must have [may books]

A fellow paper-enthusiastic friend from work got me on the May Books bandwagon after showing me her latest gift from a friend.  I was in desperate need of a new calendar since I'm no longer at a computer 24/7 and need access to my schedule.  I've always preferred paper over digital and these little books are the perfect size!  (Not to mention they are hand-stitched and have a great texture to them.)

You can go to their website and design your own and even add your monogram (or anything really) for an extra $5. They would make a great birthday present of Christmas gift because you can choose the inside contents as well.  I chose the academic calendar option, but they also have calendar year, menu planner, agenda, diaries for wedding or pregnancy, and they also have the option for blank pages with grid paper, lined paper, or plain paper.  The options are endless! :)

I especially enjoyed their packaging.  It didn't take me long to transfer all my information from my online calendar to this one, and it's already come in to so handy.  I love it so much!

must have [pretty pages]

penguin classics

Since I took a break from design orders this summer, I've had sooo much free time.  I thought I would get bored quickly and resort to building up my designs--which is true to a certain point, but mainly I've spent most of my free time reading.

I never thought I would enjoy reading as much as I am since I don't normally turn to books first as a source of entertainment.  But over the last few months, I've found myself staying up late to finish a book because I just had to know what happens, crying my eyes out at some of the sweetest combinations of words I've ever seen on paper, and practically throwing a book across the room when a plot twist came out of nowhere. However, while it's clearly taken a toll on my emotions, it's been such an enjoyable way to spend my summer nights.

I wish I had more to show for all the books I've read besides the wear and tear of my library card, so that's where the penguin hardcover classics come in (designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith).  When I spotted them in Barnes and Noble and Anthropologie the other day, I wanted to buy every single one of these popular stories that have been made even more magnificent with such great cover designs, textures, and color schemes.

So if you enjoy reading and putting pretty things on your bookshelves, then you should buy a few penguin classics asap.  Happy reading!

Want to know what I'm reading?  Check out my pinterest with some of the books from my summer reading list!

tis the season...

to give!  this post was inspired by my twitter feed this past week.  i've noticed that people are already getting their gift ideas in order and are open to fun ideas.  so i decided that i am going to gift my wonderful readers with some items from my ongoing list of present ideas.  feel free to use my graphic for your blog and post some of your favorite gift ideas too!

i think giving presents is one of the most fun things ever (no matter the season of course), so in honor of the upcoming gift giving season, here is a list of 10 things you can make or give your loved ones this Christmas that i think are a little more special than your average gift card or list item:

1.  i love this plate by aedriel originals on etsy.  plus, if you wanted to make it more personal, you could go to your local ceramic painting shop and paint one for your loved one--maybe with just their initial, name, or significant date. then just buy a plate stand and there you go!

personalized ceramic plate

2. silhouettes..."so hot right now" (name that quote).  there are many ways to do this and i think it's super special for moms (to do of their children) or if you wanted to do two for a couple and frame them with colors from their house.

DIY how to
(no photoshop or design program needed!)

3. this is definitely not an original idea, but photobooks are always a huge hit and can be made after weddings, vacations, or even just everyday pictures for your or someone you love to remember.  moms get especially emotional when a gift like this rolls around. 

mypublisher.com

(right now, there's a buy one, get one free coupon)

4. how cute is this idea?  i love this because you can make it so personal and it doesn't have to be done in a design program either.  i think it'd be just as pretty handdrawn.  but if you like this then there are many options in this shop for different sized families.

gene ploss

5. everyone needs a journal or a notebook, but a way to make giving a journal more special is to write jokes, verses, or words of encouragement at the top of each page.  that way they'll have their very own "pick me up" and a place to journal or take notes.

field and sea

6. do you have a sister who loves getting flowers?  a mom?  a wife?  well, a blog that i read (young house love) had the great idea last year of the gift of giving flowers every month. print out a coupon or do what jon did and print out 12 flowers and put it in a vase to signify what's to come each month--either way, for someone who loves having fresh flowers in their house will love this gift.  plus, if you deliver them each month, that means the gift of quality time each month as well.  and before you think it's an expensive gift, read this post on how even a $3 bouquet can make someone's day.

young house love

7. this one kinda goes along with the ceramic plate idea since it's all about personalization.  i made this during the summer when i was planning on making a bunch for a bachelorette party, but it kinda fell through since we went with a low key theme instead. BUT it was super easy and i think would make a great present that you can personalize in so many ways.  we've all seen them at the mall or little boutiques, but it really is so easy (and cheap!) to make these for a few special women in your life.  all you need is a wine glass (dollar store) and a paint pen from hobby lobby (don't forget to print out a 40% off coupon).  then you get to start painting and bedazzling!  to make it even more personal, you can stuff the glass with a bunch of ideas (or "coupons") for girl night dates on pieces of paper for when you can both get together, so the glass can get plenty of use!  also my handwriting isn't that great.  i printed out my name in a fun girly font (digs my hart) then taped it on the inside of the glass and just traced it. (excuse the terrible pic.)  

