Fabric hoarding...

I have this habit of collecting things (it's a nice way of saying hoarding I think).  Anything crafty that I spy and love gets purchased and put somewhere for 'future use'.  Here's just one of those things...fabric.  I can't walk past a fabric display without buying a yard of something.  Aaaannnd in my defense, I have made a few things (namely quilts for the itties) so maybe its not hoarding after all!

Oh Adam, Adam, Adam...

I'm a little in love with Adam Levine.  Like a lot.

via

25

When life hands you lemons...

Oh how I love lemony goodness!  I love the smell of lemons, the color, everything.  Something about them just makes me smile.

Photo Credit: Flickr

 via: J.R. Watkins

 via: A Touch of Vaudeville

Etsy

Tulips

Well hello you pretty things!!

One of my favorite flowers* has started popping up a grocery stores lately.  Thank goodness for the start of fresh flowers in the house!

*Also on the favorite list are:
Hyacinths
Lilacs
Lily of the Valley
Peonies

Instagram

Do you Instagram?  It's only like my favorite thing to do ever.   You can get the free app for your iPhone and Android phone.

Follow me at jholland711.  Here are a few of my snaps...

My Valentine's Day coffee.  Could you be any cuter Starbucks?

Maddy girl after school.

Miss Molly and her piggies.

Parking garage elevator.

Gym documentation.  I was there damnit...

I hope to see your pics soon!  :)

Give a little bit...

I know I've posted about this before, and I don't want to get on a soap box or anything, but I can't emphasize how important it is to donate blood.  And if you want to be an even bigger hero, donate plasma or platelets!  It helps so many people, doesn't take a ton of time, and really doesn't hurt all that bad!

I started donating blood on 9/11.  Like many other I felt completely helpless that day.  Sadly they didn't need anyone's blood, but I gave anyway.  I gave every 8 weeks from that day until the day I learned that I could help someone going through chemotheraphy replace the platelets they lose during treatment.  This takes a little longer, but it is so worth it.

Here are a few facts for ya'...

1. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
2. Only 37 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood – less than 10 percent do annually.
3. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
4. Platelets promote blood clotting and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
5. Much of today's medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.
6. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O.
7. Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive.
8. If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.

Source: America's Blood - I donate at the American Red Cross but there are a ton of agencies that are wonderful.

In my bag...

Welcome to one of my most boring posts:  what's in my handbag.

I know, I'm clearly running out of ideas to write about, and truth be told, I've seen this in a few magazines I read (only in the magazine it's a famous person, not some random girl).  So, for everyone who's ever wondered, 'what's in Jenny's bag?!', here you go!

The handbag.  Fossil Adrina Shopper.



1.     My iPad (sort of addicted to this little beauty).
2.     My iPhone (see #1).
3.     A point and click camera, that I never use, but can't seem to take out of my purse...just in case.
4.     My wallet.
5.     My fun little change purse (because I'm 80).
6.     Mascara that I never wear, because I work from home and find no need to get all gussied up on a daily basis.
7.    My $0.97 lipstick that is the perfect shade for me (N.Y.C. brand, shade -Mahogany).
8.    My super sparkly eye shadow (see #6).
9.    My mirror compact my sister gave me for being her matron of honor.
10.  Fossil make up bag.
11.  Ear buds
12.  Cover Girl AmazeMint Lip Shine (love this stuff).
13.  Emory Board (I'm always filing my nails).
14.  Trident Gum.
15.  Ever present hair ties.
16.  Clinique Almost Lipstick in Chic Honey.
17.  The ubiquitous Dr. Pepper lip balm.  My fave.
18.  InkJoy pen in black (medium - I can't write with anything more fine than a medium).

19.  Vera Bradley iPad case.

Adele...

Oh how I love this woman.  Talent, beauty and confidence.  I fell in love all over again watching her at the Grammys.

A-mazing.  If you don't have 19 or 21...do yourself a favor and pick them up!

Photo credit:  Vogue

Fashion Plates...

You guys, I may be making an ill-advised purchase on eBay.  Not for Madeline, but for myself.  When I was a little girl I was obsessed with Fashion Plates.  I would spend hours upon hours designing clothes, coloring, picking patterns, rinse and repeat.

When I saw this pop up on Pinterest I suddenly became obsessed once again.  And then I looked on eBay.  Oh yes, they're on eBay.  Tell me no.  Just tell me I don't need it.

But I kind of do!  I mean, Maddy kind of needs it?

Ugh!

23.4

That's how much weight I've lost since October 27th.

I know, right?!

xo

Happy Valentine's Day!

*smooches to you*

spring!!!

Oh my heavens how I love Spring.  I've had this blog for something like 5 years, and every year around this time I start musing about my yearning for Spring.  I can't help it, despite the incredibly mild winter we've enjoyed this year.  I want to open my windows.  I want to have sunshine streaming through the windows (the one's that are open).  I want to see buds pushing their way through the dirt and days where I can lose my gloves completely.

Hurry up Spring, sheesh!!

P.S.  This was taken in my side yard the other day...yeeee!!!

Nail dilemma

I'm having a mani dilemma...

I typically go for a darker color on my finger nails (think raisin-y brown or darker), but for spring I'm itching to go lighter.  I love the idea of a sheer tangerine, but it looks weird on me.  And the peach (second from the left) is so pretty in theory, but again...weird on me.

I have a sheer pink on right now, but I'm not feeling that either.  And the green on the far left?  Love it, but not on my nails.

Maybe I'll stick to buff, but that's pretty boring.

What do you wear in the spring?  Do you stick with what you like year 'round, or bust out the pastels when the robins start to hop around?

Mam's Hams...

I know.  You're all like, "what the heck is Mam's Hams?".  Here's the story...

Mam's Hams was Madeline's hair salon around the time she was 3 (think the photo above).  I would sit down, and she would ask me if I wanted my hair done.  Someone to play with my hair!?  Yes, please!  Then I would remember it was a three year old mangling my hair into one giant knot.  So what, she had a blast.  When I would ask her the name of her salon, she always said, "Mam's Hams".  To this day, I have no idea what it means or where she got the name.

Mam's Hams...she looks like someone who'd name their salon Mam's Hams, doesn't she?

Alias

I was poking through some tv shows I've downloaded on iTunes in the past, and one of them was Alias.  I forgot how much I LOVE that show!!!  So I found the DVD boxed set I have and started watching it over the weekend.  Seasons 1-5.  I couldn't do what I wanted to do, which was to hibernate and watch it all one after the other, but I got through half of season one (keep in mind I've already seen the whole season, but I forgot stuff!!!!).

You guys, if you never watched this show, download a few on iTunes.  You won't be sorry.

Coloring...

Coloring in jammies after a shower.  Is there anything better than that when you're a kid?

No.  No there isn't.

xo

Books

As I've mentioned before (again, too lazy to link to previous posts, sorry), I take Jack to the bookstore every Sunday.  He goes, begrudgingly.  Once he's there it's awesome, but he's the boy who wants to go to the toy store, not the library (which is what he calls the book store).  His reading skills are really improving, it's amazing to listen to him read to me.  I can't wait to start this with Emma.  And any other random children that want me to buy them books.  Because the books?  I love to buy them for little minds just learning to read.  It's such an amazing world they're stepping into.  Lucky them.

xo

This girl...

She's kind of amazing...