Around here...

Hey guys! This is my "what a grey and gloomy day here on the NJ Shore" face. We woke at the usual time this morning but the light, or lack thereof, coming in the window would lead one to believe that it was late in the evening. And here we are at mid day and it is still so very dark.   

And we have so much to do. Lots of creative work. The sort of stuff that calls for sunshine. But we'll have to make do. Right now all I hear is crickets...loud loud crickets. They are singing in the rain about how much they absolutely love this weather. It sounds like Coachcricket, no...Bonnacricket...or Lollapacricket...actually none of them work. It just sounds like a whole lotta crickets. 

And speaking of crickets...the other morning I awoke to the sound of a cricket, and it seemed very near to me. Then I discovered that it was actually smack dab on my head! Half asleep, I flipped out...figurative and literally. After my fit of flipping all over the cricket was nowhere in sight. But later that night...guess who piped up loud and clear to sing us to sleep?? Ok, we searched high and low...pulled back corners of carpet...everything. The thing would hear us coming and go silent. So then we'd lay there in the dark...and as soon as he'd start his song we'd spring up with flashlight in hand and hope to catch a glimpse. Nope. This went on for three nights. We googled "how to find a cricket in my bedroom" ... and had no luck with our seltzer bottle and carrot traps....and that kid on Youtube seemed so confident in his method!!

Anyway, last night the cricket was silent...maybe he left...maybe he starved...I just hope he doesn't return. We hadn't slept for three straight nights. 

So...just cuz it's raining doesn't mean you can't put on a little lipstick. It kinda balances things...for me anyway. This here is my new faaaavorite everyday lipstick. L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balm in Pink Satin. It is the prettiest pale pink. (I'm wearing it today...in the photo above)  I had read a review and saw that it was buy one get one at Ulta...so why not. I love it! It feels good on...not sticky at all. It has just enough shine, and hydrates my lips. For 7.95...you cannot beat it! It comes in 8 shades. I may try a darker shade for Fall. 

This guy has the right idea. Although this is also what he looks like on the sunniest of days. Such a Lazy Bonez! zzzzzzz

Rainy days make me want to eat. And it's got me thinking of this pizza we made last week. It was seriously beyond good...like oh my gosh one of the best we ever made good. Whole wheat crust, roasted eggplant, fresh mozzarella, homemade sauce, fresh basil...some pecorino romano. Mannn I want it right now! 

This happy happy package arrived the other day all the way from Alabama! From my sweet and talented friend Kitty aka Fritzi Marie! I adore my Doo Nanny flower crown and cannot wait to wear it! So pretty! And the packaging was so darling...she even included a Fortune Telling Fish! But that fish made me uneasy with the reading I kept getting...well, actually there was no category listed for my reading...the fish would dive off my hand time and time again...it ran from me like the plague. ha! But suuuriously...I am in love with Fritzi Marie's tiny details.

Aaron and I have been using Demeter fragrances for years and years. We have always found good stuff. The Demeter Fragrance Library contains some of the most unique, creative, and often humous scents one can imagine. Anything from black pepper to funeral home...baby powder, grass, dirt, salt air. You can layer scents like graham cracker, Dark Chocolate, marshmallow...and walk around feeling like a S'more. We recently ordered a bunch of little samples as well as two main scents that we'd been wanting. I love Almond...it's perfect. And Aaron has been dying to smell just like a dusty old used book store...and now he does...fo' real.

And man oh man...It's back! Walter White is back. It is not even 48 hours after airtime so I won't reveal any of the deets of the premier...but wow. How can hating someone feel so good? And yes, his ability to problem solve is admirable...but it's safe to say that even Walter White hates Walter White.

We've been caught up in some big projects lately that are pretty much taking up our days and nights, but we have some fun artsy crafty tutorials and recipes planned. Thanks so so much for popping in! we love having you!

xo Jenny...and Aaron says hi!

