HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm an Elegant Classic

HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm an Elegant Classic

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THANKFULNESS: hair edition

It has taken me a LONG time to learn to enjoy my hair, and although we have a love-hate relationship... I've learned to be thankful for the hair that is mine!

I grew up with a mullet in elementary school, and got picked on A LOT for it... so when it comes to being thankful for a "NORMAL" hair style, I am your go-to-girl (most days!)

Tonight, I went to cut the hair I am so thankful for with this lady, Jennifer Nettles, (whom I think is lovely and adorable) as inspiration...

After chatting and having fun with John my hairdresser, I ended up with a similar style. But, as with all cuts, this one will soon grow on me in time enough for it to literally grow and eventually induce frusteration. But until then, I am thankful for the head of hair that I do have!

from jessie (poodle head/tree top/Q-tip/medusa/ice cream scoop head)... with love 

note: for those of you not in the know, those were some of the creative nicknames the cruel elementary school students came up with for my mullet-head

THANKFULNESS: home edition

home, home in VA, near the sea and the chesapeake bay!

Ahhhh yes, home. So much here I'm thankful for. So today's thankful run down has me reflecting on things found in my home:

• bed (enough said)
• dishwasher (you save me so much work)
• washer and dryer (how much more thankful I am now since I had to go without you in my home for so long!)
• craft room (this is the only corner in the home that I can claim as ALL MINE... it's my sanctuary and I love it) 
• books (ones I've enjoyed enough to keep them around to pass along)
• the "idea" that it's a space Scott and I have created together (awwwwww)

sure there is more... but these are the stand out players!

from jessie (home is where the heart is)... with love 

THANKFULNESS: internet edition

I realized after writing the last set of posts (on the amazing pumpkin) that having a TOPIC to write on is helping me create posts. So... thanks to this revelation, I am going to do a series of posts on THANKFULNESS... the "twist", so to speak, is that I'm going to list the things I'm thankful for in a certain category (and encourage you to do the same)! 

Without further adieu... Things I am thankful for when it comes to the internet:

• FACEBOOK (it keeps me connected with friends and allows me to peer welcomely into the lives of others)
• ETSY (handmade=ROCKIN AWESOME!)
• online resources like WIKIPEDIA and WEBSTER (I'd be stuck in the library without you)
• YouTube
• blogs (I like other people's thoughts)
• online tutorials (I have learned SO MUCH about sewing!)
• pandora (even though I get this on my blackberry, it began as an internet application and it keeps my ears ringing with tunes for hours!)

from jessie ( into the internet)... with love 

for the LOVE of PUMPKIN!

We've reached the end folks... and I hope all of you have been thoroughly enjoying the pumpkin posts!

I'm now calling on YOU! Is there a favorite "pumpkin" themed thing that I haven't posted about that you love? Do share... I'm always open for MORE PUMPKIN! 

from jessie (pumpkin out)... with love 

for the LOVE of PUMPKIN!

This post is not a recipe, but an ODE to a tradition I love so much... my family's annual FALL FESTIVAL!

This gathering normally takes place around Halloween up at the property my parents and aunt and uncle live on together. One of the few activites that truly defines our Fall Festival is the pumpkin carving! Every year, we gather around the two picnic tables and put our artistry in carving to work in an effort to create a beautiful group of glowing gourds!

Here are a few images captured this year during the pumpkin carving activites...

  

from jessie (pumpkin head)... with love 

for the LOVE of PUMPKIN!

Three pumpkin posts down... two (or three) to go!

Today's pumpkin inspired post is another recipe, this time one that my mom makes every christmas. The pumpkin roll has become a Barta tradition over the past 5 years (give or take), ever since mom found the recipe in her beloved Southern Living Magazine. She made a few that first year to give away as gifts. I'd venture to say that today, about ten rolls is the norm amount made around christmas. 

You just can't go wrong with the sweet cream cheese flavor popping off the spicy pumpkin! I found a recipe similar to what she makes here (minus the walnuts), but I myself will await my mother's "baking day" to devour some of my own!

from jessie (still a pumpkin head)... with love 

for the LOVE of PUMPKIN!

Continuing with the PUMPKIN theme, I'd like to speak for a moment on Pumpkin Pancakes. 

Now I have never had the pleasure of devouring these delicious sounding treats, but 

I haven't met a pumpkin dish yet that I haven't liked! I was perusing Facebook (as I often do) and a High School friend of mine, Brad B., spoke of having pumpkin pancakes for breakfast. YUMMM was the thought that came to my mind. 

So after a plea for a recipe, Brad pointed me to this recipe for pumpkin pancakes. I have yet to try it, but do join me in exploring the splendor that is pumpkin pancakes! And do share your thoughts if you've already had the pleasure of trying them yourself!

from jessie (pumpkin head)... with love 

for the LOVE of PUMPKIN!

I was recently invited to an intimate evening of fellowship and worship by my good friends the Bethany and Phil. At this lovely function, we shared food, because really... what gathering is complete until food is involved? One of the dishes I tasted (read: stuffed my face with) while there was a "Pumpkin Desert". Imagine the pumpkin version of "dump cake". SOOOOO yummy. Before we left, I declared that I HAD to have this recipe... and because the people we associate with are so lovely, my request was fulfilled. 

