just jecca

my plea.

2010-07-06T01:04:00.002-04:00

please, don't stop loving me or following me even though i am a delinquent blogger. i have been out of town a lot in the past few weeks on all sorts of adventures. i'll blog about them soon and i'll post some super sweet pictures as well. deepest apologies, bloggy buds. my charge to you is to remain faithful in your following and don't lose heart, because i'll post soon and very soon. (seriously)

thank you.

one super sunday.

2010-06-13T22:33:00.004-04:00

I spent the afternoon with Tahnee and Matt. Matt and I have been trying to hang out for a year now, and he's getting ready to move back to Colorado at the end of the month--so today was kindof our last hoorah. We ate lunch at Cheddar's and came back to the house for popsicles, bracelet-making and sprinkler fun.

Later, Pop got all his hairs cut off. We brought out the ruler to make sure it was long enough to donate to Locks of Love, and it was actually 12 inches long. Yeehaw!

Happy Sunday, bloggy buds. I hope today was a great start to the week coming up! I'll be leaving on Thursday morning for the Navajo Reservation outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. I'm going with the youth group from First Church to do Vacation Bible School, community outreach and all kinds of other fun and crazy things. I'll definitely post pictures when I get back, but there will definitely be no blogging while I'm there...just so you know. =)

craft collaboration.

2010-05-31T23:05:00.000-04:00

One day on my lunch break at work, I came up with the idea of a craft collaboration/swap. I immediately texted Ham and asked if he would be interested in the idea. The premise of the swap was to pick a theme and a deadline. Each person would use whatever medium to make whatever they chose to represent the theme. This left all kinds of room for personal preference and creative license. After much deliberation (?), Ham chose the theme "squirrel". We set the deadline, we pushed the deadline back a bit and we pushed the deadline back again. Finally, the day came for the swap. I hand-delivered this little beauty to Ham in PA.

His hands had snaps on them which snapped onto a coffee cup and a heart that I also made. This little critter has endured some cruel criticism from some of my co-workers during its creation. One co-worker claimed that squirrels were not grey. Oh mercy, Thanks T for clearing this up. Another co-worker repeatedly called him a "squabbit" because it looked more like a rabbit than a squirrel. Regardless of the criticism, Squirrelly slowly but surely came to life. (Ham might have named him something else... I just called him Squirrelly.)

You might be wondering about Ham's part of the swap...well, you'll have to keep wondering. I'll post his half soon. =)

I'm open to more crafty collaboration/swaps. Let me know if you're interested. I won't be able to do more than one at a time, but I doubt I'll get that much feedback.

Lerv to you, bloggy buds.

Happy almost-June and happy crafting!

jec

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four: EIGHT.

2010-05-31T12:26:00.008-04:00

This morning I woke up and joined Ma and Pop in the living room with (quite) a large cup of coffee. After a while, Ma said she had an idea of something that me and Pop could do today. She said, "Keven, tell her!", but Pop wouldn't tell me because it was Ma's idea. Finally Ma said, "You and dad should go for a ride on the motorcycle!!!"

(cue the sweet sound of angels singing)

AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

I was super stoked (and still am)! I've always wanted to ride on the back of a motorcyle, but for some reason or another I was never able to do it.

After breakfast, I donned my motorcycle-riding outfit...

my best motorcyle-riding face...
and my super sweet helmet.
After a few motorcycle-riding pointers from Pop, we rode off into sheer motorcycle-riding bliss.
At first, I was nervous and I held on to Pop super tight. But I got really comfortable, really quick.

Thanks, Pop!!!! Number EIGHT on my list was SUPER SUPER SUPER FUN (and a bit scary also).

Lerv!

rope swing.

2010-05-16T16:26:00.007-04:00

It was such a beautiful day today. After church, I sat outside in the sun while eating my salad for lunch. When Hosh and Rach came back to the house after their lunch, Hosh decided to build a rope swing (!!!).

Hosh and Pop wrestled with actually getting the rope up into the tree for a while. Verrrrryyyy entertaining. =)
Once they finally got the rope up in the tree, Hosh went to work on some great knot skills.

We ultimately decided that a wooden board would do better for swinging...

RACHELLLL!!!!

(The following pictures of me might not be the most flattering pictures of all time, but they show a truly happy Jecca. I felt like a care-free child on that dang rope swing!)

(check out that rattie blowin' in the wind...)

The perfect afternoon ended with a trip to Rita's (and just a few more swings after we got back to the house).

I hope your Sunday was fabulous as well. I had such a fun time with Hosh and Rach today!

Lerv to the max, I'm really feeling it.

jec

mileage contest winner.

2010-05-10T21:49:00.004-04:00

Congratulations,

T-Diddy!!!

You won the mileage guessing contest!!

With a guess of 260 miles, T was only 8.2 miles off (official count: 268.2 miles). I was surprised at how few guessers participated in this contest, because it was probably the easiest one ever. All you had to do, and I'm sure T figured this out, was to Mapquest round-trip directions to my workplace from my house and then multiply by 5. Sooooo anywayyyyssssss....

Congrats, T! I'll drop your Wawa card in the mail tomorrow. =)

more.

2010-05-09T00:57:00.001-04:00

(I found these gems on my tele the other day. I forgot about them, but they go with the pictures from last weekend.)

lerv.

contest (!!!) #2.

2010-05-07T20:08:00.004-04:00

Greetings, bloggy buds!!! I have a new and exciting contest for you!!!

(what's that? too many exclamation points already? yes? ok. sorry.)

Ma got a new car last weekend, and I got to test-drive hers this week to see whether I wanted to keep hers or just stick with my trusty Honda (<--love her). I love Ma's car and have driven it before, but I've never driven it for an extended period of time. It also has a bigger gas tank than my Honda annnndddddd I sort of forgot to pay attention to it.

Ruh roh!!! This is how I rode, at least partially, home from work today.

Rewind back to the beginning of this week. At the start of my test-drive, I reset the odometer to calculate how many miles I could go on one tank of gas. Well, the tank lasted me (just barely) through the end of my work week (annndddddd here's where the contest comes in).

You have until the end of Sunday to guess how many miles I have traveled to and from work this week (Mon-Fri). With a little detective work, I'm sure you could get really close on this one. So, have at it!

[Just so we're all clear... entries must be submitted via bloggy comment by Monday, May 10th, 2010 at 12:00am. Closest guess (above or below) will win. The winner will be announced Monday evening and the prize will be sent out on Tuesday.]

The prize for this one will be a $10 Wawa gift card--and the winner would be wise to purchase some gasoline (but the good Lord knows that if I won this contest I'd go straightaway and buy some coffee)!

Happy guessing, bloggers! and have a good weekend!

[I found a couple more pictures from this weekend that I might post a bit later =)]

lerv.

jecca

whirl-wind weekend.

2010-05-04T21:28:00.006-04:00

This past weekend I took a quick trip up to Filthadelphia to visit my loves. Sweet T was in the school's musical and Ham is going to Utah all summer (which means I won't see him til August!). With all the activities, I forgot to take out my camera a lot buttttt I did manage to snap a few shots here and there.

(the boys longboarding)

(family after T's musical)

(an incredible feat of Barley's strength)

(precious Kieran!!! with the boys [so sweet!])

So there you have it. I had an awesome weekend. I didn't want to come home. I might've cried just a bit. (Ok, ok. I cried enough that my manager commented on my puffy face the next day at work. I can't help it. I wouldn't cry if I didn't love them so much and miss being with them. Oy.)

I'm not sure when the next post will be or what it will be of. (<--Am I not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition? Is that a preposition?) Hopefully I'll think of something to post soon, but until then...

lerv to the max.

jecca

a spring of the past.

2010-05-03T21:28:00.003-04:00

i sit on the lawn

while humming a song

as life goes on without me

a week of wardrobe. take three.

2010-04-25T18:11:00.007-04:00

I'd like to start this blog-post off by saying that this week's outfit pictures are not my best work. However, although some of the pictures suck (yucky composition, strange faces, awkward angles), I'm excited to present to you the third edition of my Week of Wardrobe.

Let us begin.

.:.:.Sunday.:.:.

(photos courtesy of Ma)

scarf: CHKD Thrift Store Newport News, VA. glasses: Urban Outfitters. shrug: Forever 21 clearance. little black dress: Old Navy. sandals: Target.

Pictures from today show two main things about Jecca. #1. I am a goob. #2. I love climbing trees (or anything really).

My best friend since birth, AB, was in town this weekend. We hung out on Saturday night, got coffee and reconnected with a dear old friend. It was amazing, but it left me a wee bit (to be read "extremely") tired on Sunday. Thank goodness for versatile wardrobe staples and a church that never starts on time.

.:.:.Monday.:.:.

(photos courtesy of Hosh)

brown polka dot dress: Goodwill Thrift Store Hampton, VA. pink ballerina flats: Wal-Mart.
I was boxing in the picture above... obviously. The old men that come into the credit union love this dress. I don't know what it is about it.

.:.:.Tuesday.:.:.

(photo courtesy of Ma)

dress and shrug: Dress Barn. pink ballerina flats: Wal-Mart.

Good gravy. My hair is crunk in this picture, and I'm posing in front of the television as my father watched some sort of car show. I had just put on a fashion show for Ma and Nini, as is often the case when I get new clothes. (Ma took me out on Saturday for a bit of shopping in celebration of my full-time status at the credit union as of the beginning of March!! woot woot!)

.:.:.Wednesday.:.:.

