JO Blog

Our oldest son is 10 and we had not had “the talk” with him yet. I had been encouraging Kelly to talk with him while they were alone and he kept telling me the timing hadn’t been right. Feeling like he really needed to be told before someone else did I tried talking to him […]

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! It is incredible here….60 degrees with snow coming in a few days (can you believe that temp difference?). Kelly took Jack and Madolyn for a BMX ride and Ben is playing outside with the neighborhood big kids. He feels so big right now because they came […]

I have a been a lover of fashion since I was a little girl. I have shared before how my mom wouldn't let me buy the plastic high heels so I would put square blocks in my socks and pretend I was wearing high heels. I couldn't get my ears pierced until I was 13 […]

I love to take photographs and you will usually see me lugging a camera around with me wherever I go. My friend Courtney and I thought it would be fun to take photos with a purpose for the month of February. A way to show all the beauty around us through the lens. We named […]

I have a little time right now so I am taking advantage of it to tell you about Alt! It was amazing.  Really.  Incredible. Talented women/men everywhere.  Wonderful speakers and the perfect environment to have your mind blown away by all the talent out there. Before we begin I have to tell you that I […]

I am back from the most incredible conference. The Altitude Design Summit {ALT} was even more incredible than I could have imagined (when does that happen?). As I am getting back into the routine of home, meals, laundry, school, business..I wanted to take another day to process my thoughts before I tell you all about […]

I am really excited to start the new year getting together with good friends and talking shop. I leave tomorrow for the Altitude Design Summit. It will be four days of dinners, sessions with amazing bloggers/shop owners, brainstorming, creating, parties and even a little thrifting on the last day. It will be rooming with Melissa […]

I wanted to let you all know that I have stocked my shop with the last of the winter line.  This will be the final curtain call on the winter line and then all my attention will be on the spring collection. There are so many new things I am working on and I can't […]

There will always be negative things in this world but when we have our hearts open…our eyes open… There is still so much that is lovely, joyful and beautiful. Somedays the beauty is all around you and so obvious.  Then there are the days when it is harder to find and it becomes a choice. […]

Really. Take a deep breath. If you can do that you have the loveliest of gifts….life! At this moment each one of us probably knows of someone fighting for that breath or feel the loss of someone that has breathed their last. About a year and a half ago I was standing in line at […]

For Christmas I got two new books to add to the pile on my nightstand. Aren't the covers alone just gorgeous! Makes me want to get into my pajamas (oh, I am already wearing them..and I have been all day), make some tea, crank the heating blanket up and climb into bed. If I am […]

Sunday morning we woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground. This was a stark contrast to the previous day when I had gone running in 60 degree weather. As the morning went on the snow came down harder and it was changing our little town into a winter wonderland. In the […]

…I just got distracted! I carry my camera everywhere. I take photos everyday. Last year I was really good (for awhile) posting photos on my photo blog and then life. just. got. busy. So…..I will TRY to do better. I can not promise. Try. So, I would love for you to join me at the […]

  I saw this for the first time today and just wanted to share it with you. I hope it puts a smile on your face. Have a wonderful weekend. {please pause my playlist before you play the video} ****************************************** I am offering 20% off my shop this weekend. Just use the code HUGS2U at […]

I don't want to brag but I had some pretty mad hair skills growing up. Rarely in history has hair been so wide and high. When I was really little (before I took over my hair care) my mom would dry our hair by setting us on the toilet…lid closed of course….and putting a huge […]

I homeschool my children so most days they are with me. On Thursdays they go to their enrichment school ALL DAY! Yes, as much as I love having them home with me …I also love my days by myself. Tomorrow is Thursday and the first day back to their enrichment school since Christmas break. I […]

  I thought it was time for another installment of “Shop Talk”.  I bet there are many of you that want to grow your business this year. Maybe this is even one of your resolutions and something that is a priority to you. One of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to […]

When we were all little we dreamed of being the best at something. I dreamed of being a painter, writer and actress. I was the director, star and choreographer of every neighborhood play…hard to imagine I know:-) I dreamed of showing my art in a gallery, writing a hugely successful novel or singing on Broadway. […]

I know many of you that are feeling just that…We made it. It has been a really hard year for many. I have watched friends hurt this year like I have never seen before. I have watched friends lose a parent, bury a child, get layed off and struggle financially. My heart has been broken […]

I have to admit that the Christmas season just goes way too quickly. I still have my tree up and we will probably keep it up for a few more weeks.   I don't take it down until the soft glow of the tree is obnoxiously embarrassing in mid January. I wish people would act […]

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. The season goes so quickly except if you are a little child….then it drags on and on and Christmas morning seems like an eternity away. I wrote earlier that we were really trying to take this season to think of others more than ourselves. We […]

One of my very favorite parts about the Christmas season is the excitement of getting Christmas cards. I love adding each one to the wall and looking at all the people we love through out the month. We keep our cards and love looking at them each year as we bring out all of our […]

….I have become my parents. I am  having flashbacks on all the things that made me cringe or the things that gave us a good laugh…and I am now doing them! I embarrass my kids just because.  I will dance around the kitchen and I remember my mom doing the same thing. We sing A […]