Although I have not yet made it for myself, I've experienced it and wanted to share this PUMPKIN DELIGHT with you! 

Dump Cake: Pumpkin Style

1 15oz can pumpkin

1 12oz can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

3-4 tsp pumpkin spice or cinnamon

1 box yellow cake mix

3/4 cup of butter

Mix together the first 5 ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the top. Melt the butter and pour over the top of cake mix. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Consume and be happy!

from jessie (pumpkin head)... with love 

for the LOVE of PUMPKIN!

The Autumnal air brings thoughts to mind of a favored flavor of mine... PUMPKIN!

What's not to love about its delightful taste? It's infused in to just about any dish you can imagine in celebration of the fall. In this series of posts, I wanted to share some of my pumpkiny favorites as well as some related recipes I've accumulated (or experiences) over these past few weeks. 

A new "pumpkiny" favorite of mine is the Pumpkin Spice Latte from 7-11. In the past week, I've visited 7-11 six out of seven days to purchase a cup of this autumnal delight! I realize that Starbucks too has a similar drink, but when it comes to being friendly on the wallet, 7-11 is the way to go! It's fall in a cup! 

Get ready... there is more pumpkin goodness still to come! 

from jessie (pumpkin head)... with love 

757 experiences the great flood

So, four comments (five if you count Travis's comment on Facebook about it) is enough for me to keep this blog-o-mine going pretty strong! It's nice to know that my reader friends like to share in the experiences (good or bad) of my life! 

If you're not living in the 757, you probably aren't currently experiencing the Nor Easter that is upon us! The rain and wind are INSANE! And thanks to this weather phenomenon, I have no school today! The children might blow away if they step outside, so we must take caution!

So I'm taking this "free day" to do some fun activities that often get pushed to the wayside due to the fact that there are only 24 hours in  a day (most of which are already dedicated and planned). Unplanned interruptions can be good for this purpose! Today's rainy day may include all, or part, of the following activities:

• painting my nails (so girly)
• writing several new blog posts
• sewing (is that REALLY surprising?!)
• reading a book
• watching Year One and a few episodes of Spaced with Scott

That looks pretty good. Any other suggestions? What will (or do) you do on a rainy day?

from jessie (rained in)... with love 

keep going?

Alright readers... I'm wondering how dedicated I need to be to updating this blog. So here's the deal...

1. I REALLY WANNA KNOW IF ANYONE'S READING?! If no one is reading, then this works more as a thought dump, and doesn't need to be updated but when I feel the pressing urge.
2. HOW OFTEN IS OFTEN ENOUGH?! Daily? Weekly? Monthly? If you are reading, how often would YOU like to see me posting. I've got lots of ideas and thoughts up in this head of mine, it's a matter of prioritizing this blog for YOU.

So make your opinions known!

from jessie (do share)... with love 

pick me up

Here's a little song that's refreshing and fun and speaks to my feelings on this monday morning!

So there you go. Hope you enjoyed.

from jessie (wishing I was sleeping in)... with love 

another fun show...

This will be my second "show" appearance with my jessiemint items. I hesitate to call it a "craft show" because in reality, I'm pretty sure I'll be the only crafter there! I'll be in a sea of consultants for various wonderful companies (like ThirtyOne... love). I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I won't be the "turd in the punchbowl" (anyone watch that episode of Toddlers in Tiaras?). 

Regardless, this event will be wonderful and certainly worth your time. It was organized to support the Food Closet for the upcoming holiday season. So if you wanna come, plan to bring a nonperishable food item and get some shopping done. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

from jessie (show me, show me, show me)... with love 

Dancing with the Stars...

Ahhh yes... I'm part of the mass that has become addicted to Dancing with the Stars. It's not yet to the point where I feel the need to vote, but thanks to Scott's 10pm arrival time home on Monday nights, it's my time to have "dance fever". 

Who has me hooked? Well, the obvious one is Kelly Osbourne. I've got some unprecidented facination with this girl (note: not obsessed... simply facinated). She's tough as nails, dresses the way she wants, and is just so DARN cute! I've loved her since The Osbourne's; she was the sister you loved to watch whine! So as soon as I found out she was on Dancing with the Stars, I said, "I'M THERE!"

And the person I LOVE to HATE to LOVE... Aaron Carter (little brother of BSB's Nick Carter). I can still really only picture this dude as the preteen my sis went to go see at the Norva who sang about candy and his mom and dad (weird). So.... yeah, I've kinda grown to like his dancing ability, but still can't get over his persona. hmmmm...

so yeah, Dancing with the Stars = cool in my book.

from jessie (star struck)... with love 

and the decision is...

::::: ROSIE THE RIVETER :::::

  

I know that TECHNICALLY Patty Mayonnaise was in the lead according to the poll. However, due to cost efficiency and down right cute, bad-assness (fictionary term?), Rosie was the choice for this Halloween. Gunna show it off for the first time at Uno's Chicago Pizza tonight for Phil Poteat's concert/Halloween party on the Patio. WOO!

from jessie (We Can Do It!)... with love 

double duty::: part one

One of my favorite sections of the Real Simple Magazine is *. I love this section because I love learning new uses for old things. 

So here are some items you may have lying around your house currently that can be used in a way originally-unintended! 

