J. B. Guess & Co.

A Father's Day Confession: We're Not Normal....

2011-06-19T02:29:00.001-05:00

It's true. We aren't normal, or at least that's what we've been told on occasion. And...after observing a variety of family dynamics over the past few decades or so, I'm beginning to think it may be true. We can thank our parents for that, though. They taught us, by example, that family always comes through for each other through the joyous times in our lives, the scary times, the sad times, and the down right catastrophic times. They also taught us to find joy and thankfulness even in the midst of catastrophe. They taught us that life's way too short to let a petty disagreement come between family members.

Our Mom and Dad are the epitomy of selflessness. They loved and still love all of us unconditionally, and were humble enough to let us think, in all the years we were growing up, that everybody's family was just like ours. We're older and wiser now, though, and have seen enough tragedy in this world to realize just how blessed we are.

I'm going to let this slide show speak for itself today. It's in honor of our Dad on Father's Day, and it's also a tribute to our relationship with our parents and the love that they still share with each other after 60 years of marriage.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! We love you very much!

Patience Under Pressure? That's My Mom

2011-05-07T16:57:00.000-05:00

I've written about my family several times, so those of you who take a minute to read my blog already know that God saw fit to give me an exceptional family. As we were growing up, my sister and I never saw our parents argue. I suppose they did, but we just never knew about it. They also rarely lost their tempers with us, which wasn't all that hard where my sister was concerned. I'm guessing patience took a little more prayer where I was concerned, since I was a little on the rambunctious side in my younger years. If you don't recall, just go back and read the Koolaid-Gate story.

See the photo at the top of this entry? That's me on the left, the little copycat watching my sister like a hawk. Whatever she was doing with her hand certainly seemed like the thing to do. Although I don't remember specifically, I'm guessing this photo was taken a split second before my left hand flew up to cup my own face. After all, if my sister was doing it, it must be cool. That beautiful lady behind us? That's our mother. Do you see how calm and serene she looks? I don't know how, but she always looked like that, and I'm happy to say she still wears that same sweet expression to this day.

Now if you were to ask my mother, she would deny that I was a "high-strung" child. Bless her, she has such a selective memory, or maybe she has simply chosen to block out some of the more memorable escapades. But...there is one little episode that was so outrageous that it sticks out to this day, even in her memory.

I was in college, but had gone home for a weekend to go shopping with Mom at the New Orleans Lake Forrest Plaza. That mall was brand new at the time, and had all kinds of great places to shop. Maison Blanche and D.H. Holmes anchored dozens of great little pricey boutique shops, all built around an ice skating rink, which was a novelty in itself in the deep South. I spotted a white one piece "jumpsuit" with a wide, stretchy red elastic belt. Now don't laugh. A get-up like that was quite stylish back then, in an Austin Powers kind of way....I promise! I tried it on, and it fit me like a glove. A quick glance at the price tag landed it right back on the rack, though. We continued to shop 'til we were almost ready to drop, then decided to stop for a quick lunch.

While we were eating I decided I'd break some pretty big news. Remember I told you I was in college? Well, I was almost done. In fact, I had only one term left before graduating, but had decided I'd had enough of college. I'm ashamed to say, but the fact that my parents had picked up the tab for my entire education never really occurred to me. In fact, I was a little surprised that my mother didn't seem to take my news too well. For some reason she thought my backup plan for supporting myself...which included the phrase "Would you like fries with that?"...was not my most sound career decision. We had quite a heated discussion, and both of us shed a few tears.

Then, in a moment which can only be described as sheer genius, my mother played quite a trump card. She said, "If you'll stay in school, I'll buy you that white jumpsuit". I think I considered her offer for...oh...about a half second...before flashing a big smile, and saying "OK!!" We finished our shopping and both of us headed home quite happy..me with a snazzy new jumpsuit, and her without a college dropout for a daughter.

Now, before you label me as the most shallow woman on the face of the earth, let me assure you that I've matured quite a bit in the past few decades. I went on to graduate a few months after that, raised two children of my own, and have spent the past 30-something years teaching. I don't kid myself that I've been the patient woman that my mother is. But I can say that she has set the bar quite high, and I continually strive to be the kind of mother to my children that she is to me and my sister.

My mother is a blessing to her husband (our Dad!), her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a multitude of friends and extended family. She is having a milestone birthday this summer, and we are going to celebrate in style...(so don't argue, Mom!). Until then, though, I wanted the world to know that I love her a bunch.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Sixty Years Ago Today

2011-03-31T07:24:00.001-05:00

My Dad was in the Army, and stationed at Fort Jackson when he and my Mom married.
They had planned a small wedding, but my Dad's leave got cancelled at the last minute,
so they had to postpone the wedding. A couple of weeks later, Dad managed to get a 48 hour leave,
so he drove all night to get home, he and my mother went over to the local Methodist church
and got married, then the both of them drove back overnight to Fort Jackson. Mom was 19 years old,
and I believe that was probably one of the first times she had been away from home.
I remember asking her one time several years ago,"Weren't you homesick?" and I'll never forget what she said.
"No, I was never homesick, because I was with your Daddy. I was home".
That little wedding took place 60 years ago today; I thank God every day for them and the love they share, and the example they've set for me, my sister, and our families.
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!! We love you both and appreciate you more than you'll ever know!