Friday Favorites

As the summer wears on the Fridays seem to stand out so much more. You begin counting how many you've got left 'til Fall hits. I know my little bro is taking full advantage...going away again for an off road adventure weekend in the wilds of Pennsylvania. This time no hotel...just a tent and a topless Jeep.  Yes, his girlfriend is not only a good sport...she's an enthused participant. Me?...the dwindling of summer doesn't upset me in the least. I'm a Fall girl through and through and every time August hits I'm ready for cooler days. Aaron...not so much...he Hates the cold and every hint of it. Daily he checks the weather in San Diego and dreams. 

So, with the humidity in full swing and dull gray skies above, guess where we are...yep, as always, in the studio painting. But also taking moments to get inspired...and that's exactly why I took a break for these Friday Favorites.

I just adore the simplicity and feel of this outfit above. Classic French meets Japanese. Looks so comfy too. And I've been a sucker for boat necks forevs. I was a bit obsessed with the iconic Petit Bateau striped top for years. Another wardrobe staple of mine...a key part of a Jenny "uniform". 

How cute is this bunny rabbit sweater? It's from Mossimo at Target...new for Fall. It's not exaclty my color...but totally cute..and they get points for being my general pastel ballpark. And they're certainly note scaring off anybody with those floppy ears.

This is just so beautiful. I had found it on pinterest, but alas the link was dead. But with some Nev & Max style detective work I found that it came from the Smithsonian/Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum.   We hand painted some walls similar to this many years ago...chocolate background...big floral clusters...though ours were Magnolias. But what is so special about this vintage paper are the time faded tones that are near impossible to recreate.

Everything about THIS! My fave t-shirt from The Stay Home Club, created by Artist Olivia Mew 

There has certainly been a shift in perception in recent years...I feel like the term "Recluse" just doesn't carry the same creepy connotations that it used to. And it's not necessarily due to unemployment! ha! Though employment has changed...lots of jobs are done right at home. And lots of people are finding their own little niche of like minded souls through blogs etc...

What I'm saying is: Going out is Overrated! ha!

I love so much from The Stay Home Club...great theme, great mission statement...and of course, a great stable of designers making the stuff. 

There is just something about the rusticness of the wood here and how it feels like a true working kitchen. Aaron and I love cooking so much and having our tools close at hand makes life so much easier of course...and also, there's no reason to hide them as long as you can display them in an artful way. We're probably partial to the idea of open shelving etc...due to being in a studio all the time. We're used to having our tools of the trade around us at all times. We are almost ready to get moving on the kitchen renovations and we know that we will be adding a good dose of this concept balanced with some vintage sweetness of course.

Oh this photo! It made my heart skip a beat, and not in the way a photo of a sleeping chihuahua does. This is some aftermath of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. You already know that I am a cuckoo worry wart, and experiencing Hurricane Sandy took it to a whole new level. Now I constantly think about random sink holes, and flash floods. About 2 years ago we actually had a fairly palpable earthquake here in Jersey. We were in our old apartment...and it was actually old...part of a very rickety seashore victorian...I was lying in bed with the pups and Aaron was in the shower...he could feel the whole shower rotate on the drain pipe and our headboard rapped against the wall. It was so incredibly strange, creepy, otherworldly. It was felt across the whole stretch of Jersey between NYC and Philly. It took a moment for it to register in my mind. Of course I hopped on facebook right away to see who else felt it. It was gross. So...not sure why the above pic would be deemed a "favorite"??? It terrifies me actually...but yeah...it is awesome to look at from three thousand miles and a hundred something years away.

Well as a tonic for all the disaster talk...I really love this illustration by Ludvig Nevland. Necessary advice...thanks Ludvig.

Oh this piece kills me! Love it to bits and bits! It's an early 19th centuryAmerican Apothecary chest. This in our kitchen would be like heaven. I see it outfitted with jars of cupcake toppers, and playing host to a little coffee/tea station. Mismatched vessels holding stir sticks and little sugar in the raw cubes. Maybe a couple of our faux cakes on stands...ahhh!