• MARSHMALLOW- put one in your brown sugar bin to keep it from getting hard
• NEWSPAPER- stinky fridge? fish smell sticking around too long? forego the baking soda and fill the fridge with crumpled up newspaper. Close the door and give it about 10-15 minutes. The newspaper will neutralize the funk in the fridge
• CHEESE GRATER- even good cooks burn their biscuits sometimes. Use the "fine" side of your cheese grater to scrape off the burnt parts of the biscuits and save yourself from having to bake them again
• BROWN SUGAR AND OLIVE OIL- put a little olive oil on your lips and rub a small amount of brown sugar over to exfoliate when the cold temps get the best of your sensitive pucker... so soft 

more to come tomorrow!

from jessie (very practical)... with love 

halloween help

Every year I come up with about a MILLION ideas about what I want to dress up as for halloween. This year (after viewing Whip It) my idea was to be a roller derby chick. I'd still love to execute this idea, however the lack of roller skates and funds is seriously hindering my ability to do so!

Check out the poll to the side and help me decide on a more practical (but fun) Halloween costume!

from jessie (indecisive, as always)... with love 

resourcefulness

I feel I am a very resourceful person. In fact, I'm  planning a series of posts on items around your home (or apartment) that can serve double duty in some very useful ways. However,my resourcefulness has been put to shame (kinda) after receiving a fun e-mail from my beloved coworker Liz yesterday.

You be the judge. The wonderful creators of THERE, I FIXED IT bring you entertaining pictures of just how resourceful (or ridiculous) people really are. Here are a few examples to get your brain juices flowing...

        

Oh humanity... you always find a way. 

from jessie (duct tape is ALWAYS the answer)... with love 

Apple Pie in a Pinch

Scott has been working REALLY HARD studying for his first sememster as a full time student and I wanted to do something to brighten up his evening on Tuesday... so I made Apple Pie!

Now like most of my readers out there, I am a BUSY lady (see Monday's post), but I refuse to let that stop my from induldging my inner baking bug every once in a while. While perusing my "notebook-o-printed-out-internet-recipes", I happened upon "Busy Day Apple Pie". This recipe was originally posted by Amber of the late myaimistrue.com, so I will share it with you now....

Apple Pie in a Pinch

1 premade deep dish pie crust

3-5 apples, chopped in pieces or sliced thin

3/4 stick of butter, softened

1 cup Bisquick

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven at 350. Place chopped/sliced apples in a pie crust (feel free to leave the skin on, it's still YUMMY and the color is lovely). In a large bowl, cut together the remaing ingredients until crumbly. Place on top of apples in crust, covering it as best you can. Bake 45 min- 1 hour until top is browned. Remove, cool, eat!

    

Yeah, that simple. Scott approves and I WILL be making this again!

from jessie (as american as fast food and apple pie)... with love 

new friend...

Meet Lightning

He was a gift to me from my table-mate at the "Kraft"show at school last night. I taught her daughter last year and I couldn't STOP admiring this little guy (and the plethora of other sock animals she created)! I sold nothing (insert mini violin solo HERE)... so I think she gave it to me as a sympathy gift; that or she just really likes me and knew how much I liked him! I think he's a horse... not that it really matters, but that's the closest animal resemblance I can draw from looking at him.

Like him? Contact me and I'll put you in touch with her to get one of your own!!

from jessie (my buddy)... with love 

sore

One of the WONDERFUL opportunities I'm afforded as a volunteer at WEC (Water's Edge Church) is working on the Production Team for our kids programs. This past weekend was my second time fulfilling the roll of "Host" in Kid Kraze (our elementary age program). During my time as the host, I get to be GOOFY, LOUD, DRAMATIC, and HYPER. Not that I don't normally try to fulfill these roles in my daily life, but when living them out on stage, I seriously amp it up! Add into this the singing and dancing that comes along with the praise and worship songs AND the 4 times a day (not including run through) that I "perform" this... and I have a justifiable reason to be tired. Not only tired, but sore! My legs are NOT moving normally today and it's because I gave SO MUCH of myself to Kid Kraze yesterday.

Don't get me wrong, I have NO PROBLEM with being sore for a couple of days over the reality that I helped deliver a very important message to lots of kids on Sunday; but the fact remains that I'm sore because I danced, and jumped, and fell way more than I do on a normal basis. This got me thinking... What was the last non-gym/workout related thing you did that made you REALLY sore? Do share (miserable muscles love company)!

from jessie (leg locked)... with love 

BONUS EXTRA: Thanks to KEVIN (thanks Kevin!) we have video footage of my dramatic death scene as Dorcas on Sunday. WARNING: HIGH PITCHED VOICE and BLURRY, BLINDING FOOTAGE AHEAD! 

striking a balance...

I am currently finding this a difficult thing to do... as recently evidenced by my serious lack of blog entries. Life is simply UNPREDICTABLE, so my blog posting has taken a back seat to the recent hubbub of my world.

While finding little moments of time to sit down and visit my favorite sites, I checked in with the first blog I ever started following: my aim is true. The girl who composed it was an acquaintance of scott that I had met once or twice in person. Following her blog was so fascinating; she always had something going on, some new creation to share, or some life revelation that just had to be shared. Recently, however, she took a break from her blog. She got so busy involving herself in everything that life had to offer (and documenting it none the less) that she began to feel overwhelmed. So now, she is letting go of the blog perminatly so she can pursue life freely. 

