Jessica In Seattle

Shared Small Kids Room

2012-01-11T16:42:00.000-08:00

I have two kids who are seven years apart. The older brother is not keen on his younger sister getting into his stuff. I can't blame him. Tristan is 11 and EJ is 4 1/2. The problem is they have to share a bedroom.

The even bigger problem is the bedroom is really small for two kids to share while still having their own space.
We start moving in tomorrow.

The solution: bookshelves and twin size loft beds. This is a great solution for any older and younger siblings who have to share a room.

The room is 11 feet wide by 10 feet 4 inches long. There is also only one window.
To give the appearance that my daughter has a window in her side of the bedroom, I will hang a mirror on her wall and place sheer curtains over it as if it were a window. Not only will that provide reflection to make her space seem bigger, but it will also help distribute the light on her side. Luckily she likes cave-like spaces so having bookshelves around almost half of her bed won't be an issue.

The bookshelves will be nearly ceiling height so that the kids will have privacy. Or rather, so Tristan will have privacy. Each of the kids will have two bookshelves facing their side of the room. They can use them for books and displaying their toys or collections. The bottom shelves can be used for their shoes.

I made the diagram below to show you the layout. The purple and yellow side (her favorite colours) is EJ's space with the yellow bookshelves facing her side which is quite a bit smaller since she does not require as much space. There is a small TV stand where they will both be able to see it at the same time.
The blue and turquoise side (his favorite colours) is Tristan's side. It is larger because he needs space to study and space to set up his large building kits.
Both kids have a reading chair with a lamp as both love books.

EJ's loft bed will be only about 4 or so feet off the ground so it isn't as tall as Tristan's which is planned to be a little more than 5 feet - giving him head room while he's studying and enough room to not bonk his head on the ceiling.

Each child will have a nice piece of wall art reflecting their own style and personality on their side of their shared room. Examples are below. If you really like one of the posters, you can click on the link under it and it will take you to it and others like it.

Let me know what you think!

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

This is a view of the shared bedroom.

Morkeleb The Black Poster by Lotacats

Castle by the Sea View from a Window by SceneFromAWindow

Sale - Now Until Midnight Tonight PST

2011-12-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

ONLY TILL MIDNIGHT PST: Save 50% off ALL NEW products by clicking http://bit.ly/ttXXrL

Use Promo Code NEWPRODNIGHT

50% off sale on all new products

www.zazzle.com

Qualifying products are notebooks, notepads, puzzles, magnets, plates, coasters, plaques, computer sleeves, mousepads, tiles, and gift boxes.

Bullies

2011-12-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

A friend recently posted something on facebook about a child who committed suicide because he was bullied at school for being gay. Bullying is all too common. Many people have personal experience with it. I am one of those people.

BULLY FREE ZONE 52" x 35" poster by malibuitalian

I have four children. Two of my children have been bullied in three different schools by their peers. The second one became a bully in an attempt to stop the bullying being directed at my child.

With the first one, the school did nothing, although the teacher and principal were notified of the bullying. I had to contact the child that was bullying my child to put on my scary mom face and tell them to leave my child alone.

Luckily, it worked.

Many other children are not so lucky.

My first child to be bullied was bullied again when moved to a new school. Weight gain and becoming very tough looking was the choice made by my child to stop the bullying at the new school.

Again, it worked. I wish those steps were not necessary. I'm now concerned about health issues related to the weight gain.

With my second child to be bullied, it took four years, two parents, multiple phone calls, emails, and meetings to get the school involved enough to finally stop the bullying. We have an official safety plan filed with the school board to keep the children that were bullying away from my child.

My second child to be bullied entered counseling in first grade as a result of the bullying. My child still sees a counselor to help deal with the emotional scars made by the hurtful words and actions of other children.

My child first mentioned thoughts of suicide to me in the third grade. I still fear for my child's life when a bad day at school is mentioned.

Will those thoughts return? I can only hope they stay away and continue open communication with my child about my child’s feelings.

I did everything possible from my side to stop my child from being a bully as soon as I found out that it happened. My child bullying other children stopped.

If only other parents would take the measures I took to stop the bullying.

The Bull-ying Stops Here Purple T-Shirt by Stop_Bullying

Then, my children would not be suffering. And neither would thousands of others.

If you know of a child who is either being a bully or bullying another child, please do not idly stand by and continue to allow it.

You may have a chance at saving a life.

Take that chance.

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Get $10 off your next Zazzle order!

2011-12-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

In Response

2011-11-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

I received a comment on my blog post from Wednesday and I would like to respond publicly, so I am responding with another blog post.

The comment:

"How would giving a loving couple the right to marry shatter the sanctity of marriage?"

I think we all know the answer to that question. I'm sure those who oppose this are of the same demographic who were for segregation, preventing minorities from voting, preventing women from voting, and those who still are prejudiced against mixed-race marriages.

Women can vote, minorities can vote, share a seat in the front of a bus, and marry. It's sad that many politicians still dare not upset the conservative voters, but eventually they will and same-sex couples will be recognised the same as non-same-sex couples.

My response:

First, your words mean so very much to me, Daniel; I thank you!

In addition, yes, I know there are hundreds of thousands in this vast world who believe in segregation on many levels. Religion and politics are used to justify some of these belief systems. Others believe in some form of segregation due to parental teaching or because it is the laws of their country.

