broaches for sale.

My oh-so-creative Mother has been making darling handmade broaches for herself, her friends & her daughters for quite a while now. After receiving tons of compliments & requests, she decided to put together a bog to showcase what she has available.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a broach, go to
www.lee-b-designs.blogspot.com
to see some of the styles available.
(some of you might even discover that a broach has been named after you!)

They really are darling & make the best gifts. My favorite ways to wear them are attached to coats, headbands & scarves. And keep in mind, you can always arrange to see them in person. The pictures really don't do them justice, in my opinion. Oh, and please don't laugh at my pathetic attempt at modeling them. That's what happens when you are the ONLY GIRL IN THE FAMILY. Might be the most embarrassing thing of my life.

a thanksgiving tale.

today, i am thankful for pepto bismol.

i have been sick all day long.

sick to my stomach on the yummiest day of the whole year.

sick on the day that everyone whips out garlic mashed potatoes

and candied yams

and stuffing.

no fair.

besides pepto, i am always thankful for my beautiful life & the people in it. i am thankful for my husband, who is my best friend. the pups, who make me laugh and keep me smiling. i am thankful for the moffitt's & the olsen's, who both bring so much laughter & happiness into our lives. i am thankful for my friends, new & old, close & far. i am thankful for my testimony & the peace and happiness it brings into my life. i am thankful for a roof over my head, food on the table, a hopeful future & someone to share it all with.

and lastly, i am thankful for this silly blog that gives me the creative outlet i've always wanted.

happy thanksgiving to all my blogging buddies.

um, nevermind.

So, yah.

Pretty much everything I said yesterday in my post about Twilight, I take back (besides the fact that Bella is lame...she is still lame). But, the movie completely changed my mind about the two of them & their romance. In my opinion, their chemistry is very different in the movie from what I imagined in the book.

And I, like so many of you, did not think Robert Pattison was anywhere near the dreamy Edward we all imagined in our heads.

But, holy cow, ladies. Brace yourselves.

He is gorgeous in the movie. Stunning, sexy, mysterious, make-you-almost-hyperventilate & drop dead-beautiful. I am not even kidding.

I spent the majority of the movie (when I wasn't gagging about the smelly girl sitting next to me. Sorry, smelly girl) whispering, "He is so beautiful", "He is so gorgeous".

Until I had to be hushed into silence.

And the chemistry between the two of them. My...my...the chemistry.

Brace yourselves.

31 years ago today.

my beautiful parents were married.

(nice tux, dad)

i couldn't be happier that they found eachother

& decided to birth 5 crazy children into the world.

mom & dad

here's to you.

here is to the wonderful example of

love & commitment

you have always shown me.

happy anniversary.

i love you.

christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat!

sometimes in highschool

they called me

jonica

(jessica + jon)

in case you don't follow.

i really don't see it.

ps.

i've been looking at christmas pictures from last year

& i am getting

really

really

excited.

i just need to get this off my chest.

tonight

at midnight

i will be heading to jordan commons

with my bff

to see our beloved (or, in my case, hated) bella

fall deeply, madly in love with

that vampire who wants to suck her blood/rip her clothes off.

This is just a guess, but I kinda, sorta have a feeling I may run into 87 billion of you friends at the theater. I will be on the lookout for a male of any sorts, just because I want to prove to my husband that males will possibly see this movie, too. My mom claims she is going to take my Dad. Yah....we'll see about that.

A few confessions about me & Twilight that may possibly make you hate me:

(not even kidding, I once confessed these to a chick at a soccer game & she didn't talk to me for the rest of the game).

1. I don't like Bella.

Let me explain....

Her "oh-my-gosh-my-life-is-so-hard-and-dramatic-and-i-am-just-so-shy-and-fragile-all-the-time" personality just doesn't do it for me. I don't enjoy those types. I wish she would stop feeling sorry for herself all the time & grow a personality. I can't see why Edward likes her so much? She is so dull (to say the least), although she does have some impressive culinary skills. But then again, vampires don't eat? Whatever. All she did (and I am not exaggerating here) in the 1st & 2nd books is quiver. Or shiver. Sometimes actually shake, but she rarely did anything else. If you don't believe me, go back & re-read them. It will drive you nuts.

