Categories Archive
We’ve got some super sassy, super cute new mugs up on our Etsy Store. For all of you hard working mammas out there who need to put a smile on your face as you drink a cup of joe —these are for you! The mugs are 11 oz. each, standard coffee cup size. If you sign up for our Email List you can get 15% off your first order of mugs or prints. Perfect gifts for Mother’s day! 🙂 Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook to get all of the latest updates, contests and sales....
The countdown is on for SURTEX 2016, May 15-17 in New York. Our agent will be there showcasing all of our new work. We hope you get a chance to stop by and visit – Jewel Branding Booth 417. We have lots of new greeting cards, great patterns for fabric and our super Sassy Sayings Collection. That’s a tongue twister 🙂 Check them out, I think they’d make great wall art, cocktail napkins, journal covers, the sky’s the limit! What do you think? #surtex #surtex2016...
Several years ago Allure Magazine started selling Beauty Boxes. At first they were geared towards sunscreen and skincare but over the years they’ve included, hair care, make up, nail polish and other goodies. They go for sale approx. 4 times per year. They are a great deal considering you get all full size products for around $50 with shipping. I always try to snag one. This Tuesday the box went on sale and due to an epic internet failure they are going to reissue the sale this coming Tuesday (May 6) at 9:01am PST or 12:01 EST. Here is the link for purchase, they sell out almost immediately, click here. The link is not live until 9:01 am but be prepared to order right away. I was somehow able to get through and order myself a box, so I am the human equivalent of a unicorn (I feel so magical!). This is the note they posted on their site: Here is a list of items and approx. cost: ALOXXI Flexible Hairspray – Value $17 BIG SEXY HAIR Get Layered Flash Dry Thickening Hairspray – Value $20 BURT’S BEES Even-Tone Moisturizing Cream – Value $20 CARGO COSMETICS Essential Lip Gloss – Value $16 CETAPHIL Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths – Value $7.50 DEVELOPLUS Anti-Aging Hair Treatment System – Value $20 DOVE Purely Pampering Body Wash – Value $9.50 FLOWER Nail’d It Nail Lacquer – Value $5 GK HAIR ThermalStyleHer – Value $20 IT COSMETICS Your Skin But Better® CC+™ Cream with SPF 50+ – Value $38 NEUTROGENA MoistureSmooth Color Stick – Value $11 NEUTROGENA Ultra Sheer Face + Body Stick Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 70 – Value $11 NOT YOUR MOTHER’S Intensive Hair...
What’s New Wednesday I’m working on a new set of greeting cards that I think are pretty funny and snarky with little plays on words. The designs are not totally fleshed out but I thought I would show you a sneak peek. What do you think so far, sassy or offensive? Over the top or just right? Several will be like the tank top card, just a funny play on words. We would love your...
I know all of you creative types know about Etsy, but if you consider yourself “creatively challenged” you may not be aware of the best place to shop in the entire internet Universe. (It might be tied with Zappos, which has more hot shoes than even I can keep up with). Etsy is like Amazon but for super cool, handmade stuff. I was searching the internet for sarcastic phrases last week because SOMEONE ACTUALLY PAYS ME MONEY to do stuff like that and I happened to come across these amazing handmade earrings that say “In one ear, out the other.” As luck would have it, I have my credit card number memorized in case of an emergency, and well, duh. So I sent in my order and commented to the ArtistQueenOfAllThingsResin that these were the best earrings ever. So I was already excited when my package arrived (quickly and inexpensively) and then I opened it and first there was this completely fabulous pillow box with a lucky number attached AND A BONUS NECKLACE with my second favorite word on it. Did she read my mind? No, because the necklace probably would have said f*ck instead of duh. But still. Oh, AND there was a coupon for my next purchase. So if you are looking for a gift for you mom, your sis, your friend or yourself (but not your mother-in-law) go to Etsy. And start with Resin8ingDarkness because if this post entertains you, then so will the jewelry in this awesome...
