The Giving Keys

     With the season of gift giving right around the corner, we thought we'd feature some creative and different gift ideas.  This week is: The Giving Keys.  What is a "giving key," besides totally fashionable and inspiring?  We're glad you asked...
     

     The Giving Keys exists to employ those transitioning out of homelessness to engrave recycled keys that get sold and shared around the world. Each key necklace is unique and carries a message like HOPE, STRENGTH, DREAM or COURAGE. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and then tell us their story.

The Bangle Bracelet $35.00

The Classic Pendant $35.00

The Dainty Pendant $40.00

The Never Ending Necklace $55.00

$5.00 extra if you want a custom word ;)

     If jewelry is on someone's Christmas list, these are some "pay it forward" pieces that tell a story, encourage, and help change a life, all at the same time.  

LLLove,

Jen & Jess   

'Tis the Season

     It's that time of year again, and we thought we'd share a little Holiday inspiration we whipped up for you!  Drink some hot cocoa, snuggle up by the fire, and take a look!

{images via here, here, here, here, and here}

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May your days be merry and bright, and filled with joy!


LLLove,
Jen & Jess

Happy Birthday Jen!

 {Photography by Lindsey Carlyle Photography}

     
     Happy Birthday to the best sister any girl could ask for! Jen, you are the most extraordinary women I know, and someone I have always looked up to (figuratively and literally)!  You make everything better and more fun, and you always are there for me when I need you.  You are compassionate, caring, kind, understanding, witty, and thoughtful, with a heart of gold!  

     Happy Birthday big sis!  I love you with all my heart!


LLLove,
Jess

DIY Wedding Invitation Ornament

     Thanksgiving is officially over, and it is time to put up your Christmas tree!  Here is a cute little DIY Wedding Invitation Ornament for all you newlyweds out there! Last Christmas I made my wedding invitation and Jen's wedding invitation into a Christmas ornament, for both of our first Christmas' as married ladies.  It was super easy to make, and such a creative and sweet way to commemorate our wedding invitations.  It also was our first ornament as a married couple, so we love it all the more!

     The theme for our wedding was "My Whole Heart For My Whole Life," and I made tags that I tied on the invitations.  To finish off our wedding invitation ornament I tied one of those little tags on our ornament.

 Materials:

- Wedding Invitation

- Scissors

- Clear glass ball ornament

- Wooden dowel (or pen)

1. Cut your invitation into strips.
2. Get your glass ball and take off the top.
3. Scroll each strip of invitation on a wooden dowel or pen, and feed one at a time into your ornament.
4. Put the top back on and your ornament is ready to be hung with care!


Make your Christmas tree extra meaningful this year!


LLLove,
Jess

Words To Live By

     Well, we've made it through Thanksgiving, and Black Friday, bring on December!  I'm sure that you are all still recovering from Thanksgiving leftovers, and don't want to hear about desserts for a while, but I think the moral of this brilliant quote is to remember to treat yourself.  
     The Holidays, though lovely and joyous, can be very stressful.  Just remember to take moments for yourself.  Get your nails done, go for a walk, or even just make some tea and sit down.  If you remember to put some "you time" on your to do list, the Holidays really can be the most wonderful time of the year.


LLLove,
Jen

Happy Thanksgiving

image via here

     Wishing you love, laughter, and full bellies this Thanksgiving Day!

LLLove,

Jen & Jess

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

 'Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through the house, 

all the women were cooking and making lists for their spouse.  

The table was laid out with thought and with care, 

in anticipation of loved ones who soon would be there.

     The turkey was thawing in an over stuffed fridge,

and having never made one, I prayed for courage.

Turkey Recipe here.

The pies, and the cakes, mashed potatoes and gravy

would all turn out fine, I just had to act bravely.

Kuba Kreations

Then the stress was too much. I was down for the count.

That's when I remembered what this day is about.

It's not about food, or a big fancy table.

It's about being thankful, and hopeful, and grateful,

saying how much you love, those you love, while you're able.

With a sigh of relief I knew the day would go well.

And either way, we'd have stories to tell.

Surrounded by those who give reason for living,

I am grateful and blessed on this day called Thanksgiving.

by: 
Jen

LLLove,

Jen & Jess

Thanksgiving DIY Round Up

     In honor of Thanksgiving week, we thought we'd put together a little DIY Round Up!  Whether you want to display family pictures through the years in a unique and charming way, or label leftovers for your guests, add a little craftiness to your Thanksgiving!

{images via here, here, here, here, and here}

Thanksgiving Picture Centerpiece Craft  by One Charming Party

Thanksgiving Printables by The Sweetest Occasion

 Corkboard Leaf Trivets by Martha Stewart

DIY Pumpkin Chiller by Style Me Pretty

Happy Crafting!