8. i saw this earlier this year and flagged it because of it's cuteness and brillance. in the past, ive seen this done with twine, string, or wire stretched across the frame from the back in a bunch of rows. but this is so much cleaner and seems more sturdy.  if you don't want to make a jewelry frame, then you can do the same with the stringed idea and use clothespins to attach pictures, verses, quotes, etc.  so as you can tell, fun and creative ideas for empty frames are endless!  just go to hobby lobby and in the back of the framing department are frames that have been marked down up to 90%.  i recently got a $100 frame for a total of $10!  they are marked as "damaged,"  but it's nothing a bit of sanding and spray paint won't cure. :) click the link below for an explanation of how they made this jewelery frame (also, this blog is full of even more great DIY ideas!)

 design gal and her handyman

9. speaking of frames, this gift is super meaningful for sentimental recipients.  my friend blair told me about this last year (she did it for her mom and mom-in-law--they loved it!), and i knew i had to do this for mine too.  i used a bunch of fonts that i thought resembled each adjective in their favorite colors.  next i got a frame and stand from walmart.  i think total i spent $6 on each one.  the best part about this gift was watching them read each word that we thought described them (i came up with my mom's and i emailed joel and his bro for adjectives for their mom)--they just lit up with every word.  so great.  i couldn't find the pics i took of them in their frames and stands, so this will have to do.

10. and finally....pie in a jar!  these are so cute i can barely stand it.  being married to someone to LOVES pies, i can appreciate this gift even more.  i know a lot of you like to give small gifts to your families or coworkers. and the great thing is that you can make different pies for everyone!  head on over to our best bites for a tutorial and the supplies you'll need.  they even have free downloads for tags if you follow the links.

our best bites

whew! any other ideas that would be great to add to the list??

must have [2011 susyjack* calendar]

my oh-so-favorite calendar has just begun a pre-sale, so i didn't waste anytime this year! this marks year number 3 that this beauty will proudly be displayed in my office, and i must say, it makes my office so bright and happy.



the best part about pre-ordering? if you click the facebook "like" button before you order, susyjack will ship it to you for free! it's really a win-win if you think about it :)

must have [calligraphy stamp]

i wish i could have seen my reaction when i saw these on fabulous k yesterday morning. eyes wide, mouth open...gotta have it! the seller, patricia mumau, has these in her etsy shop Primele along with many other a-mazing things.

now that we're settled and have our own home sweet home, i've been on the search to find the perfect return address method. i'm very picky to say the least when it comes to all things paper, but the minute i saw these stamps, i bought them. i've NEVER made such an impulse purchase before, but these are simply fabulous. beautiful calligraphy. easy. the best option i've seen. and supportive of pure talent. it was almost like i couldn't NOT buy it. :)

i have no other words for them, so i'll let the pics speak for themselves.





i think the best part about these is that you can change up the feel with different colored envelopes and even the color ink you use. so many options!!! these are going to be the longest 10 days of shipping ever.

must have [aussie hair]

i did the unthinkable.

after 11 years of using the same hair product, i switched. BIG mistake. big. huge. (10 pts. if you can name that movie) i've always gone with what i know. i don't like change, so it was very unlike me to grab a different bottle of scrunch spray at the store last month instead of my precious grape-scented aussie spray.

it was at the ripe age of 14 that i found the purple bottle and people started associating me the smell of grape. i always recommend aussie to anyone with kind of wavy hair and tell them that it will change their life. because it will. it does the job without getting flaky or making your hair hard.

so why i tried to branch out is beyond me. i will never do it again. after 3 days of wondering how i randomly developed dandruff, i realized it was the after effects of a scrunch spray impostor.

lesson learned. jenny & aussie 4 life.

must have [love for your neighbors]

i saw this amazing printable from joy ever after and knew i had to share it. i'm ashamed to say that we've been in our house since june and have only met 3 of our neighbors. either we're never home or just hanging out inside, but i hate it. i planned to make goodies for our neighbors on valentine's day, but i totally chickened out. i really want to get to know those people who live nearby, so this seems like a much less awkward way than just knocking on their door and introducing ourselves. now all i have to figure out is what to bake! and of course then muster up the courage to distribute them :)

happy monday!

must have [leonard necklace]

it's no secret how much i LOVE lisa leonard designs. i really don't know what it is that is so appealing, but i love monograms and when they're stamped that makes them even better! as a kid, i was obsessed with those penny machines that would press the coin and leave a design of whatever city we were visiting--i just thought it was the coolest thing ever. i still kinda do actually. :)

i've been eyeing the first one necklace with the monogram for a while now and might just have to break down and buy one for myself. i can only resist for so long! now all i have to do is think of an occasion/reason to justify spending $60 on one necklace. does the first day of the month count for something? :)

happy monday!