(Is your blood boiling, yet?)

2. I hate Bella & Edward's relationship

Simply because I don't understand what they see in each other. And i think, if you are honest with yourself, you will realize that they never do anything besides sit there & talk about how in love they are. They never play, never have fun, never laugh. Just sit there & long for each other? Is it just me, or would all that pining/longing-for really get old after a while? All that romance is just a little...much. I will admit, that at times, Edward can be quite heroic & sexy, but most of the time all the lovey dovey-ness makes me want to gag.

3. I am a huge Jacob fan

He is fun. He has a personality. He plays jokes on people. He laughs. He doesn't watch Bella sleep at night (not cute, very creepy). He & Bella did more than just long for each other

I could go on.

Do you hate me, yet? I'll stop.

Just keep in mind, all of this is coming from someone who read the first book in 24 hours, Is currently lost in the 4th, can't wait to see the movie, is giving up precious sleep to see the movie, sometimes dreams about the story & always fantasizes about jetting off to an island for weeks at a time with no thought of school, work, money or reality.

So yah, obviously I like the books. Just maybe not for the same reasons you do.

Fellow Twilight fans...I'll see you tonight.
Just please don't hurt me.

pardon me.

i just can't seem to find the time
or the inspiration
to blog.

please forgive my pathetic update:

this is my old bedroom. may she {rip}

layoff's at work (i survived. a few co-friends did not)
left me blue
my job is morphing into something different
my puppy is sick (again)
still more work to be done on the new house
everything i own is in a box, in a garage
i survived the move, thanks to an amazing support system
i currently sleep in my brother's old bedroom
i don't mind. gjo still sleeps next to me
i love my family so much i can't even explain it
i am having a fabulous time living with the brothers again (although it is a temporary visit)
i got pulled over for speeding
again
it won't go on my record
again
i really really miss writing.
i want to do more of it in the future
but it requires time & patience
i currently do not have.

i am still here.
but i can't think of anything else to say.

the end.

one of those days.

today has just been one of those days.

really, one of those weeks.

one of those months.

i won't throw a pity-party,

because i am more-than-thrilled &

more-than-grateful
for this amazing opportunity to move.

and i am happy to put in the time it takes

to get our new place ready.

we are so grateful for the chance

& grateful to the olsens.

all of them.

but, i will be happy when the re-model is over & i can have my g back.

i miss him so much.

anyways, i found this picture & it made me smile.

maybe it will do the same for you.

happy tuesday.

dear first home.

The time has come.

Time to start packing boxes & emptying drawers...taking down pictures & mirrors & memories. The frames I made G hang above our dresser. He spent hours perfecting them. Straightening & fixing their edges, a tweak here, a nail there. Until they were perfect. Because he loves me. Because he loves you.

I will remember your fireplace. The one that takes real logs, not gas ones. And the Christmas I invited all of my girlfriends over for dinner & presents. We sat underneath your warm glow & listened to the crackle, crackle, pop of the flames. I will remember the snow falling softly all around us & how I'd never felt cozier.

I will miss your warmth. Your soft carpet. The carpet we chose for you. I remember laying on it when it was first delivered. I will remember the smell of the fresh paint and the sound of the hammer against the wall. I will remember how hard my G worked to make you ours.

I will miss your grand windows. The ones made up with charm & character. I spent hours looking out them, down Beverly street. Or laying underneath them, lost in a book. I remember the first time I met you, home, how much I loved those windows.

I will remember moving into you for the first time. Married not even a year. I will remember unpacking boxes & never being more excited. Helping G assemble Ikea furniture & hang what little art we had. I will remember how it felt to buy a home, the excitement & the rush and I will remember how truly blessed we felt to be able to do so.

I will remember the nights we played scrabble in the basement together. The hours I spent in the kitchen. The kitchen where I learned to bake and tried to cook. Frosted my first cake & made my first homemade macaroni & cheese (it was awful, by the way).

The kitchen where I made G my favorite meals and they became our favorite meals.

