So Many Lights: 2013

Happy Valentines Day!

I Hope you told someone you loved, you loved them.

Me and the boy went out to eat and spent the day together. I made him a cake and a Mix CD. He wrote me a song and gave me lotssss of chocolate. I'll try and post his song soon! I really like it, so sweet.

Love Always
Jessica.

Icing

The best chocolate icing ever: I'm serious.

I've had several people tell me that! Here is the original recipe, I usually play with it a bit to get it to my liking. It's the one from the back of the Hersey Cocoa powder box.

2/3 c cocoa (I sift it)
3 c (sifted)
1 stick butter (1/2 c)
1/3 c Milk
1 tsp vanilla

Sorry I don't know the conversions..

melt butter. Mix in cocoa. Alternate adding powdered sugar and milk while mixing. (I have found that a hand mixer works better) Add milk to get the consistency you want. Add vanilla. Will last about 5 days refrigerated. It covers at least the same amount a normal store bought can would, and I am usually able to do a boarder or something with it as well.
If you are a lover of chocolate this one is for you! I made a valentines day cake for Jesse today! I hope that his family likes it!
Looks like I forgot to post the picture when I posted it...

The red hearts are made out of the melt-able chocolate, you can cover cake pops with it. The ones I have are Candy-Melts. I got them at Hobby Lobby, they're also at JoAnns, so really any craft store will have 'em. I melted a few squares following the directions on the bag. Then took my offset knife and smeared a layer of chocolate on some wax paper, and set my cookie cutter in it. I stuck it in the fridge for about 4 minutes, and wha-la, chocolate hearts. You'll probably have to play with the thickness to see what you like. The best part is, if you mess up you can eat it or melt it!

Tips used:
Wilton 3 for drop strings
Wilton star tip for Shell boarder( I can't remember the number right now..it was a smallish one though)

Love Always,

jessica

Tuesday.

I have always liked Tuesdays; they hold so much promise. However, after school, I came home and slept until dinner. I think things are starting to catch up with me.

Photo by Kaelah.

I saw this dress on Kaelah Bee's blog. I must get it when it comes back in stock! It's so perfect. While you're on her blog, you should enter to win a kitchen-aid mixer! If you don't want it, I'll be more than willing to take it off your hands. ;]

Today was a good kind of chilly. The kind that reminds you you're alive. My school was evacuated due to a bomb threat today. It's so crazy, I don't even live in that bad of a city. The news is scary sometimes, I often wonder what the world is going to be like in 10 or so years. I don't understand why there seems to be so much of THIS stuff lately. I think we are being stripped of our innocents, and no one is trying to stop it.

Love Always,
Jessica

Amelia Earhart

She is probably my biggest hero. For English we have to write a short fictional story on something from history I have chosen her. As much as find her interesting, I can't for the life think up a 1500 word story about her. My brain isn't wired in that way. Much the same I am a terrible liar.

I love when you know someone so well you start to find out little weird things about them. They become more human, in a sense. I think that is why I enjoy books so much, slowly but surely these charaters become real; they become your friends. I love the analytic type of writing. Finding the symbolism and stuff in a book is so cool. Yep, I'm that kid.

What is something weird about you?

That story is due in the morning..I should probably get crackin'.

Love Always
Jessica

Relief

Today was definitely not as glamorous as yesterday. I only left to get my mom some hair dye, other than that I spent the entire day writing Essays and Autobiographies. Oh the joys of scholarships! Alas, I am finally done with them all! HURRAH! I have not felt this relieved in quite some time. I turn them in on Tuesday. I only have 3 and a half days of school this week! I know what you're thinking! "Does this girl EVER have a full week of school?! And the answer is: Not really! I have found that there is always a field trip to go on. However this week is enrollment for underclassmen, as I will not be returning for my Super Senior year, I get to stay home!

If you know of any clever love cliches, I would be ever so grateful, I have to write a paper using a tonnn of them.

