Baby Talk

Last night we're laying on our couch, me on one side of the L, Babers on the other. He scoots up to me and puts his head on my tummy.

"I hear your belly gurgling," he says, and mimics the noise it made.

Then he looks up and gives me a sweet face. "When you have a baby in there I'm going to lay my head on your belly like this and listen to it."

Which of course made my eyes tear up, again. Then I look at the angle of his lounging body and say "Well, that would be kinda awkward 'cause my belly would be up here." I raise my hand to the height my belly would be.

"That's okay," he says smiling. "I'll just make a pillow ramp."

I love him, I love him, I love him.

Music Share Monday

Shame on me for getting this out so late. Its been a long Monday...

So it seems you want to share more than just five songs every Monday. I thought I was asking for too much! From now on, if you want to share more, go for it. Let's just keep it to a max of ten for now. Deal? :) Oh and BLESS YOUR HEARTS for putting your songs in the form I post them in, it really helps speed things up for me.

My picks this week are all over the place.

Nadia Oh - Hot Like Wow*
Citizen Cope - Let the Drummer Kick*
Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For
Eyes on Fire - Blue Foundation
Dave Matthews Band - Crush
Duffy - Mercy
Kerli - Walking On Air
Little Big Town - Bring It On Home

*These I "discovered" while watching So You Think You Can Dance. I'm OBSESSED with this show, likely from my years of dancing, but the music they choose really makes me want to dance again.

REPEAT: Nadia Oh's Hot Like Wow. This song is on and I'm fourteen again, twirling in my den, leaping and pulling all sorts of muscles...


And now for your, may I say FABULOUS picks:


Kelly

Priscilla Ahn- Dream
Meiko- Said and Done
Tegan and Sara- You Wouldn't Like Me
Ingrid Michaelson- Giving Up
The Reason feat Sara Quin- We're So Beyond This

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Lauren

Brad Paisley - Find Yourself (Cars the movie soundtrack)
All American Rejects - Gives You Hell
The Fray - You Found Me
Poison - Every Rose Has It's Thorns
Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack - Miss Halfway & Grace
Mandy Moore - Have a Little Faith
Kate Voegelle - Kindly Unspoken, Only Fooling Myself, It's Only Life

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Nicole

Frank Sinatra - Mambo Italiano
311 - Plain
Counting Crows - Anna Begins
Sugarland - It Happens
Bad Religion - Skyscraper

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Jodi

Jaime Kyle – Untangled
A Fine Frenzy - The Minnow And The Trout
A Fine Frenzy - Near To You
Tristan Prettyman – Madly
Phil Stacey – You’re Not Shaken
Sarah Thiele – Can Change Come

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Christie

Third Eye Blind - Motorcycle Drive By
Third Eye Blind - I Want You
311 - Love Song, Amber & I'll Be Here Awhile (acoustic version)
The Fray - Heartless
Taylor Swift - You're Not Sorry & The Way I Loved You

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Michelle

Regina Spektor - On the Radio
Feist - 1234
Feist - I feel it all
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
Say Good Night & Go - Imogen Heap

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Jamie

Nickelback - Rock Star
Cindy Lauper - Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Footloose
I Will Survive
PussyCat - Don’t You Wish Your Girlfriend (Was Hot Like Me) *

* Jamie says she's embarrassed about this pick, but you know your singing it now...

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I was curious as to how this Music Share would turn out and I'm pleasantly surprised. There's a great variety of music coming from everyone and I've downloaded every single song you've suggested and enjoy them all. Thanks so much for participating this week!

Dance like nobody's watching.

xo Jill
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If you want to participate in Music Share, simply shoot me an email at blueeyez055@aol.com (or leave a comment with your email) and I'll put you on the mailing list. Every Monday morning I send out an email prodding you for your newest favorites. Simply reply - to me only - with your 5 songs and I'll include them in my group email as well as on this blog.
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My heart, be still.

A few things I'm in love with right now:

A sweet gift from my bloggy soulmate. She requested a penpal and man do I love giving and receiving mail, so I jumped on board! Here's my first package from Kelly.






















Oh how I love this black and white print. Its on nearly everything I own these days. She acts like she knows me or something. ;) I've already put it to use in my craft room, a photo for another day... Thanks Kellers, I adore it!

My Maw Maw grows ivy like hippies grow pot, so she cut off a few springs and sent them my way. I only had to search two days for the perfect planter to put it in. Can you believe I got this beauty at Burlington? And yes, I listened to the advice of the lovely Lindsey and decided I can and will mix cools with warms.

Finally, I found the perfect mannequin form for my jewelry. I've only been searching for ten years for one. (Very picky gal here.)

Oh and I have added new furniture to my craft room and the set up is finally exactly as I wanted it. Creating jewelry is so much more fun now and J won't have to fuss about scrapnel lodging itself into his bare feet when he comes to sneak a kiss.... Photos soon!

The Joys of Marriage

Last night J and I were putting fresh sheets on the bed together. I can't remember exactly what started it, something about me not fluffing his pillow anymore...

