8.28.2012

Giveaway Winner!

With a total of 364 entries, this was one intense giveaway, but there can only be one...
Congratulations to Alisa of Columbus, OH, the winner of our la Pomme et la Pipe Giveaway!!  Don't worry, if you aren't Alisa but still want to try this amazing soap, you can visit la Pomme et la Pipe on Etsy and pick one up :)  Thank you to everyone who entered!

xox

P + E

8.27.2012

Happy Birthday, Alabama!


I'm really excited today-- today is Alabama's second birthday!!  If you've known me for a while, you know that I've always wanted (but had never had) a dog.  I was going to tell the whole crazy story of Bams coming into our lives, but its extremely long so here's the super short version.  In a whirlwind, our best buddy Jake brought a litter of puppies to our place, I lost my mind and had to keep one!  We named her Alabama after a character in my favorite movie, True Romance. From that moment on, our lives changed forever.  In less than a week, we  went from one dog to two, made a sudden decision to change scenery, packed our belongings into the Camaro and moved to Oregon.  We spent the next 9 months living in a great big house in the middle of nowhere with Jake, Neko (our black lab), Alabama, and four other pit bulls.  Oh and our cat, Isabey!  We learned so much and had so many adventures during that time, and Alabama and Neko became a huge part of my life.  I can't imagine going anywhere without them.



I love this little girl more than life.  Her favorite things are:  exploring, swimming, playing intense games of fetch in raging rivers and lakes, giving kisses, camping, spinning in circles, car rides, Ted Drewes frozen custard, and loving on (or irritating!) her big brother Neko.  We've had adventures together in 15 different states, from Washington State to Michigan, to Tennessee.  There's nothing we love more than packing up the kids and venturing into the great outdoors.  I am so lucky to have such wonderful animals (and one amazing guy) to make these memories with!!


1.  When I first held her.  2.  Neko and little sister Bams on a daring adventure in Washington State Park.  3.  Uncle Randy with Momma Trixy and all the puppies!  Can you pick out Bama?


Happy birthday, sunshine.  Your dad + I love you so much!!!  And yes, we're taking you guys out for ice cream!!

xox

P + E

8.25.2012

She's Crafty!


Last night was such an awesome night!  My dear friend Annie and I were on location at the St. Louis Etsy Craft Party at the Upcycle Exchange and got our craft on!  Thank you so much, Etsy, for inspiring creative people around the world to use this day to meet up and make things together.  And thank you to Michael's for donating so many supplies for us to work with.  One more big thank you to the organizers of our St. Louis event- for all your hard work and brining us together!


We had a great time making St. Louis themed projects, meeting new friends, learning about their various Etsy businesses, and picking up new skills!  I was lucky enough to meet an awesome fellow blogger, Michelle, of Creature Type, and to learn to use a sewing machine - no fear (thank you to the awesome lady who showed me how).  Oh, and there was even a puppy! We all made one awesome mess, and some even cooler creations!  Judd and his camera had the night off (girls night!!) so here are some cell phone a la moi :)



xox

Jessa + Ann!

::UPDATE!::

Check out this STL Etsy Party post by Michelle, of Creature Type!  She took some great photos including pix of the things people made (Duh!! I'm telling you, I need Judd to cover things properly!!).  There's even a few of me... (I've been snapped!!)  xox

P + E

8.23.2012

Giveaway!

Salut!  Today we're teamed up with a fantastic Etsy shop called la pomme et la pipe, and we're giving away one of their amazing, hand-felted, green tea French soaps! (Ooh la la!)


The crafty lady behind la pomme et la pipe is Amanda Roe, an American living in Oxford, England, with a passion for recycled and natural materials.  Amanda makes all of the Parisian inspired soaps and paper goods in her shop by hand!  So if you're an Earth-conscious cat or kitten looking for a little slice of Europe for your everyday, you must visit la pomme et la pipe on Etsy. 

This giveaway is for one felted green tea soap (the fuzzy dude in the pictures!).  Judd had some fun photographing this little guy!  Isn't it cute?  And the green tea fragrance is simply intoxicating!  Leave your comment by Midnight EST on 08/28/2012 to win.

To enter, use the widget at the bottom of this post. 



Bonne chance!
xox

P + E

8.21.2012

DIY Box Garden



Hi!  Do you remember our trip to the Belleville flea market last month?  We bought this awesome old box and the plan was to make a cactus garden with it.  But we noticed that our collection of herbs on the windowsill was growing exponentially and could use some real outdoor sunshine before the chill of the fall season.  We decided it was time to give our little green friends a new home.  

Here's the easy steps to make your own box garden!


We bought some Rust-Oleum Leak Seal Flexible Rubber Coating and, after taping off the edges with masking tape, Judd gave it an even spray.  We let it sit for a day to dry.


