A Rainy Day

Welp...it may of not been a Fall day, but it was for sure a gloomy, wild and crazy weather day. It went from a sunshiny day to a hurricane-ish day within seconds. I actually enjoyed the change of scenery (no sunshine for once) until we lost power...for 3 hours. Dang it...cuddling with myself watching a movie was now out of the picture. (side note: my hubby was at a commercial shoot all weekend or I would of cuddled with him) The pups loved playing outside right before the storm hit, and then watching the storm from inside.(side note: Penny loved the rain, thunder and lightening, but Lily was under the bed once it started booming)

Once the power turned on...the sun came out...my hubby came home...we ordered Chinese and had a wonderful Saturday evening! Hope you all had a great weekend! 

xo, Jess

2 Years A Wifey

Yesterday my Hubby and I celebrated 2 years of marriage! Whoo hoo!

Our first year of marriage was a bit tough on us. I was in a job that made me miserable for most of our 1^st year of marriage so there was some tension and stress in our relationship and even more so when I quit and was unemployed for 3 months. We went through a horrible rental home situation, that left us pretty much broke for a few months. But even though we went through a bit of a rough 1^st year because of these things, going through them has made our 2^nd year of marriage that much better, I started a job that I love and we live in a super awesome rental home that we just adore!

I have had so much fun this 2^nd year of marriage and just can’t wait for what is to come in the many, many, many forever more years! I love you hubby, thank you for being my Anchor!

xo,Jess

Grandpa's Chili

The hardest part of living in Arizona for me is not the heat, but the lack of seasons. Yes, it cools down in Fall & Winter, but there are no crisp Autumn days surrounded by beautiful trees with leaves in every warm color tone. I MISS MIDWEST FALL!!! I just want a damn crisp Fall day! Since that is not going to happen anytime soon I decided to just pretend it was a cool crisp day...inside by cranking the AC, putting on a sweater and cooking up some chili. 

The only chili I ever had growing up was my Grandpa's Chili. I never met my mom's dad, he passed away while my mom was pregnant with me. I always feel like when I make his chili that I did meet him and it is really special to me. It really is the best chili and my mom may kill me for sharing his secret recipe, but I think the world deserves to have a taste! So here it is world, you're welcome! 

I hope you enjoy as much as my family and I do! 

xo, Jess

DIY Tea Light Makeover

Last Monday AZ was hit with a CRAY CRAY, record breaking rain storm that turned highways into lakes and most stranded inside, like myself, unable to make the commute into work. Since I had this unplanned, unexpected day off, I decided to make the most out of it and have myself a DIY day! 

I noticed that my little clear Ikea tea light holders where looking as dreary as the weather and they were in need of a makeover stat! I already had spray paint at home, I used RUST-OLEUM Satin in Heirloom White and did about 2 coats on top and bottom. I let them dry a few hour and then decorated them using a Sharpie Paint Pen in Gold. Easy-peasy!

I also have been looking for a little ring holder for when I take my wedding ring and bands off and one of these lil cuties was the perfect fit.

It ended up being a nice little cozy craft day despite the weather! 

xo, Jess

Craft & Cocktail

I love doing crafts & trying new cocktails, so why not do both at the same time...especially on a weekend night. So that is exactly what I did this weekend, I made myself a cocktail(s) and crafted a new set of bookends! 

I had been searching for the perfect set of bookends in the wonderful world of Goodwill & thrift shops for quite some time. Little did I know that a purchase from my recent Goodwill Hunting trip, a ah-hah moment, a can of spray paint, and a melon cocktail later...my search for bookends had ended...no pun intended. 

Here is the how it happened. To my surprise trophies are really easy to take apart. I just took the thing apart unscrewing it with my hands, kept the marble bottom, spray painted the girls red with Krylon Colormaster in Banner Red | Gloss, re-screwed the girls to the marble bottom and called it a day(night) which was needed after a few of those melon cocktails...delicious, but dangerous.

This craft was super easy and I really love the end result. I just love that sometimes you have no idea what you are going to do with a new impulsive GW buy, but create exactly what you had been searching for!  

Cheers to a successful crafts & cocktails night! 

xo, Jess 

Goodwill Hunting

I have an addiction. I am addicted to Goodwill hunting, not the amazing movie, but the store. I get so much joy from visiting the various Goodwill's around the Valley. When I haven't been to a Goodwill in over a week I seriously get withdraws. It is not so much that I just love shopping, because honestly sometimes(rarely) I leave empty handed, but hunting and finding all the little gems that people have given away not knowing the hidden potential they hold.

I would say about half of our home is decorated and furnished with items from Goodwill that I have either re-done or just cleaned up, given some TLC. That is why I love Goodwill, some of the items are either brand-new or just in need of a new paint job. 

The above image is my Goodwill hunting trip last week which was a total score in my book! 

First off all the total of this Goodwill hunting trip was $11.00, after donating $1.00~ BOOM BABY...why does that need a BOOM BABY you ask?!?!? Here are the dets...

• 2 swimming trophies with the potential to be created into something amaze-balls 

• Super-duper cute chicken wire basket with wooden handles...oh.the.posibblities for    decorating in every season/holiday....I can just picture it now, table centerpiece with little pumpkins & gourds for this Fall...ahhh love it!

• 2 brand new bags of Pier 1 Glass Gems, in my favorite warm color palette of golds, endless craft project possibilities and decorating. I already have something in mind that has to do with an ampersand. 

• 5 cute little clear tea-cups...that I have a vision for, just think...chandelier & tea lights. 

• Brand new set of Yarka Professional Artist Natural Hair Brush Set 

• Brand new set of Holbein Artists' Water colors 18 color set. *Side Note: I was a fine arts major,  so I am always looking for great art supplies, and this & the brushes was a great find! 

• Little plastic paint palette that will work perfect for lots of craft/art projects I do

• Not shown in the image, but I got a set of never opened set of 50 Matte White, Textured Note Cards, which I will probably be decorating with my new water color set.

When I came home with the items above my husband said to me "What the F Jess...what the hell are you gonna do with some shitty ass trophies & teacups?!!?"  To be honest I really didn't have a f'in clue, but that is how I work. I get a feeling something has potential, it just hasn't come to me yet, but I know it will be amaze-balls! *Side Note: I did create something awesome over the weekend with the trophies...which you will see in my next post! Boo yah HUBBY! 

Another successful Goodwill hunting trip I'd say & for all those other Goodwill addicts, happy hunting! 

xo, Jess

New Journey

Blogging is my new personal and creative outlet – a place to express my thoughts and inspirations. I’m excited to begin this journey, and so looking forward to sharing my life with anyone who wants to join me! 

xo, Jess