(photo courtesy of Ma)

pink cashmere sweater: Gap. black tank: Torrid. scarf: gift from Ma- Arcadia, Maine. jeans: Old Navy. grey/black ballerina flats: PayLess? (I can't really remember.)

This outfit successfully made the transition from work to youth group with a swap of the pants. It's super comfortable and I was super thankful.

.:.:.Thursday.:.:.

(photos courtesy of Hosh)

black button-down: hand-me-down/Old Navy. skirt: DAV Thrift Store Newport News, VA. pink ballerina flats: Wal-Mart.

Do I feel like Vanna White in this picture? Yes. Was that what I was going for? Of course. (I love Hosh's new ride.) Is this skirt slightly over-sized and possibly an awkward length? Yes. Was there a method to this skirt-choosing madness? Of course. (April 15th marked the beginning of the credit union's Summer Dress Code, and that means NO HOSE if your skirt or dress is mid-calf length or longer!!! Bring on the awkward skirt lengths!)

.:.:.Friday.:.:.

(photo courtesy of Ma)

white shrug: Dress Barn. black tank: American Eagle. grey ruffle top: Gap. black pants: H&M. gold shoes: Shoe Carnival.

On Fridays, I usually wear credit union apparel so I don't have to pick out an outfit. We only get to wear company shirts on Fridays and some of them are actually quite relaxed and comfortable buttttt I felt like dressing up today annnndddddd I had a job interview at work. So this outfit seemed to be the obvious and most appropriate choice.

.:.:.Saturday.:.:.

(photos courtesy of Ma)

tablecloth button-down: "Thrift Store" Newport News, VA. jeans: Wal-Mart. Vans shoes: Plato's Closet. black fake leather belt: H&M (it came on the pants from Friday).
Hosh's band, Westbound, was supposed to have a show on Saturday night in Norfolk, VA buttt it got canceled at the last minute. Ugh. Major disappointment all around. I did, however, get to go to the Spring Fling with Regs and Addie at our old church. It was nice to see some old friends there. Later we went out with a big part of the crew to Salsa's (food was sooo good) and then to Regs' house. Great night with great friends (but we all would've loved it just a bit more if the show had still been on).

.:.:.Sunday.:.:.

(photo courtesy of Ma)

AZ tee: "Dollar Store" in Tuba City, AZ. plaid pants: Old Navy (from T-Diddy [one of my most prized possessions]). Minnetonka: DSW. Muffler King hat: true vintage.

Just for kicks and giggles (and because this post is long overdue), I decided to include an extra day. This is my usual sewing-crafting outfit/socially acceptable pajamas. Yes, that is a horrifically scary parrot on the wall of our beach-themed kitchen behind me. I have learned to ignore it. And yes, I am doing dips on the kitchen counter. I do what I can.

Lerv lerv lerv to you, bloggy buds.

Thanks for reading and following. I'm working on some projects and posts that should be coming up soon!!!

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four: SEVEN.

2010-04-24T23:53:00.005-04:00

Long time no bloggy. My apologies, dear readers.

I completed another 'significant thing' a couple weeks ago, and I haven't blogged it yet. Shame on Jecca!!! butttttt here it is! I've been thinking about this one for a while and just haven't done it (or gotten it done). Can you see number SEVEN in the picture below?

No? Not that obvious?....Hmm. How about this one?
Still not so sure? What's that? Silver boogers? Yes, thank you. I know.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I got my septum pierced. It was a lovely Sunday afternoon when Hosh, D. Noble, J. Claus, A. Yeargin, E. Something, J. Ludwig and I decided to go to lunch at Chipotle in the mall. As we were waiting in line, I decided I really wasn't feeling the food options. I told Hosh that I was going to check out the prices down at Urban Xchange, and then we could go down together once he was finished eating. Welllll, once I got down to the other end of the mall and was told how much it would be, I said, "Let's do it." I texted Hosh right before she put the needle through and he got there as I was sitting up after everything was done. (I'm proud that I did it by myself, without a squeezing-hand. =])

There have been mixed reviews from friends, family and acquaintances. When Ma saw it, she said, "Jeccaaaaa. Why?" Pop said, "I see." Mamba said it was BA. Hosh loves it (duh, see picture below).

Woot woot! Seven significant things and 4.5 months down, sixteen significant things and 7.5 months to go. As always, I'm taking suggestions. Please note, however, I will not be freeing zoo animals or making a mockery of myself (hopefully). Those are not pleasant significant things. (I don't like animals, and who likes looking like a fool?) =)

Lots of lerv.

***Special shout-out to my PBU people! You're getting close to the end! You can do it. Finish strong. When all else fails, ask yourself "What Would Jecca Do?" You know the answer. (Take a trip to Wawa...duh!)***

******Annnndddddd be on the lookout for a Week of Wardrobe post in the next couple days!!!******

it's wednesday.

2010-04-21T22:52:00.003-04:00

i'm alive and busy, and i'm sorry i haven't blogged in a while. i'm working on a 'week of wardrobe' post and a few other things to be blogged soon (hopefully).

i've been going through a bit of a rough/blah patch here. i've been encouraged though and i'm looking forward to starting a new chapter/challenge/life. ugh. one step after the other. one prayer at a time.

(thanks to all who pray for me on the regular. i know some of you do and your commitment is a blessing. thanks also to those precious friends who are always 'on-call'. i'm tempted to call you my 'life-savers', but i know it's God through you. your faithfulness is truly encouraging.)

so here i go. step one.

lerv above all.

jec.

coffee contest winner.

2010-04-11T10:01:00.003-04:00

With a guess of 324oz., Georgina has won the coffee contest!!!

The official ounce count came to 336oz. with an average of 48oz. per day.

Attagirl, George!!! Your Buckies card will be in the mail tomorrow.

Thanks to all my bloggy buds and to all who participated in my coffee contest! Perhaps I'll have to think up a new contest for the near future.

Lerv above all.

(The Fleet Foxes are playing, the coffee is flowing, and I am working on a squirrel.) =)

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four: SIX.

2010-04-05T22:07:00.013-04:00

This sixth 'significant thing' was quite significant (...like mega). For some reason, I made this project over-complicated at times, and I had to set it aside more than once for the sake of my sanity. However, with coffee and the Fleet Foxes as my constant companions, I finally completed my sixth significant thing...

Barley's Knickers!!!

These knickers started out as a pair of Dickies' from a Goodwill in Langhorne, PA and a twinkle in Barley's eye. When I visited in February, I brought them home with me to start the transformation.

T-Diddy helped me out a couple times (thank you!) with measurements, because these were mostly a surprise. I also had just a few random measurements from Barley to work with. From those, I decided to cut off about 8" from the bottom of each pant leg. I deconstructed those legs and used the fabric from them to make cuffs.

After taking the front and back panels apart from the cut-off pant legs, I ironed the pieces and seamed them together to make a longer piece for the cuffs.

Hosh agreed to try on the knickers probably twice during the process. He's closer to Barley's size than I am, but let me tell you...he is NOT a fan of straight pins. I begged and begged him though a couple times and got him to help a sista out! After he tried them on the first time, I marked the inseams and slimmed the legs up a bit.

From the time I started these knickers, I knew I wanted to include a couple things, and some hand-stitching was one of them. Something about embroidery is really fun for me (I say as I look longingly at a current project featuring just that). I don't like patterns (I HATE patterns), so I don't use them when I stitch things. This first part ("Barle") took all of about 10 minutes.

The "Y", as you can see, posed more of a problem. I just wasn't happy with it the first two times I stitched it. (Yes, I tore out the "Y" twice before I decided I liked it.)

After I finished the cuffs and made (sort of) slits in the outsides of the legs, I pinned the cuffs onto the bottom. This was difficult...flat cuffs, curved pant leg. Ha.

This picture was taken in my car on one of my lunch breaks at work. By the middle of this project, I had a kit all put together to take back and forth with me wherever I was headed so I could work on it during my spare time. During this particular time, I was sewing on buttons. I didn't leave any of the original buttons on the pants.

The night before I sent the knickers on their way to Perkasie to find Barley at home, I put them on and took a few pictures, just in case this was the last time I saw them. =)

This is Nessie and he is way cooler than the Dickies' label that was there before I ripped it off. Also, this was copied from one of Barley's tattoos.

Finally, after over a month and a half of having these pants in my possession, the knickers are successfully complete and with their rightful owner.

Barley wore the knickers today (!) and sent me the following pictures as well as the following texties throughout the day. =)
Barley (10:24 am): THEY FIT GREAT

Jecca (10:28 am): Woot woot! I'm so happy.

Barley (10:30 am) Im so freakin sexy today. Holy crow.

Barley (11:41 am): These are so comfy!!! :]

Jecca (11:46 am): I slimmed the legs a bit. :)

Barley (11:47 am): Delicious

Barley (1:02 pm): IT SAYS BARLEY ON THE LEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jecca (1:03 pm): You just now saw that. You're amazing.

Barley (1:05 pm): I just rolled up the cuffs to show the stripes on the inside and i saw it- lerrv lerrvv leerrrrrrrvv!
Soooo, there you have it--Barley's Knickers!!! They (ultimately) made me happy (even though they drove me insane a few times).

Lots of lerv to you, bloggy buds! Thanks for reading and following.

And lots of lerv to you especially, Barley. This Bud's for you. =)

*P.S.- I'm still taking suggestions for my list of significant things. There are at least 17 more things to do!*

Also, don't forget to submit your entry for my coffee contest! All entries must be submitted by Saturday and the winner will be announced on Sunday. Woot woot!!!

easter.