ShoppePro.com and Our New Website!.....well, almost.

2010-10-08T07:07:00.000-05:00

This may not be a newsflash to those of you who know me best, but I have been known to have a bit of an impulse control problem. Not about everything now mind you. For example, I never jump into the deep end of a pool without first testing the water. (In fact, after testing the water, I generally tend to forfeit jumping into the pool at all. See, that would be a lot like exercise, which is another thing I don't impulsively jump into.) BUT, I digress.

There are certain facets of my life in which I leap before looking, however, which leads me to the topic of this post. My sister and I have a new website! We have decided to go with Shoppepro.com, which is a fabulous e-commerce site that targets entrepreneurial women like us. I wish I could tell you I'd found Shoppepro first, but the impulse-control impaired portion of my brain would not allow me to be patient and wait until I found the site that was a perfect fit for us. I foolishly assumed, since I have a little bit of photoshop knowledge, that designing a website would be a piece of cake. As a result, we have two domain names, both hosted by other domain hosts. After four false starts with other web hosts, three major glitches from a different e-commerce site, two downloads of website building software, and too many failed attempts at building a website template to count, I am officially humbled by the skills of website designers.

The moral of this story is simple: Do a little bit of homework before jumping into the deep end of website design and domain hosting. There is a perfect site for you, and I am grateful to have found ours in Shoppepro. They wrote the manual on how to be user-friendly, and they included no codes of any kind! Their customer service is also second to none! So far I've only had to contact tech support twice, and they were very prompt in responding to my questions.

So....back to our new website. Our address is www.jbguess.com. We are still under construction so you'll see links to our etsy shops. Bookmark the link and visit often, though, because we'll be adding all kinds of new goodies.

Thanks ShoppePro!!....and thank goodness for free trials.

Swearing Off Resolutions & Some Exciting News!

2010-08-18T19:24:00.005-05:00

Well friends, it's official. I cannot keep a New Year's resolution for the life of me. If you recall, I had set myself an "annual goal" to post here on my blog at least once weekly. (I also set a goal to clean out all my closets, but we aren't EVEN going there.)

Fast forward to August 18th, with a long expanse of uncharacteristic quiet between May 3rd and today. We had a few bumps in the road last spring, and I lost my bloggy mojo for a while....hence the lengthy silence from me, the woman of many words.

I've learned a little something about myself. It really doesn't matter if they are called annual goals or resolutions or promises. If I try to hold myself to some kind of commitment around the first of the year....chances are it just ain't gonna happen.

Now, on to the awesome news! J. B. Guess & Co. is now J.B. Guess & Co., LLC! My sis and I are partners and we have expanded our product lines. In fact, we now have two etsy shops to accommodate the different categories of items. The original J. B. Guess & Co. is still on vacation, but will be active within the next day or so. Hope you'll pop over because we have new gift items that are exceptionally unique and cool, in my humble opinion.

The new shop is called Mimi & Pinks Fun Stuff For You! and it's live now.
We carry paper and party goods in this shop. You'll find cute bottle labels, and stickers for parties, showers, weddings, and identifying baby items...and yes, some of our items are a little on the snarky side! Oh, by the way, speaking of snarky....we're moving Snarkalicious Greetings to the Mimi & Pinks site.

The coasters and tiles will still be at J. B. Guess & Co. I'll let you know when it's back up and running. I promise to also fill you in on how we came up with the names for our shops. There is a story there, of course.

So the purpose of tonight's post is to make two official announcements:
Announcement #1-We're back in business with bells on!
Announcement #2- Aside from saying "Please pass the black-eyed peas and cabbage" I'm through with New Year's proclamations of any kind. Do me a favor and remind me of that around Dec. 31st, okay? Thanks.

Saying Goodbye To a King

2010-05-03T18:47:00.005-05:00

Dear J'Bo,

I remember the day we brought you home. You looked like a big, blond, four-legged powder puff. We put you down in our house, and you proceeded to investigate every corner, as if you were casing the joint to see if it met your expectations. As I recall, it took about 5 minutes for you to get yourself into a bit of a sticky wicket. We'd had an unwelcome visit from a mouse, and I'd completely forgotten about hiding a couple of glue boards behind the furniture. Of course you found them, and they found you...with a vengeance. That "too close" encounter led to your first trim.

You soon settled in and began to hold court in true pekingese fashion. You claimed my eldest son as "your boy", and would not hear of any young female coming near him. You loudly proclaimed that you were the boss to anyone who would listen.

Your short, stubby little legs served you well, especially when you wanted to play your favorite game of chase. You invariably decided to play this game when we were trying to get out the door on school mornings. I still have vivid visions of you dashing madly down the street, furry ears flapping in the breeze, tongue hanging out in a wild doggie grin, with two little boys running full steam after you screaming at the top of their lungs for you to stop!! That never did work, yet they would fall for your game again... and again... and again.

