pros and cons

okay robshep and other devoted followers... i know i've been a MAJOR slacker on my blogging responsibilities here lately, but i've been HEAVILY weighing the idea of wether or not I want to continue this little self-indulgent venture of mine. Here's the way I see it:

PROS:

• i REALLY enjoy sharing my ideas on home/craft projects
• sharing a successful (and scrumptious) recipe makes my efforts feel like even more of a success
• the site is a mini-record of random thoughts that i can later refer back to quite quickly 
• i can promote my small home business (((with love... from jessiemint))) 
• i was inspired to do new things after following one friends blog and i think it would be cool to do the same for someone else
• it's yet another outlet to vent feelings and share life stories
• others seem to enjoy when i do post 
• it's a scrapbook of my life 

CONS:

• running a good blog (that's worth following) is time consuming
• i don't always have fun/blog-worthy ideas to share (my life is just sometimes... normal)
• i'm so busy living my life at the moment i can't always find time to get on and type up what's going on
• i love having pictures with my blog posts and that takes too much effort sometimes
• my current students have found me on the world-wide-web and i'm not sure how much of my personal life i want them to know about (sorry if you're reading this students)
• sometimes it feels like a duty and not a recreation
• facebook allows me to post some of my "bloggy" things with less effort

Weighing the pros and cons of this blog haven't swayed me one way or the other on what to do, but they have given me somethings to think over. I admire all the blogs I follow that post regularly (how do you manage to do it?!). Here's to thinking it over!

from jessie (slacking slightly)... with love 

p.s. feel FREE to weigh in on this subject in the "comments" section. I always enjoy checking in and seeing what others have to say!

is enough really enough

I know this is bad... but I haven't gone shopping in awhile and I started swooning for new things. I have not yet had the opportunity to indulge this want (because I can affirm that it's NOT a NEED), but it did get me thinking: there are some things that I can never buy enough of. I feel this way simply because I love these items and they bring a spark of "fun" to my life. Here's a short list I thought of...

• scarves (so many cool colors and patterns to be had!)
• coffee mugs (ESPECIALLY Starbucks ones) 
• nailpolish
• ETSY goods (which spans into several things on this list) 
• flats (just ask my husband)
• sandals (this includes flipflops)
• flowers... fresh ones
• fresh fruit
• lounge pants
• bags and purses (thanks ThirtyOne)
• good books
• eye shadow
• fabric (a person affliction)
• earrings and necklaces
• candles

more than that, and I just seem greedy. But these are things you will always see me buying with little regret! A girl can dream.

from jessie (a few of my favorite things)...with love

garden full of cupcakes

Check out these "garden" cupcakes I recently made for my mommy's birthday::

  

  

My inspiration (and complete direction) came from the book Hello Cupcake. I received it two Christmases ago but this is the first time I've made a set of cupcakes from it. The book couldn't be any cuter or the directions easier to execute. You don't have to be an expert at piping icing because many of the "objects" are made from candies: tootsie rolls, skittles, corn flakes. They were more time consuming than I had anticipated, but soooo worth it. I think I'll try the sunflowers with ladybugs next (perhaps for mother's day). 

from jessie (crazy for cupcakes)... with love 

rug renovation

Since moving into the new apartment, our feet have REALLY missed the carpeting in the old apartment. Our feet just don't like the "fake-wood-laminate" floor feel. Thankfully, our tax returns this year provided us the opportunity to purchase an area rug for the living room space. I searched online and found a few really fantastic options at Target. We had settled ourselves on this one or this one, but the mixed reviews from previous buyers really had me hesitating despite the fact that I LOVED the design (especially of the second one). 

THANK GOODNESS for hesitation! During an impromptu trip to Lowes this past Sunday, I passively suggested we check out their rug selection. It took all of two seconds to spot the rug I had pictured in my mind, check the price (RIGHT in our range), and haul it over my shoulder (who needs a cart?!) to the front. (side note: Scott said he'd carry it for me about 5 times, probably more, but I was just TOO DARN EXCITED to let it out of my hands)

So here's the empty, "non-foot-friendly" living area before ::

(pardon the "post-party, pre-spring-cleaning" mess) 

and the complete, "soooo-foot-cozy" living area after::

from jessie (snug on my rug)... with love 

happy hubby...

...cause it's his BIRTHDAY! We're entering the final year of his 20's... next year is the big 3-Oh!