LLLove,
Jen & Jess

Words to Live By

{image via here}

     I love this quote because it is such a great reminder - "cultivate a spirit of thankfulness."  We are as happy as we choose to be.  We can focus on the good or the bad, we can choose to let other people dictate our happiness, or we can simply choose to be happy ourselves.  I do believe that this takes practice, practicing a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness.  My friend Kristy reminded me of this the other day.  She said that when things in her life get her down or put her in a bad mood, she simply lists all the things she is thankful for, and her mood instantly changes.  This is something I have chosen to do in my own life - strive to practice a spirit of thankfulness, and to remember to be grateful for all that I have.  Today my wish for you, is that you would choose to be thankful for all the good you have in your life.

LLLove,

Jess

Cavalia

     Jess and I were lucky enough to be invited to Media Day for the incredible Horse Show that is in San Diego right now, Cavalia.  Since Jess is in LA, I attended the show with our Mom and it was nothing short of breath taking.  

     Cavalia is playing in downtown San Diego now through December 30th, and would make a great holiday present, or fun night out with the family.  For tickets click here.

     They have gymnasts, aerialists, flying trapeze, trick horse back riders, riders that ride 6 horses at once, it's absolutely unbelieveable and beautiful and if you are in San Diego you should go see it.

        I grew up riding hunter jumper, and the whole family used to go to a dude ranch every summer and trail ride.  I've always thought horses are beautiful, but even if you are not a horse person, there is no way you won't enjoy this show.        
My Mom and I both loved it, and I want to go back and see it again!  


LLLove,
Jen & Jess

Thanksgiving Table Inspiration

     Happy almost Thanksgiving!  The summer heat has worn off in LA, and sweater weather is officially here! We've put together a little inspiration for your thanksgiving, so go get a pumpkin latte and get in a spirit of thankfulness!

 {images via here, here, here, here, and here}

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Happy Almost Thanksgiving!


LLLove,
Jen & Jess

DIY Anthropologie Polka Dot Jeans

     I saw the cutest polka dot jeans at Anthropologie, but instead of spending the money, I decided to make my own! I love giving new life to things, and these jeans were in need of a makeover!

Materials:

- Acyrlic Paint

- Wood Skewer

- Jeans
- Ruler
- Dish or palette for your paint
- Towel

 1.  Lay an old towel down and place your jeans on the towel.  Use a dish or palette for your paint. 

2.  Test a few paint options on the inside band of your jeans.  I had white, metallic, and blue opaque.  I ended up using blue opaque paint instead of white, which made the illusion of white polka dots without it being too bright.

3. Using a ruler and my wood skewer, I painted polka dots about an inch apart along a diagonal line.  Follow this pattern dotting in between the previous lines dots until the pants are complete.

*You will have to gage where to place the polka dots on the pockets, but you should already have a pretty good blueprint.

4. When the pants are complete, wait 30 minutes for them to dry, turn them over, and do the same thing on the back side of the pants.

Happy dotting!

LLLove,

Jess

Words to Live By

Photo via here.

     Happiness starts from the inside out.  Happiness is a choice we make every day.  To wake up and be thankful for all that we have, or to wake up and be resentful about the things we still want.  
     Today, choose to be Thankful.  Focus on everything, and everyone in your life that you are grateful for.  
     You don't need to have very much to have joy, you just need to have the right attitude.  


LLLove,
Jen

Sweet Relief: How to Shop to Aid in Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

     Continuing our theme of "Sweet November" with "Sweet Relief."  Monday we talked about Hurricane Sandy and how to donate to the Red Cross.  Today we thought we'd do a gift guide full of items that give back to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.  

Wedding Chicks (who we already know and LLLove) are donating 10% of all of their sales, now through November 11th, to the American Red Cross, and 100% of the sales of their Red Cross Tote and Towel. 

Calling all BRIDES! Merci New York is offering 20% off their wedding clutches through November 15th! Of course you don't have to be a bride to purchase this beautiful clutch, it can look good on anyone ;)...and receive an additional 10% off if you use the code: SANDYRELIEF.

TOMS is donating $5 for each pair of shoes, and $10 for eyewear to Save the Children, helping families, communities, and individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Selfless Tee created this tee-shirt to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief for those "South of Power."

More Ways to Shop for Relief:

     Thanks to Blush.com, here is a list of other companies that are giving back to help the people affected by Hurricane Sandy...

Chantecaille.com, a luxury makeup and skincare brand, is donating a portion of their website sales, through November 18 to those who were affected by the storm.

Shen -Beauty.com is offering up all of its profits from Kate Logan products until Christmas.

PritiNYC.com, an eco-friendly nail polish company, is giving customers who enter “HurricaneRelief” at the online checkout a 10 percent discount and donating 10 percent of their profits to the American Red Cross until this Saturday, November 10.

