SILVER BELLA!!!!

 

For a little while now I've been keeping a secret. Well, not exactly keeping a secret...more like selectively leaving out bits of specific information. I'd leave out this info every time I'd get into a conversation about this year's 

Silver Bella...and being that Silver Bella  is the event of the year in this little community I found myself holding my tongue very often. And that bit of info I was holding back had to do with who exactly the Silver Bella instructors are. Well now I can finally say that two of the instructors are ME and AARON!! And we are so psyched to be a part of it! Here are the names of the other instructors, and I can't believe lil' old me and Aar will be among them! : Pam Garrison, Charlotte Lyons, Rebecca Sower, Carolyn Peeler, Jennifer Paganelli, Kimberly Kwan, and Teresa McFayden!

 

  Now, before I go further, let me explain what Silver Bella is for those who don't know, or better yet, let me copy and paste a blurb from Teresa McFayden's blog:

"If you are enamoured by trendsetting projects with yesterday's charm, texture, and pattern;

if you are drawn to the country's leading artists of all things kitschy, altered and vintage chic;

if you are looking to grow and be refreshed and inspired like never before;

then Silver Bella is exactly where you need to be November 9-10!

There's no event on the map like this one! Former Silver Bella attendees will remember the returning Bellas  CarolynPeeler,  Pam Garrison  and myself . This year we added more to tempt and delight you. Rebecca Sower who's well known for her timeless style in the paper arts industry, Charlotte Lyons  the mistress of all things crafty and has worked extensively with Midwest Seasons of Cannon Falls and Mary Engelbreit, Jennifer Paganelli  the textile genius of Sis Boom and who's fabrics and artwork grace everyone's favorite women's magazines almost monthly, and Jenny & Aaron are the dynamic duo of Everyday is a Holiday who continue to blow folks away with their vintage home goodness! Now you know why I am counting the 198 days to Silver Bella. Can't wait to work with all of them!."

Since the fabulous Teresa is the woman behind this magical event I figured It best to let her briefly explain.

Me and Aar really can't wait and have so many outrageously fun ideas for the projects we'll be doing for it! Make sure you go to Teresa's blog or the Silver Bella  site to get all the info (click on each instructor ..it will take you to a page with a tiny photo..click on that photo for a bio!). There will be many BIG FABBB surprises soon to be announced so check back often! This is such a huge deal for us and this creative community we're all a part of! A chance for so many of us that are separated by hundreds and thousands of miles to finally take a break from our busy lives and converge in a centralized world of creative expression, growth, and friendship! It's so very fitting that this centralized world is pretty much in the country's dead center. We hope to see so many of you there!! It's going to be the event of the YEAR!!

Personally our biggest thrill is that Jennifer is an instructor this year!! She is a very dear friend of ours and lives just a bit north from us in her beautiful Connecticut home. We're gonna fly out to Omaha together! I'm sure you know all about Jennifer because she is a nearly omnipresent force in the world of pretty things, textiles, and drop dead style.  Go to her blog and check out her world!

OK, that's all for now on Silver Bella.I'll be giving plenty of updates in posts to come!

Rosanna, my super stylish friend from Italy, sent me all this stuff!! She's another partner of mine in the Vintage Kitchen Swap I just hosted. It's great because I feel like each carefully selected item sheds light on  the who, what and where of Rosanna and at the same time it shows just how much she GETS me! And what's more ME than a cake in the shape of a bunny?! I cannot wait to use this pan!! She also sent a Columba, which is a traditional Italian Easter cake made in the shape of a dove. It was a mini one, and I say "was" because I have already eaten it! Then this tiny espresso pot along with some espresso roast coffee, which Aaron had and said was fabulous! (Unfortunately, I can only have decaf.) And the cupcakes dish towel is perfect...the colors are just right.  And check this heart shaped frying pan fit for one sunny side up egg!...so cute, and will be put to good use since Aaron is a yolk guy...which I am NOT, it's only scrambled for me!! And I love the cake tea strainer! Wait, do I even need to say that? Let me just say I love all the stuff! You probably can't tell by the photo but that little Italian pastry is faux food...it's actually a dish towel and magnet set rolled up and packaged to look just like a lil' dessert! Complete with the traditional brown wrapper and a little "chocolate" poke!