You were a bossy boy, and you loved to have the last word. If you had something to say, by golly, you were going to say it. We'd tell you to hush, and you would, but only after one last soft..."woof". You loved nothing more than telling off the neighbor dogs, even if the neighbor dogs outweighed you three to one. We always said you thought you were a rottweiler, and apparently, so did the bigger dogs in the neighborhood. They always backed down and gave you a wary look like they thought you were a little bit of a loose cannon. You could almost hear them saying, "Better not mess with him. He'll cut you."

And so it went. You were king of the hill, and wore your banner proudly. Of course, as always happens, your back and legs eventually began to fail you, but your attitude never faltered. Even after you were forced to slow down, and ultimately came to depend on the humans in your life to carry you everywhere you went, you still reminded us of your royal position in the family. Make no mistake about it. You were still in charge. Baby Jayne and Yogi, your canine siblings, deferred to you even when you reached the point where you were helpless to defend your position in the family.

We knew you were getting older, and talked often about it. We tried to prepare ourselves, because we knew the day would come. But no matter how hard we tried, we found that there was only so much we could do in order to prepare to say goodbye to you, our little king. One recent afternoon, after 14 and 1/2 years, you suddenly made it clear that you were ready. We just surrounded you, laughing through our tears at the multitude of memories, and told you it would be okay as you took your last breath cradled in the loving arms of your boy.

I still wake up at night with a startle, worried that you haven't informed me of your need to go outside. Your boy still looks for you when he walks in the door from work. The stabbing pain is beginning to gradually fade into a dull ache as the holes in our hearts slowly heal, but in their place will be a special little spot where the love and memories will forever reside.

And...in the back yard two little dogs sit, keeping watch, next to a small mound covered with smooth white stones...still deferring to their brother, the king.

Love,

Mom

Chicken Fiesta Soup and the New Weight Watchers

2010-03-21T14:27:00.006-05:00

I am no stranger to dieting. I've tried almost every weight management strategy known to man, with a few notable exceptions. I say "almost", because there are a few diet strategies I have steadfastly refused to try. Among those are the placement of bands in locations where bands do not naturally occur, the stapling of any portion of my body (including my ears), and the surgical bypassing of certain portions of my digestive tract that God felt were important enough that they should not be bypassed.

Pretty short list, huh? Well, now you get the picture. Like so many, I have struggled with my weight for most of my adult life. I've tried Atkins (in which I discovered I'm not really all that crazy about meat anyway), Sugar Busters (lasted about 2 hours), the Carbohydrate Addicts diet (yes, I'll willingly admit I'm a carb addict...next!), the hot dog and boiled egg diet (which came with it's own unique set of side effects), and the colon cleanse (trust me, you'd really rather I didn't blog about that one).

Twenty-five years ago, needing to drop about 25 lbs, I decided to go with a friend to a Weight Watchers meeting. The meetings were held in the fellowship hall of an Episcopal church, and were led by a sweet lady by the name of Mildred, who would begin each meeting by introducing herself and telling her story. Mildred had lost 125 lbs on Weight Watchers. Sometimes she would bring her "before" photos, and sometimes she would bring a pair of slacks that she wore pre-Weight Watchers. She could fit her entire post Weight-Watchers self in one leg of those slacks. Mildred was very inspirational. I never got tired of hearing her tell her story, and I also loved hearing her say, at every single meeting, that we could have a hamburger from Burger King and stay on plan.

It became my routine to go to my Weight Watchers meeting each Tuesday night (always wearing the same outfit, because I knew how much it weighed). After the meeting, I would drive through the Burger King on the way home and treat myself to a Whopper. Within about 4 months I had lost that 25 lbs, plus a few more, and had won the coveted Lifetime membership. With that membership came a gold "key to the future", and a little plastic card to carry in my wallet. I'll always remember that night, because I was so gratified by my accomplishment, but also for the little extra tidbit of info that Mildred provided in that meeting. As always, she encouraged the members to treat themselves to that Burger King burger, but, for the first time, she followed that comment with, "Not a Whopper, though....just a regular hamburger!" Really???? Oops. The very next month I discovered that I was expecting my first child, and with that news, I stopped going to my meetings. I did not, however, give up those Burger King Whoppers.

So.....twenty-five years later, and carrying almost double what I needed to lose the first time, I decided to take the plunge and give Weight Watchers another try. I'd lost my key to the future, but had managed to hang on to that plastic card, so I whipped that baby out and proudly showed it to the cute little girl who was handling registration. As it turned out, my little card created quite the stir. The Weight Watchers ladies had never seen a card like mine, and they were quite impressed that I had managed to keep up with it all these years. I briefly pondered the possibility of loaning it to the Smithsonian, but decided that I would rather use it to save myself the thirty dollar registration fee.

Like so many things, the 21st century Weight Watchers is new and improved. It revolves around a point system, which is really simple to follow, especially with a nifty little points calculator. The meetings are led by a cute, bubbly lady by the name of Kristi, who has lost 82 lbs and gone from a size 18 to a size 2. I haven't seen Kristi's pre-Weight Watchers slacks yet, but I have seen her "before" photos, which are very inspirational. I've been listening intently for some mention of Burger King, but so far have heard nothing. I'll tell you this, though. One of the first things out of Kristi's mouth at that first meeting was, "If you want a Krispy Kreme doughnut, have yourself a Krispy Kreme doughnut....5 points". Wonder if that's for a regular glazed doughnut, or an eclair? Oh yeah. I think I'm going to like it here.