I'm making him pancakes early for breakfast and we're celebrating tonight with a few close friends over Thai Food and games! He deserves more... but I'll do my best with the above listed activities to make him feel LOVED. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

SCOTT

(aka birthday-boy)

from jessie (party planning)... with love 

mr. postman:: PART I

If you ask me, one of the BEST things in life is getting snail mail! With the exception of bills and junk mail (and the like) there is little more exciting than receiving MAIL that's been personalized to you! 

For this reason I LOVE ordering online (especially from ETSY). I look forward to the day my package arrives and I get to rip it open and retrieve the goods inside. 

An order I recently placed with Orglamix (an organic-makeup Etsy shop) came packaged so prettily... I just have to share! 

What's not to love! The package was FUN and the makeup is so pretty! 

Make someone feel special and send them some snail mail today! 

from jessie (send it snail)... with love 

surprisingly crafty

I do shock myself sometimes with the crafty inspiration that pops in my head... 

I have a few large plastic bead necklaces that have been hibernating in my top drawer since we moved into the new apartment. Out of sight meant out of mind and I hadn't worn them in awhile. When getting ready for my friend Bethany's ThirtyOne party last Friday, I remembered the necklaces in my drawer and went to try them on. The blue one worked with my outfit but was too long... "if only it was shorter," I said to myself. 

Hence the bracelet and necklace you see in the picture before you! A few snips of the scissors and a slide or two of unused beads onto a new string and...VOILA! Two pieces of jewelry from one! 

from jessie (getting crafty)... with love 

ewok

He looks just like a little ewok! SO CUTE! Found him while browsing on etsy the other day...

I don't know if I'm for or against "animals-in-clothes"... but can I have one of him pretty please?! 

from jessie (puppy please?!)... with love

lemonade love...

Just about any combination of "berry" and "lemonade" is a hit in my book! Thankfully, one day I googled the term "raspberry lemonade" (cause I have nothing better to do?) and came across this site here. 

I made this YUMMY treat in cupcake form for my recent ThirtyOne Bags party and they were a hit! They'd be PERFECT for your next spring/summer get together and don't require much more work than your standard cupcake or cake. Seriously... give it a try! 

from jessie (so berry sweet and sour)... with love 

PUKE!

Sorry for the week long hiatus! I had a BUSY weekend followed by a BUSY start to my work week... 

FRIDAY - Thirty-One Party with Lindsey Brooks and Fabulous Friends (I can't say enough about these products people!)

SATURDAY- all day "hang-out-extravaganza" with some best friends: Katie, Krystal, and Joy

SUNDAY - went to church, reorganized the house, crafts, sleep!

MONDAY - Field Trip to Jamestown (more on this to come) AND Awards/Brag Night at School

TUESDAY - community group and SO MUCH FUN with apples to apples

...see! I was genuinely busy! 

As for the MONDAY field trip... PUKE! That's right, puke! As we're merrily driving along the road to Jamestown huddled close together in a bus, on of my LOVELY students let it all out. The stench hit me first, then the announcement that "HE THREW UP". So yours truly spent the trip to Jamestown carefully redirecting students (on a moving bus) away from the "impact-zone" and the traveling vomit that sloshed slowly down the isle. I had to employ "mommy skills" and clean up the damage so no one ELSE would loose their breakfast. THANK YOU HAND SANITIZER AND LYSOL SPRAY! That is a trip I won't soon forget. 

from jessie (GOODNESS!)... with love 

chicken marsala

Scott is on a "mushroom" kick here lately... my hubby wants dinner that has ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to do with mushrooms; and as his loving wife (and a fan of mushrooms myself), I'm more than happy to comply. The other night our "mushroom adventure" presented itself in a little dish I like to call Chicken Marsala! 

A few christmases back I asked for (and received) a book called The Modern Girls Guide To Life. This book has not made me more modern and has not guided my life, but it HAS presented me with some fun tidbits that I keep stashed away to use when handy. This book is where I found a quick, simple, base recipe for Chicken Marsala. With a few basic ingredients (namely chicken, mushrooms, marsala wine, and pasta) I was able to create a quick and fairly hassle-free dinner FULL of mushroomy delight!

I won't share the recipe on here because I feel it would be some sort of copy-right infringement to post it, but I will happily share it with friends "casually" if requested. 

