a child is born!

Well, not really. But hey! Guess what? I made a website yesterday! That's right, I'm officially the proud owner of www.jennychristen.com!

It's a work in progress (and always will be), but there is a thing or two available to view. I need to read up on CSS/Html coding and make it all snazzy and stuff (aka nerding out). Keep checking back, there's bound to be changes!

I hope you enjoy. I feel all grown-up and stuff.

---> BEHOLD: MY SITE! <---

hairs

I got my hairs cut and colored tonight! I'm now sporting a short curly bob and red lowlights. Preeeeeetttty sassy!

of yesterday

My new mortar & pestle, a sweet find at the Asian Market:

Perusing the Asian Market for dinner ingredients:

Coming home and making dinner (again!):

Eating dinner (red miso soup + veggie stir fry):

Friends and a movie (The Big Lebowski) at C. Lee's:

Finally, karaoke and drinks with my sister:

The end!

From my walk to school this morning. It began to snow the moment I stepped out the door. So quiet and beautiful.

surprise!

AFTER WRITING THE LAST POST, I looked to my left to see my most beautiful best friend lingering toward me in the library! She came from Grand Forks to visit for a day or two and COMPLETELY BRIGHTENED MY DAY! A total surprise! I feel so refreshed!

Naturally, we got coffee and spoke of wonderful things. Since graduating this past winter she's been my motivation (now that she's not under any stress to complete of that so-called "homework" business that we college folk are shackled to). I would write about Holly every day if I could if it weren't slightly obsessive and/or creepy!

Also, I must mention my App of the Day! It's AutoStitch, a camera app that allows you to merge photos into beautiful, nearly seamless panoramas. I'm a huge fan. Here's an example of an AutoStitch panorama of my room (not the best, as C informed me, then casually suggested I take one of his iPhone photography classes):

Pretty cool, right? Life feels exciting right now.

Back to work…

xx

j

I've been MIA because 1) I worked every stinking day, all weekend B) This is going to be a ca-rrrrrrazy week at school and I already want to crawl into a hole rather than surrender myself to the homework police that are out to get me.

I worked this morning with a new client, a 17-year old, who had the day off from school. We went to a bridal store to look at prom dresses — something I haven't done in years and years! It brought back a rush of high school days…

I really need to push myself hard this week and press on! Everything's going to work out.

I think this woman is stunning — especially the hat and rouge lips. Can't go wrong with classic.

via Sartorialist

Prepping dinner on what little counter space I have in my teenie tiny kitchen!

Yogurt cilantro sauce

I MADE DINNER TONIGHT.

As in: I made a plan, a list, went to the grocery store, bought everything on the list, came home, prepared the items I bought, cooked, and ATE IT. It felt amazing! Lentil and walnut burgers and spinach salad. It was just what I needed!

Then I cleaned the apartment, which also felt amazing. I haven't had any time to do either of these things and it was SO soothing. I mean, I was actually looking forward to cleaning my bathroom. Really. That's how often I'm not home!

I've been photographing here and there with my phone. Here are a few from the last day or so:

My car…the last one standing in the school parking lot

Night in the design department…quiet and eerie

Cutout letters nearly ready to be assembled to my sign!

Right now I'm DIVING into several new projects, including a few packaging systems (my favorite!!). I'm so eager to get rolling on things that sometimes I forget I have to sleep at some point…such as now…

hip with it

I actually got to SLEEP IN this morning…it was naughty and I shouldn't have, but I did. I woke up at 9:30 and took a hot shower while pondering what I'm going to work on first when I arrive at school. My work needs to be as close to show-ready as possible for a review with my professor tomorrow.

Well, I'm still sitting in my bathrobe (yes, the one my mom gave me for my 16th birthday), eating breakfast in bed and doing my Internets stuff. There's a nice spray of sun coming through the window and people are rolling through the street on their way to class.