Kimberly Sayer of London is gifting 100 percent of profits on orders under $75 until the end of this week.

Blow will offer up $1 for every Blowpro product sold online and in stores.

Lord and Taylor will give shoppers who donate $5 to the Red Cross of the Greater New York Area a 20 percent off coupon for one item and a 15 percent off coupon to use toward their entire purchase. The retailer is also donating $1 to the Red Cross for every like on their Facebook page (up to 10,000) until Christmas.

Courtshop.com, which sells the perfect combo of denim and accessories, will offer up 10 percent of all November proceeds to the red cross.

Penfield.com is giving $10 for every order placed on their website to the Red Cross’s Hurricane Sandy relief fund.

JoanHornig.com created a special sterling silver pendant to support efforts on the east coast. All of the profits will go towards rebuilding and victim relief. Also, this necklace is adorable.

So help give some "Sweet Relief" and give a gift that gives back...or keep it for yourself..we won't tell.

LLLove,

Jen & Jess

Wedding Paper Divas DIY Additions: Part 2

     We were honored to be asked to collaborate with the fabulous Wedding Paper Divas on some DIY additions to their gorgeous invitations, and here is Part 2 of the DIY additions we came up with (and here is Part 1).  Hope you enjoy!

Stamp It ...

     I thought this invitation was beautiful and it had sort of a vintage feel, so I added some heart shaped confetti made out of old poetry paper.

    My husband got me the best gift, this custom stamp kit, that I used to stamp the phrase "Happily Ever After." The kit has detachable letters and numbers so you can customize your stamp!


     I stamped some vintage poetry paper that I found at an antique store and cut out the "Happily Ever After" into thin strips. Then I used this Martha Stewart heart confetti punch to make heart confetti.


     Then I used a tape roller to stick the "Happily Ever After" tag on a glassine envelope filled with poetry paper and music sheet heart confetti, punched a hole in the top of the envelope, and tied it to the invitation with bakers twine.



     Another lovely invitation tied up with string!

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Add a touch of fall, with some leaves ...

     I wanted to use real dead leaves, but I live in LA, where it was impossible to find any.  Oh seasons, where are you? So I settled for these awesome Wood Leaves and  Die Cut Leaves from Paper Source. I went back to my custom stamp and added a little "Happily Ever After" for an extra touch.


     I glued another wood leaf onto the envelope and wrote the address on it for a nice fall touch.


     I tied the "Happily Ever After" wood leaf to the invitation using bakers twine.


     And then I put it all together!  The great thing about using fake leaves is that they are flatter and easier to handle and mail, and you can stamp cute sayings on them.  The above invitation I tied with jute twine instead of bakers twine, I thought it looked better with this particular leaf.


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Add some doilies ...


     This is a super easy and cute addition to your invitation!  All you need are two large doilies, and some bakers twine.  First, fold each doily in half.  Then, place one of them on either side of your invitation.

     Tie the doilies on your invitation with the bakers twine, and your done!  

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Add some glitz ...

     I found a roll of glitter tape at Michaels and it gave me some ideas.

     I used my circle punch I got at Michaels to punch out glitter circle stickers.

     Then, placed the stickers on the outside of the enclosure envelope. When the full circle didn't fit, like on the inside pocket, I just folded the sticker over to the other side (you can also just cut the end off if you want).

     Another, more simple, option is to just use the glitter tape almost like a ribbon, and tape it around the center of the enclosure envelope and trim the edges, matching the lines of the envelope. Either way it makes a fabulous addition!

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Add some initials ...

     Another simple and easy addition to your invitation, especially great for a "Save the Date" or wedding, is to tie the couple's initials onto it!  You will need a piece of ribbon, a print out of the couple's initials, a glue dot, a safe cutting surface and an X-ACTO knife.

     Print out your initials, and using a safe cutting surface and an X-ACTO knife, cut a slit on either side.  Then, weave your ribbon in and out of the initials paper.

     Lastly, wrap the ribbon around your invitation and hold together using a glue dot. And did you catch how cute the back of the invitation is?! 

     I love the clean and classic look of this invitation and these simple additions just add a nice personal touch.

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Add a touch of fall ...

     I found some silk leaves at Michaels and tied them on with some bakers twine to give a fall feel to the invitation.

     And look at this adorable detail I found on the back of the invite, love it!

     That's all we have for you, and we hope you feel inspired to add some creative DIY additions to your next set of invitations!  And don't forget to check out the fabulous selection at Wedding Paper Divas!

     Right now enjoy 20% off on orders using the code: nov20wpd, and get free shipping by using the code: FSALL!  

     
LLLove,
Jen & Jess