the 80's called... they want their fish back

Short update from Minnesota for all you staying tuned. Sunday was the BIG family reunion where we were all to wear our "hawaiian shirts" and celebrate Grandpa B's Birthday. Desipte the chill and wind outside, we pulled off a wonderful celebration for Grandpa and caught up with alot of family members that we hadn't seen in a LONG time!

Yesterday was a slow day of recovering from all the party hoopla on Sunday. We took time out in the evening to do some fishing on Swan Lake (one of the 10,000 or so lakes here in Minnesota). The weather over the past couple of days has taken a turn for the worst, and although my husband is MORE than happy with the cool fall-like temps, I'm seriously lacking my vitamin D intake (where did you go sun?!) and freezing my booty off on top of it! Our fearless Capt. Jeremy took mom, dad, jackie, scott, and I out on the pontoon boat and together we braved the choppy waters, rain, and wind in an attempt to catch some fish. After two hours or so, the only ones to come out lucky were mom (who caught two northern's) and jackie (who caught a rock bass at the last minute). Despite my flashy 80's garb, I was unsucessful at catching any fish. So sad, but today after lunch at Tuffy's, I will FISH ON and CONQUER!!!

Mommy with one of her TWO catches of the evening

from jessie (fishless)... with love

Minnesota Brain Dump

SOOOOOO many randomly fun things have happened since arriving in Minnesota, the only way I can think to share it all with you is through a brain dump (thanks Robshep.com for the idea).

• our flight out of Richmond was delayed because our putter plane (for a THREE HOUR TRIP mind you) was overweight. I immediatly felt guitly for packing the extra pair of shoes and jean skirt. note: my bag was only 27 lbs, way under the 40 lb limit.
• our 3 hr plane ride smelled like onions and B.O.(ewwwww) Not to mention the lady sitting beside me was a bit persnickity (boooo)
• our uncle ricky, aunt jody, grandpa b, and mrs. marion ALL were at the two terminal airport to greet us with hawaiian AND finlander leis. note: the finlander leis are really just mardi-gras beads
• Minnesota is beautiful (I've heard it's "God's Country"). I can be happy here with no ocean nearby because it is the land of 10,000 lakes. GO WATER!
• Everytime Scott see's a bald eagle he comments: that is so bad a**! (this MIGHT become a t-shirt later)
• Jackie (sis) caught this year's FIRST walleye off Uncle Vic's dock. This is a big deal and she deserves props.
• I have yet to catch a fish (updates WILL happen when I do!)
• "bars" are the minnesota equivalent of "cookies". They have been ABUNDANT and I HOPE my dentist doesn't hate me when I get home.

So that's the wrap up for now! Tommorrow and the days to follow will present even more fun "brain dump" material, so STAY TUNED!

from jessie (south to north)... with love

pictures will come, but might have to wait unitl I get home... we'll see

on a jet plane

As of today, Scott and I are officially in vacation mode! We are quickly preparing all of our belongings so we can board a plane in Richmond and arrive later tonight in HIBBING, MINNESOTA. From there we'll drive over to GRAND RAPIDS, where we'll be spending the majority of our vacation with my FABULOUS aunt, uncle, and cousins.  

Although this is not your typical vacation hot spot, I have high hopes of great adventure. Along with my parents and sister, Scott and I will be coming together with the greater part of my extended Northern Family to enjoy some long awaited reuniting. 

Blog posts will be sporadic to non-existent for this reason. Yes, they do have internet up north, but who knows how many opportunities I'll have to hop on the good ol' dial-up (it IS vacation). 

So wish me God speed! I'll be taking plenty of pictures, creating lots of memories, and experiencing fantastic stories all to be shared upon my return (including documentation of the infamous family portrait, note: hawaiian shirts). 

from jessie (fly girl)... with love 

fabulous at doing freaky

As of yesterday I've been hit with the knowledge that Tim Burton is currently making his version of Louis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. HECK YAH! I first heard the news briefly mentioned on a radio program, brought it up later that night to Scott and we searched for pictures online (with little avail). Lo and behold, today the wonderful Bethany posted a link on Facebook to the yahoo article found here which shared some of the fabulously freaky characters.

