first impressions

in a about a month i should be closing on my house. {fingers and toes crossed} i couldn't be more excited! the process, most of it, has been a lot of fun. it should be interesting to see what the house ends up looking like with my choices of carpet, flooring, paint, cabinets and counter tops all being made from tiny swatches. it all looks good in 3"x3" squares. :) i am pretty much set with furniture and such for just about every room... but one, the entry way. it really isn't a room, but i feel like it is an important place. the first thing people see when they come into the house. a first impression. i want it to be inviting. here are some of the ideas i'm tossing around in my head {thank you pinterest!}

from this one i like the idea of a chalkboard where i can write a weekly quote or something and dresser/cabinet .

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my entry isn't huge, but it does have a large blank wall. i like the idea here of the small ledge with photos and the hooks where visitors could hang their coats. 

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along with hooks for coats, i also like the idea of having something like this to put shoes in. there will be a no shoe policy. strongly enforced. {we'll see how long that lasts. i don't know how i feel about asking people to take off their shoes :)}

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for some reason i also feel like the entry way NEEDS a mirror. i'm not sure why i feel that way. does it really NEED one? either way, i like the idea of it as well as having an accent wall like in this photo. i am not so sure about the chevron pattern, but maybe more of a large stripe instead. 

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i know you don't have any idea what my entry way looks like, but if you have any thoughts or ideas of things you've seen and liked i'd love to hear them! 

thanks for stopping by! have a lovely day... 

hi there

i love this little place, i really do. i've missed it, and you. it seems each time i come back i have just enough time to sweep the floor, dust things off, move the furniture, remove some cobwebs and leave just as quick as i came. social media seems to spread us pretty thin. not to mention just plain life is busy in itself.  i'm happy that i have a place to come where i can be me though, and share the randomness that is my mind. :) and use smiley faces in my posts, and not capitalize a single word if i don't feel like it. haha! oh, the little things.

instagram has been my journal these days. { want to follow me there? click on the little camera at the top of my sidebar or add me @jeanawithaj } here's some of what i've been up to. in no particular order...

i hung out with these girls in california for a week. it was so much fun. miss them loads!

i got to meet some crazy fun ladies at scrapfest in minnesota. it was my first time there, and i got to see the mall of america in all of it's glory. it's fun to be around people who are passionate about their crafting!

i've been doing quite a bit of traveling for work. i have flown more in the last 10 months than i have in several years combined. it's been fun.

i've been working lots. sometimes i'm pretty proud of the photos i take for the blog. sure it's only a pumpkin pie, but i like how the photo turned out. ha!

i went from long and brunette back to my blonde roots, and gave it a good chop! wouldn't ya know, i'm missing my long hair. 

i finally did it. i got a utah driver's license and got the dreaded hole punched in my az license that was good until 2042! 

i figured it was about time i did it. especially since i am building a house here. :) YAY! my favorite news by far. it should be done here in a few weeks.

oh, and though i don't have a picture of it, throw school into the mix somewhere in there too. 

the handful of you that read this probably knew all of this already, but i feel like i'm contributing to my life story here on the ol' blog. so bear with me if you will. 

i'm really looking forward to the holidays, spending time with my family. spending time with my family, and more spending time with the family. i get to see the little munchkins via facetime, but it's been a while since i've gotten to give them a big ol' squeeeeze.

life is good. thanks for stopping by my little spot on the web. maybe more craftiness next time. :)

Summer Fun

Who needs an slr when you have an iPhone camera?  Ok... kidding, I will never give up my Canon, but it's so nice to have a little camera to capture moments of my summer fun!

1. I went jeeping with Ron to Bear Lake and stopped in Logan on the way back to see the temple. It's gorgeous, one of my faves.

2. Snowcones...a summer staple!

3. Strawberry Days rodeo with the Schows. Good times! 

4. Flew to San Diego... it was a work trip, but it was nice to get away and enjoy some cool weather. 

We are always in the middle...

Today my home teacher came over and shared July's message from President Uchtdorf. He talked about there being a beginning of life before we came here and an eternity after this life... so what we have now, and forever really, will be the middle. It isn't surprising, but I needed that talk today. I've been moody lately. {imagine that!} Just frustrated with myself that I'm not further ahead in life than I am at almost 35 and a little overwhelmed with the things I have on my plate at the moment.  But, I needed the reminder that this isn't a race to the finish, that we all don't have the same path nor the same time table. We will get where we are going when we need to be there and if we are doing our best on the way there, we will accomplish and learn what we need to. I plan to spend more time in my craft room {wherever that ends up} so I made this printable to frame and put on my shelf as a reminder. Slow down. Don't give up. Get back up... and keep moving! 

Always in the Middle

Do you instagram? I am doing the photo a day challenge for July... it's been kind of fun. I am also addicted to taking other random pictures {my life...through a little lense...FUN!}. If you want to follow I'm jeanawithaj :)

House hunting...

Oh the joys! I've moved WAY too many times in the last 3 years. I just want to find somewhere I can call home for a while. A place that doesn't come with ridiculous landlords, or neighbors who play video games that make a sound like thunder 23/6.5. Is that too much to ask? Home ownership would be ideal, but it isn't an option right now... so a renting I will go. It's one of those times I wish I had a side kick, someone to help in the decision making. It's a big one.. lots of money is involved. One of these days I'm going to be a professional decision maker.. just you wait :) For now, sometimes it's hard. I'm trying to find a balance between what I can afford, and where I feel comfortable living. That is different for everyone I am finding out. Leave it to my sister to make me laugh about the whole frustrating adventure though. When talking to her today on the phone she gave me some wise advice.. "girl you need to take off those Gucci sunglasses and put on some blue blockers!" The place for me is out there... just gotta keep looking. :)

Along with my "to do before 35" list, I've decided to take Natalie's challenge from my last post and take 35 pictures of moi... to document what 35 looks, feels, smells, and tastes like to me. I've had some funny ideas so far, but I'm not sure if I should share the photos as I take them, or make a collage when I'm done and post them together. We'll see..