I think these braided block wedges are pretty fantastic. I've owned a few very similar styles over the years and they fit my "pale-recluse-out-for-a-rare-summer-stroll" aesthetic. I think I'd wear the heck outta these things. 

Happy Friday Friends!

xo Jenny...and Aaron!

Double Berry Whole Wheat Good Morning Muffins

We seriously can't get enough of these muffins. We made them twice already this week, and that is why we had to share them. Aaron has always been a blueberry muffin guy...he likes to sample whoever has 'em...and rarely is he impressed, and then he wonders why he became a professional blueberry muffin sampler in the first place. But these ones blew him away. 

Here's the thing...we dislike muffins that are pretty much just a big indulgent piece of cake. I mean, why not just get that big indulgent piece of cake instead?? A muffin should at least be semi beneficial to your day...not a load of empty calories. And these fit the bill...good and good for you.

 In the preparation stage you can kinda tell that they're gonna be really really good. First off, I've never experienced such a thick and dense batter. For real, when you've got it to the stage just before you add the fruit it is this ultra moist wad of whole wheat stuff...you may even want to use your hands to fold in the berries. And we went with two kinds of berries because we had some really good ones and figured 'why not'? You can substitute berries for sure...pick your faves...pick whatever looks the best at your local market. But ok, for real...these are the most moist muffins ever...and the bursts of berry are like heaven...and the tiny little kick of lemon zest makes them absolutely perfect. We think these will be the muffins you make to bring along with you on any morning meet ups, outings with the garden club maybe, or to pack off with the kids, have for breakfast...or for that boost of amazing you might require in between meals. 

What you will need:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup sugar (we used sugar in the raw)

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon lemon zest 

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk (we used plain almond milk)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)

1 1/2 cups mixed berries (we used blueberries and strawberries)

for topping:

1 tablespoon sugar in the raw

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven 375 degree.

Spray a muffin pan with non stick spray.

We normally start our day with a smoothie, so for that purpose we keep fruit in at all times. Berries are a staple, and even though we have them daily, we still end up losing some to overripeness in the end. (overripeness is an odd looking word...it might even be a body of water in northern Scotland) Anyway,  to save our fruit we began to freeze it after the first day or so. The berries being frozen also makes them into perfectly cold and refreshing bombs to drop in our smoothie blender. If you are using frozen berries in this recipe just be sure to let them warm up on the counter for a little while first.

Ok, and now for the lemon...the zest is the magical ingredient here. It's almost like a magic wand that you wave over the batter to make it perfect. Just look at the word itself..."Zest!"... it's magical.  The boost it gives to the overall flavor is essential...Do Not skip the zest. If you don't have a lemon then hold off on making these. Because you want a Good Morning Muffin....not a Sorta Tolerable Morning Muffin...right?!

Ok, zest your lemon. A heaping teaspoon is probably like 3/4 zest of a small lemon.

Whole wheat pastry flour is not the same as whole wheat flour...its lighter and perfect for baking. 

So, whisk or mix together your flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

Then add in your lemon zest and whisk or mix.

In a separate bowl whisk an egg. Then whisk in the milk and the butter. (make sure your melted butter is cooled)

Then add this to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.

Now it's time to gently fold in your berries. We started out with the spatula, but as I said above...it's a very thick batter...so we finished the folding in with our hands just to make sure that we had an even distribution of fruit. And seriously, don't worry that it is so thick...in the baking process the moisture of the berries spreads throughout the muffins.

Now divide the batter evenly among twelve muffin cups of a sprayed pan. To make the topping just combine one tbsp of raw sugar and the 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon...then sprinkle the muffin tops.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, remove from oven, place the pan on a cooling rack and let the muffins sit in the pan for another 5 minutes. 

For having no wrappers it is surprising how easily they pop out of the muffin pan.