I've been Weight Watching for 2 weeks now, and have lost 5.5 of the 43 lbs. I'm hoping to shed.

One of my family's new favorite foods is Weight Watcher's Chicken Fiesta Soup. I triple this recipe and freeze it. Indulge yourself!

Weight Watchers Chicken Fiesta Soup

1 can fat free low sodium chicken broth
1 10 oz. can chicken, or 5 chicken tenders, boiled and chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
2 cans whole kernel corn
1/2 lb 2% Velveeta

Mix first 5 ingredients and heat until boiling. Reduce heat, and add cubed cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

1 cup = 1 point

I Have Great Friends...and They're Funny, Too!

2010-03-02T12:43:00.010-06:00

Those of you who know me best know that I love to laugh, and thank goodness life presents plenty of opportunities for laughter! I'm not ashamed or embarrassed to laugh at myself, and it's a good thing, since I am a bit of a goofball. I also have some wonderful friends, online and off, who share my twisted sense of humor. Laughter among friends really is the best form of therapy, too, don't you think?

Have you ever heard that saying, "If you want to appear intelligent, you need to surround yourself with intelligent people"? Well, as luck would have it, my friends are funny, which comes in very handy in view of the fact that I create funny greeting cards. (Now, in saying that, I don't want you think my friends aren't intelligent, because they are...so don't go telling them I said otherwise.)

Most of my buddies know I create snarkalicious greeting cards. They realize that I pretty much keep my nose to the ground, constantly sniffing around in my pursuit of wittily wicked inspiration, and they readily give me the green light to take their words and run with them. Here are just a couple of examples. This card came about about as a result of a life observation made by my friend, Pat.

This next card was created a while back, and came to me during a conversation with my friend, Bren. She was actually referring to a family pet in making this observation, but it occurred to me that this philosophy has some merit where human beings are concerned as well.

The last card was inspired by a conversation between myself and my friend, Stacey, about those awkward moments when we run into someone at a store, have a nice conversation which always ends with a "we need to get together and catch up", and parting ways all while completely clueless as to that individual's identity. Now if this has never happened to you, then you can just do us all a favor and keep that little tidbit of info to yourself....because I can guarantee you that it will happen, and when it does I'll be around to make a card about it.

Thanks Bren,Pat and Stacey! These cards will be making their maiden voyages to you!

"What The Heck????" or "Last Time I Checked This Was Still the Deep South"

2010-02-22T12:10:00.010-06:00

I've already filled you all in on the unique traditions that take place when winter weather strikes in the deep South, so I won't go into all that again. If you happened to have missed that post, you can read all about it here. I did want to mention, however, that I've heard quite the wide variety of rationales for the bizarre weather we've been experiencing. Here are just a couple of the most annoying ones:

Rationale #1: The Saints won the Super Bowl, so hell has, in fact, frozen over. I happen to reject this theory, primarily because I happen to like living in the South very much and flat refuse to refer to it as hell. (don't throw this back at me in August, when the temperature exceeds 100 degrees and the humidity hits the "wet blanket" level. I'm not a big fan of sweating, and tend to get grouchy when my clothes start sticking to me.)

Rationale #2: "Must be global warming". Now mind you, that phrase has been thrown around hundreds, if not thousands of times this winter. Moreover, every single human being who utters those words thinks he or she is the only one who has come up with something so uniquely clever.
If I had a penny for every time I've heard this comment I'd be sitting on a nice little nest egg today. Generally speaking, I'm just not a big fan of snide politically-based sarcasm unless, of course, it's coming from me. Yes, that is a double standard, and that's all I'm going to say on that topic.
The bottom line here is, that this winter things have just been weird all over. We had another snow day last week. This time it snowed pretty hard all day, which was really beautiful, since down here we usually look at grey skies, brown lawns and bare trees all winter.

A fat, crimson cardinal has set up residence in my backyard. He hangs out on my back porch every morning, looking for bugs that were attracted overnight by the back porch light. He is rather anti-social, though, and won't cooperate when I try to get his picture. On the recent snow day, I spotted him sitting in the tree like a bright red dot in an expanse of white, and decided to get a photograph of him. I stalked that little critter all morning, and every time I thought I had gotten into a good position to get his photograph, off he would fly. I finally gave up and settled for a couple of photos from the back porch.

Who knows what the remainder of the winter will bring? Last night we had a hailstorm, so we're beginning to become somewhat accustomed to having ice fall from the sky in one form or another. One thing is a given though; before too long the weather will warm up, the humidity will rise, and our clothes will start sticking to us again. When that day comes, I for one will quite likely find myself flinging snide politically-based sarcasm and longing for the weird winter of 2010 again.

One World One Heart Winner!

2010-02-15T16:31:00.003-06:00

First, I would like to thank you all for stopping by to visit my blog. I've had a blast participating in this event! A huge thanks also to Lisa for her inspiration to start this project, and for her willingness to take on such a huge task. You've made the world a more intimate place for all of us.

