A super cute & easy journaling spot/gift tag tutorial

Hey sweetpeas! Happy Saturday!

As promised I have a quick & easy...and fun tutorial for you! Even if you aren't a journaler, you can whip up a batch of these to use as gift tags or place cards! I myself adore wrapping gifts, and I'm always adding sweet and happy bits to my stash. Ribbons, trims, sequins, feathers, tulle, and the list goes on! Taking an afternoon to create a batch of these will ensure a lovely starting point or "cherry on top" for future gifties!

Gather a simple list of supplies:

-assorted pretty papers

- decorative edged scissors

-assorted paper punches

- ruler

- favorite adhesive

-fine point black marker

Pair pretty papers to punch. :)

If my florals look familiar...you are right! They are leftovers from last weekend's project!

One of my art journaling trademarks is faux stitching. I started adding these tiny dashes to edges of pages and photos and couldn't stop! I love that they add a "handmade" feel! :)

I hope you guys enjoyed this lil tutorial! I'd love to see yours if you make some! :)

Enjoy your day!

xo Jenny

Friday Favorites!

It's Friday! Hooray!

I've actually been waiting all week to share some of these with you! I'm so so excited for Spring and all of the colors and scents and patterns and projects that go with it!

To start, I have to share The Spring issue of Inspired Ideas by my dear dear friend Amy Powers! Amy is one of my all time favorite people! And I consider myself so lucky to be able to count her as a friend. If you don't know of Amy...you must pop over and visit her candy colored, Love filled world! She makes hearts happy! Oh, and you can purchase past issues of Inspired Ideas as well! They are beyond amazing! And I'm not just saying that because we've contributed, I mean it! Non stop eye candy and projects to fill your life with sweetness, magic and fun!

Next up is this darling minty "Ahoy" dress from Shabby Apple! I adore the color combination and cut. Simple yet sweet. It is on my Springtime wishlist! :)

When I first came across this collection I felt as if I had been waiting for them or already owned them, know what I mean? The concept and colors and clean yet sweet feel. The name even makes me smile! The "Collage Cabinet" by Sigrid Strömgren. LOVE it all to bits!

(source)

I know I'm not the only one totally in love with Butter London nail lacquers. Their name alone is cute! And I love their square bottles. I have so many of their polishes on my Springtime wishlist, and at the top of the list is "Rosie Lee". Pink glitter polish!... and look at it paired with that creamy taupe! Classic meets Glam! I LOVE it!

I am so so loving this watch by Kate Spade! I'm not really a watch person, and by not really I mean not at all. But as soon as I saw this I imagined glancing down at my wrist throughout the day. Loving those floating gold "polka dots".

I'd love to see your recent faves, leave me a link to some! :)

I'll be back tomorrow with a sweet & simple tutorial! :)

Happy Weekend!

xo Jenny

Art Journal bits

Hello my dears!

It's Wednesday...by now we have a pretty good idea of how our week is going. Personally I feel like I could use another 6 hrs in each day. More projects than time. But I can't complain, I love having projects, and orders, and ideas! I've said it before...making, and wrapping, and packing art to be shipped off to a new and far away home makes me just beyond happy! I'd never ever complain about that. Even when we were working 17 hr days back when we first debuted the original "Keep Calm And Have A Cupcake" paintings, when I had dark circles under my eyes and days blended into one another, and Aaron felt like he should just pitch at tent at the Post Office. I'd never ever complain. :)

One of the projects I have in the works is actually a tutorial for you guys! Art Journaling related. Actually art journal, gift wrap, paper arts related. I hope to have it all completed and photographed by the weekend. I'm shooting for Saturday...so pop by! :)

Today started on the grey and gloomy side. Heavy and loud claps of thunder and rain till mid afternoon. I was so bummed at the lack of natural light, being that I had a checklist of things to photograph. But luckily Mother Nature got over her moodiness and sent some sunshine our way! I was able to snap the photos I needed and I think having to wait for sun only made me snap happy once I was able... I was going through some art journals and thought I'd share some tiny bits with you. :)

The above two pages feature some of our Original Art Journal stickers! That you can color yourself! We currently offer two pages of color yourself stickers and two that are ready to cut and stick.

