Goodbye Google Friend Connect..

Hey Kids!

Some of you may already know...and for those of you who didn't get the memo, Google Friend Connect will be gone for all non "blogger hosted" blogs starting March 1, 2012. Here is what they had to say...

" Google Friend Connect—Friend Connect allows webmasters to add social features to their sites by embedding a few snippets of code. We’re retiring the service for all non-Blogger sites on March 1, 2012. We encourage affected sites to create a Google+ page and place a Google+ badge on their site so they can bring their community of followers to Google+ and use new features like Circles and Hangouts to keep in touch. " (Source)

Gosh, I am really just so bummed about the way they are forcing all of us to use Google+. I was initially near tears (I kid you not) about a month ago when I found out that Picnik was closing (also thanks to Google). I personally am not impressed with Google+. It has taken all of us years to gather our friends together in one spot, whether it's on our blogs or facebook, or wherever...we've just gotten comfortable and dare I say "experienced" with the way things work, and how we find each other, and how we make sure that others can find us...and now Google goes and purposely throws a wrench into the works...doing whatever they can to inconvenience us enough to switch to their sevice. I don't like this kind of business...it's got that 'hostile takeover' smell to it. Wow, I guess I'm wearing my opinion on my sleeve. Anyway, even if I was down with Google+, I just can't see it all transitioning smoothly.

Well, on much more positive note...I am super excited to share three happy ways for you to continue to follow my blog...and all of your favorite blogs!

First, the brannnnnnd NEW hellocotton.com! Which I am loving!! So easy to navigate! I have already found so many new bloggers to crush on! I highly recommend it! I know it is going to grow into something fabulous!! Join the fun now!

And we also have the growing-in-popularity, bloglovin'.com. Which I've been using a bit, and now I'll be jumping in wholeheartedly!! :)

And lastly... there's following by email! Super easy, and if you are not a fan of blog music or if pages load super slowly for you, then this may be the perfect answer! And being that it's in your email you'll also never miss a blog entry, giveaway, or sale! :)

All three options are there to the right! I hope that you'll continue to follow me. I have soooo many things planned for this blog! :)

Ohh ohh!! And thanks so so much for all of the entries for our Pin It to Win It giveaway!! You still have time!! We'll be choosing a winner Monday! :)

Love you guys to bits!

xo Jenny

Pin it to WIN it!

Hey Kids! Happy Friday!

It's been a rainy, chilly day here on the N.J. shore. We've been busy in the studio working on lots of super fun new designs and projects. We are so thrilled by the response to our diecuts! Gosh, thank you guys! We love that you "get it"! Of course we all "need" giant wood Vanilla Extract bottles hanging in our kitchens! We love the smiles they bring and the compliments from visiting friends! :)

We really love making these and have sooo many ideas for future designs. So much so...we are going to be putting the majority of our time and energy into them. New paintings will be for diecuts and signs. Our roots are in home decor, furniture, antiques and signage. Gosh, we are so happy to be working with wood!

Ok ok...so here is where we need your help! We would LOVE if you guys would help to spread the word about our New JUMBO diecuts! We would love to be making these round the clock, packing and shipping them all over the globe! :)

And for your super duper kindess and support we would love to make this FUN!

All you have to do for 2 chances at a $50.00 gift certificate to the Everyday is a Holiday shop is...

Visit the shop, choose your favorite diecut and Pin it on Pinterest! Linking back to this post!

For a second chance pin the above photo to Pinterest with "Repin to win!” in the description. Or repin it from here to be entered. One super sweet & lucky winner will be doing some shopping with us!

Thanks so so much guys!! Love ya to bits!

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Pinning!!

xo Jenny

A couple more classic kitchen cut outs

Hi guys!

I'm so so excited to share our newest JUMBO diecuts with you!! I have had this super fun vintage vanilla extract bottle sketched on napkins and tiny bits of paper for years! I cannot tell you how happy I am to actually have the "real life" version hanging on our wall! Of course we had to include "Charlotte" in the company logo!.... teeny tiny polka dots ...pastel frosted cupcakes, ... And I love the pop of the red cap...like a cherry on top. :)

We really have to thank you all so so much for all of the incredible feedback on our diecuts! We are so excited to see them hanging in YOUR homes! So please please send us some photos! We'd LOVE to see your vintage kitchens and bakery inspired vignettes! :)

Annnd... a PINK retro mixer!! This is a different style from our Aqua and Red versions. It's more "Kitchenaid" inspired.

Both are now in the shop! We have lots more on the drawing board and we couldn't be more excited! So stay tuned!