Final verdict... needed a little more "pizzaz" factor but yumm-yum-yummy none the less! 

from jessie (eater of fungi)... with love 

fresh produce

Are eggs produce? Either way, they are lovely!

  

While visiting with my parents this past weekend my aunt, who lives close by, graced me with the gift of eggs... fresh from her chickens! These eggs are so lovely and I had to take a picture of them... so earthy, organic, and beautiful in their imperfection! The camera (at least mine) does not do them justice! 

from jessie (sunny side up)... with love 

Valentine's Sweetness

Just a quick share of the cupcakes I baked and decorated to give my kiddos at school and the FESTIVE, GIANT sugar cookies I made for Scooter and my family. The "heart shaped cupcake foil sculpture" was re-gifted to me by a student on Friday with a hearty "look what I did... Happy Valentine's Day Mrs.Minter!"

  
  

HAPPY OFFICIAL DAY OF LOVE 

**and a special xoxo to my FABULOUS husband SCOTT**

from jessie (sweet sweet valentine)... with love 

quotable

thoughts on good friends (taken from a talk by Robshep and Stu):

"Those friends who always say 'yes' to you shake their heads when you leave the room. A good friend will sharpen you with yeses and nos." 

from jessie (words to live by)... with love 

You Don't Know Jack

When Windows 98 was the "next best thing", my father bought a computer game for the family that would revolutionize our get-togethers for the next several years. That game: YOU DON'T KNOW JACK. We'd gather around the computer and pit our wits against each other for the ultimate "know it all" bragging rights! 

During a recent CG hang out night here at the Minter's pad, the memory of that fantastic game came to mind. Longing for the fun times and hilarious banter of the game, I hopefully googled it and found YOU DON'T KNOW JACK ONLINE... yesssssss! We had so much fun playing this shortened online version of the game. And though the site has not been updated since 2008, and the cd-rom game hasn't been reformatted for more recent operating systems, it's so worth a try. Trust me, you won't regret it!

from jessie (i know JACK)... with love 

Jem

You remember the cartoon Jem from the 80's (early 90's?)? This blog post is not about her (even though she is in the running for my 2010 halloween costume line-up).

No, this post is about the real life songstress Jem. I came across her website when googling the afore mentioned Jem; and how happy I was to have stumbled upon her! A few moments of listening solidified in my mind that her CD was a must have (and it takes some serious liking or me to purchase an entire album from someone). One reviewer deemed her music "folktronica"... and even though that term seems to have nasty connotations (electonica, really?!), if it describes her music.... label me a folktronica fan!!! Check out Jem's Site and take a listen for yourself. 

from jessie (jammin to Jem)... with love 

believe in the children

Through happy coincidence (and a bit of blog surfing), I came across one of the most precious, and enjoyable YouTube videos I've seen in awhile. Something about seeing this music teacher reach out to what these kids RESPOND TO and help them grow with it is super inspiring! ENJOY!

Awesome song... but I'm a bit partial to the Viva La Vida video myself. So many more to enjoy if you just visit the YouTube page of this PS22 music teacher. 

from jessie (chime on children)... with love 

just around the corner...

Valentine's Day is JUST around the corner. I was trying to think of a little something to do for the people in my life that I love (and although Scott is at the TOP of my list, he doesn't encompass the whole thing) and found a few fun things on some of my favorite blogs and Etsy. One of the cutest DIY projects I found was this Love Coupon Pocket Book: 

You purchase the PDF for 4.00, print, and put together yourself (with a few personal touches of course). I love the examples the ETSY seller gave of "a red box movie night" and "milkshake for two". Two ideas of my own: two movie tickets or a destination picture of a short day trip. So many ideas to be had! 

from jessie (in LOVE with DIY)... with love 

Snow Cream

I remember the miraculous winter where we got a 3 inches of snow in South Carolina and my mom rushed to put a bowl outside to catch the falling snow. She added milk, sugar, and vanilla and we ended up with this liquidy, slushy, sweet, magical mixture she called snow cream. This snow day treat (shared with her by her dad) soon marked all snow days to follow in my family.

So of COURSE when it snowed yesterday, snow cream was one of the first things that came to Scott and my minds! Thanks to my friend Bethany, I was led towards a Paula Dean recipe for snow cream (an ice-creamier version of the slushy like snow cream I was used to as a child). Her recipe calls for condensed sweetened milk... unfortunately I had none. So improvising I concocted the following which turned out yum, yum, yummy! 