Love Always,
Jessica

Excuses

My excuse for being a little late is that it was court warming tonight. The kicker is..I didn't even go to it. Me and the boy decided to partake in every aspect of going to a dance, apart from the fact that we never went to the dance. We had so much fun though! Pictures, then out to eat, and in place of a sweaty gymnasium, we went to..the movies! How creative! Pah. We saw Identity Theft. It. Is. So. Funny.

Here are some pictures we took! They were on film, and my scanner is not the best, so they are a little grainy. All photos by Jesse.

(This is only here as it is the only shoe show-er)

Dress: Forever 21

Shoes: Shoe Carnival

Bag: Grandmothers

Love Always,
Jessica

This,

This is how today was. Very good!

Happy Friday!

Love Always,
Jessica

Wish list

I really like valentines day. I've never had a valentine before, so I'm pretty excited! I just love the idea of telling people you care about, that you care about them! AND, you get chocolate. There really is nothing better. I'm going to be whipping up some heart cakes similar to the one posted here! I am a huge sucker for festive clothes, so I have quite a few heart dresses I bought as valentine gifts to my self over my lonely life. (just kidding) I think it is important to remember to always love yourself. Even if you don't have a special someone on February 14th, you yourself are still very special. So go out and treat yourself! Can I get an amen?!

How will you be celebrating this day??

I love this, if I love someone more than cake it's a really big deal.

Senior Pictures!

Tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting, I should be getting my senior pictures done! We're going down town to some neat looking places! I'm really excited, also nervous. Savannah wants to be a photographer so I've (I'm not sure if you could call it modeling) modeled for her many times but this is a different. I do pull some pretty weird faces on occasion.

The girl taking my pictures actually has a blog, if you are interested! She takes really pretty pictures.

Kimberly Photography

Happy Wednesday!

Love Always,
Jessica

Nostalgia: First Car

My brother's car, my very first car, has been totaled. They are taking it away very soon. I'm kinda sad.. I can't believe that happened. It's so smashed. Darn people!! Falling asleep while driving! Jeremy (brother) is very lucky he did not get hurt. They hit going 40 mph, 64 kph.

It's so sad seeing your first car all messed up, I don't even know why. First cars are just so cool in America. It was a little blue 2001 Honda Civic.

We got this a month before I could drive. My brother who is 1 year older than me could just drive. He kept braking his arm and couldn't take the test, haha.

She sure was a beaut.

Day we bought it

Love always,
Jessica

Alright

This song has made my life a little bit better today.

I highly recommend giving it a listen!
Monday's are very hard.
I have a paper of Mark Twain's, "Letter to the Earth" due tomorrow. Meh. I really dislike Mark Twain. His writing is just not my favorite. And due to the fact he was born around here we must for some reason read everything he has ever written. Same thing goes for Harry Truman. So many museums.

I am reading a book I do like, "Skylark." It's like magic + dystopian world. I read a bunch, maybe I can post some "what I'm reading" like Dainty Squid does!

Love Always.
Jessica

Super Bowl Sunday!

Well I am not legally aloud to talk about the game, as that would be breaking NFL copyright. I will say it was good. Do people out side of America watch it? Care about it, ect? It's a HUGE deal here. Like, no one in my family likes The Ravens or the 49ers, but we still watched the entire game. I've always wondered what things are like in other places. It's one reason why I really want to travel.

As someone who has lived in the same house their entire life I've noticed how easy it is to think everywhere is exactly like it is here. I mean of course there are McDonalds and WalMarts everywhere, but I'm talking the little things. Whether it be calling a pepsi Soda, pop, or coke. And just seeing what other people value and believe in. I really think that's interesting.

Did you watch the game?

Love Always,
Jessica

Ground Hogs day!

I have no idea whether or not he saw his shadow. Or if a ground hog should be our figure of authority on weather.

Savannah was in a play today! She was Mrs. Drysdale, in the Beverly Hillbillies! They did really good! I love seeing all the kids at school pulling together to make some thing really cool like that. I also think it's so cool how many of the kids come to the shows. (No one comes to Orchestra concerts. And ours are free!) But I'm not bitter... :D

This morning my brother got hit on his way to work by a guy that fell asleep at the wheel. Both of them were okay; however, both cars are pretty messed up, if not totaled. He's got some whiplash but it's not too bad. Luckily the man had insurance, so everything will be taken care of. They were both wearing seat-belts too, thank heavens. WEAR SEAT BELTS.