"I'm so over you tonight," I huff. Its our new thing to say when one of us is being needy or impossible.

"Well, if you are, I guess you'll have to find someone else to change your oil." Sarcastic tone. Its ON.

"And you'll have to find someone to cook for you."
"Yeah well, who's going to fold your panties?"
"Who's going to fold YOUR panties?" J hesitates. I can see his gears winding.

"You'll have to find someone to put up with your hair all over the bathroom floor," he's smirking now. He thinks he's so funny. (He is.)
"And you'll have to find someone to put up with your chest hairs in bed!"

One look, a forced angry-face, and we busted out laughing. Jump, plop in bed and we're already wrapping legs. It was a serious fight.

"That was nice," I say laughing.

"Yeah. Guess we need that every once in a while as a reminder to appreciate all the little things we do for each other," he responds with a sigh, throwing his leg over me.

I smile. Shove myself closer into his warm body.

Ahhh, married life is fun.

A House of Our Own

Now that J and I have our own home, we're having fun fixing it up. My biggest problem is my kitchen design - I simply cannot settle on what I want. More than anything, I want beautiful color, warmth and a place where my loved ones want to hang out.

These images are from BHG.com, the first place I visit in the mornings. I've never naturally leaned toward design, so after a few questions thrown as my bestie, she sent me to this site. Hello, why didn't I think of that? I ooo and ahhh over the magazine itself, but the site has endless design ideas...

The kitchens you see below are the closest to my current kitchen color scheme. Black appliances, white ceramic floors, wooden table (that I may eventually swap out), white cabinetry, warm sandy walls, silver and white lighting pieces. They all inspire me and have pieces that I plan to mix into our kitchen.

Which do you like best?


















I love the natural, organic look of the window shade. This would tie the wood table into the cool colors of the ceramic and countertops.


















These cabinets just blow me away. I actually feel my heart speed up as I look at them. I WANT them! This ocean color is one I plan to throw in the mix, along with reds and oranges.



















I'm on the hunt for an island as I have not nearly enough counter space. I love the way the odd mix of black and wood really pop and make the room glow. Really digging the painted shelving to the right of the photo - a great idea for a blank wall that's been screaming at me.

This kitchen is a bit too calm for me... but I love the way the warm and cool colors just work. This has been my biggest thorn - trying to decide which way to lean. Warm? Cool? I've decided after seeing these gorgeous kitchens that I can have both.

So, what colors are in YOUR kitchen?

Music Share Monday

Good evening fellow music lovers :)

With our weekend vacation coming up, last Thurday I was scrambling to get some new music downloaded for our 4 hour trip. I was looking for some 90's rock to keep J happy....(Plus, J likes to hit SKIP when one of my "weird" songs comes on. The nerve.)

The songs I share with you today were an effort to keep both our ears happy, as well as keep us awake during our road trip. It seems that rock is the genre that gave us a great soundtrack for our vacation. Here are some of my favorites from our combined playlist:

Breaking Benjamin - Breath
Alice in Chains - I Stay Away
Stone Temple Pilots - Creep
Framing Hanley - Lollipop (A remix from Lil Wayne's rendition. Awesomely funny and hard-hitting.)
Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (Can't say enough about these guys. Do yourself a favor and check them out if you haven't already.)
Hollywood Undead - Sell Your Soul
Godsmack - I Stand Alone
Pearl Jam - Black
Safety Suit - Stay (This song makes me swoon and is my newest fave.)
Saliva - Click Click Boom

What's on REPEAT for me: Paramore's Decode. I simply can't get enough of the lead's voice, the hard hitting beat and how it makes me want to run. (Read: This song is healthy for you.)

Some of YOUR current favorites:

Nicole's Playlist

Jamiroquai - Hot Tequila Brown
Counting Crows - Anna Begins
Mark Knopfler - What it is
311 - Amber
Dance Hall Crashers - Good for Nothin

Nicole thinks her music taste may be a lil odd, which tells me I'll love these songs. I can't wait to get home to listen to and download these!

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Michelle's Playlist

Flyleaf - Something I Can Never Have
Seether - Careless Whisper
The Fray - Heartless
Anberlin - The Love Song
Quietdrive - Time After Time

Michelle, these are right up my alley - cover songs can be a beautiful thing. Le sigh.

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Thanks to Nicole & Michelle for sharing today! Visitors: Feel free to leave your newest music loves in the comment section. :)

Rock on.

xo Jill
___________________________________

If you want to participate in Music Share, simply shoot me an email at blueeyez055@aol.com (or leave a comment with your email) and I'll put you on the mailing list. Every Monday morning I send out an email prodding you for your newest favorites. Simply reply - to me only - with your 5 songs and I'll include them in my group email as well as on this blog.
_________________________________________

MUSIC SHARE

Imagine: Having a group of people with a variety of music tastes personally delivering new music material to you. Wanting new music and simply checking your email (or this blog) every Monday for hot new or great old picks from music lovers like you. Sharing your passion for music and your own personal favorites with others.