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that the winner of my blog giveaway is.....KATHY from Vegas! Kathy has a great shop on etsy and goes by the username of Calkat! Her blog is
Calkat The Jewelry Junkie. Kathy is also a Saints fan, which is always a plus in my book!
I'll be emailing Cathy to let her know that she is a winner. Thanks to all of you again for visiting, and hope you'll stop by again. I will definitely be participating in this one of a kind event again!

Pray For Kate!

2010-02-09T22:24:00.004-06:00

This little girl is Kate McRae. Kate is six years old. She has a Mom and Dad who love her very much, as well as an older sister and younger brother. Kate is fighting the battle of her life against a very grown-up disease. She was diagnosed last summer with a very malignant, aggressive brain tumor called a supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor or sPNET.

Kate has already undergone surgery and 5 rounds of chemotherapy. However, these procedures failed to completely destroy the tumor. Yesterday Kate was checked back in to the hospital for her 6th and most intense round of chemotherapy treatment. The treatment is so intense that they’ll need to be in the hospital anywhere from 4-6 weeks. They’ll be taking her system down to a place where they can reintroduce good stem cells that they harvested months ago and the hope is to reset the body with positive, healthy, cancer free cells! It will be one of the longest stays in the hospital since her brain surgery last July and they will all need huge prayer and huge encouragement during this time.

I'm asking for your help with a couple of things:

1-Kate is in desperate need of the miraculous healing that can only be provided through our Lord Jesus. Please join me and countless others in prayer for the complete healing of this precious child of God. You may visit Kate's website here:
http://prayforkate.com/

2-Please copy this photo, and any info that you might need, and use it to spread word of this child's needs to your own online network. Put it on your blog, twitter messages asking for prayer for #KateMcrae, and post the prayer request on your facebook page. Be sure to add a link to http://prayforkate.com in all messages.

I do not know this family personally, but learned of their situation through the Twitter page of a local pastor here in Hattiesburg (Tony Merida). I've been praying for Kate and her family, and following this child's progress for several months; through this journey I cannot help but be grateful that our God, through modern technology, has seen fit to make it possible for us to be touched by others who we would otherwise never know, and also to reach thousands for good.

2010-02-06T19:41:00.001-06:00

Well, the wonderful "One World One Heart" event isn't over yet, but I just wanted to add a huge thanks to all of you who took the time to stop by and leave a comment on my blog! It's just been delightful reading your comments and also visiting your blogs.

As you may have noticed, the "Houx Dat" Nation is electrified tonight, in anticipation of tomorrow's big game! We have gumbo at the ready, and tons of munchies on hand, including a big black and gold King Cake ! I even designed shirts for our family to mark the occasion. All we need now is a great game, hopefully ending with the Vince Lombardi trophy going home to New Orleans where it belongs!

I'm still going to send out a set of these photographs to a lucky camper at the end of the event, but have also decided to add a "mid-event" drawing Monday, Feb. 8th for an additional set of these photos... IF the Saints come through with a big win tomorrow night! So, everybody, put on your black and gold and give a big cheer. GEAUX SAINTS!!!!

****UPDATE**** Woo Hooo!!!! In honor of the big win, I submitted all names to random.org this morning. The winner of the Super Bowl mid-event drawing is...drum roll please......Monica of GiddyGreetings.com! Congratulations, Monica, and thanks for commenting on my blog!

One World, One Heart Blog Event

2010-01-25T17:22:00.010-06:00

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Some of my Etsy friends told me about this wonderful event that begins today, called One World, One Heart. I checked it out and thought it sounded like a fantastic way to connect with people that I otherwise would never have an opportunity to meet.
Then, when I saw that the theme of this year's event was "Riding the Magic Carpet" I just knew that I needed to continue in the spirit of the previous post and my excitement about the Saints making their first trip to the Super Bowl. After all, it is a pretty magical ride that we Saints fans are on these day.
I decided to give away a set of four ACEO-sized (2.5" x 3.5") photographs. These photos were taken by my son last summer on a mini-vacation to New Orleans. Professionally printed on Kodak Endura metallic photo paper, these photos provide a glimpse of the unique beauty found in the New Orleans French Quarter.
What I'd like for you to do is tell me (in the comments section) if you've ever been to New Orleans. If you have, what is your favorite thing about this magnificent city? If you haven't, what would you love to see if given the opportunity to visit? You can chat about anything having to do with New Orleans....the food, the music, the art, the history. You name it!
On Feb. 14th, I'll choose one person through random drawing. That lucky person will receive this set of photos. Make sure you post through your blog or leave your email address in the comments section, so I'll know how to contact you!
While you're at it, make sure to click on the "One World, One Heart" image above. That will take you to a list of all participants, and you're going to want to visit as many as you can! Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to hear from you!

It's Just Football, Right?

2010-01-24T23:14:00.014-06:00

By now I'm sure you've heard that the Saints are going to the Super Bowl. You may already be sick and tired of the "Who Dat", "Geaux Saints!", and "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez". But, let me go ahead and break a bit of news. The frenzy has only just begun. This may confound and confuse you. You may be thinking, "Give me a break. It's just football, right?" Well, you see, that's the thing that's so wonderful about the Saints going to the Super Bowl. It's not just football.