Let them cool on a rack or eat 'em warm...up to you. We let them cool just so the fruit sets up a bit after being so hot in the oven. They can keep for a few days at room temp in a sealed container or under a cake dome...and for about a week in the fridge. But you won't keep them that long. ; )

Really, if you are a muffin person...you will love these. If you think most muffins are blah...then these might change your mind. Give 'em a try and let us know all about it!

xo, Jenny & Aaron

Around here...

Ok, so yesterday was a pretty amaaazing mail day! Aaron and I were working away when we heard a thump on the front steps. A glance out the window revealed a huge box...then a step outside confirmed that the huge box was also heavy. But this is no rare occurrence around here...I've got a little brother that has custom "Differential Covers" and "Drive shafts" being delivered on a regular basis. The exciting part was that for a change this box was addressed to me...Ahhh!!  Winning things is awesome! Winning things as big as this is pinch yourself awesome! It looks so so happy sitting here on the counter! We still have post storm rewiring to do to this side of the kitchen, but we'll give her a temporary spot on the opposite side of the room so we can plug her in and take her for a test spin tonight! I cannot thank Rosie aka Sweetapolita enough! I was already a dedicated fan of her confectionery magic. Now, when I bake, not only will she be there in spirit...there will also be a tangible reminder of her awesomeness. This is just epic!! AHH! 

And while on the topic of fabulous pink appliances...get a load of this cutie! I Found it on ebay for a great price! And in classic ebay item fashion I added a dime to the photo for scale. I've mentioned in the past how much of a kick I get out of ebay photos that show scale with everyday objects. The classic is a coin, and very often it will be a soda can. Every time I take a picture of something...anything at all really...even one of the dogs...Aaron will ask if I want a soda can so that people will at least have an idea of scale. I really don't know why I laugh so much at this idea. It's totally practical and really helps bidders. I guess I get a kick out of unspoken rules of thumb. 

I collect vintage tin toys of all types. Vintage kitchen appliances, and cash registers are a fave though. Most of my kitchen pieces are sooo much larger than this. This one is so petite. Perfect for sitting on a shelf and being the centerpiece of a sweet little retro vignette. I can't wait to get the kitchen finished!  

To continue with the amazing mail... yep...This arrived! Oh my word! This darling little hand painted mermaid is a gift from the super duper talented, and armed with a heart of gold: Kirsten Easthope. Aaron and I have been fans of Kirsten's work for years! We can clearly recall sitting in the back room of our store flipping through magazines and first coming upon her work in Juxtapoz. Then Aaron did what he always did in those days...he called up his friend Rob to discuss a newly discovered talent. I swear, they'd sit on the phone and flip through Juxtapoz page for page..."did you see this guy's stuff?...yeah, I think it's good too...How about what Robert Williams said in the Letter from the Editor?...yeah, it's pretty accurate." I guess Juxtapoz was their grown up artist version of Tiger Beat. Anyway, on that day Rob knew exactly which artist was up for discussion. Kirsten's hand painted bowling pins blew us all away. These were fully formed gleaming art objects that were perfect in every way. Pin up girls, amazing leopard print details, tiki themed...her faces were rendered so well...and her highlights are a thing of a wonder. One of Aar's few Jenny tattoos was directly inspired by one of her paintings.

Ok, fast forward and with the help of the magical internet we now count Kirsten as a friend these days! And this super special gift for our newly renovated post storm bathroom means so much to us! Love the tiny Aaron tattoo! She looks so happy hanging on our pastel striped walls amid the seashore theme! We love her so so much. You can find your very own hand painted mermaid in Kirsten's shop Queenpin Deluxe.

So if you follow me on Instagram or we happen to be friends on facebook you may have seen this photo the other day. As I mentioned...Aaron jumped up off the couch, marched into the kitchen and proceeded to make "cabbage steaks". He's at the cutting board, cabbage in hand, and says "I saw them on pinterest and since we have a cabbage..."  

