Just Jen

It's Show Time!

Spring is here, which means it's time to start painting pots again! My first show of the season is this Wednesday, April 2, at University Park Elementary School in Dallas from 8:30- 5:00. This will be my 3rd year to do the show, and I always have a great time! There are lots of vendors in the gym (where my booth is located) and also in a HUGE outdoor tent. It's really great shopping - every year I have to force myself not to spend more than I make. I'll take some pics at the show and recap later. Check out the "where to find us" page on my website for more details on the show, including a pdf you can download with a map and even a weather forecast so you'll know what to wear!

Taxes

I love having my own business. I HATE doing the taxes. This is the view I had this evening - a sea of receipts from the past year. And that's not all of them. There are a few that have gone MIA. I usually start out the year vowing to be more organized and prepared so I don't have to devote hours and hours when it comes time to do taxes at the end, but every year I fall off the wagon, oh I'd say long about February or so. My receipts for this year are already a mess. I work best when I have a deadline, and April 15th is fast approaching... We normally do them online ourselves, but that's risky with two very right-brained, math deficient people. So this year we have decided to turn it all over to the hands of a seasoned professional and take every possible deduction he can dream up. Then it'll all be over until next year - whew!

C.S.I.

I stepped out on my front porch on this cold, rainy, extra early (time change) Monday morning to go to work and almost stepped on a little bunny who decided that our doorstep was the appropriate place to take his last little breath. Eww. I certainly hope it's not an indication of the kind of week this is going to be...

When I returned home from work, this is what I found where the poor deceased bunny had been. I put my husband in charge of cleaning up the scene of the crime. Need I say more?

Sprouts

We've come full circle this week with the weather - from spring to snow and back to spring again. I walked outside today in short sleeves expecting to feel a chill in the breeze, but surprisingly, the sun and the air were warm. Up go the windows again! I love this time of the year. I decided to check on my tiny little garden to see what was starting to come up. I was excited to find that the Purple Coneflowers I planted last year have returned. They are by far my favorite garden flowers! My Lantana, Mexican Petunias, Cannas and Ginger have all started to grow again as well. When it's closer to Easter and we've had our last frost, I'll put some Morning Glory seeds in the ground - my other favorite. I'm sure I'll saturate my blog with garden pics all spring long!

Snow Dog

Mom and Dad got a lot more snow than we did the other night, so the next morning Mom went out and took some pics in the backyard. Dixie seems to love the snow - it seems to energize her. Mom said she was running around and playing in it like a puppy. As soon as she saw that Mom had the camera, she came over and laid down so she could take some pics of her. It was almost as if she was posing for the camera! As soon as she finished, Dixie jumped up to play again. Such a silly, lovable dog.

Bloom

My paperwhites finally bloomed! And they smell lovely, I might add. Just like spring. Which is a welcome thing in the winter when outside it's anything but. So easy to grow, too. No dirt required, just water and sunlight!

VOTE!

I'm standing here in line - a very very long line - waiting on my turn to vote. The Texas Primary takes place today. Sure, it's annoying to wait for so long, but wonderful that so many turned out to exercise one of our most precious constitutional rights. I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of election time - all the news coverage, the barrage of ads on TV - I'll be glad to have a break for a few years before it begins all over again. But I'm so grateful to live in a country where I have a voice. And it does indeed count. See you again in November!

Snow!!!

I said I'd be back in a coat and gloves by this week, right? We'll, this was last night, just 2 days after I'd pulled out my capris and a t-shirt for a walk on a nice 70-something degree day. That's Texas weather for you. My husband decided that 11:30 pm would be a good time to go outside and make a quick snowman (which we left in my neighbor's driveway :) He also decided against pants, a coat and gloves - I married a smart one. Anyway, we knew we better have our fun while we could, because at the first sign of the sun this morning, it was already melting away. Maybe this afternoon it will be warm enough for a swim in the pool. Kidding, Mom, and yes - I WAS wearing a scarf, gloves and PANTS. :)

Nature Walk

It's that in-between time here in Texas when the plants are starting to sprout little leaves and berries in spite of the fact that we probably have another freeze or two on the way before spring. Oh, but it certainly felt like spring today! Perfect temperature somewhere in the 70's, cool breeze, and a sunny blue sky filled with big white fluffy clouds. We threw open all the windows to air out the house. I just love all the sounds that float in - the tinkling of neighbors' windchimes, kids whizzing by on their bikes and skateboards. I couldn't bear to waste the whole day inside, so I pried my husband from the computer long enough to take a little walk. I collected a few twigs and berries as we walked, (ok, so I had a pretty good armful), and when we got home I arranged them in vases. It's such an easy and inexpensive way to make a big impact in a room. I put them in my bathroom and bedroom, where I'll see them often and be reminded that spring indeed is on the way, even though I'll probably be back in a coat and gloves next week.

My Throne

I am a huge LOST fan. My husband is not. But he knows how important that one hour every Thursday night is to my general happiness. So occasionally I will come home from work to find that he has transformed my already very comfy red chair into the ultimate throne. He layers up comforters and sheets and piles on about 6 pillows so I can watch LOST in extreme comfort. The only bad thing about it is, once I get settled in for LOST, I usually don't want to get up again until after Conan to go to bed...oh, well. I guess one night a week wasted isn't too bad. Especially after a hard day at work. I get to relax, and my husband is awarded his much needed points for the week :) Although, he inevitably loses a few, because he usually decides that it is the perfect time to make a lot of noise in the kitchen doing the dishes. He thinks he's funny.