And be sure to come back tomorrow for a super duper fabulous Giveaway!!

Thanks for popping in!

xo Jenny

Dreaming of Spring!

Hey kids!

Hoping you all had a lovely weekend. We were busy working on all sorts of projects! Finishing up some more diecuts (chocolate bunnies), putting the final touches on some upcoming workshops (so so excited for Art is..You), painting possibly my abbbsolute favorite new image to date! (just you wait!), and a bunch of other things that seem to take hours and hours. Not that I mind spending my weekend on these things, I actually love it! Aaron and I find that even when we tell ourselves to put the paint brushes down and be "normal people" for the day, our brains go into overdrive...coming up with all sorts of new ideas and imagery! We always end up back in the studio! The only way to keep us from our art is to take us on a day trip! Even then..I will have a napkin or tiny scrap of paper in my purse with these totally ridiculous itty bitty overly detailed sketches ... I just have to get them out of me and into the world...even if it is only on a napkin!

We are really excited about this fella. A classic chocolate rabbit! This painting was inspired by a real deal antique chocolate mold. As you know I am a big big big big bunny fan! The older the better! Vintage paper mache candy containers being my first love, with stuffed Easter bunnies from the 40s-50s being a very very close second. You may remember seeing some of my collection in this photo from the 30 day photo challenge I participated in last year. :)

Here in our Everyday is a Holiday world Easter bunnies live right along side glittery hearts, and bottle brush trees all year round. So you can bet a JUMBO sized Chocolate Rabbit will become part of the everyday family over here.

We'll be making a batch this week, so if you'd like one of your

own hop on over to the shop to order one today! :)

Ok ok! I am just sooo beyond excited about Art Is You this year! Yes, it isn't till the fall, but we have been doing lots of planning and reworking, which has us feeling like it is right around the corner. Registrations will be opening soon soon! I posted these sneak peeks over on facebook and received so many lovely and excited comments! Thank you so much sweetpeas! We will be teaching the two workshops above. "Something Sweet This Way Comes" a very very fun mixed media assemblage, and yeah, that's a faux chocolate layer cake setting the stage for the adorable tableau on top. We had in mind a childhood favorite of ours...the Ray Bradbury tale: Something Wicked This Way Comes... which was made into a fave childhood movie... starring Jason Robards. I loved it and watched it obsessively! Scary yet magical...the parade through town when young Will and Jim hide in the grate beneath the street!

And in "On the Menu..." We will be creating fabulously sweet AND useful art for the home. Chalkboards... accented with vintage baking book pages...our original imagery... and plenty of tips and tricks for easy hand lettering...There'll be a few shapes and sizes to choose from. You can go strictly decorative or leave a bunch of room to make it a full function kitchen chalkboard.

If you are looking for an incredible artsy getaway the place you gotta be this fall is at the Art is You Art Retreat ... like them on facebook for daily inspiration and a community of super friendly, open armed creative peeps.

I know I tell you that I am just so so excited on a daily basis...which is the truth...but I promise that our very next Diecut is indeed my faaaaaavorite painting in a loooong time! It has been in my dreams for quite some time...and scribbled on many a napkin. So excited to finally bring it to life in the real world! I hope to share it with you guys within the next few days! :)

Thanks bunches for visiting!

Love you to bits!

xo Jenny

Not your Mama's banana bread.

Ok so, Pinterest...I seriously cannot say enough. I cannot go a day without popping in...at least 5x! I kid you not. Even if for only 5 mins. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have all night pinfests. It's just that good. And I'm sure I'm not the only gal in town who has put on the pinterest 10...much like the freshman 15. After pinning, one cannot just walk through life, let alone their kitchen without thinking..ohhhh what could I make! From organizing tips, to decor ideas, fashion wish lists, to Recipes! It's pretty much an addiction. So of course when I paused my pinning to walk to the laundry room to switch over a load I spied the bananas on the kitchen table..instantly flashed to the left over buttermilk from our Valentine's dinner recipe..and wizza wizza what..I was baking up a batch of these adorbs lil scrummy yummies before I knew it.

Ok, so our generation grew up eating banana bread when mom or grandma couldn't bare the thought of tossing out that browning bunch. It was never a planned, shopped for treat. Not that it wasn't yummy. Who am I kidding I don't think I've met a bread or cake I didn't like (read devour). But you know what I mean.