No one does fabulously freaky as well as Johnny Depp! I think that's the real reason Tim Burton uses him in so many films. This movie will be NO exception. Johnny (yes... we are on a first name basis) looks completely mad and strung out in the preview pic for the movie. I have complete faith that he will rock this role.

Seriously!? I have to say I was equally as excited to read and discover that Alan Rickman is playing the caterpillar. I'm a fan first and foremost because he plays the perfect Snape in the Harry Potter series, so any other weird role he plays on top of that is BONUS! Needless to say, I'm super excited that I have another movie to look forward to after Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince comes out on July 15! HOORAH!

from jessie (in blogland)... with love

what IS a hawaiian shirt anyways?

I don't know about your family, but in the Barta family (my dad's side) the phrase "family reunion" is synonymous with "group t-shirts". In years past, these t-shirts have been worn to display family namesake. 

Well yall, this year marks another family reunion for the Barta Clan, a big one in fact, thrown to bring long lost family together and to celebrate my grandfather's 80th year of life!!! Hence, shirts to mark the occasion were a must. Each section of the family (four to be exact, one for each Barta Brother) was to choose a shirt and a design to wear proudly in the big family photo and other reunion events. But our family is SO quirky that we couldn't JUST decorate a REGULAR t-shirt... our theme you ask??? Hawaiian Shirt.

All of that to tell you this... finding this hawaiian shirt has been one of the most ridiculous, frusterating, funny, unecessary events of my life. It all makes for a great, very LONGGGGGGG story (with lots of tangents), but it all came down to this... What makes a hawaiian shirt? I've found over the course of this that everyone in my immediate family has a different definition of what makes a hawaiian shirt. Here are the TOP THREE that have made the cut:

shirt no.1 :: What I think of when I hear "hawaiian shirt": collar, buttons, and tacky pattern

shirt no.2 :: a "hawaiian" tank, complete with tasteful tropical flower print (silly face not necessarily required)

shirt no.3 :: a t-shirt with hawaiian flower print

thoughts? input? opinions? unrelated ideas? all are welcomed in the comments section.

from jessie (aloha oy!)... with love

A Father's Day Acrostic

How do you say "thank you" and "i love you" to the man who helped make and raise you?! One way is with a gift, possibly a card; however I will choose to voice my admiration for my dad today in a Father's Day Acrostic.

F is for the Funny lines you used to add into books in the middle of bedtime stories, 

A is for the Air Force in which you served and protected your family (and nation),

T is for the Truck named "TinMan" in which you taught me to drive (and allowed me to borrow),

H is for Hatteras where you tried to bestow the love of fishing in me (I did get a nice tan),

E is for Ethics and morals that you've ingrained in me,

R is for Ryobi and the other power tools you taught me how to use!!!! (ARGH ARGH ARGH)

I heard a line once that anyone can be a father, but it takes a REAL MAN to be a Dad, and for that I give you this...

D is for the days of my life that you made possible, 

A is for all the times you've been there,

D is for the devotion you shown in being a REAL MAN 

Happy Father's Dad to my dad and all the dad's that have made a difference in my life (Daddy Minter, Grandpa B, Uncle Douglas, Grandpa Schuler). I would not be the woman I am today without the gifts each of you have bestowed upon me. 

from jessie (raisin' the roof for dad)... with love 

Getting Crafty

I'm taking a break from the scheduled "Etsy posts" to bring you a crafty update, straight from my living room/dining room (I'm not awesome enough to have a craft room yet).

One of my lovely friends, Agatha, has a birthday party coming up on Saturday. Birthday's defiantly call for gifts and hers in particular calls for something crafty and custom made. I took the opportunity to create the totable-towel I've had my eye on making for so long. It should go without saying that I'm REALLY pleased with the way it turned out. 

I was really hyped after finishing the totable-towel, so I put that extra energy towards making some headbands. I got the idea from a tutorial I ran across while searching various blogs. The headbands were SO easy ( a 4" x 20" piece of fabric and a hair tie) and I think they turned out super cute!