Hope everyone had a nice safe day.

Love Always,Jessica

Today!

Today was so great!

I got to miss school again and go to this really fancy lunch for female athletes The Olympic sand volley ball Gold Medalist was the speaker! The food was AMAZING and I was with my tennis girls who I miss, oh so much!

I really am very short, the girl I'm next to is normal sized. The girl on the far right is my doubles partner, her name is Jessica too! She's taller than me..usually. Haha

I can finally post an outfit! And alas everything is forever 21, 'cept tights which were probably target.

Classy food shot. I don't know what this is, but I want to know how to make it. YUM.

After that me and the boy braved the cold weather and took some film pictures at a park! We also went to see Warm Bodies. IT IS SO GOOD. GO SEE IT. RIGHT NOW. So much fun. We came back and watched the Audrey Hepburn movie Funny Face. It's real good too. I love movies, if you couldn't tell.

What have you been up to these days?

Love Always,
Jessica

ONE MONTH

I have completed one whole month of daily blogging! WOO! I've never been able to stick to things very well so I am very excited about this! To celebrate this glorious accomplishment I will save you some time and keep this post short!

Hope you had a splendid Thursday!

Love Always,
Jessica

Review: Henna Hair Dye

I dyed my hair with Lush's Caca Rouge Mama Henna Hair dye about a month ago and I thought I'd give it a little review.

http://www.lushusa.com

If you can't tell by the name 'Caca' (poop) it is messy. It truly looks like you are smearing poop on your head. It's not as messy as I had suspected it was going to be. Although I kept my mixture pretty thick, and my mom is familiar with dying hair.

First off it comes in this big block, kinda looks like a candy bar, and then you take however much you need (I used 3 squares, its half of what you get, I have shoulder length hair) and pour boiling water on it, melting it until you get the consistency you want. I added quite a bit of cinnamon as it adds to the redness of the color. Then you apply like you normally would. Many people complained about the smell, but I actually liked it. Which is a good thing, because whenever I get my hair wet the smell comes back. It smells earthy, and herb-y sorta. It is quite strong when you apply it.

Once it is all on you'll want to wrap your hair on your head and cover with cling wrap. I left it on for a good 2 hours. You can sleep with it on, or leave it for however long you want. Washing it out was the hardest part I do believe. It turned back into sorta a muddy sand. Use LOTS of conditioner when washing it out.

Very unflattering. Hair is cling wrapped.

I really love the color of hair that it gave me. It's exactly what I wanted. And It looks super natural! Another thing is that it is good for your hair! there are no harmful chemicals and it's not animal tested. I think it's vegan too.

If you are considering doing this you should know that once henna goes on your hair it DOES NOT come off. Regular hair dye does not work neither does bleach. You can only use other henna products to cover it.

Before and After pictures:

That being said, I think it is totally worth it, and am going to do it again when my hair grows out as it has not faded!

Love Always,
Jessica

Death of a Salesman

Instead of heading to my local public learning institution this morning, me and my Intro to Fiction class faced the freezing rain and headed downtown to see the play, Death of a Salesman. I had never read or seen this before, but it was really great. The set was amazing, how they transferred back and forth through time was so clever. The actors were brilliant. After the play was over we even got to have a Q & A with them! If you have not seen it and you have the opportunity to I highly recommend it. It was sad, but a classic struggle for the American Dream.

Tonight they are calling for snow, I really hope we have a snow day as my paper is not finished and walking to The Coffee Shop in the snow sounds really wonderful. I might even try my hand at baking some bread.

Here's a shot of the lipstick I spoke of quite some time ago, my modcloth shirt and my favorite apron! It's from Target.

Love Always,
Jessica

Just another manic monday

This song encapsulates my life. I really think I was born in the wrong decade. For sure. The weather warmed up again! Back to the 70's, they're calling for snow Friday though. I can't wait for summer.