2010-04-04T19:35:00.007-04:00

It has been a tradition for as long as I can remember to have an Easter celebration at Memaw's house. After lunch, all the cousins would be sequestered in a room with no windows, monitored by one of the parents. While we were being held hostage, the adults would hide a myriad of Easter eggs in the front and back yards. The last time we did this as a family, Memaw was still with us and I got scolded for pulling up the shade and peeking outside.

It's a few (or several) years later. The cousins are all grown, and we decided to pick up the tradition again. What's an Easter celebration without an Easter egg hunt at Memaw's house?

The egg-hunting crew, from L to R: Loretta, Tini, Kiel, Jecca, Lauren, Trav, Anita, Nini and Hosh.

I was the unattested winner in volume of eggs. Tini's boyfriend, Kiel, followed me into the backyard in the beginning of the egg quest. He commented on my decision to go for the edges of the two sheds saying, "You hit the gold mine!" I said replied lovingly, "Duh, Kiel! This is NOT my first rodeo." (You can actually hear this in the video if you pay attention closely.)

The following is a video of the beginning of the egg hunt. What you can't see is Tini throwin' some bows... just saying. What you can see is Hosh and Trav's overwhelming enthusiasm. (Ha.)

There was money in some of the eggs and that's what really sparked my fervor in the hunt. (Most of you know that I don't eat candy.) Wouldn't you know it, I got a metric butt-ton of candy...and $1.25 in quarters. =) Loretta found $3 in her eggs, and she offered to buy my bag of candy with her $3 in quarters. Woot woot! I'm rich. A whole $4.25!!! (That should be read "coffeeeeeee".)

(Here's another video purely for your viewing pleasure...you can see me scurrying in the background at the beginning, Tini's lawn ornament discovery and Nini looking around in the "compost pile" that Loretta and I already hit up.)

Lots of family lerv today.

P.S.- Mamba, we missed you tons especially today. Love love love you!!!

contest (!!!)

2010-04-04T17:56:00.004-04:00

Greetings, bloggy buddies. It is with great excitement and pleasure that I announce to you my first ever blog contest. Woot woot!!!

Here's the premise:

One needs only minimal contact with me to know that I have a thing for coffee (some say it's an addiction...eh, tom-ay-to tom-ah-to).

Exhibit A through C:

This week (Sunday through Saturday), I am going to record how many ounces of coffee I consume.

The contest will be won by whoever can guess how many ounces I consume during this time. The closest guesser without going over will win. If everyone goes over (ha!) then the closest guesser will win.

"And what about the prize?", I hear you ask. Good question! There will be a $10 gift card to one of three of my favorite coffee providers (Dunkin, Buckies or Wawa). Your choice.

That's it. Simple enough, yea? Yea! Duh.

Entries must be submitted via bloggy comment by Saturday, April 10. You need not wait until Saturday to submit an entry, but Saturday is definitely the cut off. I'll announce the winner next Sunday and have the winner's prize in the mail by Monday (so make sure you include your choice from the above options)!

Woohoo!!! Good luck guessing! (And just a little hint for you...don't guess something insane like 32 oz. You won't be in danger of going over, but you won't be close either.)

Lerv.

three years.

2010-03-31T21:59:00.004-04:00

Lois Ann Grubbs

June 9, 1935- March 31, 2007

[Dear Memaw, I have to continually remind myself that God had a plan and a reason for taking you when He did. You were suffering and He knew it was time for you to be home with Him. I wonder if He told you that I ran a 5k last weekend. Grandaddy came out and watched me, all bundled up in his coat and Wildcats hat. Ma and Nini cried when I crossed the finish-line. I trained a bit in the cemetery beforehand. It felt like you were with me. I bet you're dancing around the kitchen of heaven humming a little tune right now. I love you. I love you. I love you. I miss you like crazy. Thank you for loving me in a way that only you could. Thank you for constantly lifting me up before the Lord. I would not be where I am today without you.]

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four: FIVE.

2010-03-27T14:53:00.009-04:00

The fifth thing on my list of Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four was to compete in a 5k. Some of you may already know that Regs and I have been training for this 5k since January. We were doing really well there at the beginning...and then I took a trip to Philly, Regs worked weird hours, I started working in Chesapoop... etc, etc. We didn't get to run together as much as we wanted to towards the end. Since the beginning, our goal has been to finish the race in 30 minutes. (We changed that goal later to 45 minutes...lack of confidence, surplus of doubt.)

Sooooo.....Today was RACE DAY!!!

*Ma and Nini came along and were both geared with a camera to adequately document such a momentous occasion. Thank you, thank you, thank you both!

Before the race: Regs, Rachel (holding an enema plush...eww), Mr. Polyp and Me. We ran Mutt & Jeff's 5k for Colorectal Cancer...

Listening to the extremely confusing pre-race instructions. "Walkers, you must have one foot on the ground at all times. If you're walking then you're not jogging, and if you're not walking then you're running or jogging." (??- I guess you had to be there.)

Woah, baby! Rachel finished in 22 minutes, so she backtracked and found me and Regs just before the 3 mile marker. When Rachel found us, I asked her what time it was. She said 9:02. I was dumbfounded. I knew we started the race at 8:30 and I did the math real quick. "It's only been 32 minutes, Regs!"

Regs and I "sprinted" the last tenth of a mile. I say "sprinted" because our "sprint" was faster than the jog we had been doing, but I don't know that you could call it a full-on sprint. We were SO happy to see the finish line. So extremely happy.

Hot and sweaty. Walking it out and catching my breath.

(Hey Regs, Can we call ourselves "runners" now? =])

Oh yea! When Regs and I rounded the first corner of the course I felt something hitting my ankle. I looked down and wouldn't you know it, my shoe was untied. I didn't dare stop though. No, sir. I ran the entire race (minus about 2/10 mile walk in the middle) with my shoe untied. Thank goodness I was wearing my Nike Free 5.0's or else they would've fallen off. They fit like a glove and feel like a sock so they stayed on and snug without a problem. (Thanks to Barley for suggesting a great running shoe.)

After the race, I think it's safe to say that we were all at least a bit tired. We had to wait around for what seemed like forever for the awards ceremony. I don't know that we would've stayed except for the fact that Rachel's superwoman. (No kidding. She's really great. I forgot she was running until this morning and it was like a special treat to see her there in the parking lot when we pulled in.)

She won "First Woman Overall". Yay, Rachel!!!

I am very happy with the results of the race. Thirty three minutes for my first 5k is a-ok with me. I never thought I'd be able to compete (or even participate) in any type of running event a few years ago, so this was a big accomplishment. I am thankful and proud.

So, there you have it. After the awards, Regs, Ma, Nini and I set off for Cracker Barrel for some delicious breakfast. I was beat by the time me and Ma got home and took a bit of a nap. I took Jonah to see a specialist when I got up. He's feeling much better (...his tension was all off). I'm working on two projects now back-and-forth. One is giving me a headache, and I can't let it get me down.

Lerv to you, bloggy buds. Thanks for the support.

**Happy 2 Years Clean, Barley!**

(You can check out significant things number ONE, TWO, THREE and FOUR too if you've missed them.)

this is just wrong. 2nd ed.

2010-03-23T19:06:00.003-04:00

I saw this on my way home from work tonight.

Seriously?

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four: FOUR.

2010-03-21T18:54:00.009-04:00

Woot woot!!! Number Fourrrrrrr!!! I didn't set out to start or complete a "significant thing" this weekend, but it happened.

On Friday night, I got a little inspired. I was all tired and ready for bed around 8pm (Old lady, I know.)...but thennn.... I saw a pile of fabric in the corner of my room, and BabyGirl was just staring me down. So, I just started turning her dials and making her my size. I cranked her wide open (without taking one measurement) and thought that I'd just go from there, but then I got a tinge of doubt. What if this won't really fit me? How can I tell...Oh! There's a "piece of my clothing" on the floor of my room that I could try on BabyGirl and see for sure. Whoa. It didn't fit. I cranked her back down to the base size and...bada-boom...we were set to go.

(Then I went to bed. Yep. That was it for Friday.)

The picture above and the picture below are the only ones I took during the process. I was in the zone. There were no expectations, no patterns, no measurements, and no deadlines. Just me, my music (Fleet Foxes and Lightspeed Champion--my constant companions), coffee and what felt like 3 million pins. I just kept pinning (and re-pinning) and chopping and singing and stitching. *Jonah's not feeling very well. His tension is all off...so we had a bit of a go every once in a while. Poor thing. I need to get him some help.*
That was my Saturday. As you can see, I ended up with this top...I'd like to call it a tunic, because I don't think that "shirt" accurately describes what it is. I'm not sure that it's actually a tunic though, either. Call it what you will. (It doesn't really matter.=] )

This creative expression needed to happen. The process was very cathartic and made me extremely happy. It felt really good to make something from my own hands, out of my own head and to wear it with pride. Instant mood-booster.
So there you have it. Significant Thing Number Four.

As usual, I'm taking all suggestions into consideration for the remaining 19 things on my list. (I guess it's more like 15 or 16 things... I already have a few in the works.)

Lerv, lerv.

P.S.- I really loved this picture taken this afternoon. (The subject of the photo has asked to remain nameless. Fair enough.)

that dirty dog.

2010-03-19T23:35:00.003-04:00

I bought a bunch of yogurt the other day at S(p)am's Club to go along with my granola for lunches at work. (Yay for pre-packaged portions, no dishes to wash, 0% fat and only 80 calories!)