I'm starting a Music Share beginning Monday. If you want on board, simply email me, letting me know you're in: blueeyez055@aol.com. I know, its a silly old email but I'll eventually get one specifically for this project.

How it works: I email everyone on board Monday morning to prod them for the music they want to share. This may be your latest MP3 downloads, CD purchase, or something you heard on the radio. It can be old, it can be new. Simply reply to my email if you want to share new music that week. Later in the day I'll send an email out with all our music choices compiled as well as post it here on this blog.

I will not share any personal info or emails on this blog or in the email. However, if you prefer to give me an alias, I'll gladly have fun with it! (Ex: Jillybean's new picks this week are...)

As for now, I'm signing off for a little R&R in Orange Beach this weekend with my husband, sister and nephew. Can't wait to come back and see who all is on board with my Music Share!

Have a fabulous weekend!

xo Jill

Beach Bound!

This Friday we are heading to the beach. I. Can. Not. Wait.

Lately the office has been hard to take. Today isn't so bad, but I finally had to hole up in my office and just avoid as much as possible. Never under estimate an office full of men - they probably get way more done because there's less drama, less cattiness, just LESS in general.

I want to be home making a living off my jewelry so I can avoid this nonsense. Nuff said. Not going to happen anytime soon. *pout*

Some photos from a few past weekends of riding on the river:

Yes that's a laundry basket strapped to the front of our bike. Mini has to come with us! She won't let us leave home without her.

Oh and did I tell you I bought a brand new 50's pin up style bathing suit? It was a treat to myself for.... well, for no reason other than I got my bonus last weekend and decided I needed a treat! *doing the bonus dance* :) Maybe I'll take a pic in it to share. I'm thinking curls, an umbrella, and a sassy pose...

I am in creative-mode right now, but haven't the time to do anything creative due to preparation for vacation. Crossing my fingers that these few days off is what I need to get my butt back into gear!

If I don't talk to you before, have a great weekend!!

FREE SHIPPING for Facebook Friends

NEW ITEMS just uploaded for my Facebook friends! If you want in on the Facebook deals, feel free to friend me. :)

www.facebook.com/jilllamontecorkern

Current deal is FREE SHIPPING on all new items. These have been uploaded to my Jillry album just for friends and have not been placed in my Etsy shop. This allows me to sell them a bit cheaper because I avoid fees.

A few of my new pieces shown below. Happy Shopping! xo Jill

Deep breath in

and let it out...

Apologies for the bit of upset last week. I appreciate that some of you were concerned, more than you know... thing is, I just needed to let my frustrations and disappointment out but I do have a limit as to just how much I feel comfortable sharing.

This is my journal, as I've said many times before. However, I never want to place anything on here that will make me sad when I come back and read it later. I never want to regret anything. Being so conscious of that, I'm sure I appear flighty, but really, its self preservation, my private side and a little dash of pride.

That said, I'm sweeping it all under the rug. You can't change people and you can't make people see what you see so clearly. So why waste precious moments? Instead let's fill them with the good stuff...

Like what I'm listening to now:

Matt Nathanson, Come on Get Higher
Nadia Oh, Hot Like Wow
Kings of Leon, Sex on Fire & more

I also pulled a couple of cds that were burned just for me by old friends from an old cd case. In an effort to fill up my iPod before vacation, I went digging last night and found these. One was a mix of deep, melodic music... heavy in feeling and sentiment. I found myself thinking of my days as a "youngster", wearing as much black as possible, heavy eyeliner and just sitting in a bar listening to a band with friends who understood the need to not say a word.

The other was wild trance/techno, whatever the kids call it these days. Took me back to a time when we took 2 hours to get ready to hit the dance floor and sweat our asses off, dancing for hours... coming back home looking like we'd been through a hurricane. 3 am Taco Bell runs where calories didn't count because you burned enough to last the week that night on the dance floor.

Funny how music brings back specific memories and feelings.

Of course, listening and remembering placed me in a low mood. Its difficult in this sort of limbo stage I'm in where I don't know what I am. I'm not a mother, wearing her twin sets, baking cookies and fitting exercise in when she can. Nor am I a twenty-something, going on dates with her boyfriend and shopping on Fridays for something new to wear that weekend. I'm not studying to become something. I'm just... here. Just me.

Thankfully J came home last night and got me out of my pity party. He's so good at that. As I told him last night, he knows just when to push me and the right moment to stop.

Come take a shower, he says. I'm too funky to take a shower with you, I say. And I know I'm feeling pitiful and I can't stop myself. I scowl at Mother Nature. She's on her way and man is she a bully sometimes.

He helped me wash the funky mood away. He always does.

Sometimes I wish we had a strainer in our brain to weed out the thoughts that put you in a funk. But then again, we wouldn't know the happy if there wasn't an opposite feeling. Does that make sense?

What music or song pulls a certain emotion or memory for you?