Where I have been this week and Products that Make my Life easier when I don't feel Good!

Hello, Hello!!!

Happy Friday!

I feel so bad, but another week has gone by, and my lofty goals of blogging everyday (I have some good posts started!) fell through when Monday came.

I didn't feel well all weekend, same things I have been in the hospital for previously but Monday at work was the worst I have been and I was in tears with Meridyth and my Mom asking if I should go to the hospital.

I didn't...we were able to put another plan in place that I have been working on all week.  I am happy to report that I seem to slowly be getting myself better and I am happy to say that I went to work Every Single Day!

So, I am hoping to post tonight an Artist showcase Friday tongiht but for this morning I wanted to highlight some products that I find myself loving this week that help me make my life easier/better, especially when I am not feeling well.

(reminder:  this is not a paid post, these are just things that I think are great!)

1.  Suave Dry Shampoo

What I love about this product is that it is inexpensive $2-$3 and I can use it on the mornings when I don't feel like showering but my hair looks horrible.  I spray it on, it takes the oil out of my hair and then I reblowdry my hair and it looks better!

2.  My K Cup

 

This product is a little more expensive.  We found it for $18 at Walmart.  Since I have been missing work our coffee/Keurig obsession has gotten a little too expensive for our budget.  I didn't not realize that they sold something that you could buy regular coffee and still use your single cup Keurig!  Expensive k-cup problem solved!

3.  Slushy Magic

This is quite possibly my favorite new thing, EVER!  I am always nauseous and therefore always craving Slurpee's from 711 and fountain sodas.  Meridyth brought this home and though I was skeptical at first it has been the best $15 she has spent.  I have used it everyday this week with diet gingerale.  Honestly it's awesome!  She bought it at Walmart.

Here is another Product for your Hair that I Love.
4.  Aussie Three Minute Miracle

 

This product is only $3-$4, I usually buy it at Walmart, and it is like going to the salon for a deep conditioning treatment.  My hair is always more manageable and it always makes me feel better.  Plus it smells really good!

The last thing is not a product but a website I have been using that I thought deserved credit.

I have been doing phase 1 of the South Beach diet since New Years with some breaks from being sick and having a colonoscopy inbetween!  A great website I have been using is Kalyn's Kitchen.

In 2008 her site had a round up of recipes for all different phases of the South Beach diet.  Thank goodness for the internet the recipes and the wonderful pictures are all still there!  Here is a link to the older recipes.

That's it for now.

I'm am so late!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Lovely Sunday Photography

Photograph from Little Bits of Lovely Blog

Happy Rainy Sunday (at least in Maryland).

I went downstairs this morning and looked at the disaster that is my studio table.  Instead of cleaning or even attempting to organize I decided to find a picture of what I wish my studio room/table could look like.  Isn't it dreamy?

Lots of Love,

Jess

Artist Showcase Friday: Stephanie Dotson

Happy Happy Friday!  I do not think I could say TGIF enough this week!  I cannot wait for 5:00 pm to show up on my phone today so I can grab my stuff and run (and I mean run with my head down like a linebacker making his way for the winning touchdown) for the door and to freedom!

Today I would like to showcase an amazing artist who is currently working in Indiana and specializes in printmaking.

I personally find her work intricate and delicate but surrounded in an explosion of interesting details and colors.  I introduce to you:  Stephanie Dotson.

Drug Rug, Silkscreen

Fountain (detail) 2011, encaustic and resin on wood

Untitled

Drift-A-Weight, Installation from VoxPopuli Gallery, Philadelphia PA

Plane Shift, intaglio collage

I love her work!  Check out her website and her blog if you want to see more.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Lots of Love,

Jess

No pictures in this post....It's been a hard week.

Hello All!

How is everyone doing this week?

This week has been a rough one for me and to be truthful I am having a hard time.

Having this blog I always wonder how to handle these rough weeks.  Should I completely pretend they are not happening and continue posting about happiness and all the beautiful things that I love or should I address the suckiness that is life sometimes?

Truthfully, I set up the blog in the first place to get away from the realness of the world and to enjoy that I could have a place to escape and enjoy the beauty and the amazing things that are out there everywhere you look.

Yet, how I am as a person, how I have always been, is that when I am feeling very real emotions and going through things I can't ignore them.  I was a sensitive child and I grew up into a sensitive adult that has been able to channel those feelings into being an artist.

Therefore, I am usually silent on the blog when I am having a bad week because I can't force myself to post about a great dish that I made or a beautiful dress that I found because when I don't feel happy I don't usually want to post about happy things.

I constantly look at others blogs.  Lots of wedding blogs.  Style me Pretty, Green Weddings Shoes, Snippet and Ink, Rock and Roll Bride...I know the people that run these blogs can't be happy all the time but all of the posts week after week drip with gorgeousness and glam and prettiness and goodness.

I think maybe I am a little jealous that I can't bring myself to feel that happiness all the time.  Or the jealous feeling stems from the fact that I can't force myself to hit the post button and publish a happy post when I am not happy.

