This year, as luck would have it, my birthday fell on a Saturday! If you've been a follower of my blog or know me...you know that our "crew"...meaning my siblings and Aaron...have made it a tradition to spend each other's FULL birthdays together...to do whatever the birthday boy or girl desires. We started this tradition many years ago and it really has enriched our relationships with one another and it has shone a special light on each of our big days. Because lets face it, when you're a girl getting on in years, you have to invent all sorts of stuff to make your b-day a day that you look forward to...ya know?!So, we make it an all day affair...and my b-day happens to be during my favorite time of year (but that could be a "chicken or the egg" type thing)...and I usually pick a daytime destination like Lambertville / New Hope...these are fantastically old antiquing towns and you stroll the leaf strewn streets...maybe sip some cocoa...maybe find a cornfield maze. Or maybe if the weather isn't agreeable we'll hit a gigantic mall like Palisades Center, and just shop all day and eat all night. But this year my brother Jay was working and we wanted to stick kinda close to home so that he could join us for dinner when he got off work in the evening. Sticking close to home turned out to be an amazing idea.
Don't ask me how I have managed to overlook this wonderland of a place for so long! It is so so fitting that this was my chosen birthday destination...for the trip there, and the discovery of this treasure that was right under my nose, truly was a GIFT! If you're not already familiar...please allow me to introduce you to Scrappers Cove! It's located in a small New Jersey town named Milltown and even though you could say it's in the middle of nowhere, it's really like a half hour away from my home and it's super easy to get to...very close to Rutgers University. The pictures I've posted here are just the itty bitty tip of the iceberg. They have everything the scrapper/art journalist could ever want! The full line of Smash...GORGEOUS ribbons...Copics galore...and all the boutique lines that we drool over online are right there for you to see and touch. Papers that you have never before laid eyes on...unlike your visits to AC Moore and Michaels...those two places have had the same exact papers for about five years now!
On our maiden voyage to Scrappers Cove this past Saturday, we had the pleasure of meeting Pat...she was running the place that day...and she's the mom of the gals that are behind the shop's perfection. Those two...the daughters...were off vending at some fab scrappy event. I would say it was a shame that we didn't get a chance to meet them...but we're gonna go back there so often that it doesn't really matter! ;) We'll be old friends before we know it!
And like any excellent scrappy shop...they host in-shop classes. Yup, classes taught by the likes of Tim Holtz, Claudine Hellmuth, and more! A class had just wrapped up when we arrived on Saturday...and wouldn't you know it...the class was taught by a friend that we met at Art Opera last year...Peggy! Super Sweet! We were immediately reminiscing and talking shop...favorite bloggers, scrappers, companies, art retreats. We got to talking about the possibility of us teaching some classes there...it would be great! So close to home...and teaching in a place that has that much amazing product would be so inspiring. I've always loved PRODUCTS...and lots of them. The more I have around me, the better my creative brain works. It's just the possibility of possibilities that opens my artistic floodgates up. Aaron was never this way. He's always been the kind of artist who just resigns himself to work with what's on hand...even if his supply pantry is nearly bare. Well, I've managed to infect him with the PRODUCT bug. Now he LOVES "stuff" and understands the importance of surrounding himself with as much "stuff" as possible when it's time to create. It's all about open doors and endless possibilities...having lots of products on hand will do this for you.
So my Birthday also happened to be on the same day as Asbury Park's annual Zombie Walk... another little birthday gift from the universe to me (I'm a HUGE zombie fan!) Check out that pic below!! Those are all ZOMBIES! Staggering in the warm October sunshine, out celebrating my birthday! And oh yeah, the pics above are from our annual trip to the Cheesecake Factory...yup, we somehow always end up at Cheesecake Factory on my birthday. I got the pumpkin cheesecake...deeeeelish!
We popped in at Porta...to see our brother Jason, that's where he works...and being that it's located in Asbury, the place was filled with zombies! If you look close...the couple just to the right of center are zombies...and so are their cute little daughters! :)
These two zombies waiting for a table...It's nice of Porta to allow them to bring in outside food...I mean BRAINS!
Ok, so sorry for the length of this post...but I had a few things I just needed to include! These two new listings in the shop I'm very excited about...our Ornament Kits! We've made ornaments like this for years...and now we've really gotten into teaching instead of doing. We want to put our raw materials in the hands of the collector/student. Our Ornies are a perfect Holiday project...first, because they are easy enough for anyone to make...and second, because your finished projects are classic Holiday decorations that you'll want to display year after year. Check them out in the shop now...and look forward to lots more kits, paper packs, and sticker sheets in FULL COLOR. If things go the way we hope they will...you guys are gonna be super super busy creating with Everyday is a Holiday exclusive imagery!
One last thing...something I'm really psyched about...A Giveaway! Yes, we have a GIVEAWAY here!! This one is for LOCAL peeps! Or anyone that will be in the Somerset NJ area October 28, 29, 30.
So leave a comment...and if you are the winner, I will get you your two tickets asap!
2 Tickets to the Sugarloaf Craft Festival! :)
It's a very big event which we'll be attending...and so will you...if you win the giveaway!...I can't wait to see these artists in person!
Event DetailsFor over 30 years, the nation’s most talented artisans have personally sold their contemporary crafts and fine art at Sugarloaf Craft Festivals. Rated as one of the top craft experiences in the country, last year more than 175,000 visitors attended Sugarloaf Craft Festivals and enjoyed the work of thousands of juried artisans.
You can read all about the festival here! Get directions here. Print a coupon to save 1.00 on entry here. Become a fan on facebook too!
We will be attending as shoppers and blogging the event! We'd LOVE to run into you there! If you'd like to go just leave a comment here! I know so many of you are spread out all over the country and in other countries and wish you could be there, but I'll promise next best thing...a great recap of the show...with photos...and links to my hand picked fave artists! :)
thanks again! xoxo, Jenny