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Rain.

Someone told me once it rains as much in Charlotte (where I live now) as it does in Seattle (where I grew up). That’s based on a total measurement of precipitation.

I love rain.

The rain in Charlotte is often coupled with much more of a storm environment versus the slow and steady drizzle in Seattle. In Charlotte, we hear the rain on the rooftop as soon as it starts, and I think that’s where much of my love stems from. I feel connected to it – surrounded in the cleansing and renewing aspect of each drop.

Linda - As random as a comment can get… I am leaving for Bahrain on Thursday. Tonight, I’m looking for a few treats to tuck into a care package for our sailor who will be meeting me,when her ship pulls into port. I found myself doing what I have so often done since reading the post referenced below, several years ago. I pulled up the post…and used it as a guide for the care package I’m putting together. THANK YOU!

http://jessicamcdougall.blogs.com/jessica_mcdougall/2008/02/fashion-beauty.html

Sweet peas.

Jeffrey and I are spending the week at Canyon Ranch. It’s a wonderful, renewing place – that makes you feel healthy all over. Our last visit was in the summertime – when the temperatures were much hotter, so this year’s visit is a nice change. One of the ultimate delights of this visit was the welcome area covered in these sweet peas. My favorite.

susan - My aunt goes there twice a year and swears by it…I’ve always been tempted to join her!

What’s on Your…

VANITY: All my dailys. Q-tips, Keihl’s Creme de Corps lotion, CeraVe cleanser, CeraVe PM lotion, Rodin Olio Lusso, Clarisonic, Sonicare toothbrush – and my new favorite Roc Multi-Correxion (because inevitably, I’m getting older).

PERENNIAL TO DO LIST: Organize everything in sight.

REFRIGERATOR SHELVES: Lots of berries. Salsa from the Farmer’s Market. Brown eggs. Pink Lady apples. A little box of caramels – I like to keep them cold. Yogurt drinks for Gabrielle. Tillamook Sharp Cheddar.

ITINERARY: Headed to Canyon Ranch for the week.

FANTASY ITINERARY: Asia!

PLAYLIST: Leonard Cohen. Tuck & Patti. Maxwell.

NIGHTSTAND: Bamboo eye mask – so calming. Bebe Day by Day – logical little mama philosophies based on French parenting – which are so in line with my own.

WORKOUT PLAN: A little treadmill. A little weight machines. Mostly abs, legs, and bum.

IPHONE: Pinterest. Instagram. And lots of text message communication with all my favorite people.

TOP 5 LIST: 1. Eating and living healthy. 2. Always challenging myself to learn and grow. 3. Presence in the moment with Gabrielle. 4. Not focusing on things outside of my control. 5. Discovering my best me.

BUCKET LIST: Sell my ideas. Travel the world.

MIND: Gratitude. For my health and happiness – and for having an inspiring, wonderful partner in life.

BLOGROLL: The Glow. Cubicle Refugee. Curiosity Counts. Sunday Suppers. And many, many more!

WALLS OF YOUR FAVORITE ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE: Bright white paint (that covered a brick wall)! It’s the best lit space in our home – and it makes me happy every time I see it.

LIQUOR SHELF: The only liquor in our home is champagne. I’ve got a couple bottles always ready for celebration. Preferably Ruinart.

LAST CREDIT CARD STATEMENT:  Manicure + tip, new swimsuits for Gabrielle (she’s growing way too fast), Stella McCartney lucite wedge.

SCREENSAVER: Fliqlo flip clock.

TV EVERY NIGHT: It’s almost always off during the week. But if it’s on – it’s typically E! Channel and preferably Fashion Police.

susan - How did I not know about bébe day by day?! Downloading now! Merci :)

What’s on … | Box 53b - [...] via Kal (who borrowed it from Jessica) [...]

