Here's to future archives!

I've always had this feeling that I've been the same exact person for all my life. I know...that sounds like a very "duh...oh really?" statement on it's own so let me explain: Other people that I know a.k.a. Aaron, my sister Missy, my parents, brothers, friends...they'll talk about times in their pasts when they were "different people"...you know...young, dumb, reckless, wild, intense, dedicated, carefree, etc... They can look back with a comfortable detachment from their former selves. They possess a little thing called Perspective and have feelings of nostalgia when they remember that person they once were. I TOTALLLLY CAN'T relate. If I think back to five years old I think I had the same worry, care, caution, likes and dislikes that I have now. I've been in a lifelong state of complete and comprehensive awareness. The upside is a crystal clear memory...also an unflinching sense of self...The downside is a crystal clear memory and an unflinching sense of self.

And by that I mean...there has  never really been a break. I find myself feeling guilty about accidentally knocking my grandma's dentures off the sink when I was 9. I'll recall tiny conversations I had as an early or late teen and think " why did I say that when I know I meant to say this?"

 I've  just always felt so utterly Responsible.

Well I'm learning to drop that a bit now.

Above is a painting of me and Aaron. He painted it in 1999 and I believe in either January or February. I can guess the month because I know he was referencing a fairly freshly taken photo booth pic and if Aaron's in a turtle neck it was probably Christmas or New Years at the movies and our fave photobooth was in the theater lobby. I love it. He used a tiny black and white photo as reference material and set out to do a "vintagey, cottagey, folk arty, pastel colored  fun portrait."  I think he succeeded on all counts. And we look  almost EXACTLY the same now! (well except that Aaron no longer has hair.)  Well, I can look at the painting which is now eight years old and I can feel an inkling of Perspective. In the painting we had already been together for six years so it in no way marks our beginnings  as a couple, or as artists. We were knee deep in our creative career. At that time we were probably spending more time creating than we ever will again. We BURNED the midnight oil, we lit up the phonelines trying to make contacts, we drove thousands of miles in search of cool towns, antique stores, junkshops, etc... We were naive in all the good ways. We didn't second guess too much. And we never looked over our shoulders.

Well now I can look back at the eight years between then and now and depending on my mood it can feel like a million years or a minute.  There have definitely been some extremely rocky and devastating times between then and now but I'm starting to feel less bound by those times.  I used to let the past weigh me down. I used to think I'd some day have to rehash those roads I never fully finished walking. I've always described it as feeling heavy.

Well as quaint as it sounds, I may be starting to lighten up. I'm even a bit secure in knowing that I really have always been the same person. I mean, the color palette of the painting can't be coincidental. Over the years we have gone through full blown decor overhauls and now, right when I feel I'm pulling together a totally true decor identity I pull this painting out of storage and it's nearly an exact color match to my living room, dining room, current crafty creations etc...

And I have to say once again that I owe so much to this beautiful world of blogs. Being an artist is a day in day out process. It's like being in a constant state of reevaluation. The whole idea of: ' today's gotta beat yesterday, tomorrow's gotta beat today.' Well not necessarily "beat" but I hope that yesterday's experiences make today's better and today's make tomorrow's better. And blogs are this wonderful living illustration of that. There is nothing cooler than visiting your favorite blog and going way back into the archives. Have you guy's ever gone through all of 

Alicia's...it's awe inspiring how much she has accomplished creatively in that short span of time. So myblog here is just an infant and I dream of a day when I can scroll back and be wowed by all the stuff we've made and the people we met along the way...well I'm already wowed by the sweethearts I've met.  So I just wanted to share this painting with youall and all that it conjures in my head. Here's to future archives!!

 

Got some great new pics on the way!!

XOXO Jenny

 

Keep it Pretty!

 

There is a specific feeling associated with individualism...and then there is a ten times better feeling that goes along with creative solidarity. I LOVED reading your comments concerning the last post and I'm thrilled to know how many like minded "peeps" are with me. This post pays tribute to just a handful of you that "keep it pretty."...

 

OK, you know the whole bit about midwinter depression? The whole Emily Dickinson thing? Well poor Emily didn't have access to the internet. While I'm snowbound (not really, Jersey's accumulation is melting away) The US mail surely and steadily delivers blasts of sunshine! First there's the lovely 

Lilia! Another color palette queen...sent along this drop dead gorgeous collaged wine tote. The mixture of elements, color, and pattern is unsurpassed. And as if that's not enough...an abundance of extras were in attendance...vintage rick-rack...hand made bird stickers...some ready to decorate/embellish postcards...and one of her fabulous, handmade, french inspired mending kits! The first pic demonstrates just how darn good the wrap job was. She's, as they say...da bomb.

