Deep Thoughts. Pft.

Since I'm on vacation, I appear to have oodles of time to sit for hours (and I do), pontificating on the things that puzzle me.

Yesterday's list of things. I kid you not. (This is actually embarrassing, why am I posting this!?)...

1. Smiling with bottom teeth showing or not? I think it's more attractive on some if bottom teeth show a little...However, if you think too much about it you might end up looking mental... so forget it.

2. Letting my hair just do what it wants? This year I took on a regular interest in straightening and/or curling my hair with a big curling iron. It looked nice, but now, I'm over it. I'm just going to let my curls be free and frizzed out if they choose to be. If I consequently look less put together and more disheveled then so be it. Maybe that's who I really am anyway.

3. Is letting my hair be free symbolic of my new attitude of life in general? I think so, yeah.

Here's some pics of my hair doing it's own thing.




In addition to releasing a bit of my wild side in the form of my hair, I've taken up knitting. I cannot be stopped.

This is seriously what enrichment is all about. All you enrichment craft haters don't know what you're missing.



If it looks like I'm sweating, well, it's b/c I was.



Cheese.



The beginnings of something great.

rediscovering the past.

Back in the day, before adolescent insecurity made its mark, I was an openly enthusiastic artist. I was never without pen in hand, drawings on paper, and ideas on the brain. I intrinsically knew that I was talented, but I was also reinforced with much praise and awards. I felt special. I had an eye for what looked good; it was natural for me. My peers always came to me for input and help with their posters or projects. Adults often asked for my help too.

At home, my mom was my biggest advocate. She was forever having me make her posters for PTA or church. The best thing was that she allowed me to rearrange furniture in the house, paint and express my creativity on a grand scale. I was free to make my room completely my own and change it as often as I wanted.

However, there were adults who did not encourage me. My wish was to attend the Art Institute of Seattle for Interior Design. Role models that I looked to for guidance discouraged me saying I should spend my time developing more worthy endeavors. Art students were not celebrated in my school. They were those with extreme fashion choices and rebellious dispositions, who ended up in remedial math. Art was a hobby, not something to go to college for and certainly not a career. I figured that my talents weren't worthy. I envied my friends and their left-brained ways. I was a good student, by no means a slacker, but I wished to be more like them. I decided I needed to find a more productive pursuit...

Years later, with a Biology degree, a minor in chemistry and a minor in Spanish, I'm wondering how I might do things differently if I could go back. On the one hand, I'm terribly proud of myself of what I've just accomplished. Biology and chemistry are hard, and I stuck with it. Good job, me.

On the other, if I could go back and talk to pre-scientist Jessica, I might tell her to listen to her heart and trust herself... Do what you really want to do without worrying.

I have done a lot of wonderful things since graduating high school...

I moved to VA.



I lived in Spain twice...



I learned how to Flamenco dance



I saw the Eiffle Tower



I filled up ~12 journals and read some good books.



But I would say...the grand and gross majority of my time has been doing stuff that I'm neither excellent in, nor do I enjoy much. For what?

Somebody asked me relatively recently what I was passionate about.... I couldn't remember. I must have muttered something about ...something... and walked away feeling like a loser. Since then, I haven't stopped thinking about it, and asking myself questions about every aspect of my life...but mainly this:

Is there something that I love that I never get bored thinking about or frustrated with...and could just do indefinitely? Do I have a pAssioN?? ...

For nearly 2 weeks, I haven't had to think about exams or starting a new semester or working. (I've been taking classes full time even in summers and working non stop for five years, I'm strictly on vacation now). I've been able to just do what I want to do, distantly pondering in the back of my mind what's next for me...

So how have I been filling my time?
watching every show on HGTV: Curb Appeal, Color Splash, House Hunters, Designed to Sell, Carter Can, etc, etc, etc...
Hello Carter Oosterhouse....


Watching anything related to home design on TLC...
Pouring over design blogs and magazines...
Aimlessly wandering around furniture stores like Arhaus ...