The jar of pink candies you see is a stand in. Well the candies and the fab, hand written label are from Rosanna, (in Italy they call these pink candy coated almonds "confetti") the jar you see is mine because the beautifully etched glass apothecary jar from Rosanna was totally shattered when it arrived! boo hoo, and she packed it well...tons of bubble wrap...but still...broken. At least I could salvage the confetti and that fab label! Oh, and also a sampling of some of the most adorable and visually distinct Pastiglie candies, one of the oldest companies in Italy. Huge Thanks to Rosanna, and click here to check out some of her home in my archives.

Here's a little springtime sweets vignette just for fun! I used a bunch of my newly acquired stuff...the plastic bunnies & ballerina's from Amanda, the sweet button flowers from Jen , and candies from Rosanna! Cupcakes make my world go 'round!! :)

Lastly, some SNEAK PEEK pics of my part of a May Basket Swap. The swap was hosted by the ever sweet and always dazzling Kari/Artsy Mama. The May Basket was such a great subject matter for a swap, they were traditionally hung on doors full of fresh flowers and candies the night before May Day. My partner is Ramona from Germany and I hope she loves what I've put together for her! I had a lot of fun doing it! Artsy Mama asked that everybody hold off posting pics of their received baskets until May 1st, so check the blogs then... but for now check out some other fab baskets on Flickr !!

Alright, gotta go mix some paint. Hope everyone is flourishing with springtime creativity!

xoxo Jenny

Good Stuff Galore!

It's good to know that we're all on the same page with the magazine thing. I mean, of course we are. All of us bloggers (readers of...and writers of) are all a bit off center. And off center is a great place to be. We aren't easy targets. We don't settle for the everyday, general, common stuff. We're seekers, we wanna know more, see more, and get more. I'm sure a great many of you have told a friend about your blogland and Flickr experiences only to get back a look of puzzlement...and questions like: " wait, I don't get it...why are you reading about some other random person's garden?" or " why would you show pictures of your new livingroom wall color to hundreds of people you've never met?" And our answer is: "why in the world wouldn't I?" 

And holy cow, Linda and Laura read their magazines from back to front!!! I do the same thing! I'm sure there is a valid psychological explanation for this back to front practice. I think it has something to do with us trying to get one over on the editors. The editors want us to start at the start...in fact, they try their hardest to wow us with the first few pages...give us a great contents page with thumbnails of what's inside...etc... But no...we ignore all that and sneak in the back door to see if it REALLY is a good issue. Or maybe we're just a little bit weird!

Anyway, fellow mag turned blog addicts...it's great to be in such good company!!

 

 

Now for the goods...Berrie Wren Bowen (isn't that the coolest name?). Well she's my new friend I met through Flickr and she's responsible for this darling little bunny girl. She came in this adorable little pink suitcase all the way from Washington state. Berrie made her for me in my favorite colors and I couldn't be more thrilled with her...I'm waiting for little miss bunny to start talking!!  Berrie's inspiration came from the fabulous  Jennifer Murphy's Martha Stewart appearance. I'm in love with this little gal. Thank you SO SO much Berrie!!

 

 

 

My super fun, super sweet, and super talented friend Melfie did a little swap with me and her end just arrived on my doorstep ... One of her famous collage party hats! I love the detail of the "Melfie Moon" (her lil' logo) wearing his own tiny party hat. And the rose topper acts as a nest to a little hidden bird. I enlisted one of the smallest members of  my "party baby heads" to model the hat for a photo and he now refuses to take it off. Also included was this cool vintage receipt book from a bakery  in Nebraska. Thank you thank you Melissa!! Love it!!!!

 

 

 

 

When I unwrapped this my heart skipped a beat! The colors, the patterns, the perfection, and just how incredibly ME this pillow is!! And I don't just mean the photo...every fabric and texture used, as well as  the total composition, I couldn't have imagined it better! This is the impeccable work of the illustrious Jen Duncan.  And as if that wasn't enough of an example of totally outdoing herself...she also made this button bouquet in corresponding patterns and colors! We've been staring at both allll day...I'm seriously amazed!