 

The Cake You Bake on a Random Tuesday.

There's the age old debate over what is decor and what is art. In the gallery world of NYC if it is even suspected that an artist is creating pieces with an interior design esthetic in mind, his paintings will be immediately relegated to the cheap seats while the most unapproachable and purposefully unattractive works stand front and center in the spotlight of genius.

Well, when we say Art around here, we mean Decor. I mean, what's more important than the private world we live in ? What means more ? A statement ?... or a fabulous kitchen? And as a weee small artist from Jersey nothing thrills me more than when the stuff I (and Aaron) make acts as an anchor/centerpiece/theme for someone's decorating project. When we receive photos from clients/collectors showing how our work works in their homes...it's like Christmas! (please send more.) Some  forthcoming pics we're dying to see are from a gal named Kristin who had the fab idea to fashion a kitchen backsplash out of our 4x4's . She got a few 4x4's from us in the past, did some measuring, and decided that the 4x4's would fit perfect in her bakery theme kitchen.  So... she asked if we could do sixteen of 'em for her. We didn't even know if we had sixteen in the line but we enthusiastically agreed and said we'd design new ones if we fell short of sixteen. (I'll show you the three new ones up close next entry!) Well, here's the sixteen.  Again, I can't wait to see the pics. 

 

As artists, we're not trying to make statements about war, or oppression, or poverty. We're littler than that. What we think about when we create are the things that you don't usually bother to think about...the little world that surrounds you when you  sleepily sip your morning coffee...the domestic sights your eyes gaze upon when you do the dishes after dinner...the backdrop of your everyday...the cake you bake on a random Tuesday...the color of the streamers at a kid's birthday party.

 

Thanks so much to all of you that strive for the little bits of domestic bliss. For us, true art is decor and more importantly...the actual process of decorating.  

 

be back soon with some eye candy.

xoxo Jenny

 

ps. thanks soooo much to anybody new dropping by the blog. AOL blogs have some hiccups and unfortunately I can't click on your names and reply so if you have one...please leave your blog link so I can visit your world!!!

 

eye candy deeeeluxx!!

 

possible title: I read the news today, oh boy.

Our television is a vampire, meaning it only comes alive very late at night. And as far as we know, the TV might be a radio because our eyes are constantly on our painting/cutting/gluing/making. The tube mainly serves as background chatter featuring the  hilarious voices of Colbert, Letterman and Conan. My days are spent in blogland and in the world offered on the pages of  Country Living, Country Home and Mary E's Home Companion magazines..and oh yeah, Somerset Studio rocks.

But still, that wacky world out there seems to seep in and I'm sure you'll all agree...that life is a lot better inside this little magical world of artists and collectors and like minded lovers of the little things. Let this friendly, glittery and emphemeral collage of wonderful people we call blogland serve as a refuge from all those tragic news stories and train wreck celebs that shall forever remain nameless in this setting.

I know that all that stuff probably goes without saying so I'll move on...Finally, we finished our paper dolls. We call 'em our "Baking Beauties". A few weeks back we made some very detailed, one-of-a-kind versions of these for a swap and swore that we'd make a group of them for sale...well here they are! All dressed up and ready to go and equal parts blonde and brunette, braids and no braids. They're not actually paper dolls, but super sturdy ornaments modeled after paper dolls. We want them. Yeah, we made them, but you know how it is when you make something and it doesn't feel like you did?

Also, fresh from the workbench comes this trio of art squared pieces. 4" x 4" is a great little format. Artwork always gets better when you shrink it down into little compact bits of eye candy.

And now, enough about us...take a look at what came in the mail:

OK, I'm going to crown Andrea Singarella, Queen of Color Palette. If you look at the picture of this wonderful stuff you'll see a vintage hand sewn, hand beaded, felt clock. Well, that was the starting point...me and Andrea connected on that clock. She loved it and after peeking at some of my faves she made up her mind that I probably love the clock more than she and then she let me know that it'll be arriving in my mail shortly. How darn sweet, selfless, and thoughtful. Well it gets better. She just couldn't bring herself to send the clock all by itself so she built a boxload of goodies around it's color theme. Just look at every little bit: from the envelope included not only for it's color but also because it bears the word "Everyday"...to the pale pink cupcake picks, vintage plastic coaster (which I will use as a candle base) and the super cute Wish ticket. Wow, the attention to detail, the thought, the care, what a doll. You are the sweetest Andrea!!