Ok so, I came across this recipe for buttermilk banana bread. Which

boasted being the best. It sure looked good. And seemed to be much more than an "only for salvadged nanas" recipe. I happen to own wayyy more baking pans than I should. all shapes and sizes. I'm a sucker for cutesy cakes. So I pulled out a mini loaf pan I had, and a cakelet pan (twinkie) from Williams Sonoma. Pulled together my ingredients, which were all pretty much staples, but for the buttermilk. Super duper simple! all dry in one bowl, all wet in the other...mix em up...pour in pans!

Recipe:

Mix together:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

In a separate bowl combine:

3 eggs

3/4 cups softened butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

4 large mashed bananas

I added 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine dry & wet ingredients. Mix well.

Pour into greased mini loaf pans.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 mins. Till edges are golden.

BEST results if baked in mini loaf pans! :)

But here is where the chubster in me had to take it to the next level...

Once these cuties are cool...

Slice in half, spread with cream cheese and blackberry jam! Ahhh! Yes! This is the stuff that makes mouths happy. And they are pretty darn adorable aren't they? They'd be the perfect afternoon tea party treat! Served wrapped in large cupcake wrappers, you know hugging them like a blankie. Maybe a light sprinkling of powdered sugar too. They make me feel British when I eat em. I love those Brits and their sweets. Geez... and their kitchen "dressers", which we call hutches. They always stock them with stripey bowls and jugs, and polka dot plates, and cutesy egg cups.

Much like these:

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Pure cozy cuteness huh? Alright, I'll be snacking on these sweet bits for the next few days. Who's gonna join me?

Be back soon! Enjoy your weekend!

xo Jenny

GIVEAWAY Time!!

Hey kids!

So last night was super nice. We made a yummy dinner annnnd dessert, which I MUST share with you! It was a knock off of the Applebees Maple Butter Blondie! You know that ridiculous thing that comes in a sizzling skillet...in a pool of maple-y, butter-y, vanilla-y goodness? Yes! That one! Well I found the recipe on Pinterest, of course. It was suuuper yummy. Yes over the top, yes semi crazy, but oh my goodness gracious, it was so deeelish! And it makes a ton! Enough for a dinner party or pot luck. We loved it, and so did my brothers! Here is the recipe:

The Cake:

4 egg whites

1 stick of butter (softened)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup evaporated milk

8 0z. white chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For Sauce:

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cream cheese (softened)

2 tbsp. maple syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Plus:

8 scoops vanilla ice cream (Haagen Dazs)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and grease a 9x13 pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

3. Add butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract to the egg whites, beat till fluffy.

4. In seperate bowl, sift together dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

5. Gradually add dry mixture to the batter, mix using a spatula until smooth.

6. Add milk, chocolate chips, and walnuts to the batter by folding.

7. Pour batter into a greased pan. Bake 40-45 mins, until top is golden brown.

8. Meanwhile, prepare sauce by beating together the cream cheese and butter till smooth.

9. Add the sugar, maple syrup, and salt. mix well. set aside.

10. Serve cake warm with warmed sauce, (microwave till pourable.) a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a sprinking of walnuts. ( I use candied walnuts)

Store cake at room temp in sealed container/tight foil

Store sauce in fridge.

When serving next day, just plate up the cake and a scoop of the frosting..microwave for 50 secs, add ice cream, and nuts! :)

Enjoy!!

Ok, who is ready for a GIVEAWAY!?

We are super excited to be teaming up with the world famous Cupcakes Take the Cake blog to give away one of our JUMBO cupcake diecuts! :) Fun huh? All you have to do is comment here, and you'll be entered! Giveaway ends Feb. 20th at 6pm. Spread the word!

Become a fan on Facebook too!

Good Luck guys!!

be back soon...

xo Jenny

Lots of Love!

Hey Lovies!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ahhh...A day all about PINK, and RED, and hearts, and hugs & kisses, and chocolate and all the people that we LOVE to bits!

As you guys may know, Aaron and I cook a fancy, yummy meal together each Valentine's Day. It is a tradition we have grown so so fond of! We normally go with a recipe from Martha, or Food Network. We are still tossing ideas around as I write this. And now with pinterest...yowzer...there are just endless possibilties!

Walt will be going to see his girlfriend, and I'm sure Jason will be out on the town. So it will be a quiet, cozy evening here in the house. Just us, yummy dinner (and dessert) and the pups!

And let me take a moment to disagree with what all the cliche movies & stuff try to force feed us about how Valentines Day is only for couples or those lucky enough to have dates. NOT TRUE. Valentines Day is about the celebration of LOVE...in all it's shapes, sizes, colors, flavors, etc, etc... Love is a wonderful thing...the more the better. You don't need a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse.