I hadn't tried the peach or blueberry variety until after I bought it. Peach is definitely not my favorite, but the blueberry is just as good as the strawberry. No matter. I take a cup of yogurt each day, choosing the next flavor in the rotation (peach, blueberry, strawberry, peach, blueberry, strawberry...). I push through the peach day knowing that the blueberry day will be better and the strawberry day is right around the corner. Or will it?! Probably not. Wait. Why?...because I have a dirty dog for a weasel-y brother.

This boy gets home tonight at 11:30pm after traipsing around in the woods all day with a friend. He was especially tired and hungry. I went into the living room to say hello before going to bed and I see him eating a cup of yogurt and granola. (Ok. I can handle that.) I look closer. STRAWBERRY. (This wouldn't be so alarming if I hadn't seen him eat a cup of strawberry yogurt with my granola the night before...he should be eating a peach or a blueberry...and the scarcity of the granola... I won't even go there...Ok. I'll just say that I have stockpiled 24 boxes of this elusive granola and hidden them away from the rest of Newport News...it's that good...but I digress.) I immediately go to the fridge to count my cups of yogurt. Exactly what I thought. ONE strawberry left and 4 of each of the blueberry and the peach.

After attempting to convince my brother and Ma of the importance of following the rotation of the yogurts, Hosh protests that he's too tired to talk about it and pretends to snooze on the couch. (I know his tricks, so...) I immediately sit on top of him. "Hosh! You can't just eat the strawberry yogurt." "Ok, Jess. I'll have the blueberry ones too."

Oh good golly! Does anyone have any respect for the yogurt rotation?! Have a peach!!!

Ay caramba.

shh!

2010-03-18T22:08:00.003-04:00

Not a word.

Nobody tell Hosh that I wore his hat out tonight

(.....aaaaafter he put it on, took it off, put it back on, changed his shirt, decided finally not to wear it and walked out the door on the way to his first of three band/music practices tonight).

Not one. Thanks.

Lerv.

(insider info from an addict.)

2010-03-17T14:13:00.001-04:00

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four: THREE.

2010-03-14T22:22:00.003-04:00

The next significant thing to be accomplished on my list of Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four was (*drumroll, please!*) to learn to drive a stick-shift. Since Hosh recently bought a new vehicle, his old car was available for my use in this venture. Pop volunteered to take me out today until I got the hang of it. I love him to death. Brave soul. I got to the shop before Pop and decided to take advantage of the surroundings for a quick photo op.

After the teaching/learning time, I got to check out Pop's newest addition to the troop. She's a 1970 Harley-Davidson FLH...and she has ape-hangers (a personal fav).

There was a plan to take some pictures and/or video of the learning process, but that plan went out the window after about the fourth stall-out and the sixth "Now stop and do it uh-ginn ." Sooooo these pictures will just have to do in their stead.

I know what you're thinking also..."Jecca better get her tail in gear if she's going to finish 20 more "significant things" before December 11!" Yes. Thank you. I know. I have three things definitely in the works and one (hopefully all) of them will be done in two weeks. Alsooooo, I'm still looking for things to fill my list. So far I've gotten only a couple suggestions. One included freeing zoo animals (Trev) and the other included public nudity (Nini). I can pretty confidently say that I won't be completing either of those things (although the second is most tempting and more likely). So, please feel free to make suggestions. They will at least be considered seriously before being thrown out. =)

Lerv, lerv.

cemetery on saturday.

2010-03-13T16:29:00.006-05:00

I went to visit Memaw today at the cemetery. I asked my mom before I went if it was acceptable to take a run while I was there. She said people do it all the time. So I did too.

So now (after a trip to the bank and Sam's Club, and a phone chat with Barls) I'm working on a super secret crafty (again). It might end up being a semi-super secret crafty, depending on my level of confidence in my own skills and judgment abilities. We'll see. I think I might have done all I can do... Ugh... What do you think, bloggy buds?

Is a super secret crafty with a possibility of being slightly off better than a semi-super secret crafty that has more of a possibility of being right on? Or are they both equally exciting and acceptable?

Lerv.

a good day.

2010-03-06T17:36:00.005-05:00

I've been listening to Priscilla Ahn like it's my job lately. This morning she told me it was going to be a good day. (Sorry I couldn't find her actual music video, but listen to the song anyways.)

The beach has really been calling my name lately, so I decided to pay it a visit.

That extremely scary bird was occupying my usual spot, but I didn't dare ask him to move...and this was as close as I got to him (using extreme zoom...homie don't play).

I love the Lion's Bridge. Annnnd yes, that is my coffee sitting on the statue. :)

The Lion's Bridge is behind the Mariner's Museum, who just so happened to be hosting some sort of re-enactment today.

Well, hello Christopher Newport!!!

After my adventure to the beach, I stopped at Village Thrift and found a ton of awesome sewing accoutrements for $14. I didn't find any buttons though, which is what I was actually after. So, I went to visit JoAnn's Fabric store where I found out that March is National Craft Month. A little redonk, yea? (I'm so excited though.)

When I got home, Hosh asked if I wanted to go get something to eat with him. We went to Cheddar's and he drove us in his Honda Element. We listened to The Mars Volta, which I haven't heard in a long time. Hosh also took me by Food Lion to get some yogurt, and he helped me with a super secret crafty once we got home.

Nowwwwwww, I've got my friends (candles) all ready and I'm getting to work work WORK on that super secret crafty. It might be the death of me, but that's a chance I'm willing to take.

(This post is extremely random. My storyline is fragmented. My apologies. I've got my head in craft-world.)

Lerv.

nose knows.

2010-03-04T22:15:00.001-05:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but certain smells have the power to instantly transport me to another time and place. I've noticed it especially as of late.

For instance:

The smell of wood and laundry takes me to Stanley-Land. I am surrounded by family, pups and love. Someone's looking for something. Someone's calling for someone they can't find. Mama's offering to make me something to eat, and I'm grinning from ear to ear.

The smell of winter is a wonderful thing. I could never describe it; it's impossible (but it's amazing). Whenever I smell winter I am taken back to my freshman dorm room at PBU. Renae and I are sitting, listening to music and "doing homework". I smell winter (because we keep the window open all year round). I tell Renae. She doesn't understand. We are bonded forever.
The smell of Vurt and cigarrettes puts me back in the presence of a dear friend. We are riding in the car, talking, laughing and probably drinking Starbucks. We make it a regular thing, because it's more than good in theory.

The smell of Polo takes me back to Sunday mornings as a child. My father wore Polo cologne and made cinnamon buns for us before church. I can't get enough of the smell. I hug him and bury my nose in his neck. (This technique proves to be most effective and is used later in life to identify and remember especially important people.)

The smell of grass mixed with a certain humidity in the air transports me to track practices after classes in high school. There's a whole lot of messing around and not a lot of practicing. I think I know everything about the world and how things should turn out. I am blissfully mistaken.

The smell of Comet cleaner takes me back to summer days of old. I'm sitting on the counter in the kitchen. Ma's slicing strawberries and sprinkling sugar over them. We'll have strawberry shortcake for dessert after a day in the sun at the beach.

Now I'm wondering about you, my bloggy buds. I'd love to hear about the smells that transport you to somewhere else. I think that sometimes your nose knows exactly where you secretly want or need to be.

Lerv, lerv.

a week of wardrobe. take two.

2010-02-28T15:45:00.001-05:00

This is the second edition of my Week of Wardrobe feature. Two themes emerged as this week progressed. See if you can guess what they are...and I'll let you know if you're right at the end. =) (One is pretty obvious, and the other one is not so obvious.)

.:.:.Sunday.:.:.

(photos by Hosh & Jec)

b&w striped tank: American Eagle. green dress: handmade by me and Gramma. black cropped sweater: Dress Barn. vans: Plato's Closet.
It was a beautiful day out today with temperatures reaching just slightly into the 60's. I'm feeling a little sorry for my friends in Filth-a-delphia who probably still have a butt-ton of snow...but maybe you like that...and then I'm not sorry.

I decided to include Hosh today as well. This photo was snapped as he was on his way out to meet some friends from church for a bike ride.
D.A.R.E. T: thrifted/altered. shorts: J. Crew. vans shoes: WRV Surf Shop- VA Beach. beastly physique: frequent climbing on the bouldering wall.

.:.:.Monday.:.:.

(photos courtesy of Hosh)

(I had to document the outfit of the day, but I really wasn't in the mood for photos and Hosh wasn't really in the mood for taking photos. My apologies.)

polka-dot dress: 'Thrift Store'- NN, VA. pink string: Goodwill- Yardley, PA. shoes: gift from Mamba.

It is a monumental day in history. "Why?", you might be asking. Well, I'll tell you why. I wore these heels all day long. Yes, I know. Very impressive. There are two main reasons why I choose not to wear heels on the regular. Number 1: I am not a small woman. At 5'8", I tend to feel like an amazon when wearing heels and towering over most men. Number 2: My calves do not need any extra attention drawn to them, and that is precisely what heels do for me. However, I felt like these shoes were the best option for the outfit today, so I decided to brave the consequence.

(Woof, woof!) What's that? (Woof. Woof!) Oh, I have to go! My dogs are barkin'. =)

.:.:.Tuesday.:.:.

(photos by Addster)

zebra striped dress: Ross. black cropped sweater: Dress Barn. opaque tights: Wal-Mart. lace-up pumps: Wal-Mart.