I'm trying NOT to reach the point in my life where I feel I have to not blog, or not craft, or not involve myself in some other fun endeavor because life's just getting to crazy. But truth be told readers... striking a balance is difficult. The women who read this blog REALLY know what I'm talking about here: I'm going to attempt to be a WIFE (love you Scooter), friend, daughter, sister, family member, woman of God, teacher, crafter, small business owner, Kid Kraze Host, CG member/host, and a blogist (in no particular order). So bear with me, as striking this balance in a healthy way.......... may take awhile to perfect! 

from jessie (I'm every woman)... with love 

so much to do...

...SO LITTLE TIME! I feel this statement has never been more applicable to my life than right now. I feel like reinacting that scene from Saved By the Bell where Jessie OD's on caffeine pills and states, "THERE'S NO TIME, THERE'S NEVER ANY TIME!" (minus the caffeine pills). 

Dramatics aside, Labor Day marked the beginning of a whirl wind of plans (also known as the next two months of my life). In between work, and weekend plans, keeping a house, maintaining a loving marriage, and squeezing in the gym I'm attempting to prepare for a craft show. Crafting is probably one of the highlights of my day, which is why I'm sad I don't get to it more. 

After a much needed afternoon nap today, I began work on the "jessiemint" banner that will flank my craft table at the show. I used this tutorial as inspiration and am almost certain I'll use it to make some shirts or something in the future. 

In addition to the banner, I've been cutting and pressing a plethora of headbands. I've even created a newer, slimmer version of my original headband called the "skinny" ( definitely my new FAVORITE item). Unfortunately, there is still MUCH to be done. 

from jessie (what did I getting myself into?!)... with love 

blank...

No real inspiration today. Sorry all. Feeling mentally drained (and I think I've shared enough "teacher related" stories for the week). Enjoy this pugly puppy though (and please feel inspired to purchase one for us when we move out of this apartment.... we will name him Squish-ums)!

from jessie (sooooooooo sleepy)... with love

Homework on the Big Day

I do honestly find immense joy in teaching. It CERTAINLY has it's rough times, but inevitably some wonderful student will come along and brighten the day in an unexpected way.

Today was one of those days! With a class of 30 students (down from 31) bearing down on me, I'm easily "blinded" by the task ahead. However, 30 kids also means 30 wonderfully creative (and kinda funny) answers to questions on homework asking about "The Big Day" (i.e. the first day of school)

In response to the question, "What was the biggest surprise?"

• new teacher
• we're going to learn new things every day
• it was raining
• I made friends all ready (written as is.... so precious!)

In response to the prompts "Describe your teacher" and "Name one thing you learned about your new teacher"

• that she was nice (OVERWHELMING answer on the majority of the papers)
• my new teacher is taller
• nice funloving cool awesome
• clap clap yes yes clap yes teach okay hands and eyes
• she is nice and pleasant
• she organize
• she likes to be happy
• I learned nothing new (this one made me laugh)
• she is nice beautiful not like the other teachers (burn!)
• she is a fun teacher to learn with (warmed my soul)

In response to the prompt "Describe your new classroom"

• like any other classroom
• new, cold, decorative
• small and cramped
• cold, funny looking
• big and long (possibly inappropriate when used in other contexts)
• neato (this kid rocks!)
• it has alot of learning stuff in it (why YES it does!)
• big
• small

... and too many other wonderful answers that would just require ALOT of explanation and background in knowing how my classroom functions. These moments make it ALL GOOD!

from jessie (and the mouths of babes)... with love

First Day Memories...

Today marked the first day of school for myself, many fellow teachers, and LOTS of students. Although there are many topics that could be discussed on this notorious day, I'm sticking with "first day memories". What do YOU remember about the first day of school? Do you remember something good? something bad? Here's my most VIVID first day memory...

It was my first day of kindergarten at Oakland Elementary in South Carolina. Since school had started a week or two before, my mom and I got a personal tour of the school with the Vice Principal as our guide. She showed us the class I'd be in, various "resource" classrooms, and the cafeteria. The tour ended here because my new class was already in the lunch line. Up to this point in my schooling career, mom had packed my lunch EVERYDAY; unfortunately, in the excitement of the day, mom forgot to pack my homemade lunch and gave me a dollar bill instead. I didn't enjoy the idea of cafeteria lunches: the lunch line was intimidating, choices had to be made quickly (apple or orange?!), and lunch ladies were mean. I hesitantly walked through the line and received my rationed grilled cheese sandwich, corn, apple sauce, and milk. I paid for my food and sat down at the cafeteria table. Upon opening my carton, a "rowdier" student jostled me causing my 2% milk to go splashing all over my tray. The milk was all over my food: the grilled cheese was now soggy, the corn now creamy, and the apple sauce now swirly. Devistated, I hesitantly raised my hand for the cafeteria monitor. She took one look at my tray and told me... "That's what you get for playing around with your food! Now go ahead and eat it!". She WATCHED ME in spiteful glee as she FORCEFULLY REQUESTED that I take a bite of each of the "tainted" items on my tray. I haven't bought school lunch since.

from jessie (cafeteria-phobic)... with love 

let me explain

I've been kind of MIA lately when it comes to this blog. Sorry. Maybe this brain dump will clarify why...

