WELCOME TO THE TEAM.....

Im so happy to announce a new member of my all star vendor team at Lucky 7 Design.   I discovered her on Facebook and fell in love with her Smashed Silverware Jewelry.  I actually reached out to her and asked if she would do me the honor of joining my team.   I just thought that her art fit so well with my shop, and there is nothing like it in there.   As a lover of  vintage jewelry and junk, Linda's pieces are a fabulous combination of both.


Guess what??????                    SHE SAID YES!!!!



Here is a little bio from her Etsy Shop

I’ve always been a crafty soul. I originally just wanted to learn how to make earrings, took a class, and it kind of snowballed from there. I think I get my love for jewelry from my Grandma Mac. You never saw Grandma without a pair of “earbobs” on – and usually a strand of beads. I think that making jewelry must be in my blood! I am a legal assistant by day -- and a jewelry maker by night...my sweet husband can tell how stressful my day has been by how loud the hammering is in my workshop!


Making jewelry truly makes my heart happy. I love to work most of all with the old silverware my hubby smashes and cuts up for me, then I add special bits of vintage jewelry, watch parts, keys, and a little of this and a little of that, to make a one of a kind piece. I love working with sterling silver, copper, beads - I love working with it all! My hope is that I am creating a piece of jewelry that will be treasured for years to come. I think my Grandma Mac would be proud!

Gorgeous isn't it?    To check out more of Linda's work you can visit her Facebook page 

Linda Kinnaird Jewelry  HERE

I would love if you would all go over and say WELCOME and give her a LIKE too!

- MJ

THIS MAKES ME SMILE

This is a road that I drive everyday out of my little part of town by the water...you must go over this bridge to get into the main area of our township... which is where I opened my shop.  Yes it was intentional to be on Main Street in the center of town.

I took this photo today because every time I drive over it I feel proud and always wonder who the person is who maintains the flags on this bridge.

This bridge isn't just like this today.....it is changed out for memorial day, for 911 memorial.  The flags are always impecable and I just thought it was something to share.

I live in a very patriotic township...... Woodbridge Township, NJ is very supportive of its military and being a USMC family with friends still enlisted I am proud that we are this way.

Hope you or your town display the red-white-blue whenever and where ever you can!   God Bless America

-MJ

WHO ME......JUDGE???????

On Saturday I had the pleasure of being asked to judge a local contest.   Well....not just any contest.   It was the Woodbridge Township Greenable Museum Recycled Art Contest.  

I was very excited to be asked and was blown away but the exhibits at our local museum.  This museum is located in our local mall and it was my 1st time there since it opened.

Here are some photos I took before the contestants arrived with their parents.

Live plants growing in PVC

Jeans as insulation...wow I thought I had some denim recycling ideas

Examples of how long things take to decompose and will sit in landfills

This is one of my favorites...just because 

ABC's of going GREEN

All of the kids who participated were talented and their projects were amazing.  However the other 2 judges and I could only select 3 winners.    Winners were picked on the creativity and most use of recycled items.

HERE ARE THE WINNERS

1st Prize - Chris Negron from Woodbridge High School 

His project was the Tree of Life...his verbal description of his project and inspiration was amazing and he put alot of thought into it and it is truly a wonderful example of recycled art.

2nd Prize - The Avenel Middle School Art Class (a group of approximately 8+ students) who came up this fantastic guy Ernie the Earth Guy.  They collected trash from their own school and put together this fabulous specimen. 

3rd prize went to a lovely young lady named Juliana but she was gone before I could get her photo.  She made the Cherrios Ballerina on the back left.   She used a lot of recycled materials and had a lot of detail.

I was so honored to be apart of this contest, and amazed by the talent of these children and their knowledge and passion for going GREEN.

Thanks to the Greenable Museum, Mayor McCormac, Kelly Reidy, Caroline Ehrlich for inviting to be apart of this special event in our wonderful GREEN town.

- MJ

SNIP........IT'S OFFICIAL

This Saturday April 7th was the Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Lucky 7 Design.    I was there bright and early in the morning with my family and so surprised by all my friends all local business owners that came out in support of me and the shop.

Here are a few highlight photos of the day.......................

The front of the shop...mom taking a look around

The Proclamation photo Councilman Ficarra, Mayor McCormac and Kelly Reidy

Mayor McCormac and I

TV 35 filming the live tour of the shop

The cutting of the ribbon (I used a GREEN organza ribbon) hehe

Snip.....it's official

Another presentation photo

Photo time

A gift from a friend of mine Donna of Shabby Daze...so perfect for the day.  Also gave me that fabulous antique headboard in the background done in pink and chalkboard just for me!!!

