Day Late, Dollar Short

I had every intention of posting this yesterday, but the day proved to be very busy. I usually celebrate Valentine's by hosting a crafting/sweets indulging party for a handful of my closest friends and then dinner and a movie (usually at home) with my boyfriend. So, the holiday for me has never been about insanely overpriced meals and diamond rings but instead how to celebrate the people I care about (and good food too since I never miss a meal).

Naturally, I was inspired by these great snaps from one of my favorite blogs, thisisglamorous because their Valentine's Day posts usually applaud at-home efforts of simple decorating and dining (though, I must admit the only food I make is usually the out-of-the-box baked goods variety). So, here's to hoping everyone reading this had a great Valentine's Day.

The colors of this rose martini table set-up give it a very vintage 1920s feel.

Raspberry tart/ possibly creme brulee and coffee = best picnic idea ever.

Valentine's Day is all about the sweets and wine, and this snap is extra sweet.


The uses for paper doilies are endless as this ethereal light strand proves.

Action Jackson out.

Hearts on Fire

It's no secret that I love tattoo art, especially Americana and Japanese work. I'm partial to sparrows, well-drawn women and pin-ups (emphasis on well-drawn because I've seen plenty of ugly/poorly drawn ones), sugar skulls, pirate ships, flowers, and sacred hearts. My inclination towards the last one might be tied to the fact that it's one of the only things I can/like to draw freehand. Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I figured this would be the perfect time to showcase some great tattoo art-inspired heart pieces on Etsy.

Sweetheart Sacred Heart and Bird Necklace by artallnight on Etsy, $26.00

Artallnight has been one of my top favorites on Etsy for a very long time. Her pieces are sweet and well-drawn, and the shop is always stocked to fit varying tattoo tastes.

Winged Heart with Eye Valentine (Set of 6) by illustratedink on Etsy, $7.00

Without a doubt, this is one of my absolute favorite Austin artists and local Etsy shop. Illustratedink's work is part Dia de los Muertos, part vintage carnival, and all good taste.

Tin Sacred Heart Mexican Wall Art multicolored by TheVirginRose on Etsy, $27.00

I am in love with the color mix for this piece. Though the tin hearts in this shop are my favorite, there's a multitude of colorful and sometimes glittery (be still, my heart) Mexican home decor pieces that look like they were straight from Austin's shop, The Turquoise Door.














The French Couple print set by ohashleylove on Etsy, $20.00

I love that this print set is a couple, especially because it's so perfect for Valentine's Day. I'm really digging on the matryoshka craft trend right now too. This shop offers up very classic Sailor Jerry-esque tattoo (the color palette used is spot-on) art prints and sweet knit pieces (the bows are my favorite!!).

Sacred Heart embroidery hoop fabric art by Moxiedoll on Etsy, $50.00

The blue fabric background with this piece is very striking and provides a great contrast for the silver and gold thread used. Every embroidered item in this shop is delightfully nostalgically geeky chic and vintage-inspired (think view-finders, telescopes, and classic poloaroid) and would make the perfect playful touch to any home.

New Tattoo Rose and Heart Locket with Skeleton Key Necklace by wickedminky, $22.00

It was love at first site when I saw this piece. The necklace combines several of my favorite tattoo art motifs- roses, hearts, diamonds, and a key/padlock pair- so, that might be why. Wickedminky's shop is filled with classic tattoo art as well as newer styles, and the greens and blues used are really rich and eye-catching.

If you're still looking for a great way to personalize Valentine's for you or somebody else, any of these finds would fit the bill. Are there any of your favorite tattoo art pieces or Etsy shops that I missed?

Action Jackson out.

Valentine Decorating - Dessert Tables

I will be hosting a small Valentine's Day get together in a few days and have been searching for decoration inspiration, especially for the dessert table (arguably the most important part). Having a delicious looking dessert table is especially important because I'm not an experienced chef/baker, so nothing will be made from scratch (and there will be lots of food right out of the box). Though my expectations at the outset of my search weren't particularly low, nothing could have prepared me for how much awesome I stumbled upon.

Printable Be Mine, Valentine Paper Goods Collection by GwynnWassonDesigns, $6.50

This shop sells really affordable printable paper goods- banners, invitations, favor goods, party circles for all occasions. The added touches for this dessert table really gives a personalized and thoughtful vibe.

I Heart Valentines Day- Coordinating Party Logos- Customized by andersruff, $18.00

Everything in this display looks edible- even the tiered boxes on the two ends that resemble cakes...they are boxes, right? This shop offers up really colorful printable sets as well as event invitations, tags, cards, etc. that are all very theme-oriented.

