Jess (& Marie) Finds

[JessFinds] Some of my favorite sites and blogs...

2010-03-13T20:51:00.004-05:00

A dear friend has started a momtrepreneur project that I encourage you to support! Check out Miss Holly Dolly, boutique handcrafted headbands that will knock the socks off of any young girl. Adorable to the point of gritting your teeth. Incredibly reasonably priced (most in the $12 to $15 range). www.misshollydolly.com.

I am going to set up the blog / site list again - not sure what happened to it when I switched the site format for jessfinds.com.

In the meantime - this is what keeps me tickled (in no particular order). Marie? Have any you would like to add? How about our readers? Suggestions?

Oh Dee Doh - The sub-site of Apartment Therapy that covers all things about living with taste, style and function ... with kids.

Etsy.com - 'nuff said.

Minor Details - simple, beautiful brilliant posts about the things that inspire this designer of child spaces.

This Week For Dinner - Jane shares a weekly menu each Sunday and her photography always makes me hungry.

Makes and Takes - Jane also guest blogs for this great site about crafting ... with kids.

Skip to My Lou - I can't tell you how awesome this site is. We modified our shrimp boil off of her original recipe.

Chasing Cheerios - A homeschool / montessori blog that I just find facinating to follow. I think because it highlights how very little I am doing for my own kids!

What I Wore - I just discovered this. I am not sure if I love her or openly detest her for being so fabulously confident in her outfit choices and ballsy enough to photograph them and put them out there for people like me to judge.

My Favorite Everything - I am in awe of this Orange County mom.

Make it and Love it - for everyone who thinks I am creative, THIS is creative.

[JessFinds] Menu Planning

2010-03-13T15:29:00.000-05:00

I made up this family dinner menu planner for printing out and posting on my fridge. I have not yet used it - but thought I would make it available to our readers. I love all things subversively domestic, hence my happy housewives.

[JessFinds] Security

2010-03-11T16:14:00.001-05:00

This is called "Security" and it is by Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch. I found it on Tiny Showcase, a great site with mini art for purchase, benefitting one charity or another. He chose the Humane Society.

This print spoke to me. It just reflects something I fear so accurately. It also reflects something necessary but sort of scary. Today, it reflects my general feeling towards my home life. Feels like a lot of branches are shaking!

[JessFinds] Daughters

2010-03-09T20:11:00.000-05:00

A nice walk on the beach before dinner - Gonzo and Crab with their friend K in the middle.

I love my girls. Uh oh. Sappy post warning.

Before all other things in my very full life, I am a mommy. I love that. I wish I could go back and tell 21 year old Jess she is going to love being a mom and actually be really damn good at it. She is going to love being a mom so much that she will remember her life before kids with a sort of fuzzy nostalgia but actually wish she started having kids sooner. And now she will stop talking about herself like she is not in the room.

I want my daughters to know this: I will do anything within my power to give them them a boost in life. Emotionally, financially, physically (Hey, I have two kidneys you know). I don't care if they are brilliant (they are) or beautiful (they are) I just want them to have an endless capacity for happiness. I want them to be filled with wonder. I had children because I was confident I could rise to the challenge of helping shape competent, productive, caring citizens of the greater world. It is true that I would settle for "is nice to animals" or "does not bite" on occasion. But the greater goal is there. I did not have kids with the intention of being done when they turn 18. Being a family means you are never done.

I want my girls to be able to protect themselves but never have reason to. I want them to know I will always take their side, no matter what. I also want them to know I am trying my hardest to be their role model. Boy am I a flawed example of the human species but I do have a lot of good intentions to pave my road.

I am also smug and self-righteous in my motherhood. I am ok with that.

[JessFinds] Back to a classic

2010-03-06T17:19:00.001-05:00

I have been looking for a simple, cross body saddle-bag type of purse. A workhorse. I wanted it to be leather and durable but something that would still translate in Spring. It needs to be large enough to carry a book,and light-colored inside because I can't find anything in a purse with a dark liner.