My daughter Gabriella and my friend Paola

Paola and I phototime

Me and Mama Sandy

My friend and her girls came out to support me and my shop.

Photo of the shop 

"SHE TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH..... AND BUILT HER WINGS ON THE WAY DOWN"

- MJ

I'VE GOT SOMETHING YOU WILL LOVE.....

Any of you who follow me....know that lately I have been raving about a publication called FOLK Magazine.  I became a fan late last year while up browsing the web.  I was drawn to a photo and clicked the link and there they were.    I browsed through the blog and then searched them on FACEBOOK and it has been a fast love affair ever since.

Im not one to jump on a band wagon, Im more of a blaze your own trail kinda chick.    Im sure there are fans, followers of FOLK out there but Im a fan for what they stand for....for what they share in their magazine.

They have only been out since Sept 2011 and if you take the time you will see why they have now been picked up to go National....yes they will be in your local grocery store and book store chains soon!

I signed up to be in the Business Directory for Issue V because I relate to their concept because it is everything that I have thought of in my concept for my own shop.   They support American made, they support handmade and that to me speaks volumes and probably to many others with the news of their increasing growth.

I had the chance to preview Issue V and I'm in awe and can't wait to sit in the shop and have it in my hands to truly admire the photos that speak to me and read the text to learn the history and stories.   I am actually planning on carrying FOLK in my shop because I  believe the people in my community will love it!   My shop is on Main Street in my town and the people are all about community and USA, and that is FOLK.

Issue V is filled with countless pages of not only beautiful photos that don't even need words, you can automatically get a feeling and be put in a setting or mood.   Like the page about porches with an American flag in a Coca-Cola bottle who doesn't get a sense of pride when seeing a photo like that.

Or the opportunities given to showcase small businesses around the country and how they take pride in their American made products and their shops.     They give the spotlight to the new, the fresh, the undiscovered gems all around this great country who are just trying to make a living by selling some good homemade and handmade product.  And for that.....I say Thank You!

FOLK gives you a glimpse into so many areas...they show you shopping spots, travel destinations, they share fabulous food recipes and stories, they cover music and art and so much more.  It truly is a magazine that has something for everyone.   This is coming from a girl born and raised in the city...seriously Tri-state area in the North East and yet I'm drawn in because I have a love for the concept, for the simple way of life.   I tell my friends and I write it here all the time....I was meant to live in the country and in the South.

So if I can't live there right now, at least I can live through the pages of FOLK.   This is not your typical decor  magazine, it's a lifestyle!  It is not filled with commercial products and ads....the advertisements are those of the very people that FOLK supports.  Small businesses, artisans and shop owners like myself who you now have a chance to discover.   You won't find famous celebrity articles, you will find REAL people, and DIY'rs like Donna Williams who share their passion and art for the simple and sweet life too.  Not someone who is styling in every publication and will say good things about whatever product they are given...that is business not the truth.  FOLK is the truth...it's in the pages.

I hope you all will take the time to check out the preview I have linked below and I would love your feedback if it's not everything I just said that it was.  

You can see the Issue V preview HERE

I'm thinking maybe a FOLK giveaway might be in the works too for the Issue V release!  


As a matter of fact, I think we need to do it now!   


REAL SIMPLE - 7 days.    If the world was created in 7 days then we can do this in 7 days.   Winner will be chosen a receive a copy at release...


1.  Be a Lucky 7 Design blog follower
2.  Be a  FOLK blog follower HERE
3.  Follow FOLK on Facebook HERE


That's it....we are keeping it simple.   If you want to go ahead and share on Twitter and Facebook then leave separate comments and that will be extra entries!!!!   


For those of you who can't wait then here is where you can go to subscribe to FOLK and check out their own giveaway they have running too...http://americanfolklife.blogspot.com/p/buying-folk-magazine.html

-MJ

I AM CELEBRATING .................CELEBRATORI

Where to start....well Im a 70s baby so I grew on Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place....so of course I was a fan of Tori Spelling.    My mother and I would watch episodes of Dynasty and then I of course watched 'Donna Martin' and her friends grow up.

Now at the age of 40 and a mother of 5 Im still watching a Spelling show...Tori Spelling and her fabulous husband Dean along with their beautiful babies and every loyal and creative crew of friends.    She is amazing and so inspiring even though I am technically 2 years older than her.