Ok, now for that adorable Valentine's box from Natalie. People on Flickr are loving it to bits and I gotta say, I'm definitely on the same page. I actually WON this on her blog giveaway, and win is a word that is not synonymous with Jenny. I love it!!..and of course since Everyday is a Holiday this will be displayed all year over here. What an incredible creation!!

And oh yes, Natalie was also reluctant to send that little girl on the heart shaped box all alone so she included  this pair of handmade dishwashing gloves she made just for me in my color palette.  Winning the box was more than enough and then I saw these! For once I'm eager to scrub stuff!! Thank you so so much Natalie !! I adore them!

Well, that's all for now. We're already psyched on Easter so look for peter cottontail to hop into town early...I hope he's wearing a coat!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!!

xoxo Jenny

All of the paper dolls and art squared pieces are now listed in our shop! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

We woke to about three inches of snow and ice! Within the last 24 hours there have been over 1000 car accidents reported in the state of New Jersey alone. Ohh the roads are just terrible! Thank goodness for four wheel drive! Have you seen news footage of upstate New York? WOW! I cannot imagine! And they are still being hit by the storm now!

 

As much as I love winter to include snow days, snowmen, hot chocolate and possibly riding snow tubes with siblings...I grow impatient for the far off days of displaying my pastel colored spring collections.  This new trend of a late arrival winter is hell for a paper mache rabbit addict. Snow, snow go away... this tiny taste is enough for me. Valentine's Day will be the official end of winter thinking around here.

 

Today was a really nice day. First off, I'm not a diamonds and gold kinda girl and never expect gifts of any kind, but Aaron was a dear and presented me with a gift bag brimming with all sorts of stuff for the kitchen, the craft table and the sweet tooth. He then ventured out into to the winter "yuck" to pick up all of the ingredients needed for our Valentine's dinner. We decided a few years ago that the whole "going out to dinner" thing is truly overrated. Instead, we flip through magazines, or folders for a mega indulgent meal recipe that we wouldn't cook on an ordinary night. Especially since on ordinary nights we never cook! This year was an easy pick...the current February issue of Mary E's Home Companion has a recipe for fried green tomatoes and mozzarella as well as the most caloric and outstandingly fantastic mac and cheese east of anywhere. Well, me and Aar are foodies. Totally live to eat and not the other way around.  And though meal prep is a rarity in our kitchen (I'm way more of a baker) I'm still a fairly decent savory chef when need be. (a great after effect of a lonely, chubby childhood.) Well, here's the thing...Green tomatoes are nowhere to be found in February! Aaron even made sure to hit Whole Foods and ask the produce guys there, because everyone in that building is a food genius. We trusted that a Feb. issue recipe would include ingredients proper for the season. Nope.

So we improvised and the meal was no worse for the wear. I changed it to fried mozzarella layered with basil, olive oil and some red hot house tomatoes...and then of course the mac and cheese from outerspace. The cheeses alone were almost thirty bucks...killer. If we don't eat it for breakfast Aaron's gonna bring the left overs to his parents. Oh yeah, and the cake seen above is from Whole Foods. I planned to bake but Aaron called and described this mini heart cake built for two and we decided to take a shot with some store bought sweetness...it definitely didn't disappoint.

 

Some incredible Valentine goodies landed on my doorstep today from some blogland sweethearts. I couldn't find a minute to photograph them but I promise to put 'em up tomorrow.

Well, that's all from the great white north...We gotta get to bed before we give in to temptation and reheat dinner!

 

Hope all of you lovelies had a super sweet day!!

lots of luv, xoxo Jenny

 

 

favorite things

 

Today was all about catching up and getting ready for a new work week. I had about 100 emails to sift through! (not an exaggeration!) I truly apologize to any of you sweethearts that are waiting on a reply! I have been so overwhelmed with work, and orders, and wholesale the past few weeks! I so so appreciate all of your super sweet words! I am working my way through my in-box! I promise! : )

 

Walt's game was by far the most intense this season! It was super fast paced! Going in to overtime..and ending in a tie! It was an incredible game! Walt was fantastic! I am just so so proud of that kid! He walked with a swagger...you know with his custom leopard print Adidas on an all! LOL (I promise a pic soon)

 

