Here at the Jersey shore we seem to never get the winter we deserve. We always get these big scary winter storm warnings on the news but we end up with light snow that turns to slush that then turns to rain. It's almost like a 24 hour laundry cycle. We end up with clean streets and green lawns by the time it's all over.
Yesterday was one of those winter weather false alarms. And maybe big blowing blizzards can be not so pleasant but sometimes....you just want one. You just wanna be buried and shut up tight in your home with the heat toasting your toes. Strangely, it helps you get things done if you work from home. You feel like you're stealing some extra time while the world is on pause....but....no such luck here at the Jersey Shore. So I guess I'll just pretend I'm snowed in...that way I can finally blog after such a long absence. And man! do I need to blog!
It's that time of year again...no, not the time to pay your mountains of credit card bills. No, I'm speaking of One World One Heart! The gigantic blog sensation that links like a million bloggers together for a couple weeks of give-away and networking madness. It was started by Lisa Swifka of awhimsicalbohemian blog and over the years it has grown into an event that nearly matches the turn-out for the 2009 inauguration. It's really simple to participate and although I'm jumping on last minute this year...I wouldn't miss it for anything. All participating blogs must offer a give-away prize, then send a link to Lisa at One World One Heart, then all the participating blogs are linked together and the next thing you know...you've got a thousand people signing up for your give-away. And I know it sounds like the odds of winning the give-away are steep, but here's the thing...you can throw your name in for a give-away on like 600 blogs all at once. That puts the odds a little more in your favor and it opens up an endless world of new blogs to explore. So I'm all in! I'm gonna be a "giver" and hopefully I'll also be a winner. (I won 3 give-aways last year!) Below you'll see the prize we're offering but make sure to leave a comment on the post directly above this one...the post titled: One World One Heart
Yesterday was one of those winter weather false alarms. And maybe big blowing blizzards can be not so pleasant but sometimes....you just want one. You just wanna be buried and shut up tight in your home with the heat toasting your toes. Strangely, it helps you get things done if you work from home. You feel like you're stealing some extra time while the world is on pause....but....no such luck here at the Jersey Shore. So I guess I'll just pretend I'm snowed in...that way I can finally blog after such a long absence. And man! do I need to blog!
It's that time of year again...no, not the time to pay your mountains of credit card bills. No, I'm speaking of One World One Heart! The gigantic blog sensation that links like a million bloggers together for a couple weeks of give-away and networking madness. It was started by Lisa Swifka of awhimsicalbohemian blog and over the years it has grown into an event that nearly matches the turn-out for the 2009 inauguration. It's really simple to participate and although I'm jumping on last minute this year...I wouldn't miss it for anything. All participating blogs must offer a give-away prize, then send a link to Lisa at One World One Heart, then all the participating blogs are linked together and the next thing you know...you've got a thousand people signing up for your give-away. And I know it sounds like the odds of winning the give-away are steep, but here's the thing...you can throw your name in for a give-away on like 600 blogs all at once. That puts the odds a little more in your favor and it opens up an endless world of new blogs to explore. So I'm all in! I'm gonna be a "giver" and hopefully I'll also be a winner. (I won 3 give-aways last year!) Below you'll see the prize we're offering but make sure to leave a comment on the post directly above this one...the post titled: One World One Heart
What's cool is that the prize I'm offering for the give-away is also our latest debut. For months we were only offering our Keep Calm and Have A Cupcake as a 100% handpainted piece on canvas. Well, we love doing handpainted originals for people...we really do. But the number we set ourselves up to do bordered on masochism. All day and night...our fingers painting perfect white block letters! not easy! So now we're happy to finally offer our Keep Calm in a variety of ways that are quicker for us and less costly for the collector. We're doing them in a few color ways and they come as either a ready to frame 8" x 10" matted print or on a wooden plaque, in either 5 1/2" x 7" or an 8" x 10". For One World One Heart we're offering any one of these variations as a give-away...the winner gets to choose format and color! So please join the party and leave a comment on the post directly after this post titled: One World One Heart to enter...it's that easy. I'll pick a winner on Feb. 12th...and so will all the other hosts. So enter on every blog that's giving away something you like. And although it's fab to win something...the winning is not really the main attraction. You'll be amazed at how many new awesome blogs you'll encounter in the process.
Anyway, yes, we are psyched about our new Keep Calm prints. We have a stack of the mini plaques all made up and just seeing all those bright soft colors all stacked up like that is magical. They are like little pieces of candy! All are in the shop now!
We are also super excited about our new Painted Ladies....Molly & Sadie. They are the first two in a forthcoming series. I've already got the other girls named and partial plans for their styling...all I lack is the time to get them done! We started with two of our fave vintage photos and made sure to pick a blonde (Molly) and a brunette (Sadie). The pics were just plain old photo booth portraits to start with but then we went all-out with the painted and sketched adornments. We listed them on Etsy a short time ago and I've been wanting to blog them ever since...but I was waiting on a "snowday"! Well a few days ago I got an email from my friend Lisa and she told me that our Painted Lady, Molly was on the front page of Etsy! This is thrilling news to me. Oddly, maybe for the first time in a long time...I wasn't home to see her on the front page! I'm ALWAYS home...but not this night. I think I was at my brother Walt's hockey game, so I guess I can forgive myself for missing it. I guess the best part of making the front page is that Molly was BRAND NEW. It's exciting when your latest work gets recognition. And speaking of...the sugary sweet gals over at the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog just posted our brand new Keep Calm and Have A Cupcake prints...the day we listed them! Huge thanks to those wonderful gals! I LOVE that blog. It connects sooooooo many people...and what's the connection? .... Cupcakes!
