cleaning habits.

I can't deny that I'm fairly quickly getting a hand on this domestic thing. Cleaning, cooking, and obsessing over the never ending decor + organizational possibilities, have all recently become past times of mine. My cleaning obsessions have taken it to a bit of a new level, but it always leaves me wondering how I get so messy in such a short time period?? Anyway, my innocent 2-3 hour cleaning rages have turned into myentireSaturdayoff cleaning frenzies. But it's all good. This is more a confession than a complaint. :P My sister's voice always echoes in my head, when I realize several hours of cleaning have gone by and I'm reorganizing our storage closet for the third time since we've moved in, "Gawd jesska, quit cleaning everything!". 

So it happens that I found myself on such a Saturday this past weekend, on the floor in my bathroom organizing my side of the cupboard, which holds of course, 15 times the health & beauty products than N's side. Once I took a look at the recent state of my make up bag I couldn't bare to zip it back up without deciding to give it a good clean. 

This is serious stuff ladies. I have seen some seriously scary looking make up bags and this is me slapping you in the back of the head. Nothing wrong with giving yourself 20 minutes tops on a lazy day to give your daily make up tools a quick bath. :-) don't make me use the "think of the germs" line on you. 

First off, I realize there are plenty of cleaners you can buy for this kind of stuff, but I keep it simple, repeat at least once a month, and my make up + wallet stay happy. 

how to: clean your make-up kit

1. Collect your needed utensils - Towels, paper towels, 2 jars of water ( 1 hot + 1 cold ), Johnson's baby shampoo, and of course your make up bag  

2. Start with your brushes as they will take the longest to dry.

 3. Squirt a little of baby shampoo in the hot water jar ( large mason jars are perfect for this) and give your brushes a good scrub.

 4. Rinse + sometimes repeat. :-)

5. Pat your brushes dry with a paper towel, squeezing out the excess water. 

6. Lay out your brushes to dry - *depending on the thickness and type of brush they could take up to 24 hours to dry. Plan accordingly ladies :) 

7. Empty out the rest of your eye shadows, blushes, lipsticks, etc..take a damp paper towel and give them all a little scrub. Most importantly, don't forget to take your actual bag and dump + scrub out all that gooeyness :-) Lay everything out on towels to air dry. 

8. And if you haven't already noticed in previous shots :-) your face will thank you!!!

good habits, ladies :-) good habits. 

xo . jess 

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.