another day in the same life

Jillry Holiday Event Schedule

2011-10-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Vintage Jewelry Sale
Online at the Jillry page
Tuesday, November 1st at 8pm

Adopt a Family Holiday Raffle
For the Sherrod Family
November 7th - 11th
Features wonderful gift items being raffled off to benefit a family in need. 100% of the proceeds go to the Sherrod Family. Winners announced Friday, November 11th.

LOCAL Holiday Shopping Spree
Saturday, November 12 • 10:00am - 2:00pm

In the Central area
*This is held at a friend's house but is open to my fans. You're invited!! Just email me at JillryLove@gmail.com for address and directions. **TRUNK SHOW COUPON for 10-20% OFF if you come & shop Jillry at this event! (can be used in either Nov. or Dec. shows online.)

November "Black Tuesday" Trunk Show
Online at the Jillry page
November 29th
First posting at noon, second at 8pm
***CHRISTMAS BUNDLES AVAILABLE!!***

PLEASE NOTE: Seeing as the November Trunk Show will be held in late November and will be an OBNOXIOUSLY HUGE show, I won't be throwing a trunk show in December. I will, however, still be posting lots of pretties for sale both on the Jillry page and in my online shop (www.JillryLove.com) for you last minute Christmas shoppers. :)

Where will I be the rest of December?
Spending some much needed time with my family. Last year Baby Beau was just 4 months old when we celebrated his first Christmas and kept things low key. This year he'll be able to really enjoy the festivities and we plan on making a lot of wonderful memories. :)Big thanks to you, my customers, for making this a truly amazing holiday season. xoxo

Our First Family Vacation

2011-09-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

It was a weekend of firsts.

Baby's first trip to the beach.
First time on sand. First time in the ocean.
First trip out of state.
First time to drink out of a straw!

But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself... ;) I'll spare the chit chat and tell our story with just a few photos. Okay, so maybe more than a few. (I can't help it, I'm smitten and have no control when it comes to this kid.)

All in all, a great first vacation. We can't wait till next summer.

First time in the sand. When he saw it, he promptly sat down and began playing.

Daydreaming.

Our baby is ONE!

2011-09-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

To celebrate, we had a party and then soon after, an amazing photoshoot with Lindsey Whitty of mustard.seed.photography.

Oh that girl sure knows how to capture the sweetness of our bebe.

Of course, he was on his best behavior. A little shy, very observant and eyes wide. Nothing was getting past him. His first target? The birthday ballons Lindsey had brought as possible props. She sent them home with us and I caught the boy biting into one two days later. *shaking head* But wait, we were talking about his good behavior...

That smile. Gets me every time. I do believe his father's smile has the same effect. *sigh* Yep, I'm out-numbered. (And lovin' it.)

See? Those wide eyes, just bursting with curiousity and innocence. Wish I could bottle it. Stop time. Keep him on my hip and rock him to sleep every night. I'm sure he'll start protesting one of these days, I just hope not before junior high. ;)

So these are just sneak peeks. We're dying to see the rest.

Be back soon. Until then. xo

An Entire Year, Gone

2011-08-22T19:33:00.001-07:00

Where has the time gone? I promised myself I would blog about life with baby and I have failed. Though in my writing's absence there is a heart full, a cup runneth over, an entire year of joy, experience, love and occasionally, chaos.

It's not too late to start, this I tell myself when I feel the guilt creeping in. It's not.

I am a different woman now. Not better or worse. Just... different. Life has a way of hardening us in certain areas, smoothing us in others. I have definitely been subject to both. And I like who I am... as a wife, an artist, and best of all, a mommy.

He is the best part of me. Of us.

He is gentle. Running up to me after long concentration on a new toy, patting my face and climbing into my lap with a big grin when he remembers I'm sitting there watching.

He is passionate. Points with gusto at what he wants and throws his body when we don't understand. (We are getting better at knowing though!)

He is hilarious. Peeking around the corner to give Mommy one of his cute faces. Mimicking Daddy. Dancing to his cartoons, our singing and even thunder. Flirting with cashiers, waitresses, and random strangers in grocery lines.

He is happy. Always smiling. Always laughing. At play. Before naps. In the bath. Before nigh-night. Hugging and giving kisses freely, especially in the mornings during snuggle time. I'd like to believe it's partly because of us, who we are to him: his father and I. That makes my heart sing.

And this joy of ours, he's already one. One! I just had him, didn't I? But, it can be re-worded to lessen the blow of an entire year, gone. Only one year old. Only one year passed. Just one year together.

We have so much more. <3

Trunk Show Shopping Guide

2011-03-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

TRUNK SHOW DATE: MARCH 15th!!

Hi ladies,

For those of you that are new to shopping in a Jillry Online Trunk Show, here's a run-down of what to expect:

~ Loads of new jewelry will be posted throughout the day on Tuesday, March 15th in a photo folder labeled TRUNK SHOW. If you see a piece of jewelry that you would like to purchase, simply leave a comment under the photo to claim it as yours. "Mine", "I want this", "for me please" - anything of the sort will do. First come, first served, so the person who comments first receives the item.

~ Sounds easy right? You only need one ability to shop the show: speed. Yes, you heard me. I lovingly call my Jillry fans that shop my Trunk Shows "vultures". So if you see something you want, comment to claim before its gone. I will have duplicates of some items and if you see something you like and missed out on it, simply ask if I can make or order another of the piece. Never hurts to ask!

~ ATTENTION: All jewelry photos will have details of the piece underneath. Facebook has a delay so please be patient, the details will show.

~ At the end of the day on Tuesday, the Trunk Show will officially end. When you are ready to check out, simply post a comment to the Jillry Fan Page wall with your email address. Feel free to comment to check out anytime before the show's end if you would like to beat the rush. I send invoices in order of comments received.

~ Payment: I accept Paypal. Once you a ready to check out, I will send an invoice to your email address. If you do not have a Paypal account you can still pay your invoice with a debit or credit card. This is a safe and secure process that I have been using for 10+ years. PLEASE NOTE: Payment must be received within 48 hours of invoice. If payment is not received, your items will be relisted.

~ Shipping: Shipping starts at $2.25 and rarely do I ship a package over $3. Packages are priced by weight and shipped via First Class USPS. These shows can get really big and out of hand and its just little ole me running the business. I'm the jewelry designer, photographer, photo editor, communications and packing department. Add a sweet baby boy at home with me on top of that. :) That said, please allow 2-3 days after payment is made for your order to be processed and shipped. However, the longer you wait to check out the further along in the line you'll be and it may take up to 4 days before your order is shipped. Purchases are shipped in the order in which they are paid for. Thank you in advance for your patience! xo

~ Please be fair. If you do not plan to pay for the items you comment on, do not comment. Not only does this throw my inventory log off, it takes that item away from a fan who really wanted it in their jewelry box.

~NEW: Facebook has privacy features that allow members to hide all feed from others, for example, they may comment on a photo but you won't see their comment due to the level of privacy they have set on there account. That said, in some cases it may appear that you won an item you commented on and there could be a hidden commenter just before yours that won it. This doesn't happen often, but I had problems last show with it and wanted to give everyone a heads up. Thanks!

Questions? Just ask! Look, I have to be a stickler on payment policies, fairness and such but please know that these shows are all about having fun. I'm a friendly jewelry addict turned designer from the south that loves getting to know her fans. I've made some of the best girlfriends through these shows. Without my fans I wouldn't be able to do what I love for a living and believe me, I'm aware of that! So please, don't think I'm a stuffy business woman - consider me just another jewelry lover like yourself. And, thank you. :)

****I throw these shows once a month and give plenty of notice before. I will also give everyone a heads up 10 - 20 minutes or so before posting jewelry so everyone can be ready to comment.***

Love and hugs,

xo Jill Corkern
Creator of Jillry

Finding my balance

2011-03-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

It's 8:35 a.m. My sweet 6 month old bebe boy has gone down for his morning nap and I'm up, perky and feeling bright. Which would not have been the case last month with the night I had last night.

Midnight: Beau wakes up screaming, not crying, but screaming in his crib. I stumble, clouded in a daze to take care of him. PapaBear follows. A bottle and an hour of rocking/soothing/shushing later, he's finally sleeping soundly. This morning I vaguely remember Baber patting me on the back while I leaked a few tears of hurt and frustration. Last month I would have crawled back in bed during his morning nap because of last night, but not today. Because today, I have my balance.

Though it has taken 6 months, I do believe its here to stay. This balance, that is. There are books about pregnancy, nursing, raising baby, sleep methods. And I have them all. But the one book I could have used was one on how to balance life with baby at home and run a business full time. That book could have really saved me some heartache.

However, I know in my heart that this is the best way to have found it. Not by a book, on my own through trial(s) and (many) error(s). Sure, it took 6 months but I am stronger now. I am wiser now. Focused. Determined. Rested. I have been through the tough nights and slammed days, juggling pages of custom orders, trunk shows, local events all while trying my damnedest to be the best mommy to this precious baby boy of mine. Learning his needs, his wants, how to water him and grow him. I'm glad I went through the battle or else I wouldn't appreciate how far we've come, how much we've grown. How beautiful my little family is.

Last month I shut down. I told my loving, supportive husband "I can't do this anymore." I re-evaluated my life. I sat myself down on the outside and looked in: how was my family benefiting from a stressed out, exhausted wife and mother? Why would my husband *want* to come home to a frazzled wife? Why *wouldn't* Beau be a little fussy if his mommy was obviously unhappy? It occured to me that if I break, the rest of my family is going to be hugely affected by it.

So as some of you made have read, I put Jillry on part time. I'm working on cleaning and organizing my craft room and making it my Inspiration Room again. I'm going back to my true love of hand-crafting jewelry. When Beau naps, I work. I fix my hair and put on make up. (It feels good to feel pretty again.) I clean the lovely home we work so hard for. I prepare meals, grocery lists, do laundry. When Beau is up, I am not allowed to even *think* about work. Our time is our time, just mother and son. There is no room in my heart for anything else during those hours.

I am taking better care of myself now. Sure, I still take army showers but I recognize when I need a break and I ASK for it. And I know that my husband is crazy supportive and a wonderful father, but for some reason I felt like I didn't deserve to say MY TURN. I need this. Its amazing how much you can change mentally when you decide that you are NOT last on the totem pole. That really, there is no totem pole. We, as mothers, create this imaginery thing and hang onto it. Yes, our children and husbands andeveryoneelseontheplanet tend to come before us with their wants and needs, but in the end - say it with me? - IF MOMMA AIN'T HAPPY, NOBODY IS HAPPY.

Did you giggle? Good.

Simplicity used to be my favorite word. Now, it is Balance.

The point of this post? *sigh* I missed writing so much. As I am sitting here in my pajamas, messy hair (but with a face of make up!) and to-do list in front of me, I am tingling. I am happy. I know my husband will read this and think "She's back" and damn it, just saying that brought tears to my eyes. I'm sure he misses the inspired side of me. The side of me that loves to sing my love for him from the roof tops.... I'm sorry Baber. I promise to do better. (I love you. FRANKS AND BEANS!)

Back to "the point" - I hope that another stay at home business mommy (or ANY working mommy!!) is reading this and finds comfort in it, hope even! And I hope she realizes that she CAN be everything she wants to be but that she just needs to find her balance. Its out there. I promise.

Balance. Maybe I finally found what my tattoo should be? Nah.... ;)

Trunk Show Shopping Guide

2011-01-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

TRUNK SHOW DATE: FEBRUARY 1ST!

Hi ladies,

For those of you that are new to shopping in a Jillry Online Trunk Show, here's a run-down of what to expect:

~ Loads of new jewelry will be posted throughout the day on Tuesday, February 1st starting around 9am in a photo folder labeled TRUNK SHOW. If you see a piece of jewelry that you would like to purchase, simply leave a comment under the photo to claim it as yours. "Mine", "I want this", "for me please" - anything of the sort will do. First come, first served, so the person who comments first receives the item.

~ Sounds easy right? You only need one ability to shop the show: speed. Yes, you heard me. I lovingly call my Jillry fans that shop my Trunk Shows "vultures". So if you see something you want, comment to claim before its gone. I will have duplicates of some items and if you see something you like and missed out on it, simply ask if I can make or order another of the piece. Never hurts to ask!

~ ATTENTION: All jewelry photos will have details of the piece underneath. Facebook has a delay so please be patient, the details will show.

~ At the end of the day on Tuesday, the Trunk Show will officially end. When you are ready to check out, simply post a comment to the Jillry Fan Page wall with your email address. Feel free to comment to check out anytime before the show's end if you would like to beat the rush. I send invoices in order of comments received.

~ Payment: I accept Paypal. Once you a ready to check out, I will send an invoice to your email address. If you do not have a Paypal account you can still pay your invoice with a debit or credit card. This is a safe and secure process that I have been using for 10+ years. PLEASE NOTE: Payment must be received within 48 hours of invoice. If payment is not received, your items will be relisted.

~ Shipping: Shipping starts at $2.25 and rarely do I ship a package over $3. Packages are priced by weight and shipped via First Class USPS. These shows can get really big and out of hand and its just little ole me running the business. I'm the jewelry designer, photographer, photo editor, communications and packing department. Add a sweet baby boy at home with me on top of that. :) That said, please allow 2-3 days after payment is made for your order to be processed and shipped. However, the longer you wait to check out the further along in the line you'll be and it may take up to 4 days before your order is shipped. Purchases are shipped in the order in which they are paid for. Thank you in advance for your patience! xo

~ Please be fair. If you do not plan to pay for the items you comment on, do not comment. Not only does this throw my inventory log off, it takes that item away from a fan who really wanted it in their jewelry box.

Questions? Just ask! Look, I have to be a stickler on payment policies, fairness and such but please know that these shows are all about having fun. I'm a friendly jewelry addict turned designer from the south that loves getting to know her fans. I've made some of the best girlfriends through these shows. Without my fans I wouldn't be able to do what I love for a living and believe me, I'm aware of that! So please, don't think I'm a stuffy business woman - consider me just another jewelry lover like yourself. And, thank you. :)

****I throw these shows once a month and give plenty of notice before. I will also give everyone a heads up 10 - 20 minutes or so before posting jewelry so everyone can be ready to comment.***

Love and hugs,

xo Jill Corkern
Creator of Jillry

Savory Crockpot Chicken, Spinach & Mushrooms

2011-01-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Just made this one up walking through the aisles of the grocery, thank goodness it turned out the way I expected. This was an attempt at a healthy crockpot dish and as you can see by the ingredients, its waistline-friendly! Enjoy. :)

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 packets McCormick Garlic, Wine & Herb Seasoning packets (the black packet with green label, near the other seasoning packets like chili, taco & spaghetti.)
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 can water
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed free of water
1 carton sliced button mushrooms
1 yellow onion cut into bit size pieces

Directions:

Place all ingredients except chicken in crockpot and stir to mix well. Place chicken on top of mixture, spooning some of the mixture over the chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours. So tender and savory!

Recipe submitted by me, Jill Corkern. :)

Fish Tacos with Spicy Sour Cream Sauce & Black Bean Relish

2011-01-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that was inspired by the fish taco dish at Lulu's in Gulfport. It was the first time I had fish tacos and immediately fell in love. Can you tell I'm passionate about this? I AM. Here's my recipe, hope you enjoy!

SERVES 4-6 tacos.

Ingredients for tacos:

3 large (or 4 small) tilapia fillets
1 packet favorite taco seasoning
butter (I use fat free Parkay in the spray bottle)
shredded cheese (as much as you'd like, again I use fat free)
shredded lettuce
soft tortillas

Ingredients for Black Bean Relish:

1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn drained and rinsed
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
sprinkle of salt

Ingredients for Spicy Sour Cream Sauce:

1 cup sour cream (I use light)
1 packet favorite taco seasoning
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
splash Louisiana hot sauce
splash jalapeno juice from the jar OPTIONAL
pinch of kosher salt (you can use regular)

Directions:

Pan-frying the fish doesn't take but about five minutes, so I suggest preparing your taco station first.

Chop the lettuce into shredded pieces. Then toss the ingredients for the Black Bean Relish together in a bowl. I always make the relish topping in a tupperware container so I don't have to clean an extra bowl.

Mix all the ingredients for the Spicy Sour Cream Sauce together (again, good idea to use a tupperware bowl), eyeballing the amount of taco seasoning added. Remember: you can always add but you can't take away, so taste-test to your liking. I like mine with a good spicy bite to it.

Turn non-stick pan (or sprayed regular pan) on medium heat and melt a little butter in it. Season both sides of fish fillets with taco seasoning and place in pan when its hot. After about two minutes flip the fish and cook on the other side. The fish is done when it flakes as you press your spatula into it. When it does this, break the fish into pieces with the spatula like you would ground meat, creating chunky bits. Add a little butter and seasoning to it at this point (again, another eyeball & taste test job.)

Turn off heat and start building your tacos. I do it in this order:

Place warm tortilla (microwave is fine) on plate and top with shredded cheese. Top with hot fish to melt the cheese a bit. Next, top with a healthy dollop of the Spicy Sour Cream Sauce and then a spoonful of your Black Bean Relish. Last top with as much lettuce as you'd like.

Enjoy!

Recipe created by me, Jill Corkern. :)

Crockpot Slow Simmering BBQ Sandwiches

2010-12-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

Image from sungkang.com

Mmmm this recipe has my mouth watering! I think its time to go shopping... :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 3lb beef brisket (we've used a variety of sizes close to this size)
3 tbs vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cumin OR chili powder
3 cups BBQ sauce of your choice (I like KC masterpiece!)
12 to 16 Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

dill pickle slices and red onion slices optional

Directions:

Trim fat from brisket
Cut brisket if necessary to fit into 3 1/2-4 quart crock pot
Add water vinegar worcestershire sauce and cumin or chili powder
Cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 hours or on high heat for 4-5 (I always cook on low)
About an hour before serving remove the meat from cooker.
Discard cooking liquid
Use two forks to shred meat and return to the cooker
Stir in BBQ sauce cover and cook on high for 30-45mins until heated thoroughly.
Serve on bun of choice makes 12-16 sandwiches!

Submitted by Teri Erickson.

Crockpot Beans & Andouille Sausage

2010-12-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

Image from pbs.org

If you would like to submit a recipe to share here on Jillry's personal blog, simply email me at JillryLove@gmail.com with your recipe and name for credit. Thanks!

Ingredients:

1 package Johnsonville Andouille Sausage (Too many people can't get the authentic stuff. You can also substitute kielbasa if the spicy stuff is too much for you.)
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes OR 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can diced tomatoes with green chile.

Directions:

1. Dice up the sausage.
2. Dump the meat, beans, and tomatoes into the crock pot.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6.
4. Serve over rice and with a slice of cornbread.

Couldn't be easier! If you use the andouille sausage, you will not want for any extra spices and seasonings. Promise!

Submitted by Amy.

Easy Crockpot Chicken by Kate

2010-12-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

This recipe is one I've already put in my "recipe regulars" book. A great quick chicken fix to use all week!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast
1 can of Rotel, loosely drained
1 can of mexican corn (or regular corn), also loosely drained
1 can of blackbeans, loosely drained

Directions:

Cook on low all day!

Shred and use for tacos, taco salad, or put it on a baked potato.

Submitted by Kate Szumski.

Crockpot Chipotle Chicken

2010-12-21T07:23:00.001-08:00

Sadly, I did not get a photo worthy of posting for this delicious chicken dish I created. But I promise you its super tasty with a little bit of kick. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts
1 can green chilis
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce**
1 tsp adobo sauce
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup salsa

**You can find green chili and the chipotles in adobo sauce in the mexican food aisle where you get your taco ingredients.