• A wonderful person FOUND me on Etsy and invited me to be part of a craft show she's organizing locally. Scott and I talked about it, and I'm going to do it! I'm so excited and dumbfounded at all the preparation that is going to come along with getting ready for this. There are products to be made, a set up to think about, and all the other fun stuff that comes along with "putting your craft out there" for everyone to see and enjoy.
• Scott and I have taken over "hosting" our Community Group. This is exciting and sad at the same time. Our previous "hosts", Jake and Kristi, felt God leading their life in another direction and had to leave fairly quickly for Georgia. We miss them already, but are pleased that our group has the opportunity to remain together. 
• This week I move to the "production" team at Water's Edge for Kid Kraze and Wee World (our two children's programs). For those of you who don't attend our church, this basically entails acting out and storytelling the lesson for the week (along with some AWESOME sing-along, dance-along praise music time). I'm excited about it, but admittedly nervous about the challenges that come along with the opportunity. Here's hoping the "memorization" part of my brain still works! 
• School is getting ready to start back up. My classroom is in order (and lookin' GOOD might I say). Open House night is behind me. The first day of school lies ahead. And ladies and gentlemen, I am officially up to 31 students in my class! Just to let you know, that's ALOT of kids in a 4th grade classroom (last year I maxed out at 21). Mentally and physically preparing/organizing for this year's bunch of students has been taxing and I'm looking forward to a LONNNGGG weekend of resting up for the CHALLENGE that lies ahead. 
• Scott has started back to school, which means our "face to face time" has diminished by more than half. It's gunna be tricky working in time for us when there is so much to juggle... but if anyone can do it, I know we can! 
• The next two months (namely the weekends since that's "non-working" time) are PACKED SOLID! There is so much to look forward to in the weeks ahead, but so much to prepare for at the same time. It's crazy thinking that all of September and October are already booked solid. 
• THE GYM BECONS ME... but I've successfully ignored it's calls. I have to rework my gym schedule since our school hours changed (we are MUCH earlier now) and so far I haven't motivated myself to step over to the Y. Once school starts, and I'm back in a routine, I commit to making the Y my second (or maybe it's third?!) home again. 

from jessie (full plate)... with love 

fall for flats

When it comes to cooler weather, my feet love being in flats! Here are some of my faves for fall...

(top left) poppy bow ballet flats from the gap :: (top right) malindi crocs in berry

(bottom left) kelsi dagger on piperlime :: (bottom right) ae herringbone flat

from jessie (flats fanatic)... with love

free bull

Scott has been good friends with Craigslist for awhile (apparently it's the new avenue for finding bands to play with... who knew?!). But neither of us knew of the "free" section until our friends Steve and Katie informed us. They recently found a free piano listed and snatched it up! So we too quickly hopped on board the "free stuff" train  in search of a washer and dryer. Unfortunately, the one really GOOD listing we found has not contacted us back (I think we weren't "needy" enough to receive the generous donation). Our venture onto the "free stuff" page was not a complete waste though, because as we scrolled around we found...

... that people give away some REALLY unusual things for free on Craigslist! Like this bull for example; why would you not just throw it in the salvation army bag and DONATE it to a worthy cause? Would YOU be motivated enough to get in your car and drive to go pick up a free stuffed bull? Well, if that doesn't motivate you, maybe some of the OTHER free items I found will....

• free (slightly vandalized) trailer home 
• free dirt, broken brick, and broken cement 
• ONE, count em', ONE coupon good for $.50 off Baby Wipes! 
• free chicken feathers from a REAL chicken farm! 
• free container FULL of various packaged condiments 
• free, broken t-mobile cell phone
• free random stuff from the junk drawer
• .... I could go on, but do I REALLY need to?

This is truly a fantastic function on Craigslist, but as with anything good... some people just use and abuse. Dang!

from jessie (I don't get people sometimes)... with love 

Opportunity Knocks

Etsy is a WONDERFUL networking tool! Case in point...

Yesterday I received a very fun convo on Etsy from a fellow, local crafter named Mia. She is organizing a local craft show/fundraiser in partnership with Chili's Newport News and CHKD, saw my stuff on Etsy, and invited me to play a part. I'm STOKED that she not only found me but liked my stuff enough to invited me out to join the cause. Barring some "rules and regulations" and clearing the date, I'm SERIOUSLY considering doing it. The $50 buy in for space at the show is really the ONLY big thing possibly holding me back right now (granted this is a VERY reasonable booth price!). 

So I'll be talking to Scott about the opportunity today (he knows about it, but we need to go over it in detail) and keeping you updated as to wether I do it or not. HERE'S HOPING! 

from jessie (she found me!)... with love 

never send a JESSIE to do a SCOTT job

I contemplated titling this post "never send a woman to do a man's job", not because I have some weird misogynistic principals, but because there are some things that my husband clearly does better than me. However, this post was less "him and her" focused and more "scott and jessie" specific. Stick with me for a long moment, there's lessons to be learned...