I will remember our first anniversary here. Where we ate our wedding cake at midnight & toasted to the future. I will remember all the times we scribbled messages to each other on the stainless steel cabinets. Leaving a note for the other to find, when our schedules overlapped & a note was all we had time for.

I will remember you fondly because you helped shape us into a family. Because we grew inside these walls. Because you taught me responsibility & sacrifice. Because owning a home taught us valuable lessons, ones that we will never forget. Because despite everything, you made me feel safe.

You will always be our first home. There will never be another. And I doubt we will ever live in such a charming house again. One where apples fall in autumn, and roses bloom in the backyard. With sunlight through the windows and arched ceilings and doors. A breakfast nook & a laundry shoot. All the details that so many homes miss these days. I will miss all of your details.

Our visit with you was short. Shorter than we'd hoped it would be. But they say you never forget your first home, and quite honestly, I don't see how I ever could.

I love you, first home. Thanks for the memories.

because jacky b. stole my moment.

This is the spider-web pumpkin cheesecake I made for Halloween day.

In case you can't tell, I am pretty proud of these suckers (I made 3).
The web was hard (well, harder than I thought it would be), and most importantly, the cheesecake was yummy.

I even made a homemade cream cheese/whipped cream topping.

Without a recipe (gasp)!

These cheesecakes never really got the love they deserved.
My sweet Jacky B accidentally stepped on the last one (lid on) before we made it to the Halloween festivities that evening.

Completely ruined the web.
We didn't speak for at least 5 minutes.

And considering I am the worst dessert decorator alive
(true story, because I have no patience),
I thought these beauties deserve a chance to shine.

So, thanks for looking at them.

Oh, and PS..These cheesecakes will be making a re-appearance in a few weeks (as they did last year) for thanksgiving (minus the spider-webs, of course). In case you want to copy, you can find the recipe here. But don't forget to whip up a cream-cheesy/whip creamy type topping, as it is the cherry on top.
Many compliments await you if you do.
That is all.

winter.

is never kind to my skin.

or my hair, for that matter.

this stuff
is single-handedly saving my life right now.

i lather up each night before bed
and my skin stays moist and soft for the next 24 hrs.

plus, it's cheap
and still works better than the expensive stuff.

if i am going to have to brave the cold
i refuse to have dry, itchy skin while doing so

i hate you, winter.

birthday girl.

i love you, jana b.

Today is a special day, because it is my beautiful Mother's birthday, and I can't let the day pass without telling her how much she means to me.

My Mom is amazing. She is the kind of person who makes everyone feel loved & accepted. She is caring, she is warm & kind. She is hilarious & goofy & silly, which I love. She is creative & beautiful. She knows how to throw a party, put together a fabulous dinner, sew a dress & she does it all with flair. My Mom is a good listener & a devoted friend. I am lucky because she is my best friend. We share the same face, the same brown eyes, the same passions. And I love it when anyone tells me I am like her.

My mother has taught me so many things. I owe so much of who I am to her. She taught me to be accepting, to make the best of every situation, to laugh at myself, to strive to make other's feel good, to give compliments, to smile & be happy, to make a big deal out of every occasion, to love my husband, to be good to my brothers, to be a good friend.

Mom, thank you for being who you are. Happy Birthday.

this is halloween. this is halloween!

I just uploaded over 350 pictures to my computer. I am a little bit nuts when it comes to photos, wouldn't you say? Among them, were pictures from our Halloween festivities last night. We had a blast this year. We went trick-or-treating with little Makayla, who was darling, of course & then stopped by to see our other loves, Lauren & Mya & hang out with Bryan & Kiersti for a while.
All in all it was a great night.

Here are some photos of our Halloween adventures & the littles we saw along the way...

Lo looking out the window at Jack & Daisy. Please notice Jack's Halloween scarf.

Mya, the ladybug. Holy cow that baby is darling.

And our little M as Abby.



I thought this one was funny.
I was making pumpkin cheesecake for Halloween & the pups were dying for a lick!

The weekend has been great, so far. Today was M's Nemo Party, which was a blast & then we headed to the Real game where we had the best box seats.
I can't believe Halloween is already over. It's a little sad.
Maybe next year, I will have a little trick-or-treater of my own! (hahaha)