We have some sketches for some super cute Summery sticker sheets that we hope to have finished very soon. :)

I find that I am drawn to sunny yellow when journaling. In addition to my trademark pinks, aquas, tans, black and whites.

I LOVE incorporating vintage photos into my pages. I never stick to one scale. It's alwys fun to create a page around your photo. I never know what I will end up with! That's the fun part!

Layers of the same shape are another common thread in my journals. I love the different textures. These are great spots to jot down little thoughts...inside the bubbles. :)

I'm really not a fan of my own handwriting, and when I first started journaling I found that I was starting page after page and skipping the actual journaling part. Art journals are for you...they are extensions of you and the things you love and feel. I have a few go-to "fonts" I use now...like the one above. It's still a wreck...but for some reason repetition makes things feel "real" ...does that make sense? Once I start seeng it over and over..it almost becomes like a color or shape. I stop judging it so much. :)

Aaron and I are big big fans of Art Journaling. And we have been lucky enough to teach some super fun journaling workshops at some reeeeally fab art events across the country. There is nothing like sitting around with likeminded artsy folk cutting, painting, gluing, sticking, stamping, doodling and writing in an art journal! An absolute FAVE pasttime!

Do you art journal? Do you experiment with different styles? Is it personal or more of an "inspiration board" type of thing? I'd love to know/see!

Thanks for visiting me!

Happy rest of the week!

xo Jenny

Lip Gloss Love : Revlon Super Lustrous

Hey dolls!

Thanks so so much for all of the sweet compliments on our weekend project! So many of you pinned and re-pinned it over on Pinterest. Gosh! I mean, I guess it was a dramatic restyle. Never underestimate the power of Paint!! :) I'm looking forward to a Summer full of great yard sale finds and lots and lots of restyling! If you have any fab projects you'd like to share leave me a comment with a link! I'd love to see! :)

For years and years I solely wore deep dark red lips. Very "pin-uppy". That is till I tried Too Faced Glamour Gloss. I seriously fell in love with it! I'm pretty sure the first shade I tried was "barely legal" It was a semi sheer, peachy pink. One of those "My lips, but better" shades. I found that I was wearing it everyday! And have been a gloss gal ever since. Reserving my red lips for certain outfits, parties, and events.

I mostly stuck to higher end brands, till I tried Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss! It's not too sticky, totally true to color, long wearing, pleasant tasting, right amount of gloss/sheen, and has an even application. It is totally comparable to my fave high end brands!

My two fave shades (above) are Pink Whisper, and Pink Pursuit (limited edition). Light but pretty, and they can be layered over other lipcolor if you are looking for shine and a bit of glimmer.

And if you compare prices...Too Faced Glamour Gloss at 19.00 and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss at 6.99...you'd be cuckoo not to give them a try! :) And currently Ulta is offering a buy one get one 50% off!!

Perfect for Spring! :)

What are your current or new beauty faves? I'd love to know!

xo Jenny

A happy sunny weekend project.

Hey kids! It

s late Sunday afternoon and I have one finished project from this weekend to share with you. :)

My lil brother Walt and I were just talking about yard sales and how we just cannot wait for the weather to be consistant enough for them to start popping up around town. He is on the market for "tools" and anything else that will up his "Man" cred. We joke with him daily about how he is such a "Man". He fills his freetime with motors, and spray cans, and wires, and hoses, and power washers, and trips to home depot ... and his favorite shop of all...Harbor Freight! (coincidentally, it's his girlfriend's least favorite.) It's so funny to me. Living with him is a riot...since Aaron is more the artist type...you know, dirty hands mean paint, not motor oil. This weekend Walt's manliness and schooling came in handy... (he is studying heating, cooling, air conditioning, and solar energy.) Our fridge, which happens to be a big stainless steel model that also "came with the house" , was acting up ... the freezer was much like the tundra and the fridge ... just a bit cooler than room temp. So Walt grabbed a big cooler... defrosted the freezer ... and quickly explained all sorts of manly tech mumbo jumbo about coils and insulation. So fastforward to today... he's now offering us all ICE COLD Orange Juice! So proud of himself ... and we are too. It's so hilarious because he's always been a little Mr. fixit . Since he's like 5 the go-to Christmas gift for Walty was a tool box with a can of WD40 included.

Anyways, back to yard sales...