When we found out we were moving, Scott and I made several trips to Verizon to weigh our options for combining cell phone plans, adding internet, and possibly Fios to our bill. We figured out the cell phone issues, but we were STUCK on the internet and Fios problems. The thing is, our apartment complex is VERY specific about what services they allow you to have. If you want internet, you HAVE to get it through Verizon. If you want TV, you HAVE to use their 22 channel satellite option. And if you WANT to have a choice in the matter, you HAVE to get over it! (hehehe) Scott and I had resolved ourselves to this reality until a set of acquaintances, who lived here previously, put the idea in our heads of possibly "sneaking" Fios TV though the internet line, thus having more channels and still "confiding in" the rules. We should have known better at this point in the story, but we wanted to explore the possibility presented to us.

Since Scott was SUPER busy with work and getting things ready for school, and I clearly WASN'T, I ventured to Verizon to discuss our options with an associate. I presented the lady with our situation and asked if we could "discretely" get Fios and internet so as not to "really" break the rules of the apartment complex. After looking, she informed me that Fios was not available in our area but there was another TV option. She murmured something that sounded like "di (something something something) TV" and informed me that we could bundle this service along with phone and internet for LESS than we'd been paying for Cox. I was hesitant, re-presented our "situation" and asked several times "If I sign up for this today, could we cancel before the move WITHOUT PENALTY because I'm not 100% sure about committing to it without my husband's approval." To which she replied "SURE SURE SURE, no real commitment is made until they do the install." After having her REPEATEDLY reassure this to me, I "signed up" for the bundle package. Here is where I need to inform you that I CANNOT make decisions on the spot (it's pathetic). SO, when she handed me the print out copy of the "possible order" and I saw that the "di (something something) TV" that she had mumbled at me was "Direct TV" and that it would REQUIRE a SATELLITE being installed on our ROOF at the APARTMENT COMPLEX that has VERY STRICT RULES saying you can ONLY get TV though THIER SATELLITE PROVIDER... I literally FROZE. I thanked her for her time and told her she'd here back from us once Scott saw the paperwork. Immediately, I called Scott and explained the uninformed choice I had just made. Scott, who had been hesitant about "sneaking" the Fios in the whole time, called the lady back, dealt with the misunderstanding, and had her cancel everything but the internet. 

Flash forward three weeks later when the Direct TV gentlemen show up knocking at our new apartment door with a very perplexed (and slightly frustrated) maintenance man. I quickly explained that we had CANCELLED the order a while back and (looking at the maintenmance man) reassured that we knew the rules of the apartment complex. All three gentlemen were understanding, but it left Scott and I wondering about the supposed "cancellation".....

Flash forward to last night when Scott informs me our Verizon bill for internet was unusually high. So, he called today and found out our "order" for the bundle was never cancelled and we were paying for all three services while receiving only ONE! Apparently, the "oh yeah, you can cancel at anytime" was all a HUGE bluff because we are having to pay an early termination fee and will only receive a PARTIAL refund on the HUGE bill we payed for two services that WE cancelled and DON'T HAVE!

There are three points to be drawn from this VERY LONG story:

1. Verizon is SNEAKY! Make sure you know exactly which questions to ask and follow up on EVERYTHING they tell you they're going to do (Scott axiom)
2. Attempting to "work the system" is a bad idea. We should never have entertained the idea of "sneaking" Fios in through the internet line. It is just TV... and there are these wonderful inventions called BOOKS when the boob-tube isn't cutting it for entertainment.
3. THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON OF ALL... never send a JESSIE to do a SCOTT job!

from jessie (vengeance on verizon)... with love 

Jones New York in the Classroom

So today (well yesterday because my computer wouldn't sync up to our wireless last night...sad) marked my first official day back to school! As should be expected, it was nice seeing everyone again and it didn't take much to feel back in teacher-mode once again. The day was less than productive thanks to meetings in the morning and a SERIOUS brain cramp in the afternoon when it came to rearranging my classroom to accommodate 30+ desks along with my other essential furniture! GRRRR!

Back to school is synonymous with shopping (at least in my mind)! For a year or two now I've caught glimpses of advertisements for "Jones New York in the Classroom" in various magazines and admired their lovely "apple" inspired t-shirt designs. After looking at their site, I realized they're doing ALOT of good for teachers and students; I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE for them to come and give me AND my classroom a makeover (or maybe and upgrade in my case... i do wanna give myself SOME credit!). Since the chances of that are slim to none, I'd happily settle on one of the LOVELY shirts they are selling to support the cause this year! 

If you want to buy one for yourself and me (size M), I'd happily support you in your decision as you'd be making a WONDERFUL fashion decision while supporting a good cause. What could be better. 

from jessie (teaching in a t-shirt)... with love 

ABDC date night:: Week 3

So last night myself, Scott, Megan, and Drew all gathered round the plasma and watched week 3 of ABDC; and all any of us had to say was, "where's the WOW?!". Over the past three seasons, crews have pulled out original moves, thrown at the viewer so fast you hardly knew what had come at you until the judges called for a replay. This season, we haven't yet had WOW moments. We've had "hmmm, that was cool" and "oh, neat move", but no "did you SEE THAT?!". Kinda sad. 