Since it is so nice and sunny around here and next week promises temperatures in the high 80’s, I thought we should bust out some favorite swimsuits. I always love the way swim suits look in magazines and catalogs but alas, rarely do I find one that I love. I found one at Old Navy several years ago that I LIKED a lot but then lost it when I was leaving my mom’s pool and walking home. I must have dropped it in the street and someone tossed it. 🙁 Here are a few that I thought were really cute. I love the florals and retro look. They range in price from a great deal to kinda pricey. I never understood why less fabric should cost more! I’m pretty conservative so I usually end up with a tankini, even though my hubby would like a bikini. Maybe if he goes for the speedo I’ll wear a bikini. 🙂 I have not tried the bikinis at Athleta maybe they have the perfect amount of support since they are for sporty people. Have you tried them? If so let me know what you think. The links for purchasing are below. Gingham Swim Suit Floral Suit Turquoise Floral Midnight Garden Dragonfly Bikini Coastal Bikini Gold and Black Bikini Polka Dot Tankini...
I get a farm veggie box delivered to my house once a month. Sometimes it’s a magical mystery tour and I have no idea what something is or how to cook and eat it. This week we got this alien, fractal looking oddball. I did like the bright green color but of course had no idea what it was or what to do with it. Guess what it is? Romanesco, a part of the broccoli/cauliflower family and its description sounds pretty yummy. I decided to add it and swiss chard to pasta. I roasted it with a little olive oil than tossed it with the pasta. I would say it has a very mild flavor so if you want to introduce your kids to a fun looking vegetable than Romanesco is the way to go. Last year we grew lots of cauliflower and broccoli in the garden so I am guessing this would also grow well, I may need to add it to my list of what to grow next. I think we’ll finish off the evening with pumpkin muffins. We did spend the day cleaning the yard of dead leaves and trimming unruly plants. It was a sunny day and it was nice to be outside and now my yard looks...
My little “work room” had become a place to put crap so I decided to reorganize. I took all of the furniture out so I could get a fresh perspective on the space. Then I noticed that I hate the carpet that’s been in there for 10 years. So I tore it out. Then I had crappy plywood floors. Then I figured since the carpet was torn out I might as well paint. Now it looks like this. It was important to keep the desk clear of clutter so I have a place to do projects and wrap gifts, hence the industrial shelving with baskets so I can see that I already have a hundred spools of ribbon before I run out and buy another one. I wanted a place on the wall to pin up inspirations and momentos so I made a pushpin board out of cork squares. I layered some burlap with a sheet of gift wrap that was too beautiful to use on a gift. The “wallflowers” are from Target.com, they’re super easy to put up and come in other shapes and colors. I didn’t really need a curtain on the window but I wanted a nice finished look. So I glue gunned sewed this valance out of burlap and used some Simon+Kabuki white patterned cotton fabric for the panels. My effin’ home office project is finally almost done. I still have one blank wall that needs some loving care but I’m taking a little break to give my addled brain a chance to air out and come up with something supercute. And hopefully easy....
I got back late last night from a speaking engagement in Sioux Falls, SD. I got to hang out with a bunch of kickass women and talk about what we need to do to get a fair shake in our careers and minimize the mommy guilt all at the same time. The explanation for inequality is really very simple, our biology dictates how we operate and since historically there were more men in the workforce, it’s naturally designed to accommodate their biology. Following me? I’m not saying that boys are dumb. Okay, I say that all the time but only because I live with a bunch of them and I know this to be true. Even the smart ones are ignorant on occasion. But if you look at my scientific illustration of the brain, you can see that it’s not all their fault. Take a look at this awesome video about men and women’s brains, A Tale of Two Brains. So my theory is that we need to maximize the biology that works for us and learn to do a few things more like guys do. I don’t mean scratching your crotch and pee standing up. I mean take credit when you do a good job and don’t sacrifice your principles to make a group happy. That kind of thing. Enough philosophy for today, time to fire up my cordless drill and fix some stuff around the...
It’s pouring rain as I write this post, but I’m already feeling like it’s time for Spring. I think this year is going to be The Year of The Tote for me. I’m going to collect totes the way I collect sunglasses and shoes (okay, maybe not shoes-I don’t think there are enough tote bags available for that) and use them as an accessory. This sassy bag was made for me by a fabulous seamstress. Karen makes totes for her granddaughters out of super modern fabric collections, I saw one of her creations and I was jealous and whiny so she made me one too. Just goes to show you that acting like a toddler is pretty effective. But if you’re like me and you do better with power drill than a sewing machine, there are lots of options in every price range. So if you see me at the gym, the beach, the grocery store or the office, check out my tote-ally awesome...
