Guerlain- Noir G de Guerlain Refillable Mascara

What will you remember most about the month of January 2012?  

The things that come to mind most for me are:

1. An extremely mild winter.

2.  Starting dance classes again.

3.  A visit from an old friend.

4. Getting to know a new friend.

5.  And being introduced to a a girl's best friend.

Who/What might that be?  Well this month it was all about finding seriously longer, fuller lashes!    I've always been one of those girls with short, nondescript lashes.  No matter which mascara I applied, it never made my eyes pop....until now!!    I was engraving this past weekend at Neiman Marcus in Tyson's Galleria and had the chance to see the new Guerlain- Noir G de Guerlain Mascara.

I like to call it the "James Bond" of mascaras. It comes in this sleek black case and when you open it, there are two mirrors inside so you can apply the mascara no matter where you are! Twist open the end to reveal the brush and when it's empty, you simply remove the inside portion and purchase a refill. Being an engraver, I had to purchase one just so I could engrave my own name on it, but what amazed me even more was when I tried it. First coat....wow, I could see my lashes. Second coat....Huh??? Are these MY lashes????  Amazing difference!! And the color stayed ALL day, but easily removed with eye makeup remover when it was time to go to bed. I'm anxious to engrave my own, but for now, I'll share a picture of one that I engraved in the store that day.  People chose to engrave first names, monograms and even some short messages like "you look amazing!" or "Smile!"   My matching lipstick says "Motorcycle Mama" on the outside so I'm going to have to come up with something to compliment it.  Any ideas?

If you purchase one of your own and would like it engraved, just give me a call.  We'll arrange for you to ship it to me and it will be on it's way back to you the next day.  Just $10.00 plus shipping.  Or if it's easier, I can pick one up here for you and ship it back to you complete with your name or message. 

Wouldn't this make a great stocking stuffer for next years Christmas season?  

Hand Engraving using a High Speed Drill

I had my husband take some videos of me in the engraving studio right before Christmas, but couldn't figure out how to get them off the camera until tonight.  Thanks to the new Mac computer it was a breeze!!  To my surprise, I found old videos that we took on our trip to Belize along with this one.  What fun to relive old memories!!  Would go back there in a heartbeat, but I digress......

This video is me in action in the engraving studio.  I had hoped to get the ornaments on ebay/etsy before Christmas, but my in-store engraving events took precedence.  Hoping to get both stores up and running in the next month though!  Another one of those items on the "will do" list for 2012.

What will YOU do in 2012??

From and In the Heart

Yesterday started out as a bit of a downer in the studio. I was asked to engrave three urns for a client who lost their beloved dog, Moose, last week.  One large urn will stay with the parents and the two smaller urns will go to the children who grew up with their precious Ubu, a nickname they gave him when he was just a puppy.  It reminded me of how precious our pets are to us and the heartbreak when they pass.

   Spencer and Courtney, our two chihuahuas, getting to know each other for the first time.

Later I returned to the studio to do a job I've been agonizing over. Carol wanted to give wine glasses to her son & future daughter-in-law for their wedding in January. She suggested putting the bride and grooms names on separate glasses, embraced by a heart shape that would be made of the names of family members, some of who had passed and others who were still living. The final touch would be to add the date to the base of the glass. I couldn't envision how I could make it work, or how I could engrave that much text on a very thin Riedel wine glass. But I'm SO happy with the way they turned out. So much so, that I'm going to start offering similar items in my etsy store next month.                                                                                                               

The last job of the day was designing three layouts for a monogram that will be placed at the top of an invite that I did earlier this month.     Can't wait to see which one the bride chooses.  

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year!!  Happy 2012!

Scared, nervous, excited,,,,,,and THANKFUL!  2011 has  been a great year both personally and professionally, but as the year comes to a close and the day approaches where all my resolutions must be taken seriously, quite honestly I'm a bit nervous.   Have you committed yourself to doing something in 2012 that seems almost impossible?  Me too.  But as my husband pointed out, this is not a "to do" list or a New Year's Resolution list.  This is a WILL DO list.    One of those "will do's" is to expand my business through social media.  AHHHHHH!!!  Social media?  I barely know how to use facebook.  Never tweeted until this month and blogging??? Never even tried it.  So, I'm here to learn. I'm here to grow. I'm here to share. I'm here to show you how you can          "Have your Cake and Calligraphy Too!"

You might be wondering how I came up with the name.   While searching for blog backgrounds I saw the gorgeous damask that matched my new logo and fell in LOVE.  Then I saw the absolutely EXQUISITE cake from Intricate Icings Cake Design.   My mind immediately went to "eating" when I saw the fork and knife (another "will do" for 2012 is to stop thinking about food 24/7), but I thought about the many times people said, they "love calligraphy, but can't afford it on their budget".  Somehow I put it altogether and came up with "Have your Cake and Calligraphy Too". I'm hoping that through this blog, I can show brides, event planners and all readers that calligraphy is not only affordable, it's a service that can pull together every part of their special day.   I'd love to show you how you can afford not only the dress, cake and venue of your dreams, but also the special touches only hand-calligraphy/engraving can provide.

So,,,,,you might ask what we have planned for the blog in 2012?  Of course we'll be sharing our favorite wedding finds plus original work from the calligraphy and engraving studio, but also look for a special feature,,,"WWJD" or "What Would Jenny Do?"  where we'll take real life weddings/photo shoots/picture boards and design additional calligraphy/engraving elements that can enhance any special event!!



My wedding day was the most fabulous day of my life, yours should be too!  I'd love to work together  with you to make all your dreams come true!!  Happy New Year!!!