Separating same sex couples from non-same-sex couples (I have to admit your choice of wording made me smile) is just another form of segregation.

Separating the rights of women from the rights of men, as is common in many countries around this world, is another form.

Moreover, one could argue, the separation of CEO's from the person who sorts the mail is yet another. This is the general basis for the Occupy Wall Street protests we have heard about, been a part of or seen. It surrounds us on a daily basis without much thought.

It is true that we have made incredible progress toward equality but we still have quite a ways to go. The average annual pay for a woman is still less than that for a man with the same job description. The gap has decreased over the years as on June 10, 1963 it became illegal to pay women lower rates for the same job strictly on the basis of their sex. That has not closed the gap completely however.

Here is a tidbit:

Median Annual Pay for Full-Time Working Men in 2010	Median Annual Pay for Full-Time Working Women in 2010

$42,848	$34,788

There are so many forms of segregation, I cannot address them all here or no one would read my blog as it would be far too encompassing a read.

I look forward to the day when politicians dare upset the conservative voters to allow same sex marriage and we close the door a little further on inequality.

Equality by JessicaInSeattle

Until Next Time,

JessicaInSeattle

Shattering The Sanctity of Marriage

2011-11-16T16:36:00.000-08:00

This week I learned that on the 2012 ballot in the State of Washington (where I live), we will see a referendum asking to give same-sex couples the right to marriage. I'm one half of a same-sex couple. There is outrage amoung those who oppose gay marriage and their main argument seems to be that if I have the right to marry my fiancée, we will shatter the sanctity of marriage.

The sanctity of marriage? Really? How would giving a loving couple the right to marry shatter the sanctity of marriage?

How many celebrity couples can you think of who are divorced?

Let me give you a hand here. I'll provide a list of celebrity couples who have had short-lived marriages. I shortened it, because it was getting too long!

Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray: 5 months

Shannen Doherty and Ashley Hamilton: 5 months

Drew Barrymore and Tom Green: 5 months

Charlie Sheen and Donna Peele: 5 months

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Esposito: 4 months

Renée Zellweger and Kenny Chesney: 4 months

Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson: 4 months

Colin Farrell and Amelia Warner: 4 months

Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd: 4 months

Lisa Marie Presley and Nicolas Cage: 3 months

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries: 72 days

Chris Kattan and Sunshine Tutt: 8 weeks

Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine: 32 days

Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds: 2 weeks

Mario Lopez and Ali Landry: 2 weeks

Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman: 6 Days

Britney Spears and Jason Alexander: less than 55 hours

Oh dear, I think it has been proven that the sanctity of marriage was shattered before I ever proposed to the woman I love.

It seems many people think of it as a partnership that lasts as long as the two people can stand each other.

Well, just to be fair, here is a list of the longest opposite sex celebrity marriages.

Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman: 29 years and counting

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson: 23 years and counting

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick: 23 years and counting

John Travolta and Kelly Preston: 20 years and counting

Let's look at some more statistics here. So, I will just write down how long these same sex celebrity couples have been together since they can't legally marry in the US.

Michael Cashman and Paul Cottingham: over 20 years and counting

John Barrowman and Scott Gill: 18 years and counting

Elton John and David Furnish:18 years and counting

David Sedaris and Hugh Hamrick: over 10 years and counting

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka: 7 years and counting

Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni: 7 years and counting

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeGeneres: 7 years and counting

Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer: 6 years and counting

Barney Frank and Jim Ready: 6 years and counting

And some short term marriages between same sex couples:

Oh, right, there aren't any.

All we are asking for is the right to have the people we love recognized by law as our wives or husbands.

Why? Well why do opposite sex couples want to get married?

In no particular order at all, here are a list of reasons that pop into my head for why same sex couples want to get married.

It is easier to file one tax return each year instead of two.

Speaking of taxes, we want the tax breaks for being married.

Because we want a family. Or we already have one and we want it to be recognized.

So when we go to our child's school, we are recognized as a parent of that child.

Because being confined to a waiting room while the person we love is in a hospital bed is painful.

Because when the biological child of our partner is hurt, we want to be able to take them to the doctor and be seen as their mother or father.

So we can qualify for spousal medical and dental insurance.

Because we want to be able to say "This is my wife" or "This is my husband".

Marriage has been proven to prolong life. We want to live longer!

People who are married report being happier. Are we not entitled to happiness?

Because it is a lot cheaper to pay for one house.

So we can have a party where all our friends and loved ones come and celebrate that we are together.

Because having an anniversary is kind of like having a second birthday every year!

So when someone tries to pick us up in a bar, we can tell them we're married.

Because hearing that our friends are getting married is hard when we can't plan our own legit wedding.

So I can proudly wear my ring and know that my wife gave it to me.

Because it is nice to have someone to talk to at the end of the day.

Because I want to spend the rest of my life with the person I fell in love with.

Do you see anything special about this list? Do you see anything that opposite sex couples don't get when they get married?

No, you don't. You don't because we don't want anything special or different or unique. We want what is already defined as marriage.

Remember learning in your US History class in school about when interracial couples couldn't marry in many states in this country? A law was passed on June 12, 1967 allowing miscegenation (interracial marriage) in the United States.

It's about time a law was passed for marriage equality. A law allowing all persons of legal age and sound mind to marry whomever they want who is also of legal age and sound mind.