Another find in my search was the Amy Atlas blog. This snapshot of various display ideas is just one of (I'm guessing here) thousands you can find on her site...because she does this for a living. I'm sure all my savvy crafty friends know about her already, but her inspiration is new to me.

Another Amy Atlas master/table-piece featured on Apartment Therapy (and therein suggesting I am behind on finding out about this crafty lady). Are those tree blossoms lollipops?!

Another table-scape from the same Apartment Therapy post. Take a sweet? Okay, Amy Atlas, but only if you promise there isn't a witch and gingerbread house lurking under the table.

I'm eager to find more calorie-free eye candy on this subject and will report back with what I find. What are your favorite presentation inspirations and dessert table finds?

Action Jackson out.

Ooh La La

As some of you know, I'm a little nutty about Valentine's Day. And not in the 'I must receive a dozen cliche red roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates from a significant other in a very public place so that everyone can envy me' kind of way. That said, I will eat myself silly with sweets for the approximate window of February 11-15 and no, I won't turn away flowers or sweet valentine notes.

I love Valentine's Day because in school, it meant an excuse to be hopped up on sugar, exchange gifts with friends, and all but shirk learning responsibilities (because honestly, who can focus when there's giant red mylar hearts everywhere?). As I've grown older, I've maintained a deep appreciation for the February culinary delights as well as the bombardment of pink and red kitsch.

The city of Austin has given me more reason to adore this holiday. Valentine's Day means a week filled with burlesque shows and movie buff events that will even leave the 'I hate Valentine's Day'-ers smiling (and yes, I sympathize with/encourage/celebrate the anti side of 2/14 too).


First on the list is Cirque de Flirt at Emo's on Saturday, February 12th at 9pm (Tix $8 in advance or $12 at the door). The show will consist of traditional burlesque, belly dancing, fire breathing and bed 'o nails acts, and a finale fire performance. The first 69 attendees will receive goodie bags, some of which will be packed with Diamonds and Guns goodies. Our friends at Kuhmillion Lingerie will also be there with a pop-up shop, including some DGAJ fascinators and earrings! To top it off, there's a few other giveaways and contests mixed in. For more details, check out the event or visit EmosAustin.com.
Cute Little Three Piece Set available through Kuhmillion Lingerie, $36.00

The second event is brought to you by Alamo Drafthouse. The Moulin Rouge Sing-Along is happening on Thursday, February 10th at 7pm. The wonderful Kuhmillion Lingerie will be there with Black Widow Burlesque showing off their wares. And did I mention rockin raffle prizes? They'll be available courtesy of Kuhmillion. A few DGAJ feather fascinators and bedazzled art deco earrings will be up for sale at the event too! So, if you're bored in line waiting for the show to start or need a last minute Valentine's gift. Never fear, Kuhmillion's here (or there, depending on how you look at it).

Hope to see lots of y'all out at these events!

Action Jackson out.

1,001 Uses for Paper Doilies

For anyone who doesn't know this about me, I love love love lace, filigree, and all things art nouveau (and tasteful, I should add). So, it's only natural that I have accumulated (and for some reason continue to buy) quite a number of paper doilies throughout the years and Valentine's Days. In light of my trying to recycle more things more often, driving less and bussing more, and buying groceries from local farmers, I figured I should stay consistent and find new uses for my beloved doilies.


Sure, they make great decorations, pretty yet ineffective coasters, and classic adornments for kids' valentine bags, but what more could they possibly be used for? The answers I have are surprising and admittedly accidental. For a Valentine's soiree I recently hosted for some of my gal pals, I had everyone decorate a Valentine's-themed reusable canvas bag (I'm a big fan of party favors that people can use and keep long term).



























To recreate this bag design, you'll need:

-canvas bag (widely available at all craft stores- we got the extra big ones so the straps are long enough to carry on you arm)
-doilies (heart or rounds or both!)
-fabric paint
-paint brushes and sponges
-fabric craft glitter

1. Lay paper doilies down in the desired pattern for your bag.

2. Dip your sponge brush in the fabric paint and sponge paint the inside of the doilies. For full colored patterns, use a generous amount of fabric paint and make sure everything inside the doilies is colored (no canvas showing!).


3. If you would like to incorporate the scalloped edges in your design, use a broad tipped paint brush to paint the outline of the doilies. If you want a design that more closely resembles Day of the Dead paper silhouette decorations (i.e. shown above), only paint inside the doilies and once you're satisfied with the level of color saturation, peel the doilies off the bag.

4. For added bling, shake the craft glitter over your painted design while the paint's still wet (instant natural adhesive!).


Once you're done shaking off your glitter, voila! New bag to take to the grocery store! Personally, I think the Valentine's design is toned down enough to use year-round. What do y'all think?


























