Please don't go. We'll eat you up. We love you so.

Sometimes we have to share sad things too.

I wanted to pay a very small tribute to a very great man.

This morning children's author Maurice Sendak has passed and I feel it only fitting to contribute to small piece of my love and appreciation. 

If you are wondering who he is, I may want to call you a fool, but instead I will just share with you some of the things he created in his lifetime. 

"I like interesting people and kids are really interesting people"

Obviously we should have been friends.

Most widely he is known for writing the classic Where The Wild Things Are, his books were some of my very favorites growing up and even his illustrations in other books are still some of my favorite to date. His reoccurring character and styling has influenced and inspired both my doodle filled journals and my paintings and even my save the dates for goodness sake!

He believed in being real with children. He believed in storytelling. He believed in the things that lived deep within our imagination and dreams. 

Thank you for bringing both beautiful and dark, true and imaginary, and leaving the world with a little bit of your magic. 

xo j

 one. two. three. four. five. 

You can find these and many more of his books on Amazon.

“You cannot write for children. They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them. ” 

Newness, Newness, Newness

Yup, we're up and running.

You can now visit us at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessandgreghandmade

Can you even believe it? Only two years or so of promising. We will be adding more product throughout the week, we just had to get it up and started. Here's to a new chapter whatever it brings, I am certain we will learn a lot. And as always no matter what, I am glad we are learning together. 

Thank you for all your love and support to us over the past few years, we could not have done it without any of you.

from my thankful-filled-blessed-and-happy heart,

xo j

a piggy post

I know you have been DYING to know what the Piggys are doing, or you might just realllly need a smile today. Either way heres a few weeks that passed that I never shared. Another view into the life of two weird lovebirds:)

Greg bought me a gift and he said the Piggys were upset I didnt show them what it was.

 Sometimes Piggys just need a little help too.

 I laughed so hard when I came home and saw this one.

 Sharing the viewfinder, precious.

I just love them and Greg for always setting them up silly. It seriously helps the sting of him leaving each Monday. The countdown is going until we are never apart, yippie!!
All for now but we have been working on exciting things the past few days. Cannot wait to fill you all in!
xoxo j

Le Wedding//Save the Date

Here it is, the very first official piece of mail we sent out. With the very real date on it in which I will become a married lady. EK EK!
I love the entire outcome. As long as I can remember I wanted to use this quote from one of my favorite childhood stories. It was an idea I drew up that Greg revamped and made real. That my beautiful friends sat around a table all night to help me create.
Do not be fooled. This is scanned in, we sat and hand stamped those banners with stamps I cut out on erasers, cut out the pictures to size ourselves and adhered them with a variety of pretty tapes.
And as time consuming as it may seem to most those are the reasons I am a DIY Bride. Not only do I stand by and live a handmade lifestyle because its what I love, but the memories made when you are all together are something I will take away from this wedding process more than anything. The boys basically going blind from trying to cut perfect lines, Lizzie getting tape happy with the pretty tapes, and Maria and I finishing all the stamping while watching The Babysitters Club.

It was a lovely day when Greg and I finished addressing and sealing all the envelopes so he strapped on a backpack and we rode our bikes up to the post office. We got in line behind the cars and when it was our turn I gleefully unzipped his pack and put all the envelopes into the drop boxes. We couldn't stop smiling on  the ride home because it was feeling real. We were really getting married in a few months and all these lovely people were really coming to be apart of it.

Here is to the next few months and all that they will bring.
Happy Sunday,
xo j

I wish.

Last month one of my happy musical dreams came true.

My brother, Kyle, bought us all tickets to go see Eisley in Niagara Falls for my birthday!

I have been waiting for this moment for many many years.

These ladies continually keep me inspired with their lovely harmonies, whimsical lyrics and the beautiful bearing of their souls.

I even took a video to share with you... (Brian this was for you!)

EISLEY, I Wish.  Live in Niagara Falls. from jess allyn on Vimeo.

Ya, I know.

It was a really perfect night. And they have done it again, whether I am listening to them in the compactness of my room, or seeing them right in front of me, they do not fail to leave me feeling very inspired and energized to make something beautiful.

xoxo j