So, if you think that allowing me to marry the woman I love will shatter the sanctity of marriage, you are sorely mistaken.

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Love Naked Yoga?

2011-10-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

I noticed there were many searches for Naked Yoga coming to my blog page. So, I thought I'd create a shirt to match all those searches!
It doesn't matter what you call it; if you love doing yoga in the nude, you can now share that love with everyone who reads your shirt. Just remember, you need to take it off when you get to class!

I Love Naked Yoga by JessicaInSeattle

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Super Sexy September Sales!

2011-10-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

During the month of September I was moving and I did not have much time to devote to my Zazzle stores. Apparently that did not affect traffic to my stores or sales of my products.
Not only did I have a great month, I had the best September I've had since I opened my first store over 4 years ago!
Since I didn't have time to update my Facebook and Twitter fans of all the sales because of the move, I'm just posting them all in this blog post so I don't overwhelm my fans and lose any of them due to the annoyance of too many updates taking up space on their feeds.
Because I value all of you and don't want to lose any of you!
At the same time, I thought you would like to see a good example of what is available and selling!

Thank you for being such a supporter of what I love to do!
JessicaInSeattle

So, here is the very exciting list of 510 products ordered in September:

I'm only half evil by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Watch Your Children by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Longhorn Lightning by Onomonopia - 1 ordered

The Great Wall of China by Onomonopia - 1 ordered

Clean by JessicaInSeattle - 4 ordered

Customizable allergy button by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Indigo by JessicaInSeattle - 2 ordered

Pumpkin Pi by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Soccer ball by JessicaInSeattle - 4 ordered

Plain Tote by JessicaInSeattle - 3 ordered

Good Job! by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Check out my rack! by Onomonopia - 4 ordered

Pink Ribbon Business Card by JessicaInSeattle - 400 ordered

Fantastic! sticker by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Magenta Tie by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

The Great Wall of China by Onomonopia - 1 ordered

The Great Pyramid of Giza by Onomonopia - 5 ordered

Check out my rack! by Onomonopia - 2 ordered

Don't make me throw a possum at your face by Onomonopia - 1 ordered

The Great Pyramid of Giza by Onomonopia - 1 ordered

Ladies Destroyed T-Shirt - Vintage White by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Sun Kissed Cherry Blossoms by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Thistle Tie by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Recipes by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered


Coral Tie by JessicaInSeattle - 8 ordered

serendipitous by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Support Gay Rights by JessicaInSeattle - 53 ordered


Sun Kissed Cherry Blossoms by JessicaInSeattle - 4 ordered

Pink Ribbon Tie by JessicaInSeattle - 1 ordered

Yes, I Stutter

2011-08-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

When I was four years old, I learned to read, but I couldn't write yet. I started Kindergarten when I was four also, but that was because my mom thought she could get away with lying to the school and telling them I was five. I picked up the paint brushes, crayons and pencils with my left hand. When my teacher came around to teach me how to write my name, she told me that I had the pencil in the wrong hand and she took it out, placed it in my right hand, covered my hand with hers and moved my hand around to form the letters of my name.

That was how I learned that my left hand was the "wrong hand". I learned to write my name, paint my pictures and circle the picture of the cat that matched the word CAT with my right hand from that day forward.

When my fifth birthday rolled around almost three months after my first day of school, I was so excited I kept telling everyone at the school it was my fifth birthday. The teacher took me to the principal's office. The principal asked me how old I was. I was in trouble. I didn't know why, but for some reason, turning five was not acceptable! They called my mom. I waited in the principal's office. My mom came to the school. I didn't get to go back to Kindergarten anymore that year.

I began to stutter the same year.

DID I STUTTER? by minx267

I never once in my life put two and two together until I saw the movie "The King's Speech". In that movie, a speech therapist tells the King that the root of his stutter comes from being forced to write with his write hand when he was naturally left handed. I had a complete Ah Ha! moment while watching that movie.

My stutter only came out when I was stressed or frustrated in some way. Fighting with my older brothers (happened frequently), in trouble for something with my mom (less frequently) or even when reading aloud and trying to figure out an unfamiliar word (I was and am an avid reader so this happened quite often).

I mostly combated the stutter by learning to not get stressed. I still stutter somewhat to this day when I do get stressed but it's not very bad and if I take a deep breath, close my eyes, gather my thoughts and start over, I can get past it. Now my stutter usually only shows up when I disagree with someone emphatically and I'm trying to defend my view or when I'm trying to remember a word and it gets "stuck on the tip of my tongue".

After a severe car accident I was in almost seven years ago, I had to go to many different specialists. Four of them worked together to give me some information about the brain injury I had from the accident. After running many tests, CAT scans and cognitive tests and conferring with the other specialists, one of them asked me what my primary hand was. I said I was right handed. His response surprised me. "Actually, you are clinically classified as ambidextrous." I told him the story about the Kindergarten teacher.

I guess in the long run, I can thank that teacher because she forced me to learn to deal with stress and gave me the gift of ambidexterity.

Life provides us with many obstacles to overcome. How we deal with them is all a matter of perspective.

Half Full/Half Empty by JessicaInSeattle

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Fantasy Football?

2011-08-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

I know almost nothing about football. To give you a better idea, I'll tell you what I do know. Some number of guys in tights and giant plastic shoulder pads run around a field and try to get an oblong, yet pointy shaped ball to their designated end of the field while some equal number of guys in the same attire (albeit different colours) try to stop them. And vice versa.

