in the kitchen.

Today I discovered that it only takes 4 easy steps to make one delicious summer treat and so 

I made...

1. My choice of fruit: 1 large banana; 1/2 cup of blueberries; 1 cup of strawberries

2. Add 1 cup of ice before adding 1 1/2 cups of vanilla ice cream
3. Add fruit and lastly 1/2 cup skim milk
4. Turn it into pink bubbly yumminess. 




It was a very low key day for N and I - and HALLELUJAH we even had rain almost all afternoon. Our summer schedule has been pretty non stop with camping trips, school, work, and the occasional day of cleaning, laundry, errands... that we gave ourselves a well deserved day off from all of it.
Because however, we were in desperate need for groceries, I slipped into my go to outfit for this summer of maxi skirt, tank + sandals and headed to sunflower market to stock our fridge with fresh goodies! (Hence my smoothie inspiration for today) I have to admit to you guys that if I ran into myself in public today, I probably would've wanted to smack myself..but it was a day of "I don't care" - today while making my grocery trip I wore my ear buds and jammed to my own tunes the entire time! Usually I can't stand when people do something like that, shop with their headphones, but I was in a mood and I ain't gonna lie the seclusion felt aaawesome! Sometimes, ye just don't wanna talk to anyone. And today was that day. I do have to make a point to ad that I only took my public rudeness so far - I removed them completely before heading to the register. Talking on your phone or having headphones in at a register  - absolutely not cool.

Tomorrow I say Hola Monday! as my work week begins and the daily life goes on. In the meantime we are checking the news every couple hours for fire updates and praying the weather reports forecast more rain! Colorado is one big fiery mess and it's very sad to watch thousands of people lose their homes and beautiful countryside burn to ash. Counting our blessings,

---

xo . jess

my friend the turtle.

While on one of our walks the other day, N and I discovered a little wild turtle sunbathing on a long branch sticking out of the water. We were walking by a lake behind our apartments and I thought it was the coolest thing - I have never seen a wild turtle :P don't worry - N thought I was a total weirdo.

I had left my cell at home so I snatched his right away and started marching towards the little guy to get a good shot of him, not thinking to shut my mouth..blabbing about how cute he was..the next thing I knew he slipped off the branch and had swam under water. I was so bummed and wanted to kick myself.

But then I spotted him swimming in once place and snapped a couple decent shots of him. I thought he was adorable.

I drew him a little fat friend. 

Wishing you a sunny Tuesday. I have yet to take a day to do something new and cute with my hippie hair. It's a lot of wash and air dry lately, but I know I'm just being way too lazy. So yes, I'm distracting you with cuteness here. I remain open for requests, ladies.



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

little landslide.

Good morning kids.

(alright so this is a picture of a sunset. just go with it.)

I know right. I come back and disappear again. We were having some technical difficulties at the house the past week so cut off from the world we were. I even missed a Too(s)day post. I know. Complete and total failure.

No biggie. It's the weekend. And it just so happens that I have it o.f.f. That's right I even had to spell it out for you. :) We're in the middle of blackout so I'm making the most of this little jem weekend. N is working a marathon this morning in Colorado Springs and since I'm serious about making the most of this weekend I hitched a ride with that handsome man and am spending the (very early!) morning all by myself.

Me time (always) = a great time.

I hope it's not selfish. But me time is fantastic time. And I don't think I've given myself enough of it lately. I think I've entered a very reflective phase in my life. Or...I haven't figured out what phase I'm really in and I'm finding myself being more reflective and introverted trying to figure it out. Maybe that's isolation. But I don't care. I'm too much of a doubter. A questioner. I'm always questioning myself in reference to what others might think, feel, do..and I've decided to rethink the energy I'm spending on melodrama, daily stresses and opinions.

Before I married N, I knew without a doubt I had to have him in my life, every day, for the rest of my days. Every day I'm with him, I want to better myself. I don't want to be rude, or whiny, or negative (my favorite). He shows me and reminds me every day that we have so much to be thankful for, count ourselves lucky for, and that there is no reason to go through life always wishing we had more, did more, owned more,{whatever I feel like bitching about that day} and for that, I am so glad.

We are free. We're in love. And we laugh. From morning till night. And lately, I've realized that it's one thing to want to be a better person, but a completely different thing to actually be a better person. And that is me. Working on finding that better person in myself. The person that's not necessarily stuck in the "waiting zone" of life, but it's safe to say I've completed the most recent phase of my life and I'm trying to figure out what the next one holds. Most likely my little loss of direction is because the possibilities are endless and I'm beginning to grasp that idea and asking myself "what are you going to do with it?"

So I hope in the meantime I'm as entertaining, loving, and always hilarious, not to forget smart assy (N's favorite quality about me) and know I am not over here blowing up a big balloon of self isolation...but happiness comes from within and so that's where I'm going to start.

xo . jess