In addition to being used as handy stencils for bag decorating, doilies make great add-ons for personalized valentines. I prefer cutting the hearts in half or quarters and using them as border filigree design in order to make them look a little less garish paper doily. One of my favorite alternative uses for doilies is home decor, and a perfect and unexpected example is shown here in This is Glamorous, an awesome blog Apartment Therapy recently introduced me to.


So, that's 3 down, 998 uses to go, right? Do you guys know of other great ways to extend the life of doilies or other favorite seemingly one-life/one-use everyday items? Let me know! In the meantime, hope to see everyone tonight at The WonderCraft's Grand Opening from 6-9pm at The Art Pad.

Action Jackson out.

Love is in the Air

Before you say it, I know. You can't get a more banal post title than this one, but this is my last Valentine's post for the year (I'm not one of those kitschy people who think Christmas in July is awesome). To kick off celebrating, my roommate and I turned into baking fiends and made more cupcakes, cookies, and chocolate covered strawberries and cherries than you can imagine (pics soon to come so you can see how little I'm exaggerating). Said sweets were then contributed towards a mini Valentine's party with close friends-fun games, delicious food, and lots of crafting (painted canvas bags, handmade valentines, and edible cookie valentines). Said party was followed by *cue awwws* dinner date and watching horror movies. On a side note, I thought my boyfriend and I were especially clever for thinking to watch horror movies on Valentine's Day (and it's fitting in a way considering the way of St. Valentine) because who would think to do that? However, this is Austin and we were so not the only couple to do that. Go figure- our city is chock-full of nerds, movie buffs, and fanboys (and girls).

For today's Etsy artist Valentine feature, I am sharing the work of one of my absolute favorite Etsy artists, Art All Night. Above is her Be Mine Valentine Sparrow Necklace, which features two Americana sparrows facing into a full glitter heart. Although it's the perfect feature piece for any Valentine's Day outfit, I can see myself wearing this rockin necklace year-round. Based out of Pittsburgh, Art All Night creates colorful classic Americana and Japanese tattoo art jewelry that could pass as the real deal. And, the cherry on top is that some of the pieces are painted with glitter, like the one above. Her work is perfect for anyone who has a deep appreciation of bright colors and tattoo art or someone who would love to have some ink but isn't ready to take the plunge. In addition to jewelry, AAN sells some of her own framed artwork that ranges from pin ups to dragons to pirate ships. For the extensive time and work that I imagine go into making these inspirational pieces, Art All Night charges an insanely fair price and makes it easy for everyone to own some great art. So, if you haven't already, go check out her shop and get inspired.

So how did y'all end up spending Valentine's? Did you find my mini (and unintentionally abridged) guide helpful? Let me know what your favorite feature was while you're at it!

Action Jackson out.

I Love Austin

Over the weekend, I went home to Houston to help my dad around the house. Overall, a pretty calm weekend, but whenever I go home, I come to the same realization: I love Austin. Rest assured, my roots are firmly planted in Houston whether I like it or not. The creature comforts of Austin just can't be matched by what suburbia Houston has to offer. To show my love for Austin, here are a few artists, happenings, and ideas to remind you why you love (or should love) Austin too!

First up, we have yet another Etsy Austinite artist, Beth Albrecht of Paired Hearts. In her shop, she has a sweet "Even My Hands Love You" valentine as well as an anti Valentine's "This is Not a Valentine" valentine, which could be perfect if you're Anti V-Day or if you find yourself in a Lisa Simpson-esque predicament where giving someone a valentine makes them think you're up and ready for dating/marriage/whatever fits the scenario. However, my favorite is the custom greeting card listing (one of the samples shown above). The owl card is adorable and has my friend, Bethany's name written all over it. So, this year, forget Hallmark and go with handmade.

In other news, Rare's February issue is out and is all about Valentine's Day! Can't find a copy at a provider near you? Check out the free issue online. My favorite features are the photography (artist of the month) and the Rare Dating Guide. I guess I fall under the hipster category (though reluctantly labeling myself as such) since I got the Kim Gordon/Thurston Moore reference. Speaking of which, anyone check out 'The Eternal' yet? Been meaning to pick it up along with a few other albums on the next trip to the record store.

Finally, the Austin happenings for Valentine's Day. Alamo Drafthouse will be dishing out their delectable annual V-Day feast. Gone with the Wind will be playing at 6pm at The Ritz. If you want in, get tickets now because they are already sold out for Amelie at The Village and Charade at South Lamar. Woo! They go fast!

Why do you love Austin? Let me know for a chance at a freebie Valentine's Day themed piece from DGAJ.

Action Jackson out.