Wow, I haven't blogged in a while...sorry. But I'm not gonna reach waaaaay back for a recap. Generally speaking, early January is kinda uneventful. Aaron and his band played a show at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park but the weather outside was painfully cold. It was like 2 degrees and windy. Even in the club it was cold. The show was great but as soon as it was over all you could think was...'where's the car? lets start it up and blast the heat...and then go home and wrap up in a blanket!'
But then early January turned into mid-January and you could feel all this patriotic electricity in the air. 7-eleven even had pretty much a kiosk of Obama/inauguration merchandise. Hats and shirts and flags and scarves and hand warmers etc. It was just so exciting to see such enthusiasm for something so American. Every other day the majority of peeps worship and covet a handful of tabloid celebs...who's dating who? who's in rehab now?....it's all such a waste of time and energy and you'd think that we'd have better things to think about....more important stuff. Well on the days leading up to and on the day of January 20th Americans proved that we are capable of focusing on the more important stuff. When have you every witnessed such a positive outpouring of patriotism? Patriotism that didn't have to be incited by a national tragedy. It warmed the soul a bit. On that cold January day the tension of America melted. Partisan politics took a back seat to pure, unadulterated patriotism. It was a great sight to see. And for my sister Missy and her boyfriend...her friend Maggie from California and my brother Walt...it was a sight they had to see in person. I'm not too good with massive crowds or extreme cold so I was definitely not making the trip to DC. I've posted some pics here of their trip....how cold does everyone look?! Missy tells me the pics tell none of the story...it was absolute mayhem she says...but the KINDEST mayhem she ever encountered. People waited over three hours just to get a Metro Card to get into DC! But nobody was pushy...just millions of people smiling, assisting, and helping complete strangers. There's one pic here of disposable pocket sized binoculars...the 16 year old kid who sold them to my sis named them right then and there off the top of his head...Baraculars!
I got the most fab package ever in the mail! My friend Amy just decided that she was gonna be the sweetest thing ever....she just decided that I needed a box full of wonder! I can't even stand it. You sometimes wake up and it's a murky day...the windows are gray...the wind is whistling in the eaves...you don't want to get out from under the covers. Well on this particular day the mail came really early. Aaron looked down in our entryway and there stood a completely unexpected box of joy. I opened it up and it hit me like a ray of summer sun. Vintage bunnies, an amazing vintage salt water taffy box, a super fab cone from frippelous ....a cone I wanted! A vintage baking book! and more.... I'm really touched at how much she "gets" me. Everything is perfect! And all "just because." Thanks so so much Amy!
Just got these candles over the Holidays...one of my gift card purchases!! I've been wanting them for a while and I was thrilled to get the chance to do some much needed shopping. They're on Etsy of course and they're called Bliss Candles . I just love the rustic lid and their short stout shape. I picked up one in White Chocolate scent and my fave, Birthday Cake. I've been lighting them a lot lately when we turn all the lights off and wind down with a movie. They smell fab and I love the warm glow.
And speaking of 'how can I live without these?'....check out this tiny wood block fridge and stove. So affordable and so fab up on a little kitchen shelf. There were some other colors too...namely, red...I want those bad too. These are handpainted and just perfection. You must check out their shop!
I'm a pushover for the simple things. These teeny tiny vintage bakery stamps from Cerri are just amazing. Just little words etched in rubber and fixed to tiny wood blocks...collectible and useful. I love making practical use of old tools! Cerri rules...what a perfect gift! Thanks so much!!
And these earrings are something that shoulda got filed under: Christmas...but since they had to come all the way from Argentina...delivery was a bit delayed. They're made by Munieca and as soon as I saw them I thought of my sister Missy. And don't you love when you can shop for your sister and yourself at the same time....yeah, I got myself a pair too. They're just so well made and pretty.
Wow, last but not least...today is Aaron's birthday!!! And sorry to say, but we have no plans for the night. We've got deadlines galore and it would be so so wrong to take the time away. But anyway, Aar's parents are taking him/us out on Saturday and that should be a ton of fun. Today Aar took a ride to the store and on the way back he got a call on his cell from his mom and his favorite nephew Adam. The little guy sang all of Happy Birthday over the phone and then said "uncle Aaron...I have a cake for you!!" So Aar couldn't resist. He had to take a ride over there to go pick up his cake. He comes how and he just keeps saying "man, the little guy is amazing...he keeps getting bigger and bigger...and he says the craziest stuff." So yeah, I guess that little visit on it's own was a bright enough spot in the day.
Alright, gotta get back to it all. Thanks so so much again for stopping by...and don't forget...One World One Heart!!! Enter some give-aways and expand your own personal blogosphere! xoxo, Jenny
To Enter OWOW leave a comment over here.