That's the extent of it. So, why on Earth would I agree to play Fantasy Football?
I did not at all understand until two weeks ago when I finally asked someone who explained it to me, how Fantasy Football even works or what it was.

When it was explained to me, it sounded kind of fun to my competitive side. Now that I've agreed to play it, however, I've realized what I've got myself into.

Which is most likely a heap of trouble! I know nothing about any of the players and I only know a handful of team names!

And after doing some googling, I've discovered that Fantasy Football team names are made up. Now, this part I could have some fun with!

I personally like this one - although it seems it is already taken:


Breaston Plants Fantasy Football by FantasyTeamShirts

Wish me luck!

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Sharks!

2011-08-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Sharks can cause massive hysteria, involuntary twitching of the limbs, even curiosity and fascination. Some people can't stand to look at them, some can't look enough. Some find them the most frightening creatures on planet Earth and some think the fear is unwarranted. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, we've got something for you at Zazzle!


Shark Pushing Through Mousepad by sharkweek


Fins Up! Shark mousepad by twalsh6

Sharks are cool t-shirt by dirtywhiteshirt

Land Sharks by bosssadler

Shark by FunGraphix

SHARK WEEK by goodboy186

I hope you've found something you like!

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Like FREE shipping?

2011-07-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Introducing Zazzle Black - Unlimited FREE shipping on any order for an entire year!

Two levels to choose from!

The Zazzle Black program is an exclusive membership program that gives you FREE standard shipping or 2-day shipping to any location in the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii, and exclusive discounts on Zazzle products.

TWO AMAZING PROGRAMS
Zazzle Black Standard	One year of unlimited FREE standard shipping on all orders for qualifying products to the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii. Access to exclusive sales and discounts.	$9.95 FREE Trial
Zazzle Black 2-Day	One year of unlimited FREE 2-day shipping on all qualifying orders. One year of unlimited FREE standard shipping on all orders for qualifying products to the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii. Access to exclusive sales and discounts.	$39.95*

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Try Zazzle Black for free! Sign up for a 30-day free trial and enjoy FREE standard shipping on any order you place for a 30-day period. Sign up now and your trial starts instantly!

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Get MORE Zazzle Black with FREE 2-day shipping! For just $39.95 annually, enjoy FREE 2-day shipping on all qualifying orders for products except KEDS shoes and the same privileges of Zazzle Black Standard. Sign up today!

To sign up, you'll need your credit card but you will not be charged for your free trial. When your free trial comes to end, we'll enroll you in your first year of Zazzle Black standard membership for $9.95 annually. You can opt-out of enrollment at any time during the free trial by visiting the Zazzle Black program management page in your account.

Click on any of the links in this blog post to get more details and sign up for this amazing program!

Until Next Time,

JessicaInSeattle

More new shirts!

2011-07-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

I've been on quite the t-shirt kick lately! Check it out! More coming soon so keep an eye out!


You are on my laminated list.

I'm on your laminated list.

schveet


Pick Your Poison & Quit Your Bitching!

Hello Saddle! Let's Go For A Ride!

2011-07-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

I got a job (other than Zazzle) and was introduced to customer service induced exhaustion. I then proceeded to neglect my workouts for weeks, gain ten pounds, go off my diet, have my computer crash and then mysteriously begin to work again and run the Warrior Dash that I posted about a while back.

In the mean time, I did not enter a single blog posting. Egads!

It's high time I saddle up and get back to creating, posting, exercising and everything else I need to get back to. And none of it involves horses. But, oh, how the list is long!

That all being said, I have begun to create some new things on my Zazzle store: JessicaInSeattle. I seem to be in a t-shirt phase right now and ideas are popping into my head several times a day. I'm loving the influx of creativity! Just a little warning though - most are t-shirts with sayings only brave people will wear. You'll see what I mean when you visit the t-shirt section of my store by CLICKING HERE.

And as always, if you have a custom request, feel free to email me at JessicaInSeattle at gmail dot com.

A smattering of recent product examples (Pst - clicking the links below the products will take you to the product page):


Shut The Front Door!


Christ on a Cracker!

Variety is the Spice of Life!


69 is now 96

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Employment and Coupons

2011-05-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

I had almost eleven months between jobs. Well, jobs where I was employed by someone other than myself, that is. Of course I still had my Zazzle stores, but they weren't bringing in enough to pay the bills. Feel free to take pity on me, visit that link and order something awesome.

I am finally re-employed again though...and back at the University of Washington again to boot! Hooray! They have awesome benefits and the pay isn't actually that bad compared to what I could have been paid now that I know what else is out there. I'll have my first almost full week starting on 5/31. They told me I get paid for the holiday too. How radical a start to work is that!?

Anyway, I actually wanted to get out of the department I was working in for a few years prior to my layoff so it was a bit of a blessing in disguise. And a pretty good lesson on how to live frugally too. I've had that lesson a few times in my life, but never while living on my own and supporting three of my kids at the same time.

It's been tough, but I've managed. I could have been a bit more frugal by using more coupons. I've been watching my best friend, Cynthia cut back on her family budget and she's learning all about clipping coupons, and saving big time. And she's just an awesome person to know in general. That link you see there goes to her facebook business page. Check her out, she's pretty amazing!