Jen @ Cubicle Refugee - Hey hey Jessica,
Thank you for the praise and shout out today !
I am a fan of yours as well.
Happy Spring !
-Jen-
Cubicle Refugee

Mary - Fun! I loved “Bringing Up Bebe” – made me wish I lived in France!

What Gabrielle Eats.

Gabrielle’s latest and greatest request at mealtime is “Can you make me a plate of stuff? Surprise me!”

And so I’m quite grateful for fun divided plates where I can chop up a variation of colorful items and sneak in a special little treat here and there – always attempting to keep things colorful. If any space on the plate is left unfilled, Gabrielle’s first question is, “What’s going in this space?”

We talk a lot about what’s healthy food and junk food – and she likes to try to convince me that certain foods are healthy because she knows I always suggest those first. AKA “Goldfish are healthy, mama!”

The meals my mom made growing up were always healthy and balanced – consisting of proper portion sizes
and a satisfying blend of fresh foods. I remember having a divided plate that my mom used to fill with bite sized foods just like I do for Gabrielle. Thank you, Pati, for setting a great example!

Angie - I have two of these divided plates from Crate and Barrel. I make after school buffet for my boys on these everyday. A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

susan - I am reading and planning meals, getting an early start. I’ll admit-I’m intimidated by it, and want to give them the best possible options. Thanks for sharing this…love the plate! May I ask where from?

Joshua Tree.

At the commencement of one of the best weekends of my life – a gathering of some of my most favorite ladies – we made a trek to Joshua Tree National Park. I loved that there was desert landscape as far as the eye could see. We parked on the side of the road and decided to climb up to catch a glimpse of the sunset.

We made it to the top just in time. It was a spiritual moment to be both in tune with the environment and surrounded by friends who appreciate so many of the same things I do in life.

susan - wow…breathtaking! I was enjoying your IG’s from the trip and wishing I had a big group of friends like that to travel with!

domi35 - I’m convinced it was an unforgetable moment. lucky you

Approaching Four.

I just found this picture of Miss Gabrielle – and oh, the flood of memories.

She’s approaching the age of four, and as I’m sure so many experience a similar sentiment – where has the time gone?!

Who she is becoming as a little one is the ultimate joy for Jeffrey and me to experience. She has an incredible vocabulary of wonderful words – yet the word that makes her laugh the most is poop. It warms my heart to see so many of her idiosyncrasies are clearly derived from Jeffrey. She is both the ultimate discoverer and a handful all at once. She’s a negotiator and always asking, “Does that sound like a good deal, mama?” She always wakes up and immediately wants to get the day rolling. She’s learning so much about how the world around her exists and it’s becoming so evident to me how important her worldliness will be in her life ahead. I still scoop her up now and again and hold her like the sweet little baby she once was. I love that I had a good chunk of time to really be involved in her every move and now she’s getting a chance to see that mama also loves to work and achieve.

When we’re sitting together at the dinner table and hold hands to say what we’re grateful for, she always says, “I’m grateful for Mama and Papa.” Jeffrey and I just look at each other knowing there’s nothing better than to hear those sweet little words spoken from her innocent heart.

Jenn - Time does fly! Cannot believe she is four already! But guess I almost have a 14 year old and 11 year old :S

Enjoy the moments right! xo

domi35 - such a beauty. each child is like a flower

susan - oh so sweet…and whoa time flies in a scary way when you have children, no joke! she is so lovely…sending birthday love her way!

p.s.–henry and marie live in those gap PJ’s!

Bruna - Beautiful, Jessica.

Mary - So lovely. My daughter is just past 3 and yet it seems she just arrived – the days fly by so quickly.

Holidays were happy.

Spending the holidays in Charlotte this year was such a delight. It meant that I had extra time for lots of little details. And my vision of a super long table to seat just about 20 in our living space finally came to fruition! It was such a joy to be surrounded by family – enjoying the presence of so much love.

jenn - It looks beautiful <3
Miss you – just thought I'd pop in to see what you are up too!