  

In all honesty, I was contemplating opening an Etsy shop when Scott and I return from vacation. Selling things like the totable-towel, maybe a few headbands, and some jewelry frames (these will show up in a later post). Thoughts?

from jessie (contemplating crafts)... with love

bird brain

Second installment of the Etsy "whi-tily titled" posts! Can you figure out how I came up with this title after looking at the goodies below?

              

remembrance necklace :: flannel wrens :: birdcage necklace

:: bird magnets :: bird and branch studs :: 

birdie clipboard :: my fair lady headband

from jessie (birds of a feather)... with love 

tell me about it stud

This week I'm dedicating a few posts in a row to Etsy finds (sorry for those of you that don't really enjoy this type of post). The thing is, I came up with really catchy titles and just had to locate handmade goodies to fit them (example no.1 above)! 

This post is all about stud earrings. Some simple, some funky, all wonderful! Take a peek. 

                

peach studs :: silver lotus :: little circles

:: mini hammered studs :: aqua seaglass :: alphabet initials ::

set of 3 mini dots :: angel kiss 

Stay tuned for more whit-ily named posts featuring Etsy goods. 

from jessie (studs mcgee)... with love

Monday Blues...

No fear friends! Monday can be a sad day for some, especially for those working the buisness world. As for me... IT'S MY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL (with the students) for the 08-09 SCHOOL YEAR!

YAAAAAHHHHOOOOOOO!

So I thought I would spread the joy of my day onto you (and help push away those monday blues) with the help of a little video titled " Orlando Magic's Air Scare ".

You're welcome. 

from jessie (almost free at last)... with love

FICTIONARY TERMS

Haven't done one of these in awhile, figured I'm overdue. 

fourthies- (noun) derived from the term "homies" which is used to describe close friends in an urban setting; this derivation of the term describes coworkers on a "fourth grade" team at a school (related terms: firsties, thirdies, fifthies, etc.) 

fantastic-rastic - (verb) yet another word to describe something so fantastic  that the single word fantastic is just not enough

The afore mentioned word was a staple on our home answering machine (what was my mother THINKING letting me record that message?! hehehe). Old people and business coworkers of my parents used to get so confused at the phrase: Have a FANTASTIC-RASTIC DAY!

from jessie (word worm)... with love 

getting crafty

What better to do on a Thursday night but a quick and fun craft project?! Seriously, so much fun. 

I've been brainstorming some crafty gifts to make for my teammates (i.e. the three other 4th grade teachers at my school) to let them know that "hey... I really enjoyed working with you this year"; Nothing crazy or elaborate to make them feel bad for not getting me something, just a SMALL token of my fondness. Decoupaged clipboards, flower pen bouquets, and handmade lanyards all made my list, but the item that made the cut was customized/personalized magnets. These are honestly one of the simplest (most inexpensive) and COOLEST things to make for someone. Anyone can make them with some magazines, clear glass "gems" from the dollar tree, glue, and magnets. 

Each of my fourthies (fictionary term) will be receiving a set of 6 magnets in their favorite color theme inside a custom decorated box (of the same color). OOOOOOH I can't wait! I love making crafts and enjoy giving them away even more.

If you want details or updates, let me know.

from jessie (magnetic personality)... with love 

4 Degrees of Separation

I was with a group of friends last night when one addressed me as Jessica... and everyone paused. It was commented that it's so weird to think of me as Jessica because most people know me as Jessie. For a long time I've contemplated my four names and have come to realize that whichever you choose to address me by demonstrates my level of closeness with you. Which are you?

Level 1 :: Mrs. Minter

The people who call me this either don't know me well at all (I'm not that formal) or consider themselves my students. 

Level 2 :: Jessica

These individuals know me well enough to address me by my first name (or read it off a document or name tag) and that's about it. This name is also reserved to most coworkers, because although they "know" me, it's a business relationship. Although a lovely lovely name (especially when spelled out on paper) ,too formal for my "everyday" wear. 