Directions:

Place the chipotle pepper, onions and salsa in a food processor and chop/blend for about ten seconds. Next, place everything on the ingredient list in the pot and turn on low for 6 hours. Take the chicken out and shred or cut into pieces. We used the chicken in a taco salad and it was DELICIOUS!

Save the juices that the chicken cooked in and you can use it for another dish later in the week. I'll post the dish I make later with it which includes ground meat, rice, corn, black beans & cheese!

Recipe created and submitted by me, Jill Corkern.

Crockpot Vegetable Stew

2010-12-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Image from recipebridge.com

If you would like to share a loved crockpot recipe of yours for our Christmas Crockpot Share, please send to JillryLove@gmail.com with your name for credit. Thank you!

Ingredients:

1 pack of stew meat
1 can of corn
2 cans of green beans
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of rotel tomatoes
1 bag of frozen baby lima beans
2 cans of chicken broth
3-4 potatoes cubed

Directions:

In a large crock pot, put stew meat, vegetables and chicken borth in crock pot. Season with onion flakes, onion powder and garlice powder.

Cook on low 6-8 hours. Enjoy!

Recipe submitted by Kelli Campo LaCroix.

Crockpot Slow Beef Stroganoff

2010-12-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

Makes: 6 servings Ready in 4½ hours

Ingredients:

2 lb. boneless beef chuck steaks cut into one-inch pieces
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
10 oz. Green Giant sliced mushrooms, drained
1 (4 tbsp.) envelope Lipton beefy onion soup mix
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves or 1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) container light sour cream
8 oz. your choice of pasta or egg noodles

Directions:

In slow cooker, toss beef with the flour. Stir in remaining ingredients except the sour cream. Cook covered on “low” 8 to 10 hours or “high” 4 to 6 hours until meat is tender. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions (I always cook mine in chicken broth). Stir in sour cream and noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Submitted by Phyllis Adelle Sherer

Crockpot Maple Pecan Oatmeal

2010-12-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

Image from seasonalgourmet.ca

Ingredients:

Serves 8

3 cups of milk
3 cups of water
4 gala apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups uncooked steel cut oats
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/2 cup maple syrup
Pecans (or nut of choice) toasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Bring milk and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
2. Coat slow cooker with cooking spray and then place hot milk mixture, apples, and next five ingredients in cooker. Cover and cook on low 7 hours or until tender.
3. Ladle oatmeal into individual bowls; top with maple syrup add nuts. (I added a little extra milk to moistened the cereal, up to you)

Submitted by Amanda Joy Henninger

Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings

2010-12-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

Image from Recipematcher.com

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons butter
2 small cans cream of chicken soup
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 can chicken broth
water
1 package refrigerated biscuit dough (about 10 ounces)

Directions:

1. Cut chicken breast into bit sized pieces and set aside.

2. In a slightly greased crock pot or slow cooker, add ingredients consisting of chopped chicken, butter, cream of chicken soup and onion. Next pour chicken broth and water into crock pot to cover the ingredients. Cover the crockpot and cook 5 hours on low heat.

3. To make dumplings, just roll your refrigerator biscuit dough out into small pancake sizes and cut into strips. Add dumplings to your crock pot, stir in well, turn heat to high and cook for an additional hour or until dumplings are tender and ready to eat.

Recipe submitted by Laura Barton Ziegler

Crockpot Steak & Gravy Recipe

2010-12-14T07:03:00.001-08:00

Image from Foodnetwork.com

Hi and welcome to the second day of the Christmas Crockpot Recipe Share! If you would like to share a loved recipe of yours, please send to JillryLove@gmail.com with your name for credit. Thank you!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of round steak, cut in small strips
1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper to taste stirred in flour
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced into rings
1 1/2 cups beef broth

Directions:

1. Place the flour/salt and pepper mixture in a large ziploc bag.
2. Put steak strips in the bag and shake to coat them with the flour mixture.
3. Brown the steak in the oil in a large skillet.
4. Place browned meat in the crock pot and place sliced onions and bell pepper on top of the meat.
5. Deglaze the skillet with the beef broth. (add a little red wine if you like)
6. Pour the liquid over the meat and vegetables and cook on high for 3 hours and on low for a couple more hours or until it's time for supper.

Make a pan of cornbread and some rice and you will have a hearty supper! Even in retirement, I love the crock pot. I put something in early in the morning and then spend my day having fun.

Recipe submitted by Dot Dickinson

Crockpot Corn Chowder Recipe

2010-12-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

Image from Cooking.com

Hi and welcome to the first day of the Christmas Crockpot Recipe Share! If you would like to share a loved recipe of yours, please send to JillryLove@gmail.com with your name for credit. Thank you!

Ingredients:

2 cans of sweet corn
2 cans of cream corn
2 cans of evaporated milk
Bag of frozen Oreida shredded home fries
1/4 cup of chopped onions
1 package of pre cooked bacon crumbled
salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce to taste :)

Place all ingredients in crock pot and mix well. Cook for a few hours on high or cook all day on low.

Recipe submitted by Marianne McCarthy

Chicken Stew Recipe

2010-12-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

After receiving a recipe for chicken stew from a friend (Hi Tiffany!) that called for a homemade roux - my worst enemy - I decided to create my own recipe. This one calls for a lot of ready made items that can help you make this slow cooked oldie a fast and easy goodie.

Ingredients

1 rotissere chicken - meat pulled off bone
2 packets of Louisiana Cajun brown gravy mix
1 32 oz carton chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans full of water
1 8oz can diced stewed tomatoes (or something of the like, even rotel will do)
1 bag frozen seasoning mix (with the onions, bell pepper, celery)
salt & garlic powder
1 palm full of dried parsley
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

Heat oil in your dutch oven or large pot. Saute frozen seasoning mix until onions get brown on edges. Toss in the chicken and can of tomatoes, mix well. Next add the chicken broth and 2 packets of cajun gravy mix and bring to an easy boil.

In a separate bowl, mix the two cans of soup and two cans of water. Once the mixture in the pot starts to thicken up, add the soup mixture and stir all ingredients in pot well. At this point take a spoon to taste whether or not you would like to add salt. Add the dried parsley and a light layer of garlic powder to the stew and stir well.

Turn the pot on low and let simmer. In the meantime, get yourself a pot of rice going and by the time its done, your chicken stew will be too!

Way too easy, right? It really is... and its delicious! Enjoy. :)

Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

2010-11-27T15:51:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! A friend requested my recipe for this yummy comfort food (hi Kim!) and I must admit: I really don't have a recipe! So I'm going to try my best to give you a step by step. Here goes...

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
Bisquick Mix
milk (I use skim)
1 rostissere chicken (Any flavoring will do. Smoked, lemon pepper, etc.)
1 bag frozen seasoning mix (onions, peppers, celery)
2 -32oz cartons chicken broth (I use low sodium)
milk (for bisquick mix)

You will also need:

cutting board
butter knife
spoon or spatula
large pot (dutch oven)
large spoon
large mixing bowl

Before doing anything, attack that rotissere chicken, pulling all chicken off the bone. Set aside.

Turn stove burner to medium and place large pot over it. Drop the butter into pot and when it melts add the bag of seasoning mix.

While seasonings are cooking, mix 4 1/2 cups of Bisquick mix with 1 1/3 cups of milk. Stir the mixture with a spoon or spatula until it sticks together, making a large clump. On your cutting board, sprinkle a little Bisquick mix and spread it over the board. This is just to keep your dough from sticking to the board. You may also want to dust your own hands with Bisquick to keep the mix from sticking to you. (I do!)

Take half of the dough and place it on the board, spreading it out, making it about 1/2" thin. Then take your butter knife and slice into the dough like you would a batch of brownies, making dumplings. I make mine anywhere from 1" to 2" in a rectangle shape. This makes pretty big dumpings. You can pile the dumplings up on the corner of your board and grab the other half of the dough, repeating this process.

Check on your seasonings next. The onions/peppers/celery should be translucent. At this point I toss in a palmful of kosher salt (you can use regular table salt), pepper, garlic powder, onion powder & cayenne (a little dab will do! You can always add more later). Next pour both cartons of chicken broth into the pot along with the chicken you pulled apart earlier.

Bring mixture to a boil. Your burner should be on around 5-6, not a hard boil. Start dropping the dumplings one by one in the pot. Every half a dozen dumplings you toss in, take your big spoon and sort of press them into the broth mixture, continuing to pile the dumplings and press down with the spoon. Once all the dumplings are in, take the spoon and stir the pot in one graceful bottom to top motion (folding), careful not to break up the dumplings.

Let simmer for about 5 more minutes on low, folding the chicken & dumplings every thirty seconds or so. By this time the liquid should be thicker. At this point take a spoon and taste the liquid to see if you need any more seasoning.

And you're done! Enjoy!

Broccoli Rice Casserole

2010-11-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

This recipe was shared by a Jillry friend, Janae Verrett - thanks for sharing this scrumptious recipe perfect for the holidays! Enjoy. :)

Ingredients

2 (10 ounce) packages of frozen, chopped broccoli
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of minced onion
1/4 cup of minced celery
1 can of Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can of Campbell's condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon of tonys, or your favorite
Cajun/Creole seasoning, or to taste, optional
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, optional
2 cups of cooked rice
1 cup shredded Cheddar, Montery Jack cheese, or any combination, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Place broccoli in a microwave safe bowl, add about 1 tablespoon of water, cover and microwave about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and roughly chop, if needed. Can also parboil or steam broccoli just until barely fork tender but with a bit of bite, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Melt butter in a skillet and saute the onion and celery over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the two cans of soup and mix until well blended; add the Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, rice and chopped broccoli. Stir gently until combined, taste and adjust seasonings. Turn out into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and return to the oven uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

I usually double or tripple for the holidays :)

Jillry Event Calendar

2010-11-08T06:22:00.001-08:00

Here's a run down of events from now until the holidays. All of these events are posted on Facebook - just search for their title (shown below) to RSVP and learn more. OR feel free to email me at JillryLove@gmail.com Hope to see you!

Event Title: Online Christmas Trunk Show
Date: November 9th & 10th
Where: www.facebook.com/JillryLove

Event Title: 1st Annual Christmas Fling
Date: November 14th
Where: Denham Springs
**This event is open to public but is held at a friend's home in Denham every year. Please contact me at JillryLove@gmail.com for directions. There will be other vendors there so its a great one-stop-shop event for all your Christmas needs.
Vendors: Jillry, Thirty One Gifts, DC Candles, Avon, Custom Candy Wreaths and more!

Event Title: Christmas Sidewalk Sale
Date: November 18th
Where: Cer' Care la Pace - in Sullivan Hardware Shopping Center on Sullivan Rd. in Central
Vendors: Jillry and Susie Q Accessories

Event Title: Christmas Fling
Date: November 20th
Where: Baker, on Kleinpeter Dr.
Vendors: Jillry, Susie Q Accessories, Scentsy

Trunk Show Shopping Guide

2010-10-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hi ladies,

For those of you that are new to shopping in a Jillry Online Trunk Show, here's a run-down of what to expect:

~ Loads of new jewelry will be posted throughout each day starting Tuesday, November 9th & ending on Wednesday November 10th in a photo folder labeled TRUNK SHOW. If you see a piece of jewelry that you would like to purchase, simply leave a comment under the photo to claim it as yours. "Mine", "I want this", "for me please" - anything of the sort will do. First come, first served, so the person who comments first receives the item.

~ Sounds easy right? You only need one ability to shop the show: speed. Yes, you heard me. I lovingly call my Jillry fans that shop my Trunk Shows "vultures". So if you see something you want, comment to claim before its gone. I will have duplicates of some items and if you see something you like and missed out on it, simply ask if I can make or order another of the piece. Never hurts to ask!

~ At the end of the day on Wednesday, the Trunk Show will officially end. When you are ready to check out, simply post a comment to the Jillry Fan Page wall with your email address. Feel free to comment to check out anytime before the show's end if you would like to beat the rush. I send invoices in order of comments received.

~ Payment: I accept Paypal. Once you a ready to check out, I will send an invoice to your email address. If you do not have a Paypal account you can still pay your invoice with a debit or credit card. This is a safe and secure process that I have been using for 10+ years. PLEASE NOTE: Payment must be received within 72 hours of invoice. If payment is not received, your items will be relisted.

~ Shipping: Shipping starts at $2.25 and rarely do I ship a package over $3. Packages are priced by weight and shipped via First Class USPS. These shows can get really big and out of hand and its just little ole me running the business. I'm the jewelry designer, photographer, photo editor, communications and packing department. Add a sweet newborn on top of that. :) That said, please allow 2-3 days after payment is made for your order to be processed and shipped. However, the longer you wait to check out the further along in the line you'll be and it may take up to 4 days before your order is shipped. Purchases are shipped in the order in which they are paid for. Thank you in advance for your patience! xo

~ Please be fair. If you do not plan to pay for the items you comment on, do not comment. Not only does this throw my inventory log off, it takes that item away from a fan who really wanted it in their jewelry box.

Questions? Just ask! Look, I have to be a stickler on payment policies, fairness and such but please know that these shows are all about having fun. I'm a friendly jewelry addict turned designer from the south that loves getting to know her fans. I've made some of the best girlfriends through these shows. Without my fans I wouldn't be able to do what I love for a living and believe me, I'm aware of that! So please, don't think I'm a stuffy business woman - consider me just another jewelry lover like yourself. And, thank you. :)

****I throw these shows once a month and give plenty of notice before. I will also give everyone a heads up 10 - 20 minutes or so before posting jewelry so everyone can be ready to comment.***

Love and hugs,

xo Jill Corkern
Creator of Jillry

Five Dollar Friday

2010-09-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since my last FDF and I know we've got some new ladies in the mix so here's a little know-how on Five Dollar Friday shopping on Facebook with Jillry.

IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THIS: See something you like and just comment on it. A simple "MINE!" or "I want" under the photo of the item will do... Here are some details:

* At some point on Friday I will post photos of my $5 jewelry items. I will post the link to the folder several times a day so you won't miss out. BUT it must be said that the sooner you see the folder & comment, the better. (I lovingly call some of my Jillry shoppers "vultures". Hehe.)

* The description of each item will be under the photo. This includes details on the jewelry item as well as how many of each item I have.

* Before posting the folder of goodies I'll post a status update that gives you a heads up for fair shopping. All items are sold as first come, first served.

* At the end of Friday or when you are ready to check out, simply post to my wall. I will then contact you if you are a newbie OR send you an invoice if you know the drill. If you have a Paypal account you can simply leave your email associated with that account and I'll invoice you.

* Payment: I prefer payment by Paypal but will accept check by mail. Paypal is a secure and easy transaction made with a debit or credit card. http://www.paypal.com/

* Payment policy: Payment MUST be made within 72 hours of the sale. If payment is not received by then your items will be restocked.

* Shipping: Please allow 2-3 days for your items to ship. In most cases your order will ship within a day but I'm working on a totally different schedule now with a newborn at home with me and full time business so I'm just testing things out. :) Shipping starts at $2.25 for the first item, adding $.25 (or less) per additional item. Packages are weighed for postage costs and I rarely ship a package that posts over $3, even with larger orders.

* Your order will be packaged with care in a padded bubble mailer and will ship via First Class via USPS.

* Please be fair. Do not comment on an item unless you plan to purchase. Commenting on an item and then skipping out not only throws off my log, its also not fair to other shoppers who do follow through with their purchase who wanted that item.

Thanks in advance for your patience on my current shipping time and for your cooperation. Feel free to email me with questions at JillryLove@gmail.com or at my personal Facebook: www.facebook.com/JillLamonteCorkern

Happy shopping!

Beau Isaac's Birth Story

2010-08-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

Beau Isaac on his birth day.

Riding down a dark country road that leads us to J's parents's house, the vehicle suddenly slows. I clench my jaw as another contraction comes around.

"Babe, they're two and a half minutes apart. Maybe we should go faster," I say. We're dropping the Mini Monster off before heading to the hospital. We thought we'd have plenty of time to make the five minute drive to his parents when we were leaving the house... until I noticed the time separating each contraction. Oops.

"I would but I'm watching for deer crossing, Babe," he said apologetically. Sure enough, we see a small deer tiptoeing out the woods at the edge of the road. J slows and let's it cross the street. We stare at each other eerily. I'm adding "Sixth Sense: Animal Predictor" to J's list of attributes.

Let's back up. The above happened early Monday morning. My water broke 13 days early at 1:00am. My due date was August 28th. I had been telling J and my Mom for weeks that Beau was coming early, I just had this very strong feeling about it. When I started getting contractions at 11pm on Saturday night I looked down at my belly and rubbed it. "I think Mama was right. I'll see you soon little Beau."

All day Sunday the Baberhusband and I literally sat our butts on the couch and timed contractions. We finally got bored and tired around 10pm on Sunday and headed to bed for some shut eye. At that point my contractions were 7 minutes apart. Three hours later my water breaking awakened me. "Jason," I coaxed him awake with a very loud whisper. "Hey babe? Don't freak out, but, I'm pretty sure my water just broke."

I got a sleepy look and J's head rolled back to the pillow... and suddenly jerked back up. "What? Your water broke??" Annddd we were up throwing over night bags in the car and on our way.

When we got to the hospital and pulled up to the curb, the security guard met us and asked if I needed a wheelchair. Like a child excited for a ride in one of those things I say yes, bare down for another contraction and think "This is it." Strange how nervous I was at the beginning of my pregnancy and for years before that... of labor, of delivering a baby. And now all I could do was smile like a fool in between my grimaces. I couldn't wait to meet the little monster who hiccuped three times a day and held his own kickboxing classes in my tummy for the past 9 months. Soon my husband and I would go from "we" to "three".

Before I was even in my laboring room both sets of parents had made it to the hospital. Upon checking how far along I was the nurses decided we needed to get an epidural running asap. This made my heart race: was I really that close? The nurses cooed at me and told me how rare it was these days for a woman to go into labor on her own, without inducing and progress this steadily. I was secretly a little proud...

Towards the end of my pregnancy my doctor predicted Beau to be a large baby. At my 36 week appointment she said "We've got a big ole butt in there," and sent me to get a sonogram to estimate his weight. And at 36 weeks Beau's weight was estimated to be 8lbs, 4oz. An average child's weight at that week: 6lbs. Plus, babies gain a 1/2 lb each week in the last month of pregnancy so you do the math. Needless to say, I was thrilled that I would have a chance to deliver him instead of going in for the c-section she expected me to have at 39 weeks.

After seeing my doctor at 7 am and making the decision to "truck on through" for a regular delivery, J and I held hands and settled in for what we hoped to be just a few more hours. We tried for a cat nap shortly after her visit, but my shakes were getting worse and the epidural began fading to the point where I could feel my contractions again. Not one to be brave, I told the nurses. After a quick Mommy-check we found I had a fever, one that I would keep for days after delivery. This was draining the effectiveness of my epidural.

After 3 hours of very real contractions and being stalled at 8 cm my doctor came in to make a decision. When she pulled up a chair to talk to me and J my heart sank a little. I knew what she was going to say. Beau was sunny side up (which explained the rib pains, little booger, hehe) and while she would stand by my decision to try to deliver him naturally you could tell she was opting for a c-section. (My doc had been very laid back through my entire pregnancy, never pushing a decision on me. At this point I needed her to make one for me.)