 

And...that same Jen Duncan sent along one of the most abundant and creatively selected vintage wallpaper/ephemera/paper craft packs ever!!!! I have not seen papers as gorgeous as some of these...plus buttons, bingo cards, tickets, pages from vintage children's books, calendars, hotel menus, ribbons, seam binding, sheet music...GALORE! There really is just so so much bang for the buck! And most important is Jen's editorial eye...not one inclusion is just "so so". Everything inside is a treasure. Very generous. If you're a nut for this stuff (and I know you are) go over to Jen's  Etsy shop and pick up a pack of your own.

Jen, you have truly rocked our world!!!! THANK YOU!!!

 

 

 

One more thing...If you haven't already, you must check out  Urban Prairie. The man behind it is Chris Brown, a tattooed gent with a knack for spotting the beautiful side of the worn and the faded...and he's got a great blog! It's chock full of great American junk, collectibles, and sleek rustic style. Well he had a contest on his blog letting his readers vote on whether his forthcoming book on old crackly dollheads (which I furiously hunt and gather)  will be published online or in print. Despite my being a pc addict I voted for print. I just love clearing off the coffee table and laying out all of my current inspiration, just seeing it all at once...open books, tear sheets from magazines, paint chips, wallpaper swatches, old photos, etc... Anyway, I won the contest!!! And will be receiving a free copy of his book when it comes out in print! Oh, and I mustn't fail to mention the hilarious title of the book..."Crackheads"...when you check out his site and blog you'll totally love it! I love winning things, and the more dollheads in my life the better! I can't wait for this book! Stop by and check out his world..be sure to tell him Jenny Holiday sent ya! :)

 

Well, the weather is finally perfect here in Jersey and we're hitting the park. Thanks to all you guys that leave such fun and sweet comments! I'll be back soon!

xoxo Jenny

More on the Fire

Lots has happened ....we have been overwhelmed with insurance people and investigators trying to find out what caused the fire which at this point seems to be the electrical system in the coach somewhere. They have decided to bring in some sort of electrical specialist to make that determination. One interesting note is that the fire burns up and therefore all the goods in lower basement storage areas seem to be in good order. Most everything from the rear wheels forward down low seems to have been spared except for smoke damage. This includes the still full LP storage tank and fuel tank.


More pictures









I have more pictures and will try to get them up soon. Apparently the coach will remain in place until cause is determined and there are areas where we cannot remove or recover things yet. We have been given the go ahead to empty two of our basement cabinets and will do that tomorrow. Will try to post more info the first of the week.

The logical progression of a magazine addict!!

 

 

I am a magazine addict. And as far as I know, I always have been. As a little girl I escaped into the pages of Country Living and played interior decorator using the JC Penney, Sears, and Spiegel catalogues as my sources for furniture, lighting, window treatments, and linens. I kept binders, made up invoices, drew floor plans. My "play" was always "work". And I guess I'm the same now except I get out more and therefore, get to see a lot more magazines. I obsess over them, and if an issue of one of my fav mags is good then I will pull it out daily for years and years to review one fabulous spread or another. I have cupboards FULL of decor mags, all organized chronologically. When we want to move a piece of furniture we have to first purge it of fifty pounds of magazines (not kidding!). What's worse is that I know one other person who is just as addicted to magazines as I am...and he happens to be the guy that I've lived with for the past dozen years: Aaron!! And what's even worse is that he's got a whole different palette of favorite mags and like myself, he keeps 'em for posterity! He's got hundreds of New Yorker's, Harper's, Elle's, and Esquire's stuffed away. If we had our druthers we'd have to spend about a hundred fifty bucks a month on mags, and that would be showing restraint.

 

So right now my wallet and my brimming cupboards would like to thank blogs for relieving a bit of the magazine burden. The endless world of creativity, both visually and verbally, in the land of blogs has drawn my gaze partially away from the printed page...and all I need is enough memory on my PC to hold it all!! And I think I'm right to assume that so many of you other bloggers used to live in a world ruled by those glossy mags...blogs are the logical progression in the life cycle of a magazine addict. So, I hope to add my humble contribution to blogland and give you guys as much eye candy as possible! Well, here are today's additions:

 

 

 

 

