To Giving Thanks.

Currently it is 9:24pm, Happy Thanksgiving, if you are still celebrating strong - or if you're like me, it's early evening of the holiday that even has me officially in full Christmas *cheer* and you have parked your stuffed, pj wearing self into bed. I don't have to explain that I'm not one of the crazed midnight, all night, early bird, zombies..I mean shoppers. Although I can't deny that it wasn't more than ten minutes ago that N turned to me and suggested I hit the stores at 6am.

Wwhaaaaat?? And yes, I am totally considering! But we will leave that for tomorrow to decide, because what I really wanted to share with you, was the holiday Christmas cheer this day brought to me. But Christmas cheer isn't the greatest word to describe the warm reflective feeling I have tonight.
Excitement, relief, happiness, gratefulness, ... might all be a bit more descriptive than *cheer* but they all reflect a positive thing and therefore are all equally relevant.

It's been quite the year. Some months I've completely shoved to the back of my mind, which explains why it's by the far the fastest year gone by in a while. Which turns out to be perfectly convenient since I cannot wait to say goodbye and hello to the new year, for which I have big plans for already. A new home for N and I, returning to school, relocating to our favorite place in Colorado :-) new jobs, new plans, new hobbies, new alotta things! And it's going to be freaking fantastic.

But why would I babble you through 3 paragraphs and leave you without such an unrelated post title? Well, I wouldn't of course and so I have to explain that somewhere in that jumble of word vomit [aka] my heart thoughts, is the dearest thank you to all the friends, family, workfamily, bf's and long lost always friends that gave me so much this year. In the months where I felt rotten, through the months that I enjoyed, through the ones that flew by, and double thanks to those who stuck with me through the ones I have attempted to erase from memory.

Throughout all of them, I never expected to learn so much about myself and work up such an appetite for change. So what my answer should have been today as we were sharing what we are thankful for, was that I am thankful for you. For spending this year with me and keeping me your friend, lover, daughter, family all the way through. I look forward to a time of growth, happiness, love and most importantly discovery.

I wish you a wonderful holiday season.

xo . jess

to being mr. and mrs.

N and I got fancy to go and celebrate our anniversary yesterday. 

And since it was just the two of us we got creative for memories' keepsake. 

Happy 1 year wedding anniversary, schatz. What a ride the first year was. I would be no where without you in my life. Thank you for being the supportive, encouraging, and loving friend and husband that you are. 

I love you with all my heart. 

your jess. 

September Familia Time

" I never realize how much I like being home unless I've been somewhere really different for a while." - Juno 

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That's sometimes how I feel about coming back to my blog when I shamefully click on the B icon at the top of my Google Chrome bar. (After not having blogged let alone signed on for a solid week.) Then let the guilt settle in as my home page loads and I start to catch up on all of you [braf] bloggers. Then I doodle around on my own blog and feel right at home again. No matter how long my break, it's always my blog and so who cares :) But still sorry to leave September hanging.

It has certainly flown by with birthday, wedding, and fun time celebrations and is coming to an end all to quickly. As much as I am looking forward to these next few months passing and bringing in the new year, I can't deny that despite some frustrations, soul searching moments, and trying days, this summer was pretty freaking fantastic. And my crazy awesome family and I decided we'd send it on its' way with one last camping hoorah in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. The closest place to heaven on earth. :)) (scroll down for picture paloozah!) 

As October approaches N and I have recently decided to take matters into our own hands and are getting busy with [creating our own future] I guess. I'm in no way talking babies if this is coming out weird. You'll have to stay tuned for now. However, it was a good moment when N and I were driving home late from work together and I said "Babe. I feel better lately." And N said "Me too." 

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Now to these favorite camping pictures of mine:

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On Saturday N and I celebrate our First Wedding Anniversary :) I don't know what feels more strange: being a married woman for already a year (maybe our parents really aren't kidding about how fast time flies) - or - how much I love being a married woman. Girl. Young woman. Still feeling out my identity with those terms if that makes sense. !? 

Hope you are having a lovely fall season! 

xo . jess

Celebrating September.

No denying September came with quite the celebrations one after another, mix in sleeping most of all my days off to catch up on lack there of, combined with a non stop work schedule, it's safe to say September through all of my routines and control of balance out the window. But it's been good actually. At the same time I've enjoyed this change of pace, and September has really become a month of family and friends! I forgot how little you can manage to see your friends when you're slacking at life. I feel sometimes if I'm not tweeting my days away or checking Facebook every day and night you quickly feel as though you end up living under a rock.

However, with my mom's 50th birthday celebration, our friends' wedding this past weekend and our upcoming family trip (woohoo!) this weekend, it's been refreshing to actually see your friends vs texting and calling for weeks on end, laughing and spending time with family and friends and especially catching up with those you've not seen in months or even years.