At this point I was weak from the fever and pain; I broke down into tears. All I wanted was for Beau to be delivered safely, without him experiencing any trauma. Worried about the baby, we opted for a c-section. How soon? my husband asked her. She stated that we would prep right away but that we had 5 people waiting for a section in front of us. What?! There was a waiting line for c-sections? She laughed and told us that the hospital was a mad-house this night, that they were basically full to the brim with deliveries. We asked if there was a full moon out. :)

An hour and a half later I was being wheeled into surgery. While they prepped me I worried about Jason waiting for me outside of the room.

"Hey Doc?" I asked and she responded, coming into view. "My husband... he's not curious about what's going on down there so can we..." Before it was even out of my mouth she and the nurses were laughing and promised they would prevent him from any necessary distress and/or fainting.

Soon they were ready and he walked in, all Daddy-cuteness in his white scrubs head-to-toe. They sat him down beside me and he immediately grabbed my hand. The only part of him not covered up were his eyes. "Your eyes are killing me right now," I told him, catching a sob in my throat, the tears just cascading down my face. I will remember the way his eyes looked in that moment for the rest of my life.

What seemed like minutes and yet hours later, Beau Isaac was born. I heard him before I saw him and that sweet little mewing off his set me off into another round of sobbing. He was the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. And boy was he big! That was in my tummy?? J stayed by my side and comforted me until the nurses asked if he wanted to come over to where Beau was being taken care of. I assured him I was fine and off he went. Seconds later J was at my side again. Did I want to hold him? Still dizzy with the shakes, I sadly declined. I looked at J's eyes and saw the question before he asked it. Yes, I told him, hold your son. I'm fine.

And another moment later J had our little monkey in front of my face, all 8lbs 15.2oz, 21 3/4" of him. I rubbed his little face with my fingers and kissed my husband before they wheeled me into recovery. "I'll see you soon," my husband said and we exchanged I-love-yous.

Beau being a relaxed lil baby right after delivery.

Jason watching Beau being bathed and fed after delivery. I love the look on his face in this photo.

Three hours later I was wheeled out of recovery into our room. I was told I'd be in recovery for only an hour so I didn't believe my mom when she rushed up to me, a little freaked out that I was in there for so long.

I do recall being in recovery, going in and out of consciousness while the nurses came in waking me to do the touch-and-pinch test. "Does this feel like a touch or a pinch?" After a few times of being woken up for these I realized the sooner those touches felt like pinches the sooner I would be released and would see my baby and husband. I remember trying my hardest to hold my eyes open when she came in and hoping each and every time that the touches would feel like pinches. It didn't even occur to me to fib a little. (Even heavily medicated I'm a rule-follower. *snicker*)

The hours after delivery seemed to fly by. Eventually the shakes wore off and I was able to hold and cuddle my sweet Beau Beau. Oh how he smelled and looked! We heard our family saying "He's got Jill's lips!" and "He's got Jason's eyes!" but all I knew was that he was adorable, the perfect mix of both Jason and I. Would he have our shared sense of humor? J's height? My facial expressions? Would he grow up to be spontaneous like his Daddy? Would he possess his Mama's love for cooking? I saw our lives flash before my eyes of him all grown up as Jason joked beside me about our little linebacker. "Stay little," I whispered to him and kissed his bitty cheek.

Beau Isaac Corkern
Born August 16, 2010
Weight: 8lbs, 15.2 oz
Height: 21 3/4"
With steel blue eyes, blond hair, his daddy's eyes and his mama's lips.
We love you, Baby Beau. Thank you for changing our lives forever.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Even though Beau was taken from me by c-section, I'm so glad I was able to experience labor. It truly is an amazing thing to go through. I had told J before that I had hoped to have a good story to tell Beau when he was older of his birth day. This Mama is happy she got her story. :)

Our First Days with Beau

2010-08-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

While I want badly to start working on my very own "Baby Story" or birth story, I'll have to start with just a few tidbits as my fingers are still very sore and swollen. Just a few minutes of typing and I'm done.

This is not only for me and my online journal, but a present of sorts for the love of my life and now father of my child. Baber, I don't think I could ever repay you for the amount of love and care you have given to me and our little Beau in this past week. I know how much you love my blog posts and well, its been a while... Here's a little token of Mommy-appreciation.

I love you, BaberDaddy.

Our First Days with Beau

People ask if I cried in delivery when I first saw Beau and I said no... The second I heard his bitty voice I cried. Due to a last minute c-section I heard our little guy annouce his arrival before I saw him and that precious mewing of his set me off.

Babe, seeing your face question mine in the delivery room when the nurse asked if you wanted to hold the baby made me realize how lucky I am to have such a selfless, thoughtful man in my life. You knew I couldn't quite hold him just yet and still you made sure I was okay before you stepped in. It may have seemed a small gesture to you but to me, in that shaky moment, it meant the world.

Later that night, holding Beau with J at my side and watching his eyes move from my face to J's face, recognizing our voices as we murmured to him was the most intense, joyful moment I've ever had in my life. That was when it felt real for me, when it set in. We are parents. I am a Mommy.

People tell us "Beau looks just like his Mommy!" or "Beau looks just like his Daddy!" While I'm pretty sure our little guy is the perfect mix of us both, I secretly melt when I hear he looks like his Daddy. When I'm holding him and he furrows his brows or puckers his lips, I see so much of Jason in him and it kills me every time. I imagine what he will look like when he gets older. I know he'll be just as handsome as his Daddy.

I'm a wreck. I can't see the computer screen.

I cry all the time now but they are nothing but happy tears. The smallest things set me off and I just let them fall. The icing on the cake? Looking up from watery eyes and seeing my husband smiling at me, or hearing him say "You're a mess," before he kisses me on the forehead. Which of course, we all know just makes the tears fall harder.

Did I mention that I'm a wreck? Someone give me a tissue. Shoot, just give me the box.

Something I noticed yesterday and just had to laugh: I love how J and I talk to each other through the baby: "Daddy takes good care of us doesn't he? He does cuz he loves us." ... with Jason sitting right there within earshot, grinning his face off. Funny how a baby brings another way of communication into the mix. :)

Little baby noises. Need I say more?

The way Beau smells right after bathtime. *sigh* There's nothing quite like it.

I catch my husband using Beau's name in the silliest ways. This morning he was singing to our little monkey: Beau Beau Beau Beau Beau Beau Beaaau... in the tune of the Jeopardy melody. I snickered to myself for a minute in the hall before walking into the den and asking if our baby was going to be on the gameshow.

Right now my husband is napping, the first nap he's taken all week. I don't know how he's done it. He changes just as many diapers and gives just as many bottles, along with taking care of all the household chores and taking care of me... I would have crashed long before now if I were him.

Again, I appreciate everything you do for us babe. I hope you liked my "tidbits" of our first days with Beau. I'm so lucky to have you by my side.

xoxo

BaberMama

CELEBRATE WITH JILLRY

2010-08-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Is it really true? That this month marks ONE YEAR that Jillry has been a full time business for me? *squeal* Yes, yes its true...

As most of you know I've been addicted to beads and creating jewelry for close to 15 years now but it wasn't until this time last year that I decided to make it a dream come true, a real live CAREER for myself. You can read about the beginning of my journey here.

I have lots in store to celebrate with you but unfortunately we will have to postpone the festivities until Baby Beau makes his big debut. But fear not! He will be here before you know it and Jillry will be in full swing again.

When will Beau arrive? Well, my due date is August 28th so hopefully any day now. (Eek! Right around the corner!)

When will Jillry reopen? If everything goes as planned, Jillry will reopen in late September. Who knows, I just may be back before. As you've seen I can't even make myself stop with these sore swollen fingers and a concerned hubby pointing his stop-working-now finger at me. I LOVE what I do and I love sharing my days with you, my amazing fans and customers online each day. Staying away is taking not only my job away from me but my friends, fun and social life away as well! (You forget - I have only walls and the Mini Monster to talk to all day...)

Without further adieu, here are some fun things to expect from Jillry at my return in celebration of my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

I love nothing more than seeing the photos you post of yourselves on my walls daily, sporting my newest Jillry creations and treasures. I know, vain, right? So why not make it less about me and more about YOU?

Starting NOW I will be accepting photo entries for this contest. Take a photo of yourself in your favorite piece(s) of Jillry and submit them either by wall post, personal message to www.facebook.com/JillLamonteCorkern or by email: JillryLove@gmail.com.

What for? For FREE JILLRY of course! The winner wins $50 in FREE JILLRY and FREE SHIPPING for the remainder of the year. (Up to six orders starting September through December.)

Your photos will be posted on the blog no later than September 6th so we can begin the judging process. The judges will be YOU and YOUR FRIENDS so winning can be easy and totally up to you! I will have a poll set up for you on my blog and you can send your friends the link to vote. There are other ways to win, of course:

*Suggest Jillry to your friends on Facebook! Make sure they post your name to my wall in order for you to get an extra entry. You get an extra entry for each new fan that posts their name to my wall.

**Email your friends about Jillry and the photo contest. Simply copy me: JillryLove@gmail.com and you win an extra entry.

PHOTO EXAMPLES: Check out my wall photos to see some of the current fan photos posted.

I think I saw some of your ears perk up. Its no secret you guys like FDF - who wouldn't love a chance to snag a variety of handmade beaded and metal earrings at just FIVE DOLLARS EACH?? This will be a pretty big FDF since its in celebration of my one year anniversary. And what great timing - you can stock up early on Christmas gifts! Think stocking stuffers, teacher gifts and affordable gifts for your co-workers.

This Five Dollar Friday is set up tentatively for September 10th so mark your calendars!

My most favorite event EVER to share with you. I usually hold my trunk shows once a month but by the time this show comes around two months will have gone by without one. *sob* So yeah, its gonna be a big one ladies...

What to expect: TONS of brand new pieces. My fingers will be back to normal and beading away so you will see LOTS of one of a kind handmade beaded jewelry: sets, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Fleur de lis jewelry, metal jewelry, Saints & LSU jewelry. Cuffs and bangles. Keychains: fleur de lis, religious, teacher and pink ribbon themed. Lots of affordable pieces perfect for teacher and Christmas gifts.

This show is scheduled for the week of October 4th-8th. Again, mark your calendars!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a recap:

Fan Photo Contest - Going on NOW! Judging begins September 6th and will last two weeks. Date of winner annoucement TBD.

Five Dollar Friday - September 10th (tentative)

Trunk Show - October 4th - 8th

That's all for now. I know its a lot of information to take in but I will be posting reminders on my Facebook Fan Page along the way so you don't miss out on these celebrations!

I will also be posting the dates and locations of the local shows I'll be shortly.

Thanks, as always, for your love & support!

xo Jill

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Spaghetti

2010-08-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, the concoction I made up last night! I must admit I'm still not sure if the name is right... after reading the basic recipe below, please scroll down to see some different variations of this recipe which of course, deserve totally different names. :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large block Velvetta cheese
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I tried the basic off brand and it was great and saved me a buck!)
1 can mexican rotel tomatoes with green chilis
splash of milk

Put all ingredients except the milk into the crockpot and turn on low for 5 hours. After cooking, take the chicken out and shred with a fork and knife. You can probably do this in the pot but I did mine on a plate. Return chicken to pot.

When its time to eat, if you feel the sauce is too thick just add splashes of milk until you get the consistency you want.

This is a really rich dish! I served the sauce over Ronzoni Wheat Noodles to balance out the, err, "bad" - like cheese can ever really be bad? Pfft!

DIFFERENT VARIATIONS

South of the Border Chicken Pasta (thanks Erica!) - Add a can of rinsed black beans, an extra can of rotel & the juice of one lime. Same cook time.

Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta - Add 2 heaping tsps of dried basil & one cup of milk to the thick sauce and stir well. Upon serving, toss a handful of croutons & mozzarella cheese on top of your pasta before adding the sauce. Same cook time.

Crockpot Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy, Potatoes & Onions

2010-08-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a regular at our house and one both my husband and I thoroughly enjoy. I hope you do too!

Ingredients

4-6 boneless chops (you can use bone-in but I prefer without because they end up so tender they fall apart)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use the Healthy Choice for less fat & sodium)
2 packets onion soup mix
4-5 med/large baking potatoes, cubed
1 large yellow onion, cubed
1 carton white mushrooms
1 can of water using cream of mushroom can

Pour soup, soup mix & can of water into the crockpot & stir well. Add chops and turn on low heat. After about 5 hours on low heat, add all the veggies: mushrooms, onions, & potatoes. Let cook on low for another 2 hours.

We eat this exactly as it is and when I'm feeling like a fatty, I LOVE to take a piece of fresh white bread and sop up the remaining gravy. Delicious!

Total cook time: 7 hours on low. (Can cook anywhere from 6-8, I know not everyone is home all day to babysit. As long as veggies get one hour of cook time on high or 2 hours on low you're good to go.)

Feeds 4-6, depending on how hungry the men in your house are. ;)

My husband's to-do list

2010-07-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Due to some minor health set-backs for this prego, the Baberhusband is busier than ever with honey-do's and taking over many of Mama's usual daily do's. I thought I'd help him out with a list, because we all know how much I lurve lists...

THE LIST:

1. Help Mama Whale out of bed. Shove if necessary.
2. Fill Mini Monster's water & puppy food.
3. Kiss the Mama, pack his own lunch box (*gasp*) & off for a long day of work.
4. But not before dropping Jillry packages in the mailbox, which is WAY too far for Mama to walk these days...
5. After work, take over the grocery shopping for the week. (I fear for J with this one, he has SEVERE SCS - Shopping Cart Syndrome.) Besides the occasional stop to Winn Dixie for an item here and there, my husband has not been grocery shopping by himself (or with me even) in almost a year.
6. Come home, unload and put up groceries. (He doesn't know about this one yet...)
7. Bring Mama water, medicine, and anything else she needs.
8. Mow the lawn.
9. Cook Mama dinner - yes, microwavable chicken patties count these days as "cook" - and possibly even serve it to her. (I'm pushing it, aren't I?)
10. Entertain Mama, that is, if Bebe Beau isn't entertaining the both of us already with a game of "What body part is THIS poking out the belly?"
11. Put up dinner leftovers, dishes, take the puppy outside, lock up & lights out.
12. Endure Mama's incessant talking about what's to come before falling asleep and endure yet another night of Snoreface (J's loving pet name for me these days).

Thank you Baber. And, you're welcome. :)

Tuesdays with Jillry

2010-07-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm starting a new, temporary thing with Jillry as a way to still provide new pretties for my awesome customers and get the rest I need in this important growing stage in my pregnancy. Its very simple and not unlike the usual, but I'll do a quick run-down for my new customers and those who love instructions. ;)

* Tuesdays I will do single posts of new jewelry on my Facebook fan page. Meaning, I'll post new pieces one at a time, likely scattered throughout the day with details on price, size, light description, etc. I will give everyone a fair heads up before I start posting so you can snag the items you want. (Facebook keeps changing up the way photos post on fan pages so I'm currently unable to post all of my pretties at once in a folder and get the details up before you see them. Posting in single will help avoid confusion until I can figure something out.)

* How to shop: If you see an item you want, just post MINE or I WANT, etc. below the photo and its yours.

* How to purchase: When you are done shopping OR come Wednesday (whichever comes first) simply post to my facebook wall when you are ready to check out. I accept Paypal (debit/credit) and will need your email address to send an invoice to - I also accept check by mail.

* Shipping: I keep my shipping costs low and ship via USPS from Baton Rouge, LA. I weigh your items but it usually works out to be $2.25 for the first item plus .25 cents per each additional item. I rarely ship packages that cost more than $2.75 to ship, so you'll always have low shipping costs.

* Please allow 2 days for packing and shipping. I close orders in the order I am contacted first, so the earlier you post that you are ready to check out to my wall the faster you will get your new pretties! If you do not contact me, I will contact you - but it will delay the process a bit so please be patient. (Thank you, thank you!)

* Please, PLEASE be considerate of my time and other's wants: if you do not plan to purchase the items you claim, DO NOT COMMENT. I offer shopping on my facebook page because its fun and easy for my customers, but its more work and organizing for me.

Please let me know if you have any questions by commenting on this post, posting on my Facebook wall OR emailing me at JillryLove@gmail.com.

Thanks for your love and support.

Have fun! xo Jill

Reflection

2010-07-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

Its Saturday morning and hot as Hades out already. J had to work today but before he left he was kind enough to drop a batch of orders into the mailbox for me. As I crept into the den this morning I realized I had missed a package and looked at Mini wishing she could take it out to the box for me.

That made me remember a time when I was a little girl walking to the mailbox with my Maw Maw every afternoon when she used to watch us before we were old enough for school. And I thought "One day I'll be doing that with Beau." I wonder if he'll remember little rituals and moments like that with his mommy when he gets older.

Today I am 33 weeks pregnant. We're in the homestretch! If the doctor predicts the baby's weight as being above average again on Monday I have a feeling she's going to want to induce early. I'm hoping that is the case. I'm hot, I'm a whale, I'm exhausted... and I'm ready to get my body back and our little monkey into my arms.

Thinking back to the mailbox memory: these last few months all I've been thinking about is how thankful I am, how grateful I am that I am able to work from home so that I can raise our little monkey. That it will be me feeding him, nurturing him, seeing his first crawl and so many other firsts. That every evening when my husband comes home I'll be waiting at the door with our little creation in my arms to give Daddy hugs and kisses.

I dream of taking care of baby Beau and sneaking naps in when he naps, tending to the household as I usually do and squeezing in my love of jewelry making when time permits. Reading to him and teaching him new things every day and sharing with Daddy when he comes home. Cooking comfort food and having the house smelling of it when my husband arrives home from work. I am baffled that I will have the opportunity to juggle it all and from the comfort of our home. How did this happen? How did I get so lucky? And when did I get so dern traditional? *grin*

I am ever so grateful for a kind, considerate, supportive husband that has my back in every decision I make. That we work so well together as a team. That he didn't flinch when I first told him about wanting to see how far I could take Jillry, that he believed in my dream. And more importantly, that he could see what my dream could do for the betterment of our family if in fact I did succeed.

And I have succeeded. WE have succeeded. The Baber and I, we cherish what our families gave us growing up: steady, stable homes... parents who are still together... parents who have instilled values and morals in us... a childhood of great memories. Knowing that we can give our growing family the same is priceless.

Not that any other family with a mother working out of the home can't do the same. I just know that for me, having this opportunity to do what I love for a living, working from home and being able to keep my child here with me will make me the best mommy I can be. I'm all about simplicity, I thrive on it. When there is too much clutter in my life, whether it be co-worker drama, a traffic-laden commute to work and back, bringing work home (that never really meant anything to me) - I'm so much less the person I want to be, that I know I can be.

Jillry allows me to be virtually stress-free. To use my creativity. And that makes this new mama a happier person.

So... enough of my babble, I just had to get some things off my chest before I burst. I haven't written a pregnancy log lately so here's an update:

Baby moves: What a little monster we have on our hands. If the kicking, punching and squirming is any indication of what Beau Isaac will be when he gets here, Mommy will be in tip-top shape right away. ;)

Cravings: Strawberry Icees. Its too hot to eat! Though, that doesn't mean I'm not.... I can't get enough of salads these days and fruit. So, I guess there is some good in being as big as a house in summer cuz all I want is healthy refreshing goods due to the heat out.

Names: If you haven't heard or figured it out yet, we've chosen Beau Isaac for our little man. You can read up on the story of his name here.

Changes in husband: Other than calling me SnoreFace and recording me snoring on his phone? I think we're both just waiting now. Passing the weeks. Getting the room ready. Saving up $. Resting. Talking about "when he gets here". He still falls asleep with his hand on my bare tummy and he's found that he can still snuggle me - the spoon position paired with a belly pillow does wonders for the comfort of this Mama and I get the best sleep because of it.