I still need to paint the ceiling in my little home office because I can’t possibly live with the current color (cream). I started to paint it last night with a color I picked out solely because it was called “Burlap” and I had fantasies of burlap floor to ceiling curtains in there. In reality the color should have been called “Peachy Puke.” So I went for my 11th trip to the hardware store and picked a different warm grayish color and went to work on destroying my shoulders, neck and back. I’m almost done with the serious grunt work and I get to do the fun part next. My biggest priority when I design a room (or yard) is how I want to feel when I step into it. I want to feel a little euphoric, ambitious yet relaxed, and like I’m in my own domain when I walk into my little home office. It doesn’t need to impress anyone but me, but I’m a tough customer. Here are some of the ideas I’m perusing (you can click on http://pinterest.com/simonkabuki/home-office-ideas/ to see close ups of these photos). In order to avoid buying furniture that doesn’t fit well, or moving stuff around until the floors are scratched and the freshly painted walls are scuffed, I always draw a scaled version of the room with pieces of furniture I’m considering putting in the room. I do this on my computer but it would be just as easy to do it with cutout pieces of paper. Here’s how the desk I want would fit it in the room: My desk used to...
Life is a series of decisions not a series of events. Last Thursday, I attended the event Real Women. Real Conversations. It was put on by our local chapter of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners). What a great resource to have available. It has been a while since we had attended this type of event. Sometimes you get busy with life and forget to nurture other parts of your life, but it was well worth the time. It was an extremely inspiring, insightful and fun afternoon. The speaker was Suzy Welch and she was there to talk about her method for making decisions called 10, 10, 10 (10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years). I had first read about the method in Oprah several years ago. I am currently reading her book, it is any easy read and makes total sense. As Suzy says, “All it takes to begin are three simple questions: When faced with a complex dilemma, stop and ask, “What will the consequences of my options be in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years?” The part that I like is that there is no sugar coating going on. Some decisions that you make may not make you happy but in the long run it is what you need to do. There were three thought provoking questions she had us think about: 1. What would make you cry on your 70th birthday either from sadness or regret? 2. What do you want people to say about you when you are not in the room? 3. What did you love about your childhood and what did...
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. – William Shakespeare This weekend my husband and I had a rare hour to kill until my son’s soccer game started. We decided to visit the San Jose Rose Garden. Sometimes you forget that your city has rare gems just waiting to be visited. When we plan our vacations we are always on the lookout for hot spots in other towns but often forget what we have in our own hometown. The San Jose Rose Garden is 5.5 acres with nearly 4,000 roses. It was selected as America’s Best Rose Garden, who knew! It is a beautiful oasis in the middle of San Jose. There are many weddings and graduations held in the garden each year. What a beautiful backdrop – fountains, grass and thousands of roses, can’t be beat! We spent our time wandering through the rows and smelling the various roses. Some have no smell and some have wonderful smells. The upkeep of the garden is done by volunteers and I want to thank them for giving their time for every one to enjoy. I encourage you to grab a blanket and picnic lunch and enjoy the garden on a beautiful sunny day, you will not regret it! It was nice to take a break from our busy lives in such a quiet and aromatic spot. We will definitely be back! What treasures do you have in your hometown?...
Now that I have your full attention! I wanted to congratulate all of the hard working women on the US Women’s World Cup Team. I know we didn’t win but they played their butts off. When a game is decided by penalty kicks it’s basically a toss up anyway. As my daughter’s coach says – sometimes you outplay your opponent and lose and sometimes they outplay you and you win. The US team dominated the entire game, taking shot after shot. Unfortunately lady luck was not on their side yesterday. But maybe that is okay. As Hope Solo so eloquently put it “We lost to a great team, we really did. Japan is a team that I’ve always had a lot of respect for, and I truly believe that something bigger was pulling for this team. As much as I’ve always wanted this, if there was any other team I could give this to it would have to be Japan. I’m happy for them and they do deserve it.” Now moving on – if Hope Solo is available my son would love a date or at least a signed picture 😉 and my daughter’s would love some training, Abby can we pencil you...