We both love roasted veggies of all types. Especially brussels sprouts. Cabbage and cauliflower are up there too. This photo is what they looked like just prior to them being popped in the oven. After and hour in there they got all browned and a bit caramelized...very very good! We made ours a bit spicy...but you can stick to just plain salt and pepper, depending on what you are pairing them with. We had ours along side a spicy corn and onion skillet, and Morningstar Farms chick patties that we browned with a tiny bit of olive oil, spices, and bbq sauce. It was a really good, easy, last minute, summery meal. 

Here's how to make them:

1 head of cabbage cut into 1" thick slices

about 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

dash of salt

cracked pepper

salt free Southwest spice (optional)

olive oil spray

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with olive oil or cooking spray. Remove the outer leaf of cabbage, and begin slicing your cabbage into 1" thick "steaks" from the top down to the stump. 

In a small bowl combine your olive oil and garlic. Using a pastry brush, brush your "steaks" (both sides). And season with salt, pepper, and Southwest spices. (both sides)

Now roast your steaks for 30 mins on each side, flipping halfway through. Be careful when flipping because they start to separate due to being so tender. Roast an hour total. They should be browned on the edges, and tender.  

I've shared my love of candles with you guys plenty o' times. I am such a sucker for those 2 for 22.00 sales at Bath & Body Works . I just can't imagine paying 20.00 for one of the three wicks when I know if I just hold out they will eventually be 2 for. Summer is coming to an end and they have been teasing us with Fall previews. Which by the way...I am so so ready for Fall! But I knew we still had some sunny summer days left to burn (pun intended) So I wasn't gonna jump on the Pumpkiny scents just yet. I'll share more of what I got on this little shopping spree...but for now let me just focus on this one here. It was a total surprise to me that I liked it so much. I am not normally into chocolate scented candles. They are almost always far too artificial and they kinda turn my stomach. So knowing that, why did I order this?? Maybe it was the color. I took a gamble and went with a big ole' 3 wick...where normally when trying a scent out I'll order the minis at 2 for 5.00, which is a great way to find new scents to love. But yep... I went whole hog...and it paid off. I really really like it! So does Aaron! It reminds him of visits to his Grandparents, who always had a bowl of Andes mints. 

I think I can actually use the word FUN here! It's a fun scent. Walking into a room and smelling mint chocolate...it's bright, cheerful, sweet, a bit invigorating, heck I'll even use the word whimsical! I'd totally buy it again. 

Oh, and last but certainly not least...The Winner of the Fritzi Marie Doo Nanny flower crown Giveaway is Natasha! A very big Thank You to Fritzi Marie for being so lovely and generous! I'll be contacting you both asap!

We are in the studio today...outside it's wavering between overcast skies and stultifying sun. So why not paint away in our hermetic haven? We hope you all are having a great week!

Love from the NJ Shore!

xo Jenny...and Aaron of course!

Mixed Media /Abstract Makeup bag mini tutorial

Hey! Happy Monday kids! This weekend was spent mostly in the studio working on some deadlines and orders...but aside from that we snuck in some baking time as well as a visit to Aaron's parents for a few hours...though at ten minutes to 9 the visit had to abruptly end so we could rush home to see the season finale of The Killing. 

 I also made sure to take a bit of Saturday afternoon to clear my head and work on something just for me. Last time we popped in to Michael's for supplies we came across these cute, quilted canvas zippered pouches. The inside is lined in plastic, which makes it a perfect make up bag. It was literally a blank canvas so the sky was seriously the limit. This was one of those very practical art projects since I've been in need of a second make up bag for some time. Lately I've gotten into the habit of leaving some of my daily use products on the little table in the bathroom, which might be convenient, but I just am not a fan of the clutter. So I knew I had to grab one...or two to customize. Oh, and they are under 3.00! 

As soon as I sat down I knew what I wanted to do. I used it just as I would a blank canvas or board when painting my abstracts. 