He's been my hero this past week. I think I pushed myself a little too much and got the point where I literally couldn't get off the couch without crying. Lesson learned! In the meantime, my husband cooked dinner, finished up the laundry and then afterward he drew me a bubble bath to soak in. I've always known he was a keeper but every day he surprises me with something new.

Changes in me: Where to begin? It seems my belly has drastically grown in just the last two weeks or so. The waddling has definitely begun. I've always carried low so I'm not sure if he's dropped yet, but I'm feeling a bit of strain, though thankfully I still haven't had any lower back pain (yet). I'm finally experiencing the puffy swollen feet and hands, but I make a point of resting every few hours to avoid it. I'm having a difficult time cutting back on Jillry: its my heart and soul, so cutting back is proving to be hard. But I'm doing it. Between my husband and mother fussing at me to "slow down" and "rest!", I sort of have no choice now do I? :)

And one more change I've noticed - the closer I get to the end the less nervous I am. The calmer I've become. The more ready I am to just have this little bambino!

Until next time.... xo

Mexican Chicken Pasta

2010-06-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

In an effort to create another crockpot meal that would get us through a few dinners without being the same old meat & canned soup, I came up with this mexican-inspired bowl of goodness. A dinner packed with the protein of black beans and chicken but still easy on the palate for the kiddos. Also pretty low fat when using light or fat free options as we did. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size cubed pieces
2 cans Campbells condensed cheddar soup
1 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/3 cup milk (I used fat free)
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn
1 can mexican Rotel
1 small can green chilies
2 tbsp chopped jalapenos (I used regular sliced ones from the jar) OPTIONAL
1 packet taco seasoning (partial packet to taste)
1 packet ranch seasoning (partial packet to taste)
1 box wheat pasta

Serves 6-8 (My husband and I have eaten it for three nights in a row with some leftover and my husband has a healthy appetite. This pot may go further for your family.)

Mexican Garlic Bread

1 loaf french bread
butter or vegetable spread
garlic powder
onion powder
cumin

Directions:

Saving the black beans for the last hour of cook time, dump all ingredients into crockpot & stir well. For the seasoning packets: we like spicy dishes and I used only about 1/2 of each packet. You can always taste before serving and add more if you like.

Cook on low for 7 hours. I added the can of black beans about an hour before serving. I also turned the pot on warm for about 30 minutes before serving which made the sauce thicker and perfect for serving over pasta.

For garlic bread:

Using a large bread knife, slice 1 inch thick rounds of french bread. Coat with as much butter as you like and sprinkle generously with garlic powder, onion powder and lightly with cumin. Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 to 8 minutes. We light ours soft without much brown on the edges so you may want to bake for a little longer!

Shot of garlic bread before baking to gage seasoning.

Etsy Baby Shower!

2010-06-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Etsy has an amazing opportunity for new moms and moms-to-be by providing a Virtual Baby Shower. Only a limited amount of mothers are chosen and guess what? I was picked! (Thanks again Courtney for sending me the info, XO.)

Etsy shops that cater to baby and mom volunteer to create personalized gifts to send to these mommies. The shops that were assigned to this mommy-to-be are an outstanding group of talented women. Let me introduce you to each of them and have my chance to Ooo and Ahh over the gifties they have "showered" me with. :)

Crochele Handcrafted
(click link to be directed to her shop & facebook fan page)
Facebook Fan Page

Her shop announcement begins with: Welcome to Crochele, where all products are made with the highest amount of care and attention to the smallest of details.

Michele's beautiful items are exactly that, crafted with quality, talent and care. Her giftie was the first I received and I was thrilled. Here's Michele's gift to me and Beau Isaac, a sweet beanie for his itty bitty head.

Do yourself a favor and head on over to her shop. She has a beautiful selection of baby items that would be the perfect gift for any mommy-to-be.

SteadyJane
(click links to be directed to her shop & facebook fan page)
Facebook Fan Page

This shop has a great sense of fun, humor and whimsy. The second Etsy baby shower gift I received were Tiny Ties for our little guy. When I opened this package a smile spread from ear to ear. Our Beau will certainly be the best dressed baby on the block.

Check out her shop for more Tiny Ties, including precious little bowties. Below, the ties made especially for Beau - a perfect mix of naughty and nice: Puppy dogs and flames!

LittleSideKick
(click link to be directed to her shop)
LittleSideKick Blog

The last gift I received was too perfect for words. I didn't tell Christina that our baby room theme would be monkeys, but wouldn't you know I opened up my third Etsy baby shower gift and saw the most adorable Monkey Hat peeking out at me?

Christina has a precious selection of hats, clothing, toys, burpcloths and more for baby, handcrafted with much quality and creativity. Have a look below at the hat I can't wait to put our little guy in and then head on over to her shop. You won't be disappointed!

All of my gifties were packaged with care and though they were for baby, each package itself was so beautiful and fun to unwrap it felt like Christmas for me. As an Etsy shopper, this is just one of the reasons I love shopping with handcrafted businesses. They not only take extreme care and pride in their work, they also tend to the details.

Shop with any of these talented Etsians and I know you'll feel as spoiled as I do.

I want to extend my thanks and a big squishy prego-hug to each and every one of these amazing artists.

Crochele Handcrafted
SteadyJane
LittleSideKick

Love & suppport to you always,

Mom, Dad & Baby Beau Isaac

Trunk Show - June 8th - 10th

2010-06-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

My 3rd Facebook Trunk Show is starting tomorrow and I thought I'd leave you with some information before the madness commences...

A portion of the proceeds for this Trunk Show will go to GulfAid. GulfAid raises money to help families that have been affected by the BP Oil Spill. As most of you know, I'm a Louisiana girl and this tragedy has struck close to home. I may not be a huge organization but it is important to me to do what I can for those in need and I'm proud that I have customers like you to help me in my efforts.

For those of you that are new to shopping Jillry, here's a run-down of what to expect:

~ Loads of new jewelry will be posted throughout the day this Tuesday through Thursday. If you see a piece of jewelry that you would like to purchase, simply leave a comment under the photo to claim it as yours. "Mine", "I want this", "for me please" - anything of the sort will do.

~ At the end of the day on Thursday, the trunk show will officially end. If you are ready to check out, simply post a comment to the Jillry Fan Page wall. You may also leave a comment before Thursday evening if you are ready to check out early and would like to beat the rush.

~ Payment: I accept Paypal. Once you a ready to check out, I'll need your email address to send you an invoice. If you do not have a Paypal account you can still pay your invoice with a debit or credit card. This is a safe and secure process. If you would rather send check by mail, we can also arrange to check out that way.

~ Shipping: I usually ship the day after payment is received. However, the longer you wait to check out the further along in the line you'll be and it may take up to two days before your order is shipped. Purchases are shipped in the order in which they are paid for.

QUESTIONS? Simply post your questions to my wall or shoot me an email at JillryLove@gmail.com.

!!!!!CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SURPRISE!!!!

All customers shopping in this trunk show will be automatically entered into a JILLRY GIVEAWAY DRAWING. The giveaway? Two lucky customers will receive $20 gift certificates to Jillry. These GCs can be used in my shop online or on Facebook for their next purchase. (Cannot be used on current trunk show purchase.)

To earn more entries in the giveaway:

1. Share the Jillry Trunk Info with your friends on Facebook! You can hit "share" underneath any of my wall posts regarding the Trunk Show or "share" the Trunk Show photo folder once its up. Please be sure to post a note to my wall telling me you've done so. You can also share the link to this blog post.

2. For every $25 spent in this Trunk Show you receive an additional entry.

Thanks for your continued support of Jillry! See you all tomorrow. :)

Monkeyin' Around

2010-06-07T04:23:00.000-07:00

Since we finished the baby's room on Saturday, Jason and I have peeked in to look at it exactly 746 times. Its hard to believe we've already painted and arranged his room. Its also hard to believe how much we love it. All we have left to do is create some wall decor for the final touches.

Cornflower blue and monkeys. We think its the perfect shade of blue; soothing and a great color for him to transistion into when he grows out of his baby furniture.

Here are the before and after shots.

Before:

After:
(Click on photo to get a bigger shot)

What a fun, fulfilling weekend. J and I registered on Friday during the downpour, while everyone was at work. Afterward, we went to Sammy's for an appetizer lunch: fried alligator, spinach and artichoke dip, jalapeno cheese fries and buffalo wings.

It was a pregnant girl's dream lunch. We picked up the bedding Mom and Dad got for us, so before heading home we stopped in the local hardware store for paint. So glad we did. With it storming all weekend, we stayed inside and got things done. Including a nap or two. :)

Every little step in this pregnancy has me more and more excited to meet our little guy. Next week we will go in for the 4D sonogram and get to see his little face. Until then...

A name for our little monkey

2010-05-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

For us, picking out a name for our child gave us a bit of anxiety. The permanence of it. That along with making sure he or she didn't end up with initials that would ensure childhood jokes. And last but not least, choosing a name that wouldn't blend into the crowd or end up on the Top 10 Baby Names list the following year.

We wanted something strong and unique. Something we wouldn't grow tired of. A name that fit us as parents as well as our baby.

After weeks of tossing around names we decided to sweep the issue under the rug until the sonogram. Once we found out the sex of our child we'd be able to eliminate half the names.

A couple of weeks or so after we found out we were having a son I got a text from the Baberhusband with an idea. A name. One that finally stirred something inside me. Just the night before we retired a name we were sort of holding onto, a name that we liked but had reservations about. When we found out yet another person named their son that same name we both agreed to lay it to rest. So, reading this text from J excited me:

"What about Bo?" I stared at the text. Bo. And then it clicked. I immediately called him.

"Like from the childhood story you've told me?" Yes, he tells me. I get a little teary-eyed, but being the commitment-phob I am, I tell him maybe, that we would have to talk more about it and likely spell it a different way. Beau was much more pleasing to the eye, I thought. He agreed.

My husband was a very mischievious little boy to say the least. I love when he starts in on one of his stories from his childhood... how he and his cousin did such-and-such and got in trouble for it, how he accidentally locked and shut the door of his mom's truck while his infant brother and the keys were still in it because he wanted to "Help Mommy". So many hilarious stories of he and his grandfather.

When J told me how as a young child he was unable to pronounce "boy" and said "bo" instead, it melted my heart. Patting his lap for Jason to sit on, his grandfather would say "You my little boy?"

"I not a little bo, Paw Paw," he would say. "I'm a big bo."

I spent some time saying the name in my head. I loved the sound of it. Most of all I loved how it just felt right. It was like the saying When you know, you just know.

And so from a sweet little memory of my husband's childhood comes our son's name. Beau Isaac. Isaac is Jason's middle name, a family name. One that we both love because of its strength and uniqueness and have always agreed to carry on.

Beau is also a very strong name... it means handsome. How much better can you get than that? ;) More than anything I love that my husband picked it out. It makes me feel proud to be his wife.

Today I'm 26 weeks, 4 days pregnant. And that much closer to meeting our little Beau Isaac.

Losing Stuff

2010-05-21T04:29:00.000-07:00

Stumbling and waddling down the hall this morning after Baber to kiss him bye, something comes to me:

I'm losing EVERYTHING.

My memory is gone. As in checked out and hasn't returned. I'm a bit paranoid about making mistakes with Jillry so I'm writing things down everywhere and listing everything.

I recently lost my toes. Oh where, oh where have my little toes gone, oh where, oh where can they beeee....

My waist. Pretty much gone.

My balance. Love for cooking. Care for cleaning.

In my college days I had this theory that the world had just so much of certain things and us earth-dwellers shared those things. The amount of weight in the world was constant: If I stepped on the scales and saw I gained a few pounds, sure enough my friend had lost a few. She'd laugh and say I gained the weight she lost.

Or love. By my senior year I decided that I had had enough love in my life, that maybe I was supposed to be single. That I had experienced my fair share of love and there was just so much that existed. My turn was over.

When I graduated and had a job waiting for me I decided that it was what I got in return for love lost. So you may lose in one department but gain in another area of life.

Hey, I was young. *shrug* But wait, I think I want to use that theory just one more time, if I can.

I may have lost my girlish figure, my ability to remember whether I washed my hair yesterday or not, the pep in my step, but I'm gaining something in return. Something so much larger than all those things that I imagine I'll never miss them again when he arrives.

Yesterday I was driving across town and as the baby kicked I swore that in my peripheral vision I saw my stomach move. I placed my hand on my tummy and the feel of him kicking from both inside and out was just ... crazy. This is what Jason is feeling, I thought. It could have been my mess of emotions or even the song playing in the background that heightened the moment for me, but I just started crying. Silly pregnant girl driving down the road, just a bawling.

So yeah. I may have lost all control of my emotions, but in return of all the things I've lost there's so much more to gain. Our son. :)

Fourteen more weeks to go Baby Beau. We can't wait to see who's responsible for Mama's "lost stuff".

Moments to Remember

2010-05-18T04:53:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day was one to remember this year. Though with both J and I working long hours, we struggled to find the best presents for our mommies. After fretting for the longest week ever about it, the weekend comes and goes in a flash.

But one moment on Mother's Day Eve felt like a moment paused in time. One I hope and wish that I will remember always.

Some people told me before Mother's Day that I'm not quite a mother yet. Others told me I most definitely am, I'm with child after all. I shrugged it off, it wasn't something I thought much about. After all, I wasn't running around toting children to school events, disciplining and bathing and picking up toys. I certainly don't feel like a mother yet.

But on Saturday night I was celebrated as Mommy-to-be. After my nightly ritual, I crawled into bed with my sweet husband and was surprised by a pretty bag he had waiting for me.

What's this? I ask. I am genuinely surprised. My husband just smiles at me with the biggest grin he owns. Its then that I realize I may not quite be a mother yet, but to him I am essentially the mother of his children. I open the bag with serious love in my heart and tears in my eyes.

Baber had carefully chosen two frames for me: one for the refrigerator with a magnet on it that said I Love My Mommy and another standing frame with So Little, So Loved on it, both containing photos from the sonogram of our little monkey in them. The standing frame resides on my bedside table, specifically the place J meant for it to be. Now I wake up to little kicks every morning and the photo of our baby.

Wait, I've gotten ahead of myself. As if the frames on their own weren't enough for this first-time mother, my creative husband had also carefully selected two cards for me to read. One was a sweet card from husband, wishing his wife a Happy Mother's Day. The second was a card... from baby.

On the outside of the card there was a simple photo of a dog peeking out of a wooden bucket. Somewhat similiar to Mini's appearance. Inside was a letter from our son. He's still in the womb and look how brilliant he is already! So much of this moment I'd like to keep for ourselves, so I'll paraphrase a little:

"Daddy always tells me how pretty you are and I always hear him telling you how much he loves you."

"It hasn't been very long, but I want you to know I love you so much already."

Oh, and let's not forget the last line that had me laughing through my mess of emotions:

"P.S. - Is that what Mini looks like?"

Just typing these lines from the card has me tearing up again. When Jason does something for me, he does it so right, with so much thought and love that it just shakes me. It reminds me of how lucky I am that we found each other and get to spend our lives together.

Moments like these comfort me and console me when I'm feeling down in my pregnancy... it helps me remember that I am not alone in this. That just because I'm the one carrying our child doesn't mean that my husband is just an innocent bystander. He's living this too. He's very much feeling this too. And like me, he can't wait to meet our little Beau.

Just a couple of snapshots taken on the evening of Mother's Day:

Hubby pulled up three chairs for us to relax in after a long, but yet somehow quick, Mother's Day. One for each of our behinds and one to prop my feet upon. Oh and of course, for Mini to nap on.

With a glass of tea for me and a beer for Baber, we sat and talked about the weekend that had just passed. About our baby's name. What he will look like. The things we can't wait to experience with him.

Thanks Baber, for making me feel special on Mother's Day. And hey, while I'm at it: thanks for taking care of me and for putting up with my nutty cuckoo moments, my fading memory, my new clumsiness. For responding with a smirk and a laugh when I'm being difficult.

I love you.

Baby Catch Up: Baby's Room & More

2010-05-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

There's so much to blog about these days and I just can't seem to organize it all. Let's start with this:

Today is Friday, May 14th. Tomorrow I'll be 25 weeks pregnant. A recent pic of my protruding belly:

I know, my hair looks so cute that short, right? J and I had an early day off a few weeks ago so we ran off to the river for some lazying around. But, not before some photos. While my tank showed off my belly, it also showed off my ghostly, sun-untouched skin. So my husband gladly stood in for the photo. :)

Mini really enjoys when we get to sneak off to the river for a little family time. J lays a blanket on the sand for us to sprawl on, so we're down on her puppy level. Once we're on the blanket, she runs circles around and through us on the blanket, kicking sand up all over us. She thinks she's so funny.

In the past few weeks we've gotten our dream glider and ottoman for baby's room, fallen in love with a name for our son and picked out a crib bedding set. So much is happening so fast and I'm trying to log as much as possible.

A few photos of the new glider & ottoman, compliments of Baber's parents:

Mini jumped up on the new glider with me so I could test it out. She's our first baby - I wonder how she'll react when our bebe boy arrives? Its obvious that she knows I'm with child, she rarely lets me hold her these days and when I do get ahold of her, she wiggles her body around so she's not laying on the baby bump.

And our precious new crib bedding, compliments of my parents:

I have so much running through my head on paint and accessories for the little guy's room and have sketched it in my head a few dozen times.

As for the baby's name, I'll save that for another post. It deserves it's own, don't you think?

Chicken Fettucini

2010-04-30T04:05:00.000-07:00

I promised some of you my Chicken Fettucini recipe on Facebook, so here goes... (Wish I had taken a photo to share, but my hungry belly took over!)

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small pkg fettucini noodles
1 carton half and half (I use the smaller one, 8 oz?)
1/4 cup butter (or margarine or vegetable spread)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 splash milk
1 carton white sliced mushrooms, stems removed (I use the single carton found in produce)
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers & onions (I use a frozen mix so I don't waste any fresh produce)
salt & pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
cajun seasoning

**Please note, this is a serving perfect for two hungry adults with a little leftover, so double if you have some kiddos to feed!

Directions:

Cook chicken breasts in skillet (or however you like) and slice into thin strips. I'm a cooking multi-tasker, so if you can handle the heat have your bell peppers & onions with 1 tbsp butter cooking in a separate pot while the chicken is cooking or while you're slicing. Once veg mixture starts to get soft, throw in your mushrooms. Do not season until mushrooms begin browning. I usually just add a little S&P at the browning point. You'll add more seasonings later.

Now that your veggies are ready, add the carton of half and half and turn to medium heat. Once your half and half starts to bubble a little, add butter and stir well. Don't let the mixture stay on medium heat - the half and half may burn. Turn heat to medium low, around 1 or 2 on your range. Stick close to the stove at this point until dinner is done. At this point, you can take a minute to fill a large pot with water and get the noodles boiling.

Note: When noodles are done, I strain them over the sink in my strainer bowl, then add a little olive oil & toss. This keeps the noodles from sticking together and you'll be able to step away from them without worry.

Stir every minute or so, the half and half should start to thicken a little. After about ten minutes, take your tbsp of flour and slowly add to the sauce, stirring constantly. When all the flour is in and mixed well, you can decide then if you like the consistency of your cream sauce. If its too thick for your taste, add that splash of milk and stir.

Add the seasonings listed above to taste. I'm a big seasoner and use probably around a half a tbsp of each seasoning or so, then taste and usually add more of what I think it needs at the end. Its all about what your family likes - I'd hate to recommend too much and have your family guzzling water, swearing off this recipe!