It hit me: Vintage Dooney! All of those all-weather bags from the 80's have got to be on the vintage circuit by now, right? Oh yeah. They are. And in abundance. I feel like I have stumbled across a goldmine. If you are around my age (mid-30's) your mom probably has one of these in her closet.

Here is my find: Dooney & Burke All-Weather-Leather British Khaki

FRONT

BACK (with the classic duck logo)

But here is the kicker, I found this one on eBay for ... drumroll ... $14. It is perfect. Totally clean, barely used. It has a few tiny ink marks on the inner flap.

Etsy has a great selection in their vintage section as well.

[MarieFinds] Her very own lust list

2010-03-04T14:30:00.009-05:00

Following Jess' lead, I have a few of my favorite things....

The All Clad Slow Cooker ... cast iron insert lets you go from stovetop to cooker in one pot.

The Jubiliee Stripe Ellie bag by Kate Spade.

A trip back here ... Cozumel....

[JessFinds] Crave List for Spring

2010-03-02T17:31:00.004-05:00

Because it is never too early to think about such things ... this is what I currently covet. I will welcome age 36 this (fast-approaching) Spring. I still yearn for a few of my Fall/Winter items (such as the Jane Austin DVD collection and that dainty snake pendant...sigh).

I took the "real" letter print classes in February, but I am interested in the potential of this home letterpress crafting idea. I plan on eventually saving up enough money to buy a real old-fashioned letterpress. In the meantime, this looks like big fun in small scale batches. I would also need 2 sets of the photopolymer (Set 4) in order to spell anything out.

I just discovered this really cool site called eShakti that allows you to customize your clothing while you purchase it. Change the neckline. Add a different sleeve length. Adjust the length of the hem. For $15 per item. How cool is that? I want to try it out - some of their dresses are Anthropologie cool. They are based out of Seattle, which might explain the coolness.

A set of Alice in Wonderland glasses from Urban Outfitters. Love it.

Framed Goat portrait. If you know me, you know why. Hello my little goat friend!

My cookware is worse-for-wear. I would be pretty darned happy to see a set of All Clad Stainless Steel pots and pans in my kitchen. Unfortunately, they are rather prohibitively expensive (especially the copper core ones that I deeply covet but won't even bother openly craving on this blog. My cooking skills don't merit copper core to be honest...)

Deluxe Fountain Set

I have never had Pernod! Apparently, Pacifique is fantastic and made in small batches in Washington state with a hand-hammered copper pot still. Pernod, of course, is the godfather and probably should be the "first."

My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and their Final Meals. Portraits, Interviews and Recipes. By Melanie Dunea. This book has the now-famous Anthony Bourdain photo with the leg bone. He is such a rock star. I get fluttery just thinking about it. This is one of those books meant to be owned and put in a collection.

Nigella Express: Good Food Fast. Lovely Nigella is the queen of all food porn. I love her. She loves food. Her Express book is missing from my Nigella collection. I am also missing her Christmas book.

[JessFinds] Im-PRESS-ed?

2010-03-01T19:44:00.004-05:00

One of my New Year's resolutions down! I am certified to use the Vandercook Proof Press 4. As a matter of fact, here is a picture of my Vandercookie:

This is the print space ... the red thing is the press.

Downright industrial, no?

I was mixing paint on the table by the window and turned abruptly, smashing my hip in to the crank of the letterpress. Battle wounds. As our instructor would say: "H-Core."

I am already yearning to get back on the thing. Dying to take another class. Or maybe tackle it on my own.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Bam Bam

2010-02-26T13:44:00.002-05:00

Baby Boy, hiding in the tall grass at the coast. He frequently gets called Bam Bam.

[JessFinds] Gonzo's 3rd Birthday

2010-02-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time ...

The March Hare, the Mad Hatter and Alice.

The people here behave curiouser and curiouser.

The table is set ... for a very important date.

Extra padding on the chairs for little guests - a dormouse might show up you know.

A little Alice at each wonky place setting...

Some of the guests have arrived!

First stop -- the Mad Hatter's Millinery.

Next ... follow the White Rabbit through the rabbit hole to Wonderland!

Sugar roses (in bright red) thanks to Cupcake Social on Etsy!