The apt. is looking very much like a bakery today! Cupcakes, cakes, and vintage mixers galore! Cake Art drying on every surface! So very happy to be filling orders! Nothing we love more! One super fun order we are working on is for our incredibly fabulous friend Rosanna in Italy! I wish she had a blog!! Trust me....you would truly faint with one glimpse at the world she lives in! I am patiently awaiting some photos of her home to share with you! Her kitchen is just brimming with all things frosted, glazed, glittered, sugared, and SWEET! She truly loves all things handmade! What an incredible gal! Her collections are to die for! She just purchased a doll house which will be decorated in a shabby chic/sweets theme! (yes...too fab huh?) Well..we were commissioned to recreate some of our cake art in doll house size! Sooo cool! We are thrilled! We just may end up adding dollhouse Cake Art to our collection full time!! Thanks to the lovely Rosanna!

 

Also in the works...our paper doll ornaments! Soon soon soon! I promise! They will be sold individually..packaged as they were for my swap. There will be some brunettes in the mix too! More info on them in a few days! : )

 

I have been seeing some of the most incredible eye candy throughout blogland!! My goodness!!Teresa McFabulous just got back from teaching at the Amazing sweetpeas & snapshots out in Cali!! Have you all seen her "Very Fine Houses" ?? Ohhh my gooodness!! Oh how I want an entire neighborhood of them across my mantel!! I am praying that she offers some kits! The super cute

Michelle and Helle were lucky enough to actually be there at S&S for the classes!! Ohh I am sooo Jelly!! At least they thought of us all...and posted some incredible pics on their blogs! Thanks ladies!! Looks like you had an amazing time!!

 

And ohhh my have you seen Alicia's cakes ?? Before I even read a single word of her post..I truly squealed out loud..."Ohhh sooo Miette"...which turns out was her inspiration! : ) If you have not heard of  Miette, they are an incredible patisserie out in San Fran...their cakes may as well be decor! Too pretty to eat I tell you!! I would have them filling cake domes all around our house if I lived any closer!

 

I would also like to welcome the fabulous fabulous Nicol Sayre...YES! that Nicol Sayre to blogland!! Aaron and I have been such HUGE fans of her work for years! We truly must have at least one or two of her pieces in every corner of our home! To be able to peek behind the wizard's curtain is just too too incredible!! Too exciting don't you think? Stop by..say hi! It is only a matter of time before it will be standing room only over there! : )

 

I would also Love to Welcome the Fabulous, oh so stylish and sweet Andrea Singarella to blogland!! I actually found Andrea through Flickr recently! From the tiny bit she has offered so far....we are really in for treat after treat! What style! Such a doll too!! Pop over and say hi! Tell her Jenny sent you!!

 

Up above are photos of some sweet things around the apartment. First is a little shelf vignette featuring some of our favorite old, new, handcrafted, thrifted, and gifted bits (hanging in our living room). Rhinestone picture frames, candy boxes, tiny vintage plates, Mohair bears, and some hand made sweets.

 

Also above..one of our favorite pieces! A hand painted chalkboard, featuring all of our favorite cakes! Quite time consuming...but well worth it! It hangs just outside our tiny kitchen, overlooking our living room area!

 

Also..a close up of a pair of paper mache cake slice shadow boxes Aaron and I made one rainy day about 2-3 years ago. I'd like to do some more if we get some time. They were a lot of fun!

 

Well....that is it for now! Lots to do to prepare for tomorrow! Lots and lots of orders to pack! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! talk soon!

xoxo Jenny

 

swaps make me happy!

 

I love swaps!! I've done chocolate swaps, miniature swaps and some one on one swaps.  And I have to say that this one was a fave . Paper dolls...and what an amazing spectrum of creativity. Danielle did a wonderful job with super fast shipping and organization. These darlings arrived on my doorstep yesterday...from left to right:  a darling jointed piece by Andra Hepler, (I do not know Andra, but hope to locate a blog, and thank her!), next a heart shaped sweetie by Jennifer Rogers-Daniels, (hope to find her blog as well) a lovely lovely handmade gift from the hostess with the mostess Danielle ( she made one for every single gal in the swap!), and last but certainly not least...a magical little creation by my sweet sweet blogland friend Melfie!! I really love them all to bits!! Thank you all so so much!! I hope that the gals that received my creations are as happy as I am! Ohh...I almost forgot...see the sweet and tiny vintage sheet music cone with glass glitter star?...well..that little cutie arrived the other day from Carrie, the winner of our Valentine's cupcakes art squared! As a Thank you! So so darling!! Too too sweet, and totally unnecessary! Thank you so much Carrie!! We LOVE it! : )