If you've never traveled to the New Orleans area, let me encourage you to do just that. There is just something a bit magical about New Orleans. The French Quarter architecture alternates between gaudily colorful and a touch of stately elegance. Bourbon Street really does smell like stale whiskey. Voodoo shops are a dime a dozen. Magazine Street is an artist's paradise. The Creole cuisine is a spicy treat, and the beignets at Cafe du Monde really do melt in your mouth. Even though all of these things are true about New Orleans, they are not what creates the magic.

The people of New Orleans are what makes New Orleans such a special place. There is a love, a loyalty, and a pride in this city which is unique to the area. This spirit of loyalty is not restricted only to those who have deep roots in the area. Even newcomers find themselves caught up in the spirit of the city, and soon feel an emotional attachment as though they have spent their entire lives here.

I don't live in New Orleans, but my Dad was raised there and my grandparents lived there. We visited regularly as I was growing up. As a child, I caught my first glimpse of a "beatnik" through the open door of a bar on a French Quarter corner. When I was sixteen, my friends and I hopped aboard a Greyhound bus and spent Fat Tuesday prowling the streets of New Orleans. I've always felt a connection to that wonderful, bawdy, boisterous place. In June of 2005 my family spent a lovely day in New Orleans. My father acted as tour guide, showing us his childhood home, his school, and the streets where he delivered the Times Picayune newspaper. I insisted that my son photograph everything, feeling an intense need to preserve every moment and image from that day. I had no idea that two months later the landscape of the city would be scarred forever by the ravages of Katrina.

The people of New Orleans are determined to reclaim the the magic of their city, and they are well on their way to doing just that. It took the Saints 21 years to experience a winning season. Their fans grew so frustrated that they took to wearing bags over their heads and calling themselves "the Aints". But, they still went to the games, they still wore their black and gold, and they continued to loyally follow their home team.
So, after 42 years, the Saints are going to the Super Bowl. Today, five years after the city was almost destroyed, the Saints are the NFC champions. It seems that the Saints are giving a gift back to the people who have loved them through the good, the bad, and the ugly. It still seems like a dream. And it's not just football...not by a long shot.

"Hearts For Haiti" New Etsy Shop Benefitting Doctors Without Borders

2010-01-16T13:53:00.005-06:00

In August of 2005 life as we knew it changed, at least for a while, with the arrival of Hurricane Katrina. In a 12 hour time span, my family and I went from a comfortable, routine lifestyle to a world of chaos. We came to appreciate the luxury of a hot meal, a toilet that flushed, transportation, air conditioning, and clean water. Charitable organizations poured in from across the country, bringing food, water, and ice. They left their jobs for us, cooked for us, cleared our driveways, and patched our roofs. The kindness and generosity of strangers touched our hearts in a way that I hope never to forget. Although it is not possible to repay those kindnesses, I plan to never again miss an opportunity to "pay it forward".

I've been riveted to the television and internet since last Tuesday afternoon, when word came of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. The images coming from Haiti have taken me back to those frightening post-Katrina days. These are the times when we feel the most helpless, but each and every one of us can make a difference, especially if we pool our efforts.

A new shop, "Hearts For Haiti", has been opened at Etsy.com.
Organized by Victoria of ExlibrisHandmade, Hearts For Haiti is stocked with a variety of items donated by hundreds of Etsy shop owners. Proceeds from all sales (less etsy and paypal fees) will be donated to "Doctors Without Borders"

The shop opened yesterday (Friday,January 14th)and is already doing a booming business! Click on this link and stock up on treasures for a cause at "Hearts For Haiti"!

Southerners and The Big Chill!

2010-01-09T10:03:00.007-06:00

Since Rex the weatherman had been telling me for several days to prepare for the "Arctic blast" that was surely headed our way, I did what all good Americans do, and headed to Walmart to pick up the necessary supplies. Apparently the necessary supplies do not come cheap, because my bill totaled $145.
Southerners can prepare for a hurricane with one hand tied behind our backs, but we do not know what to do with extremely cold weather. We don't have chains, snow plows, or de-icing equipment. We don't invest in heavy winter clothing, because we just don't use it enough. Sometimes many years go by without even so much as a glimpse of a snowflake, and on those rare occasions when we do see snow, we declare a national holiday! Schools and businesses close, with all news outlets devoting the vast majority of time and space to coverage of the white stuff. We sit around and reminisce about the great snows of the past, when as much as 2-4 inches fell. We remember where we were and what we were doing during these momentous events.

Today I sit, hibernating in my warm house, thankful for Willmut Gas and my central heating unit. I look out my window and see a beautiful blue sky. There is no snow. Just bone-chilling, body aching, face burning cold. It is 23 degrees outside, with a wind chill of 11. My friends from the Northern states would probably call that a warm snap, but down here we call it a brutal shock to the system.

Do I sound like I'm whining? Well, maybe I am, just a little, but I'll try to put on my big girl britches and deal with it. I will not, however, be leaving my house. Today looks like it's shaping up to be a good day for creating some new art.

Who wants chili?