Other random things I want to remember about today... Thinking a lot about this guy lately... Gosh he was funny!

I often wonder what words of wisdom he'd have to share... or about his thoughts on life's happenings. I mean, I get that he was called on a mission... BUT they can email from missions now... {Email from heaven would be nice on occasion!} Plus, he used to sing me the "i feel pretty" song... every girl likes to hear that she's pretty now and again. Even if it is just from her dad. :) not sure if I mentioned that I miss him.. but yeah... I do!

One other completely random thing before I go. My mom and Kent are on their mission in Wyoming at Willie's Center 6th Crossing. They are loving it there! They are so so busy doing all kinds of random things, but they are gearing up for the groups of trekers that will be coming through in the next couple of months. (thousands of them) They have memorized stories to tell, games to play and other fun things to share with the kids and families that participate in the trek. I'm pretty proud of mom. She did the trek and even did the woman's pull and pulled a cart by herself up a rocky hill. If I know her, she isn't writing all these experiences down. So, I'll write a bit to help her remember :)

Ok really just one more thing before I go... my blog here has never really had an identity. It's always been just kind of random, some days journalish others posting about my crafty adventures. It is still going to be both, but will be written more like a journal that I can print out at the end of every year. I had debated on just turning it private, and I still might, but heck...in the meantime if you aren't bored out of your mind, read away :)

35... thirty five... THIRTY FIVE!

I randomly logged in to MY blogger account tonight and realized it has been MONTHS since I have posted anything to my personal blog. I guess it just feels like it hasn't been that long because I blog every day at work. This kind of reminds me of my journal entries. The last several entries start with something like... "I need to write more often". Hmmm I'm sensing a pattern here. Maybe it's that I don't have much to share. Not a bad thing, just a thing. I'm working on that though! I turn 35 in a couple of months. I'm not sure why, but it freaks me right out. It's a mix between I want to hide and pretend like it never happened yet at the same time want to do something fun. {haha.. party of ONE!} It will probably be just like years past, where I go to work, come home fix dinner, do some cleaning or a project around the house and go to bed... BUT... I'm going to be 35. WOAH! I need to do something cool. Not sure what yet... but something cool. Life is going by way too quickly... so much to see and do. Some days I wish it would just. slow. down! Ahhh, I've got it. Here's what I'm going to do before the big day... write and/or make projects for 35 blog posts lose 35 lbs meet 35 new people write/mail 35 hand written cards/letters walk at least 35 miles take at least 35 pictures {including myself in some of them} 35 random acts of kindness leave 35 comments on blogs I heart I think that is a good start anyway. Want to help, keep me motivated, or join me in doing any of them I'd love it, or to hear about it! Here's to 35! {and embracing it...instead of being scared TO DEATH of it!}

hey there old friend... {more words, less photos}

my blog feels like just that, an old friend, one i haven't spoken with in a long time. but, it isn't that i don't love it, or think about it often. life just gets busy and time passes QUICKLY. i've been thinking about that a lot lately, old friends that is. i'm not very good at staying in contact. but, i've made it a goal to do better. i have been. stalking people's blogs and facebook pages don't count as staying in contact, but sometimes i feel like i know what is going on with everyone already, so why do they need to hear from me? well, i like to be contacted in real life, letters, phone calls etc, so maybe other people feel the same way? sorry social media, you are going to take a back seat when it comes to my friends and family, that's just how it's going to be! real life, getting back to the basics. bring it on! :)

in other thoughts... over the holidays when i was visiting my family, i heard a talk in church that got me thinking/acting. the man giving the talk was talking about people in his family tree. he said that besides the ones who were still living, that he had met in his lifetime he only felt like he "knew" one person. a great great great something or other because she had kept a journal and he had a copy of it. he had read it, related to some of her experiences and he felt like they had a connection. to his knowledge all of the other family members on that group sheet didn't keep any kind of written journal. so, to him they were just names on a page. he didn't want to be that for future generations, so he started writing in tiny {pocket size} journal every day. he doesn't always write much, but he writes something everyday about how he saw the hand of God in his life. brilliant. i have a hard time writing in my journal because i don't often feel like what happens in my life on a daily basis is worth being written. but, who knows. maybe the day i can't find a dang thing to wear will hit home with my great great someone down the road. life is meant to be lived, and i can't imagine we would be here, if every day wasn't an important part of that journey. so, i'm going to write about it. hope you do too :)

i mentioned life has been busy. but who's life isn't. right? lots of things have been changing. good change! i started a new job the beginning of this month. i am the creative director here and responsible for all of the artwork that is shared in the social media world. i came in right as the company is preparing for a big trade show so there was/is MUCH to be done on my part to get ready, along with the regular duties of the day. even though i am completely swamped from the minute i get there in the morning, until i come home at night. i L.O.V.E every minute of it. if i dare say, it is pretty close to a dream job. i love digital design, but also working with my hands... with my job i get to do both, along with learning photography and interacting with people who have the same passion for creativity that i do. it isn't for everyone, but it suits my talents. that makes me feel good. i am grateful for the experiences that got me where i am and the people who encouraged me to take chances. i think about them often.

on the subject of change, my craftroom is. still. in. boxes. UGH! THAT has got to change! so, when i get back from CHA... that project will begin. since i am renting, it's going to take some creativity to make it ME, but i have lot's of ideas. i will take you along that journey starting in a couple weeks. :) get excited! haha...i sure am!

sorry for all of the words, and no photos... next time i promise the opposite!




<3 one happy girl!