Serve: I keep my cream sauce, chicken and noodles separate, then we add to our bowl in layers - noodles, chicken, then cream. I find this works best if you have leftovers to reheat and you can choose the amount of chicken you want in your bowl. My husband piles it on, I like a little less so I can taste the veggies more.

Enjoy! And please, feel free to ask questions. Unlike my crock pot recipes, this is a little more work and if you aren't a regular cream saucer, questions about technique are normal!

It's a boy!

2010-04-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

By now, you've probably all heard that we're having a baby boy, so this post is for me, for Baber, for baby, so that I can continue to log and remember the little things about this crazy-amazing thing called pregnancy.

Baber started counting down the days prior to "The Appointment". One week! 4 more days! 2 more days! I found the closer we got to the sonogram appointment, the harder I dug my heels into Time. Stoooppp! Let's wait a little longer. I was actually jittery-nervous the day of the appointment.

The actual sonogram was a wonderful experience in itself. We walked into the room and the sweet technician introduced herself and dimmed the lights... and I swear I felt like I was in a movie, it was so... surreal? This is it, I thought. We're already here and the rest is going to fly by.

J joked about them needing a bigger flatscreen to view baby on and grabbed hold of my hand. After showing us our baby's profile and feet, she confirmed again that we wanted to know the sex.

Well there he is and he's not shy at all! says the technician. I could only see J's profile but he had the biggest grin on his face. A boy!! And then there were tissues and jokes about our son's package, sonogram photos printed and well wishes given. I hope I never forget that day.

Here's are some photos of us the day of the big appointment, 21 weeks along:

And my usual pregnancy log....

Today I am 22 weeks, 5 days pregnant. Funny enough, I started feeling the baby move right after the sonogram. For weeks J and I were laying in bed with his hand on my tummy, trying to concentrate and feel the baby. Nothing. But last week I started feeling him move around and J would rush over to place his hand on my tummy. "There! You feel it?" and disappointment would register on his face as he shook his head. Well, he finally felt him kick one night and now we lay in bed and feel the little bugger cut up before nigh nigh. Its such an incredible feeling.

Cravings: I expected to have some crazy cravings, but I still really don't crave anything specific. Just whatever I see on TV, ha! I'm wanting to crunch ice like I did early in my pregnancy, so snowcones are a favorite treat, but we've only stopped for a couple since the summer officially started. Basically, I just want food in general. :)

Names: The more we talk, the more we want to keep the name private until closer to time. We do have a couple that we are talking about, but nothing fully decided on yet.

Size of the baby: A little over a pound and 10 inches or so in length.

Changes in me: I feel really, really good these days. Besides a little lower back pain after a long day of work, I'm fine. Balance is lost as is my memory. I weeble wobble down the halls in the morning, I think I need to bumper pad the walls. I'm always in a great mood. My skin looks healthier... and so do my thighs. *snicker*

Changes in husband: What can I say? He's... everything I could ask for and more. Supportive. Helpful. My best friend. Tells me I'm pretty every single day, laughs when I gawk at my belly in the mirror, brings me to get snowcones even when he doesn't want one. Consoles me when I fuss about my fluffiness. Tucks me into my pillow fort at night. Rubs my belly before bed, a great comfort that lulls me into sleep.

He and I both have been working insane hours, so considering the stress and lack of time spent together, its a wonder we haven't bitten each other's heads off. Instead, we get into bed as early as we can and talk. About work. Life. Our son. On the rare day he gets off early, we sneak off to the river with our puppy monster and a towel to sprawl on for some lazy family time. Mini loves these rare occasions best, she squeezes in between us and begs for pets. Runs circles around us and through us, trying to see how sandy she can get us. She knows something is up.

That's it for today. Until next time... xo

Hungarian Chicken

2010-04-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one we've made for years in my family. I'm not even sure where it came from really. Usually I slow cook this in a skillet, but needed an extra hand from my crockpot due to my crazy schedule right now. It turned out great and I even had less clean up!

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs
1 medium bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
2 heaping tbsps paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
About 2 cups water, adding more later

Place all ingredients in crock pot - add water halfway up the chicken thighs. Cook on low for about 7 hours. Check occasionally, adding water as needed. The "sauce" should get thicker as it cooks.

Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Pregnancy Thoughts and Observations: Part 1

2010-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I posted a facebook status update that says: "I can physically feel my belly stretching. If one more person tells me they just loooovvedd being pregnant, I'm going to smack 'em!"

Baber gets my notification, reads it and starts laughing. Just moments earlier he asked me if he could get me something while I was huffing and puffing, to which I replied: my allergy medicine, eye drops, some lotion... After I took care of my new, obnoxious allergy issues, I sat back down and was convinced my belly was going to pop. Hurled myself up and literally spread my entire body across the length of the sectional to get some relief, which made J laugh again.

I am forever uncomfortable and I'm only halfway through this. *sigh*

Baber came over and said that someone suggested getting me a maternity massage. I scrunched up my nose. He told me Yeah, I knew you wouldn't like one of those. (I love that he knows me so well.) I told him that he was the only one who could touch the belly right now and get away with it. I then had violent images of karate chopping people in the neck as they reached towards my ever-growing belly. And then J gave me his own belly massage, basically him just rubbing the budda belly, which I actually enjoyed.

I told him that while I loved watching my belly grow and imagining the miracle taking place inside it, I missed my body. I miss being able to just throw myself around and be silly with him like I used to. Being active. Before, I had this thing I did before getting into bed. He would be ready before me and already be in the bed. Towel drying my face, I'd peek in at him in the bed, hang up the towel and literally run and throw myself at him in the bed. As in, leap and hurl my body through the air into the bed beside him, slamming into him. Not very feminine, but it always sent us into giggles.

Middle of my belly rub I tell him how I miss that. He laughed and said he didn't realize how physical we were with each other until now, now that we can't be.

These are just thoughts, just observations... I know I won't be pregnant my whole life. Still, its funny the things you think of while pregnant.

And the dreams! If I could hold onto something from pregnancy, that would be one thing I'd vote to keep. They're so incredibly vivid. Not always good, but I remember so much when I wake up.

One more thing... I believe I'm feeling the baby move around now. Little bumps, flutters and such. The Baberhusband and I now have a ritual every night: He tucks a gazillion pillows around me and I settle in, then he cups his hand over my protruding belly. It's so incredibly soothing for me, his hand so warm - I swear it helps me sleep better. And we just lay there like that for a while. We concentrate and I tell him when I feel the baby move. He laughs at me when my face lights up and tells me he wishes he could feel it. Soon, I tell him, you'll be able to feel and SEE it move.

When I'm watching him while we're like that, I almost believe that he would have willingly carried the baby himself if he could and I just have this feeling, this amazing feeling that he's going to be an incredible daddy.

That's all for now.... just a few random thoughts circulating that I needed to let loose. I'm hoping to have some updated bump photos soon and a pregnancy update after we find out the sex of the baby, which is this Monday!

NOTE: I will no longer be sharing my updated post links on Facebook. Unfortunately a handful of sourpusses like to take things I say and run with them, giving me their unwelcome negative advice and thoughts on my pregnancy. I figure, I'm allowing them to purge their thoughts because I'm technically sharing mine with them. While a lot of my friends have been amazingly encouraging and supportive in this first pregnancy of mine, others feel the need to remind me that "its a blessing to have children" when I make an offhand comment about a rare bad day. We're all human, learning along the way. These posts are for me to remember this pregnancy by, to update and share with those that love and care about me and my family. So, if you want to receive my updates I'd be more than happy to send you the links, just let me know.

Jillry Trunk Show April 13th-15th

2010-04-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Jillry fans! As you all know by now, I'm holding my second online trunk show this week. For those of you who have never participated and would like to, here's how it works:

Tuesday through Thursday I will be posting photos of new pieces and marked down oldies from my collection in a folder called Trunk Show on my Facebook Fan Page. Keep an eye out for status postings with the link to my folder (you will also see photos). Simply click on the images and scroll through - if you see pieces you must have, just comment!

Mine!
I want this!
Add this to my shopping cart!

Any of these exclaimations will do, really. ;) The first person to comment on an item receives it, so its pretty much first come, first serve. Keep an eye out for new items posted to the folder all day!

How to pay for and receive items: I accept Paypal or check by mail. I will contact you at the end of the day on Thursday or sometime Friday to check you out. Or, if you are ready to close out before then, simply say so on my page, message my personal account "Jill Lamonte Corkern" or email me at JillryLove@gmail.com.

Once payment is received, I will immediately pack up your new pretties for the mail.

Please note: PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN 72 HOURS. If you do not plan to pay for the items, please do not comment on them. If you do not pay within 72 hours, your order will be cancelled and the items will go to the next person who commented to claim them.

Questions? Just ask! This is a really casual online shopping gig, so just have fun with it!

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support. I love my job and still wake up pinching myself. Thanks to you, I'm able to do what I love, and I so enjoy bringing you all new pretties!

((Big squishy prego hugs)) xo Jill

April Fools Day

2010-04-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't sleep a wink last night, so I had a lot of time to think. This time of year always brings back fond memories... April Fool's Day reminds me of my Maw Maw, and then of course Mother's Day reminds me of Mom. I'll save Mom memories for a post closer to Mother's Day.

My Maw Maw and Paw Paw were soulmates, to say the least. Paw Paw spoiled the hell outta her and she took care of him every day of their life together. I remember her saying that she laid his clothes out to wear on the bed every morning for him, now that's love! They both had a great love for pranking each other and their loved ones, especially on April Fools Day.

When my Paw Paw died 11 years ago, my grandmother was shook up to say the least. I suggested moving in with her, told her someone needed to take care of her for a change. (My Maw Maw cared for my Paw Paw through his years of diabetes, up to the last moment of his life.) Well, it still ended up the other way around, she's a natural care-giver at heart.

The short year I lived there with her, we made a lot of hilarious memories. At night, she would sit in her lounge chair, me on one end of the couch. As soon as she'd turn off the tv, signaling bed time, it was ON. We'd have a race to see who could get ready for bed the fastest. Wash face, teeth, brush hair, change into pjs, jump into bed and turn the light off. The light was the "finish line". "I BEEEEAT CHUUUU!!" She would squeal at me from the other room, or me to her. I let her win a lot, just so I could hear that.

I can't remember what we did to one another for April Fools, but I remember that day triggered our pranking. Sometimes I would feign tummy aches just before bed to leave the den before her and hide behind her bedroom door while she turned the tv off and made her way in the back. As she passed through her doorway I would scare her; sometimes it would be a low growl, sometimes I would laugh real high-pitched in a ridiculous baby voice, sometimes I would just say Boo!

I know, its a HORRIBLE thing to do to a then mid 70's-year-old woman, but it always ended up in this huge giggle fest. As soon as she would shriek, I would fall out from behind the door to the floor in one of those laughing fits you nearly cried from, her laughing and cursing me, threatening me the whole time. Oh, believe me, she got me back. Don't you feel sorry for her! :)

So yeah, every year around this time I think of her. I've run out of pranks for her, but on the rare occasion I have a good one to call her about on April Fools, I'm sure to get an earful about past pranks her and Paw Paw played on each other.

April Fools will always remind me of those memories. I think I need to call and tell her so this morning.

Hope everyone has a great day! Anyone have any great prank stories from April Fools? Please share if so!

Mother's Day Giveaway!

2010-03-31T09:33:00.001-07:00

Hi friends and fans,

Its about time for a giveaway, don't you think? This one is in celebration for Mother's Day though I'll be choosing a winner on April 7th. That's one full week to enter and win!

There are several ways to enter to win! Three winners will be chosen at random. You can enter as many times as you want by doing any or all of the items below.

1. What is your favorite memory of your mother?

You can answer this question in the comment section at the end of this post or at the posts I leave on Facebook.

2. Suggest Jillry to your friends on Facebook and have them post your name to my wall. You will get an extra entry for each friend that posts your name. How? Go to my fan page and click on Suggest To Friends under the profile pic on the left top of the page.

3. Follow my blog. This is super easy. Simply click to the right where it says Follow My Blog. I will see your name/face under this section and you will get an extra entry!

I will choose three winners. Yes, THREE!

One person will win their choice of a pair of earrings from my shop.

One person will win a $10 gift certificate to my shop.

One person will win 20% off their next order from my shop.

Questions? Just ask! You can reach me at JillryLove@gmail.com or can message me on my personal Facebook account.

Good luck!

Orange Julius Recipe

2010-03-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

This concoction is so easy, with so few ingredients it feels weird calling it a "recipe". Made of oranges, water, ice and sweetner, this refreshing drink is a hit in my book for the hotter months.

You will need a juicer - I have just a regular old fashioned cheapie from Walmart that works great - plus a measuring cup. I love to pick a pretty pitcher to put it in when serving company.

Ingredients

medium to large oranges (think 1 orange per person)

water

ice

sweetner (2 for each orange used)

Slice oranges in half and juice. Pour into measuring glass. If you like pulp, scoop a little in the measuring glass too. Note the amount of liquid juiced and add a 1/3 water to the orange juice. For example, if you juice 3 cups, then add one cup of water. For a more concentrated juice, use less water.

I like my orange julius's pretty sweet, so for each orange I add two sweet n low packets.

If you plan to serve immediately to guests, pour juice, water, and sweetner into a blender, filling it halfway with ice. Blend well, leaving chunky bits of ice.

Or you can just pour into a pitcher for the fridge and serve over ice when you're craving a sweet and refreshing treat!

Enjoy!

Bump Bump Bump

2010-03-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Good morning. Its 7am Tuesday morning. Even though I'm relapsing on this cold, again, I had a great night's sleep. Pregnancy has completely changed me and its all about learning what works for you to get through it as comfortably as possible. For me, a good night's sleep means exhausting yourself during the day...

Today I am 18 weeks, 3 days pregnant. I promised you baby bump pics, so here you go:

Still kind of hard to see, but its THERE. I am completely past the days of sleeping on my tummy now. And I still haven't mastered the side-sleeping position. My pre-pregnancy pants no longer have a chance.

Cravings: Still love my oranges, but since it became a little warmer out I'm using them for Orange Julius drinks. So refreshing! I'll share the recipe in a following post.

Also can't get enough Raisin Bran Crunch with sliced strawberries and/or bananas. Thankfully I'm craving healthy stuff and spend way too much time in the produce section of the grocery store these days!

Names: Definitely want to use Jason's middle name Isaac if its a bebe boy. Not sure if we'll use it as a middle or last name. We've tossed a few names around but for some reason I'm feeling very protective of the names we've picked. The last thing I want to see is someone scrunch up their nose at a name we love. I may share later on.

Finding out the sex: 3 more weeks.

Size of the baby: 5 1/2 inches long, the length of a bell pepper. (Is a bebe-pepper?)

Changes in me: The belly is protruding a little more these days. I went to the zoo this weekend with Jen, Toot and Baber and wore a fitted non-maternity top (that used to be loose on me, WAH!) and Jen said I finally look pregnant, so we took a pic of my belly.

A very surprising change: I'm suddenly a milk drinker. As a baby I was lactose intolerant and never really got over my dislike for milk. Now, I find myself fixing a bowl of cereal just to down the sweet milk leftover.

Changes in husband: He's putting his hand/ear/face on my belly every chance he gets. And still very protective, which I'm loving every minute of. :)

My next appointment: April 19th. Ultrasound!

Camping at Lake Lincoln

2010-03-25T16:39:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm a bit behind on blogging. Hopefully I can get a pregger update on here next. But first, our relaxing camping weekend getaway at Lake Lincoln, MS...

Our campsite. Unpacking took literally minutes, though done mostly by the Baberhusband. (I love having the I-can't-carry-anything-heavy excuse!)

Beware of alligators? ALLIGATORS? Seriously???

Mini enjoyed riding in the truck, windows down, exploring the entire campsite. Next time we'll camp near the lake. By the alligators. *stare*

I got a kick out of this church: GODDIDIT. Did what? I mean, we know he's responsible for... a lot... but I'm wondering if they were speaking of something very specific?

Our weekend went a little something like this:

Unpack.
Build fire.
Eat.
Stoke fire.
Read magazines.
Nap.
Explore the grounds.
Take a walk.
Eat.
Nap.
Sleep.
Watch The Office before bedtime in the camper.

We also wrote in the Belly Book! That was one of our favorite parts.

J has already booked another weekend getaway for us in May. Hopefully it won't be too hot by then. All in all it was a very much needed, relaxing weekend. And hubby made me feel like a princess with a steak dinner Saturday night and pretty much not allowing me to lift a hand all weekend.

Feels good to be spoiled. :)

Crockpot Recipe: Stew Meat & Gravy

2010-03-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

By request, I'm posting a recipe I whipped up today. (Hi Amanda!) The Baberhusband noted that we haven't had stew meat and gravy lately. Well, this chic wasn't about to stand over a hot stove... hello Crockpot. You're back in action!

(Apologies for lack of photos. I'll shoot some next go-round, which will be soon. I'm putting this recipe in my frequent meal file. hehe.)

Ingredients

1 lb stew meat (I got the meat pre-chopped)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
3/4 soup can of water

Double for larger families, this was just for J and I. We still ended up with leftovers for another night.

To serve over rice with a side of peas.

Directions

Dump all four ingredients in crockpot. Stir well. No extra seasonings necessary. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. The meat ends up so tender!

Other options: If I had it on hand, a quartered onion placed in the pot two hours before serving would have been delicious! I usually put one in the pot when I make roast.

Easy fix peas: Dump one can of peas (with liquid) into microwaveable safe bowl. Add 1 tbsp butter and sprinkling of salt. Microwave for 1 minute, stir and serve.

I love this best when mixing the stew meat, gravy, rice and peas all together.

Enjoy!

Back to US.

2010-03-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

Good morning. *yawn* Just had two mini sausage biscuits for breakfast, the ones Mom used to make for us as kids before school. Remember those? They are just as yummy as I remembered them to be. Pregnancy has lessened my love for cooking lately, so I've found myself searching for quick fixes such as this to make my day easier. I hope the love comes back. Grocery shopping isn't nearly as fun either...

Today is Tuesday. Its wet and yucky outside. I'm 15 weeks, 3 days along.

Over the last few nights I've slept with a spare pillow tucked under me as I lay on my side. The days of sleeping straight on my belly are pretty much over and I am sad. I'm very much a stomach sleeper. I wake very often to flip because an arm has fallen asleep. I need to take a class on how to sleep on your side.

Last night I had Official Breakdown #2. (If you missed the first one, it was really silly and really not worth repeating... I let a few inconsiderate people aggravate me and became really agitated... annnd had a bit of an adult temper tantrum. Went to my room to puff, J came after me, snuggled me and gave me "that look" until I started laughing. That man is something else.)

J and I have been in a rut lately. Before I had mentioned that I felt as if we were just *waiting* for baby to arrive. Quietly doing our own things on opposite ends of the couch, occasionally talking here and there. Lately I've been bothered by our routine...

Wake up, work, come home. TV, computer, iPhone games, books. Dinner, then more of the same before bed.

Let's be honest, I'm much more emotional now. So on the nights when my books don't satisfy me and there's nothing on the television, my mind starts to wonder.

Is he bored with me?
Things are changing so fast...
My belly is jelly. I eat more often. Is that gross to him?
I don't want to cook like before, am I neglecting him?

And so last night I break down a little. I'm struggling with finishing my taxes and it weakens my spirit. So I close the computer and lay across the sectional with him. He's staring at me and rubbing my belly and pushing my messy hair behind my ears. And I can't help it so I let it all out, tell him everything about my recent insecurities. He smiles, nods, listens.