The next day, we did a quick mapping out of where to place our herbs.  Then Judd filled the box about 2/3 full with dirt, and started planting!  A good tip for new gardeners- if you've purchased a plant in a flexible plastic starter pot, give it some good squeezes to break up the soil, then tip the plant gently and shake it out of the pot.  Judd showed me this trick and I'm sure its saved a lot of plants from the discomfort of me digging them out with my fingers!!  When you're done planting, give them a nice drink of water and set them out to soak up the rest of that summer sun!


Have fun gardening!!

xo

P+E

Scarableu Giveaway

Congratulations to Ambre of Cedar Rapids, IA!! Ambre won our Scarableu giveaway, and chose the fish as her prize.  If you weren't our winner, don't fret- we love giveaways so much, we've got another one up our sleeve this week!  Stay tuned...

xo

P + E

8.20.2012

Lantern Festival

We caught the final night of the Lantern Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens yesterday with our friends Jake + Amanda.  It was fantastic- we've never seen anything like it!  Thank you to the very lovely Lucy for getting us tickets! ♥ What did you do this weekend?


P.S.: Don't forget to enter our Scarableu giveaway!  Hurry up and get your entries in before time runs out! 

xox

P + E

8.16.2012

Presto! Asparagus Pesto Pizza



I was fortunate enough to work in a pizza shop throughout my entire high school career. I worked with close friends and it is truly one of the favorite times of my life. I learned quite a bit about pizza and I try to share that information whenever I can. I've always loved pizza, as I'm sure most of you have. The beauty of pizza is it's adaptability. Literally, you can add whatever you'd like to it and most times, dependent upon the toppings, it will taste amazing. Pizza is like a science lab, it's meant for experimentation and improvisation. Jessa and I love tomato sauce and occasionally ranch dressing as the base for a good pie, but most recently we've been using different flavors of pesto as the sauce. Today's experiment was a simple one; asparagus and pesto pizza. It did not disappoint!


We started out with some thin crust we bought from a little market. St. Louie is famous for cracker style thin crust and the shells are easily found in abundance here. We chopped up our toppings, set them aside and then we added the pesto as the sauce. 


One of my secrets for a good pie: add the toppings then the cheese or add a small amount of cheese, then the toppings. This allows the cheese to act as a sort of glue to hold everything together. It also works as a formidable oven, locking in the flavors of the toppings and the heat from the oven between the cheese layer and the crust. You can see this in the before and after shot. The rest is rather simple and you may find all the other stages on the recipe card below. 

This pizza tastes great with a fresh spring mix salad and nice hearty glass of IPA. If your feeling fancy, a nice cabernet or a dry merlot work well with this pizza. As always, enjoy experimenting and eat to live, not live to eat... but you can always live to eat well!!!

cheers,
earl


8.13.2012

Scarableu Brooch Giveaway!

Today, we're celebrating over 5,000 page views in our first 30 days here at Pearl + Earl's Good-Time Vintage blog, and to thank you, we are hosting our very first GIVEAWAY!!  By the way, we are so delighted you're here!  


This week's giveaway is from one of our very favorite Etsy shops, Scarableu!  Created in Montreal, Canada, by Liz Sullivan, Scarableu is a line of frame-able and wearable art, starring quirky anamalia and delightfully strange people.  Each and every critter is handmade (with love!) and one of a kind. Here's a bit about the artist, in her own words:

"I love taking the back alleys of the city to get inspired, love nature and odd people. Humans fascinate me, our insecurities our vulnerability our flaws are what really gets me going pencil and paper wise. I live in an apartment in the city with Julius my somewhat bulbous cat. I spend my days doing the 9-5 thing in customer service but i secretly imagine my gray cubicle is my drawing room and really am an undercover illustrator working my job in order to observe human behavior. I've been drawing for as far back as i can remember and studied graphic design. didnt like it much. I prefer drawing snails and secret doors and akward humanoids to retouching sports photographs.Ive never had a courage to post to Etsy until now i think i am ready to take the plunge so please make a little room for my world and my creations might find a home in your heart." 
-Liz Sullivan, Scarableu  


We are giving away one (your choice!) of these two charming little brooches.  Please note whether you'd like the owl or the fishy in your comment.  Each comment earns you one entry.  For more chances to win, check out the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post.  We will stop accepting entries on Monday, 8/20 at the stroke of midnight, then one winner will be randomly selected!  


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you again so much for reading ♥. Best of luck!

xo

P + E

"Hey Pearl, We're Global!"

