For us, Labor Day weekend was filled with lots of Labor. Every year it's seems like we're shut inside for summer's last splash. But this year we did manage to steal away late Sunday night for a little ride down to Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Me and Aar are both of the pale complexion, so nighttime is the right time for us anyway...and nighttime is the only time to go to Seaside Heights. The lights are magical...the roar of roller coasters in the breezy night, the distant thud of that big dark ocean crashing on the beach. In Jersey we tend to take these things and these places for granted. It's because they've always been there for us...a quick drive down the shore and you're in another world. We used to do it a lot but this summer with the move taking up so much time, this was our first trip down. And always we bring my little bro Walt, but he's been working a very physical summer job and was too exhausted to go with us (shocking...'cause that kid don't like to miss a party!) So it was just me and Aar this time and it was a great time. We are big on people watching so we love nothing more than to grab a bench, share a giant order of fries and watch the people go by along the boardwalk. Our first stop is always Midway Steakhouse, which is located at the "midway" of the boardwalk. They have outstanding cheese steaks, sausage and peppers, and fries. And the reason it's our first stop is because it stands as merely a prelude to our visit to Berkeley Sweet Shop, where the fudge is homemade and stocked in abundance! We probably like the peanut butter fudge the best. We just got fudge and actually passed up on the usual pound of chocolate we take to go! But I did score some amazing vintage style boxes of salt water taffy, which are one of my fave collectibles and figure big in my Jersey Shore bathroom decor. We also hit Lucky Leos for some mandatory games of Skee Ball! We always collect all of our prize tickets...go up to the counter and check out the prizes we've earned...plastic rings, chinese handcuffs, mini decks of cards, tiny japanese fans, candy etc... But then we find some little kid and hand him or her our bundle of tickets so he or she can swoon over the new prize bracket they've ascended to...water guns, mini purses, light up yo yo's, name brand candy...
I took a shot of this shop on the boardwalk, Lucky Lady boutique, which is just way outta place! It's sandwiched between two stands and it sell quality clothes, jewelry, and really good candles. While the other boardwalk shops specialize in insane novelty tee's and booty shirts with billboard style announcements across the cheeks! Lucky Lady is so outta place and the name and odd placement make me wonder if the owner of Lucky Lady is maybe the daughter of Lucky Leo...who owns the biggest arcade on the boardwalk and is the proprietor of many many stands.
Great night, and I got some good carousel photos. Those things are visually perfect!
I got some more gooooood mail! My friend Jenelle from Sleepy Hollow Craft Company sent the most fun box of goodies! I'd say the star of the show is this awesome antique photo/sewn paper witch ornament...which you can find in her shop. And then, she proved how well she knows me with the inclusion of a paper mache bunny! Love it! And a vintage inspired paper garland...love these. All of it wrapped so nice and topped off with this oh so sweet porcelain doll tag! A very nice delivery indeed!
And yet more mail...and this isn't even the mail that I promised to show in my last post...I'll save that stuff for next time. But this here is another assortment of great stuff from my favorite place online for great stuff... Pink Grapefruit Style! It is the greatest yardsale/flea market you will ever attend and you won't spend a dime on gas, you won't get your hands dirty, and you won't have to haggle over a price. You click through Holly's shop...fill up your shopping cart...pay a very tiny amount of money...and within days you've got a box of treasures at your door. When you spread all the stuff out in front of you, you just want to yell... SCORE!!! Because at that moment you are an awesome flea marketer...you found the best stuff around. But the secret is that Holly is the best flea marketer and she's done all the editing, driving, and junk diving for you. Then she puts the perfect finds in her shop with clear and succinct descrips...great photos, and great prices. You should go to this link to read a great interview with Holly. She's the real deal!!! I love her. Well anyway... get a load of all this stuff. The homemade flashcards are great...they're only second best to those amazingly sweet pale pink chippy candlesticks! As much as it almost pains me to give away one of my best secrets...I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't share! (even though I have told you about her before..) I mean, as it is, the good stuff goes in seconds...you have to have a quick refresh button finger to get what you want. So now that I've opened the waters to you....happy fishing!! Pop in and be sure to tell her Jenny sentcha! :)
File this part under: What a small world it is! I have been waiting to get my hands on this for a year or so, maybe longer. It's by Susan Arnot...one of my favorite folk artists. Her etsy shop sells out within a day of listing new items...and she re-lists seasonally. I've always wanted this Cupcake Porcelain Doll and I saved her in my Ebay favorite searches so I'd be notified incase a seller put her up for sale. Well it's been a year and never an email. Until last week...I get a notice and it turns out the seller is a really great customer of ours! A gal named Crystal who is totally a girl after my own heart...well, that should be obvious...she collects our stuff! Anyway, Crystal is moving and downsizing and selling stuff instead of storing stuff. Which also helps with the moving expenses. She was sad to let her cupcake girl go but I promised a great new home. Well, it turns out that the money raising part of the transaction was a bust...as was the lightening of their moving load...because we ended up doing a trade! Her little daughter Prisilla is now the owner of our Celebrate Everyday 11 x 14 plaque. I love the idea of providing art for kids...Prisilla loves to draw, color, using cupcakes as subject matter....I hope to be buying her art in a few years!!
Here's another pic of our room. You can see the crazed and crackled cream platters hanging above our bed. We use them as "frames" for our favorite collages that are made by one of our absolute favorite artists: Judy Mccallum....stay tuned for a post all about Judy with some zoom shots of her perfect creations!
And finally for some new Everyday is a Holiday stuff! We've been wanting to do more candles for a while but wanted to find the right size to frame our artwork. Also we wanted a candle with a great scent. Well we found the perfect model...a great size 6" x 3 1/2"...pretty big...and they're scent is a really pretty and delicate (and nicely potent) Fresh Tuberose. We've got four so far and we've added some decorative trims to the artwork on each as well as a sweet little three dimensional element...a bit of brown and white bakery twine tied in a bow around a tiny bundle of vintage millinery flowers. We love these and the Well Read Raven candle sits on our mantle now, which is great because of the lack of wall space in our living room prohibits us from hanging the 11 x 14 plaque. Go check them out in our Etsy shop
And wait, speaking of....In our Etsy shop we've got some of our Halloween stuff listed now. Labor Day has passed and we welcome the cooler temps. Not only that but so many swaps and new projects start to brew in the Fall. I believe that if crafting has a birthday, it's in the fall. It seems like the dawn of your creative year. So get cranking on your new fall stuff...join a swap...and get the glue gun warmed up for some cozy crafting!
Thanks for stopping by again!! xoxo, Jenny
ohh ohh ohh.....and another tiny thing....while on our nightly walk, I found a sad lil branch. I knew I could make it happy. Doesn't she look like she is smiling? I know I am!! Simple..but so sweet huh? Now I must find another for Halloween!!