Sorry for the shortness today!

Love Always,
Jessica

John Green/ Nerdfighteria

John Green has been my favorite author for many years. Looking for Alaska is my all time favorite of his many lovely creations. (I have 2 copies, one is signed!!!) I highly recommend reading it if you haven't. His books make me laugh out loud and cry out loud. I find myself becoming friends with the characters and getting an adrenaline rush right along with 'em. I think that's why he's just so great. And the community built by him and his brother is so great as well!

However, something that makes me kinda sad, and happy at the same time is the fact that Nerdfighteria is almost 1 million strong. And while I'm super stoked about all these awesome people are gathering together through the internet. It is kind of a bitter sweet moment, like now it's not so much of secret, not so close knit. I've been watching since about halfway through Brotherhood 2.0. What do you think of this? My states Nerdfighter group on facebook had been discussing this lately, really cool to hear what different people think about things.

I must do some math! and hopefully sleep before midnight! School starts WAY too early! 7:20 a.m.

www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers

Love Always,
Jessica

Running out of time

It is very close to midnight so I must be quick!

I made this three layer cake, for a boy who is EIGHT not twelve. He liked Legos and Basketball. The top is the lego man head, and the bottom is a basketball.

I sure do hope that he likes it. I think everyone is hypercritical of the things they do. I know I am to the max at least. I get so nervous, especially because I charged money for this one. I don't want anyone to regret having me make their kids birthday cake.
My mother has a friend who owns a wedding/party cake bakery and she is going to recommend me to work there! How exciting!

I really want to own my own cake shop some day... I can dream, can't I?

Well it's late and I think I'm going to watch Breakfast at Tiffanys again.

Would me giving recipes/pan sizes be a cool thing to? Or maybe I could do a 'how to' post? Thoughts?

Love Always,
Jessica

Friday

The cake is in the oven.
Yay! I'm really nervous about this one..
I really hope the boy likes it.

I ordered some stuff on mod cloth and it came today!! I absolutely love that store. I wish there was one in real life! They were having a huge sale and I could not resist. I got my prom shoes! And they actually fit! Way to go modcloth!

None of these lovely items are available anymore, but they have sooo much cute stuff.

Dot's the way I like it

She wore true velvet heals in champagne

Tapes-'tres' chic shorts

Hope you're having a lovely friday. Someone was shooting at/in the store where Jesse works today while he was working, luckily no one got hurt! Welcome to America. I'm glad that today was his last day working there. It's so surprising how much gun violence there is these days, it's like no one is even surprised by it any more.

Sorry to get off on a tangent!

Love Always,
Jessica

I think.

I think I made a decision.
I think I'm going to go far away to Chicago for school.
I think it's a good idea.
I think I'm scared.
I think it's expensive.
I think it's going to be worth it.
I think everything will work out.
I think my parents REALLY don't want this.

Love always,
Jessica

Cold

I really couldn't think of a post for today.
It's so cold outside.

Ecclesiastes 3:

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
2 A time to give birth and a time to die;
  A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.3 A time to kill and a time to heal;
  A time to tear down and a time to build up.4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;
  A time to mourn and a time to dance.
5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
  A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
  A time to keep and a time to throw away.7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
  A time to be silent and a time to speak.8 A time to love and a time to hate;
  A time for war and a time for peace.

Love Always,

Jessica

Life is fleeting

I love the good ole Great Gatsby! Super excited for the movie!

Anyways, this lovely evening was my Orchestra concert! Woo! Last winter concert ever... :/
However, And the end of the year, say May 23rd ish, me and the orchestra are packing our bags and heading to NEW YORK for a week! SO EXCITED!

With endings come beginnings.
I kinda hope that I'll fall in love with the city while I'm there, and then I'll HAVE to move there.. We'll see how it all works out!

Any plans for travel? Or Dreams of Travel?

Love Always,
Jessica

Life Scouts

I saw this on Alex Day's Youtube, and then on Heidi's blog! I thought I would post the badges I had earned. And maybe some pictures/ stories to accompany them!