"The Lights Are On, but Nobody's Home" ...or Annual Goals Part Two

2010-01-04T17:06:00.006-06:00

Okay, I'll fess up. Part Two of my annual goals really has nothing to do with the rest of the title to this post. I just was trying to think of a way to connect my annual goals with this latest design. BUT...I've got nothing. Oh well, since this is my blog, I'm just going to show it to you anyway.

This is a coaster design that I created in response to a challenge by my Melange buddies to create a collage based on the theme, "illumination". This will become a coaster as soon as the weather warms up a little bit. (I've found that frigid weather and sealant just don't go hand in hand!)

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, it's on to part two of my annual goals:

I really would like to get my house in order. I downsized several years ago, and have to be very careful in order to keep from being overrun by stuff. Closets are going to be cleaned out, cabinets will be purged, and many trips to Salvation Army will be made. Problem is, I have a cabinet set aside for my art supplies, and those are the things I have the most trouble letting go of. The cabinet is already full to overflowing though, so some of that is going to have to go. Rats. Well, maybe I can find those things a good home. Might be time for an Etsy destash sale.

About New Years Resolutions

2009-12-30T01:47:00.003-06:00

First of all, let me just say thanks to my 23 followers for not dropping my poor neglected blog like a hot rock. It's been a little boring around here, to say the least. You see, my life has been so hectic that I figured I could either hang on for the ride, or stop to write about it. As you can probably tell, hanging on for the ride won out.

Which brings me to the topic of resolutions. I have decided not to call them resolutions this year. There is just something about that word that is a little, umm....pressure inducing. You see, I've never been any good at keeping resolutions. Oh, I make them. Every year. The same ones, over and over again. There is nothing imaginative about my resolutions either. Lose weight, exercise more, get organized, blah...blah...blah.

So, I have decided that the problem might be with that word, "resolution". I mean, who really uses that term anyway, except at this time of year? I prefer the term "annual goals". (That might have something to do with my background as a special educator. My paperwork is full of annual goals, and there is no option to blow them off, either.)

Through my etsy shop I have found a camaraderie with a group of ladies, most of whom are within a few years of my age. We share artsy tips and techniques, but also chatter about our similar personal experiences and interests. We confide our joy, our fears, our triumphs, and our disappointments. We laugh, cry, and pray together. I've met these wonderful people through the world wide web, and have frequently struggled to come up with a term that accurately defines my relationship with them. I've called them e-friends, virtual friends, and cyber-buddies. There was just something about these terms, though, that didn't sit quite right with me. It occurred to me recently that I don't have to make a distinction between these ladies and my local friends. They are, quite simply, my friends, and I am truly blessed to have them in my life.
So, my first goal is to make a point of coming here to my blog at least once each week to chat with my friends.

Now, about my second goal. I have it in my head, but I think I'll wait and tell you about it next week. Stay tuned! :-)

Check Out This New Snarkalicious Christmas Card!

2009-10-22T19:07:00.004-05:00

This is my newest digital collage greeting card, just in time to start planning for the Christmas season! I used an exquisite background from the very talented artist Debrina Pratt's "Land of Enchantment!" Debrina's work is a feast for the eyes and the imagination! Pop over and visit her Etsy shop here!

Mixed Media/Collage Art from the Etsy Melange Team!

2009-10-17T10:21:00.002-05:00

Thought you might want to see this fabulous slideshow created by my friend Glenda. It features a beautiful array of artwork created by Etsy Melange Team Members. My first successful image transfer is included in it! Thanks Glenda!

Just a Little Flighty

2009-08-25T18:02:00.003-05:00

I created this digital collage in response to a challenge presented by my fellow mixed media/collage friends to create a piece of art based on the word, "flight". You know, sometimes people refer to a person as flighty and don't necessarily intend that as a complimentary term. However, according to Princeton University (and those guys are pretty smart!) the word "flighty" is defined as "guided by whim or fancy". I kind of like the sound of that. So...from now on, if someone calls me flighty, I'm going to take it as a compliment.

To purchase this or any of my other cards, click here, and go to Serendipity Collections!

Find J. B. Guess at Serendipity Collections!

2009-08-17T14:24:00.005-05:00



I am just absolutely delighted to tell you that my dear friend Jana has graciously set aside a section of her fabulous site, SerendipityCollections.com, to showcase my work!  I hope you'll all drop by and browse her site.  She has the most unique gift items I've ever seen, and her customer service is second to none!

Jana, you are the best!!

Fairy Tale Tattler: Beauty's Sleepless Nights!

2009-08-09T20:57:00.003-05:00

The latest edition of Fairy Tale Tattler has the inside scoop on that famous sleeping beauty, Aurora. After her hunky prince of a husband awakened her with true love's kiss, it seems that the princess was not content simply to live happily ever after in the lap of luxury. Never one to shy away from manual labor, Aurora set herself to work clearing the grounds of the underbrush which had overtaken the grounds of the palace during her one hundred year nap. She did not stop to consider the possibility that a cup of strong coffee might be a good way to begin this industrious project, especially after such a sound snooze.

Unfortunately, lacking the valuable "manual dexterity" and "common sense" genes, our fair princess pricked her finger again, this time on the thorny vines surrounding the palace. Her cries of pain could be heard throughout the kingdom as Aurora dropped her pruning shears and dashed off to the palace walk-in clinic, terrified of falling into yet another multi-year slumber.
Interestingly enough, however, the palace doctor found that Aurora's body had acquired an extreme immunity against future finger-pricking episodes. The frustrating result of this immunity is one hundred years of sleepless days and nights!