Erin Huber - Lovely, just like you. So much amazing talent. And, I love Mama McDougall’s sentiment.

Mom - My all-time favorite dishes!! Your decorating looks awesome Jessica. I still have memories of when you were a little girl – waking us up in the morning to the surprise that you had decorated the table and made breakfast when you were just learning to cook. You have always loved making life beautiful.

Mary - What a lovely table! There is something so special about decorating for the holidays.

Paris: Twenty Twelve

The best souvenir from our recent visit to Paris is this little 8×8 inch blurb book made from my instagram photos. It’s over 250 pages of all our favorite sites and tastes and memories from the trip. (I ordered two copies – one for Jeffrey and me and the other for Gabrielle’s bedroom so she can flip through the pages whenever her little heart desires.)

When I was a little girl, I used to love to sit by our gas fireplace and look at family photo albums – and I can see from how she’s devouring this book, Gabrielle may be on the same path! It’s also delightful to hear her description and interpretation of the pictures.

A good number of the pictures in the book are images of food. I love how these bring back an instant memory – that’s both happy and sensory. These shots were from a visit to Marché Bastille. We came home with a rotisserie chicken and lots of fresh goodies.

Gabrielle with her daily croissant and the carousel at Parc Monceau (our new favorite) where she had her first live pony ride too!

Jess in Belgium: Super, Pretty Funny {No. 21} - [...] Creating souvenir memories [...]

Jen - I’ve been thinking of doing something like that but was worried about the quality of the photos in that book size. How was the quality for you? They look very good from your pictures of the book.

reeve - This is such a great idea – and your photos are amazing!

Rebekah - You are so full of amazing ideas! So cool! Great background too!

Susan - So fabulous!!

Kimberly Ackerman - Jessica, these little books have become one of my favorite ways to document our summers and other special events. Love the full page photos- so very lovely.

Denise - Oh, I so LOVE this! Beautiful! And what a fun book for Gabrielle to look at of your Parisian adventures.

Blog is where the heart is.

  • navy + camel
  • Camping party! I wou
  • Glue a magnet to the
  • Story Stones. So cut
  • Jan Joris Tuinarchit
  • Black and tan.
  • Mexican Haystacks wi
  • Vietnamese Banh Mi S
  • Honey sweetened cupc
  • glasses hair clips
  • Library by culmax.co
  • Broiled Caprese Sala
  • Balsamic and Onion P
  • mint + sunshine
  • The Famous Momofuku'

I’m so grateful (otherwise known as giddy and overjoyed) to Pinterest and Instgram (and the amazing friends and people I am a fan of that I follow) for all the mental and visual stimulation they contribute to my life on a daily basis.

My goal is to make my blog a place where you (and I) can come to see all that’s inspiring me at any given moment – what I’m thinking about or working on via my blog posts, the pictures of my everyday life that I’m taking on my iPhone and posting to Instagram (see the sidebar on the right), and the ideas, thoughts, and goodness I’m discovering on, and posting to, Pinterest (by way of clickable image posts like this one and the “recent pinterest” tab on the left).

When I started my blog back in 2005, a blog was really the only online outlet of its type to share that multitude of media. But now, the opportunities abound – and I’m super excited about the technologies that exist and the people out there creating plugins and writing programs and code to tie them all together!

Jen@madeinminch - Lovely blog :)
We are mutual followers of each other on pinterest pinterest.com/jenmadeinminch/ i love the format of your blog – great format!
Hurrah for visual inspiration :)

jessica - Hi Andrea,

I used http://www.blurb.com – their Instagram publishing.

Thanks for visiting!
Jessica

Andrea - Jessica,
What publishing site did you use for the little books?
Thanks,
Andrea

Lannie Daulton - Jessica,
I look at your blog every day. I couldn’t imagine you could improve on it, but you did! I do get inspiration and enjoy seeing Gabrielle grow up albeit from afar. I really enjoyed your information on your facial experience. Very, very informative! I remember an article you did on styling your hair. It was also interesting.