Speaking of coupons, there is now an Extreme Couponing show on television where people save between 80% and 100% on their shopping trips. It totally fascinates me and I wish I could do that in this lovely city of Seattle. Of course, they can use more than one coupon for a single item and can double their coupons too. Not something that the stores in Seattle allow, unfortunately. The coupons I get say "do not double" and "not valid with any other offers". (insert sad face)

Please, do tell me if I'm wrong - I'd absolutely love to hear that - and hear where to get doubling coupons for this area too if they exist!

So, I actually wrote all of the above last night and then today, I've done a ton of research and (re) discovered The Krazy Coupon Lady. I actually knew about this website for at least the last four years now, but for some reason, I've never really read it. I guess I just got discouraged because so many people told me that it is so hard to coupon in Seattle and that it takes hours upon hours of planning and I just did not have the motivation to do it.

Well, I do now! There is a specific reason that I will read through The Krazy Coupon Lady website: it has a beginners section where they have a ten day program to teach you how to get started. Frakking cool! Not only that, but they say that they really don't spend the hours I thought I needed to do this ... maybe two hours a week is what Joanie said she spends. And, she was featured on that Extreme Couponing show too.

So, I'll be starting that as of today...I'll just fit it in between all the other things I have on my to-do list for today. I'll actually probably read through day one tonight after the kids are in bed.

And now I'm off to get "breakfast" done. I put that in quotations because we've all actually eaten something but I promised the kids my homemade waffles with homemade strawberry syrup so we will be eating that for lunch I guess. But I'm still calling it breakfast. (grin)

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Fathers

2011-05-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

Father's Day is coming up and every year, I think about this story. Every Father's Day holds a special place in my heart because I have never wished my dad a happy Father's Day. Not because I'm cold hearted but purely because I have never met him.

I have always wanted to find my dad. I have never seen his face, never seen a photograph of him, never heard his voice and have never been able to say "I just looked like my dad when I did that!" I came into this world 9 months after a one night stand. I have the name of one of his friends from almost forty years ago and I know his hair colour, and eye colour. The one friend now suffers from alzeimers and does not remember my dad. My search ended with a single phone call.

I have a recurring dream where a man walks by me while I'm sitting on a park bench and I look up and know that it's him. I have lost all hope of ever finding him; ever knowing if I have siblings, cousins, grandparents. I had to let go of the idea of ever knowing that side of my family; that side of myself.

Sixteen years ago I had a daughter. Her father moved away days before I knew for certain I was pregnant and I have been unable to find him. Our mutual friends didn't know where he had gone. He just disappeared one day.

To have my daughter suffer the same pain and emptiness that comes from not knowing your father is heartbreaking to me. If I can never know my father, that is one thing. But for my daughter to never know hers...I just have to find him. I hired an investigator to help me about five years ago. She was what I could afford at the time (not very much) and she came back empty handed.

I am a single mom and my daughter has been through a lot. She started high school last year and made some poor choices. She went to stay with a family member to straighten things out and her body responded to the cleaner air in a way that makes it impossible for her to live in the city again. She's allergic to pollution. I live in Seattle; not a city that makes you think of pollution, but there is enough for her to react.

She now lives in the next state and I haven't seen her in almost six months. I remember being her age and I remember thinking that I had a piece of myself that was missing. I went through a rough patch at about the same time. Now, not only does she not know her father, but she doesn't have her mother by her side anymore either.

It took me until I was in my 30s to come to peace with not having my father in my life. I don't want my daughter to have to suffer for another 15 years because I can't find her dad. She has a right to know who her father is and her father has a right to know that he has a beautiful, intelligent daughter who has his ears, his jaw line, his brown eyes and even his feet.

I know his name (Brock Will), his age (around mine), where I last knew he lived (Ashland, Oregon). But my daughter needs to see his face, hear his voice. She needs to know this part of herself so she can overcome the struggle she suffers to know who she is. She needs to know if she has siblings, cousins, grandparents.

She needs to be able to say "I just looked like my dad when I did that!"

I hope one day my search for Brock Will can come to an end so my daughter can know her father.

If anyone who happens to read this knows someone named Brock Will, or someone with a name close to that, please send him a link to this blog entry. If it's him, he'll know.

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Featured Products: Textured iPad and iPhone Cases

2011-05-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

There are so many awesome designs on Zazzle, sometimes it is hard to choose something to feature. But there are a selection of "textured" iPad and iPhone cases that caught my eye and I just can't hold back. I have to share in the awesomeness!

I put "textured" in quotes because they aren't actually textured, but look like they are! You want to feel them to be sure they aren't actually wood, leather, rusty metal other textures.

Enough of my trying to explain it. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so you be the judge!

Cracked Wood Plank Texture iPhone 3G/3GS Case by HelenaPion

Faux Leather Book Cover 2 iPad Case by HelenaPion
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Old Faux Leather Book Cover iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion

Rusty Metal Texture 4 iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion
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Chipped Paint Coral Wood Plank Texture iPad Case by HelenaPion

Marbled Wood Plank Texture iPhone 3G Case by HelenaPion

Chipped Paint Wood Boards Texture iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion

Green Circuit Board Texture 2 iPad Case by HelenaPion

Purple Circuit Board Texture 2 iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion

Blotched Crimson Paper Texture iPhone 3G Case by HelenaPion

Vintage Brown Floral Pattern iPad Case by HelenaPion

Black Fabric Texture iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion
More iphone 3 cases

Blue Jeans Fabric Texture iPad Case by HelenaPion
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Ragged Jute Fabric Texture iPhone 3G/3GS Case by HelenaPion
Browse iphone 3 cases

Wrinkled Sheet Fabric Texture iPad Case by HelenaPion
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Old Faux Leather Book Cover 1 iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion
Browse iphone cases

Vintage Woven Jean Blue Book Cover iPhone 3G Case by HelenaPion
More iphone 4 cases

See, you want to touch them all, don't you! Just to feel if they are really leather, wood, fabric (which they actually are) but they certainly aren't burlap or jeans!