Regs, Addster and I had a date tonight to see Christopher Newport University's orchestra performance featuring my good friend Nicklaus. The performance was great (!) and I'm still kicking myself for missing the first half of the Hungarian Rhapsody due to my stupid bladder. Today's outfit (heels and all) lasted me all day through work and fun--from 7:45am until 10pm. Long day? Yes. Comfy outfit? Surprisingly, yes.

.:.:.Wednesday.:.:.

(self-timer photo of Jecca, game-room photos by Reg & Jecca)

polka-dot dress: Gap. sweater: American Eagle. scarf: CHKD Thrift Store- Newport News, VA. hose: Wal-Mart. brown shoes (that should be thrown away): Target.

This outfit successfully made the transition from work today into youth group tonight. My co-workers commented on my boldness and daring clothing choices, and the kids at youth group commented on my cool clothing factor. I'm so honored.

After youth group, Regs and Aaron came over to climb for a bit in the game-room. Regs and I made a super-sick climbing mix too.

Hosh found a tag on the floor from the crash-pad that we've been using for probably a month now. He was baffled.
...and this species of monkey is native to the Carolinas... Oops! That'd be Aaron. :]

This was my second long day in a row, and I was getting pretty tired towards the end there.

.:.:.Thursday.:.:.

(self-timer photo)

dress: Dress Barn (gift from Ma). shoes: Payless. hose: Wal-Mart.

On every other day I'd say, "Death to hose!!," but this day was not like every other. I found some new hose the other day at Wal-Mart and my view on hose has been changed forever.

.:.:.Friday.:.:.

(self-timer photos)

'Casual Friday' shirt: BayPort Credit Union. skirt: hand-me-down from aunt DJ. hose: Wal-Mart. Doc Marten's: Salvation Army- Langhorne, PA.

Friday was another long day (with a boring outfit--eww!). The credit union is open for an extra half-hour on Fridays, and we celebrated Pop and Nini's birthday at Gram & Papa's afterwards. I was extremely happy when it came time to change into comfy clothes.

tank: Kohl's. plaid pj pants: Sweet T. boots: Minnetonka (they do double-duty as slippers every night in the frozen tundra that is my mother's house).

This picture was taken around 10pm and I was in the bed quite shortly afterwards.

.:.:.Saturday.:.:.

(photo courtesy of Hosh)

polka-dot coat: Dress Barn. white T: Old Navy. skinny jeans: Wal-Mart. coral pumps: Payless.

I spent most of Saturday in my room in pajamas working on a craft project, but I did go out on Saturday night. Nicklaus got us tickets to go see the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at Christopher Newport University. The production was amazing, but there was unnecessary foul language. I'm not usually bothered at all by foul language (except a couple words I CANNOT stand), but this was just unnecessary and I couldn't imagine Dolly Parton would've approved.

Ok, that was my Week of Wardrobe. Did you guess the themes? I pegged this week as "Dress Week" and "Long Days". Five out of seven days this week I wore a dress (or a skirt), and on at least three days I wore my outfit for at least 14 hours or more (heels and all). Pretty impressive, ay?

I'm off now to craft(!), listen to Mother Mother- O My Heart and drink some coffee. Oh baby!

Lerv, lerv.

Jecca

UPDATE: Two other bloggers have been inspired to feature their very own Week of Wardrobe. You can check out my Mamba's here and Kate's here. Woot woot!!!

(I'm only slightly concerned that the two of them will do a better job than I have and show me up at my own game...eek.)

change of plans.

2010-02-27T16:30:00.002-05:00

The Week of Wardrobe post that was promised today will most likely be posted tomorrow. I'm going to see a musical tonight and am still in my pj's. Yes, I know it's 4:30 in the afternoon.

For kicks and giggles, I'll leave you with this photo:

(I miss them terribly.)

...and I guess I'll get back to work on a pair of knickers that I've been working on all day, part of my Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four challenge.

Lerv, lerv.

jecca

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four: TWO.

2010-02-21T21:05:00.001-05:00

Number two on my list of "significant things" actually ended up being two hats inspired by a post on Elsie's blog. I am currently following several crafty blogs, and Elsie's is probably my favorite. When I saw her DIY post a couple weeks ago, it looked like a great project to work on in the airport on my journey to see my loves in Filth-a-delphia this past weekend (...and it was).

The project is very simple. Knit (or crochet) a rectangle. Fold the piece in half and sew up one of the sides. Add some sort of strings (braided, crocheted, knotted, etc.) and a pom-pom (if desired).
I had never made a pom-pom before today, but it wasn't hard at all. I loosely followed this tutorial. The hardest part was attaching the pom-pom securely to the top of the finished hat. As you can see in the picture below, mine turned out a little lopsided but I think it adds character. =)

(Hellooooo, Rattie.)

This is not an optical illusion. I am indeed wearing a tank-top outside. It was a beautiful day today (...but has since gotten cooler and I've added my usual sweatshirt).

I finished the first hat this weekend while I was at PBU, and it was (surprisingly) met with ridicule and repugnance. I was shocked! (Let the haters hate.) HOWEVER, Barley loved (?...liked?) it and kept it.
Barley and I are currently in a debate as to whose hat is cooler. He thinks his is cooler, and of course, I think mine is cooler.

I guess it's up to you, bloggy buds. Whose hat do you think is cooler?

***Be on the lookout for another Week of Wardrobe coming this Saturday! Woot woot!***

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four: ONE.

2010-02-21T21:00:00.002-05:00

The first "significant thing" on my list of Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four was a super secret crafty that I started several weeks ago.

My crafty inspirations come from random places and at random times. This crafty was inspired solely by my dear friend Ham and my absence from him for what seemed to be so long (read about a month and a half).

Behold the Michael Jackson pillow cover!

I started by making a pattern out of quilter's grid. Let me just tell you...that stuff is a dream! It's marked with a grid (duh) of 1" square blocks, which makes measuring and cutting extremely easy for square or rectangle pieces.

After I got the panels measured and cut out, I went to my closet to find some sort of black fabric I could use for a silhouette of the King of Pop. An old, over-sized shirt from H&M did the trick. Cutting out the silhouette seemed to take FOR-EV-ERRR. The black fabric was so thin that it kept slipping, so I pinned it to a layer of batting and that helped to stabilize things a bit.
Once Michael was cut out, I pinned him and the batting to the front panel of the cover and whip-stitched all along the outline.
Since this super secret crafty was for Hammie (and I love him so), I stitched his name on the bottom of one of the back panels.
I also stitched/signed my initial on the top of the same panel. You would only see it if you know it's there, because the second panel on the back overlaps it.
I pinned all the panels together then used Jonah to sew them all up... and Voila!

This might've been blogged sooner, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise for Hammie. I am also quite happy to say that I personally delivered this "significant thing"...which made it all the more sweeter. =)

new challenge.

2010-02-20T11:44:00.004-05:00

Dearest Bloggy Buds,

I have recently undertaken a bloggy/life challenge. Now some of you know already how much I enjoy a good challenge, but some of you might not be aware. Just so we're all clear, I live for a good challenge. =) So now, without further ado, I give you my new challenge:

Twenty-Three before Twenty-Four

The premise of this challenge is to accomplish 23 significant things before I turn 24 in December 2010. My list of "significant things" will include several crafts, at least one athletic endeavor and whatever else comes along. I'm up for suggestions of things to add to my list, and I'm looking forward to sharing my attempts and successes with you all.

Woot woot! Here I go... (I'm actually off to meet a friend for some coffee first and then it's) time to get working on my list. I've already accomplished a couple things on my list and will hopefully post them later today.

Until then, good luck to you in your pursuit of coffee or whatever else you're searching for on this lovely Saturday.

Lerv.

february is american heart month.

2010-02-17T19:42:00.009-05:00

In honor of the month, I decided to take a few steps toward heart health by visiting some of my dearest friends and family at PBU this past weekend.

Barley picked me up from the airport on Friday and my heart expressed its thanks by jumping nearly out of my chest and making it hard for my lungs to take in enough air. It felt like death was knocking at my door, but I know that feeling is just my heart's attempt at expressing such immense joy.

The weekend was full of love, fun, great music, great people, more love, some pain and more love. For the most part our adventures did not make it onto film, but here are a few moments that did.

The above photo and the photo below show the aftermath of an intense gummy worm fight.

So much pain, but oh so fun.

Barley tried out my knitting needles in his ear holes. They fit.

I cut the Stanley boys' hairs. (The usual.)

We went on a quest for Cadbury Creme Eggs for Barls. I think it's safe to say that he lervs them.

Stephers & Trev

Who even knows what they were laughing at?

T pierced Ninj's ears. Owwweee!!!

(I lerv this picture of T and Langs.)

The scissors I used for hair-cutting were utter crap, if you wanted to know.

Hammie's new cut was uber-cute. I'm not tooting my own horn because I just did what he told me to do...but HONK, HONK!

Jake is obsessed with large icicles, and on this particular occasion he retrieved one for his good friend Barls as well.

Hammie got super-sweet new plugs. They're squishie and make it look like he has nothing in. So cool.

(This photo is preciously ridonk.)

So, there you have it. The photos are really in no order whatsoever. The captions, I'm sure, are less than entertaining or even helpful...but that's all I've got.

Thanks so much to everyone who let me borrow stuff (Langs, Ninj, Ham, Krista, George), to everyone who let me "stay" in their room (Langs, Ray, Krista, Gwen Stefani), to everyone who gave me freakin' awesome music and helped me navigate my new Maccy (Barls, Ham), to everyone who encouraged/helped me to stretch my ears (Jake, Barls, T, Ham), to everyone who aided me in my pursuit of coffee (BARLS, T, Ninj, Ham) and to everyone who lerved me enough to forgive me when I left without saying goodbye (Stephers).