I have done archery many times in my life, although none recently. I would LOVE to do it again! (The Hunger Games has influenced this want greatly.) I did archery through Girl Scouts, and I pretty sure I actually have the archery badge! There are no picture to prove this fact though!

I've been in a few parades in my day, but most recently for my high school tennis team. We had a Home Coming Parade. (It's the dance that corresponds with a football game, if you didn't know). We made the float the night before and it was a really fun team building time! I will really miss tennis after graduation. (I'm on the far right)

I am a 17 year old in America. I drive. I love my car too!! Got my licence on my 16th birthday! Woo! (that's my car, and a look into my suburban life.)

I took French for 3 years, and was actually really good at it. I SO wish I would have stuck with it because the French 4 class is going to France this summer! BUMMER! Such regret.

In 3rd grade my family took a trip to Colorado and we did in fact walk up a very short mountain. And We rode horses up one, and rode a tram up Pikes Peak. So I'm counting it!

What badges have you earned?

http://lifescouts.com/

Love Always,

Jessica

Edit: As you can see I'm working on changing the format, and HTML is hard, so things might not be looking pretty for a little. Thanks!

Sleepy Sunday

On my travels I did get lost once... :3 I had to call my pops and get directions! But I made it home just fine!

This girl makes pretty music, and I went to Girl Scout camp with her for years!! How weird?!

It's sorta Taylor Swift-y, so if you like that kind of thing check her out. She's also on iTunes if you fancy.

I'm trying not to fall asleep, as me and Savannah are supposed to do some homework in a little bit. Although there is no school tomorrow. MLK day!

Love Always,
Jessica

I'm off!

I'm about to drive the furthest I have ever driven. Woo! I'm such a loser, but that's okay. I don't know if I'm coming home so I thought that I would post early so I wouldn't miss a day! COMMITMENT. And here is a silly picture of me in my room. Yes, that is a life size TARDIS.

The weather is SO nice today!! 65 degrees F! Whadddup January?!

Love always,
Jessica

TGIF

Today I got an order from Savannah's dad for a birthday cake for his son! Woo! I love making these bad boys! In fact I made one last night!

I was bored and wanted to practice Shell borders and some string work! I think it turned out pretty well!

(I promise my face doesn't usually do that)

Anyways, the order is for a boy turning 12. The thing is, I have NO idea what a 12 year old boy likes. I have never been one, and my brother is 19. Been a few years. So, hopefully I can think of something! Suggestions..??

Hope you had a lovely day!

Love Always,
Jessica

Update: Coffee

I love coffee.

And I'm not really talking about the taste, but that's growing on me. My friend I mentioned in the last post (Savannah) is a barista. I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself!

Photo and pour by savannah

Coffee really has presented me with a lot of opportunities and friends. Without it, I wouldn't have grown as much with the Lord (Don't hate on me) And I wouldn't have been blessed with a lot of people I now hold near and dear to my heart. The atmosphere of coffee shops is just the perfect place to talk about serious things or just to hang out.

Same as above.

Savannah is who I started going to church with, say 5 years ago?, and in our church there is a little coffee shop, and we used to hang out there and read the Word. I really think that's how we became as close as we are. Then from there we started going and getting coffee and meeting people. And she met a really cool barista who is sorta her 'counselor' at church now. And this baristas room-mate was introduced to me, and we really hit if off I she's become sorta my councilor.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm a horrible story teller.

Today me and Savannah went to coffee, and really caught back up. I think we've been neglecting our friendship and putting other priorities ahead of each other.

Coffee has had a really positive effect on my life. Yep super pretentious hipster.

What has had a positive effect on your life?

I'll try and be better at articulating what I mean in posts.

Love always,

Jessica

It takes one to know one

I am very sorry for the lack of a real post yesterday. I got home from school and slept until 10, then posted and immediately fell back asleep.

I had a 'One Thing' post planned for today, but for the life of me I can't remember what It was about.