We expected to see some seriously high fashion while in NY but what a great surprise to find a runway right in the middle of the National Stationery Show and Surtex. These fabulous dresses are made from – are you ready for this? – PAPER! Various designers and students submitted the over-the-top-drop-dead-gorgeous handmade creations. While we were admiring each fabulous frock, we had the pleasure of meeting Pam Quigley, the creative director at DCWV and the designer behind the decidedly provocative crimson and black floor length gown (see below). Pretty sassy for a nice girl from Utah 🙂 I love the typography skirt and newsprint doggie (best pet ever) on the vintage ensemble. This display inspired me big time. I’m trying to figure out what I can do with all of the rolls of toilet paper that we keep accumulating from Costco, maybe a bridal gown? Or maybe I will paper maché my dog… ooh! how about a g-string made from Post-Its?! Write to us if you have other equally creative suggestions, maybe we’ll create our own Fashionably Inappropriate Runway at the...
This post is not for the faint hearted. Or those who are opposed to foul language. For the rest of us, who’s happy that Terrorist Mother Fucker is dead? Sorry, “Effer” wasn’t cutting it this time. My weekend started out as usual… too many social obligations (perfect), a ton of cooking to do for Junior Prom dinner and appetizers for the parents during “pictures”, finding a lost doggie on my power walk to the grocery store so I could fit in a semi-workout while getting the one thing I forgot on my three trips during the week, returning said doggie, trying to get the Effing sprinklers to work now that Summer seems to be here (finally) before my recently planted flowers die and btw I need to lose 10 pounds and I hate everything in my closet. I enjoyed every part of all that chaos, I chose a black and white color scheme for the prom dinner, white flowers on every flat surface, lots of candles so the kids would feel like our home was worthy of their beautiful gowns and tuxes. I carefully planned a menu that would be yummy and filling but not messy so the girls didn’t have to worry about drippy sauces. A friend came over and we cooked, played our music, sipped wine and talked trash all afternoon. Here’s where the heavy part comes in. I get home from going out for Fro Yo with the kids last night, turn on Desperate Housewives only to find our President announcing that we finally found and obliterated that big dark cloud that hung over us for...
Now that my littlest baby is thirteen (and a couple of inches taller than I), I am officially the mother of three teenagers. Ack. This article is not about their angst, they are actually all pretty mellow, happy kids. It’s about my angst in regards to being the mom of kids that are growing up way faster than I can handle. This is all about me, my vanity and my purpose in life. I have one in college, one in high school and one in middle school. So when I visit the college kid and sit with the other parents in the stands at a game I feel relatively young. Hip even. Some of those parents already have grandchildren and their coed is the baby in the family. When I’m in the stands at the high school events, there are lots of moms my age, some are smokin’ hot and working their age like it’s their bitch. Others, not so much. Then I go to the middle school, and I’m in the “experienced” parent category. Translation: Effin’ Old. Thank goodness I have other interests in my life besides the size of my ass. Now that my kids are so independent I have time for ambition, gardening and going to the gym. And while my looks are a priority because how I feel and how I look are strongly tied to each other, they aren’t THE priority. I get a great smile from being happy. And a confident woman with many interests is damned sexy. I was looking for examples of great looking women who dress age appropriate and somehow...
It’s so hard to make time for reconnecting with friends when you have your kids’ tournaments or recitals every weekend. Then there’s the house projects, the school volunteering, the job, the hubby, the extended family, and Effin’ Dog to take care of. I have recently begun to feel my kids slipping away into independence. They need me less, and frankly, it’s frickin’ awesome. This little bit of free time that I’m discovering has made me realize that in a blink I’ll be much more available for things that don’t involve carpools and I’ll be able to hang out with the girls more. In the last two weeks I have spent time with good friends from college whom I haven’t seen in about 10 years (cuz they are Easterners now) and friends from high school (thank god we all still look pretty good, wrinkles, pooches and all). An overnighter with Kai and The Other Erin was the best we could do with our crazy schedules but we made it work. We spent the night at the luxurious Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, just a short drive for all of us but it felt like we were on another planet. We all arrived in the afternoon and immediately opened a bottle of wine and made ourselves a sassy cheese platter. We sat out in Adirondack chairs and enjoyed the coastal view and talked about everything from childbirth to the new miracle fat removal lasers. There is almost nothing that we don’t know about each other, we were together before we met our husbands and had kids. We only manage to...