In an attempt to pass the time, Aurora has been hard at work developing a new line of designer garden gloves. In order to ensure that the gloves live up to the "pierce-proof" guarantee, she has hired an elite squad of seamstresses to spin the fibers tightly on custom designed high-tech spinning wheels.

In her efforts to catch a nap, poor Aurora has tried every possible sleep-inducing remedy, including warm milk, hot baths, Ambien, melatonin, and C-SPAN reruns. She even purchased a herd of Serta counting sheep, who are reportedly happy and relieved to be working full time on the palace staff. So far, it seems that the only option left for Aurora is simply to wait. She is becoming increasingly irritable, demanding that the prince stay awake and keep her company. One of the sheep, speaking on the condition of anonymity, related that the prince sneaks out of the palace on occasional afternoons, catching a few winks in the sheep quarters while they cover for him by entertaining the princess with their ballroom dancing routines. We can only hope that the royal marriage is strong enough to withstand this tragic turn of events.

We’ll keep you posted!

My Sister, "The Stories", and Kool-aid Gate

2009-08-05T18:52:00.006-05:00

I have the best sister in the world. We are neighbors, co-workers, and life-long friends. She has and always has had the patience of Job. I say this because, well, I have a tendency to be a little on the spontaneous side, and have always had quite the flair for the dramatic. I've always told her that I count on her to keep me reined in, and she always comes through for me.

I remember my sister very rarely getting into trouble when we were growing up, and there's a simple reason for this. She just didn't mess up all that often. ME, on the other hand....well, let's just say I was probably one of those kids. You know them. They are the ones whose parents say, "If I'd had you first, you would have been an only child!" My parents never said anything like that to me. I don't know that they ever even thought it. I only know that if I'd been the one raising me, I definitely would have thought it, and probably would have said it!

I could tell stories for days about the shenanigans that went on around our house when we were growing up, but I'll just start with this one for now. People called us the Cleavers, except that my Mother did draw the line at house-cleaning in high heels while wearing a string of pearls. We were a family who always sat down for dinner together every evening. Meals were always home-cooked, and well-balanced.

We generally drank Kool-aid with our meals, and it was my sister's job to make and pour it. Every day, without hesitation, she would get herself into the kitchen to get that Kool-aid mixed up and poured. Every day. She also would pour just a little bit more Kool-aid in her glass than in mine. Me, with my finely-tuned subtle nuances, would screech and howl at the top of my lungs, "You got more Kool-aid than I did!!!!!" , to which she would reply, "Oh, I'll fix it". She then would proceed to drink the excess Kool-aid, savoring every extra drop! This always guaranteed an additional screech.

So...this was our routine. Kool-aid mixed, poured, screech, drink, screech again. We had ourselves a nice little system, UNTIL that infamous day when I was visiting with my grandmother. She loved to watch the soap operas. "The stories" is what she called them, and her favorite was "The Doctors". I noticed that, at least once during each episode, a righteously indignant woman would haul off and slap the dickens out of somebody. Sometimes it was a woman, sometimes it was a man. That part wasn't important. What WAS important was the reaction. The person being slapped, the slap-ee, if you will, always responded with a look of shocked horror, gasping and holding his or her cheek, followed by the screen immediately fading to black.

Hmmmm. I was fascinated by that sequence. Indignant slap, shocked gasp emitted by slap-ee, slap-ee holds cheek, fade to black. I loved it!!! Never being one to shy away from a little bit of creative experimentation, I was anxious for the opportunity to give this scenario a try myself. Of course I didn't have to wait long, because it was almost time for dinner, and, if you've been paying attention, you know what happens right before dinner. Yes.... none other than Kool-aid-Gate. I could not wait to finally see the wheels of justice turn and end this travesty forever. Just as predicted, my sister poured the Kool-aid into the glasses, and , of course, her glass had more. I screeched on cue, she drank the excess Kool-aid, and I followed through with a quick but very noisy backhand right across her cheek. She didn't skip a beat. She didn't bat an eye. What she DID do, was return the favor right across my cheek! If my memory serves me correctly, I believe the exact sequence went something like this, indignant slap, slap-ee (me!) emits shocked gasp, slap-ee (me!) holds cheek, fade to black, screech (again by me).

I'll never forget my mother's response. She never looked up, just said, "I'll bet you never slap your sister again".

And I didn't.

Buddies

2009-07-24T16:30:00.005-05:00

We look a family vacation to Gulf Shores over the past New Year's holiday. My two year old great nephew was a little put off by the sand on his bare feet, so we went to the nearby Walmart and bought him a pair of bright yellow Sponge Bob sandals. He loved them but was still afraid of walking on the sand. My Dad managed to coax him down the stairs of our beach rental; when he realized he could walk on the beach with his Paw-Paw without getting sand on his feet, he was one happy camper! My son took a photo of the two of them headed off to the beach. I think this photo is priceless.

Quality Time!

Thanks for the walk, Paw-Paw!