Announcing the opening of our j2 Vintage shop on Etsy!!!  It's been a long and amazing process of finding the perfect clothing and accessories, getting them cleaned and photographed, and we're so excited to finally be able to share it with you!  A huge thank you goes out to our incredible model, Camma.  We couldn't have done it without her!  Keep in mind, everything posted is the first round, we've still got five rounds worth to photograph and post!  Coming soon are more women's sizes, mens fashion, jewelry and accessories.  Show your support and visit the shop!




xox

P + E



Update:  We've been Pinned!  Find us on for more photos and tons of other things that inspire us!



Source: etsy.com via on
Source: etsy.com via on

xox ♥

8.11.2012

A Backyard Date


Summertime is my favorite time of year.  I feel like sometimes, as "grown-ups", we let it pass by.  It's so easy to get lost playing catch-up all weekend, fulfilling obligations and  rushing to finish what we couldn't find time to get done during the week. But occasionally, we're all fortunate enough to find a little time to breathe in some fresh air. Today was one of those days for us. We took advantage of the sunshine and enjoyed the local outdoor market, running around town with Neko and Bams, coming home and cooking up a storm, and finally, we treated ourselves to an impromptu backyard dinner date to celebrate the day and devour the food we made together.  

We found this fantastic black bean, goat cheese and avocado taco recipe while browsing foodgawker, and decided to give it a try with our own twist.  The honey-lime dressing in the recipe above is incredible- definitely try it!!  Judd even made his authentic mexican pico de gallo, or as we call it around here- neko de gallo!


It was gorgeous outside, and the mojitos we made really hit the spot!!  We've been making this traditional Cuban mojito recipe for a while, but loved the honey-lime sauce so much that we altered our go-to and added the honey into the meddling process. I'm telling you, this stuff is addicting!


I love unwinding outside, especially when the doggies are running loose.  Perfect ending to a perfect day!


Hope you had an awesome Saturday too!

xox

P +E

Farmers Market Saturday


Soulard Market opened as a simple farmers market in 1779.  Today, the 2 city blocks are home to four wings connected by the Grand Hall of shops, a park, and a playground.  At the market, you can find everything from homemade soaps, bags and rugs, even a new pet.  But the main draw is the produce! Every Saturday,  Judd and I go to the market with about $20 cash, and each visit, we come home with more produce than we could possibly consume in seven days.  The best local, homegrown veg you can find in Saint Louis has a home at the market, and the prices can't be beat.  


We'll put some of this wonderful produce to good use this afternoon when we make tacos and mojitos!


Another favorite market feature is Julia's Market Café.  This is the place to go if you want a traditional, decadent beignet- in my opinion it's second only to Café Du Monde in New Orleans.  Many natives will tell you they also have the best bloody mary in the city.  I'm usually on this bandwagon, but today's special, the pomegranate margarita, looked incredible!  Julia's is the perfect quick stop for anyone browsing through the hallways with an appetite.


Soulard market is always so much fun!  If you live near us and haven't been there, check out their website and drop by for a visit Wednesday thru Saturday.  I can't wait to get cooking!!

xox

P + E

8.09.2012

Celebrating the Month of the Sandwich

Well we're a little late on this post; however, despite our tardiness, it is the month of August and that means two things:

1. (unfortunately) Summer is drawing to a close
2. It's the official Month of the Sandwich

Nothing in life is sweeter (besides Pearl's baking) than a quick and delicious sandwich. In honor of our favorite month we've decided to share with you two of our favorite summer sam'wich recipes.


Avocado Basil Heirloom Croissant



This little beauty only takes minutes to prepare. Halve your croissant, add a slice of your favorite cheese, mine is gouda, slice up some avocado and throw it on top of the cheese. Then, halve a handful of lovely heirloom tomatoes, pile those up on top of the avocado, and the final touch is rather simple. Pluck off some basil from your basil plant and top the whole croissant off with as much as your taste buds can handle. Obviously we love goat cheese and honestly, two cheeses are better than one any day. So if your in the mood, throw a little goat cheese on, and then add the top of the croissant and you're ready to eat.


Avocado Asparagus Sandwich



This is one of my favorite recipes. Actually I found this recipe in the form of a tartine on 101 Cookbooks, by far my favorite food blog! In the spirit of Heidi's blog, I decided to redesign her recipe and turn it into a sandwich. This sandwich literally takes ten minutes to create, and believe me, it's worth every second. I prefer a nice whole grain bread or multigrain bread as the base. Butter the top and bottom and toast them in a skillet, a la grilled cheese style. When the two pieces are nice and toasted, pull them off the heat and set them aside. In the same skillet, add a tablespoon of EVO. Sauté up some sliced garlic and red onion. When the garlic and onion are almost browned, throw in a a few stalks of asparagus cut to the length of your bread. You'll only need to sauté them for about thirty seconds to a minute, whenever they turn a vibrant green you know they're done. In the meantime, dice up some avocado into a bowl and add a dash of freshly chopped cilantro. Mash that up together, the chunkier the better. Once it's mashed, spread a thick layer on the toasted bread, that will be the bottom of your sandwich. On the top piece of bread, spread a thin layer of goat cheese. Add the asparagus, garlic and onion to the top of the thick avocado layer. Then, pile on some pea shoots and add the top piece of bread. Ten minutes flat and worth the wait.
(If your really feeling dangerous, I like to add a few slices of a habanero to the asparagus, but Pearl's palette prefers a milder flavor, I live for the spice.)

