merry christmas and happy new year

My Jersey Shore

These are some of my favorite photos of life here at the Jersey shore. That fab shot of the gingerbread cottage with the toy like car out front pops up from time to time throughout blogland and on pinterest, and tumblr. I gotta admit, I feel pretty lucky to have stumbled upon such a great photo op. I snapped it in Ocean Grove NJ, which I've blogged many times. It's a story book town right on the Atlantic with more Victorian architecture than you can imagine, all clustered into less than a square mile. Ton's of bed & breakfasts right on the ocean, old timey Ice Cream Parlors. Just one of the zillion highlights of the Jersey Shore.

I'm really looking forward to Summer. I'm Pinning lots of deck and porch ideas, fruity drinks, grilling recipes. I wanted to share some of my Jersey shore. The Boardwalk shots below, salt water taffy, fudge, that fab shot of the Carousel...all taken in Seaside Heights, NJ. It's the sweeter side of where they film the show...Jersey Shore. And yes we have indeed seen them filming...and the hoards of onlookers aiming their iphones. I'd be lying if I said we weren't entertained. It's always fun to see behind the fourth wall.

When we hit Seaside we find a happy balance. Fun foods...stands...people watching...arcade games...skeeball. I'm looking forward to this summer more than ever...a new living arrangement...fun with my siblings...lots of dogwalks and tons of time outdoors. But worry not, I'll come inside long enough to keep blogging!
xo, Jenny

ME & YOU...two ways

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It's kinda a quiet day here and it's reminding me of my life prior to this topsy turvy move to a new home. Every day here we are in contact with my two little brothers, my sis Missy, often Walt's girl makes an appearance, and five, yes count 'em FIVE assorted dogs. Me & Aaron are very much accustomed to being all by ourselves. For the past 16 years that's all it has been...live together, work together, eat together...24/7. That whole 'finish each other's sentences' schtick is the understatement of the century. We read each other's minds. Completely random topics spring up and we stare at each other like "how in the world did you know I was going to say exactly that?!" And maybe it had gotten to be a bit too much of just us. We definitely both needed some other humans around to mix it up. But like I was saying...today is quieter than usual. One brother is out...the other is napping...Missy is napping with her two dogs...Carlos and Jack are both buried under blankets. It's a gray day...a bit chilly...a stark contrast to yesterday's warm sun. And plus it's Saturday...people are allowed to check out for the day. To me and Aar, working from home, Saturdays are just another day. So here we are, doing our thing...just the two of us...it's quiet and we've got paint drying. Sure, we needed a bit of a change...some family bonding etc...but it's good to know that some ME & YOU moments are still available.

We've gotten so many requests for our ME & YOU chevron print sign. We originally had a totally hand painted version available but we personally know how tight decorating budgets have to be these days. So we now have a couple lower priced (and cuter) versions avaiable...an 8" x 10" ready to frame matted print...and an 8" x 10" wooden plaque. We recently did a a couple giveaways and when participants were asked what their fave item in our shop was...a great majority liked our ME & YOU sign best. So this is for you guys...in the shop now are two new (affordable) versions for you & yours.

Happy Saturday!

xoxo, Jenny

Style Crush : Aaron Ruell

Hello hello!

You know...I seriously cannot believe I've never blogged my love for this guy before. I actually had to search my own blog to be sure. I've pulled up his work online so many times that I could swear I must have dedicated a post to him at one point...but alas, I have not...so here's a little bit of long overdue bloglove for the talent saturated Aaron Ruell.

I've been a big big fan since he displayed his numerous talents in Napoleon Dynamite. Yes, he's maybe the greatest older-brother-in-a-comedy-movie of all time...the one and only Kip Dynamite. And he's the genius behind that film's exquisite opening title sequence...all those perfectly styled shots of food cleverly spelling out the credits were directed by him. To gush about that movie is almost standard procedure. It's been referenced ad nauseum and copied so so much...but at the time of it's release it was it's own thing. A brand new flavor of comedy. I remember seeing it in the theater and just thinking it was made for me. I know that I'm preaching to the choir...I'm sure that to most of you it's in the classic category. And is it weird to say that I feel proud of them...(the writers, actors, and director)? There's no cursing or boobs! A seemingly impossible feat to pull off in comedy today.

Ok, so... Aaron Ruell ...the last thing he ever expected was to gain so much fame and recognition for being Kip. He actually never really wanted to act and considers his taking a role in that film as simply doing a favor for his friend (director Jared Hess). How tiresome is it to hear about the side projects of celebrities? Every movie star suddenly feels compelled to also be a rock star. This is not the case here. When it comes to Aaron Ruell, being an actor is the palest color on his talent spectrum.

When I discovered his amazing photography I was absolutely floored. The styling, subject matter, color, wit, and the everpresent tinge of humor. The photographs are like tiny little glimpses into giant worlds of fabulousness. They range from strange and quirky to expansive and beautiful...and sometimes, all of that is contained in a single image. Probably what really struck a chord in me is that many of his photos rely heavily on fabulous decor...perfect vignettes that are themselves works of art. I can't help but view interiors in this way. I'm constantly looking around my livingroom, kitchen, bedroom, with one eye closed, squinting and mentally cropping out any visual imperfections...finding the perfect composition and view point. I found so much magic in Ruell's photos...they're almost visual representations of my mental happyplace.