So if you told me twenty years ago that I’d be getting a matching tattoo with my daughter someday, I’d have thought you were a Crackhead (or whatever we called people back then). If you had told me this five years ago when she was 14 and already planning her first tattoo, I would have said, “maybe if I’m desperate to keep her from doing something more obnoxious.” Right after she turned 18 she “surprised” us (i.e., didn’t tell us) and got the tattoo she’d been wanting for so long. I wasn’t really surprised but a smaller, more obscure design would have been nice. Last year, on Feb. 6, 2010 to be precise, she started planning the next design and I (stupidly) said if she waited a year, I would go with her and we could get one together. Sometimes my parenting decisions are so colossally idiotic that I think my children would be better off if they were raised by wolves. Or the guys from Role Models. I have known my daughter for a long time, I should know that she is the most persistent person I’ve ever met and she only forgets about things like cleaning her shithole room. On Feb. 6, 2011 I got the phone call from college, happily reminding me that it’s been exactly a year and if she came home for the weekend could we go get our tattoos? I’m not anti-tattoo, this is not my first and I was actually kind of excited about the idea. Except for the pain. It’s right up there with childbirth only there’s no cute baby that...
Part of my feels like Valentine’s Day (hereafter referred to as VD, cuz I just can’t help myself) is an engineered holiday invented by florists and stationery companies to beef up business. And the less cranky part of me loves to do something fun for my kids and my hubby in honor of VD to show them how much they mean to me. If you’re inspired to make your Valentine smile today, send them an e-card from hoops & yoyo – they are a brilliant pair invented by the creatives at Hallmark, their cards are hysterical for every occasion and their VD cards are no exception. hoops & yoyo My kids got big fat chocolate bars and hoops & yoyo cards with breakfast today, they started the morning laughing together, which is just about the best way a family can start the day. We’ll continue to milk the free-pass-to-eat-sugary-crap-cuz-it’s-a-holiday tradition tonight. Red Velvet cupcakes are on the menu (I confess, I didn’t bake them myself this time because I’m partied out from my son’s birthday yesterday) but they’ll be a nice surprise and they are oh-so perfect for VD. And while my husband will enjoy the frosting from the cupcakes, let’s be honest. All he really wants is crazy monkey sex so I guess I’ll wear my spikey knee high boots to bed instead of my sweats tonight. So I guess VD is like an engineered Boy Bands, I love me some Backstreet Boys even if they didn’t start out in a grungy...
Who says your workspace has to be full of drab gray cubicles? Our all-girl design studio is set up for hard work in a creative environment. We have the top half of a big historic Crafstman house on a tree lined street, next door to the local library and around the corner from the downtown shopping area. Poor us, it’s so hard to work when there are all of these wonderful distractions. We love to decorate with type, there are so many super cool things you can do with letters. We are narcissistic typophiliacs, our initials are everywhere in our studio. You can get initial hooks from Anthropologie, small or large individual letters from Ballard Designs, and we found our black letters with sassy white stitching at Michaels Crafts in the dollar section! Whether you work at home or away from home, it doesn’t suck to work hard when you have a fabulous place to do the...
Let’s face it, the kids and the effin’ dog own the house. We pay the bills, but they run the place. Evidence of their existence follows them from room to room. It’s time for moms who appreciate a well-appointed room (free of toys, stale snacks and fur) to revolt and reclaim some square footage. Your own bedroom is the perfect place to create a spa-like haven, where you can read a book or rekindle your romance. Adding a chair with an ottoman, a sweet little bench or a loveseat transforms your room from the place you sleep, change and hopefully get jiggy to a place where you can escape from the chaos of parenthood with a nice beverage and have a time out. It also provides another place to do the wild thing 🙂 Because I’m in my forties and it takes a WHOLE LOT OF EFFORT to be smokin’ hot, and because I’m a hard core multi-tasker, I decided that I needed a place to work my magic while listening to the news and sucking down my required 40 ounces of coffee in the morning. So I found a super cute little dressing table at a consignment store, painted it white and set up camp. Getting ready for work has changed from a big rush to a nice time to pamper myself. Don’t forget that the ceiling can be an opportunity to decorate, I hung these beautiful glass angel trumpets in my “workstation” instead of a chandelier. And making a space into your nirvana requires a collection of things you love. The beauty is in the details so...