I also tell him I'm scared. I was never the woman who wanted children ever since she could remember. And I don't remember truly having baby fever. The idea of carrying a child has always freaked me out a little. The idea of not being in control, of changing so much.

He says I'm pregnant, I'm supposed to be eating more. He tells me I hardly look any different than before besides the protruding bump beneath my belly button.

He says You don't like change. Things are going to change babe, but we're facing good changes.

He comforts me, let's me cry and I feel better. He tells me I'm beautiful and thanks me for carrying his child. I thank him for letting me purge.

I realize how lucky I am to have him. I know that life is all about change. Still, the unknown shakes me. But I know he's beside me the whole way and that comforts me.

I tell him I want to get back to us. And then I go make myself something else to eat... :)

Before I go, a few things to log for baby:

Cravings: oranges, oranges, oranges. I was all about pickles there for a minute, though that may have had something to do with the heartburn I had every night. Drinking straight from the pickle jar most nights to cool the burn.

Heartburn: Pretty much gone. I'm eating small meals throughout the day to lessen bloating and potential heartburn. I laugh and say I'm high maintenance now. I feel like Pam on The Office with my first breakfast and second breakfast, dinner and second dinner. Turkey and cheese on a piece of wheat, an orange, a small helping of dinner, etc. I've noticed this way of eating helps tremendously. Learning along the way...

Names: We're still not taking this part seriously. When someone asks what we're going to name the baby, Baber says "Drew Brees Brett Favre". My brother and dad got a good kick outta that one. We're just waiting until we find out the sex, that should make it a little easier.

Finding out the sex: 5 more weeks.

Size of the baby: 4 inches long, the size of an apple. (A baberapple?) Think the size of your fist. When I learned this I placed my hand down to my belly and looked at J. We both just stared at each other in wonder. Its not a little bean anymore!

Changes in me: My belly is still jelly, but its hardening now. When J comes in to hug and kiss me bye before work, I can feel the hard dome of my belly when he lays on me now. He's learning to arch or lay to the side of me. He does it without me telling him. Its cute.

Changes in husband: I see more of his protective side these days, to me and to the baby. I've been sick for the past two days so I've been taking the recommended dose of medicine to get me through the day. He presses me to hold off a little. I tell him its doctor approved, not to worry. Baby is okay.

My next appointment: Next week on Tuesday, March 16th.

I'll wrap up now... Off to put stew meat and gravy in the crockpot for dinner tonight; it was a request from the Baberhusband. Then off for errands and to prep for upcoming home jewelry parties and craft shows.

Its going to be a crazy weekend. I hope we have time for a date. To get back to US. :)

Mini Photo Sessions to benefit children of Haiti

2010-03-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

Hey locals of of Louisiana! Please take a moment to read the special below by White Horse Photography of Baton Rouge, LA to benefit the children of Haiti. This is an amazing gift you can give and receive some equally amazing photos from Amber Bozemen of WHP in return.

Amber has limited sessions, so please contact her as soon as possible to reserve your mini session.

March 13th in downtown Baton Rouge. Reserve some memories, grab a bite downtown and take a stroll. And most importantly, help the children of Haiti.

Read more on the White Horse Photography blog by clicking HERE. You can also check out the WHP Facebook Fan Page here.

Thank you!

Attention Fleur de Lis Addicts

2010-02-28T14:56:00.001-08:00

Today while thrifting I met a new vendor. A woman who loves fleur de lis jewelry so much that she had to go into business selling it to justify her purchasing. She had the same complaint as I - boutiques and shops who jack up the price of fleur de lis jewelry just because its a hot item, just because of the name.

I've made a little business deal with her and will be ordering fleur de lis pieces from her on a regular basis. At a reasonable price.

Who doesn't love affordable jewelry?

Sneak peek? Yes please. I'll have some sample pieces I got from her today to sell to you tomorrow as well.

Hammered Fleur de Lis Pendant on Chain $20 (Estimated boutique price $30)

Linked Fleur de Lis Bracelet with magnetic clasp $14 (Estimated boutique price $20)

Mexican Chicken Pot Pie

2010-02-25T15:29:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the lack of photo on this post. I couldn't even find a photo close to what the casserole looks like, so you'll have to use your imagination on this one! :)

This recipe is one I'm proud of: one I created while living alone, craving mexican food and only having certain things on hand. It's a spin off of your usual chicken pot pie with a mexican flair. In our little family of two, we eat off this casserole three times and it never gets old. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Campbells cream of chicken soup
1 can Campbells cheese soup
1 can Mexican style Rotel
2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese (plain cheddar is fine too)
package of small flour tortillas
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp pepper
1/2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp butter or margarine

Directions

Place chicken in microwaveable dish with lid. Add oil, butter and all seasonings. Cover and place in microwave for 6 minutes. Flip chicken, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Take chicken out and shred apart in the juice with fork and knife. Set aside.

In separate bowl mix Rotel and cans of soup plus one cup of cheese. Add the shredded chicken, mixing evenly.

In 9x13 casserole dish lay two tortillas down covering the bottom. Add half the chicken/soup/cheese mixture. Layer two tortillas over the mixture. Spoon the remaining half of the chicken mixture over that layer of tortillas. Put down two last tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. If you'd like, add an extra sprinkling of cumin on top just for a little extra pretty.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cheese should be melted and bubbly. Great with a side of Mexican style creamed corn, which I may just have to break this week's casserole marathon to post!

Squash Casserole

2010-02-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

I'm sad that I don't have a photo of this easy and delicious casserole, but I pulled the closest photo I could for you to get an idea.

This is a recipe that my family has loved and used for years. A great way to sneak in your veggies! Now, I had a conversation with my mom last night trying to figure out exactly what our "recipe" was for this casserole, so when making this one feel free to add ingredients as you see necessary. Remember - you can't take away but you can always add!

Ingredients

3 lbs ground chuck

4 medium yellow squash

1/2 medium onion chopped

1 12 oz can tomato sauce

1 cup italian bread crumbs

1/2 parmesan cheese (or more)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

Directions

Scrub squash clean and slice into thin rounds. Place squash in a skillet and add a little water to the bottom, about 1/2 cup or so. Cover and cook at medium temperature, stirring and sort of mushing the squash with spatula or wooden spoon.

In separate skillet brown ground meat, drain. Add chopped onions, seasonings and add enough tomato sauce to wet the ground meat mixture without making it soupy. You may need to use the entire can, just eyeball it.

When meat mixture is done and squash is cooked down, combine both in a large casserole dish. Add bread crumbs and half of the parmesan cheese and mix all together. The bread crumbs will act as a binder, so the casserole should start coming together nicely and not separate.

Top the casserole with a sprinkling of bread crumbs and the rest of the parmesan cheese.

Cook at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, checking the casserole until it browns on top. The ingredients are already cooked so you basically want to create a little bit of a crust on top and warm through.

This is really great with a side of peas!

Hope you enjoy! Thanks again Mom. :)

Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-02-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

Photo by CookingLight.com

Mmmm, this casserole makes me think of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Me and my husband love this sweet casserole, a favorite that has been perfected over the years by my Mother-in-Love and the perfect side dish to baked turkey or chicken.

Hope you enjoy this southern favorite of mine!

Ingredients

2 (29 oz) cans sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup margarine
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
mini-marshmallows

Directions

Drain potatoes and reserve liquid. Beat potatoes until smooth. Add spices, orange juice, margarine, 1/2 cup reserved liquid, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add sugar and nuts.

Grease a 3 quart casserole dish. Fill with half the potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove, add a layer of marshmallows and return to oven until marshmallows are golden brown, being careful not to burn.

Mmm, makes me wish for Thanksgiving all over again! Enjoy!

**A special thanks goes out to my MIL for allowing me to post this family recipe!

If YOU have a casserole recipe that you'd like to share, please send email to Jill at JillryLove@gmail.com. All credit will (of course) be given to you, the chef!

Breakfast Frittata Casserole

2010-02-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

Photo from recipegoldmine.com

Who doesn't love breakfast for dinner? I must admit, this is definitely not a reheater, but this is a great mid-week filler that takes about 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes in the oven.

I love using this recipe which I change up pretty much every time I use it. Try using bacon or sausage instead of ham and feel free to put any veggies you have hanging around, like peppers! (Though I wouldn't suggest carrots or zucchini...)

Ingredients

2 cans Crescent Rolls

8 eggs

10 slices sandwich sliced deli ham (honey ham or smoked)

1/4 onion sliced very thin OR

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

1/2 cup crushed croutons

splash of milk

tablespoon butter

salt

pepper

garlic & onion powder

dash of cayenne

Optional: chopped spinach and/or mushrooms, about a palm-full of each

Directions

Slice ham into small 1/2" pieces. Place in saute pan with butter, onions and spinach and mushrooms if you choose to use those.

Preheat oven to temperature on crescent roll tube. Unroll the crescent rolls and spread out in the bottom of a 9x13 pyrex dish or pan that has a thin coat of cooking spray.

Keep an eye on the ham & veggie mixture. Take out of pan before the ham browns and when the onions are cooked. In the meantime, scramble the eggs in a large bowl and add seasonings, crushed croutons, cheese, milk and ham/veggie mixture.

Pop in oven and bake until the eggs are cooked through, checking with a toothpick. It should take close to 20 minutes at the temperature noted on the crescent roll package.

Stay tuned for a southern side dish later today!

Cheesy Frito Tamale Pie

2010-02-19T12:53:00.001-08:00

This casserole recipe is one I created back in college, one that I continue to make on days that I really don't feel like "cooking". Back then, I always had these ingredients on hand because they were cheap, stored well, and the casserole lasted all week.

Now, I can be a snob when it comes to certain things, so if you see the ingredients below and turn your nose up - I'll let it slide. ;) But we grew up on these items and they taste like home to me. Add a few things like cheese and ground meat and you've got yourself a down home masterpiece. ;)

Ingredients

1/2 onion chopped
1 lb ground chuck or lean ground meat

1 can kernel corn

2 cans Hormel (or preferred) Hot Tamales (I like the spicy ones)

1 can Hormel chili with beans

1 cup Fritos chips, crushed

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I never said this was low fat...)

sour cream for topping

Directions

Brown ground meat, drain. Add chopped onions and season meat mixture with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, or whatever mexican type seasonings you have on hand. If you don't have any, no worries - salt and pepper will do just fine.

Add corn to the meat mixture, stirring well. Set aside.

Take the tamales and lightly smush them in a bowl with a fork into chunks.

Spray a 9x13 or larger dish with cooking spray and empty crushed Fritos into the bottom, making a sort of "crust" for the casserole. Next take the chunky tamale pieces and cover the fritos. Add about half of the shredded cheese. Top with the ground meat/onion/corn mixture. Next add the cans of chili. Last but not least, top with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake at 385 uncovered for 20 minutes or until hot all the way through. Top with sour cream.

Enjoy!

Easy Spinach Rice Bake

2010-02-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

Last week I declared this week "Casserole Week" on my facebook fan page. All week I'll be posting casseroles that will help us get through the week a little easier. Recipes will be those I've created myself, those I have on my list to try, and family recipes.

Today's easy peezy casserole recipe was pulled from The Food Network. I've purchased the ingredients for this one and will be posting a review this week after I try it out myself. I plan to use this as a side dish with fish the first time and baked chicken with the leftovers.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, plus more for dish
1 small onion, minced
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, plus extra for top
4 cups cooked rice
1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a large casserole dish.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, saute onions with 2 tablespoons of butter and cayenne until translucent. Add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together milk and eggs.

Add the cheese, rice, parsley, thyme, basil and spinach mixture and combine well. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour into prepared casserole dish and top with extra shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and serve piping hot.

Next: Cheesy Frito Tamale Pie!

Playing Catch Up: Valentine's Day, Baby and My Sissy

2010-02-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

It's early Friday morning. My belly is full of hashbrowns and eggs. Puppy is snoring in her bed just feet away from me while I'm making the day's to-do list.

Tomorrow I will be 13 weeks pregnant. I'm officially out of my first trimester!

Valentine's Day

Baber and I aren't big into making a fuss over Valentine's Day, but seeing as I'm with child we wanted to do a little something special. We asked my Jillry Facebook fans to help us decide on something memorable to do and turned it into a jewelry giveaway.

A friend and Jillry fan, Amanda, had the winning Valentine's Day plans for us: Make the day about baby and us, with no extra fuss. She suggested a dinner with little to no clean up, so we ate at Gino's because I was craving Italiano. Next we visited Books a Million at Amanda's request to purchase a baby journal to write in for baby. We also purchased a baby names book. Before heading home we stopped at J's favorite, the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, to pick up his favorite treat: Tiger Butter.

Once home, we jumped in bed to relax with full bellies and talked about our future together while flipping through our new baby books. What a beautiful day. :)

Pregnancy Update

In the past few weeks I've gotten my energy back and seem to need naps less and less. I can also cook pretty much anything now without getting sick from the smell and can eat more than just potatoes! Its good to get back into the swing of things. (Now if I can just get my craft room organized...)

This week I purchased my first pieces of maternity clothing. I was thrilled to learn that maternity jeans were not only comfortable, but super cute! As a special treat to myself, I plan to create jewelry to go with my new clothing, something I never do. I'll be sure to post photos of my new outfits and jewelry to match!

I'm currently in a love/hate relationship with my prenatal vitamins.

LOVE: Strong, healthy, long nails. Even if I have to cut them nearly every week.

HATE: Having to cut my hair so often!

Baberbean's Heartbeat!

This Tuesday we got to hear the baby's heartbeat. We expected it to be an overly emotional moment for us, but we just kept laughing and smiling from ear to ear. I have a little horse galloping in my belly! My tummy kept jumping under the dophler instrument when I laughed, so I kept apologizing and then laughing again. Hearing our baby's heartbeat pretty much made the week for us.

A New Beginning For Sister

My sister has left the salon she opened with two other stylists for greener pastures. Her previous work environment was unhealthy and stressful. I had seen my normally calm, happy sister slowly turn into a quiet, stressed out woman with stomach problems due to the drama of the workplace she had originally hoped to be her dream salon.

She finally had enough and I am so proud of her for bettering her career and well being. The salon she will be working in has mature, professional stylists who are friendly and dress like stylists should. The colors in the salon are beautiful, neutral colors that are conducive to a calming work environment. She has a huge workspace, something I can't wait to plop my booty in for a little pampering!

I know I haven't written much about my sister and her salon before now, but her change of scenery has made me to relive my past work environments. I've worked in offices with chauvinist, abusive bosses, and offices where other women would pretend to be your friend and then stab you in the back to get ahead.

Something that I advocate more than ever now is loving what you do and doing what is good for you. There's nothing worse than taking a rough day home with you and dreading work the next morning. I'm not saying everyone should quit their current job and become their own boss, but I am saying that those who are stressed or have noticed extreme changes in mood and personality should really consider a career or workplace change. It could make all the difference in your life, a life that isn't long enough to waste on a negative work environment.

BIG SALE at JILLRY

2010-02-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up to get the pick of the litter. I'm having a BIG SALE in my shop right now to clear out my usuals and make way for the new. Cha Cha Bracelets, new metals and bright happy colors for spring will be added soon. You can see new items being added daily this week as well.

Trial and Error

2010-02-05T05:07:00.000-08:00

*sweep sweep* *dust dust* There. Hello blog. I've missed you.

<--- That's our bebe's crib, isn't it pretty? *sigh*

It's 7:08 a.m. The sun is finally up and so am I. It's Friday, and tomorrow I will be 11 weeks pregnant.

The weeks of being sick are long gone now, and like everyone close to me said with encouragement, I already can hardly remember them. So, no more "only child" jokes coming from my mouth. (I think I just heard my handsome husband sigh with relief.)

I'm a "fixer" by heart. Find something wrong and I love to analyze and inspect in order to fix it. Same goes with my pregnancy. Baber and I aren't much for medicine-taking, we try to find the problems to our aches and pains before running to the medicine cabinet. So starting out with pretty good health (knock on wood) and suddenly going through bouts of nausea, indigestion, heart burn - things I've never experienced before - was a bit trying for me. After much trial and error, I've closed the medicine cabinet again. Drink carbonated drinks sparingly. No tomato sauce. And the list goes on.

In doing this, I've become so much more aware of things. I realize now that everything we go through during our pregnancy is just our body's way of preparing us for when the baby arrives.

Now, I know that seems like a big ole "DUH" but, this is my first pregnancy and every little thing I'm experiencing is so special to me, I want to shout about it from the roof tops. So while it may seem obvious, it wasn't so obvious to me until now.

I've been told that when the baby comes you will never sleep again. I've decided not to fully believe that, but let's just go with it. For a woman who once hit the pillow and slept like a dream, waking up 6 times in the middle of the night to visit the potty is just plain torture. But, when the baby comes, waking up so often in the night will seem so natural to me.

When my body is uncomfortable and screaming at me for attention, I really listen to it and give it what it needs. Water, fruit, sleep. One day soon I'll be doing the same for our baby.

I asked J if he felt like he was waiting for the baby. He smiled, I think because he knew just exactly what I meant. Sure, we go through every day living: work, bills, dinner, chores, snuggles, Words with Friends on iphone... *snort* But, sometimes when I'm reading before bedtime and I have my hand on my tummy, I think "We're just waiting, waiting for he/she to arrive." Like we're in the waiting room called Life, reading and cooking and working just to pass the time until we can meet our little one. I've got tears welling up in my eyes right now just trying to type it. Man am I going to be a mess when the little bean does get here!

I'll close shop for now. I woke this morning excited, today is the last day of the trunk show I'm holding online for Jillry. I am completely amazed at the response and the success of the show, it could not have come at a better time for us. So I'm counting orders in my head in bed at 6:30 a.m., may as well get up. Never would I have thought I'd actually be doing something for a living that I love so much, that even sleep couldn't get in the way of it.

Its a wonderful life, isn't it?

xo Mama

Rolaids, stargazer lillies and sweet friends.

2010-01-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

It's 4:oopm. I'm sitting on the couch with a glass of peach tea and a full heart.

Never did I expect so many people to contact me after my last blog post. I'm ridden with guilt because my innocent, most supportive friends all sent messages with hopes that they had not offended me.

Let's state the obvious: I'm a sensitive person. (If I hear one of you fake a gasp like you're surprised I'm coming through the screen.) We all know that pregnant women are known to be sensitive as well, so there you have it - I got the double whammy.

When you're feeling low and sick, the last thing you want to hear is the bad stuff. I've had a string of bad days and I think it finally caught up with me. Not to sweep the negative comments under the rug: they do affect me. But, I'd like to switch back to the good and get on with it. So thank you, friends, for your concern and sweet messages. ((hug)) I'm a lucky girl to have you in my life.

Back to the good... Like today, for instance. The Baberhusband came home early and declared it was the perfect day for a lunch date. He was patient as I got ready at the pace of a slug. He was patient when I told him I wanted Subway. No, a cheeseburger. No, Mexican. No, I really do want a cheeseburger.

We settled in at Sammy's (a local restaurant), I ordered a cheeseburger and side salad, he ordered a brisket poboy and fries. When his showed up with tomatoes on it, I nearly lost it.

"You have GOT to do something with those things," I sort of blurped out, hand covering mouth. He sweetly tucked them into a napkin and pushed them aside.

"Want a bite?" he asks, shoving his fatty smelly brisket sandwich in my direction. I put my cheeseburger down and bid it farewell. "No, it stinks."

I ask the waitress if she would mind switching my Diet Coke to tea. She asks if it tastes funny, to which I reply "Yes, but its probably just me." I'm already over this lunch-out deal.