Lastly, telling everybody that I'm pursuing a job at home depot...



Anyways. As you might know, along the way, I developed an interest in dentistry. I'm no longer on that path per se. Instead, I am going to do the 2 year hygiene program. It's a practical move as I have student loans to take care of and I can't just drop everything now and become some free lance land scape artist... So what of my newly rediscovered passion? Well, I'm going to do that too. You'll see. It feels pretty good.



P.S. good for u if you read through this entire blog! Longest blog ever!

Best cookies. Ever.

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract



Make sure the flour is sifted.
Mix the dry stuff.
Mix the wet stuff.
Mix the dry stuff into the wet stuff.
Bake at 350 Degrees for however long you want depending if you like em soft of hard; Mine go in for 20 minutes.



AND my favorite part! Frosting!

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Make sure the powdered sugar is sifted.
Mix it up.
Put some food coloring in it.
Go nuts.





P.S. The quality of the ingredients is the secret. All mine came from Trader Joe's-organic and natural. DElisH.

For the LOvE!

What's that saying? "A picture is worth a thousand words"? K. So, I won't have to explain the following photos.

I'm in a better mood today.






Thanks, baby.

unmet expectations

Oh, the joys of womanhood! I do enjoy being of the female variety. I love the pampering, primping, moisturizing, painting and styling. I live for girl's night when my girlies and I get together to laugh, talk and indulge non-stop. I even and especially embrace that which is typically "expected" of women; the cooking and cleaning and nurturing. I love being a woman... about 3/4ths of the time. Yesiree... about 3 solid weeks out of the month, I'm just tickled pink.
Then for a good seven days I'm not.
I swear, even when I think I'm paying attention, that dreadful week of mood swings sneaks up on me still. Those pesky hormones trick me into behave morbidly irrational. I get uber emotional over normally mild inconveniences. I feel justified in my anger and tears...It's real. Eventually, it occurs to me that perhaps I am, in fact, hormonal. Unfortunately, it usually comes a beat and 1/2 too late. No doubt, by that point, I have openly moped, complained, blamed, cried and lashed out. Basically, your proverbial pit of despair.

Yep. That'd be me today.

and it's bed time.

gooooodnight.

a new creation

In my now mid-twenties, I have finally taken up cooking (for real this time-As in, branching out from french toast, spaghetti...etc.) I've been easing myself in for the past year. However, as of late, I've been cooking more regularly and being more creative. If I do say so myself, I am getting good at it, and I really like it. I feel like I have a good knowledge of what flavors taste good together, and I can whip things together with less anxiety and more confidence...
Here's a recipe that I spontaneously created today for lunch...
It was super delicious, but don't get too excited, it was also probably super fattening. Who cares.

Let's call it a Chipotle Ranch Chicken Wrap

Here's how to do it.
Cover your skillet in olive oil. Get it nice n hot around 7 on the dial.
Fry up some cubed potatoes till crispy
Add a breast of cubed chicken and turn the heat down to 5 or medium-ish.
When the chicken is pretty much cooked through add cut up mushrooms
When the mushrooms are looking good, add a big handful of Arugula
When the Arugula is wilted it's ready to put in your wrap.

Note: As you're cooking, don't worry about the potatoes, the crispier they are the better, watch your chicken though so it doesn't get too dry. You'll wanna add your vegetable ingredients right at the end as your chicken is nearly ready b/c the veggies don't take long to cook.

Dump contents onto a lime and habanero flavored tortilla that has ranch and chipotle sauce smeared all over it... Roll it up and heartily consume. Delish.


Taa DAh!!!



Next time, when I'm making this for Clint, I'll probably add cheese and siracha sauce (since he can't eat practically anything without cheese and I can't eat practically anything without siracha).... I've decided that this is part of the fun of cooking; making something good and figuring out how to tweak it for next time to make it better or different... You could even forgo the wrap and just make it a salad with the ranch/chipotle sauce as a dressing.


If you haven't introduced your palate to this miracle condiment, now is the time.
It literally goes on anything savory.