Aaron and I found this piece of furniture for $8.00 last summer. At first Aaron wasn't too into it, but I thought it would be perfect in the bathroom. Those wire baskets are great for storing washcloths, hand towels, extra rolls of t.p., a flat iron or blowdryer.

Well, fast forward to now...our new bathroom in our new place. The piece just so happens to be the EXACT size of this little space next to the sink...a perfect fit! We painted the bathroom a fresh clean white for now, but as soon as we have some free time we will be going with our Salt Water Taffy stripes again and vintage boardwalk and beach theme. All of our bathroom decor is still packed away but I think this fresh and happy piece will be the nudge we need to get going on digging that stuff out and really punching up the new bathroom.

So here is a little tutorial on how we gave this piece a new life:

1. We washed the entire piece with a cloth and warm soapy water. Dried it off completely.

2. Sanded the entire piece with light grit sand paper. Dusted with a cloth.

3. Painted with a primer/sealer such as Kilz. Let dry over night.

4. Painted with a satin finish paint. Dry 4 hrs, recoat.

Of course if you wanted to seal it you could. But the satin paint we used had a lovely finish on it's own.

As for the wire baskets:

1. Wipe down with a paper towel and your favorite spray cleanser.

2. Spray with a can of primer.

3. Spray with your favorite can spray paint. Let dry an hour between coats. We did two coats.

We decided to add some summery, beachy florals to the piece in the form of vintage sheets!...well actually, we made color copies of vintage floral sheets! It's super easy and super cute! Just cut to fit and tape inside behind the glass.

I made some extra copies to be used in summery art journal pages and collages. :)

And there we have it! A Happy new life!

I swear, it seems as if this piece just stepped into Sunshine! right?

Just wanted to share. It is amazing what a lil white paint can do. :)

Have you worked on any home projects lately? Any restyling? I'd love to see!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

xo Jenny

Let's all go to the lobby...

(source)

Hey Kids!

Happy Saturday!

I just had to share this adooorbs photo with you! Spied over on Jesse's blog...it immediatley had me grinning ear to ear! As soon as I saw it, my mind went right to those old timey drive-in movie intermission shorts...you know the dancing snacks?! I can totally hear the lil jingle in my head! "Let's all go to the Lobby, Let's all go to the Lobby..."

Aaron and I are working on a few different projects today. Some sanding, priming, painting, cutting, gluing...you know...the usual. :)

What are you guys up to?

I'll be back tomorrow to share one of our finished projects. For now...back to painting!

xo Jenny

Friday Favorites!

Hey there!

It's Friday! Annnd it is beautiful here on the N.J.

shore! Oh my gosh! The windows are open the birds are chirping and there is an amazing breeze! Aaron is currently out on a bike ride, a favorite past time of his. It has to be so strange cruising the streets of his youth...you know, since we moved back here. We recently took a late night stroll up to the bay walk, which brings you all along Beach Way, and right to the boardwalk, which has rides and stands and all those sorts of shore town things. Sounds of the rollercoaster and the go-carts guy's "one more time around, one more time around". Things I used to hear from my bedroom window as a teen. Town has changed dramatically since then, but these details will allways remain as long as the bay is there, and the amusement park...cotton candy will perfume the breeze, ringing bells and prize buzzers, and weekly fireworks will light the sky.

We've got plans for lots and lots of evenings on the deck, but first we want to stain the floor boards and paint the railings. Soon to come...twinkly lights & comfy cushions, tiki torches & smores. We never really had a winter this year...never a real snowfall...never even a long enough stretch of very cold days. In January and February we were disappointed...but now... bring on Spring!! And please Mother Nature...Do Not skip straight to summer... give us a few beautiful weeks of cool breeze and sunshine...please.

Alright, time to share some favorites!

First up...

The fabulous work of Denise Julia Reytan! These necklaces are just incredible! The texture, color, shape...just gorgeous! I LOOOOVE them! Aaron looked over my shoulder as I was putting this blog together and he went "Whoa! those necklaces are amazing!"

These adooorable doily coasters from Uncommon on etsy. I've had them bookmarked forevs. They are just the perfect balance of vintage and modern! :)

This adoooorbs tutorial! Whimsical patchwork cakes on stands dish towels! A Super fun springtime craft project with friends! LOVE them!