So here I am to catch you up and share with you pictures of the fantastic first couple weeks of September. Stop by again tomorrow for Hair Too(s)day and I might even have a thrifting treasure post ready mid-week before I say goodbye work week Thursday afternoon, load up the car and head to the mountains! Hollaaa. :)

suzy's 50th.

my fabulous mom & friend

more besties ♥

the big sister I never had :)

rockin' out at the 9th door.

my stinkin' adorable sister and silly Amy.

happy birthday mom!

smile ladies! 

aawkward picture. 

(thnk you J for letting me borrow that adorable top!)

mitch & ang's wedding.

 

these two have known and loved each other since the 3rd grade. :) 

oh schatz. ♥

the greatest friend on earth :)

I dare say we look pretty darn good lady. 

show us the kissy face Steve. 

high school trio.

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Like I said. A month of celebrations! :) Happy Monday to you guys. Hope your fall is starting out just as wonderful. 

xo . jess

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Hi loves. I hope that you had an enjoyable day and get to look forward to the weekend coming up so quickly again. (Monday's are such bummers and I have no motivation - yet you can always count on Friday to sneak up just in time.) Since I'm teaching myself to be grateful for even the simplest of days lately, it feels good to be able to say that I actually had a pretty good damn day. Work was ten times more manageable than yesterday even though I was in that building for a good tenhours. yuck.

Yet I feel accomplished and good about my workweek ending tomorrow mid day and preparing for our good high school friends' wedding this coming Saturday! I am so excited for the two love birds to get married and I think our first wedding anniversary coming up is putting me even more in the celebrateweddinghappiness mode! :) Expect some fabulous pictures from the weekend! For the remainder of the evening, I heated myself a searing hot, delicious cup of chamomile peppermint tea and am calling it a night. Holy shit I might even read something! :)

( I have to though, share with you this picture of my freaking adorable godson! 

Today was the first day of Kindergarten :) I miss that kid. )

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And now for something I am very much looking forward to participating in for the first time (!!) :

awkward & awesome thursday

awkward

.  coming home from work to N hanging out with billy and being so wired from work that I sit down with them and find myself blabbing my ear off to them about work drama. you shoulda seen their faces. it's almost as if they're thinking "please don't let her sit down please don't let her sit down". I'm supercool. 

. having the best most punctual morning staff - no matter how hard I try to beat them I come out of the parking to garage to find my entire staff already sitting there waiting for me. talk about feeling sheepish. 

awesome

. reaching my first ever weight loss goal of 10lbs and fitting into my sister's dress I'm borrowing for this weekend. 

. (speaking of) ang&mitch's wedding weekend!!!! :) 

. remembering my shopping totes every time I've gone to the grocery store in the last (almost) 2 weeks!

. having worked such long days in such a short week means my work day will be cut in half tomorrow and I will be free after noon! woop woop! (i might even get a mani)

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Alright so my creativity and maybe ability to think has apparently already punched out for the day so I guess I should too before I put you all to sleep with me. Happy weekend kids!

xo . jess

post it.

alright loves. it's been a week. well, not even technically - actually, nope tomorrow it will mark a week of these crazy last 7 days of September. a week that completely knocked me on my ass. even topped it off with a (dontholdyourbreath) great morning at work - felt totally accomplished, on top of it - only for mr. boss to come and spill my milk.

So in one sentence, you have missed my mother's 50th birthday celebrations, lazy days with N, and a whole lotta work piled into 3 short days and if I'm honest with myself you will also miss our good high school friends' wedding on Saturday before you hear from me again. (Maybe I'll squeeze in some quick blanks) But hey, look on the bright side. You get to look forward to some goodies.

So for now, I'm taking you loves, putting your name on a post it and sticking you on my to do board. you've been posted.

xo . jess

Hair Too{s}day.

Volume 12: the curling stick. 

Welcome to my official weekly tutorial  of what do to with your hair!! People are always asking me 

"How did you do that to your hair?" 

And so here are my answers, trials, and step by step tutorials of 

"How you can do that to your hair, too!"

Today will be my first every product post. I'm sorry to admit that I did not find the time over the even more shameful half weekend off I enjoyed, because I was too busy filling it with funness. Not that making tutorials isn't fun, but summer is almost gone and as much as I'm cheering it's goodbye to welcome everything fantastic about the fall season, I can't help but want to squeeze in as many hot summer days as possible. Maybe a little cold feet of what the fall season will bring? We shall see. 

A lot of you wonderful followers whether through blogger or facebook etc make me feel so special when you email me with questions, comments, and raves. And lately a recurring question has been what that thing is that I use to curl my hair. Well fasten your seatbelts kids cuz today you're gonna learn all about the 

the curling stick.

  

A few months ago I saw another blogging using this crazy curling iron to give her long amazing hippie locks the coolest curl. So of course I had to have this device and that's when I discovered curling my entire head of hair in less than 10 minutes; hiding every bad version of bad hair day in minutes; curling every type of curl from 1 inch to long loose beach waves..all with this crazy looking thing! 