Keep up the good work. It’s very much appreciated!

Susan - Thank goodness for Pinterest + Instagram, I’m with you! What a great addition to our blogging world. ;)

Facials and skin care.

I’m revising and reposting some of my archived content as I am working to build all the images back into my original blog posts. This post (from 2007) hit home as lately I’ve been trying to further simplify my daily skin care routine.

Skin_analysis_2_2

I have received several questions about facials and wanted to shed a little light on my past experiences.

Since I was little, I’ve been looking at fashion magazines and seeing the beautiful skin of the models. I had no idea they were airbrushed, so in my mind, that was how I wanted and expected my skin to appear. I suffered with some breakouts throughout high school. And when I moved from Seattle, Washington, (mild and moist climate) to Tucson, Arizona, (hot and super dry) for college – my skin really suffered. The mixture of the dry climate and sun exposure was horrible for me. Inside I felt great, but on the outside, my skin didn’t reflect what I wanted it to. I tried every product I could get my hands on. (Which I now know is the worst thing you can do.) Moving back home to Seattle – being super conscious of what I ate, exercising regularly, and being out of the sun helped me get my skin where I wanted it to look.

In 2001, I was at a charity auction, browsing the items, and came across an Esthetique Medical Spa package for a series of chemical peel facials. I didn’t know any specifics about what that meant – but it peaked my interest immediately. Luckily, no one else discovered the item and I won the auction for $60. (The package was worth over $500!) The series helped my skin tremendously. And it was the first exposure I had to what a “facial” could do.

Since that time, I’ve had facials all over the world. Some for deep cleansing. Some for exfoliation. Some for hydration. And all had a component of relaxation associated.

Here is what I have found to be best for maintaining a great complexion:

• Facials are relaxing and refreshing – but unless there’s some form of damage reversal (peel, microdermabrasion, laser) involved, it’s not worth it to me. The cost of these treatments is minimal compared to the frequency required for surface facials or spending all kinds of money on over the counter products – that claim miracle results. If it sounds too good to be true (the cream version of Botox!), it probably is.

• If you’re going to have a deep cleansing facial, ask for light extractions and use the time for mental relaxation. The effects of the facial will likely wear off after a couple days – that’s why I prefer something that does more work to improve my skin.

• Go to a medical spa for facial treatments and ask for a consultation with the MD to start. The pictures above are from an skin analysis I had at Regenesis Medical Spa in Charlotte. These images are the first realistic view I’ve had of the damage done to my skin from laying out in the sun and tanning in booths. Seeing these gave me an opportunity to make goals about how I can to improve.

• Pick a simple skin care routine (and it doesn’t have to be costly). I use Cetaphil CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, prescription clindamycin pledgets, and Aveeno lotion with SPF Cerave PM lotion. The cost is around $20/month for these. Don’t be fooled by the fancy claims of some of the products on the market. Find items that work for you and stick to them. Spend (or save) the money you would have on over on the counter products and use it to reverse the signs of sun damage or aging with a chemical peel, microderm, or laser treatment.

• I’ve recently added SkinMedica’s Retinol Complex at night to aid in exfoliation. Since I’m on the airplane so much, I need to keep the regeneration of cells moving. It’s not irritating and I wake up knowing I’ve helped my skin through the night. The product was developed by a pharmaceutical company and was recommended by a dermatologist.

• Drink water. Eat for energy and nutrition. And exercise your mind and body.

2012 additions for a skin care plan:

• Visit a dermatologist. They can help you. Dr. McElgunn in Charlotte is the best I’ve encountered. He’s the first doctor I’ve ever visited that sees his patients exactly on time and based on his experience can immediately assess your situation.

If all else fails, and you’re having a crappy skin day, do this.