Lots of little tea goodies - cookies, mini cakes, cheese sandwiches, peanut butter, nutella...

The Mad Hatter serves the tea...and spills a bit too.

Alice truly enjoys a good cup of tea.

The Mad Hatter made sure all of the guests were properly entertained.

{MarieFinds} Of 3rd Birthdays and Sun

2010-02-19T18:58:00.009-05:00

Oh, the differences between Jess and I are vast. And yet, she is one of my dearest dearest friends. One of my great sorrows is that our girls are growing up 3000 miles apart.

That being said, Squirrel also just celebrated a 3rd birthday. Rather than a lavish themed affair with other children, we went to the beach. With our grown up friends. With food. And wine. And Squirrel and Baby Boy. God smiled on our decision and gave us a sunny almost summery weekend.

For her birthday all she wanted was, "pasta and broccoli, and a kite and a shovel and bucket and a guitar." She got all of that, and then some. Auntie Feather supplied most amazing bubble wands. I'll post more photos once my new computer is up to date and I download the photos from the camera.

Squirrel running in the surf with her Auntie Lala.

Baby Boy, enjoying the beach. Despite his expression. He continually bent over at the waist into downward dog, and licked the sand.

Squirrel doing what she loves best - painting on the deck of the rental house.

It was an amazing weekend ... and the sun is shining like crazy here today. I think we'll go to the zoo this weekend.

[JessFinds] Party Prep - Setting the stage

2010-02-19T14:43:00.002-05:00

I spent most of this morning making tissue pomanders.

... and hanging them up with filament.

...and making paper lanterns and using the existing lanterns and extra tulle.

... and now it is almost 3pm and I still have a ton of stuff to get done.

[JessFinds] Party Prep -- Papering the Doors

2010-02-18T20:59:00.002-05:00

I am starting to set up for the Alice in Wonderland themed party this weekend. Today we papered the French doors! Gonzo and Crab helped with the placement of all the papers.

The hat is a canvas hat from OrientalTraders.com - The kids party craft will be to decorate their own "Mad Hat" at the Mad Hatter's Millinery. Roses are courtesy of my dad - he sent them to the girls for Valentine's day. Sweet.

The full French Door effect-- this will be the room that the actual Mad Hatter Tea Party takes place.

A close up of one of the decorated panels. I glued clear gems and used photographic frames that are normally used in scrapbooking.

This is my favorite. We glued photographic embossed frames on to tin foil to create "looking glass" decorations. Alice needs her looking glass!

[JessFinds] All in a Golden Afternoon

2010-02-16T07:41:00.003-05:00

Did I ever tell you that I have my very own Alice in Wonderland only she goes by the name of Gonzo?

[JessFinds] Droning on about my newest obsession

2010-02-15T17:50:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you what a giant nerd I am.

I am sooo excited about my letterpress class! Our first class covered the basics of the machine (a Vandercook) and the metal typeset process. Such time and detail goes in to setting type - no wonder it costs a fortune to have letterpress work done. Our homework this week is to come up with some sort of design for an 8.5 x 11 paper space. It will be turned in to a negative and then we will expose it on photopolymer in a lightbox. Then we get to run our poly through the machine! Did I mention I am excited?

This was a very cool 12th anniversary present. It is something that Preacher and I can do together and something that I have always wanted to do. The workshop we are taking is very affordable and right around the corner from an excellent ale house. Letterpress followed by a beer for 3 Saturdays in a row!

In other news...

I am putting together the Mad Hatter's Tea Party for Gonzo's 3rd birthday. It is coming together very nicely. I have giant multi-colored tissue pomanders to hang above the "tea table" along with paper lanterns and other whimsy. I found a few completely oddball teapots at Home Goods for $3 and $4 a piece on clearance (such luck!) and have scavanged a few teacup and saucer sets from thrift shops. There will be six little girls here for the party. A very manageable group for a winter day! I will take lots of photos. The party is this Sunday - I can't wait to make all those tea sandwiches.

[JessFinds] Happy V-Day!

2010-02-14T18:38:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day Luh-Vahs!

