Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Heartsick...



...is not too strong a word.  I miss The Netherlands and Belgium so much it actually hurts.  I miss the people I met while there.  I miss the way my name sounds when a "Dutchie" says it.  I miss the long walks through parks and driving through narrow one ways.  I miss the open vastness and the windmills in the distance.  I miss watching the sun set on land-not behind a mountain.  I miss the food...especially the cereal I had in Amsterdam and the pannekoeken I had in Appeldoorn.  I miss the culture.  I miss everything we had in common-and feeling like I was really supposed to be exactly where I was. 




I miss what that time in my life meant-and why I was there.





I honestly feel like I was born in the wrong place...and that maybe...just maybe I'll be lucky enough to call Holland home one day.


Much Love,

j


Friday, February 11, 2011

I heart...

With V-Day around the corner, I thought I'd share another list of my current obsessions... 




Crash Kings. Yes, again.  Their songs are linked to some extra powerful emotions.  Each one throws me back to another time and place-and even the ones that remind me of some super painful times, I'm still absolutely in love.




Salon Dante and my most wonderful, happy, gorgeous nail lady, Kari.  She does amazing, mesmerizing work and I'm thrilled to spend an hour with her every 2 weeks.  Seriously, my nails have never looked better.  I go in for an acrylic overlay on my original nails, and keep them filed short, so I can still play my guitar.  I love them!  It was a little bit of a transition (like anything new, the nails were a bit heavier and I kept bumping them...) but now I'm doing really well.  Go to Salon Dante...and ask for the jonna.  You'll love it! :)




Slim, Calm, Sexy Yoga.  I seriously love this book.  Tara's routines are amazing...and very problem specific.  They are easy to learn and I don't feel pressured to stay with or in a pose if it's uncomfortable or if my legs just aren't cooperating.  Is it weird to feel validated and accepted by a book? 





Gnomeo & Juliet.  I'm so looking forward to this movie! (I get to go tomorrow night with two of my favorite people!!!)  Three things:  1) I love Romeo and Juliet, 2) I love Elton John, 3) and I have a weird fascination with gnomes.  Perfect.  Sign me up.  :)




The Tudors...  A terrible habit.  Especially with THESE guys...I love them...



I so love this scent.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.  I smell happy and girly and fancy and naughty...  One spray (though I usually end up spraying 3 or 4) makes me smile. 





The Bare Minerals make-up is so amazing.  I love the way it makes my skin feel.  And look.  I love the way the brushes feel.  I love that I don't look overly done up.  I look natural.  I glow. I am addicted.

AND...?

I am seriously grateful for:

The gospel and the BoM on my iPod
My brother-and his gorgeous, happy, creative, happy, bubbly wife
My amazing, supportive, strong, loving, talented parents (and grandparents!)
My friends that I can't live without...and who so love me back
My Jack and Abby
Books
The Beatles
WW
Mustard Yellow and Gray
Christmas lights around my window
My happy, glowing room
My sewing machine
The Craft Room
Fresca
Room 14
Pilates
June 7th
James Franco & Jason Schwartzman

And so much more...

Much Love,

j

Sunday, January 30, 2011

19 more weeks...

I'm counting down.  I really am THAT excited...


Much Love,

j

Musical Genius...





Much Love,

j

Thursday, January 20, 2011

I think I'm a Type 1...


...but I haven't read the whole book yet.  (Which it turns out...is very typical Type 1!)

One of the very top most defining qualities of happy, bubbly, bright, animated (all things me, right!?!?!  I wonder if 1's are sarcastic...?) is that they have so many amazing, wonderful, well-intentioned ideas that they very rarely accomplish them all...either that, or they get distracted by something gorgeous or sparkly, or someone, or something, or the joyous iPod.  Here is a random list of my current fantastic ideas:

Finishing my jellyroll strip quilt
Planning for Harry Potter in June
Starting a Log Cabin quilt
Snagging and ARL...
...and being "for real" at Liberty
Buying fabric for "a bag" that I have no idea how to make
Watching my new obsession in its entirety:  The Tudors
Listening to Paolo
...and JET
...and Crash Kings
...and STYX
...and Franz Ferdinand
...and The Strokes
...and Kings of Leon
...and discovering new amazing bands
Learning to play 'For You Blue'...
...and 'Growing Up Beside You'
...and 'Worried Man'
...and 'Sgt. Major'
...and getting the 12 bar Blues DOWN on my guitar
...and maybe even learning to play with a slide
Losing 30+ pounds and reaching my healthy goal weight...
...by sticking to my 29 daily WW pointsplus points
Blogging more
Making more mini books
Reading 'The Dark Volume'...
...and 'The Scorch Trials
...and the rest of the Sisters Grimm series
...and 'The Arthurian Omen'
...and 'The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo'
...and 'A Single Voice'
...and 'The Last Lecture'
...and 'The Tales of Beetle the Bard'
...and the rest of 'It's Just My Nature', which got me thinking about this list in the first place
Yoga-ing daily...
...and hooping when there's room
Seeing more movies
Getting my nails done and a regular basis
AND...basically being the craftiest, funniest, most talented, smallest version of myself, EVER!

Yeah.  Seriously.  This.  Is.  My.  List.

;)  Much Love,

j

(Want to find out your Type?  Check out Carol Tuttle's book, 'It's Just My Nature!'

I adore...

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Blackbird...

A couple Saturdays ago, Starchild hosted their first semi-annual "Celebration of Music" held at The Bicentennial (INDOOR!!! :)) Pavillion on November 20th.  We had TONS of food and about 150 people.  As both a Student AND part sort of owner, I got to participate.  I chose to play Blackbird, by the most fabulous Beatles.  I love this song, and think that I play it rather well...alone.  It took A LOT for me to get up and play for family, friends...and strangers.  B and I chose to play it in a non-traditional way.  We did not play the song verbatum.  We didn't follow any sheets of music.  We just got up...and played.  He called the shots, and I kept up, the best I could. 

...enjoy...



Much Love,

j