Ohh and these fantastic paper origami lampshades from nellianna on etsy. If you follow me on Pinterest you know I have been a fan of these for a while! Just so so cool! Love them!

How cuuuute is this pillow?! I just love everything about this! You know I'm a sucker for black lines over pretty patterns! Much like our Lovely Ladies, Layers & Lines kit! ;)

Okie Doke...

Time for me to get back to work! Lots of painting, packing, shipping, and organizing going on over here! Almost time for spring cleaning! Coming from an apt, we really didn't think of things like washing windows...things are about to get lemony fresh in here! :)

Happy Weekend lovies!

xo Jenny

My top 10 Favorite Movies of all time!

Hey kids!

Last night while laying in bed waiting to drift to dreamland, not sure why, but all I could think of was Movies! My fave fave movies! I lie there putting up fingers, counting...trying to pick my top ten. The first three came easy...the rest weren't too much of a struggle. But trying to put them in order...impossible. One thing I do know for sure though is that my absolute fave fave fave of all time is The Shining. Oh jeez, the soundtrack is so so good...the music in the opening scene as you see an aerial view of the mountain road leading to the hotel. People might like holiday style movies on a snow day at home. I think...The Shining! I could watch it over and over and over. It sets a mood like no other...just a perfect pace.

When I was growing up my dad looked a LOT like Jack. And yeah, if you're peeking ahead at the rest of the list you'll see that Jack stars in 3 of my top 10! Around the time of Easy Rider my dad was stopped by people all the time. And around the time of The Shining he'd pull back his hairline and grin to do the impression. I'm not sure if my dad's likeness has anything to do with my Jack obsession.

28 Days Later...maybe true Zombie enthusiasts say that this isn't a Zombie movie...but more of a Plague movie... (Well, I'm a Zombie nut through and through...but I'm not that big on technicalities) I just know that it's Zombie movie to me...and again...the soundtrack in the opening sequence of an abandoned London...Incredible!

Grey Gardens...what can I say about it? It really deserves it's own post entirely. When you're through watching it...if you're not repeating parts of it over and over then you just didn't watch closely enough. Big Edie and Little Edie...the two most unwitting film icons ever!

And Cuckoos Nest... the end breaks my heart every time. And every scene leading up to it speaks volumes about how we all manage to get-by in life in our own way.

I remember seeing Stand By Me for the first time... it was just so perfect for a kid...every part was better than the last. I remember calling the radio station requesting the song...hahaha!

A Christmas Story is a hands down classic in anybody's book. I mean, they do 24 hour marathons of it every year on tv. Like Stand By Me it's a movie that portrays an earlier period of growing up in a America...but it was made when I was growing up...so these films feel old when in fact they were conteporary.

Duel...I saw it for the first time, home alone, glued to the tv...So simple and perfect. A horror movie like no other...Dennis Weaver is Incredible!

The King of Marvin Gardens...is just bananas! Not sure why Bruce Dern doesn't make the cover. This movie just kills me. I love that it is set in Atlantic City, right in that in-between era. The logical thought when you first see it is that Bruce Dern seems to be in the role that Jack should be in...and vice versa. But Bruce absolutely kills it as the more gregarious brother. (footnote: an Honorable Mention of mine is the movie Bottle Rocket, which in my opinion, would not exist without King of Marvin Gardens...and that's a compliment.)

The Goonies! If you are around my age and this isn't on your list...well, maybe you had the flu when you were compiling your list. I saw it in the theater one afternoon...me, my sis, and my Dad! Which was a very rare occasion...Just us and my dad. I guess me and Missy were climbing up the walls that rainy day, so he took us to the movies. I remember that we could hear the sound of the rain on the roof of the theater...and the thunder overpowered the soundtrack. And here's the kicker...just as Chunk is creeping down the hall in the Fratelli's hideout...at the end of which awaits the one and only Sloth!...bam!...the power in the movie theater goes out! And the power stayed out...sure, we got our money refunded...but mannnn, I remember having having to wait a WHILE before getting to see the rest of the movie. (imagine that?! really...it was miserable...it felt really bad getting cut-off like that! hahaha!)

