hot black cups very early in the morning.

Me...I like it iced, and I like a little bit of soy creamer, and a tiny bit of agave. I like iced so much better than hot that I'll barely drink coffee in the colder months and opt for tea instead. And oh yeah, unlike Aaron, my coffee is ALWAYS DECAF. If I get within 10 feet of caffeine the heart palpitations will start.   

So yeah...we finally painted coffee. And of course we just had to give it a donut sidekick.

In our shop we already have a chocolate frosted donut, but this time around we had to add some sprinkles. 

Probably both mine and Aaron's favorite detail is the tiny coffee bubbles! So fun to paint! 

Here's how it looks hanging! And oh yeah...we highly recommend using a Chemex. We've tried machines and French Presses, but by far the Chemex is the best when it comes to flavor and ease of use. And we use cloth filters. They're perfect because they're reusable and better for the environment, and also they're sturdy and easy to just flip inside out into our garden without making a mess.

And we love that the Chemex had a little cameo appearance in the classic 1968 horror film Rosemary's Baby. 

The design has never ever changed. It's the same as it was when it was invented in 1941. 

The new piece is such a fun size! We plan to add more coffee designs to the shop soon! 

And I almost forgot to mention that to kick this new one off we're having a sale in our shop. Use code COFFEE25 to get 25% off anything in the shop...now through Friday, June 17th.

Ok, now for this amazing piece of jewelry I just got from Rock That Gem! Yes, that's a Kale charm. And yes, it's an actual piece of Kale electroplated in 24K gold! I simply had to have it. You should see the amount of Kale me and Aaron bring home from the grocery store every single trip. I'm a big fan of the stuff and this necklace is more than fitting. 

Rock That Gem has so much good stuff...all of it handmade by a sweet gal named Molly. You have to visit her Etsy shop.

Ok, just wanted to pop in, say hi, and talk a little bit about coffee, donuts, and kale. Which is sorta a weird trio...but also maybe not.

We hope you're week is going great. We'll be back soon!

Love from the Jersey Shore!

xo Jenny...and Aaron

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