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Featured Artist: Helena Pion

2011-05-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

I don't currently have a Squidoo account, and I already have established followers of this blog, so I thought "What better place to feature a designer than this place right here!"

Feature a designer? Yep. Her name is Helena Pion and she has a selection of absolutely astounding designs on Zazzle.com.

Some of her iPhone and iPad designs will be featured in this blog, particularly her zebra striped ones for today. And just because she's got so many awesome products, I might feature more of her items tomorrow! So keep your eye out and be prepared to be delighted!

One of the totally awesome things about her striped products is that you can change the background colour to whatever your little heart desires so you can make it your very favourite colour if you so choose! Now how cool is that?

And another amazing thing is that each design is available on all three cases: iPhone 3, iPhone 4 and iPad!

Camouflage Stripy Zebra Cartoon iPad Case by HelenaPion

Camouflage Stripy Panda Cartoon iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion

Camouflage Stripy Zebra Rear Cartoon iPhone 3 Case by HelenaPion

Customizable Stripy Kangaroo Cartoon iPad Case by HelenaPion

Customizable Stripy Ostrich Cartoon iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion

Customizable Stripy Dinosaur Cartoon iPad Case by HelenaPion

Customizable Stripy Pig Cartoon iPhone 3G Case by HelenaPion

Customizable Stripy Beaver Cartoon iPad Case by HelenaPion

Stripy Mouse On Cheese Cartoon iPhone 3G Case by HelenaPion
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Customizable Stripy Chicken Cartoon iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion
More iphone 4 cases

Customizable Stripy Turtle Cartoon iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion

Customizable Stripy Dog Cartoon iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion

Customizable Stripy Cat Cartoon iPad Case by HelenaPion

Customizable Stripy Bee Cartoon iPhone 3G Case by HelenaPion
Browse more iphone 4 cases

Customizable Stripy Leopard Cartoon iPhone 4 Case by HelenaPion

Graduation Stripy Owl Cartoon iPad Case by HelenaPion

See what I mean? Totally cute and awesome! And wherever you see white, yellow, blue, green, etc in between the black stripes, you can change those to match whatever colour you choose! Fun stuff! Enjoy shopping!

Until Next Time,

JessicaInSeattle

Spring Break

2011-04-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

My ten year old son, Tristan has been on Spring break all week this week. That's why I've been incognito. We have been very busy cleaning my house. Actually, he has been very busy cleaning my house. Mopping the floors, washing laundry, vacuuming, organizing bookshelves, cleaning the bathtub and sorting socks to name a few.

I Love Spring Break by LoveGraphics

Why the heck would I have Tristan spend his Spring break doing all these things? Well, last week he got in trouble at school and I got a call from the Vice Principal. Grounded!

My mom says I'm, GROUNDED by ericaduh

Since we don't watch a lot of TV (as in I will go an entire week without turning it on) taking that away wasn't really in the cards. I did mention that if his little sister, Ellie might want to view a movie, he would not be allowed to participate.

Sister For Sale Organic Creeper by BabyKidsTeesGifts

He also had his cell phone taken away and could only use it with prior permission to talk to his dad and grandma. It is sitting on my desk now. He was not happy about that. Especially since he has this thing about knowing exactly what time it is. I think that bothers him more than not texting everyone.

I Love Texting by ilovemyshirt

Ellie and I made cookies on her birthday on Monday. She turned four. He was not allowed to participate in the cookie making. He was, however allowed to take pictures of us making cookies.

Monster by oldschoolthreads

Tristan did get a piece of cake but at Ellie's birthday lunch at Gordito's, he got a plain bean and cheese burrito and chose not to get the glass of water he would have been allowed. He was a bit grumpy at lunch so he had a little time-out in the corner of the restaurant at a vacant table by himself. We were one of only a few tables occupied that day anyway.

Then things went totally old skool. He had loaded the dishwasher and I told him for the second time that day that when he was finished, he needed to wipe out the sink too. He started talking back to me and using that particular tone that gets on my last nerve. He spent the next five minutes sitting on the toilet lid with a bar of soap hanging half out of his mouth.

Funny. I haven't had him talk back to me in a couple of days. It's been nice.

Uncle Sam Yakkity Yak, Don't talk back by elkart51

I'll tell you though. It is almost easier to just do all the housekeeping myself. It is totally exhausting having a child who is grounded. I'm constantly having to find another thing for him to do and then show him how to do it properly, then check his work when he's done.

I have had more time for cooking though. I've made some pretty delicious food this week. My facebook friends have been salivating at some of the pictures I've posted in my FOOD photo album.

I hope the next week I get to spend with my kids will be less tiresome and much more enjoyable.