Oh, and I'm listening to Justin Bieber. No judges.
Quite the morning, we'll see how long it takes to get my buns out of bed again…

//////

Also, I bought more Apps for my iPhone last night. Hipstamatic (used to take the two photographs in this post) lomolomo, and several others! I'm having too much fun with this!

carrying on

So, it's not the end.

I've decided to stick around school for yet another semester and work toward my BFA degree. It was a really hard decision that all came down to several things:

01. I don't feel ready yet (will I ever feel ready?) to jump into that real thing called the "real world." I'm always looking for more experience and I think another semester will do me good. I will feel regretful if I don't at least try.

II. I missed the graduation application deadline. By a month. Whoops. And I took it as a sign that I'm supposed to stick around.

More school can never hurt and I know I can have a successful semester. It's at my fingertips, and I'm working this semester to make everything align for the future — scholarships, ideas, confidence. I even have a summer internship at my fingertips…something I thought I wouldn't be able to say this early in the year!

It's going to be hard. I don't want to be here right now, especially after I've tasted other places. But I know I'll get back there as soon as I'm done, sooner or later, I'll return to where I've been…and it will be worth the wait! Good things come to those who wait.

I recall a quote by John Burroughs that I know I've posted before, and will repost. It reminds me that there is happiness and opportunities everywhere, if you only find the optimism within your surroundings:

"The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are. Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every place is the center of the world."

Last night I took these screen grabs from a map of the route from Minnesota to California. Where I want to be right now is 1785 miles away, and I'm going to find it again someday!

Now I'm gathering up patience to sit still and, with hope, succeed. That's something to feel really good about.

Decision was made,
dreams still wait like paused surprises
A half smile
Wishes and kisses and
adventure swinging midair
ready to run.

My old compadre Kelli stayed last night with me, completing the weekend trifecta of sleepovers! She was passing through town from G-Forks for a conference, and we had a nice (brief) time catching up. Kelli has been my friend since 7th grade, and we've had some great times. Together we've done plenty of boyfriend coaching (which, in hindsight we've realized how silly our high school relationships were). We've snuck out together for all the right reasons, and taken blames together for our mistakes. We huffed and puffed and wheezed together after running our races in track and sat benches together in softball and volleyball. We've cling wrapped cars and baked cakes and done dances together. We got our licenses together, and drove around the streets of Minot together with loud, vulgar music playing. There is not a stretch of Broadway we've not cruised ten times or a moment in her Chevy Celebrity (or my Olds Eighty-Eight) that we didn't feel young and wild. Kelli has been around a long time!

Now it's back to schoolwork FOR REAL. This is a big week with my favorite, deadlines. I've alleviated the pain of being in studio today by gifting myself a box of Valentine truffles and eating them recklessly…

Happy Monday — and of course, Happy Heart Day.

Heidi stopped over this afternoon after work (we both worked overnight shifts) for a chat and a slice of cake. Sister time is always pleasant, and the sunshine made it more so.

One thing I learned from my aunt Amy is that it is necessary to indulge in flowers. I bought a bunch a few months back and they brought so much life to my tiny apartment. Last night I decided to give flowers another whirl, and brought home a fun bunch of pink and purple blossoms. They light up my kitchen table and make me excited about Valentine's Day — even if, really, there's nothing to look forward to this Valentine's Day (in my opinion)…

(PS: This photo was taken with Instagram on my iPhone! You can follow my uploads here. Friend me, too, if you're interested!)

and the beat goes on

Holly came to visit me (again!!) for a birthday weekend jam fest. We had a blast! A casual dinner, then little black dresses and martinis on the town (follow by other various brightly-colored cocktails) and plenty of laughter. It was incredibly lovely.

The complete elation of my birthday goodies: My very own cupcakes, Heidi's red velvet cake (a traditional gift), and flowers (to myself, from myself)!!

On another note, I had a special delivery arrive yesterday in the form of an Apple iPhone, a birthday gift from my family. After two and a half years with my old phone, it was time for an upgrade. I am elated! The most exciting aspect of the phone is having photography at my fingertips…! I will post up the other neato gifts I received, including fabulous trinkets from my sisters, a cute card from my dad, and artwork from C.

