Are you as excited as I am for the Phillip Lim and Target collaboration?? The bags are amazing, the prints rock and I can't wait to see it all in person, and at a great price point. I am probably most excited about these bags. The colors are great, and they look so expensive! Hoping I can snag one at a more wallet-friendly price (bags range from in price from $35-$55) than his original bags. I'm also hoping to snag a pair of those powder blue pants! 

September 15th can't come soon enough, but I have a feeling we are going to have a Missoni for Target type store sell-out, so I'll be shopping on ebay. Check out the full lookbook here.  

-Whitney

Totally obsessed with malachite, and it's not because green is my favorite color, or that emerald is Pantone's color of the year. Its the pattern and the detail (ok and the color too), and I want malachite in my house and on my body. Every piece looks so unique and so fancy! It's really giving me an itch to try some kind of faux malachite painting technique like this amazing desk  that Jenny from little green notebook did, but on a much smaller scale, like maybe a box like the one above or a tray. I ordered this book from the 90's called The New Paint Magic, that is full of faux painting techniques, including one on malachite! I'll keep you posted on that project.

For now here are some malachite items to swoon over, maybe sell your car and buy that Monique Lhuillier dress! I wonder if they have a technique for faux malachite tie dying?  I think I would be willing to give it a whirl.
  

Monique Lhuillier strapless ball gown / Soixante Neuf jewelry / Trina Turk LA palm jewelry / Primadina 18k ring / African bead jewelry / Rablabs Malachite Medium Andu Box / L'Objet Malachite Candle, $160

-Whitney

Home Sweet Home

I have recently seen so many cute custom house portraits on both pinterest and esty, and was thinking about what great gifts they would make!  There are so many different people that these would make perfect gifts for...a young couple who just bought their first home, a grandparent who recently had to move from their home, a parent that wants a memory of a childhood home, or even someone who has a vacation home and wants a keepsake of their place.

custom watercolor rendering 

whimsical custom house portrait 

pets included

custom home illustration

this is my fave 

realistic house portrait 

Thoughts for Thursday

the summer edition...

Get Inspired! 

-Megan & Whitney

Eggs Benedict Casserole

Eggs Benedict is one of my favorite breakfast dishes. I could literally drink Hollandaise sauce...gross, I know! I am also a huge fan of any kind of breakfast casserole, especially when cooking for the masses. You really can't mess up a casserole, especially a breakfast one. So why not combine two of my breakfast favorites into one dish...Eggs Benedict Casserole! Super easy, and beyond delicious! The majority can be done the night before.

Ingredients

6 English Muffins, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 (6 oz.) pkgs of Canadian Bacon

8 eggs

2 cups of milk

1 tsp onion powder 

Paprika

2 or 3 green onions, diced

Hollandaise Sauce Packet (Plus ingredients needed for that)

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Place English Muffins and Canadian Bacon in the dish and mix them around with your hands.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and onion powder. Pour this over the top of the muffin/bacon mixture. Cover the dish and put it in the fridge to set overnight.

In the morning, remove the casserole from the fridge and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle your casserole with Paprika and diced green onions. Bake, covered, at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Remove the cover, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, letting the bacon crisp up.

While the casserole is baking, mix up your Hollandaise sauce in a saucepan.

Cut casserole into squares and drizzle with Hollandaise sauce (I use the term "drizzle" loosely).

Enjoy!

-Whitney

Sorry

We are so so sorry for the lack of love we have given Pretty Penny over the past 2 months! Our Summer has been a busy one, to say the least, and we are embarrassed by our negligence! Please forgive us as we try our best to make it up to you!

xoxo

Society6 PILLOWS

Society6 is my go-to site for great art prints and unique iPhone cases. If you aren't familiar, Society6 is a site where artists sell their artwork in the form of not only prints and stretched canvases, but also iPhone/iPad cases and skins, stationery, clothing, bags....and now pillows!! The site rocks, and if you have never been I highly recommend you check it out! The stuff is very reasonably price and the products they make are high quality too, which is huge (I've had my Society6 iPhone case for over a year...and I drop my phone a lot). Here are some of my favorite pillows I came across while browsing, and at just $20 for a 16"x16" pillow, looks like I could be lounging on some giraffes, elephants, books and lots of flowers!

-Whitney

Beyond Kate



First Kate brought us Saturday and now she is teaming up with Bed Bath & Beyond just in time for wedding season!  She has some of the cutest things from bitchin' Lucite candle sticks to adorable wooden salt and pepper shakers and she didn't skimp on the perfect china patterns. 

1.  Fair Harbor Bayberry Large Pitcher

2. Madeira Court 10-Ounce Mug

3. Woodland Park Owl Vases

4. Jules Point Bottle Stopper Collection

5. Market Street Pink 16'' Serving Platter

6. Larabee Road Platium Dinnerware

7. Grace Ave Porcelain Ring Holder

8. Block Party Sugar Bowl

9. Dogwood Point Dinnerware

10. Candy Shop Bath Rug

11. Morningside Heights Bath Towels

12. Gardner Street Bath Towels, 100% Cotton

13. Woodland Park Elephant Salt & Pepper Set

14. Point Candlesticks in Pink/Red

 

 

Shop till you drop - Megan 

Rifle iphone Cases

Holy moly....I'll have one of each please!

Completely obsessed with RIFLE PAPER CO.'s new iphone cases!  Available for iphone 4 and 5, the boutique stationery and gift site totally killed it with these case designs!