SNOW CREAM

1/2 can of Evaporated Milk 

3-4 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 cups freshly fallen snow 

If you've never experienced snow cream, you owe it to yourself. It's more nostalgic than gourmet, but it's one of those things that makes snow days special. And if you have children... you kind of owe it to them to begin this snow day tradition!

from jessie (snow chef)... with love 

SNOW, SNOW, ICE, SNOW

Oh these past four days have been something else...

Prior to the snow's arrival (Thursday evening), I came down with the "sick" bug. This condition had me down for the count all Thursday evening through Friday night, subsided momentarily, and returned for a final go on Saturday afternoon. I share this only because, as much as I LOVE SNOW, the "sick" made it feel more isolating than usual when it arrived late Friday night. I feel I have officially experienced the onset of what northerners would deem "cabin fever"... and it ISN'T pretty folks.

Thankfully, late Saturday morning (while the bug was at bay), Scott talked me into taking a snow walk around our apartment complex to see what the weather had made of our lovely little town...

  

  

A rare site indeed. 

I've officially worn out the "relaxation" card these past four days and am ready to get back to being PRODUCTIVE (which doesn't necessarily mean school has to reopen anytime soon... wink wink).

from jessie (snow struck)... with love 

Crockpot

Out of all the things Scott and I included on our wedding registry about two years ago, a crock-pot failed to make this list. I realize this is a wedding gift staple but I just wasn't sure we had enough room to store one in our apartment. Well... in the months following the wedding I regretted not asking for one and thankfully my husband realized this and bought me one for Christmas (he listens so well!). 

I'm happy to announce that I've put it to work about 4 times since the holidays and discovered two very yummy recipes in the process. I will share them with you now!!!

• Spicy Black Bean Soup - This recipe is such as tasty treat! Especially delicious with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a dollop of daisy (sour cream that is!). I followed the suggestion to puree half the soup and mix it back in before eating. The consistency is much more authentic this way! 
• Chicken Taco Soup - also very tasty (or else I wouldn't be sharing it with you!). I followed more than one suggestion on here and added several spices, some tomatoes, and perhaps some more jalepenoes to the mix. In the end it was perfection! Adding a bit of rice and a dollop of sour cream (yes...again) before eating is a nice way to amp it up! 

Give them a try, tell me what you think, and feel free to guide me in the direction of some of your favorite crock-pot recipes. 

from jessie (cookin crock-pot cuisine)... with love 

Gah Bau Kham

If you know Hampton at all, I'm sure you'd agree that it is in NO SENSE a cultural mecca; in fact, I'd say that we lack quite a bit of diversified culture in our area. So when it comes to cuisine, there aren't many choices. This is unfortunate because Scott and I have been looking to expand our palate and introduce new foods into our diet. 

After our Thai Food adventure in Arlington, VA with my friend Krystal, we were on the look out for any hope of Thai food close to home... we found our answer at Gah Bau Kham- a modestly decorated gem of a restaurant tucked away in the Coliseum area of Hampton. We ventured there last night with our friends Dave, Kim, and Bryan in tow. I feel confident in reporting that all of us were quite pleased with our experience there. We tried two appetizers (fresh spring rolls and some fried wontons) and between the five of us tried Pad Thai, Curry, and Angel Hair Rice Noodles with Veggies (in varying degrees of hotness from two star hot to five star/thai hot). All of the food, and the service, was pleasant and refreshing! 

Thai food is delicious and it's not much of a stretch (ingredients wise) from what most of us are used to eating anyways. We (Scott and I) will be returning to this restaurant and searching for more  "rare cultural gems" here in our area to expand our mind and our tummies! 

from jessie (tasted thai)... with love

disclaimer: Scott commented that (and I quote)- Thai food is as hot coming out as it is going in ((ewwww)) ... so be careful and prepared in your choice of "heat" when eating Thai! 

Golden Birthday

Your Golden Birthday takes place when your age matches up with the date you were born on. For example, someone who was born on the 5th of **insert any month here** would have their Golden Birthday when they turned 5 years old. 

