a little Easter recap

We're still waiting on Spring to show up. Today is a little drizzly, but this weekend might hold some warm sunny weather. If that's the case we're certainly gonna get some air. We definitely earned it this week. We've been real busy packing and shipping orders all day and night since Easter. And that's why I'm so late in posting this little Easter re-cap. Also I figured I'd post this today in place Friday Favorites since it's National Sibling Day and I rarely get together with all of mine.

We normally work on weekends, but we always take Easter off. It's a great way to start off the new season and the perfect day to catch up with family. This year my parents and brother Jason came down to visit us from way upstate NY! In preparation for their visit we got as much work done as possible before hand. It was just a whirlwind of cutting wood, sanding, painting, packing, and shipping.  

I love the special holiday offerings at bakeries, so last week we made a few trips to our fave local place for Eastery treats.

And for Easter Sunday we picked up a seven layer cake and a big cookie platter to bring down to my brother's house. 

It had been so long since the whole family was together. There are five of us kids, so it's always hard to get us all together at the same time. This year was quite a big gathering. Not only was it my parents, siblings, me, and Aaron...but also my brother Richard's girl, and her mom and siblings.

 And of course this little peanut!

 Our niece Olivia! It's honestly shocking that I got a semi-still pic of her. I snapped this while she was spinning in circles and bouncing around like silver ball in a pinball machine. This is what happens to a 3 year old after eating half of a solid chocolate ballerina and half of chocolate bar. Happy Easter indeed!

This happens to be one of my favorite pics from the weekend. My Dad, my brothers, Rich, Walt, and Jay, and my sister Missy. They look like they're giving Olivia a group tickle, but in truth they were all trying to keep her from squirming out of her Daddy's arm so that we could get her in the group shot. It's going to be great looking back on this pic years from now.

Oh and let's just take a moment to look at my dad's fancy Easter outfit. Yes, he had "real clothes" packed for the trip…(optimistically packed by my mom)...but somehow he always ends up back in sweatpants, beat-up tees, and his USMC hat! He is a total character and he knows it! It's just non stop jokes…and most of the time the jokes are totally abstract and therefore over-your-head. But not over-your-head in a clever way. Nope…just in a nonsensical way. But not to worry. He's his own best audience, and he cracks himself up. Which in the end cracks us up.  

Gosh there were so many people in my bro's apartment. At one point in the evening Aaron and I paused a conversation to just stop and listen to how loud it was. So many conversations going on at once, and non-stop laughter. I swear it peaked right on the tail end of dessert…way too much sugar! ha! 

I was behind the camera most of the time, but here is a rare pic of me. It is non stop silliness when we get together, do not let my straight face fool you. 

It was really great being together. We ate a ton of yummy food, gave lots of hugs and kisses. I took a bunch of pics.

 We are all looking forward to Olivia's 3rd Birthday party coming up, and I'm hoping everyone will be able to make it again. 

Crazy to have a pic of all of us! And it wasn't easy. I think my dad disappeared a couple times. 

And speaking of…will you just look at THIS! 

My dad purposely makes the dopiest faces when we take pics. In another big group shot of both families he's ducking behind everyone and peeking over their shoulders. Every family photo ever, this is him. Even in his junior high school year book, there's a shot of him on the swim team and he's doing the same thing! 

 I've said it forever…his goal in life is to bust chops.

Walt & Val 

Aww and here is Rich, Steph, and Olivia (who is holding Daddy's wallet).

 Again, I'm shocked that Olivia isn't a blur here…she was ready to take that wallet and run! 

It was a great time. We really needed to unplug and leave the studio for the day. 

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend, with family, friends, or even alone…just relaxing.

Thanks bunches for popping in!

xo Jenny… and Aaron says hi!

Our Easter Eve walk up to the Boardwalk

New Jersey in the winter can be kinda crummy. But New Jersey in the summertime can be fantastic. Especially where we are…down the shore. And yes, we happen to live within walking distance of the beach and amusement park. As I said in the previous post, Easter weekend marks the start of the season for Jersey Shore amusement parks and boardwalks. On Easter Sunday everything opens for real. But today, on Easter Eve it was a soft opening. A good portion of the kiddie rides, some food concessions, and a couple arcades opened up.

Knowing that tomorrow we'd be visiting with family, today we tried to cram in as much work as we could, and once 5 o'clock rolled around we decided to take a walk down to the boardwalk. First off, it hasn't gotten entirely warm yet, and the wind today was BRUTAL! If I was more agile I would've walked backwards the whole way there. Once we arrived it was apparent that the wind was a big deterrent for everyone. The place was empty, and all of the businesses were just beginning to close their shutters. But this didn't bum us out in the least. Today felt more like we were dipping our toes in to test the water that we'll be swimming in this summer. We really only wanted a to check out the place and see the further improvements since the Hurricane Sandy rebuild.

One thing we noticed was lots more paint! Last year all of the stands were plain white concrete block. And this year we saw so much more color. I love that Lemonade sign up top, and this cotton candy one here. 

We were lucky to get the last batch of fries before closing.

Why are fried potatoes so amazing? And how is that they can make simple ketchup and vinegar taste like nectar of the gods?

I love the color of the benches! And I also love how desolate all of these photos are. It really was like me and Aaron were the final two customers of the day.

The big rides will open up tomorrow. 

Have I mentioned that I love Skeeball? It's a boardwalk staple and brings back so many childhood memories.

The arcades have changed a lot over the years, but pretty much since Aaron was born, (yes, he's a lifer in this town) the two main arcades have been Bev & Wally's and The Game Room.

Don't these ponies look like they're on ice?…like at the fish market or something?