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

A Long Day

2011-04-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day. It started out pretty well. My kids woke me up earlier than I would have liked to have been awoken but my son brought me a requested cup of tea and then I put on a pilates dvd that I followed almost all the way through.

It was my first living room workout since my foot was broken back in early February and I think it was pretty successful. It was a good workout and I was able to do almost all the stuff the instructor was doing save for a couple things I had to modify because of my foot but I kept moving and that's what counts.

After that, I showered and dressed and put dinner in the crock pot. A pot roast. It was delish! I whipped up a side of creamy mashed potatoes and I'll have to work out again tomorrow morning just to work off those taters!

I got a bunch of stuff done on my newest Zazzle store and I kept myself from getting sucked back into the book I'm reading ... until now. I've got to go because I have to pick it up again now that the kids are in bed and I'm done working for a bit. I'm on the third of the Dark Tower series.

Ka by DarkTower

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Disneyland Vacation

2011-04-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a Disneyland vacation and I didn't take my kids.

Yes, some of you will think that is mean of me to go without them to a place that was made with children in mind.

But what I don't understand is parents who take their children to someplace like Disneyland for vacation and then yell at the poor little ones when they are tired, hungry and just want to sit down. Or if they are scared to go on a ride, "Well you should just go sit in the hotel room alone while I go have fun if you can't handle it!"

Yes, I heard that phrase spoken (harshly, mind you) to small children on more than one occasion during my two days in Disneyland.

If you want rides your kids are afraid of, go without the kids. If you want a Disney vacation with the kids, go on the rides the kids like, take lots of breaks, get Fastpass tickets so your wait times are shorter and carry lots of snacks with you.

I saw so many crying children and I just thought it was mean of the parents to do that to them when they were supposed to be having fun. The kids were totally worn out. Some were upset that they were too short to go on a ride because their parents snuck them past the first measuring point and had waited in line for 40 minutes only to be told they had to leave. Some were just purely hungry because it was past lunch and the parents wanted to get one more ride in before they ate.

Some were just way too little to be in Disneyland in the first place. I think the youngest one I asked about was 5 weeks old. I can't even begin to tell you how many I saw who were so young they couldn't walk yet.

It made it hard for me to have a good time when I saw so many unhappy children. They were supposed to be in "The happiest place on Earth" and they were definitely not happy.

And the parents weren't happy either. They were also worn out. They looked longingly at our drinks while we sat in the bar either in Downtown Disney or in California Adventure.

So tell me. What is the point of taking a child on a vacation with you where you both are going to become exhausted, upset, and eventually the child will cry and the parents will be exasperated and wish they were home?

I'm not saying you should never take a child to Disneyland. But if you do, do it with the child's needs in mind.

Until Next Time,

JessicaInSeattle

Friday Four Hour Sale - 50% Off Hats

2011-04-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

I'm going to just do this one really quickly because there isn't much time and I want you all to know about the awesome sale that is happening at Zazzle right now!

If you order any hats and use the Promo Code FFSS4ZAZHATS and you will get 50% off your order! But there is a catch, this is only a 4-hour sale and it ends today (Friday, April 8, 2011) at 4:01pm Pacific Time!

So get your shop on!

Here is the link to the most popular hats at Zazzle so you can view some awesome options:

Zazzle Hats On Sale

And here are a few selections I thought were pretty cool:

olivia by JessicaInSeattle

Pink Ribbon Hat by JessicaInSeattle
See more Pink ribbon Hats

Beer Drinking Sniper by cowboyannie

Save A Horse...Ride A Cowgirl! by ThreadHeadLTD

There are so many more to choose from but I've run out of time!

Go shopping!

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Confessions of a Scatterbrained Artist

2011-04-08T00:15:00.000-07:00

It has been an utterly crazy week. And if I didn't have every single appointment, task and errand in my Google calendar, I would probably forget to eat. Sadly, I actually have a reminder in there to make dinner each night. Because if I don't, I get sucked into working on my art and forget to make dinner. The kids would probably happily play until they got hunger pangs. I happily work straight through mine.

Actually, over the years, I've got to the point where I don't even get hunger pangs anymore. I only notice I'm hungry when I feel like I'm about to be sick. Unfortunately, that happens all too often as I will forget to eat both breakfast and lunch, then wonder why I feel sick after not eating anything for nearly twenty four hours. Steph does a good job of making sure I eat when I'm with her. And she still shakes her head every time she asks if I'm hungry, I answer "I don't know", she places food in front of me and I devour it ravenously then look up and say "I guess I was hungry after all".

So, I keep my Google calendar filled to the hilt on the days when I have my kids. Every morning is the same and includes wake up, get Tristan showered, make breakfast and even brush teeth. Monday we don't have any appointments, but I've got nap for Ellie, lunch, wash the dishes, pick Tristan up from school, etc logged in there. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we have errands and appointments scheduled so the calendar is altered to fit those in. Friday is shortened by two hours as they go see their dad for the next seven days on Fridays. Sometimes it feels really hectic as I seem to always have a reminder going off to tell me to move on to the next task at hand.

Maybe if I bought this shirt for one of my kids, it would remind me to eat breakfast!

Cereal Killer by JessicaInSeattle

On the weeks when I don't have my kids, my calendar is almost completely wide open and it always takes me a couple days to adjust to the lack of a schedule.