I had never heard of this birthday phenomenon until that WONDERFUL and BEAUTIFUL friend Katie of mine shared the concept with me. Her golden birthday has already past (22nd Birthday) but mine has not (29 on the 29th). I know this is still three years away (do the math) but since birthdays have been on my brain I couldn't help thinking of the fun things that I will do to make THAT year feel special: everyone wearing some form of gold attire seems like a good start!  

Golden Birthday's can take place any time before someone turns 32.... so when is your Golden Birthday? And please comment if you've ever heard of this concept before! 

from jessie (not quite a golden girl)... with love 

Little Sister

 My little sister turns 22 this year. 

Like many siblings, Jackie and I occupy two opposite ends of the personality spectrum: she's like dad and I'm like mom; she's daring and I'm laid back; she's athletic and I'm crafty; she's a city slicker and I like a slightly calmer pace; she loud and silly and I'm.... only kinda loud and slightly silly. So I guess we're not different in ALL aspects!

It's so crazy to watch your younger sibling grow up... but it's inevitable. Jackie... HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY! 

from jessie (big sis)... with love 

murder mystery party

Have you ever been involved in or hosted a Murder Mystery Party? I have not and am a little curious as to how one would "go down" in my group of friends. Spring is on its way which means A LOT of birthdays are soon to follow... including mine and Scott's! Last year, for my 25th Birthday, Scott organized and planned (along with my good friends Katie and Krystal) what I would deem my best birthday ever. So the question arose last night (as I thought towards the future), "What now? What would make for another memorable birthday?"

Amongst other ideas, the concept of a murder mystery party arose. There are A LOT of websites out there that sell the party planning kits, and I've played with the idea before, but I feel the success of this type of party rests on the friends you invite. 

Perhaps I'll give it a try this year (or in a year soon to come). What are your thoughts/takes on this party theme?

from jessie (investigating the perfect party theme)... with love 

double duty

Take a close look at these goodies...

What a lovely pair of holiday inspired bedroom slippers right? WRONG! Well, half way wrong. Friends, those are PADS that have been artfully sculpted and stuck together to make a cozy pair of house shoes. Not sure if they are wearable, but if you're in the market for a gag gift, this crafty venture has you covered!

from jessie (giggling)... with love 

Diclaimer: I did not create the craft you see to the right... I did a search for "maxi pad slippers" after my co-worker Liz shared that her aunt made all the ladies in the family a pair for Christmas. 

house envy

So my LOVELY, and BEAUTIFUL friend Katie and her now fiancee Jake just recently purchased their first house together. They moved in a little after Thanksgiving and I don't think either of them could be more excited (even going on two months now) with their newly acquired living situation! Katie especially was excited at the prospect of making this house THIERS... creating a BRIGHT, ATTRACTIVE, and INVITING home in which they could enjoy living day to day and entertaining friends in...

Well, this concept of hers stemmed from a website she found while house hunting  www.younghouselove.com . It truely is a wonderful site FULL of ideas on making the most of your space. Just look at one of the MANY changes that this Richmond based couple made to their first home...

  

I mean REALLY?! So lovely! Take a moment to visit the site, read their "blog" story, and browse though the countless pictures of their home renovations. I'm certain you'll come away inspired. 

from jessie (one of these days)... with love 

accountability

The awesome Rob approached me today and inquired, "Are you still blogging?" Well friends, yes I am and HERE I am. 

I apologize to those who have been checking in regularly for an update... I guess I've just been simultaneously busy and lazy. My goal is to post at least twice a week this year. Keeping the posts shorter I think will also aid me in feeling more "inspired" and less "weighed down" by my blogging! 

This being my first update in a LONG while, I'm sure you're wondering what's been going on. Well...

• Thanksgiving
• Christmas (with BOTH sides of the family)
• Got a Crockpot and have tried out SEVERAL new recipes 
• New Years (celebrated with the Poteats & Friends as well as the crew over at Katie & Jake's new place) 
• I've received and bought several things off ETSY (hope you used it for your Christmas purchasing needs too!)
• Enjoyed several vacations from school
• put my sewing machine to SERIOUS work
• rearranged the house a little bit... including the craft area 
• fell in love with my husband even more
• took a surprise trip up to DC (courtesy of Scott) to visit Krystal and the Nation's Capitol
• hung out with tons of awesome friends

... and so much more awesome stuff it's difficult to account for every single one! Here we go again!

from jessie (trying to stay dedicated)... with love