And oh boy, his commercial directing work is outstanding! You've probably seen and laughed out loud at many of his ads on tv. He creates such fun characters and the crazy worlds in which they exist.

I'm thrilled to have finally shared my Aaron Ruell enthusiasm here. This is the first in my forthcoming Style Crush series. Future editions are sure to inspire...I'm mentally going over my shortlist of Crushes right now and I am so psyched at the line-up of dazzlers. Hope you enjoy!

xo, Jenny

Friday Favorites!

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Is it Friday already?! Did the week fly by for you too? I swear it feels like a Wednesday. We've been having a pretty stressful week and the idea of a sunny weekend of yardwork, painting, and cooking yummy stuff on the grill is seriously what the Dr. ordered. Rain was expected for today but instead...Sunshine! I'm a big fan of those sort of surprises. :)

I'm hoping to get over to Lowe's to check out their flower pot and planter selection. I'd love to start livening up the deck with painted pots, furniture and lights! Speaking of...I love these colorblock painted pots! I'm totally doing some of them!

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I don't know what it is about these mugs...they actually seem like they'd take getting used to...but they just make me smile! Love the color washes!

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I love these so much! I just think they automatically give the impression that enclosed inside is a magical surprise for the recipient. I should hope that envelopes at the Oscars are as enchanting as these.

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If you know me...then you know that I adooooore balloons! For me, a bright bouquet of balloons runs neck and neck with fresh flowers! Call me crazy...but to peek into a room and see a bunch of balloons floating in the corner...in perfect colors...it's the same as if there is a beautiful vase full of flowers. As soon as I saw these balloon lamps...(yes, those are faux balloons!)...I felt my heart skip a beat! I must must must own them one day! They offically have rocked my world!

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Yes...yet another PERFECT teal sofa! I'd be in real trouble if given the space and pocket change! I know I'd end up being known as the Sofa Lady or something. This vintage beauty would be a happy happy addition to my world! ;)

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Alright, Marshmallow perfume oil. It can't get better! Well for me anyway. Adorable packaging and available through one of my absolute faaave little shops! Pygmy Hippo!...who I'll be spotlighting very soon!

Okie Doke kiddos...

Get out there and enjoy your weekend!!

Love ya!

xo Jenny

Studio Inspiration

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Hello friends!

I've been meaning to share some of my current studio/workspace inspiration with you. Me and Aaron have been self employed/work-from-home artists for more than 16 years I think. And in all that time I can't say that we've ever possessed our ideal work studio. At one point we had a big warehouse space where we manufactured our own line of hand painted furniture...but even then it seemed like we'd end up doing our design work in some tiny corner while our materials and finished stock would occupy 99% of the place. And then, when we had a retail store...the studio space in the back room started out pretty good...(we had an entire giant wall stuck floor to ceiling with magazine tear sheets and other inspirational ephemera...it was fabulous)...but soon it got filled with overflow merchandise and tons of unfinished furniture. Again...we ended up huddled in a corner. And as far as a home work space goes...we never lived in an apartment big enough to accommodate the studio of my dreams.

But I think the whole idea of having the "studio of your dreams" is sort-of a myth...an unattainable goal...or maybe even a Catch 22. Like, if you're doing your best work in there...and if you're doing a whole lot of it...(which is what every self supporting artist desires most)...then things are gonna get messy, crowded, jumbled, unruly, cluttered, etc, etc...

There's the quote "never trust a man with a clean desk". And that goes for artists. A perfect studio is an unused studio.

But I'm still gonna dream. As of late, the dream studio in my mind has changed. Moving to a new home is what affected this change. We moved into this house...very busy with other stuff and possessing no budget to do things perfectly. So for sanity's sake we pretty much painted everything white...making it a clean slate...a blank page. And then filled up the place with all of our fabulous stuff. Well, what was supposed to be a temporary fix, I think became my new desired look. White is clean, bright, and doesn't fight with all of my stuff. Whether it's my shelves of inspiration, or the stacks of works in progress...the white only amplifies my goodies. My colors pop...undistracted. I've been pinning a lot of workspaces like this. These are some of my faves.

But most likely...colored walls are on the horizon. Who am I kidding? I am a paint lunatic!

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I'd LOVE to see YOUR studio space....or current faves!

I'll share pics of our progress soon!

xo Jenny

a little Sunshine on a rainy day

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Hey kids!

Happy May! Here on the N.J. Shore we are experiencing some residual April showers that are really making us long for those May flowers. It sure ain't digging ditches, but being an artist...the long concentrated hours of working with your hands...definitely results in aches and pains every time a gray rainy day comes along. So sunny days are a hot commodity for us folks who should be way too young to have all these aching joints.

Right now it's May 2nd...halfway to Cinco de Mayo...and we're doing our best to channel some sunshine. In our artwork and decor we've got kind-of a tight color palette...and yellow has never been the focal point. But there's something about yellow that sets every other color off. I guess the same way that the sun ignites every flower in the garden, every leaf on the tree.

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Sending you love and sunshine,

xo Jenny