It's as simple to use as a curling iron. Instead of having a clamp to hold your strand in place, you can wrap each strand of hair every which way you want which gives you different types and tightness of curl, and you definitely don't get shirley temple curls. Why does the picture picture a sexy single glove? That's because this thing can get a little hot (superfreakingcrazyburnshot!!) and so each curling stick comes with a fancy little protector glove :) 

If you want to order the tool of magic right this minute just go here.

Or just remember to stop by Target where I found mine and look for the 

Remington Salon Collection

Ceramic Curling Wand

The small/medium size I use can be found in store other sizes can be found on Target.com

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My procrastinating self has to jet off to work now! 

xo . jess

summer to go.

The weekend felt long and enjoyable. And being off Friday and Sunday made The Saturday from Hell at work much more manageable. And forgettable. Especially after today's hot summer Sunday afternoon.

If you caught my Friday post, you know that I promised picture sharing time before the end of the weekend of my finds at the thrift store. (Yeah so you've probably started the new week already but you know the weekend is still fresh in your mind. So let me kill some of your Monday morning blues by picture sliding you through my weekend + share with you my thrift finds!

fabulous saturday.

+ this cute little pants of sass stayed the night at the house and was complete with french braid pigtails, sun tan lotion, and sunglasses fabulous before 9:40am.

+ After lounging the morning away I found myself in a work chaos disaster most of the evening. Which I then danced away for a spontaneous night out with Jenna and the girls*

summerfun Sunday. 

it was a french toast kind of morning. 

got sweet and sweaty cheerin' on at Ty's soccer game. 

(chowed down almost an entire bag of the best grapes I've had all year)

Oh my talented brother. 7 - 0 you show off kids. 

Had a little (one legged) visitor take some shade in my half tent. He was kinda cute until he tried to crawl into my tote and I had to kick him out. Gently of course. The poor guy already only had one leg. 

And now :) my thrift finds from Friday! It wasn't much, but I count myself very successful. I got 5 items which is in itself a good find. And all pieces are fairly unique and quite the staple items. A perfect start into the fall thrifting season I'd say :) 

thrifting treasures:

I have been dieing to have a denim vest in my wardrobe. I've recently discovered that I have a love affair with vests. I have the most random pieces. And I decided to keep my eye out for great finds to widen my collection. 

Brand: Levi's

Size: small

Price: $4.99

 This poncho is an item that I'm loving more and more just knowing it's in my closet waiting for the warm weather to bring those cooler Colorado falls days. At first I saw it and thought it was at least worth trying on. Then as soon as I put it on in the fitting room - even paired with the magical Banana Republic boyfriend jeans I found - I knew I would regret passing it up. 

Brand: anu

Size: small - medium

Price: $3.99

Yes..unfortunately for you I was so in love with the above mentioned lightwash boyfriend denim jeans I found for $9.99 that I not only wore them to work the next day but straight out to the bar afterward with the girls. So they are already on their second cleaning. But trust me when I say they fit like magic pants. 

Lastly I found these fantastic totes. The basket tote on the left reminds me of the one my mom carried around when I was a kid. Also something I've already used several times over the weekend. The second has a fun printed plastic inner lining which will be perfect for toting around hair and make up products. 

left:

Brand: unknown

Size: medium bag

Price: $3.99

right:

Brand: Jane Maryl

Size: large bag

Price: $2.99

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I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful weekend. Summer is fading fast and although it seemed sort of a stressful season this year, we had some great weeks, trips, and days. We have the fortune of getting to look forward to one more camping trip back at Red Feather's mid September. A little family vacation mixed in with celebrating our one year wedding anniversary. 

Have a happy Monday lovelies! 

xo . jess

little neighbor.

On Friday morning I noticed we had a little visitor that had made himself an overnight stay in between our screen and window.

I know. Iiiew a mouse!! But c'mon. I don't think any living thing could possibly be ugly or gross in baby form. Alright maybe spiders. And frogs. Okay you get what I mean! There's no way this thing was gross and we of course could not let him be stuck in the basement window shaft. Let alone squished in the window like this. 

And by me I mean N. 

We waited until the little guy had woken up and came out from between the screen and window. Once he was chillin on the newspaper in the sunshine, N scooped him out! 

So we set him on the other side of the fence, where N had released his 2 siblings Thursday morning. 

Look how little he is!

Like a golf ball. 

Then the little guy he decided he was gonna take a walk. 

yes of course I said "awwwwww" :)) he's freaking cute people. And our fence is really high so I was hanging over the top of the wall hence the little girl voice. I was in a little squished position. 

So the little shit head decided to crawl right back under the fence and chill in the warmth of the ac unit. 

(sorry for the super annoying ac unit noise!)

say what you will this guy was so cute. we found him a better place to hide after and haven't seen him or his siblings since but I'll keep you updated on my mouse adventures. :) 

I gotta jet off to work for the rest of the afternoon/night. Might possibly stop to have drinks with Jenna & her girls on the way home and am already looking forward to share my thrift finds with you tomorrow, and cheer on my brother Ty and his soccer team in the afternoon!

Hooray for work free Sundays!

xo . jess