Me being completely shocked about the awesomeness of my new gadget. I'm wearing the SUPER SWEET yellow necklace (made of pins!) that my sister and brother-in-law bestowed upon me for my birthday. And yes, I'm in my bathroom.

How did I get so lucky this week? Thank you, one and all! And if I ever need to smile, I have this to look at…

My best friend is…the best.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

xx

jc

the age of aquarius

I am 23 years young today. It's been a beautiful day full of reminders from people and places that I love. I am so grateful!

I believe that a birthday, not New Years, is the best time to look back at at a year — after all, it's when a person's clock was set in motion. This year has been particularly enriching for me. I had the opportunity to take the cross country road trip of a lifetime, spend a summer in San Francisco, intern at a wonderful photo center, and live every day with keen curiosity. This year I gained confidence, understanding, and a sense of self. I lost things, too, but that's life. I am learning how life goes.

Twenty-three years ago, at 3:56 a.m., I landed on this thing, "life." I didn't have a name for 16 hours. I was almost a Margaret. But here today, all 5-foot-one-inches of me, I'm Jenny!

To everyone that has been a part of my life this last year — and throughout the past 22 — thank you for embracing my wayward, peculiar soul. I am thankful for those by my side!

xxxx
jc

I haven’t failed;

I’ve had 10,000 ideas that didn’t work.


– Benjamin Franklin

For whatever reason, my heart is yanking me in so many inexplicable directions.
I wish I could find my way…

A few photos from the past few weeks.

Song of the evening.

Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way

I think this woman bears resemblance to my older sister, Kacy. Both have defined eyebrows (that I wish I had), brown eyes, pronounced smiles, and a short, brown 'do. Not to mention they are both stylish! I enjoy this woman's side fade, her frenzy of wristlets, and pocket square.

At some point in my life I'd like to have short hair like this—though it might be quite poodle-esque with my curls. I'll give it some time.

(photo compliments of Sartorialist, of course)

ageless wonder

TODAY IS MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY. I won't say how young she is, but she is an ageless wonder and a graceful, groovy woman! How lucky I am to be a part of her life!

Until recent years, I never understood everything my mom has done for me throughout my life. In retrospect I see how many socks she's folded, meals prepared, miles driven dropping her kids off where they needed to be. Or how many cards she's sent, sporting events she's sat through —not to mention the amount of germs and kid goo she's wiped off of every surface over the past 27 years is astounding. The gallons and gallons and GALLONS of milk and groceries she's shopped for and hauled into the house over the years, only to watch it all disappear in two days. All the Christmas stockings and Easter baskets she's filled and filled and refilled. Every birthday party she's hosted and the lunch money she's sent to school, every single bathtub she's wrangled children into and out of.

Then sending each child off to college, hauling the tables and the chairs and bedding up six floors, and ensuring such comfort in a new place; like clockwork, a Friday phone call; and so many 'thinking-of-you's'! So many warming thoughts.

I want to send my mom warm thoughts today — her day! She is a very special woman.

Also, she's a babe.

xx

j

I have this wonderful curl today. A crazy tendril.

I think it's really lovely and spunky, and there's no one around to share my joy!

Also, I'm wearing my favorite Where's Waldo sweater. It's like wearing a hug.

It's a good night.

Some GOODS are going up on etsy soon. Vintage/retro purses. Stay tuned.

estelle is 12!

Estelle, love, my birthday gift to you:

In a box, on his way to San Francisco.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GURL!!!!! (Eddie, too!!!!)

dog days

Song of the day.

I want to be the girl that's drumming!

I'm trying to chill out, so I decided it was, once again, fun design time.

Fictional book covers, for books I plan to write. Maybe. In 2052.

Lately, I've been seeing this guy quite a bit. Swatches and I. Going steady.

february!

My favorite month. Pretty much.

mondo for piperlime!

Mondo for Piperlime Mi Corazon Women's Tee — I be wanting this bad!

Let's work together to stop this crime.