Shawn - After reading your post, I’m a little more inspired (and motivated!) to try a professional facial. I have extremely sensitive skin and have always been afraid of doing something like this for fear of irritating my skin. I have a hard time finding products that don’t irritate my skin and exfoliating products are typically horrendous for me! I did find one product I use sparingly (once a week, no more) from SkinMedica called Skin Polisher to exfoliate. I’ve always wanted to try a facial, if not for the skincare benefits, just to relax and pamper myself. Thanks for sharing what you do to take care of your skin!

Sherry - thanks for all the information. you have beautiful skin. i go to a skin specialist every 6 weeks for treatments as well and think they make the world of difference on how healthy my skin looks. the greatest advice she gives me is to read labels! just like with food, you don’t want too many harsh chemcials on your skin. remember it absorbs into your skin and then goes straight to your blood, liver and pancreas. so if you spend a lot of money on products, or just a little…read those labels.

alexandra - Hi Jessica,
Thanks for all the skin care info. I have wondered about chemical peels, microderm and laser – I am definitely going to look into it now. I really feel that my skin has changed a lot in the last year – stress, sun-damage and lack of sleep are mostly to blame for me.
Love the simple routine – Aveda cleanser for me and either Aveeno, Aveda or Neutrogena daily lotion. I’m looking for a good night cream and eye cream – perhaps I’ll try SkinMedica.
Do you indulge in any spa services regularly? Manicure, pedicure, massage?? Just wondering – you always look so polished and fabulous.
Thanks for sharing,
A.

Amy - I’m with Jill, I was happy to see another advocate for a simple routine. For me, if I add too many products, my skin goes nuts. The less I use, the better my skin looks & feels. And hey, I look at it like this-the money I save on skin products can be put towards other things, like clothes!

Jill - Thanks Jessica for your skin care tips. I’m happy to hear of another person who keeps a daily routine simple. There are so many products and ads out there to entice us, but I’ve also found that simple is better for me. I use Cetaphil, clindamycin gel in the morning, Differin in the evening (both scripts from my dermatologist) and Eucerin daily face lotion with SPF. Occasionally I’ll pat on a drugstore eye cream. That’s it. I’d highly suggest to anyone the importance of seeing a reputable dematologist. It’s made all the difference in the world for me with breakouts. I’m going to check in with mine about a chemical peel. Thanks for the suggestion.
Bring on the scarf ideas! I love scarfs, wear them often and am always looking for new ideas.

Jeannie - Thanks for sharing all that skin info!! Love it. Now that i’m getting older, i’ve been paranoid with my skin. any thoughts about eye creams/gels?

Gwen Ring - Thanks for sharing! These tips are very helpful. I’m thinking of starting to use SkinMedica from reading your review and the reviews on the helpful website, http://www.makeupalley.com. You can never really know if I products right for you until you try it but it always helps to hear others. Just thought I’d share the site!
Thanks again!

Danielle - Thanks Jessica! Sometimes you need a little push, ya know! I think I am going to try out my scarf tomorrow!!

Jessica - Hi Danielle,
I love scarves. I collect them. And there’s tons of ways to wear them! I’ll post a couple in the next few days for you to view. A couple of my favorites are tying them to a handbag, wearing them in my hair, and wearing them as a bracelet.
Take a risk!
Jessica

Jessica - Hi Jen,
I have several makeup favorites. Check back for a post just after the first of the year all about makeup.
Thanks for visiting!
Jessica

Danielle - What are your thoughts on botox later in life?

Danielle - Thank you for sharing your regiment. You do have gorgeous skin and it’s nice seeing what you do to take care of it. You always have great information and I appreciate you sharing it!! Happy Holidays! Oh one more thing, I was wondering if you like wearing scarves (not the winter kind!)? I have one that is really pretty but I feel weird wearing it!! Just wanted to know what you thought!! TIA!

Jen Ulrick - Thanks for sharing Jess! I have become a bit of a skin freak lately, and appreciate your insight. Would you be willing to share any favorite makeup brands or tips?

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