Level 3 :: Jessie

The majority of people I know address me with this name (more than likely because if I've talked to you more than once and I like you, I've told you to call me Jessie). It's familiar, warm, and says "hey, we're friends now". Simple as that. 

Level 4 :: Jess

This group is for a reserve group of people: immediate family and best friends. Jessie is always okay with me, but calling me Jess indicates a high level of familiarity with who I am. 

I love ALL the derivations of my name, and if you're in level 2 or 3, know that you are very special to me! 

Does this rule apply to you as well? 

from jessie (or jess... or jessica... or mrs. minter)... with love 

That's that Zack Morris

Jake M. rocks because at Community Group last night he shared tales of his recent viewing experience featuring the one and only Mark-Paul Gosselaar on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. I for one do not stay up late enough to watch this let alone include it in my regular viewing rotation. However, I saught it out on Hulu (per Jake's suggestion) and was presented with the adult Mark-Paul Gosselaar decked out, blond hair and all, as ZACK MORRIS!

Enjoy fellow fans... (this is good stuff) 

from jessie ("It's alright cause I'm...")... with love 

MIA

Sorry no "real" post today. The school year is coming to a close (YEEEEHAAWWWWW!) and although I'd like to claim that I'm super busy... I'm really not. It's more of a sloowwww waiting stress that is associated with these last couple day's and I'm just getting LAZY! Hence, no posting.

If I get a free moment later while my students are at resource I'll post (from school....shhhhh). Until then, answer this question for me: What was the coolest thing you did to end your school year when you were still in school? 

from jessie (sitting in wait)... with love

STRAWBERRY JAM

In the past year I have connected with some of the most wonderful people in the world! One of those lovely individuals is Bethany. Not only is she a devoted follower of my blog (thanks girl!), she is an extremely generous and loving individual. Even though we've only talked in person a grand total of four times, we've been leaving comments all over cyberspace to one another (aka Facebook and my blog)... and sometimes you just KNOW a person's character. 

The WONDERFUL Bethany sought me out at our Church Grand Opening Celebration today and imparted upon me one of the most lovely, unexpected gifts possible: Homemade Strawberry Jam. OHHHHHH! From a woman who "loves life" and all things "yummy", this jam was not only the sweetest gesture of kindness but the tastiest homemade creation I've had in a long time. Needless to say, the jam won't last long the but the thoughtful gesture of a new friend will. 

The little things in life mean SOOOO much. Thanks Bethany and girls for thinking of me!

from jessie (jammy jam)... with love 

TIN MAN

A special man celebrated his special day yesterday, and that man was my DADDY! In honor of his birthday I would like to celebrate some of the many things that make him special:

• His affinity for peas and cream of chicken soup! When mom was away he used to put peas in our mac and cheese along with hot dogs. The cream of chicken came in handy when he invented the infamous "gut filler noodles", which ALSO included peas. 
  
• He is an EXTREMELY talented craftsman. I think he burnt himself out on using this skill a few years ago, but he's a great teacher whenever you need guidance on a project. We made the coffee table that sits in my apartment together.
• He has the BEST taste in B-Rated movies! God Bless him and mom for keeping some bad zombie actress in business all these years. 
• Coors Light... aka the silver bullet
• His strong, quiet love. Dad doesn't say much, but when times get tough, he's always there to let you know how much you are loved!
• His humor. It's unique and indescribable, but I think it has something to do with his origins in the Barta family and his association with the Schuler clan. For example, every day is opposites day. "Word up" becomes "syllable down" and "Yo Dog" becomes "Hey Cat" (or something like that). 
• we also share a favorite color... green! 

My daddy is a special man and I wish him many years of happiness!!! He sure knows how to make me smile. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

I LOVE YOU!

from jessie (celebrating you daddy-o)... with love

Pippi Longstocking

Now this name might be familiar, but does anyone remember the late 1980's movie rendition of this lovely fictional character's tale? 

I watched an episode of Gilmore Girls a few months back and Rorry (sp?) and Lauralie (again...sp?) were watching the old school black and white version of this movie and it got my memories flowing ::flashback:: 2nd grade me sitting in the spare room above the garage watching disney daytime and the song begins... 

