Holy Crow guys! For any of you who have been following since Hurricane Sandy, you know that we here on the Jersey Shore were hit hard. And our little area especially...both where we work and play. Our home was a mess, but still standing, and thankfully not compromised enough to warrant an official red sticker that says 'uninhabitable'. Our outcome was not the same as many of the homes right near us. They are gone for good...whole neighborhoods waiting for the wrecking ball. So although we lost a bunch of treasures and have lots of home repairs left to do, we are lucky.
Sandy's ripple effect is long lasting. For months we worked from Aaron's parent's house...our make shift studio was their dining room table and we were crowding their living room with boxes. We had the greatest customers, friends, collectors, and blog readers from all over the country cheering us on the whole time. And these peeps also sent tremendous support to our community by sending boxes and boxes and boxes of the most needed supplies. We couldn't be more thankful for that!
Wow, those months are a blur now. As time progressed families needs changed. The demand for cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and clothing transitioned into the need for building materials. And the same went for us. Floors had to be ripped up and replaced...lots of painting, and plenty of insulating against the harsh winter. We've got a ways to go and we've been checking items off our very long list. The first and most exciting of these is the finishing of our home studio. Without a place to work and create we are nothing. Now I'm thrilled to say that we are back in the studio in a big way...a re-do from top to bottom.
This fantastic piece is exactly what we were looking for. That old general store type of feel. We had seen a few over the years in antique shops and at flea markets but the price tags were always pretty bananas. We were so psyched to find this one at Urban Outfitters! It has a great weathered look that feels authentic...as if it's it's constructed from old pine crates. I've been a huge fan of cubby holes forevs'.
Oh and you see that little wire rack in the corner of the photo...we found that at the oh so fabulous World Market! Perfect for storing our glitter!
Bunnies! My prized collection of vintage paper mache rabbit candy containers. I've been collecting them for over 18 yrs or so. And this is not all of them...but it's all I could fit in the space. I always have them close by when creating. Even when they're not finding their way directly into our artwork, you better believe that their magical essence has an influence over everything.
Somebunny thinks he's fancy! ;)
And you may remember this cupboard from last year! Aaron found it put out to the curb around the block and dragged it home. It had been waiting for a new life...it even survived Sandy! It needed minimal work...we painted it a matte black, distressed it, and added a grey/brown wash over the entire piece to add some age and character.
And when we stepped back we knew it needed a little something more. The basic black was great but it would pop so much more with a little cream accent on the molding, which then was kicked up by adding a scallop border. We used a bottle cap and traced it over and over, much like a scaled down version of our wall scallops! But instead of paint we used scrapbooking paper! Et Cetera Symphony from Bo Bunny. And I must admit that the coincidence makes me smile...the stage for my bunnies is accented with Bo Bunny.
We have had this antique farmhouse table for over 17 years. It was one of the very first antiques we bought as a couple! It's super duper old and has been painted many times. Last week we added a fresh coat of paint to the top. It's the same paint as the trim in the room. Super White from Benjamin Moore.
We had been waiting for this piece in the two pics immediately above to arrive for a while. It had been on back order...from that ole' standby World Market! Yes, my new fave fave fave store. Well actually online shop, being that we do not have a location in the Northeast. Boo Hoo! I first found out about World Market via pinterest, and have been pinning items non stop! You may remember me mentioning a sweet cookie tin from them in a Friday Favorites. And yes, I now own that adorable tin! Cannot wait to display it once we tackle our next big goal. That goal is none other than repairing the kitchen from top to bottom! Floors and walls and even appliances.
But back to the piece above...these weather worn industrial style shelves. It is exactly what we were looking for. I had pinned SOO many like it from so many places, in all different price points. We were lucky enough to find that this also happened to be on sale! Love the mix of industrial and rustic with our sweet vintage treasures. On it we keep some of our mats for prints, and tissue for wrapping orders, and some everyday items...and also our little ipod dock. Couldn't be happier with it! It assembled easily and is sturdy.
Vintage shoe bag with a handful of essentials in the pockets...some paint brushes, a ruler, and where would you be without a naked baby at the ready?!
Sure, a whole bunch of hard work went into this space...but it never felt like a drag...because we knew the reward would be so big. We owe a great deal of thanks to Aaron's dad Skip for helping with a big chunk of the structural stuff. Aaron & Skip ripped out the old baseboard heat, laid down the subfloor, and replaced sheetrock.
Really, I know it's important to have your home comfortable...a place to unwind and recharge. But first you gotta have your workplace in line. The place where you define who you are and establish the worth you bring to the world. We are thrilled to be in here working and making. As with any new space there are def some kinks to work out...further organizing and moving things around so that they're just right.
Really, I know it's important to have your home comfortable...a place to unwind and recharge. But first you gotta have your workplace in line. The place where you define who you are and establish the worth you bring to the world. We are thrilled to be in here working and making. As with any new space there are def some kinks to work out...further organizing and moving things around so that they're just right.
If you have any questions about anything you see that I didn't mention just ask!
Wall colors are from Benjamin Moore:
And we blogged our "How to paint a scallop border" tutorial here.
Our flooring is from Home Depot:
Armstrong Imperial Texture: Sandrift White Standard Excelon Composition Vinyl Tile
Armstrong Imperial Texture: White Standard Excelon Commercial Tiles
Thanks so very much for popping in for our little tour!
Happy Creating!
xo, Jenny & Aaron
Thanks so very much for popping in for our little tour!
Happy Creating!
xo, Jenny & Aaron