Oliver... /  by Jessica Peterson

A Wonderful Distraction: My nephew Oliver was here for the past four days and I was able to play mommy with him during the daytime. We had some serious adventures, we went to "Fat Kitty-Cats" to bowl, there were 7 balls stuck in the gutter by the end of the game but he won. We stared at rotten animal carcases at the Bean Museum, we ate chicken nuggets, golfed at a run down mini-golf course while melting snow dripped on our heads through the roof, bought guns and shot suctioned-darts at the window until we tired of it. We drank apple juice from the box and munched on cookies while watching Disney movies, Oliver would laugh and then I would laugh because he was. Each evening I would start to count down the minutes when I could drop him off at my moms so I could have some time to myself but the second I did I began to miss him so bad it hurt.
Nick and Oliver drove home today. I will ignore that piece of reality for a bit longer.

So... I am getting closer to the edge of insanity. I hoped to have found my purpose by now but I feel more lost than I was a month and a half ago. Like today I had an epiphany I wanted to start my own business selling cutesy cupcakes and then remembered that yesterday I had an epiphany about becoming a children's book writer and the day before yesterday I wanted to open a dog shelter for unwanted puppies who would otherwise be put to sleep. I feel like because there are a million and one options and paths I could do anything, but because of that mindset I find myself at a stand still. Still wondering what to do... where to go and how to get there.

I am going to take a step soon. I promise. It will be scary and once I do I will need to put all of my energy into it until it becomes the "right" thing for me to be doing.

/  by Jessica Peterson

All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl. All Play And No Work Make Jess A Dull Girl.

Check this guy out! /  by Jessica Peterson

I was just looking through old photographs when I fell upon this gem...

It's a photo of D, Mel, Matt, Chris....

and some dude who decided to make a cameo in my photo.


Are his pants on backwards?




I hope your mommy somehow randomly stumbles across this blog and sees you with your hand down your pants... Classy.

/  by Jessica Peterson

So if anyone knows me they know I don't go anywhere without a little notebook in my purse. I have this obsession with writing down everything and nothing. I was feeling a bit dry for ideas and decided to flip through old books to steal ideas from my past-self.
I found this quote I jotted down and wanted to share it.
I copied it from the book, ''Writing Down the Bones''.

"Our lives are at once ordinary and mythical. We live and die, age beautifully or full of wrinkles. We wake in the morning, buy yellow cheese, and hope we have enough money to pay for it. At the same instant we have these magnificent hearts that pump through all sorrow and all winters we are alive on this earth. We are important and our lives are important, magnificent really, and their details are worthy to be recorded... We were here; we are human beings; this is how we lived. Let it be known, the earth passed before us. Our details are important. Otherwise, if they are not, we cab drop a bomb and it doesn't matter."

I liked this when I read it 3 years ago and I like it even more today.

I am a crap writer and even worse at spelling but I love that I am able to record the little bits and experience I pass through with a camera. I hope that this woman's words inspire you to make your presence known, and the small and simple things are just as important as the big, loud experiences.

I wrote this list about this time last year.

I absolutely adore:

Poster's face. A song I never tire of. Toast with warm butter. Being able to just fall asleep. Indian food. Oliver's interpretation of my name. Little Jimmy's kisses. My back being scratched for long periods of time. New love for hot wings. New sketch books. Being understood. Hidden gem friendships. Finding those who poses the lost art of sincerity. Floral patterns. The flood of new ideas and my pen there to help me with them. The color of my room.

/  by Jessica Peterson






I just want to say that the Lewis' are some of my favorite people. They have always treated me like I am an appendage part of their family and I am grateful to them.
Chloe is just too perfect not to document and Charee was kind enough to let me photograph her. I was excited when I found out that the red feeding chair (is that what it is called?) is the chair her grandmother used... I love little bits of history mixed in with today's world.

/  by Jessica Peterson

Today:

I woke up.
Shot a family for some moneys.
Ate a J dog.
Bought some paint for a new project.
Pulled out my camera and shot for myself

It is nice to just shoot... no worries about the commercial value of the image or that someone else would need to approve of it to give it a place in this world. I just wanted enjoyed myself so I shot what jumped out at me.
I live in an adorable little house with gorgeous big windows, the light that enters my home is always warm and welcoming. I wanted to keep it for myself.

I also started developing the new project, I don't know that I will post anything from it for a while but I really hope it can grow into something and not stay locked inside me.





/  by Jessica Peterson


I just shot these, It's strange how fruit and veggies can become so beautiful when you just look at them... as they are... not as banana or a potato. My goal tomorrow is to try and look at everything with fresh eyes, replace the symbols that everything has become with the nature of it.

Gosh, I feel like an old hippie lady getting emotional over fruit

/  by Jessica Peterson

Poor Melanie and Ben.

They came over to say hi and I made them victims. That's what you get when you walk into my house looking all good and stuff....
Ha ha ha.


oh man I need a job.














Thanksgiving 2008 /  by Jessica Peterson

I spent the week in San Juan Capistrano with the larger part of the family.
To say it was a good week would be a gross understatement, to be trapped in a
large house with my favorite people for a week was just what I needed.


Oliver and Jimmy



No joke, little Jimmy couldn't get enough of T tossing the ball at his head


Chris has a nice bum eh?


If your heart isn't melting at this point you might be a scarecrow





/  by Jessica Peterson

RUBY'S DINER
It has been a tradition for years to do Ruby's on Friday

watching the train
Abby reminds me of well.... me.



I was tempted to turn this last picture black & white and photoshopping a red rose in his hand
ha ha ha.... what do you think?

/  by Jessica Peterson

So, my step-mom has been throwing these huge party-weekends for the past few years for Thanksgiving. This year we had a chili contest, my chili tied for 1st place... we had a wii bowling tournament and ran the Turkey Trot 5K in Dana Point (Chris kicked everyones trash).
But last Friday she had rented the Science Center in Orange County.
It was pretty fantastic.

Chris and I in the spooky hall of Bats


Bed of nails.


Earthquake closet


Okay, here was the highlight of the evening, there was a huge pin wall that kept us entertained for a good hour or two.


Me and Chris


Chris, Jimmy, my body, nicks face above my body (thank goodness!)


T made a wall of T-faces.
He's so vain.


Everyone in the group, if you can pick me out I will give you a dollar.


Cutest little hands.