I was just reminded tonight (by it falling off my desk) that I kept my old cell phone which has over 100 notations in it about artistic ideas I need to put to the page so I can sell or donate my old phone. Guess I'll have to add that to my calendar!

One of my major issues is that when I add something like that to my calendar, I tend to hit the procrastinate button. You know, the one where you edit it so it appears the next day instead. And I will do that time and time again.

I'm actually sitting here shaking my own head at myself over that one. Definitely something I need to work on.

Tonight we had my sons 'big brother' from the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program come over to play with him. While they were hanging out and Ellie was occupied, I pulled out my paints and brushes to finish a piece I started over a month ago. I've finished it, but I'm not at all happy with how it turned out. I think it's sort of cute, but it is so far off my usual style, it doesn't feel like my work at all and I don't think I did a very good job at it either. It just looks to me like something a grade school kid would paint.

I was trying so hard to create something cute I could put up in my Zazzle store for Easter and I just don't think this is going to do it. I just don't think I'm a "cute stuff" or a cartoon type artist.

So, I'll have to go back to the drawing board on this one. I'd love to paint something, but I'm always afraid to add colour to my sketches. I can remove pencil and charcoal, but I don't know how to fix an error with paint.

I did discover that I can paint ambidextrously though. Both my left and right are quite steady with the brush. As a matter of fact, the side of the painting that looks all tidy and smooth was done with my left hand and the side that looks textured and choppy was done with my right. So on second thought, maybe I should just stick to my left hand when painting.

Hmm. Something to ponder.

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Running, Shoes With Toes and iTunes

2011-04-04T03:21:00.000-07:00

My broken foot has been healing really fast ever since I got off the crutches. I'm really itching to go for a run, but still just doing walks for now...wearing my running shoes though. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to go for short runs very soon here!

Running Shirt - click for details

I am absolutely ecstatic at the thought of getting outside, breathing the lovely Seattle air and feeling my heart pump blood through me exuberantly.

I love running. And I miss it oh so very much! I actually made this running shirt right after coming back from a particularly refreshing run about a week before I broke my foot. I'll have to order it as a gift to myself when I can run again. I'd love to wear this one while going on at a good clip around the Green Lake running trail...one of my favourite routes in Seattle.

It's a short one at about 4.25 miles, but I love running around Green Lake and starting from the nearby high school adds in just enough distance to make it feel like a real run. If I just do the loop around the lake, it's only about 2.8 miles and that's just not enough.

Of course, that might be what I have to start with once I'm back to running again. Which brings me to my footwear which has really been on my mind quite a lot as of late. I've seen so many people wearing those Vibram FiveFingers shoes (mostly around the lake). I've become quite intrigued and did a ton of research on them several months ago, but since I love to run barefoot and fewer injuries occur when running in our natural bare-naked state, I'm seriously considering them. Price is my only obstacle.

Well, that, and I don't know which style I want yet. I'm leaning toward the Bikila ones in either blue or silver.

Vibram FiveFingers Shoes

We weren't born with shoes and the only reason I can see that we need them is to prevent things from poking our soles. Okay, there's also the effect of keeping our toes warm. And I'm sure some of you will argue that you like how they look. But really, they aren't the best for us. There are so many injuries "they" say are actually caused from wearing shoes: blisters, bunyons and hammer toe just to name a few. Even their names give me the heebie jeebies!

I won't bore you with all the details of the massive amounts of research I've done on these new shoes in the past few months. But I will tell you that there is a lot of it and what I have read has convinced me that Vibram is my next shoe purchase. Honestly, I don't care how strange they might look. If they feel on my feet as good as the reviews read, I'll be as happy as a pig in shit.

While waiting for money to magically appear in my bank account so I can afford my new dream shoes, I've been going through my entire music collection and adding everything I own to my iTunes account and organizing it so that when I get out there and run again, I'll have good music to make me smile.

I started off today with only 46 songs in my iTunes library. I now have 144 and I'm just getting started. The hard part will be figuring out how to add the iTunes songs onto my Android phone (which is my version of an iPod) since I can't seem to get my phone to mount to my laptop. Fun stuff!

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle

Hot Naked Yoga

2011-04-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Yoga Pose Print Click for Details

I've heard of this, but never been to a class before. I've actually never been to any yoga class, but you can bet your top dollar you will never catch me in one of those hot naked yoga classes.

Doesn't mean that the idea won't inspire me to draw a hot naked yogi in a tree pose. I've included both the black and white original I did with just charcoals and the colourized version I did afterward.

Honestly though, the last thing I want to do is have myself hanging out all out for everyone to see while simultaneously trying to figure out how to do yoga poses in a room full of other naked people.

I have a hard enough time doing yoga poses fully clothed in my own living room with no one watching me. And no one to watch save for the ultra flexible leotard-wearing skinny chicks on the videos I bought because my doctor told me I should do yoga.

Yoga Pose Print B&W Click for Details

She kind of looks to me like she is holding her breath. Which might be a little bit of self reflection because well, for one, I used my own arm for a figure study subject. Definitely not my body though. Secondly, I tend to hold my breath while trying to get into the ridiculously difficult for me poses that are supposed to be for beginners.

How they are for beginners, I will never figure out. I can do maybe half of them. I can stand on one foot with my arms above my head for instance. But again, I forget to breathe.

Back to the hot naked yoga. Have you tried it? Would you be willing to try it?

Until Next Time,
JessicaInSeattle