In some way our lives as different as we may be have had some similarities along the way.   Marriage, Divorce, Happiness, Family dispute, Business, Pregnancy,Crafting, Babies, Parties, more Babies, Reconciliation, New Business, more babies...lol     We were pregnant again this year together...strange.   I respect her hustle, determination and just her in general.

Today she was in New Jersey on her press tour for her new book, now I have read her previous books but I have been waiting on this book since it was shown in the Tori & Dean season.   I relate to her party planning and love the fact that she is sharing the basics and the DIY aspect of parties.

I took my 17 year old daughter Gabriella with me and we drove about 1 hour north of where we live, stood on line for a little over 1 hour outside and I met a great woman Christine and her daughter...so funny how love of a childhood favorite can bring grown women together and get us all giddy.

Gabriella & I with our copy of CelebraTORI

Christine & Alexa with Tori

She was gorgeous in that coral/tangerine dress.

Lean in for the close up...poor thing is pregnant and had to lean in for photos every 5 mins.  She loved the ring I was wearing, she asked if I made it I told her that I didn't but it's from my new shop and a fabulous vendor friend of mine did.    I wish I would have given it to her!   She signed my book, one of my shop post cards (for my wall) and my daughter's iPhone. lol   

She was like "Seriously????  I don't want to ruin your phone.  My daughter is like "no it's fine". lol   And she did.

We gave her an Autism Awareness bracelet and she immediately put it on her arm and told me that her & Dean support Autism organizations and do the run.!   Bravo McDermott's...love ya!

She signed in purple, she coordinates her signing to her books...gotta love her!

So in 2012, I  turned 40....opened my very own shop......and got to meet one of my favorite people in the entertainment world.   I don't want to call her a celebrity because she is so humble, sweet and so much more than that.

Please go out and get a copy of this fabulous book.......I have gone through it twice already since Im home and I read it while waiting on line outside the book store.

THANK YOU TO TORI SPELLING FOR ALWAYS BEING TRUE TO YOUR FANS....AND FOR BEING THE FABULOUS PARTY PLANNER THAT YOUR MOM INSPIRED YOU TO BE!

-MJ

NEW MONTH...NEW PROJECTS...NEW GOALS

Wow...this time last month I was sitting at my dining room table drawing sketches of what I wanted my shop window to look like...........

This was my vision for March

and this is how it turned out.

It's been so amazing to wake up everyday and turn the key in the door, look around at all the displays and turn on the lights.    It's still not real sometimes...until the door opens and a new face walks in.   I smile and Im happy to hear their compliments about the shop.  Each comment is a glimpse of a successful journey.  An achievement that although determined as I always have been, wasn't sure if or when I could make it happen. But I kept with my concept and in 2012 here I am ....owner of Lucky 7 Design.

I think sometimes that the lettering on the window "Eco Friendly Home Interiors & Gifts" might scare people off, but once I explain to them the concept.  Re use, Re cycle, Re purpose  they get it...I explain the pieces in my shop were at one point in someone's grandmother's house, in a little girl's room, an old printing shop.  It's about preserving this pieces, keeping them out of city/town dumps. 

Making some old new again, so it can continue on it's journey and bring joy to others.   I also try to share in my shop, homemade items made from local artists as well as friends that I have met and admired their craft.  Homemade soaps, laundry detergents, homemade pies and mixes, even eco-friendly paints from a new company that is all about Made in America.  All the furniture in my shop has been given a makeover or spruced up with only eco-friendly paint and I will now be a vessel to bring this paint to the people of my community.  I hope to bring more products with this message to my shop through more art, books, magazines features on the concept and demonstrations.  

Im over the moon excited about the start of my Recycled Art Classes for kids...and have a notebook filled with email addresses of parents names that are interested in bringing their children to the shop.

It reminds be of the movie....where they say if you build it they will come!   Well maybe I didn't build it but Im building my concept inside those walls and little by little they are coming!

I hope that this journey will teach me as well as bless me....I also hope to grow this shop not for business pleasure but to make the concept one to be accepted, admired and adopted by others.

SHE TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH.....AND GREW HER WINGS ON THE WAY DOWN.

I know this was not my usual post filled with pics but sometimes we need to do something new and this journey has taught me to just keep doing what Im doing.  I have faith in myself even when others did not...and I will continue on my journey and share it the only way I know how...whether it's words or pictures...it will come!

-MJ