Slowly Coming Back and a New Purchase....

Hello All!

I looked at this blog the other day and I realized I had let it go stagnant for months.  Like many other things in my life including my Etsy site and my gym membership!

Like many of you I have a hard time with life sometimes and the last few months have been a time of reflection.  I haven't been happy these past few months.  Not necessarily with one thing, but with many things that have all added up to one big heaping pile.

I am currently taking the second anatomy and physiology and also physics which combined with working a forty hour week has been insane.  I was thinking about applying to sonography school, well, did apply to a sonography school.  I had all of the prerequisites and at first was denied an interview but went over the head of admissions head to the director and got an interview but alas was wait-listed.

When I received the e-mail I was wait-listed I realized a few things.  I was not upset that I didn't get into the school.  Really what I was upset about was that I had wanted something to fix all of my problems.  Fix my unhappiness at work, and my feeling of stagnation, and my lack of progress.  I wanted a panacea, a cure all for everything.

As I cried to my Mom and Meridyth and my best friend Stephanie they all agreed that I needed to get back to finding myself again.

Finding myself again has included a push to finish these two classes and only take online classes this summer so as not to kill myself, to make presents for people who have been very supportive in my time of crisis these past few months, and to go back to therapy!

Also, I bought myself an iphone!  I told Mer on days when she is not nice to me I may love my iphone more than her!  It is only an iphone four.  I have Tmobile, because of the cheap plans, and was not eligible for an upgrade but I found a gently used phone and I have to say it is the BEST present I have every bought for myself.  I AM IN LOVE!

I joined instagram and I love sharing photos.  I was a photography major in school and having a forum to share and comment and like photographs is amazing!  Check me out by clicking the link.

One more thing.  Happy Anniversary to Meridyth.  Though it has been ten years it is our first wedding anniversary today!

This was the top of our wedding cake.  We didn't wrap it well so it had freezer burn but it was still fun.

Lots of love,

Jess

Its a Waiting Game...

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to do a quick check in with everyone.

I can't even describe how this semester of school is kicking my Tush!  For all of you that have taken physics and have not had a mental breakdown I applaud you.  I am also taking the second anatomy and physiology and there is so much information some nights I think that definitions and models may leak out of my brain and end up on my pillow.

To add to my stress we are short staffed at work so my work load and what is expected of me has been added too.

Meridyth is also finishing her last class of her graduate program so she is in school too!

We are eating a lot of cereal and I thank my coworkers everyday who bought us our Keurig for our wedding!

On exciting news my oldest Niece and Nephew are flying in to Maryland to go to Florida with my parents but Mer and I are taking the day off to see them in-between trips.  I can't wait!

So that sums it up.  All I do is work, study, eat, and sleep.  I do not have time to make art, blog, watch movies, cook, or look at things on the internet!

When life change you will be the first to know.

Lots of Love,

Jess

This is an example of convex lenses for a physics project.  At least I got to hang with my kitties!

Lovely Sunday Photograph

Happy Sunday Everyone!  Remember Me your friendly Blogger?  School has started and it is kicking my tush, so until I figure out how to balance work, school, and sleep my dreams of blogging about all of the weird and pretty things in my head will have to wait!

For now I leave you with a Lovely Sunday Photograph...

Max Wanger Photography

 Lots of Love,

Jess

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