For now, Cass McCombs is calling my name along with a cup of coffee and my product knowledge manual for work. You can look forward to a couple new posts coming up this weekend hopefully. I've made a couple crafty things that I'd love to share. (1) My special gift for a special someone has successfully been delivered and can therefore be revealed. (2) A quick weekend project will also be posted if I can get the current owner to take some pictures of it. (3) I also have at least one more (probably 2) projects in the queue to get to work on and hopefully post soon!

lerv.

happy birthday, sweet T.

2010-02-10T23:35:00.009-05:00

(*This post will just barely make it onto your birth day, T. I'm sorry I failed in the birthday department this year. I feel rotten.)

Happy Birthday to one of my dearest friends, Sweet T.

When I think of you, I recall any one of the following moments (or a million others not included in my life-documentation). You are such a precious part of my life. It feels like I've known you for 37 years instead of just 351 days.

Remember when...

...Cameron got pooped on by that bird on the way to the park on the Fourth of July?

..."where's my chalupa?" at Playa Cancun?

...you just wanted to sleep at Belmar when we went to watch the sunrise with George?

...you took me for a ride on your bike/airplane thing and then it broke...but we got to look at that neat dirigible?

...we used to go to IHOP with Jer in the mornings?

...we went to Cam's game and that bee kept bugging George but didn't even come around you or me?

...you were Tanley. (For the record, this might be my most favorite picture of you ever.)
...you and Carl made me do stupid things in the caf and then take my picture?

...we went to the beach and played and sunned and read that book about strange things (and on the way home you found that shell in your suit...which I still have in my car, by the way)?

...we laughed at poor Jer trying to make that bracelet, sang along with Celine and made plans for the new semester?

...Ian pointed the camera at you, said "Do the Jecca smile!" and you came up with this right away? (Priceless.)

Well, I do!!! How could I forget?!

I love you, T. Happy Birthday. <3

sunday lunch with hosh.

2010-02-07T14:09:00.007-05:00

Hosh and I usually have lunch together on Sundays. Sometimes we go out, and sometimes we stay in. Today we stayed in and each had a salad with a chip-chaser. Hosh had jalapeno-flavored Tostitos with salsa and I had carrot chips with sugar-free maple syrup. (Please, don't knock it until you try it...I can see some of you snubbing your nose at me already.)

Yummy!!!!

I hope your day is going well! I heard the Super-Bowl is on tonight...yea, won't be watching that one. =) I'm off now to craft, craft, CRAFT! I'm so close to finishing a super secret crafty for a special someone. (I'll blog about it eventually, but I can't ruin the surprise.)

Happy Sunday, blogger buds!
(If you're reading this from Filthy-delphia, there's a good chance I'll see your face on Friday!! Pray that God allows the weather to cooperate!)

P.S.- Hosh immediately fell asleep after lunch. =)

goodbye, sweet beard.

2010-02-04T23:08:00.004-05:00

[This post could also be entitled "Look But Don't Lust" for some of my blogger buddies who will remain nameless.]

This is my brother, Hosh.
He has blue eyes and a red beard.
He is 20 years old and the drummer for Westbound.
He recently built a bouldering wall in the game-room in our backyard.
And I love him.

He texted me the other day and said that it was sometimes hard to look about ten years older than he actually is, and I knew immediately what that meant.

It was time to say goodbye to the beard.
I asked Hosh if he would wait until I got home from work to do the awful deed so I could document the process. So, here we go...

(This is the part where I get a little watery in the eyes.)

(If you look in the right corner of this picture, you'll see that I wasn't the only one documenting this extravaganza. Hosh called his good friend, J-Land, to come over as well.)

I begged Hosh to leave the stache, but he wouldn't do it.

...and there you go. It's all gone.

I salute you, Hosh, for being able to grow such an awesome beard.

Please, grow one again soon. You're an inspiration to a lot of people (and not just because of the beard). I love you, Bub.

<3

s[no]w bueno.

2010-01-30T13:23:00.004-05:00

According to the Daily Press, "The Peninsula is in the heaviest phase of a massive winter snow storm this morning and it isn't expected to let off until tonight." [translation: Ay, caramba! We don't know what to do with ourselves in snow down here.]

After I dug out my winter-wear from the garage, Hosh and I set out to take some pictures in the snow. =)

Exhibit A through G:

Today will be filled with crafty things, coffee, District 9 with Pop (creepy!), possibly a manicure and hopefully more blogging.

Lerv, lerv.

ooo! ooo! ooo!!!

2010-01-26T22:03:00.003-05:00

Oh my gosh. Amazing mash-ups. (Thanks, Ham!)

nifty thrifty.

2010-01-23T19:43:00.003-05:00

I just thought I'd share three gems that I found today in an antique shop in Phoebus, VA.

This cross-stitch made me choke up a little bit. I love inter-family relationships, first of all. I love how mothers take care of their children and their family. I love how mothers have big dreams for their kids. And I love crafts.

Ma found this mini-Singer sewing machine for $45. Aaaahhh. So cool.

Barley! I saw this and thought of you. There were probably 10 records in there.

More thrifty finds to come in the near future--guaranteed =)

a week of wardrobe.

2010-01-23T19:36:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first edition of "A Week of Wardrobe"!

This week, I attempted to document my outfits in hopes of stumbling upon some interesting bloggable bits. I guess we'll see how this goes over, and then we can decide if "A Week of Wardrobe" deserves more editions in the future or if we needn't bother.

.:.:.Sunday.:.:.

(photos courtesy of Hosh)

sweater: Hosh's closet, dress: Plato's Closet, tank: Target clearance , belt/string: Goodwill- Yardley, PA (it came on a dress of the same color), boots: Minnetonka(!), lunch: Starbucks- Venti White Mocha Frappuccino Light + 2 shots of espresso + 2 scoops of protein.
There aren't many fans of my Minnetonka's, but I especially felt the hate at school. Now that I'm back home in the somewhat-South, I feel able to wear the Minnetonka's a little more freely...and I do.

.:.:.Monday.:.:.

(photo courtesy of Hosh)

I was off of work today because of Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Woot woot!!! This meant no work-wear... and better yet, NO HOSE!!!! (Death to hose. I hate them!)

man's button-up: Sunday Morning Breakfast Thrift Store- Langhorne, PA, belt/string: Goodwill- Yardley, PA (I love it, and I wear it with everything.), leggings: Target clearance, Toms shoes: Christmas present from Hosh, North Face Windwall jacket: Hosh's closet

SIDE NOTE: As you can see from the picture above, the rock-wall in the game-room is coming along quite nicely. My skills on the rock-wall, however,are not on the same level. In due time, I'm sure they'll come along, but I'm currently frying the 5k fish (and that's a pretty big one for me).

.:.:.Tuesday.:.:.

(second photo courtesy of Pop)

I attempted to take my own picture on Tuesday because Hosh had band practice, but it was way too dark and grainy. Oy.

Pop to the rescue!!!

(He had me laughing pretty hard, thus the squinty eyes.)

dress: Old Navy clearance, shrug: Dress Barn (gift from Ma), tights: Wal-Mart, scarf: weird store in Bar Harbor, ME (gift from Ma), shoes: Dansko-shoe store in Lenox, MA

I was back to work today, and I felt like wearing all black with just a bit of color. This outfit makes me feel foreign for some reason. =) These shoes fall in the same category as the Minnetonka's... Hated by others, Loved by Me. They are the most comfortable shoe you could ever own. I would swear by them, if I did that sort of thing. ;) (Let the haters hate.)

.:.:.Wednesday.:.:.

(second photo courtesy of Hosh)

This wasn't a very good day for a photo. Work over in Suffolk meant a couple hours in the car today, about 5 minutes at home to grab dinner and then off to church right away. I tried to take my own picture again and, although the lighting was better than Tuesday's attempt, it still wasn't great.

sweater: Gap, white T: Old Navy, skirt: hand-me-down, hose: Wal-Mart (Death to hose!), shoes: Dansko-Lenox, MA, scarf: Old Navy (birthday/graduation gift this year from Regs)
Here's to hoping this outfit looked a little better in real-life than in these photos. I certainly appear to be a little crunked.

Today at work, my head teller asked me if I worked out, as I was walking away from her to go image my checks. I turned around and said, "Yes. Why?". She looked down at my hosiery-encased calves and simply said, "Your legs." I just smiled and continued on my trek to the imager.

.:.:.Thursday.:.:.

(self-timer photos)

I had to be up extra early this morning for a product knowledge certification test downtown. After I passed :], I was sent to my 'home' branch for the day, which made me (and the rest of the branch) extremely happy. When the branch manager saw me, he said, "Welcome back, Dot!" =)

polka-dot jacket: dress barn, white T: Old Navy, black pinstripe pants: thrift store (?), Dansko shoes: Lenox, MA

Arizona State T: Dollar Store in Tuba City, AZ, shorts/spandex: Under Armour- Dick's Sporting Goods, shoes: Asics, socks: Tommy Hilfiger (Mamba left them in

After work, I came home and changed quickly to go running with Regs. Poor thing was stuck in traffic for 25 minutes (a trip that usually takes 5) on her way to my house. These are Regan's and my best 'excited-to-run' poses. And let me just say, it's a good thing we took a picture before we ran. Oy.

.:.:.Friday.:.:.