Pippi Longstocking, coming into your world. 

A freckled faced red head girl you ought to know

the one who's fun to be around!

Or something like that. Looking back it was horribly acted, yet wildly entertaining. I share all of this because I just purchased it off Amazon (for $7.00 NEW) to entertain my students with during these last days of school (CHEER!). I haven't watched it since I was a child, and I'm hopping it's as horribly-good as I remember.

from jessie (no stockings)... with love

Favorite Things

I love fresh flowers. Something about having that little piece of outside displayed inside makes me feel more connected with nature. They make the setting feel fresh and cared for. 

I share this simply because a vase of fresh flowers is one of my favorite things. I've come to adore peonies. They are difficult to find, and don't last as long as other flowers, but look so full and sassy when displayed. Spider mums give the same full effect but with a funky feel. Ever feel like doing a little something special to liven up your home setting... bring in the flowers. AHHHHHH

from jessie (flower girl)... with love 

Simple Pleasures

Blogger's Log, Earth Date 5-31-09, Sunday:

After a wonderful morning at WEC's new home, Scott and I spent the rest of the day enjoying a little bit of time with family and a lot of time with one another. 

We went shopping at Khols and each got an item of clothing (hooray gift card!). I got a beach cover up and Scooter got a shirt. Afterwards, we realized we needed some fresh veggies, and upon discovering Dean and Dons was closed on Sundays, we payed a visit to Game's Farmers Market on Hampton Roads Center Pkwy. Although I prefer Dean and Don's open air market set-up, Game's offered Scott and I each a rare Southern treat: RC Cola and Sun Drop. 

Time with my husband and rare soda finds... such meaningful, simple pleasures. 

from jessie (quite pleased)... with love 

smokin joe's barbeque

Blogger's Log, Earth Date 5-30-09, Saturday:

In the time I've spent here on Virginia's fine penninsula, I've had the pleasure of sampling some of the yummiest barbeque the south has to offer. The countdown to the best barbeque on the penninsula (so far) goes as follows:

4:: County Grill, Yorktown, VA

3:: Pierce's Barbeque, Williamsburg, VA 

2:: Smokin' Joe's Barbeque, Yorktown, VA

1:: Mr. Robbie's Homemade, overnight, in the pit, cooked Barbeque (not for sale, family friend)

I had the pleasure of eating at my SECOND FAVORITE barbeque place this weekend. OHHHHHHH, it was SOOOO yummy. Not only was the food SUPER TASTY, but the restaurant itself was just what you'd expect from a local spot: cozy, personalized, and homey. Our waitress Logan was too kind (and put up with a lot of sarcasm and playful joking from Scott) as was her counterpart Sarah. We bought them each a giant cookie at the end of the night because they were too good not to share (6" diameter white chocolate macadamia nut, right-out-of-the-oven-warm goodness). 

The cherry on top was that Kim joined Scott and I for our porky indulgence.

from jessie (oink, oink,... GONE)... with love 

game night

Blogger's Log, Earth Date 5-29-09, Friday:

Scott and I are BLESSED to have AMAZING friends. We're by no means popular, but the friends we do have mean A LOT to us both. 

We hung out with Jess and Danny tonight. I know these two because of Scott (honestly... this is how I meet a lot of people) and through a handful of get-togethers have come to really enjoy their company. Not only did we manage to eat two dozen cookies and some Cheese-its, but we played two fantastically fun games: 

  

Here are some things I learned from the latter: 

• sugar is the best cure for bed sores
• there are A LOT of emergency situations that involve/take place on lifeboats
• continuously wrinkling your face will help prevent frost bite (on your face that is)
  
• grizzly bears and polar bears react differently to people
• there are a lot of diseases out there that I've NEVER heard of yet need to know how to diagnose
• if someone is attacking you, kick them in the side of their thigh
• females are better at handling/treating emergency situations (Jess and I won)

Friends and games... could I ASK for a better Friday night? 

from jessie (survivor woman)... with love