Enjoy these sandwiches with a nice summer fruit salad or some kettle chips.

Just two reasons why we love August here at Pearl loves Earl.

enjoy,
earl

8.08.2012

DIY: Epsom Salt Bath Cubes

Here's a super easy way to make your own bath cubes out of epsom salts!  These little guys make great gifts, and are an inexpensive alternative to bath bombs.


*  1/4 cup water

*  4 cups epsom salts

*  5-10 drops of essential oil - I use eucalyptus and spearmint

*  Silicone ice cube tray

*  Bowl + spoon

Stir ingredients in a bowl until combined.  Scoop up a spoonful of the mixture and drop into the silicone mold. Pack tightly with your fingers, then add another scoop and pack it down.  Follow this system until you've filled each mold in the tray to the top.

Let it sit overnight to a few days.  Turn the mold upside down and gently push the silicone in to remove each cube from the tray.  Put in a jar or sachet to keep near the tub, or toss a few in some warm water and enjoy!!!

xox

P + E

ps- this post is in a bloghop! Check out all the great bloggers on Marigold's blog.

Yay!

xo

8.06.2012

J2 Vintage Launch Preview!

Judd and I have a passion for vintage and retro, and we love searching for treasures!  Our hobby felt like it was getting out of hand, but we're no quitters, so we decided to kick it into high gear and open a shop on Etsy.  We've been planning and buying up inventory for J Squared Vintage, and now, we're ready to share it!  

We're so ecstatic to announce that we've finally shot several pieces of our J Squared Vintage Resort/Summer and Fall collection!!!  It's been a dream since January, but J2 is almost ready to rock, thanks to our friend Camma's mean modeling skills and Judd's ability to turn our little apartment into a studio and snap some mad pictures!  Oh and Beau (Camma's hubby) and I were there, so we totally helped :) !  Here we are, on set!



Below is just a taste of what we have in store for you ♥ 


Camma modeled several small dresses from the 50s-70s, some 60s-70s tops, a gaggle of plaid skirts, and a super cool 60s or 70s red white and blue striped romper that you'll just have to wait and see when the shop is up.  In fact, you'll find several red white and blue items that are perfect for showing your team USA spirit!


Is she an adorable model or what?  THANK YOU, CAMMA!


Coming soon: There are some medium and large sized ladies' clothing that still needs to be shot, and a ton of accessories- scarves, jewelry, purses, etc.  We also have some super sexy men's western shirts, a few suits and lots of ties that Judd will be graciously donning in some upcoming photos.  

To stay updated on J Squared Vintage, you can like us on , follow us on , or follow this blog on Bloglovin'!  Thanks for the support!!


xox

P + E

8.03.2012

Spoonflower Contest: Campy Prints

If you haven't heard of Spoonflower, you're in for a treat!  Spoonflower is a website that gives everyone a chance to have their own custom designs be printed on fabric.  There's a huge selection of fabric types to choose from, and no minimum order- perfect for the occasional at home crafter.  Once you've placed an order for one of your fabric designs, you have the option of making that design available for sale to the public.  And if it sells, you get a little cut from Spoonflower, which is an awesome bonus!   The website also has weekly contests, a great way for new artists to get attention.  The contest theme I'm excited about right now is CAMPING!  The entries are due Tuesday, August 14th, so I drew this little dude in Photoshop.


8.02.2012

an 'Ode' to Oregon...



Exactly a year ago today, Jessa and I left behind the small town life and traversed our way across this big country back to the city of Saint Louis. We had met in St. Louie and we had both began to grow weary of the daily grind. On a whim, Jessa, our friend Jake and I loaded a trailer and our car with all of our earthly possessions, and took off, Clampett style. We were in search of something strange, new, and different. We landed in a wonderful small town in Oregon, sitting halfway between Portland and Astoria (yeah that’s right, home of The Goonies!). The place is called Clatskanie, and it’s beautiful.




8.01.2012

2012 London Olympic Games

It's that time again... time for the world to get together, celebrate, and for the best of the best to amaze us all! This post is dedicated to the world's greatest athletes, competing in the 2012 Olympic Games.  These photos are from the 1948 Olympics- the last time the games were held in London.  Taken from Life Magazine + sportspages.com, spiced up with just a little color.  Enjoy! 

Life Magazine // sportspages.com
Life Magazine // Life Magazine

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