(self-timer photo)

shirt: BayPort Credit Union, grey tank: American Eagle, khaki pants: Target clearance, Dansko shoes

This outfit was 'bruise-tastic'. I accidentally turned off my alarm when it went of at 7:15 on this morning and miraculously shot out of bed at 8:20. Eek!!! Since I didn't have much time to shower/eat/pack a lunch/choose an outfit, etc., I ended up wearing all the colors of a wonderful bruise. Yum! Not my best work, bloggy buds. My apologies.

(I also got a haircut tonight. Woot woot!)

.:.:.Saturday.:.:.

(photos courtesy of Ma)

grey hoodie: Wal-Mart, skinny jeans: Wal-Mart, black Panthers T: Goodwill- Phoenix, AZ, Vans tennies: Plato's Closet,

Ma and I went to Phoebus today to look for some furniture for my new room. We were unsuccessful in the furniture department, but I found some super-cool decorations at Return Engagements. I might blog about some thrifty finds soon.

Soooo...there you have it--a week of Jecca's wardrobe! I hope you enjoyed it, because I know I did. I had several good laughs at myself during this little experiment, and I hope all you bloggy buddies got a couple from this post as well.

Lerv to the max.

this is wrong.

2010-01-19T20:35:00.003-05:00

I see this every Tuesday and Wednesday on my way to work in Suffolk, and I don't like it.

I understand that business owners decide to spell the names of their businesses incorrectly on purpose, because it gets potential customers to do a double-take. It's an interesting marketing strategy, but it works (i.e.- Toys 'R' Us also with a backwards R, Krispy Kreme, Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out Burger, Kraft, etc.).

Why couldn't the owners of this little establishment just spell 'country' with a K? Did they have to drop the O too? Since they did drop the O, I am a little glad they changed the C to a K...but I'm still not a fan.

That is all.

today i...

2010-01-16T23:22:00.001-05:00

:went on a run with Regan at Planet Fitness.

If you haven't already heard, Regan and I are currently training for a 5k to be held on March 27th in City Center. We're both super-excited and are preparing by following the Couch-to-5k plan. Hopefully we'll be ready by then.

:realized that I may be pigeon-toed.
I believe it is quite evident when I run...and whenever I'm standing still. I could be wrong, but I tend to stand with my toes slightly pointed in towards each other. My hips kill after I run for any substantial amount of time...whatever. I hate pigeons.

:made dinner for Hosh and Jonathan.
The deal is this: Hosh and Jonathan build a rock-wall in our game room, and I make dinner for them. Last week I made "Organic Burritos", because Hosh is into eating healthy these days. This week I made Steak-Ums (cheesesteaks to all you northerners), because Hosh loves them. I tried to keep it relatively healthy with some roasted brussel sprouts, but they were NOT as good as my sister's.

This was also part of dinner...we probably could've gotten by with about 1/3 of it. Oh well...I never know how much or how little the boys will eat.

:took a trip to Lowe's with Hosh for some plywood.
I never knew there were so many kinds of stinkin' plywood. For Pete's sake! We bought the heaviest...whatever that kind was...

:found a hotdog laying in my bed.
Ok, this wasn't actually today, but it wasn't too many days ago. :)

:created a crafty corner in my room.
This was also not today, but I needed to post a picture of the progress on my room somewhere!

:climbed on the rock-wall frame with Hosh.
The framework was just screaming for some funny photos. Screaming! (We were more than happy to oblige.)

:painted a trash can for my room.

It was just close enough to the color of the walls in my room that it clashed horribly. Black is always better.

:missed this girl.
I cannot wait to see Stephers again. We talk everyday but it's not enough. (Love you!!) <3

:missed my sister.
Stinkin' Mamba!!! Why must you live in ding-dang Georgia?!

This might be the most random blog post ever. My apologies. It's been a long day, but it was a good one. I guess I'll be signing off now. This night will slowly come to a close as Hosh and I hang out in my newly renovated room...he on his mac and I on mine.

Listening to Westbound (let me know if you want a copy of their new CD- only $10) and Girls.

Lots of lerv to you, my blogger buddy. I hope your Saturday was as fun and filled as mine was.

kiki's delivery service.

2010-01-11T19:22:00.001-05:00

In 1989, my life was made into an anime movie by Hayao Miyazaki entitled "Kiki's Delivery Service".

Seeing as I was born in 1986, it was mostly prophetic.

The main character, Kiki, is a witch who has just turned 13 and sets out for a new town as part of the coming-of-age process. She must survive for a year on her own and prove that she's ready to handle life, with only the help of her faithful kitty, Jiji.

To make a long story relatively short, Kiki finds a precious woman who takes her in named Osono. With her help, Kiki starts up a delivery service--flying all around town on her broom with Jiji by her side. She meets a sweet boy named Tombo and things seem to be going well, but something happens and she is suddenly unable to fly. This basically means her life is over, because (duh!) what kind of witch would she be without her magic?! She's overwhelmed and really doesn't know what she's going to do. There's an instant when it looks like she's actually going to give up.

In a conversation between Kiki and her new friend Ursula, Kiki admits, "Without even thinking about it, I used to be able to fly. Now I'm trying to look inside myself to find out how I did it...but I just can't figure it out." Ursula responds, "We each need to find our own inspiration, Kiki. Sometimes it's not easy."

Oh, the wisdom you can glean from a cartoon!

I don't want to spoil the whole movie, but...(I'm about to spoil the movie)...Kiki finds her inspiration and gets her magic back! Of course, she does. She's Wonder Woman.

One of my closest friends, sweet T, practically forced me to watch this movie. :] I'm not a huge fan of cartoons, and when he asked me to watch it I tried to say no...but he told me that I was a lot like Kiki and that it might provide some inspiration for me. Poor T. It seemed like every time we talked on the phone for the first three or four weeks that I had been home I ended up crying. Now, we're not talking a little tear here or there. No no no... you'll have to ask T, but I think that what I did could be more accurately described as weeping. I was overwhelmed! (I had lost my magic.)

Something happened though...I don't know exactly what...but I got my magic back. I stopped crying. I realized there were things left to live for even though I was separated from my best friends and everything I had known for the past four years. My friends and family supported me through those four hellish weeks, and I know they will continue to be there for me whenever I need them. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm getting back into the things I love. I have planned so many craft projects that I don't even know where to start. I am working with the youth group at First Church again. I am working full-time for BayPort (...don't necessarily 'love' this one, but I'm thankful to have a great job). Regs and I are training for a 5k in March. I'm making arrangements for a trip in February to see my friends and family in PA. I'm overwhelmed...but this time in a good way.

Thank you, T, for your love and persistence. You kept pulling me out of that hole that I continued to fall into. You have seen me as very few others have. I. love. you. I can't wait to be in your presence and to hug you. You are my sweet T.

i've got a crush.

2010-01-05T21:46:00.006-05:00

Oh sweet, sweet mercy.

I'm slightly in love with Washington Irving, and I don't care who knows it.

He speaks to my heart:

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love."

If I had not just come out of a three week crying spree, I might not have appreciated this as much. But I did. And I do.

Dearest Washington,

Please consider being my boo. I think we'd make a great pair. You could write me things and I'd oogle over all of them. (I know that you died in 1859. That doesn't really bother me, because I think they've almost got that time travel perfected.)

With all my lerv,

Jecca

Jonah's Maiden Voyage.

2010-01-03T18:36:00.001-05:00

I made this video of the first real project (fixing the pockets on my dad's work shirts) with my sewing machine, Jonah the Janome. Enjoy!

(song credit: "Smoke Detector" by Rilo Kiley)

a Girls' revelation.

2010-01-02T17:40:00.007-05:00

One of my dearest friends (Hammie) and I share a love for a band called Girls. Their lead singer, Christopher Owens, was once a member of the cult "Children of God". You can read a pretty cool interview with him here...anyways...

The other day I was really having a "Girls kind of day". I told Hammie, and he told me that every day was a "Girls kind of day"... of course, I agreed. So, on the way home from work I had a Girls revelation while I listened to the song "Lauren Marie." You've got to hear it to understand it. Listen before you read anything else.

Lauren Marie - Girls

*I'm sorry if you can only hear a 30 second preview. You can read the lyrics here, or you can just sign up for lala and hear the whole thing.*

Ugh. The first two lines say it all.

I've been dwelling on all the things that make me just want to give up on life lately (i.e.- moving away from my dearest friends/family, Baby Matt moving back to CO, Mamba leaving to go back to GA, stupid work stuff, etc). I'm crying all the time because I'm so overwhelmed, and it's taking a toll on my health and my sanity.

The Girls reminded me that my life is not over, and I've got a job to do.

I may not be able to drive around town with Hammie while listening to the Girls whenever we feel like it, but I can sure as heck call him up and we can listen to the Girls separately yet together. I may be absent from the people I love, but I am reminded of them constantly. Those memories shouldn't make me sad. They should bring me joy, for Pete's sake! Now, this is not to say that I'm never going to be sad about these things again. As a matter of fact, I started writing this blog post over a week ago and had to postpone it because crap hit the fan and I had a melt-down and...eww. It was not pretty. This is, though, a reminder that life goes on. I'm still living as I write this. You're still living as you read this. Why shouldn't we take advantage of that?

Thank you, Christopher Owens, for making such beautiful music and speaking to my heart. Thank you, Hammie, for introducing me to the Girls and going to their show with me. Without you, I wouldn't have had this revelation...and without you in my life, there would just be something missing. I love you.