I don't know how I will be able to choose...I love them all!

Check out the rest of RIFLE's collection of cards, calendars, journals, prints and gifts. Also check out their cute blog.

-Whitney

Eggcelent Decorating Ideas

 

Sequin Messages

what you need : jumbo hard boiled eggs, sequin trim (pictured above), hot glue gun and a pencil for making your letter outlines.

 

 

Neon Color Blocking

what you need : hard boiled eggs, cardboard and T-pins (to make a drying rack), neon food coloring, hot water, vinegar and tongs & rubber gloves.

 

 

Pastel Sprinkles

what you need : hard boiled eggs, pastel Nonpareils (can be found at Target or Homegoods), tacky glue, paint brush and spoon 

 

A Blueprint for Success, in Television

I think this artist has got himself a GREAT idea! What a fun way to appeal to all of the TV junkies out there.  I was always a huge Friends fan and I can't help myself but to tune into a marathon or two when they are on.  This Spanish artist has been working as a professional interior designer for the past two decades and I really like the direction he has taken his creative mind.  I would do anything for a blue print of the Friends apartment oh and I don't think I would turn down Carrie's apartment either.  Check them out!

Friends - living across the hall from my "Friends" has forever been a fantasy of mine :)

Friends - how nice would it to have a Grandmother who gives you her NYC apt. Monica was one lucky girl and I think her friends were even luckier? A clean roommate...haha.

Sex and the City - shouldn't her closet be three times that big?

How I Met Your Mother - I can't help but think about the episode when Marshall and Lily are hiding in that tiny bathroom and they are trying to keep some mystery in their relationship, and it's all lost when he has to "go to the bathroom" with her in the room.  What a great show, and an even better apartment. 

Gilmore Girls - going to high school in this charming town like Stars Hollow was always my dream. 

Halfway through this post I realized that his etsy shop is closed down, he has a message saying that he is overwhelmed with interest in his prints and he is playing catch up and will not be accepting anymore requests.  However, I still believe this is just too cute and creative not to share, so drool over these images, but it might be a while till you get to hold one or even better frame one!  

-Megan



DIY Photo Transfer to Wood

I attempted my first photo transfer since my High School photography classes, and I am very happy with the results. Transferring photos to wood is a really neat (and cheap) way to display your favorite photos. Now that I have made this one, I want to keep making more, it just looks so cool and so advanced, when it is so simple! It still boggles my mind how this gel can pull the picture off the paper!

You will need:

a piece of wood

optional wood stain & rag or sock

your photo printed on a laser printer

scissors

paint brush

matte gel

gift card/credit card

towel

Mod Podge or Spray Coating

2 leveling picture hangers

Diamonds and Elephants

If you guys are as into The Bachelor as us over at Pretty Penny are, then everyone was glued to the television last night.  I unfortunately had to DVR it and watch it later, but SPOILER ALERT...

 

The fun and adorable Catherine won:

 

 

I am so glad that she won (even though Lindsey was from Missouri), Catherine was just so great and as cliche as it sounds I wanted to be friends with her!

 

 

 

Both on their last date and right after the proposal Catherine and Sean rode off into the sunset on the backs of elephants!

 

 

so if I was really friends with her and invited to their huge ABC wedding that they announced on last nights "After the Rose" I would have to include these cute little guys in their wedding gift :)

 

Salt and Pepper Salt Shakers

Trunks Full of Taste Shaker Set

 

 

Speaking of Elephants look at the massive rock she officially got to start wearing last night, how could you let this guy just hang out in your jewelry box for months?!?

 

 

Cheers to a good season and a happy life (fingers crossed) for Sean and Catherine

 

 

-Megan

 

all images found on google



Food for Sleep

Am I too old for a pizza sleeping bag?? Because this is amazing, and I would use this for more than just slumber parties and camping trips!

or how about a waffle and syrup sheet set, perfect for breakfast in bed....

or a baked potato bean bag chair to lounge in while watching Food Network....

or even a cute little kiwi pillow (think it makes you have sweet dreams?)

I'm obsessed with these realistic looking food recreations from B Fiber and Craft Emporium's Etsy shop! I can't decide if they are making me more hungry or sleeping, but I need one of these!!

-Whitney

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins

I had these wonderful banana oatmeal muffins while babysitting last weekend. The kids loved them, and their mom left the recipe in case we wanted to make more. They are a very health-conscious family, so I knew this would be a great recipe to hold on to! Not only does it have the nutritional value from the bananas, but it also has oats and flax that will help keep you full. The chocolate chips really make these good, otherwise I would say they are optional. I wouldn't skip out on them!

Ingredients:

3 mashed bananas

1 cup skim milk

2 eggs

1 Tbsp baking powder

3 cups old fashion or rolled oats

1/8 cup Truvia

1/8 cup flax seed

1 tsp vanilla extract

chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mash up the bananas (the riper they are, the easier they are to mash).

Mix the rest of the ingredients in with the mashed bananas.

Spray a muffin pan or put liners in the pan.

Fill muffin cups almost to the top. You will probably have enough batter to fill more than the 12 muffin cups, we just baked another batch with 4 more muffins (use 2 pans if you have them.)

Bake muffins for 20-30 minutes, until the edges start to brown and the muffins are firm to the touch.

Remove muffins and enjoy!! These make for a great snack or breakfast on the go and really do keep you full for a long time!

-Whitney