Tomorrow school gets out early, and I'm headin' to a different town to drink my favorite coffee!! My old best friend texted me today, and invited me to come over and hang out! (She lives in a different state, like 1 hour away)

For awhile we've been drifting apart and it used to really effect me negativly, nostalgia I tell you! But I had a conversation with someone, his name was David, I think. And he said Something along the lines of "It's okay to drift away and let people go, and to have those freinds that you just meet up with everyonce in awhile and talk about how things are going in life..." I found that really comforting, because obviously things are going to change.

Infact my very best friend of like 7 years is going to college on the otherside of the country, and I doubt we will be as close as we are now. And I think that remembering what David said is really import at times like these, the end of Highschool, college, moving. People aren't abondoning you, you're just experiencing life.

These are sort of candid thoughts. Hopefully enjoyable.

Love Always Jessica

Circa: 2009

It's just one of those days

Can I get an amen?

I know that it's freezing, but I think we have to walk.

Nerdfighters. Are you one???

I am one.

You should be one too.

Who ever senior year was easy was a DAMN fool.

Love Always,
Jessica

I live in a place.

I live in a city.

A city constantly shadowed by a bigger city.

A place where there are pretty skylines.

Skylines of other places.

My city isn't that great, infact everyone I know wants to leave it.

To some bigger better city.

And I'm right anong with them.

But sometimes I like my city.

Where I've grown up.

The roads I know.

It's fimiliar, and friendly.

And maybe, it's tired of being overshadowed by bigger and better things.

If you really think about it,

Somewhere's always better.

So you might as well like where you are.

Anyways, I've decided what college I'm going to, it's in a bigger better city. And I'm going to miss my city. Nostalgia really is my biggest weakness. Me and my mom went to that fabric store and bought everything to make my dress!!!!

Love, Jessica

One thing: Do you ever get the mean reds?

Breakfast at Tiffany's is my all time favorite movie.

I feel like Holly Golightly and I are kindred sprits. Never really sure where we belong, phoneys, but we really believe what we believe. Just how she acts, in that sorta dopey way. It really is hard to explain things like that. If you haven't ever seen it, it is on Netflix! And Netflix is free the first month! There are no excuses!!

Audrey Hepburn is just plain awesome also. Do you have any Kindred Sprits? Real or Fake?

"I'm the top banana of the shock department."

Tomorrow me and my mother are going down town to some fancy fabric stores to look for fabric! She's going to be making my prom dress! I'm excited! I love the Plaza, so pretty! It also is snowing right now. My favorite. I hope you're having a nice weekend!

Love,
Jessica

Months

Today was me and Jesse's 8 month. AWE.

He got me a love themed baking set (It's really cool)

I got him the Art of War. (I dunno, he wanted it)

I'm surprised I haven't missed a day yet, I always remember to post really late.

Any plans for the weekend? I'm sleepin' it up.

Good night!

Love,

Jessica

Oh! I bought some lipstick today! I love it! Perfect shade of red, it's called "red red red" by clinique. It was 15 dollars at Macys. I'll post a picture soon!

They had lights inside their eyes

Thought I'd post some photos as a wee tot.

I grew up with lots of boys, I'm used to being the only girl.

Me and my lovely brother.

Yep, that's me on the end.

I was once blonde, and that dolls name was beans.

Being nostalgic can be fun.

Love,

Jessica

Bird Feeders

I had intended this blog to be a smidge more clothes centered, but I find that I can't be bothered to take the pictures! I actually do like the blog right now though. This picture was taken in a local Hardware store while I was buying a new bird feeder for my dad. (it's squirrel proof)

Jesse is at this meeting for smart people and he's getting people to pay for his college, he'll graduate high school with some sort of degree. I am so proud of him!

The weather is warming up a little this week, for now I must study.

Love,

Jessica

One Thing: Cake

I thought I would share one thing about me today.

I love making, and decorating cakes.

This is the very first cake I made almost exactly two years ago

This is my most recent cake, made for a party my mother had.

This is a Willy Wonka themed cake I made for a birthday pary. First paying job!!

Some Easter cupcakes for my Grandma

Love,

Jessica

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