Christopher Owens

Girls show @ the Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia, PA

November 4, 2009

I don't know where I'm going,

but I'm heading somewhere

and it's not my time to die.

Take a look up, Jecca,

the clouds make way for the sunshine.

a page from my life-book.

2009-12-27T16:39:00.005-05:00

For those of you who don't know about my life-book, allow me to introduce you.

Dun da da daaaa!!!

My Life-Book.

There you go. This book is so named because it contains my 'life'. All of it. Want to know about Jecca? Steal my life-book and take a little gander therein. I wouldn't suggest this, however.

As with everyone, there are parts of my life that have been kept secret. There are thoughts that run through my head that I wouldn't dare tell another soul, but I would confide in my ever-present life-book.

Lately I have neglected my life-book. I can't bring myself to open it because introspection usually accompanies that act. I've been going through all kinds of changes. My graduation meant leaving about 95% of my closest friends behind in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It's unbearable. I've been home for fifteen days, and there have been probably only 3 days in there that I have not been brought to tears over my leaving and missing my friends. Those friends have become parts of me. Anyways... I finally cracked my life-book last night for the first time since I've been back at home, and I thought I'd share. It's honest. It's raw...here we go.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

December 26, 2009

I'm way beyond overwhelmed. I've neglected the Bible & my time with God so much lately. It's practically non-existant. I slept basically all day today because I don't feel well & all I could bring myself to do was cry. There is so much junk in my head, my heart, my room and my life that I can't even find a place to begin. I just want to go back to the basics & start from the beginning. Wherever & whatever the hell that may be.

What if I were as torn up about missing time with God as I am about missing time with the Tails? He sacrificed His Son so that I could be with Him forever in heaven, & I push Him to the side on a daily basis in an effort to satisfy my immediate desires.

I know that I am not the woman I wanted to be at this time in my life. I saw myself as being & doing so much more. I saw myself as being happy. I saw myself with a life that I was proud to live. I am, once again, overwhelmed to the point of incapacity. I can recognize so many areas in my life that need work & attention, but I can't bring myself to do anything about it. My body's default reaction in facing something overwhelming is to shut down...& I think it's doing just that. I'm perpetually exhausted. I'm eating & not working out, & therefore gaining weight. I'm drinking about 50oz. of coffee on average per day...which can't be good for my body trying to reach some sort of homeostasis. The list could go on for days.

So, here I am. I've defined several problems, & now comes the part where I find & propose solutions...This is also the part where the overwhelming feeling comes over me, I call it quits & go to sleep. It happens like this every time. EVERY TIME...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So, that's it. There was a little more to this entry but not necessarily a resolution.

I'm worried now that I have crossed the blogger line. Who said they wanted to read my innermost thoughts and feelings on this thing? If you've read the blog thus far, feel free to forget and ignore whatever information that you have gleaned from it. I'm sorry...but also thank you.

kin connection.

2009-12-24T21:49:00.006-05:00

I've tried for over 20 minutes to start this blog. I don't even know what to say.

Some things in life are priceless, and this is one of them.

Merry Christmas to you, my friends, family and fellow bloggers.

I hope your holidays are filled with love, because in the end that's the only thing that remains.

My Anniversary.

2009-12-20T01:45:00.003-05:00

I've told people before that I really didn't start living until December 20, 2007. In a way, that's the ultimate truth.

I have been overweight my whole life. My size, body shape and self-image have more often than not held me back from enjoying life and all that it has to offer. I have never even been close to "normal".

Question: What kind of elementary kid wears womens' size clothing? or What kind of middle school kid wears plus size womens' clothing?
Answer: A sick kid.
A More Specific Answer: Me.

I have no idea how things got to the point they did. I was always active and on sports' teams. I did everything the same as my friends did, but I was morbidly obese and they were average weight. The problem? I was never full. Ever. (Crazy, I know.) I could eat until I made myself physically ill, but I never had the sensation of being full. So, I just ate myself into this death trap.

These two pictures are from freshman year at PBU, and they show me at my highest weight (293 lbs).

On December 20, 2007, I had Lap-Band Surgery. During this surgery, Dr. Terracina placed an adjustable band around my stomach through five small incisions in my abdomen. This band is fully adjustable and is accessed through a port attached to one of my abdominal muscles.

Two years and 98 lbs later...

I'm a new woman.

Lots and lots and lots of things have happened between then and now. I am thankful for every one of them because they got me to where I am today. God has a purpose and a plan for my life. He has a reason for putting me through the things I've been through and the things I have yet to go through.

My Purpose Now: Be there for others who are about to be where I was once at. (Does that make any sense?) I want to be able to help others by opening my life to them so they can learn and grow from where I have been and where I am at now. I'm ALWAYS open to questions. My life is pretty much an open book (...now my actual "life-book" is another story...that will stay closed for the time being...).

My Charge to My Few Loving Readers: Be BIG. Be bold. Love above all. <3

weekend review.

2009-12-13T18:25:00.000-05:00

I'm back home in VA.

I've done nothing but eat, sleep and sit around since I've been here...but I haven't been back for 24 hours yet, so I'm ok with those decisions.

Here's some pictures from my birthday/graduation celebrations. There were a lot taken, and I'll probably make an album on Facebook. I just don't have the energy at the moment.

Ian, Jecca and Tristan Stanley. I. Love. These. Boys.

Some of my favorite things: Amanda. Dunkin coffee. Cell phone. Necklace from Memaw.

The Fam: Keven, Jecca, Teresa, Mamba and Hosh.

Kisses for Barley. I couldn't have survived this past weekend (or the past few weeks for that matter) without him. [Thank you, Barley.]

Me with Ma and Pop.

At the pub with Pop for birthday dinner.

Most of the Crew: Trevor, Stephers, Sarah, T, Lydia, Me, Barley, Ham, Ninj, Grace, Cam & George.

Vadakin Love. I didn't want to get out of this embrace. There was so much love.

Heri Basement Le-Le Couch Lovin'. This was shortly after we picked up Mamba from PHL, went to Burger King & Wawa and were waiting for the rest to arrive for the party.

EARLY MORNING BIRTHDAY BASH @ the PUB!!! Steph, Trevor, Barley and Me. (My cheeks are really rosy.)

Barley promised to smile for this picture. He didn't, but I love it anyway.

Alright, there you have it. This collection is not all-encompassing by any means, and I'll post more (somewhere) later.

I start back to work tomorrow morning at 9:30am. I'm nervous, of course, but it's not as bad as the last time. I'm ready to dive back into things and distract myself from missing everyone. There are big plans in the works for my near, and not-so-near, future. On the agenda right now: Family Time. Hosh is going out to get the Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel and we're going to watch it soon.

[Biggest Accomplishment of the Day: Tearing up but not technically crying.]

that's all she wrote.

2009-12-12T06:57:00.001-05:00

This is it. I'm graduating in three hours. I'm sitting in my apartment at Penndel for the last time, hogging the kitchen table (because I can) while the roommates scurry around to finish up cleaning and packing.

I'm exhausted because I haven't slept a good night's sleep in weeks. I haven't gone to bed, because I didn't want to miss one moment of time that I could've spent with the people I love. The family came up yesterday and we're driving back to VA right after graduation. Ugh. I remember bawling on my way to school as a freshman. I sobbed all the way from home to Washington, D.C. Dad asked Mom at one point if he should turn around and go home. She said, "Just go, Keven", as she choked back tears herself. I was scared of coming here, and now I'm scared to death to go back.

The fat lady's singing. I can hear her. It isn't me this time though :) I should go.

Tails Forever, ay? Be BIG. Be Bold. Lerv above all.

Lerv above all.

I love my family dearly...

2009-12-06T20:29:00.001-05:00

...but I am not ready to go home.

My final responsibilities as an undergraduate student are completed tomorrow.
Amanda arrives in Philadelphia in 4 days.
My 23rd birthday and the rest of the family arrives in 5 days.
Graduation and my departure from PBU (and all that entails) is in 6 days.

...and I'm not ready to leave.

The past four and a half years have brought both torture and triumph, great losses and great gains. I have grown and I have regressed. I have taken advantage of blessings from God, and I have wished to go back in time and change things. It's impossible and probably not wise. I can't dwell on the things I could've/should've/would've done or been. I must resolve to do things differently in the future, ask for God's help and carry on.

I've been having all kinds of crazy feelings lately. I've never liked change and big changes are coming fast. My mind, body and heart can't deal with it all. I'm scared of losing friendships I have made fairly recently but that have come to be a major part of my life. Long-distance friendships are not the same. I'm unable to call a friend and tell them I'm on my way from Penndy and will be by to pick them up in less than a minute to go to the cafeteria or to class together. I can't see them everyday and know that they're doing ok or recognize that things are off and something is wrong. The distance renders you helpless when all you need is to give a hug to or receive a hug from someone you love.

I'm scared out of my mind for a myriad of reasons. I'm scared of what I will become if left to my own devices, and I'm scared of what I might have to do if I fully rely on God to lead and guide me. I am strong...I really am. But sometimes it's easier to be scared. I've wished several times in the last few weeks that somehow all of my friends would hate me and it would make it so much easier to leave this place. Not so. I feel more and more loved as the days grow shorter and shorter, and my affection for the amazing people God has brought to me multiplies exponentially. I'm overcome. How do I make every last minute count here? How do I keep from ruining time with a less-than-great attitude or a thought of the impending doom that is quickly approaching? How can I be the woman I wanted to be, being big and loving appropriately? Where do I find the strength and courage to live up to my potential, both now and in the future?