Supplies Used:

white canvas quilted/lined zippered bag (Michael's)

Folk Art brand Textile Medium 

assorted acrylic paints

assorted paint brushes

StazOn ink pad (black)

assorted stamps/daubers 

iron (optional)

Textile Medium is a favorite of mine. It adds a bit of "give" to your acrylic paint so that it doesn't crack when it dries...sorta makes it a bit rubbery, flexible. You want to mix 2 parts Textile Medium to one part paint. Here I just started adding some color...no thoughts really.

Then I continued to block some fave colors in. After one side dried I painted the other side pretty much the same.

I grabbed my StazOn ink and a simple polka dot stamp, and also added some paint speckles for a layer of texture. I didn't want this to be super busy, just fun and organic and without too much thought. 

As you can see it was looking very pink at one point but in the end I steered it toward aqua. When I was finished I brushed a very light coat of the textile medium over the entire bag, letting each side dry to the touch, and then added some favorite trims to the zipper. After 24 hours I heat set the textile medium with an iron. 

I am really happy with how it turned out and now I imagine myself painting an entire set of luggage! And ta boot...it holds all of my clutter and looks super cute in the bathroom.

Go grab some of these bags to play with! The possibilities are endless!

Happy Crafting! xo Jenny

Friday Favorites

I remember, in a time long ago, before the internet was really anything at all...me and Aaron would do our grocery shopping late at night in one of the few places that were open 24 hours. We'd be there in the store pretty much all alone in the early am hours, our only company being the guys stocking shelves overnight. So before we grabbed any of our frozen or refrigerated stuff we'd hit the magazine racks and pore over Elle Decor, Country Living, Country Home, Vogue, Elle, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion...and all of our other favorites. We'd stand there for like an hour flipping pages. Many times, while browsing the mags, we would talk to the guys working there...and as we became more familiar they would refer to us as 'the magazine people'. So anyway, one time a younger dude comes up and says "I've been wanting to ask you guys...what are you looking for in the magazines? you stand there for like an hour every time." I think I answered something like "we just love stuff. we love to see and read about stuff." And the three of us just laughed at how vague that statement was. But I almost couldn't think of a way to narrow it down any further. 

I was thinking of this...and thinking of my current internet-based incarnation of 'looking at stuff' while I was putting together these Friday Favorites. And the Socrates quote came to mind..."The unexamined life is not worth living." It's a pretty bold statement...not wishy washy at all. And it's something to live up to in your own personal way. Sure, everybody loves something...maybe it's very interesting, maybe it's ultra mundane. But I guess the key is to consciously let that something impact your life in a positive way...learn from it...grow from it. That thing or things that you spend hours and hours focusing on, obsessing over...make those things count. Apply them to who and what you are in any way that you can. 

I'm not gonna get deeper than that, because I know you guys know what I mean. I feel like if you are here reading this than you probably already subscribe to a specialized view of the world. You are actively examining this life that you're living. You're interested in things and those things make you interesting. Anyway, on this Fabulous Friday lets once again look at some interesting things together!!

Starting with the decor in this drop dead gorgeous apartment! You cannot take these esthetics for granted. The choices she made for paint colors are so essential to the overall feel. And the placement of simple objects is made to look so-easy-to-pull-off....but everything is genius and absolutely spot-on.

I've shown you just a glimpse of Alysia's apartment...I'm a kitchen lover...but you can check out the rest of her Stunning Vintage Sanctuary House Tour over on Apartment Therapy.

I love this creepy yet extremely cute little purse. It's from a Japanese maker, they come signed and are available in pink or gray. What a cool statement piece to wear around your neck...and it's functional!

I love this idea...making feathers with washi tape. So simple...but it's not like I thought of it! I've found a few similar ideas online but I gotta give props to the gal who put together this little tutorial. I love her shapes and supply choices, photographs and simple instructions. As if I wasn't thoroughly washi tape obsessed already!

