Me and the boys just got back from our nightly walk. ("The boys"...aka: Aaron, the man in my life & Carlos the chihuahua in my life.) We're smack dab in the center of yet another beautiful weather cycle here in Jersey. Well, maybe not in the center...it's actually looking like the tale end of a gorgeous week...tomorrow it's sure to rain. But tonight, WOW! We walked down to the ocean as we always do, and the wind was a relentless, massive force whipping the waves frothy white. Where there was once a big wide expanse of beach, tonight all that was left was a mere sliver of sand between the ocean and the boardwalk. But like I said, the weather was fantastic...this was a GOOD wind! We took a seat on a bench and just let the tempest engulf us. Carlos was hilarious...we were all bunched together and he just buried his face in our necks...he's such a cuddly little guy...and he has to hide those gigantic chihuahua eyeballs from the wind! I don't know if I've mentioned it before but Carlos has this insanely funny habit when he takes these long walks with us. Every once in a while he will stop dead and look up at us, tail-a-waggin'...and do you know what he's waiting for?!....a BACK RUB! I kid you not! Well, it's what we've titled a "back rub"...which is a super firm petting of his back, butt, and shoulders. He pauses and I say, "Oh, you need a back rub?!" and then me and Aar bend down and massage away. After the rub, he darts! We have to run a few steps with him because he's so excited. He stops for back rubs about six times per walk! And the stops occur at nearly the same exact locations every night. He is a complete crack up!
So yeah, I'm back indoors and I can hear the rain starting right now, perfect timing. Don't worry, I'm ending the weather portion of this post very soon. I realize that some of you are still in the midst of stifling heat and that my talk of the perfect weather in my neighborhood may begin to sound like bragging. Aaron was on the phone the other day with a friend of ours from Texas, Melanie...and she asked if we could box up some of the Jersey weather and ship it to her because she's still sweltering.
But it's time for the heat to move on...somebody better forward the memo through the proper channels. And I've got a fantastic debut that illustrates just how much I've moved on from summer. For real, gimme Fall, Autumn, back to school, football season, Halloween...not quite Thanksgiving yet...I can wait for that. I just want Early fall. The AC is off but the heat aint on yet. But maybe, if we get a chilly evening, we'll heat up the home with the oven. A little residual warmth from the baking of a classic Apple Pie! Insert Painting Here:
(sorry about the watermark...but we've had some meanies steal our work in the past)
I know that I always, always say that I'm excited about something or other. And it's always the truth...I promise. But this time my excitement is tripled, maybe quadrupled! I've wanted to paint a slice of apple pie forever! I know that we are known for things that are pink and frosted. The Cakey side of sweets. But deep down, both me and Aar are Pie People. We die for a good crust. One day we want to do like Kerouac and drive across the country ordering Apple Pie in every state. It's funny, in the world of sweets you almost have to choose a side...are you Cakes & Cupcakes? or are you Pies? And speaking of...after you go to our etsy shop, you have to make another stop at Cakespy and check out Jessie's painting which so adorably illustrates the age old conflict between Cake & Pie. I LOVE her work! So yeah, this painting you see here was an absolute labor of love! Our aim was to not just paint a slice of pie, but to capture the world in which a slice of classic Apple Pie would ideally exist. The easy way would've been to go with the retro diner feel, but we were thinking Grandma's house...vintage wallpaper...perfect country cottage colors and patterns...all washed in antique sepia. And there's some pink in there too...but you have to look closely. We see this as the crossover piece. This is the least cutesie of our sweets collection...we think this one can slide into even the most conservative decor. So many times we hear about a husband who would like the home decor to be toned down a bit. It's really funny to hear that our pink cupcakes are practically "smuggled" into homes across the country. Well, I think this piece can walk right through the front door. And it's not just a kitchen piece...I see this as the bridge that carries sweets into the house proper. Jeez, I sound like a sales pitch! Which I assure you...is not my real motivation. It's just that this is the way I look at art. Decor comes first and foremost for me and when we paint, it's a thought that is in the front and center of our minds. We always consider the world in which our paintings will live. Look closely at the details of this piece...we gave it a lot of texture...right down to the tiny black specs of vanilla bean in the ice cream. We're doing this piece in a variety of ways... two sizes of matted prints and two sizes of wooden plaques. And this one happens to reproduce really well. The actually painting and the prints look identical when side by side. We've got the 8 x 10 plaque version hanging in our kitchen...that's my personal fave. So many of you guys have been asking me when in the world I'm going to paint some Apple Pie?!...Well, I hope I pulled through.
In addition to this warm Apple Pie a la mode we've got the shop stocked with our classic Halloween artwork...available as matted prints in both 8 x 10 and 5 x7 and as mini plaques and 8 x 10 plaques. We've always loved painting Halloween stuff...I'm not sure if it's number one on our list, but it's very very close. At no other time of year and in no other context am I OK with the color orange...it just doesn't really work for me. But come Fall, and I welcome orange with open arms.
Alright, I guess that's all for now...look for an Apple Pie die-cut very soon! Thanks so so much for checking out our newest artwork. Because really, I've got you guys in mind throughout the entire design and creation process. And super duper thanks to all you guys who left comments on the last post. I really really appreciate the encouragement and the positive feedback! OK, 'til next time...xoxo, Jenny