Love your family, friends...call your mom, your dad, your sister, your brother. Heck, take the day to love yourself. Treat yourself to something you love. Make some food you love. Create some art you love. To me, Valentines is wide open to interpretation and it's always been way at the tippy top of my fave holiday list.

Me and Aar decided a while back that it would be a day to just focus on us...no stress...no where to be...no where to go. Just us doing what we wanna do, when we wanna do it. And its been working just fine for us...definitely one of our favorite days of the year.

What do you guys have planned?

Any fancy restaurants? Cutesy traditions? Special treats? I'd love to hear about them!

LOVE you guys to bits!

xo Jenny

busy busy!

Hey there! Just popping in for a bit to say hi! Aaron and I have been working like two lil' elves over here. We were able to photograph and list a few more JUMBO diecuts in the shop today. I'm especially excited about the Charlotte! She has been floating around the house all day! On the mantel, hung on the wall above the mantel, on a shelf ...in the kitchen, and the bedroom. She looks pretty darn happy no matter where we put her! She's such a FUN size! A total focal point for any antiquey vignette. So yes...she is my current fave! :)

And here are the cherry topped cupcakes I spoke of yesterday. Aren't they just so cute?

And an old fashioned classic slice of layer cake! I'm thinking we may need a big glass of milk to pair it with!

Ohh and guess what tonight is? (12:00 AM EST) It's the February update over at Spookytime Jingles! Annnnd we have a special lil Easter piece this month! As always, these are one of a kind creations so if you love them...grab em!

That's it for now...less than an hour till The Walking Dead premiers!! Ahhh!! Hooray!

xo Jenny

They're here! They're here!

Hey kids!

Just want to thank you guys so so much for all of the super sweet words here on the blog and over on facebook about the new Jumbo diecuts! So happy you like them! We are really just so excited about them. We spent most of today finishing up photographing and listing the first batch in the shop. It is quite hard to pick a favorite. At first I thought the chocolate layer cake was it...gosh, then when we hung the aqua mixer, my face squinched up, and my heart raced a bit.. So for today...it's the mixer. Tomorrow may be the cherry topped cupcakes on a plate. (still to be photographed)

We have 4 in the shop and hope to have 4 more listed tomorrow. Including a BIG Charlotte doll head, and a Chocolate Rabbit! :)

If you'd like one of your own pop over and check them out! They are made to order and will ship in about 1-2 weeks. (unless we get mega orders...which wouldn't be a bad thing.)

Hope you guys have a GREAT weekend!!

ooh oooh....before I go...The Walking Dead comes back tomorrow night!!! YAAAAAY!!

xo Jenny

A girl can dream...

Like I said a million times...the kitchen is the heart and soul of a home. And I promise that you'll get re-acquainted with that idea if you ever move into a new place. Me and Aaron just moved and it was just so utterly essential to get the kitchen in living/working order before even getting all of our boxes over to the new place. We've already had all of our bigger discussions around the table, celebrated a birthday, ate a holiday meal...and now we're trying our best to stock the cupboards with our New Year's resolution diet foods.

Today I took some pics in the new kitchen...just a couple sneak peeks of our new Jumbo solid wood cutouts of sweets. They're on half inch thick wood, super sturdy, heirloom quality... And they are BIG. Great pieces of home decor. Pictured here is our chocolate cupcake and our three layer cake. But these are the mere tippy tops of the iceberg. We've got dozens in progress...including a slice of cake, a large Charlotte doll head, tray of cupcakes, ice cream cone, chocolate bunny, pink paper mache rabbit, and a couple versions of vintage stand mixers...including a fantastic RED one...which peeps have been requesting left and right. The mixers are so fabulous...very big statement pieces for the home...or business for that matter. These will be available very soon. And what we're really thrilled about is that our carpenter is my little brother Walt. He's been working away at making his workshop a visually awesome space...he really had in his mind that his shop would be for tinkering mostly with engines and various greasy objects...but we instantly invaded his space with saws and the requisite sawdust. He's more than thrilled to be our woodcutting machine...but he's gonna need a new shop-vac for all the dust.