So at this point J is snickering at me, he's actually enjoying this. Says "You don't want a bite of my sandwich??" I fake a barfing sound and threaten him with his life. He tells me if I want, he'll eat over there, pointing to a far table. Or that he could bag it up and eat it later, sighing like he's all neglected. I look up, thinking of what I can get away with here in public, surely stomping on his little toe will do, when I see his grin. He's clearly pleased with himself.

I can't help it, I get the giggles.

We were supposed to hit Walmart for the grocery shopping I just can't seem to do these days, but after the restaurant I was feeling worse, so J insisted he take me home. Said he would come back for the shopping later. After a small discussion, I give in.

Next stop, the pharmacy for heartburn meds. Oh the joy. Fruit flavored Rolaids. Yum.

Stepping out of the pharmacy, J grabs my hand and walks to the next shop. The florist.

"I want to buy the Baberwife a flower. To make her feel better," he says, and this time it is me that is truly pleased with him. I let him drag me into the florist while he picks out a stargazer lily, my favorite, and hands it to me. I feel a little fussed over, so I'm a bit embarrassed at first and then it hits me: he's happy. Happy and supportive and trying to do any little thing he can to make me feel better.

A lilly for my Jilly, he says as we get in the car. The flower is beautiful and I'm beaming from ear to ear.

You just love her.

2010-01-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

Good morning. *yawn* (Isn't that baby room the cutest?)

Its 10:45am as I'm writing this. I finally woke around 10am this morning, its become a thing for me these days. Yes, the days of waking at 6:30 with the husband, raring to go and ready to take on the world, have sadly gone. Well, maybe not sadly. (I've forgotten how good it feels to sleep in!)

Let's be honest, this blog is about happy things. Beautiful milestones, great adventures, the love of my life, my mini monster of a puppy dog. So if I've been a bit absent, please forgive me. Like all parents tell us growing up: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

I will say this. I've been struggling. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm waiting to find the happy in this pregnancy. I WANT to be happy. Thankfully I have a handful of great friends that talk with me daily, carrying me through with words like "Its gets better, I promise." or "You'll be clear when you're out of your first trimester." I believe them, because I have to.

Unfortunately I also have "friends" that just love to feed me the negative. That, when I mention I finally got a good night's sleep they say "Enjoy it now cuz you'll never see that again!" Really? Or comments about losing your freedom forever. I mean, come on. So yeah, really holding on to those positive friends right now and my sweet SIL who tells me that your life changes for the good, that everything, EVERYTHING you go through is so worth it. And again, I believe that, because I have to.

My sweet, supportive and patient husband has been so good to me during this time. He tells me to sleep in and doesn't let me object, because he knows my guilt issues. Goes with me to the store to buy embarrassing medicinal items and laughs at me when I tell him it seems I'm buying items for an 80 year old man rather than a 31 year old pregnant woman.

He hasn't flinched when I, yet again, say that I don't want to cook. I know, ME? Not want to cook? Our fare has consisted of frozen foods, chicken salad and pizza as of late. He's taken over the laundry as well as the dishes, because I swear there's been a chemical spill underneath our kitchen sink. I've been told your sense of smell heightens, so I expected a few things. But not being able to walk in a certain area of my kitchen because the cleaning supplies under the cabinet are screaming at me? Didn't expect that.

The receptionist at our dentist office asked him the other day how I was doing. "Is she nauseous?" to which he replied Yes. "Is she moody yet?" to which he replied Yes. "You just love her," she told him. "You just love her." I cried when he told me the conversation, because really that's all we want at this point. Understanding and love. And carbs. Lots of carbs...

For a moment last night as I lay on my husband's chest in bed I felt really good. As in normal. He told me when I cry and express the things that worry my mind when I'm hurting the most really bother him, really upset him. I told him I feel as if I have nothing to talk about these days, that the sickness consumes me, and therefore brings negative thoughts. Which, of course, I have to purge or else they'll just sit and simmer. It feels better to purge them, make room for better thoughts.

I look at him and tell him just before he spoke I was thinking of baby names. He looks down and smiles, kisses me on the forehead. We both know there's good ahead and we can't wait for it.

So, I want to end this post on a good note. Today, I am 7 weeks, 2 days pregnant. The things we're looking forward to are:

Learning the sex of the baby.

Being able to hear the heartbeat.

Painting and designing the baby room.

Finally showing and having my husband lay his head on my buddha belly.

Happy Monday lovelies. *smooch* I want a cheeseburger.

Crave, Create, SHARE.

2010-01-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

NEW items in shop! If you prefer purchasing check-by-mail, feel free to contact me at JillryLove@gmail.com to reserve your pieces.

Its freezing and rainy these days, so I'm holed up in my craft room making newbies. Stay tuned for more new pieces!

The Beginning of Our Journey

2010-01-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

So. If you haven't heard it from me directly, on Facebook or figured it out from my last post, the Baberhusband and I are having a baby! We're still pinching ourselves. I guess we really have to behave as adults now. :)

This past Monday we went for bloodwork, which confirmed the two tests I took the morning of Christmas Eve. Today we went in together for my first ultrasound. So many emotions running through us... excitement, nervousness... I have a feeling these next 8 months are going to fly by.

We got a shot of the little bean for the first time this morning. Amazing. Unbelieveable. I never understood before when people would say "Look at our baby. He/she is a miracle!" Confused, I'd think "No, its a baby. Its the result of the love between a man and a woman. Its a miniature human." and so on and so forth. Never until you are in these shoes do you understand what the miracle is. You see it from a different perspective, one I'm still unsure of how to explain. Its just plain amazing.

I want to blog as much of our journey as possible, so I'll start at the beginning...

The week of Christmas I had a feeling I could be prego. However, I had the feeling (or hope) in months before, so I tried not to let myself get excited when Mother Nature didn't deliver my monthly gift. The morning of Christmas Eve we decided to take a test...

Me: (Just waking up.) Should I take the test?
Him: (Yawning) Umm, I dunno. If you want?
Me: Well, no. I don't want to now.
Him: Huh? Why?
Me: Cause you don't want to, and if you aren't ready or excited I don't want to do it. (Huffy)
Him: (Defensive) I just woke up babe. Take the test.
Me: Nope.
Him: Babe, take it!
Me: Nope. (Hiding grin.)
Him: YOU TAKE THE TEST, NOW. (Coming to attack me.)

I giggle, cuz I win. We're fully awake now and can't avoid it any longer.

I tell myself not to look at the test until we see it together. As I'm setting it on the back of the toilet, I grimace. I may have seen it, shoot.

We brush our teeth before looking, because if its positive we'll want to play kissie face, right?

And we look. Its positive. J swears, but smiles while he does it. I snicker. We can't believe it. It doesn't feel real. Hugs, then kissie face. We look again. And just smile at each other.

We dress slowly, with a silent determination. Left foot in sock. Right foot in sock. We are going to be parents. Arm through hole. Parents. Watch, bracelet. Of a baby. Belt, shoes. A real live BABY.

J's Mom's birthday is Christmas Eve, so we have lunch with them. We both know a secret and for that hour, it was torture keeping it. But it was all ours and I will never forget those handful of hours when only we knew. The little secret smiles and hand squeezes. After lunch we ran through the rain to a drug store for another test. Which turned up positive as well. We decided to tell our parents before the night was over. It would be the best Christmas present ever.

On pretty blank cards we marked a positive and negative sign, circling the positive, and handed them to our parents as "a little something extra for Christmas". The response was too funny. J's family was excited, but you know my family went nutty cuckoo. I will never forget their response.

And here we are. Today, I am 6 weeks, 2 days pregnant. The little bean is sucking the life out of me right now. These past two weeks of holiday time has been filled with extreme nausea and exhaustion. Thankfully I received a prescription for nausea pills today, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I want to be happy and enjoy this time. It has been really difficult seeing through the dizzy pain and feeling that happiness. I'm hoping it will pass soon.

In the meantime, while I've been out of commission, my husband is being so very helpful and supportive. New Years Eve we laid on the couch all day together. I dozed on and off. In my pajamas. Without a stitch of makeup. Without touching my hair with a brush once. He held my hand and didn't let me think about housework or whatever needed to be done. He promised to get to it later, told me to relax. And he did. As I sit on my butt typing this, he's putting away loads of laundry that have been residing on our couch for days. Now, if I can just get him to cook.... ;)

We're curious and anxious to see how the Mini Monster is going to react to our new addition. In the months to come, we plan on slowly introducing her to the bebe. Though we're sure its too soon, we laid her on my belly so she could hear the heartbeat. We know she's going to be the best big sister.

I plan on keeping an online journal through this exciting time in our lives. I hope you will enjoy reading along.

Much love,

The BaberMama

New Years Resolution

2009-12-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

For 2010, my one and only resolution is to find a cure for morning sickness....

Just a few more days...

2009-12-28T15:35:00.000-08:00

and the clearance section will go away! Have a peek and treat yourself. You know you deserve it.

Clearance Section

Goody Bags - these are a STEAL! Pieces combined and prices slashed even lower that the sale price!

...

Gems, Shrimp and Dap

2009-12-22T04:56:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we hit the road for the gem show. But first, a breakfast of biscuits and gravy, sausage, eggs and hashbrowns first at IHOP where we were waited on by a very talkative Saints fan.

After putting ourselves into an IHOP coma, we were back on the road. We pulled into the Gem Show about a half hour after it opened. To our surprise, the place was empty - we had it all to ourselves practically. I racked up on tons of new gems and treasures. One of the little treasures I grabbed was this cute zebra print stretch bracelet. I picked up one for Jen and a ton more to sell to my customers as a special treat. (I don't do stretch bracelets but have had many requests.)

After 2 1/2 hours my husband was fit to be tied. So I let him drag me through New Orleans to this great seafood restaurant called Deanie's for lunch. The Quarter was packed. It was 1:30 by the time we got to Deanies and we were starved, and I was of course was turning into a monster.... and then we find out its a one hour wait. Which is pretty much the standard in the Quarter before a football game, so we had to stick it out. We walk a block over to get a $5 beer - YES, I almost threw up at the cost - and with a little something in my system we were back to wait at Deanie's.

There were Saints fans everywhere with the occasional Cowboy fan. It was pretty rowdy, as expected, so we stood in the lobby and people-watched. At one point a couple of Cowboy fans walked in with a Saints fan. (Sounds like the start of a joke, huh?) They ask J how long of a wait it is, to which J responds "Its about an hour wait, but for you, three hours," and they laugh. The Saints guy that they're with walks up to J, without saying a word, and just lifts his hand to give him dap. And J instinctively raises his fist to meet the guy's fist. And I just stare, open mouthed, until J catches my eye. "Did you know him?" I ask. J says no and smiles at me. Random guy, just comes up and bumps fists with my husband out of sheer comraderie because of the funny J threw at his Cowboy fan friends. Cracks me up still today.

Okay so enough gab. A few photos from the meal. I didn't know we were going to New Orleans or I would have brought my camera. So many photos I could have taken. These are from the iPhone, which I have to say aren't that bad at all.

Photos are J's BBQ Shrimp, my Shrimp PoBoy, J's messy fingers and the biggest shrimp of the bunch. Which makes you wonder why people call small folks "shrimps".

Making Way for the New with a CLEARANCE SALE

2009-12-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

Y'all know how much I love a sale. The one I'm having now doesn't get any better. Prices won't get any lower than this at Jillry. I have new designs to share but have to make room for them!

Check out the Sale Section by clicking here. I've posted everything I have in stock, so if you see something you like grab it now - it may not be there tomorrow!

A few of the MANY items on sale:

Recipes Around the World

2009-12-18T14:29:00.001-08:00

Name: Jill Corkern (yes, that's me!)
State: Louisiana
Hometown: Central (a small town outside of Baton Rouge)
Three words to describe yourself: creative, playful, loving

Recipe: Red Beans & Rice, Jill's Way ;)

Ingredients:

1 1lb bag dried red beans
1 lb Manda's pork sausage, sliced
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 bell pepper chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp of Tony's Chacheres
Rice

Now before I start, let me just say that writing a recipe for this with measured ingredients was difficult. I don't measure. I go by taste and memory. If you are not big on spicy, add a little of the spices, stir and taste. Repeat until it suites your tastebuds.

I don't do any prepping of the dried beans, for example, soaking them like some people do. I like easy meals and I don't find a need for the extra step.

Dump the red beans in crock pot. Cover with water. Add all of the chopped veggies, stir, cover. Put on high. During the first two hours check on pot and add water as needed. Don't let the beans shrivel from lack of water.

After about 2 hours on high, add sliced sausage and all of seasons, including garlic. The red beans should be getting thicker by now and less soupy.

Let cook for another 5 hours on low, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Eventually the red beans will become thick, almost like a chili. If your red beans do not get thick simply leave the cover off and let simmer for another hour.

Cook rice on stovetop separately. We use about 3 heaping tablespoons of cooked rice per bowl, pouring the red beans over the rice.

Review: This is a staple in our home. Both the Baberhusband and I love this high protein, high fiber recipe. Sometimes I sneak in brown rice, but I've yet to find one J cannot detect. We usually eat on this for three nights, but on the rare occasion we finish the pot we just put in the freezer for later. It's even better the second time around!

Feel free to comment with questions. Enjoy!

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To submit your recipe for Recipes Around the World, email Jill at JillryLove@gmail.com.
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Image of red beans and rice from blue-kitchen.com.

One year down, 118 to go.

2009-12-16T05:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend was nothing short of amazing.

We lounged. We snuggled. Drank champagne, ate delicious seafood. Played with the puppies. Played kissie face. A lot.

Saturday afternoon I put on my best sweater (it was cold out, yay!) and hopped in the car for dinner and a movie. Or in our case, movie and a dinner. See, we're old folk. We don't do 8 pm dinners and 10 pm movies. We'd be worthless the next day.

It was raining and we rushed from car to theater. I giggled like a school girl trying to catch up with J's long legged strides as I covered my freshly coiffed hair with my jacket. Fast walk, walk, walk, runnn to catch up, giggle, fast walk walk walk.... Baber and his long monkey legs.

The Blind Side was our movie of choice. I cannot express how much I loved this movie. My jaw was clenched through the entire film to keep myself from crying. What finally made me lose it was at the end of the movie. When the credits starting rolling there were photos of the family who's story this movie was created from: not a single person got up out of their seat to leave. The place was packed and still until the last photo disappeared.

We had buttery popcorn and monsterous drinks. Baber is a kid at heart and popcorn is a MUST at the theater. I always look forward to our dates because of this sort of thing. He doesn't leave out the details that make our evenings fun.

Bonefish Grill was our next destination, one of favorite restaurants. Mahi Mahi topped with lobster and crab in a sherry cream sauce on top of whipped garlic mashed potatoes. Did you just get chills? We did too.

Next, J's favorite: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. The last time we went there we ended up spending $30. What? Thirty dollars on CHOCOLATE? We had a heart attack that time, so we were a bit more careful in our selection this go-round. Seafoam, Tiger Butter, Oreo Bark and a slab of dark chocolate. Mmm.

Some window shopping, lots of hand-holding and opening doors. I hope it never fades.

Finally the Baberhusband started driving us toward downtown. I fought back the questions until I couldn't take it anymore.

"So, are you surprised at how long I held back on questioning where you're taking me?" He grins and says the festival of lights downtown. I'm giddy - we've been trying to start a tradition driving around to look at Christmas lights each year, but its seems we have a bunch of grinches living around us these days. People just don't put up lights like they used to.

So we get downtown and its.... dead. No one in sight. No lights. No cars. No people. Nothing. We laugh, maybe they cancelled it? We still don't know, but it didn't matter. Cozy in the car with the heater at my feet and my husband holding my hand, I didn't care where he took me. The gesture was all it took to remember why I fell in love with him. He knows I love surprises.

Back at the house we enjoyed some bubbly that we've been hanging onto for this night and took a tiny slice off our cake topper from the wedding a whole year ago. I'm not a big cake person, so after feeding each other a tiny bite with arms looped I was done. He was too. One year old cake? Great tradition but icky concept. Its still sitting in the fridge with one tiny slice taken out of it. Seems like such a waste. Oh well.

Sunday I had my first annual Christmas Extravaganza at the house. Photos of that to come next. Babers helped rearrange the house to fit everyone and made sure I had everything I needed before he left. Have I mentioned how lucky I am that he's so supportive? I feel it every day.

Mid way through the event my sister moves to stand in front of the window while a friend starts incessantly talking to me about something random. I'm suspicious but let it go. I'm a sucker for surprises and I've learned when people act crazy like that to hide something, there's bound to be a great surprise after.

Knock knock, goes the flower delivery guy at our door. I squeal and melt all over my freshly mopped kitchen floor. My favorite, lilies. And roses, and a few other pretties too. Be still my heart. He knows how much I adore lilies. So much so that I've threatened to name our unborn child after them.

How sneaky is he to have these delivered in the midst of the show? The girls ooo'd and ahhhh'd alright. PDA at its best. He's a glutten for praise and boy did he get a dose when he got home. (I guess technically he's getting another dose here, isn't he?)

All in all, a wonderful weekend. Perfect in every single way. This year just flew by... I hope the next 118 years go a little slower...

I love you Baberhusband!

Anniversary Eve

2009-12-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

Today the Baberhusband and I are celebrating our first year anniversary. Tomorrow is the real date, but I'm crazy and decided to hold a home show at our place for last minute shoppers. (Hey, he's supporting me on it.)

Right now my heart is full, thinking about where we were one year ago today. Nervous, excited, busy. All in the middle of the holiday season.

We're bundled up on the couch, the puppy dogs at our feet, snoring away. Our new tree is decorated, lighting up the den with a warm glow. Last year we didn't have time to get a tree, we were preparing for a wedding.

Movie and dinner at our favorite place, Bonefish Grill a little later today. Bang Bang Shrimp, flirting and hand holding over a lit candle between us. I've been so busy with weekend shows, we rarely go out on real dates anymore. I miss them. However, the spaces in between makes our dates more exciting. I actually get giddy dressing up for my husband.

For now, I'm signing off for some snuggles before our date. I love this season. There's a reason we choose this time of year to be married... ;)

Holiday Bites - Appetizers Shared!

2009-12-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

The sweet Sydney S., a Jillry supporter-turned-friend, was sweet enough to share this delicious sounding dip recipe that makes me want to run to the store right now and get the fixings for.

Hot Ham and Cheese Dip

1 one pound sourdough bread
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. shredded cheddar
4 oz. Budig ham, diced
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Dash of Tabasco
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Pre-heat oven to 350˚

Slice top off bread and set aside. Hollow out bread leaving a shell. Cut the hollowed out bread into squares.

Mix remaining ingredients and fill the shell. Replace the top of bread and completely wrap in foil. Place on a cookie sheet and heat for 1 hour.

Sydney, I cannot wait to try this one with my family. I'm thinking this would be great for our Christmas Eve party. Thanks again for sharing!

If you have a party appetizer to share we'd all love to enjoy it. Please submit your recipe to JillryLove@gmail.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Contrast

2009-12-09T05:49:00.001-08:00

I crave, I create, I SHARE.

2009-12-08T14:52:00.001-08:00

A few new pieces added to my shop, plus more. Visit Jillry to see the rest of the newbies.

This beauty below is one of a kind.

Swimming up for air

2009-12-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Its been a few days since I've last blogged, so I thought I'd pop in and say hi.

Jillry has really taken off and I am swamped to say the least. Proud and anxious. Busy but beaming. Making lists. Lots of lists...

My Christmas cards are still sitting on the table, unaddressed. Just got stamps today. There are some things that you cannot procrastinate on... I also left a message just today on my nephew's answering machine from Nippy, Santa's favorite elf. I wonder if he'll figure out Nippy is really his Aunt Toot.