And lastly, is the oh so perfect Sixteen Candles. I bring this movie up all the time to my younger brothers. And recently I was shocked to learn that my brother Jason has never seen it. I momentarily questioned our blood relation. For some reason Jason cannot bear to watch movies that "look old". Anything prior to let's say...the 1990's...turns his stomach and doesn't hold his attention...weirdo. I'm the opposite...if flipping through channels and I see a movie that looks like an "Instagram"... I jam on the brakes.

Anyway, this post... Random? yes. Fun? absolutely.

If you'd like to join in the random fun and list your fave 10...comment/link back...so I can come see them.

xoxo Jenny

Dazzling deborah lippmann dupe!

Hey dolls!

Popping in to share a super fab find...but first, Hello! Hello! to my new friends and followers! So so lovely to be connected! It makes me so happy to see your sweet lil faces showing up on GFC and hellocotton! ...and of course so fun visiting your lil corners of blogland!

And I am just beyond excited about the fabulous group of sponsors lined up for April! What a diverse gathering of mega fun, talented, and sweet gals! You still have time to join the fun! Feature spot is booked till summer...but large and medium ads still offer some fab exposure and fun interaction!

Ok, ok...so last friday I shared a FAVE with you...

Deborah Lippman "glitter in the air" nail laquer. Well, I am so beyond excited to share this dead ringer dupe with you! Revlon's "Whimsical"! They are like seeeriously identical! After finding it I had to do some googling, knowing I can count on die hard beauty bloggers to have the 411! This gal's post really carved it in stone for me. With a savings of pretty much $10.00, it's enough to make me squeal! I've been wearing it for the past 4 days, and I promise, I smile everytime I catch a glance! :)

ohh...and I was super excited to see my Lime Crime post featured as a "Top of the Day" Beauty Blog on hellocotton yesterday! :)

Ok, I just had to share with you!

Be back tomorrow!

xo Jenny

Lime Crime!

Hey lovies!

Oh my goodness...first, Thank you SO much for all of the excited emails about sponsoring Everyday is a Holiday in April! I am so excited that you are so excited! It is going to be so much fun!! You still have some time. Email your reservation by March 28th. :)

Ok, so I've been meaning to blog my LOVE of Lime Crime for months! Just before the Holidays I received the most magical package ever! From this goooorgeous gal herself, Doe Deere! Are you not familiar with this starlet? I'm sure you have come across a dazzling photo of her somewhere in the blogosphere. Her likeness, her look, whether she goes lavish or low-key...a certain quality always remains...she's current, hip, now, chic. And because of this, she has the ability to be so utterly chameleonesque and instantly recognizable. And as if her beauty alone wasn't enough...she's a genuine triple threat...a make-up artist, entrepreneur, and model. Her stylish photoshoots have become ubiquitous in our part of the universe. And you know what I mean by our universe...we're all Pinterest pals, blog buddies, Flickr friends...and Lime Crime embodies everything we desire in cosmetics right now. But ya know what?...I want to clarify something. She's more than right now, hipper than hip. She's better than today...she's tomorrow. A predictor, a forecaster, a sort-of style oracle. This is a rare gift...and that's why I simply had to feature her!

Doe Deere was born in Russia and moved to New York at the age of 17. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband & and three cats. She was named one of the 'Top Inspiring Women Enterpreneurs of 2010' by Self-Made magazine alongside Suze Orman and Arianna Huffington.

Lime Crime's mission is to break up the stale beauty ideals with fashion-forward shades and unmatched color payoff, so you may create looks as vivid and unique as you are. They are committed to providing the kind of fantasy makeup experience you deserve and couldn't get from any other brand. Their makeup comes packaged up in purple tubes adorned with sparkling unicorns because they believe that a modern young woman uses makeup as more than just the means to get pretty, but indeed, as an accessory. Their mascot, a unicorn, serves as a symbol of individuality and freedom of expression.

Let me share with you my ab fabs!

CENTRIFUCHSIA opaque lipstick

GLAMOUR101 opaque wine lipstick

EYESHADOW HELPER waterproof eyeshadow primer

I adore this!

CUPCAKE THIEF magic dust eyeshadow

NYMPH magic dust eyeshadow

I am seeeriously in LOVE with the new Chinadoll palettes! So beyond cute! Pop over and like Lime Crime on facebook, and follow Doe's blog for non stop eye candy and whimsy!

Ridiculously cute no?

xo Jenny