This post wraps into my New Years resolutions which is trying to figure out where I want this blog to go.  How truthful do I want it to be?  Do I want to show more of myself?  Do I only want happy posts with beautiful pictures and gorgeous products or should I talk about real issues in between the clouds of happiness?

So much to thing about don't you think? 

Lots of Love,

Jess

Lovely Sunday Photograph

Photograph by Gesi Schilling Photography

Artist Showcase Friday (Just a Little Late!)

Happy Friday Everyone!

I have decided to resurrect Artist Showcase Friday and I hope you are excited!

What gave me the push to do this is my best friend Stephanie.  She is in an MFA program in Boston and she recently sent me a long list of artists that she needed to pick from so she could have a mentor for her program for this coming semester.

As I began to look through the list of artists I became amazed by all of the amazing work that so many of them were making.  I was also amazed by the variety and extremes of the work.

Looking at the artists reminded me why I wanted to do the artist showcase in the first place.  It was really because there are so many artist out there and even if just a few people come across my blog and find them interesting or inspiring I think it's worth it.

For this Friday I came across Hannah Cole.

She is a painter and I am in love with some of her series of work.

I am going to highlight in on a particular series called love and demons which can also be found on her website along with many of her other works.

There is something about the detail in her work, and the reflections that she uses.  These paintings happen to be large in scale.  I could just stare at them for hours.  She also has a blog where she shows new things she is working on.  I think they are amazing.

Lots of Love,

Jess

South Beath Diet Phase I , Cooking New Recipes, and Getting Motivated

Hello Everyone!

I am so excited that it is almost the weekend that I can almost taste sleeping late and drinking my coffee in bed!

A post or two a go I was talking about New Years Resolutions.  One of mine was to try and lose weight to help my health and just to plain feel better.  To start this off my wonderful Mother-in-Law bought me two books with recipes for the South Beach Diet.  I read them after Christmas and Mer and I decided that the diet would start January 2, 2013.

The South Beach diet has three phases and right now I am in phase I which is all about getting your sugars under control.  During phase one, for 14 days, you have to cut out carbohydrates completely and also most fruits, plus processed foods.  You can however eat many veggies including cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, and more.  You can also eat most meats, low fat cheeses, eggs, and many other foods that you can make some great recipes with.

I have actually found in the last two days that I am not getting the sugar shakes and looking for a granola bar which has been what I have done for most of my life.

It has also given me the opportunity to try new recipes and become more confident in my cooking.

Tonight I made "fake" mashed potatoes with cauliflower.  I think it might take another few tries to perfect this one, but here are the ingredients and recipe.

Ingredients:
Head of Cauliflower
1/4 Cup Fat Free Half and Half
2 Tbsp I Can't Believe it's Not Butter
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt

Directions:
1.  First I boiled the Cauliflower head in a pot of water with a little bit of salt for about 15 minutes or until very tender.
2.  I then let the cauliflower cool and cut it up into small pieces putting it into the blender
3.  Then put the fat free half and half, the butter, salt, pepper, and pinch of garlic salt into blender with cauliflower
4.  Lastly blend it up, taste, and season as you go!

I did not take this picture (my camera battery died tonight!) but this is what it looked like.  I thought it was easy to make and tasted delicious.

So, I am definitely motivated on my diet and with my cooking and I have been working like crazy on new projects for LoveUPaperly for 2013, but I am having a hard time staying motivated finishing the projects!  I am hoping to take some pictures tomorrow to show you what I have been working on even if they are half finished.  Maybe posting them will make me make a push to finish at least one or two of them.

Happy Almost Friday.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Happy 2013!!!

Happy, Happy New Year Dear Readers!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun night last night!

Have you made any New Years Resolutions?  Do you think you will keep them?

One New Years resolution I have made for 2013 for myself, and therefore for Meridyth as well, is for us to try not to spend so much time in our house with just each other.

We love our house, we love spending time with each other and honestly we are both happy doing both.  I am never happier when I am lying in bed reading a book on my kindle with Meridyth next to me playing video games. 

However, I realized that while we are happy doing this I think it would be healthy for us to go out at least once or twice a month, as a couple.  Mer and I need to force ourselves (that sounds horrible but you know that sometimes by the time you shower and get dressed you just don't want to even go out anymore?!) to go and see people.  We need to mingle with our friends, have dinner, and socialize.

To start off this resolution, last night a nurse from work who has become a good friend invited us to her house for a night of food and drinking and fun.

We had so much fun and all I can say is I am happy to not have to go to work today!  I definitely don't recover as fast as I used too!

I did make a few more resolutions as well.
-  Lose some weight so I can help my Fibro Myalgia pain
-  Apply to PA school in May
-  Define my vision for both this blog and for my Etsy site LoveUPaperly 
-  Try not to procrastinate with school work
-  Attempt to be more optimistic everyday!

My wish is for everyone to have a healthy and happy New Year!

Lots of Love for 2013,

Jess