Had a great weekend of craft shows and home shows. Now I'm working like a mad woman to get my stock up for this weekend's show at my house. I'm hosting my very first Christmas Extravaganza and I am THRILLED. I love love love supporting my fellow artists and hope this becomes such a big thing that I'll have to rent space for it in the future.

There's another biggie this weekend for me. It will be me and Baber's first anniversary. I can't believe its already been a year! I think we're both a little baffled by the idea... Cancun sunrises and pinacoladas still seem so clear to me. Feels just yesterday I was shoving my face with picnic basket catering standing up in our new kitchen, in my big white dress while J smoked a celebratory cigar with the door wide open. We were so giddy and full of wine and beer, I wouldn't have cared less if he had smoked in bed.

*sigh* My life is full right now. Full of happiness, success, hope. Full of love, support and creativity. Full of inspiration. Full of want, yet full of satisfaction.

Before I sign out, let me announce another giveaway. Mint Green with Envy is hosting a giveaway for my Time Keeper's Necklace. Be sure to pop on over to her place and enter to win.

More later. Photos and stories and new jewelry. Oh my.

Wordless Wednesday: Sparkle

2009-12-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

Crave, Create, SHARE.

2009-12-02T11:08:00.001-08:00

New items at Jillry!

Sahara Moon Earrings $12

Smokey Rose Drops $13

Fleur de Leaves $13
Only two pair available!

Recipes Around the World

2009-12-01T16:12:00.001-08:00

Name: Jill Casavecchia
State: Northern Ireland at present (but a California native)
Hometown: San Francisco Bay Area
Three words to describe yourself: creative, unconventional, teacher

Recipe: Tutu's Finnish Pancake
(More of an eggy breakfast custard than a pancake, actually)

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/4 cup honey
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
4 Tb. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place a big baking dish (I use a wok because none of my baking dishes are tall enough) into the oven and heat oven to 425 degrees F. Leave dish in the oven for 10 mins to heat up. Meanwhile, beat eggs, honey, salt, vanilla extract and milk together in the blender to get them really frothy and airy. Add the flour and mix until smooth, with no lumps.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and put the butter in. Making sure to wear oven mitts, swirl the butter around until it melts and covers the bottom and sides of the dish. Give it a few minutes to cool so that the butter hardens slightly. You want the butter to coat the sides of the dish and not just all slide down and pool at the bottom. I usually put the dish/wok into the fridge for a few minutes to cool it down. Next, pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

While baking, the pancake will climb up the sides of the dish and puff up like a big parachute. A few minutes before it's done, I usually take it out and generously sprinkle brown sugar over the top, before returning it to the oven. The sugar will caramelize.

Be sure to have everyone seated around the table so when you take it out of the oven, they can see it all puffy and lovely. It will fall very quickly. This is nice served with butter & brown sugar, with maple syrup or with fresh fruit. I've heard of savory variations, but I've never tried it anyway but sweet.

If you're feeling adventurous, you might want to experiment with replacing the honey and vanilla with bacon, and sprinkling shredded cheese instead of brown sugar at the end.

Review: This was my grandma's family recipe going back generations to her origins in Finland. I'm sure they didn't use blenders or woks; those are my modern additions. As a kid, I *loved* when she used to make this! She had a glass door on the oven, with a light inside, and I used to get so excited watching it growing big and puffy. As a grown-up, it's still one of my favorites, and although filling, almost everyone who tries it wants seconds. :)

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To submit your recipe for Recipes Around the World, email Jill at JillryLove@gmail.com.

This time of year...

2009-12-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

...opens my eyes. See? Look closer. Beauty, in the little things.

You know my husband? He's just a big ol' kid.

2009-11-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

We made a mad dash to Walmart this morning for some last minute Christmas decorations. I head inside to finish up some weekend orders while the Baberhusband completes the lights outside the house from yesterday.

I go out to check on him...

He wasn't in the front yard, so I head into the backyard. You should have seen his face when I rounded the corner and saw him in the clubhouse hanging lights. Very much a red-handed, you-know-what eating grin on his face!

My husband is a big ol' kid at heart. Its one of the things I love most about him. His spontaneous, playful ways keep me balanced, make me take chances, keep me laughing until my face hurts.

This Christmas is extra exciting for us. Its not technically our first Christmas in the house... we were married only two weeks before Christmas last year, so the madness of the wedding, honeymoon and last minute Christmas shopping sort of left us with no time to decorate or celebrate. We headed into town the weekend after Christmas to purchase lots of lights and a tree at half price and vowed to make next year our official first Christmas in the house.

So far we're making the most of it. Literally, minute by minute.

And its not even December yet. :)

Thankful. Really.

2009-11-27T12:08:00.001-08:00

So thankful that I forgot to post. Oops. (It was in my saved posts, ready for publishing, really!)

Photo of sunrise from our honeymoon in Cancun. I remember being especially thankful for love on this morning.

This year I am thankful, for so many things.

Family. And for their good health.

Happiness. I've had more than my fair share lately, and believe me, I'm not taking it for granted.

Slippers, pajama pants, and all comfy clothing in general.

My husband, who keeps me grounded and yet laughing, constantly.

Supportive moms and sisters - for without them helping me with my business, I would probably be checking into a nut house right about now.

Being my own boss. Taking the day off when I want, or taking off for a long weekend without the stress of a paper-covered desk waiting for me is priceless.

Etsy friends. My fans, my customers and other Etsy vendors. They are my kindred spirits and I love trading with them, both creations and stories.

And last but not least, Mini Monster girls. My companion during the day. Without her, I would be talking to the walls.

What are you thankful for?

Gem Necklace Winner!

2009-11-27T10:44:00.001-08:00

First I'd like thank all of you who entered into this giveaway. You are the women that keep me inspired and motivated to create!

And now for the winner...

Brooke, come on down! You are the winner of The Gem Necklace, one of my best sellers. :)
Winners of giveaways will be contacted about their win to avoid confusion.

Stay tuned for the next giveaway, which will be posted this week.

xo Jill

Wordless Wednesday: Melting from Happiness

2009-11-25T10:36:00.001-08:00

iPhones: Good or bad for the married couple?

2009-11-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

So. Baber and I got iPhones for our anniversary presents to one another. Cuz we're romantic like that.

The question is, will this keep us from spending quality time with each other? We're already on opposite ends of the sectional, one of us with a book, the other with the laptop, both looking up occasionally at the tv or each other to blow a kiss.

Do we really need the iPhones? Is it healthy for our relationship? I mean, technically we're still communicating... commenting on each other's Facebook statuses with smarty remarks, just a few feet away from each other. That counts, doesn't it?

We shall see.

Thanksgiving Drool

2009-11-23T14:02:00.001-08:00

So, my husband and I have been dreaming of Thanksgiving dinner for a few weeks now. Fried turkey, stuffing, gravy... it got me thinking, could it get any better?

Cajun Fried Turkey, photo courtesy of onthebayeaux.com.

How about a little sharing? How about I tell you what's usually on our Thanksgiving menu and you tell me what's on yours?

Fried Turkey
Gravy (usually with giblets)
Cornbread Stuffing
Rice Dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
and way too many dessert options!

Cornbread Dressing, photo courtesy of countryliving.com

Some years we mix in potato salad and macaroni & cheese. Usually we have pecan pie, chocalote or lemon meringue pie, or some sort of ooey gooey squares.

This year we'll have our reunion on my Daddy's side. Imagine a room full of italians and you know we'll have a bunch of stinky food on the buffet table. So we'll likely have the menu above but throw in a huge italian salad loaded with olives, homemade spaghetti and meatballs, and a few other italian treats.

Now, what are YOU having?

Black Friday Sale Starts... well, yesterday.

2009-11-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

Before I go rambling, let me remind you of The Gem Necklace Giveaway. You have until Friday to enter to win, and tons of ways to get multiple entries.

I played catch up yesterday on the blog, etsy shop and house. Still can't see a whole lot of change to the house, but its getting there.

I also had an open house at a new friend's home last night that turned my frown from Saturday upside down. I met some really fun ladies and did amazingly well, so well that the hostess ended up with a pretty little credit to my shop! What I once thought was a fat stock sure to keep me going through Christmas is now starting to make me wonder...

After a whirlwind of a weekend, I thought I'd start my Black Friday sale a little early. It goes a little something like this: 15% off EVERYTHING at Jillry. Yep, you heard right. 15% off your entire order. To receive, have a little fun shopping and type "Black Friday" in the message to seller at checkout. I'll then send you a revised invoice reflecting your discount.

A few newbies in the shop (click to bring you to my shop listing:

And there's tons more to take photos of and list, I'll put that on my to-do list somewhere...

Happy shopping my lovelies, you deserve the discount! I have the best, most loyal customers and for that I am extremely thankful.

xo Jill

Gravity

2009-11-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

Still can't get enough of this song.

What song are you crushing on these days?

Brighten Up Your Walls

2009-11-23T05:02:00.000-08:00

Though I've tried a few different color splashes on my wall, we've decided to stick with a neutral. Doesn't mean my rooms will lack color though.

A handful of pieces that are making me happy right now (click on photo for shop):

Today is the dreaded errand day. I'll be running the roads doing some much needed Christmas shopping, but must be home at a decent time for my trunk show this evening. Wish me luck!

Giveaway: Be sure to scroll down to the new post - I'm giving away The Gem Necklace so enter to win if you must have it!

Have a great Monday my lovelies!

xo Jill

Giveaway - The Gem Necklace

2009-11-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

How about a little fun ladies? In celebration of the holidays, I'll be doing a few jewelry giveaways from my shop, Jillry. Let's start with The Gem Necklace.

This long necklace just radiates with fall color. Gorgeous faceted beads in shades of red, blue & amber on antique brass chain. Perfect for turtlenecks!

How can you win this necklace? You have several ways to enter. Each way listed below will get you additional entries. There's even a way to win an additional 10 entries!

The winner of this giveaway will be announced on Friday, November 27th. Be sure to leave your email address on your comments so that I can contact you.

Leave a comment noting two of your favorite items from my shop.
Follow my blog. (See sidebar.)
Blog about this giveaway. Send me the link please.
Place & link my button on your blog. (I'll gladly grab your button & link yours in return! Just leave your url.)
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JillrybyJill. (If you already follow me, you will receive this extra entry. Just comment that you already follow.)
Twitter about this giveaway.
Join the Jillry Facebook Fan Page. (If you are already a fan, you will receive this extra entry. Just comment that you are a fan.)
Announce this giveaway on Facebook with a link to this post.
Email two or more friends about this giveaway. CC me at JillryLove@gmail.com.
For 10 additional entries, make a purchase at Jillry between now and Friday noon.

Please leave a comment with each entry. And again, please leave your email for winning notification.

Good luck everyone!

A weekend of disappointments

2009-11-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a like a punch to the stomach. Disappointment after disappointment.

The craft show was awful. Friday night I did really well, cleared out a lot of my stock and gained some new fans. Yay! Saturday morning I woke up and the roof caved in...

Not only was it freezing all day, it rained constantly and left us with a river in front of my area of booths. We actually heard people say "We can't go in there, how are we going to get across that yuck?" My poor mother froze her tush off. I was running on only a breakfast of cold nachos, and if you know me at all you'll know I can be a monster if not fed properly. The staff was less than accomodating. While most of our neighbors were nice, we had a booth full of catty, super snobby girls on the side of us. I had a very loud conversation with my mother about how it was a shame that some of the vendors were so snobby, how fellow crafters should be supportive and friendly to one another... because you just never know who you're being snobby to.

I was miserable. I won't be going back.

The rest of today proved to be disappointing as well. People that expect you to be their shoulders, their ears, suddenly disappear when you need their support. People that love to make a quick jab at you when you're down but never say congrats when you've done well. I won't be expending my energy on those so-called "friends" any longer.

I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but there was much more disappointment that I'm just not comfortable sharing. I feel emotionally and physically drained by it.

Hopefully the rest of the weekend will be better. I have a trunk show on Monday that I'm really looking forward to. For now, I'm signing out. I'll be back when I have a more uplifting post to share.

Night friends.

Thursday Thirteen

2009-11-19T04:57:00.000-08:00

This morning I'm curled up on the couch reading old posts (yes I'm lame) and I stumbled upon a Thursday Thirteen. I read and clicked on another. *gasp* I forgot how much I adore lists! When I lived at the apartment, I wrote lists constantly. Kept them all over the apartment. Drove Babers batty. Now the only list I have is our grocery list.

Lists are theraputic for the obsessive compulsive mind. Therefore starting TTs up again is only helping me..... right?

Thirteen reasons why I love this time of year

1. The Baber Furnace. J has an incredible amount of body heat at night which he insists on sharing with me, and at this time of year it really comes in handy. He has freakishly cold feet, but I can overlook that because his huggy wuggy arms keep the Baberwife warm at night.

2. Gumbo.

Kind of a weird choice mid-July in 100 degree weather. As soon as we get the first cold front, I'm going over in my head whether I want to make chicken and sausage gumbo or seafood gumbo.

3. Sweaters. The big soft snuggly kind. If J let me have a Snuggie, I'd wear it in public. I just love wearing fuzzy sweaters with sleeves are long enough to tuck my hands in, or cowl necks that cover your face from the nippy wind.

4. Camping.

Our usual camping group went last weekend and had a blast. Not so much fun in warm weather. We brought the camper and opened the windows... the only thing better would have been sleeping in a tent under the starry sky, but J prefers camping in the camper. *snort* (I am so getting a whipping over that one.) Click here to see our first camping trip.

5. Fires.

No, I'm not a pyro, but put me in front of a fire and I zone out. Zombie style. Don't try talking to me, I ain't listening. When I would visit J in Oberlin he would start the fire and let me spruce it up. There's something very theraputic about building a fire, and its comforting and makes you feel safe.

6. Pajama pants. Okay so I wear these year round, but I *need* them more in the winter. We keep the temp in the house at a ridiculously low number, so I stay in pj pants during this time of year. Especially heart the fuzzy flannel ones. Which I'm down to only one pair of. Hint hint. I wear mine to the point of them ripping and still walk around in them, tripping and almost busting my face. J literally has to make me throw them away.

7. Hot chocolate. With milk. Enough said.

8. Outdoor activities. The cool air of fall always gives me a new found energy. Summer is great and all, but it just zaps the life of me sometimes. Every time I take Mini into the back yard I eye the leaves all over the ground. Do you know how badly I want to run through them? And for some reason I feel like I need a soccer ball.

9. I get to ignore my toenails. You should see mine right now, the paint is so old I have a little moon cresent of color covering the very tip of them. I know, not attractive, but its the last thing on my to-do list right now and at least I can hid them in boots.

10. I don't feel guilty about my dirty car. I love her and all, but I wash her only like... never. During this time of year, well, its just too cold to and I can let go of one more thing to feel guilty about. Cuz we all know I have issues.

11. Thanksgiving! Yes, that deserves an exclamation mark. And I'm not just thinking about the food (though its definitely a front runner). In November we are reminded of how thankful we should be, and I relish in that. Its a shame we don't give thanks every month.

12. Christmas!!

Love it more than #11, therefore its gets two marks. (Shut it.) Family time. Good food. Showering my loved ones with presents. Watching the kiddos rip open their presents and squeal. The tree! Christmas morning! (Sorry, I'll try to keep the marks to a minimum from now on.)

13. And now, this time of year makes me think about our life as a married couple. December 13th will make one year for J and I. ONE YEAR. Already. Wow. I feel like I've waited for this all my life and now its just flying by, all the while me screaming "SLOW IT DOWN BUSTER, I need to remember this."

Click here to play along. Comment if you have a TT so I can come read yours! What are your reasons for loving this time of year?

Giveaway Sneak Peek

2009-11-18T16:48:00.000-08:00

Just a little peek at a giveaway I'm doing after the weekend. I need to regain my sanity after the big local show I'm in and THEN I can focus on spoiling you guys with more deals and freebies.

The Gem Necklace. Sparkly. Sessy. Great with any fall wardrobe.

Recipes Around the World

2009-11-18T10:02:00.001-08:00

I'm almost always looking for a new recipe, especially new ways to cook chicken. In this segment of Recipes Around the World, Rhonda of Louisiana shares her super easy go-to chicken recipe that her family loves. Enjoy!

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Name: Rhonda St. Martin
State: Louisiana
Hometown: Baton Rouge (Brownsfield)
Three words to describe yourself: Loyal, Caring, Mother
Recipe: Parsley Parmesean Chicken

Parsley Parmesan Chicken

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 pounds chicken fryer parts (I use whatever I have on hand)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray

Pour salad dressing into a large bowl. Add chicken, coating well.
Cover and chill 4 hours or overnight, turning chicken occasionally.

Combine Parmesan cheese and next 5 ingredients in a shallow dish. Roll chicken,one piece at a time, in crumb mixture. Coat a 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pan or a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place chicken in pan, and spoon excess dressing over chicken.

Bake uncovered at 350° for 1 hour or until chicken is done. Serve immediately or package for freezer.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Review: This is so YUMMY that I cook up a double or even triple recipe.

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Want to share a recipe from your neck of the woods? Leave a comment with your email address or email me at JillryLove@gmail.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Puppy Taco

2009-11-18T05:07:00.000-08:00

Damask Love

2009-11-17T07:28:00.001-08:00

You all know how completely obsessed I am with damask print. An item I'm crushing on, compliments of JuliaSherryDesigns.

Click the clutch to visit and snag yourself one of these hot little numbers.

xo Jill

Super Mommyness

2009-11-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

I grew up under the arms of a SuperMom, a woman who had three children, a full time job teaching English at the same school we attended and had a part time gig selling make up, all while being able to juggle homework, meals, after school activities and family fun. Because of this, I've always been intrigued by other mommies and how they manage to get through the day.

Starting today, I'll be doing Super Mommyness once a month, a feature on mothers and their tricks of the trade. If you want to be featured, simply shoot me a message at JillryLove@gmail.com.

And now, on to our first Mommy!

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Name: Christy Woest Atkinson

Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA

# of Children: 3 by birth, 2 of the heart...ranging in ages from 8 months-9 years.

Occupation: After 9 1/2 years teaching preschool, finally able to be a stay at home mommy!

What's a normal day like for you?

I know that most think us SAHMs watch Oprah and eat bon bons all day, well sorry to burst your bubble but it is Wife Swap we watch, Oprah is soooo 2000. Seriously, what is considered "normal"? Every day here is quite the adventure. For example, today it is the adventures of "make sure the laundry is done before mildew sets in".

What are some holiday treats your kids love that are cost effective for a large family?

Since my oldest started preschool, we have been making "chocolate PRENTZELS" for the holidays. They are super easy, super cheap, and look so cute in those little snowman shape gift bags when we give them as teacher gifts!

Favorite place to shop for gifts during the holidays?

Anywhere there is a sale, that's where! I am all about a coupon and free shipping online! I can't say that I have a favorite. I start making my LIST early on, then keep my eyes on the ads and online. For example, Old Navy offers great deals for cardholders this time of year. A couple of weeks ago they had the "stuff n save" sale, I got 50% off my entire purchase and 10% off all December purchases....plus rec'd a $20 coupon in the mail. Woo hoo!

How do you cope when the to-do list is piling up?

Cope? There is no "cope", you just "do"!

Any tricks for quick meals during the week?

SLOWCOOKER! I have discovered that it helps me keep my sanity, and my family is ever so grateful for it. Sure helps not to have to start prepping dinner during homework time...

How do you escape or unwind?

I fill up my ginormous soaking tub, grab a book, and hideout for as long as they let me.....

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