The color...the shape...the gold tone hardware...this is totally for me. And although it looks like a purse...it's actually a camera bag! Which is exciting, because my current camera bag is all function and no form. The name of this style bag is The Missy (in mint). From one of my favorites... Jo Totes.

Roasted Strawberries and Buttermilk Ice Cream recipe! It sounds amazing and the gal behind the recipe says it's egg free and tastes as good or better than recipes containing egg. So...the roasting of the strawberries, which is a simple first step, makes all the difference. The flavor becomes more concentrated, and there is less water in the fruit after roasting. 

This image from the Summer issue of Sweet Paul Magazine made me swoon. It's a shot of Ryan and Eric Berley's old timey candy shop called "Shane Confectionery". It's located in Philadelphia, PA, where they also own an old timey ice cream shop! Non-stop amazing eye candy (pun intended). You gotta check these guys out. They dress straight outta the 19th century and use antique candy molds and traditional 19th century recipes. But they are modern in that they're ecologically sustainable...they source only local ingredients, they use biodiesel trucks for delivery, they have a compost pick up, their cellophane wrappers are biodegradable. I love these guys! 

I Love this story! Above is Lorene Carnes, a 92 year old gal who went to art school 70 years ago. So, when World War II hit she quit art school to work in the shipping yards and never looked back. Her portfolio sat in the garage until this past year when a visiting family friend who works at Robert Kaufman Designs, caught sight of it and brought it back to her design firm in LA. So fast forward to now...the 70 year old designs now appear on a fabric line called "Glamour Girls" that can be found in stores everywhere! Very cool.

Ok kids...off to design some stuff with Aaron. We both hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!

xo, Jenny & Aaron

Product Review: The Snugg iPad Case

When The Snugg contacted us and asked if we'd like to try out their iPad 4 Case Cover and Flip Stand in Pink Leather we happily obliged...but we honestly didn't consider that we'd love this thing as much as we do. Now, I'm speaking from a place of perspective...because we've got our very own Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake iPad cases, which we sell and are available all over. So you'd think that I wouldn't want to tout the awesomeness of another pink iPad case. But here's the thing...I'd put them in totally separate categories. Ours are great, but they're more for travel and storage and portable protection...whereas the Snugg is for your everyday functioning. I've had my iPad in this Snugg for the past couple of weeks and it seriously has amplified the capabilities of the iPad.

The feature that we've utilized most is the cover flap that converts into a stand. Many of you guys probably are familiar with getting creative. Even if it's not in the art studio...maybe you get creative in the kitchen. Often you like to have reference on hand...some great photo from pinterest, an online recipe, or instructions on the best way to cut up a papaya. Well, holding and iPad while getting creative is not fun...you've got paint on your hands, or cilantro leaves clinging to your fingers. And that's where this stand comes in so handy. Seriously, we keep it on the kitchen counter or right on work table between us, and the iPad is propped up like a canvas on an easel. Any photos that we have saved are right there, anything we want to see online, or even if we just want to keep facebook open or whatever...read blogs, watch videos...anything. 

And not a single one of the functions is covered up by The Snugg. You have access to all of the buttons and plug in ports. AND the camera is completely functional just like on any iPhone case. The little video below will show you it in action.

I also really like what it feels like. The flap has a magnetic closure and it snaps shut smoothly. It easily slides into the little slot that makes it into a stand. And also, holding a naked iPad all day is tough on the wrist...just awkward feeling. This all leather case gives you something soft and substantial to grip. One last thing...I love the color! And yes...they've got lots of other colors...I was considering the blue one as well. 

So if you're looking for a fab looking & working case for your iPad (available for iPad 1, 2, 3, 4, and mini!) I totally recommend this one! 

ok, that's it, just wanted to share something that I truly do enjoy using and that has enhanced my daily technological functionality. (that is the first time I have said "technological functionality"...try using that phrase in a conversation today and watch as eyes glaze over...ha! :)

xo, Jenny...and Aaron says Hi!