First, check out these collage eggs from Germany! They're straight from my sweet new Flickr friend Carol, who is from Germany as well!! Such amazingly intricate work and you'd swear they were vintage. She has an Etsy shop that you really should visit and pick up something beautiful! These came wrapped in the most awesome cookie wrapping paper and then inside the eggs were folded up in vintage German sheet music. Carol is a sweetheart and always leaves such nice comments on Flickr! Thank you so so much Carol! We LOVE them so so much!! : )

 

 

Next,  Jeanie had a little blog giveaway...so so fun! This sweet Sugar tin will be right at home here in our world and will go in the studio as a supply container...I love the lettering and scrolly border! And she included some old fashioned candies... I love the Bob's "old timey" peppermint twists and the Mary Janes just smell so good! Also, a little package of crafty goodies/ tags! thanks, Jeanie! you are an absolute doll!!

 

 

A sweet gift! Lonnie is one of our all time best customers/ collectors, and all around sweety! She sent us this little thank you package with this handmade basket, which looks to be made of vintage fabric, has a grape viney handle and the bottom is weighted with rice...so cool! She also sent a set of the yummiest lip glosses which I use daily. She's such a thoughtful gal. She owns the Sugar Bean Cafe and Country Cupboard Gifts up in Tillamook Oregon...home of Tillamook cheese, which happens to be the cheese they use at Johnny Rockets to top their amazing warm apple pie! Us east coasters weren't raised in a world of cheddar cheese atop our apple pie...my dad will have nothing to do with it. Me, I'm a full fledged convert. Anyway, thanks a ton Lonnie! Tillamook pride !! haha

 

 

These next shots are of an amazing spread of vintage wonder from Holly. Vintage wallpapers, seam binding/ribbon, button cards, ephemera. I love vintage wallpaper, the way it appears to be handpainted, the texture, the semi metallic highlights on some. It would be nearly impossible for me to cut them up in any way so when I craft with them I'll most likely make color copies. Also the sheer flocked tulle is sooooo perfect!

 

 

 

What a bag of FUN sent by my friend Amanda!! Old school plastic cupcake toppers,  silvery sparkly pine trees, record players and records, white bunnies, snow white and the dwarfs, and the quintessential tiny plastic ballerinas!! She also sent this handmade custom color BLACK rose pin...love it!! I'm way into black roses but I like when they look sweet and not Goth. This little tufted cutie is definitely sweet. Be sure to vist Amanda's Etsy shop. She's got all sorts of goodies...for baking, adding to vignettes, or adorning gifts! You must pop in over at her blog..she is always up to something super fun, and her lil kiddo is one of the cutest things ever!!

 

 

 

Amazing Grace strikes again! She's back with her itty bitty delights and now she's ventured into the world of tiered cakes! And check out the mini Easter basket complete with chocolate rabbit!  The rounded glazed cakes are oh so " miette "!! I cannot get over how perfect they are. I'm displaying Grace's little sweets in my mini house shadow box...it's the little sister of my larger house I did a while back. A perfect home for these petite sweets! Oh, and in the foreground are the newest members of my ever growing family of bunnies! They're from Japan circa late 40's, early 50's. They are soooooo great and as you can see by the stitching coming undone, they have been WELL loved!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, I wanted to share some to additions to our line. We've got them up on ebay now and they will soon be added to Etsy as well. A few posts ago I showed some Baking Beauty candles and our cute little baking theme jar sets that we made  for the Vintage Kitchen Swap, but since we've gotten so many requests for them we now offer them for sale...and have already sold a few! So if you were interested go check them out. Also, some new cake art designs!! Cupcake toppers galore...tophats and tiaras, vintage "for baby" flags, the classic ballerina, and a Happy Birthday flag (about time on that one right?). We also had requests for butter yellow often and we think "Beautiful Cakes" works great in this color palette!

 

Ok, that's the end of this issue. No need to dog ear any pages or make some space under the bed...just point and click and move on to all the other fab blogs out there ( a few of which I mentioned last post). I hope to post soon with some more tasty eye candy, we've got a handful of projects on simmer and expect them to come to a boil shortly.

 

Happy blogging!! xoxo Jenny

FIRE!!

Last night after we had been in bed for an hour or two , I woke to the smell of smoke looked out the window and saw our motorhome in flames.



We really don't know which end is up yet and I assume insurance adjusters will bring us up to speed once they see it. We don't know what started it but it looks to be a total loss as is the building behind it. Will keep you posted