I wish these donuts were prettier…but then again maybe I don't…because winning at a Crane Game is practically impossible!! 

But Aaron still tried…well the stakes were higher here…the prize is real life donuts!

After failing at donuts he tried the candy crane since it looked impossible to lose completely. 

And he was right! Look at this tremendous bounty! One whole taffy each!

I'm not even a candy lover, but I sure do like to look at it. I actually took this pic with my friend Lizzy in mind. She'd flip for all those giant candy pillows on the top rows.

Again, all of this will be in full swing tomorrow. We can actually hear this place from our house all summer long. Luckily the scents of the fries and waffles don't reach us…that would be trouble.

On our walk home we stopped for veggie burgers at this great place called Baxter's Burgers. It's in a super old brick building with tin ceilings and great fixtures.

And then we hit our favorite Italian specialty shop Tutto Bene. If your Italian specialty shop doesn't have it's walls plastered with Mafioso memorabilia, then I assume you don't live in Jersey.

We stopped there for what else?…cookies of course!

We got a box full, which we ate half of upon arriving home, and I'm thinking about finishing off that other half right about now. Despite the wind I'm really glad we took the walk. The Spring is the perfect time to come alive again. Get out, get creative, have fun. That's our goal.

I'm so excited to see my entire family tomorrow. My parents and brother are visiting from way upstate New York. My mom will be cooking up a storm as usual, and my brother Jay will be there. We haven't seen him in a while! And holy cow, our niece Olivia is getting so big. She'll be three this month!
Tomorrow should be lots of fun!

Wishing all of you a happy holiday weekend! 

xo, Jenny & Aaron

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! 

Springtime crafting with some of my favorite things

I still cannot believe that this coming Sunday is Easter. Just wow! I kinda feel like Easter always pops up out of the blue, but this year feels even more sudden. Like, where did the month of March even go?! We had plans for bringing back our chocolate rabbit diecuts, and paper mache rabbit prints as plaques and possibly even an Easter cake diecut…but as it will sometimes, LIFE happened! 

And apparently the calendar got the last laugh. So this year there are no chocolate bunny diecuts, no Easter cake diecuts, etc, etc…and at first the idea of this really got me down, but I know we are doing our best and working as hard as we can right now. So I'm not gonna come down too hard on myself for not getting things done. 

And even though we didn't get to launch a new Easter collection, in the past couple weeks we still shipped off a handful of bunny pieces that we offer year round! Like our fave Bunny Baby diecut, and our Vintage Stuffed Bunny plaque. 

We worked all weekend…as always, and I think Aaron's hands are still vibrating from the amount of time he spent on the scroll saw. So many donuts are off to new homes, and a bunch more will be shipping tomorrow and Thursday. This makes us very very happy. A whole lot of time and care goes into these. Just cutting out those holes in the donuts takes an entire afternoon. 

By now we've developed a pretty good system. Aaron will close himself off in what we call "the cutting room", (which is a room we gutted after Hurricane Sandy and never had a chance to finish) so yeah,  the cutting room is super tiny and at present it's sole purpose is for cutting and sanding our diecuts and signs. Aaron will emerge (covered head to toe in a fine powder of sawdust) from the cutting room with a stack of freshly cut and sanded donut shapes, hand them off to me, and I'll do the gluing up while he cuts and sands another stack. Then, by the time he's through with the dirty work, he'll join me in the studio and together we'll do all of the finer finishing touches. It's repetitive work, but it never bores us because we love the items and we love the people who ordered them. It sounds corny, I know, but that is truly how we feel. Our ultimate motivation is just knowing where these pieces are headed once they leave our studio.

So while we were doing all that stuff I had a window of time where a bunch of things were drying and I had an idea for a fun little springtime project. And yes, the project features one of my favorite collections…my vintage stuffed bunnies!

We were lucky to have some great photo shoot worthy sunshine that day. So in the brightest part of the studio I set up my bunnies one by one and was able to get some clear and vibrant photos of each. Then I printed them out, adhered them to some cardstock with modpodge, brushed on a top coat, and cut them out. 

I just love seeing them as they are right here lying on my worktable. They would make really fun ornaments. 

But my plan was for this garland! I cut a length of this super cute pom pom trim and just taped the bunnies to it with washi tape.

I hung it on a cupboard in the studio. I really love how it turned out! So simple to do! And this could be done using photos of any favorite collection! Imagine pretty little vintage dolls, or even just the doll faces! I was talking to my mom about how easy this was…from concept to completion it took like an hour. I think I'll be making her one adorned with her favorite cabin themed things to hang in their log cabin. 

Here are some of my favorite things on display in the studio. I have been collecting paper mache rabbits for over 16 years, maybe longer! But man have the prices soared in recent years! I'm glad I got the bulk of my collection way back when they were affordable. Nowadays I literally cringe when I see the current prices. 

It's vital to surround yourself with the things you love…especially in the space where you create.

I don't know if I ever shared this here, but you can see it mixed in with all my paper mache rabbits and other candy colored bits in the photo above. It's a vintage Good & Plenty box that I found in a great antique shop here on the Jersey Shore a couple of years ago. Isn't it so much fun?

And lastly, I just needed to share this one again. If you are looking for a fun Easter/ Spring craft to do this week, check out this little how-to for these vintage inspired spun cotton bunny and chick toppers that we had shared last year! 

We loved making them…and seriously, they are so easy and you'll have them to brighten up your cupcakes or other sweet treats for many Easters to come.

Ok, thanks again for reading. We're still cold here in Jersey, but we're hoping hoping hoping for at least semi-tolerable weather for Easter Sunday so we can go out for a stroll and get some festive eats. That would be fantastic. What are your plans for Easter?!

xo, Jenny…and Aaron says hi!