[JessFinds] A Very Merry Unbirthday To You

2010-01-30T20:33:00.002-05:00

I am planning a Mad Hatter Tea Party for Gonzo's 3rd Birthday. I am working on the invites - they look something like this right now:

She has a small list of little girls (mostly Crab's friends) for the get-together. It is her first real birthday party with friends. And I am having waaaay too much fun with it. I have found a few links out to other sites that have put together a fabulous MHTP.

The Long Thread Fabulous decorations and all sorts of fun. I really love this post.

SnowyBliss put on a pretty spectacular party.

Here is another very sweet little party.

I drooled over these photos- look at the chairs for the little girls!

I love the croquet sticks on the wall and would have totally done that in college.

Party Wishes has a wonderful (albeit impossible since it is the dead of winter) party.

This Flikr stream is amazing.

Give Peas a Chance has some cute ideas too.

I think I am most excited about tea sandwiches.

[JessFinds] Mourning a Dear Fuzzy

2010-01-23T17:55:00.001-05:00

Rest in Peace Sidney Vicious

Born: August 1998

Died: January 2010

My sweet, beloved cat was put down on Tuesday, January 19th. We discovered he was in renal failure a few weeks before Christmas. His blood tests showed that he was advanced stage. Renal failure is terminal but can be maintained (occasionally) when caught early. It really depends on the cat. With a new diet, he improved drastically over the holidays. Then, suddenly, he took a turn for the worse. Stopped eating and drinking on a Friday and by Tuesday he was gone.

He is survived by his litter-mate brother, Frederick Fauntleroy and the interloper Trixie La Rue who he never fully recognized as a member of his household.

This was MY cat. I was his person. He gave me almost 12 years of companionship. I miss him terribly.

If you ever have the opportunity to parent a Main Coon or a Norwegian Forest Cat (ours are hybrid mutts) do so. They are giant wonderful, loyal and almost dog-like cats that bond very strongly with their people.

[JessFinds] New Year. New Job.

2010-01-18T16:09:00.001-05:00

I start a new job tomorrow!

Actually, I will be working in education so I need to be fingerprinted and stared at by police officers. Then I get to start the new job.

I looked for work for TWELVE months. During those 12 months, 4 positions became available in my field. I applied for all 4, interviewed for 3 and somehow got 1. Yay!

Today, I am trying to do all the things I have not done in the last 12 months. In other words, setting myself up for epic failure. I swept and vaccumed the floor. Hey, it is something.

In other news, my sweet, darling kitty cat is dying of renal failure. He is like a clock winding down. Has stopped eating, drinking, going to the litter box. Just curls up like a meatloaf and stares off in to space. If he shows any sign of being in pain I am going to get him to a vet asap to have him put down. In the meantime, I just hope he can die peacefully at home. I would rather spare him the stress of a vet visit - that cat hates being shoved in a carrier and taken to the vet!

Life is going to be so strange without Sid. He has been "my cat" for twelve years.

Ed - My first day was great. They seem like a fantastic group of people to work for and with. Unfortunately, that morning, my dear Sid died.

[JessFinds] Resolutions

2010-01-15T10:04:00.005-05:00

2010

I have been hesitating a bit - I wanted to make sure I had my resolutions down right before I posted them for the world.

Live fearlessly. Each year, my #1 resolution.

Relish the now. My girls are growing so fast. Too fast.

Read more books. Watch less TV. Spend less time online.

Take a class in an old trade (letterpress!) and get certified. Take a CPR class and get certified. Take a class on vegetarian cookery. Take a class on preparing fish.

Take care of myself & own my health. I spent the majority of the last decade carrying more weight than I should. I owe it to my girls to set a good example for how a healthy, happy woman should live. No excuses. No programs or fad diets - just eat well, move frequently, be accountable and stand tall.

De-clutter, organize and prioritize what is important. I have a lot of stuff. I don't need a lot of stuff. I want to get rid of everything I would not want to take with me in a move. I will work on getting this house in shape for listing on the market by next Spring. My next home will have a smart bedroom layout, be smaller, have a working fireplace, a finished or semi-finished basement and be more energy efficient. I feel like I live in a huge colonial made of Swiss cheese!