This week the show didn't seem to "get going" until the bottom two crews performed at the end in a battle to win over the judges and stay on. Rhythm City, from the Bronx, came out triumphant and rightfully so. Both crews in the bottom two danced CIRCLES (pun intended) around the crews that won "America's Votes" and I really hope for my (and the family that I make watch it) sake that the crews start to STEP IT UP. Here's the best performance from last night courtesy of Rhythm City... enjoy!

from jessie (step it UP already)... with love 

ABDC date night:: Week 2

We don't have MTV at the new apt. This normally wouldn't bother me because they are ALL ABOUT false advertising (music television?! please?!)... but it also means I don't get to watch ABDC! Thankfully, sis-in-law extrodianre, MEGAN, came to the rescue and started recording it on her DVR for me. Now we have an official ABDC Date Night (as I've so lovingly termed it) on Monday nights to share quality time together and watch my FAVORITE show. 

What's all the hype about you ask? Well, I answer: AWESOME DANCING! I guess the show is like "So You Think You Can Dance", but instead of induvidual contestants there are "crews", and instead of a "professional variety" of dance styles you get awesome variations/interpretations of hip-hop! That's what I'm talking about.

I'd already determined two of my "must watch" crews during the first week. The first was Artistry in Motion. The awesome thing about these women is that they tried to get gigs and establish a professional dancing career but were turned down because they didn't "look the part", be they too short, too wide, or too unique. This reason alone would have had me backing them, but I really loved the stories they told with their dances. Check out the dance they choreographed for the Beyonce challenge:

SUPER unfortuanatly they got kicked off last week.  An over-sexualized group who's dance involving "bumping and grinding" in all kinds of unexpected places won over the judges insead. BOOO!

The other "must watch crew" you ask?! Vouge Evolution! Just watch and then I'll explain.

They are an all gay crew from New York City who did/do underground dance/runway battles! Is that NOT something straight out of the movies?! You can't HELP but watch. And DID you see that girl snap her hair and head in ways that would have sent me STRAIGHT to the ER?!

So now we are OFF to meg and drew's to commence ABDC date night and I will be back tomorrow with another update!

from jessie (your ABDC correspondent)... with love 

some rules were meant to be broken

In all seriousness, I went to do my usual "eat-some-cookie-dough-before-baking-the-actual-cookies" move and saw a label on my tub-o-dough warning me NOT TO CONSUME raw cookie dough. Really?! I get why, and I get that Nestle Toll House does not want to be sued if someone gets ecoli, but who doesn't sneak a little raw cookie dough every now and again? This label got me thinking: some rules were made to be broken. 

Do you agree?! I was attempting to think of MORE rules that might be destined to be broken, but fell short. But I'm SURE there are MORE out there... I just know it. So now I'm on a mission that I'm hoping you will help me with... what rules do YOU think were meant to be broken?! DO SHARE!

from jessie (breaking the law rules)... with love 

The long and short of it

So one of my first projects in the new craft corner yesterday was to hem a fun little dress I found at T.J. Max during some retail therapy the other day. I haven't made a lot of clothing purchases lately because my focus has been on items for the apartment, but I just couldn't pass this one up. What's NOT to love about a sun dress?! It's causal, cute, and dressy without being TOO over the top. 

So if you look at the first picture you can see the problem with the dress "as is" (or "as was"): it ended in a very odd spot. For ONCE I was too tall to make the dress work in it's given state. So what's a seamstress to do?! HEM IT UP BABY! Two layers of tucking and sewing later and it was the perfect "cocktail dress" length. Love?!

Being able to tackle simple issues like this in clothing is a major perk of knowing how to work a sewing machine! 

from jessie (awkward to adorable)... with love 

in my own little corner, in my own little chair...

I am quickly learning to love our new place. We've created a "modern loft" look without the actual open floor plan or urban setting price. One of my favorite places of all is my new CRAFT CORNER! In our old apartment I had no permanent place to set up my sewing machine or accessibly store my crafting notions, so often the dining room would fall victim to a craft takeover for MONTHS at a time; forcing scott and I to eat in the living room and wade through the craft-tastrophy to get back and forth to the kitchen. Thanks to our new place, this will no longer be an issue!

We made it a point to set room aside in our spare room for me and my crafts. Now, I've got easy access to my projects and notions anytime I feel inspired without having to lug everything out of the closet and go through the "set up phase" first! I cannot convey to you just how excited this makes me feel! So, I will be breaking it in today to hem a FABULOUS dress I found at T.J. Max as well as create some new headbands and items for my jessiemint store on etsy! Let the creativity commence...

from jessie (LOVING IT!)... with love

(p.s. the title is a Cinderella reference from some weird movie version of the tale that I watched on Disney when I was a child... anyone else recognize it?!)

long time no... post

Thank you PATIENT readers... while you have been anxiously awaiting the next "from jessie (insert witty nickname/tagline here)... with love" post, Scott and I have been BUSILY establishing our new place together! Over the past week we have packed, moved (in the rain), unpacked, shopped, and all while balancing our normal schedules. HORRAY for being done! And although we are still attempting to rid the apartment of the "new paint smell" in an effort to make it feel like home, I remind myself home is where the heart is! 

So posts shall resume as of... NOW! All kinds of fun material (I hope) is on it's way, so check back in TOMORROW, and the NEXT DAY, and the NEXT for continued goodness from the mind of jessie (mwuah-ha-ha)!

from jessie (BACK on BLOG!)... with love

moving meltdown

I'm finding time to post today to give a friendly update to all dedicated readers: Scott and I are moving down the road from our current "really nice pool" apartment to a new more "wallet friendly" apartment. I have high hopes for our new space as it will actually be the first place we've ever ESTABLISHED together (Scott moved in with me when we first got married). I'm hoping that not only will this make it feel more like "our" place, but that it will present new opportunities for my furniture arranging abilities!

