Grinning Like An Idiot

This added an instant dose of happy to my morning coffee.

An Open Letter To the World At Christmas

Hello Fellow Citizens of the World, 



Newsflash: Times are tough. 


I know it seems for some of us that the weight of a multitude of problems is threatening to crush every ounce of joy from what is supposed to be the hap-hap-happiest of seasons. My message to you is simple: despair not. This too shall pass... I am sure of this with every ounce of my being. Do your best to keep your chin up... it's worth it. It's always worth it. 


People have spent eons waxing poetic on the themes of 'Tomorrow is another day' and 'the only thing to fear is fear itself'. For those that are suffering, this seems like ill comfort, and, yet, I will always have faith in the basic human ability to endure and thrive in times of hardship. 

This year I've been reading a lot about the pioneers. Let's look to them as our role models of perseverance and strength. I remember as a child reading about Laura Ingalls' Christmas on the Kansas Prairie. That year she received a penny, a tin cup and a stick of candy for Christmas from a kind neighbor who risked his life to make sure she got something from Santa Claus. Not only was that enough, it was everything. 


I recently spoke to my parents about Christmases from our past, and my mom recalled how poor we were and how down she used to feel while worrying about how they were going to get presents for my brother and I. I remember none of this. I remember how excited I was over a Muppet Babies keyboard and a coloring book. It doesn't take much to make a child happy. We should all remember this. 

I hope with all my heart that your Christmas holds some small piece of this kind of magic... it is magic that doesn't come from gifts, Christmas trees and candy, but from knowing that you are loved and treasured by those around you. There is no way to anticipate what the new year will bring, but have faith that it will be good. And remember, as the song goes, 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your hearts be light. Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.' 

Have a Merry Christmas my fellow pioneers. 

Sincerely,
Jess

First Five

We're doing this again, because fuckfuckfuckityfuck I'm busy. Why do these people think I should be working when i'm at work!?  What a grand gang of assholes.

Kidding, of course.  I love my job... especially the paycheck part.

So the game is that these are the first five songs that came up on my iPod this morning... presented with as little commentary or explanation as possible.

I know... it's kind of lame, but it's all I've got right now.  Deal with it, mother truckers.

1. JJ Jackson - But It's Alright

2. Graham Coxon - Bittersweet Bundle of Misery

3. The King's Singers - Annie Laurie

 I couldn't find the version by The King's Singers on YouTube, but this is similar.

4. Duke Ellington - It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

5. The Ting Tings - Great DJ

Once again... this exercise has accurately depicted what a total and absolute nerd I am.  I mean... Annie Laurie sung by a choir??  Am I 72 years old?

Well I must run...I have some reruns of Matlock to watch while eating Werther's Originals.

Check you later, pals!

Please Do All of the Work and I Shall Take All of the Credit

You guys, I need some help/opinions.

In less than 40 days I will be on a cruise ship on my way to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.  I'm just a little bit excited... actually I'm like this:

Because of these SANTAAAA levels of excitement I'm already planning what I will be packing... especially what I will be packing to wear on the two formal nights on the cruise.

Here's the thing... my adult/semi-adult life has an amazing dearth of opportunities to play dress up.  I'm not married, I didn't go to prom,  and I've never even been a bridesmaid. So when I get to dress up for something I get pretty carried away with the planning.

Now I'm not planning to go Full Dynasty on formal night.

Although, let's be honest, if money were no object you better believe this shit would happen.

Instead I'm going for a more boho glamour look... we'll call it Champagne and Hippies.

The first formal night outfit is pretty much fait accompli... I'm keeping it simple: Black cocktail dress, black open toed heels, hair up with something sparkly in my hair to vajazzle it up a little (I'm not going to get vajazzled, you guys... I'm talking about the hair on my head... ew).

So I need some opinions on accessories and hair for the second dress.

I'm wearing this:

It's much more of a rust color than the pumpkin orange in this photo. And the beading on the cuffs is gold, not shiny gold... more of a dull finish gold.

I'm wearing black opaque tights and, most likely, these shoes:

These are from Target, and they were pretty comfortable which is a priority for me.  I have a very low tolerance for hurt-y feet.

Originally I was thinking of wearing a long necklace with a large pendant of some sort, but now I'm wondering if I would prefer wearing big (like Dynasty big) gold chandelier earrings.  I have an aversion to wearing a big necklace with big earrings... I prefer to pick either/or.  OR what about a shorter necklace... like a bold, bib style.

Like this one from Forever 21? $8, you guys!

Also I'm cheap... very, very cheap.

Any ideas?

Read This!

Holy Shit... heart palpitations... so busy... read this... we'll chat later.

The 50s Housewife Project at Jen But Never Jenn.

P.S. My blog could be called 'Jess But Never Jessie'

I Won't Quit My Day Job

Like most all white girls of my generation, I enjoy taking photos. Because of this I sometimes like to swap my endearingly-nerdy-trucker-hat persona for my oohlala-pretentious-artiste-beret persona... metaphorically speaking, of course (I don't own, nor would I ever own, a trucker hat. Blech).

I can't draw, as I have very clearly demonstrated,  so my artistic expression tends more towards the photography vein... mostly out of necessity.

I am not that great, guys.  I am the Tiny Tim of photographers, and Photoshop is my crutch (I think in this metaphor my inability to understand aperture is my tiny withered foot).  But, hey, it's fun and gets my creative mojo going.

Most of these are pretty old.  I haven't really used my camera in over a year (most expensive paperweight ever)... probably because while I was laid off last year I shut off my internet, and, you guys, what is the point of taking photos if you can't force everyone on the internet machine to look at them? I mean, really?

Basically, I'm sharing these in order to somehow trick myself into being motivated to take more.  Why I need to be tricked into doing something I enjoy I do not know or understand... such are the mysteries of me, I guess.

First, my pug Henry (the best dog model ever):

 

Some photos from a trip to Savannah, GA:

   

 

 

And some random bits and bats (aka If You Take A Picture of Something (Anything) Really Close Up, It's Totes Art, You Guys):

 

Maybe I should break out the old DSLR and do one of those 30 Photos, 30 days challenge thingamajigs? That might really cut into my sitting on my ass watching re-runs of Criminal Minds time, though.  Dilemmas.

Spinderella, Cut It Up One Time. Mmhmm.

Still obnoxiously busy... still convinced adulthood is a giant crock.

These are the first five songs that came up on my iPod this morning presented with as little commentary or explanation as possible.

1. The Chiffons - Dream, Dream, Dream

(Note: Okay this video is atrocious, but it's the only one I could find for this song.  This artwork looks like something Christopher Walken's 'The Continental' character from SNL would have in his apartment.  My personal favorite is the painting of the topless woman erupting from a volcano!)

2. They Might Be Giants - Spiraling Shape

3. Lady Gaga (featuring Beyonce) - Telephone

4. The Jam - News of the World

5. Salt N Pepa - Let's Talk About Sex

And you know what, this exercise has done a better job of explaining me than any amount of writing about myself could ever accomplish.

Folks, have a great weekend!