We hope to have most of the collection photographed and listed in the shop this weekend! So stay tuned! And for up to the minute news and SALES like us on facebook! :)

Ok, well being that I'm in a kitchen state of mind...and vintage/retro is the only way I go...I wanted to feature some amazing "new vintage" appliances from SMEG! For many years I've had tear sheets of these beauties pinned to my cork board. The colors are so dreamy and creamy...the streamlined/chunky designs are right out of my fantasy sketchbooks. I'm so in love with British kitchens...and that's where I spied SMEG fridges and stoves most often. Buying all those import magazines used to be so expensive but Pinterest certainly solved that financial obstacle. You can get these kitchen cuties on-line here. It's a super fab source for all your SMEG needs. Customer reviews for all of these pieces are stellar. My dream kitchen will certainly come to fruition one day...and there will be SMEG appliances for sure. I love the chunky hinged door handle especially. Heck, for years I've been wanting one of their refrigerators for our bedroom! We wouldn't plug it in...just use it as a dresser for sweaters and other warm clothes. A girl can dream...can't she?

Alright, just thought I'd check in from my corner of the kitchen. I'll be back really soon with more pics and links for shop listings of our brand new solid wood cutouts.
xoxo, Jenny

Scroll down for more SMEG eye candy!!


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I've been baking...

Hey Kids!

Just wanted to pop in and say hi! It is incredible how time flies! ... And when you're doing tons of stuff...especially stuff like moving to a new home...it's so easy to lose track of your last interactions with friends.

So finally, we are now 99.999 % out of the old apartment . Remaining are Aaron's 10,000 books that are still in the garage. Yes, he is an over the top Book Maniac, Bibliophile, Literature Addict. He never leaves the house without at least 5 books. I kid you not! Why does one need 5 books annnnd 2 marble notebooks for a 5 minute ride to the corner store?!

In our last place we/he had books on the kitchen table, under the kitchen table, behind the kitchen table, on the chairs, in the bathroom, on the arm of the couch, on a little stool next to the couch, and oh my goodness...also under the bed, next to the bed...and completely filling up his vintage cupboard... barely leaving any space at all for his fake teeth, wigs, kazoo, harmonica, Mexican wrestling masks, 3d glasses, and other weird Aaron things. Despite our busting-at-the-seams-existence...Aar has no plans to shed any of his wacko props...he's always referencing possible future films we may make and how these items would be indispensable. Though he is going to let go of the majority of his books...he realizes that they are more obsession than collection. He is willing to surrender to the Nook.

The house is certainly feeling more like home these days. Even though there are still boxes to the ceiling in most rooms, we are able to have actual family dinners, and watch movies together on the couch. When we considered the pros and cons of this move, a big pro was the fact that we'd be forced to let go of so many of our obsessive/control freak behaviors. In the past we'd never be able to actually relax sitting in a room full of cardboard boxes. We're learning to let go and chill. Living with my little brothers certainly helps in this respect.

And speaking of chilling...I've been doing lots of cooking and baking (one of my fave forms of chilling) ...

Here's one quick and super yummy and fun recipe I made last week...and will be making again and again. I found this on pinterest of course...

7up Biscuits!

Super easy and I'd say fool proof. Click here for the recipe!

And how on earth could I go any longer without baking Magnolia Bakery cupcakes in the new oven? My lil bro Walt had been begging me since we moved in. (he LIVES for Magnolia Cupcakes!)

They seriously are the most delicious vanilla/yellow cake recipe ever. It is so so worth the extra steps and time. The cake is incredible all on it's own! But who am I kidding...this vanilla buttercream frosting is killer! They baked up PERFECTLY. I didn't know what to expect with this big old crazy industrial oven. Well ... it totally proved itself! :)

Walt has eaten about 10 cupcakes over the past 2 days. Lunatic!

Here is the recipe:

• 
  

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

• Directions

1. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. In a small bowl, add the flours; stir to combine; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
4. Add the sugar gradually and beat for 3 minutes or until fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.
7. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overmix.
8. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full.
9. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes.
10. Cool the cupcakes in the tin for 15 minutes.
11. Remove cakes from the tins and cool on a wire rack before frosting.
12. Frost with tinted Vanilla Buttercream.
13. 
    

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

For 24 cupcakes or Two-layer 9-in cake



• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6 -8 cups confectioners' sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For Three-Layer 9-in Cake



• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
• 8 -10 cups confectioners' sugar
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  

Directions

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.
3. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the frosting is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.
5. Note: You may not need to add all of the sugar.

And oh yeah...a little SALE for any shoppersIt's Super Bowl Sunday, it's quiet, calm..pups are snoozing, Walt and his girlfriend Val are celebrating her dad's birthday, Jason is out and about, and Aaron and I are working on some suuuuper fun NEW things while watching the game, and eating pierogis! Hope you all are enjoying your day!
If you feel like doing a lil shopping...we have a Super Bowl SALE over in the shop! Use code: GAMEDAY for 25% off your entire order! :)
I'll be back super soon with some Show & Tell!
xo Jenny