I'm honestly feeling a bit crazy about the move because we've been living with boxes for what feels like MONTHS (read 3 weeks) and I'm ready for them to be gone!!! I want our house back in working and living order!

If I'm unable to get to an internet connection, you might not hear from me until Monday when our internet gets installed at the new place. Please wish us luck and pray for us as we move TOO many boxes and what feels like a looming amount of large furniture! Lesson learned from the moving/packing process: even after purging...we have ALOT of stuff!

from jessie (packing it all in)... with love 

AC adventures

If you are my "facebook friend" you already know that Scott and I had quite a night last night... here's the short and long of it:

The AC in our apartment has been an ONGOING problem. It makes the weirdest of sounds on and off, and for the past 6-9 months Scott has consistently called in the complaint to the office. Everyone once in awhile it would cut out, only to come back on again when the repair men finally came by. They replaced our circuit breaker and control panel, but never really looked at the main problem (I feel like Rob did a post about this exact topic... hm). So, sometime yesterday, the AC finally gave up it's life. Scott called the office and was told that maintenance would be on it soon. 

When maintenance finally came by, Scott had left to go try out his new drum set in a secure, noise friendly location (his parents vacant house in Hampton) leaving me to manage the problem (uhoh!). The VERY NICE head maintenance guy confirmed what we knew, and declared the compressor the problem. He reassured me they'd be by FIRST THING in the morning to replace the entire unit. I figured we'd tough it out, because frankly, I'd delt with it being out all day and figured one night of sleeping with no AC wouldn't kill me; Scott came home around 10:30 and had a different opinion...

My husband was DRENCHED with sweat and quite moody because hot, sweaty scott= grumpy scott (and to be fair, I hadn't been in the best of moods either). I really should have known this would be the scenario because living in our apt is like living in an ice box, and asking him to sleep in a warming oven for the night was OUT OF THE QUESTION! In the "heat" of the moment (HA!) we tried to come up with a plan. Scott called maintenance once again asking for a window unit, I tried to think of friends that had spare room that wouldn't mind being bugged at 10:30 at night, and I protested the idea of spending money to stay in a hotel...

So we stayed in a hotel. Best Western of Newport News to be exact. It all turned out to be quite nice; we were checked in by a very concerned concierge and slept in a king size bed... did I mention we got to eat WAFFLES for breakfast?! 

So now, I am back in my apartment, AC has been fixed, and I am awaiting complete cool down once again. Welcome back to the ice box!

from jessie (warm up and cool down)... with love

Special thanks to Monica (not a stalker) and Rob as well as Kim G., and even Megan, for offering their respective pads to us! We'll remember you next time around (which hopefully will NOT happen any time soon)! Love being blessed with such caring people in our lives! 

business choices

Let me start by thanking EVERYONE who left a comment or voted in the poll to help me choose my business cards. I really do enjoy getting others' input and opinions, because they "buff and refine" my own opinion ultimately allowing me to make choices (which, as stated earlier, can be VERY tough). 

I ended up choosing card no. 1 ,but tweaked it minority; after reading a few comments, decided I needed the store name and my own name to pop... so I made them blue. It was a toss up between no.1 and no.3, but I chose no.1 because I thought the colors and the "feel", if you will, represented the store and my crafts best.

With the help of my parents, these lovely labels were also designed and purchased. I'll be using them to mark the bags I package headbands in as well as the "tags" I hang on larger items!

Special, special thanks to MOM and MEGAN for helping make the business cards and labels happen! And please know that all of you who have already ordered from jessiemint WILL be getting some of my business cards in the mail to share with your friends when they inevitably compliment you on your fabulous accessories! HA! 

from jessie (taking care of business)... with love 

shiny happy people

While Scott and I were driving in the car the other day he remarked to me, "You know I was thinking, we don't have a lot of happy people in our lives right now." To which I responded, "That's silly, we have lots of happy people around us like..." at which point I had to pause and reflect, who ARE these people "in our lives" and how happy are they currently? I took a moment to ponder the answer to both these inquires.  

When it came down to it, I did have a difficult time naming the people in our lives who were happy. This is not to say that Scott and I surround ourselves with drab, moppy (sp?), woe-is-me type induviduals; on the contrary, I like to think we surround ourselves with a well rounded assortment of wonderful induviduals. It just so happens, that at this current moment in time, those induviduals are not experiencing/exuding much happiness... let alone joy (the lasting type of happiness that comes as a gift from God).  

All this to say that we made a point at that moment to stop and THANK the individuals who have shone their "happy light" (if you will) into our lives. Yes we freaked Katie out with our text (she thought scott was depressed) and I didn't alert Bethany P.right away (because I wanted to call her out for the wonderful person she is on the world wide web-o-sphere), or Kim T for that matter (cupcakes!), but I am making it a point to let them know how much their "light" has brightened my current world. 

Take a moment today and thank those individuals who are shining their "happy beams" into your life! And perhaps reflect on how YOU can be that person for someone else!

from jessie (shine a light and let the whole world see)... with love