New Holiday Items in Our Zazzle Shop

Hello!  Happy Holidays!  I'm sorry I've been MIA.  Running after a 3 year old can keep a gal pretty busy.  I've also been  working on designs for my Etsy shop www.ricerafferty.etsy.com and now my new zazzle shop https://www.zazzle.com/kararice2?rf=238645666398637581.

One of my favorite features of Zazzle is it gives our customers the ability to fully customize our products. For example, change Nana to Mimi or any name you wish. You can also transfer ANY design to ANY product. How cool is that?!  

Check out our shop now for exciting new holiday designs for throw pillows, aprons, t-shirts and so much more!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season!

https://www.zazzle.com/z/gm3xt?rf=238645666398637581

https://www.zazzle.com/z/1fluy?rf=238645666398637581

https://www.zazzle.com/z/1iuby?rf=238645666398637581

Painted Brick

I absolutely love painted brick.  I’ve been seeing more of it every day on shows like Fixer Upper on HGTV. I don’t have the guts to paint the whole front brick facade of my house though. I painted the three sides of my house Oyster Bay by Sherwin Williams last Spring and I love it! It’s so tranquil. I live in Saint Johns, FL so I really enjoy the coastal vibe this color brings. I’ve been filling in caulking and retouching little details and I noticed this red brick step under my garage side door. This grout job was done by somebody years ago and it really sticks out like a sore thumb.  The red brick color felt very out of place.  I painted it Oyster Bay so it would blend in with the wall and look richer. I just did a light dry brushing.  I’m so happy I decided to take the risk and paint it.  Painting this small brick detail really helped to continue to modernize the house and add curb appeal. When I drive up my driveway every day it now brings a smile to my face.  That's exactly what design should do for us.

Do you like painted brick? I’d love to hear! 

www.ricerafferty.etsy.com

Paint Your Doormat - Great Kid Project

One of my favorite things about being a mom is teaching my son how to make art. We have so much fun painting and drawing together. It’s also very important to me to use recyled materials. I noticed that our doormat was looking very worn and I started to hunt for new designs, then I thought why don’t I just paint it. I started painting the doormat myself with acrylic paints like a mosaic. Brady saw what I was doing and he decided to join the fun. He started to smear the paint and mix the colors. I actually really loved his method. Kids have a way of creating that is so free and exploratory. After the design is complete spray with a clear UV Acrylic Coating. Enjoy!

Materials you’ll need:
Acrylic paint
Paint brushes or sponges
Clear Acrylic Coating Spray Paint
Paper Towels for Clean Up

The Charm of Charleston

One of my favorite things about moving to Jacksonville, FL is being so close to my favorite southern cities Savannah and Charleston.  I went to Charleston a few years ago.  We stayed at the Mills House in town.  I highly recommend it.  There was a beautiful courtyard and so many historic details.  We were steps away from strolling the gorgeous streets of Charleston.  Some of my favorite things about Charleston are:  shrimp and grits, historic details, alleyways, cobblestone streets, iron pineapples, gaslights, fountains, Rainbow row, carriage rides, marshlands, and beautiful beaches.  Does it get any better than that? -->

Brady's Nursery

 I was just looking back through my photo albums and realized I never shared Brady's nursery with you.  He's two now, but I thought it would be fun to share.  It's amazing how everything is so clean and perfect.  It's definitely different now with a toddler, haha.

I wanted a gender neutral nursery with all white furniture for his room since there's not a lot of light in his room.  My in-laws kindly gifted us his changing table and cabinet and crib.  I wanted an eclectic feeling with nostalgic items from my childhood room and my husbands.  The vintage Mickey Mouse mobile that plays "when you wish upon a star" was from my nursery and the wall hanging is from my husband's childhood room (his mom made it for him).  I added organizing systems with the wall shelf and hanging baskets.   

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crib - Pottery Barn

wire baskets - World Market

vintage find - chalkboard

baby quilt - CoCaLo

crib sheets - Pottery Barn

baskets changing table - Pottery Barn

diaper bag - Skip Hop on Amazon

wall color - Full Moon by Sherwin Williams

Sophie the Giraffe Teether - Target

Our Master Bathroom Renovation

After pic - we love it!

I didn't want to totally gut the bathroom.  I found a tile at Florida Design Works on Phillips Highway in Jacksonville, FL that matched the marbled style of my bathtub perfectly.  I also fell in love with the concept of a riverstone tile for the floor.  I found a style that coordinated and then we started the project!  It was amazing how quickly the project came together.  The shower is one of our favorite updates to the house.  I later painted the walls Oyster Bay by Sherwin Williams to coordinate better with the cobblestone floor.  Our bathroom now feels like a zen spa.  It's also very kid friendly.  We're so happy with it!  -->

before pic

300 Sales on Etsy!

We're so excited to celebrate 300 sales on Etsy! Woo hoo!  We first created our Etsy shop in September of 2009 in the middle of the financial crisis...why not, right?!  I remember posting three listings and I naively thought they were going to sell immediately.  When you're competing against thousands of other shops you need to stand out.  I didn't understand then about how to properly photograph and market my product for online sales.  We slowly began improving our photography skills, learning through trial error and making sales.  I mainly worked on Rice Rafferty at night while I worked a full time graphic design job.  My 10 years of working design experience plus all of my knowledge from working on Rice Rafferty has taught me SO much.

Our accessory designs led us on the path of designing wedding veils and bridal hair adornments. We participated in fashion shows at Buffalo State College and in St. Augustine, FL, Love Your Mother Fashion show. We feel so grateful to have been published in Well Wed Magazine, The Buffalo Spree, Saint Johns Magazine and The St. Augustine Record. Our journey has led us to meeting so many amazing people and vendors.

Now that I'm a full-time mom, we've expanded our product line to marketing services, home decor (printable art), party decor (printable graphics), and textile designs (fabric, wallpaper, wrapping paper).  I feel like I've come full circle.  Working on art projects with my son has really inspired me.  I love to watch how he is totally in the moment while he's creating art.  My goal is to create accessories and art that bring joy and inspire you.

Thank you so much for supporting us!  We're so exciting for the projects ahead!

Celebrate with us!  15% off now https://www.etsy.com/shop/ricerafferty?coupon=300SALES when you spend over $50.

Cheers!

You can see more designs from our shop here.  www.ricerafferty.etsy.com