 

And Next up...the brooch swap, hosted by little lovelies. Here's a pic of my offering...a shrunken print of our chocolate layer cake painting, pin dot polka dots, crepe paper, assorted ribbons, bakery twine, and rhinestones. I've always been a huge fan of prize ribbons. I think  most of summer camp and  how those long hot days felt like weeks and the good old fashioned competition between the red team, blue team, and white team. The coveted blue, first place ribbon. Well anyway, when I think brooch, that's where my mind goes. I hope my swapmate is down with my design...and that it's not a bit too over the top!

 

Right now Aaron is handpainting some sneakers for Walt. Black on Black Adidas shell toes with Aar's famous handpainted leopard print. Aaron has adorned countless bits of clothing and objets d'art throughout the tri state area. I promise to post a pic when he's done. Walt's been asking for weeks and finally Aaron's been able to get to work on them.

 

Well, within 24 hours or so we'll have our new paper dolls listed for sale! (thank you all for the super duper sweet emails! We had no idea so many of you would be into them! YAY!). We're making a couple of them brunettes for some variety.

That's all for now, I promise some more interesting posts coming up. Tomorrow is a huge hockey game : Middletown North vs. Middletown South. Last year the outcome was downright terrible...I'm hoping for a reversal this year.

 

Enjoy your weekend!

xoxo Jenny

 

Happy little cliches!

Cliches are cliches for a reason...meaning: "good things really do come in small packages."And I just received TWO small packages. First, I found squeezed in my mail slot a little white cube of a box containing this out of this world mosaic cupcake by the uber talented Michelle Legler!! This was her end of a little one on one swap we did and I think I was by far the bigger beneficiary. It's totally handmade in my color palette and it's dazzling in every way! (Thank you so so so much Michelle!!) You all must check out her site for more of these incredible cupcake creations!! 

 

  Next came another little cube of a box inhabited by the two sweetest little mohair bears in the world...for real, they won the title, that's what the crowns are for! And these are sooooo tiny. I was tempted to pose them next to some coins or a soda can like I've seen on so many hilarious ebay auctions. These little cuties are two members of Missy Ballance's Mohair Circus. Besides being artist extraordinaire Missy Ballance is the girl behind www.GlitterandGrunge.com !

 Of course I never take things like this for granted but I feel like there could never be enough said about an individual's art and the purest joy it brings to us collectors. Opening packages such as these is a near perfect experience, second only to the feeling you get when you look around the room on an otherwise gray day and your eyes fall upon all of the handmade wonders you've acquired from the super sweet souls you've met along the way. Huge thanks to Michelle and Missy!!

 

  Wow, the response to our paper dolls has been great and very much appreciated. We promise that a set will be available asap. We'll definitely include some brunettes in the collection!

 

  Well, this is the nitty gritty part of the hockey season for Walt. His team just clinched a seed in the states and Walt has really picked up his personal game. Two weeks ago his coach moved him over to second line. This is the line we call the Rockstar line. Besides Walt, the line holds the team captain and the league's leading scorer. They have been unstoppable and Walt's talent is showing in a big way. On Friday he scored the winning goal in one of their toughest games to date. We loved hearing the crowd yell his name. He even got interviewed by the paper afterwards.

  For away games the team parents all chip in and get the kids sandwiches for the ride home. For my part I baked up 48 red velvet cupcakes with some killer cream cheese frosting. We had to go out and buy a Martha Stewart under the bed storage container just to transport them safely. All seventeen players plus their coach had at least two. So sorry for the lack of photos...I was down to the very last second piping and sprinkling away! I promise next time!

So that's all for today. We just watched the Superbowl, the one and only time we watch sports on TV all year (even though Aaron was Mr. Jock back in the day...captain of the football team, captain of the wrestling team, Lombardi award winner...now he listensto NPR and paints things pink and turquoise) .

The production, the budget,  and the attention to detail are unsurpassed. We love all the hubbub surrounding it. The lines at the grocery store and insane sales on chips and soda etc... Football is great but we just can't find enough hours in the day to really be fans. And Our sympathies for Andy and all Bears fans the world over. 

 

Hope you all had a fab weekend!!

xoxo Jenny

 

 

ps..I added another photo of Michelle's fabulous creation....just to show how the different colors pop depending on what it is near in the apt.!! I love it so much! : )