[JessFinds] When Baby Gonzo became Miss Gonzo

2010-01-04T08:27:00.000-05:00

I have had a pinched nerve in my shoulder that is driving me nutso, so it could be the heavy-hitting narcs I am popping (perhaps), but I am turning in to one of those sentimental fool moms.

My baby - Baby Gonzo - is no longer a baby.

1. Last night was the first night that the crib was empty. She slept in her big-girl bed in the same room as her sister. We held off on the crib-to-bed transition because we did it too early with Miss Crab and she staged a sleep demonstration out of protest. On the floor. For months on end. I figured it was smart if we could let Gonzo stay in her crib as long as she liked it - and if that was age 16, so be it. She climbed out once, around age 18 months. Did not like falling. Never did it again.

2. She has not used a diaper in over six months. God bless her for that one! I am doing the happy-done-with-diapers dance.

3. Her pull-ups have been dry overnight for the last 7 nights in a row! Who is this child? Where is my baby? Even Miss Crab can't claim that glorious achievement. Miss Crab does have the excuse of entering a sleep coma each night though.

4. She is more talkative than I am. Seriously. The kid out talks me. This, in itself, is amazing. And frequently, her vocabulary rivals mine. I love it when she uses words like "perhaps."

Even Preacher, who does not share my endless depths of sentiment for our unruly youngest, quipped that he missed her barking orders at us this morning from her crib. Hee.

[JessFinds] Mr. Gutenberg, I presume?

2010-01-02T10:30:00.001-05:00

I am all swoony and thrilled!

Preacher has purchased a series of three weekend workshops for us to take together. It is our 12th Anniversary present (Cripes - 12 years? How did that happen?) and it is PERFECT. We will be learning our way around a letterpress.

"This course provides a quick, basic introduction to letterpress. Participants learn to ink the press, adjust pressure, adjust roller height, register and feed a sheet of paper, make an impression and then clean the press. Creating and using plastic plates in combination with metal movable type to create your own vision in letterpressed embossment."

I have a thing for learning anachronistic trades. I want to apprentice with a bookbinder, desperately. I also want my own letterpress. I could churn out wikked cool stuff with all the right gear! This also fits in to my need to own many goats and learn how to make goat cheese. I know, sign me up for the SCA right now ... gah.

Oh - and I want to do this before I turn 40: OCAC Book Arts Certification

[JessFinds] Black Eyed Peas - Good Luck for the New Year

2010-01-01T10:20:00.001-05:00

SPICY EASY HOPPIN' JOHN (Vegetarian)

Ok, this is not "true" Hoppin' John as I am making some blasphemous additions and subtractions (namely minus the fatback). But I am a Vegetarian that eats fish (Pescetarian) and occasionally nibbles on pork products when they are presented to me, but that is another story. Worst. Vegetarian. Ever.

1 tablespoon olive oil+ 2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
16-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 tablespoon of favorite hot sauce (Tobasco, etc...)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups (+/-) cooked rice. Basmati, Jasmine or Brown rice would all work very well.
16-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oils in a large skillet until butter melts
Sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent and soft.
Add the garlic and celery and continue to sauté until the onions are golden.
Stir in the tomatoes, basil, thyme, hot sauce, hot pepper (cook until melded, approx 5-8 min)
Add the rice and black-eyed peas, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir and simmer half covered, over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Notes: You could serve the rice and beans separately, spooning the beans over the rice. Or omit the rice and serve the beans over polenta (yum).

[JessFinds] Welcome 2010

2010-01-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to You and Yours!

♥ JessFinds.com

I hope you all have a wonderful 2010 and an excellent start to a new decade.

[JessFinds] Snowmageddon!

2009-12-20T15:01:00.004-05:00

We have seen around 20-21 inches of snow thus far and it keeps going. This was taken at 7:30 this morning and my hubby is currently (3:00) out re-snowblowing the driveway because it is impassible again.

This is the most drastic photo - from our sunporch.

Those are 3ft snow drifts up against the door and window!

And that is the rock wall surrounded fish-pond across our lawn. Really.

And I think that is two feet of snow on top of Angus's hood. Hee.