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influencing.
Hey all! Time for some recap of my journey so far. So it’s been about four months since I decided to take the guardrails off of my Instagram account and go public.
For years I have been posting privately on Facebook and Instagram a visual diary of our family, our lives, and our matching outfits. I had a great, loyal following of close friends and family, and many would often reach out to ask where I got the outfits, my makeup, where we recommend going in different areas for lodging, eating, etc.
So I started to feel like I’d been an influencer in my own orbit, but also that I could be missing out on the chance to impact a lot more lives. In November of last year, I decided to give this little business – Fashion Meets Jess – a try and just see where it takes me. I went from about 100 followers to over 10k in just a few short months, and it has been such a fun ride!
I have worked with a few major brands so far, and have connections with Amazon, Pink Lily, Pinkblush, Sassy Queen, Magnolia Boutique (of Indianapolis), to name a few. Those relationships are still in their infancy, but I’ve already seen quite a bit of traction on my LTK (Like to Know It) account in terms of sales. I never started this as a means to make money – I did this because I’ve always been good with fashion and design, and think our family and our journey is worth following and sharing.
Most influencers that have been doing this for a while warn that things have changed since a few years ago, and algorithms bury posts and make it so hard for new voices to break through. My thought on that is that I was doing all of this before going public for fun, and I will continue doing it after going public regardless of how large my follower base grows. I really to enjoy it, and also find that many others seem to enjoy it as well.
But even if I never gain another follower, I still have such a blast picking out outfits, sharing them, finding fun stories to share and to tell, and interaction with all the lovely people out there on the Gram. I have made some great new friends, and just feel like over the long-haul I will be able to continue to grow my reach and influence.
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spring.forward.
So, here we are, into this blog’s third season!! I started this blog with the intent to have fun, share some of my talents with the world, and expand my reach.
In the months since then, I have grown from an Instagram count of roughly 100 to almost 7000 followers! Tom likes to use percentages, in his speak, that’s like 7000% increase! I can’t say how amazed I am with the support, and wanted take a moment for helping to be a part of this new experience for me!
Anywho…Spring always brings such an exciting sense of rebirth, renewal, and reflection. As bits of green start to pop through the dusty yellow lawn, and the Forsythia starts to pop their bright yellow tips, I get excited thinking about all there is to come.
About f-o-u-r Springs ago, Tom built us a raised bed garden box with a U shape so you can access all sides from the middle of the box. We have filled it with topsoil, compost, potting soil, etc., and each year we’ve planted a mix of flowers and fruit/veg.
While we have had some limited success with flowers and lots of fruits and veggies, we are more excited this year thinking the older girls can help take the responsibility of caring for and watering the garden.
We typically plant Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapeño and bell peppers, zucchini, pumpkin (no winners yet, but a girl can dream), along with various herbs like fresh basil (yes, Caprese salad, I’m talking to you), parsley, cilantro (amen!) oregano, and the like.
Every year, as the kids get a tiny bit older, we have tried to include them more and more, and this year will be our biggest collaboration yet. What sorts of things did you do to keep your kiddos in on the garden action?
Last, but not least, is the flowers. Dogwoods bloomed in white, willows shaking off the winter’s coat, and the west side of our flower box plantings starting – what could be better?
Speaking of better, how about Springing ahead? Sun-Friday will see the sun setting after 8 o’lock which is truly remarkable for the time of this year. Driving home tonight from dance class, the sun was still quite high in the sky – a telltale sign of summer fun approaching.
So, in spite of everything (we see you and support you Ukraine), humans still need to connect, to have fun, and find ways to unplug from all the negative news and happenings. So while we pray for peace, we also take the time to enjoy each new birth or rebirth along mother nature’s highway that whisks us from the cold winter nights to the hot summer days. And what a ride it is!
Best,
jess
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sunday.meat.loaf.
Nothing quite screams Sunday dinner after Church in below freezing temps like a roast, meatloaf, or chili. Today was one of those days.
By in large, we tend to stick to lean cuts of meat and usually have red meat no more than 1x per week or even less. But when we do, we try to go for the best. Our local market sells Schweid & Sons Prime Beef, actually geared towards burgers, but with its mix of Prime Chuck & Brisket, makes for a tremendous loaf.
A 2 lb helping of their beef set the stage for a simple meatloaf in the vein of a roast, with russets, carrots, and sweet onions in a beef broth with red wine reduction (just a 1/4 cup or so), and lots of spices, and even Daddy’s little helper.
I know that some people wouldn’t consider a loaf of ground beef a true meatloaf. Eggs, breadcrumbs, fillings, onions, mixed in spices, etc. all come to mind. That’s all fine and good. But Tom was raised with a simpler meatloaf – one that is literally just a loaf of meat, no fillers, additives, or anything fancy. Tom, being the fancy guy that he is, embellishes with browning the meat & onions, lots of spice on the meat to form a great crust, and then braising in his beloved Le Creuset Dutch Oven, but still honors his childhood with top notch beef, molded with nothing else.
I know, I know, that may sound boring. But done right, turns into a little bit of magic, with the simplicity of a quality burger, but the elevated flavors of an all-day roast. But don’t trust me – try it for yourself.
- 2 Lbs Prime Beef (or best quality you can afford or obtain) – we used Schweid & Sons Prime Chuck & Brisket
- 4 lbs Russet potatoes (lessen for a smaller vessel) – partially peeled & chopped
- 2 lbs Carrots – diced on the round edge
- Roughly 4 or 5 medium Sweet Onions – large chop (quartered)
- 2 cups Beef Broth – we used Swanson
- 1/4 cup red wine – whatever you’re drinking
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Onion, Cayenne, White Pepper, Oregano, Basil, Rosemary – no exact measurements here, just coat the meat generously and watch the magic happen
- Preheat the oven to 325 – We use the Convention Roast setting on our oven, but normal bake is fine
- Shape the meat. Don’t add any spices while shaping, just on the top.
- Coat generously with the spices above, or add or subtract to your own preference. This is meatloaf. It’s not Filet.
- Do some stretching, then break out your trusty heavy large pot – Tom’s is a large Le Creuset Dutch Oven – enameled cast iron in blue – and it is HEAVY.
- Preheat a generous amount of olive oil on medium-high heat, then place the meatloaf spice side down for a few minutes. Once you have a nice brown crust forms, use tongs to flip the loaf carefully, and brown on the back and each side for another few moments.
- Toss in the onions after the first side of the meat so they brown and add some caramelization to the pan sauce you’ve got going and to, well, themselves.
- Remove the loaf and onions, deglaze (fancy word for pour into something hot) the pan with the red wine, and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.
- Let the alcohol cook off for a moment or two, then add the potatoes, carrots, beef broth, and place the loaf & onions on top. My goal is to have enough liquid to mostly cover the potatoes and carrots, but to leave the meat and onions mostly exposed.
- Cook in the preheated oven for about an hour to an hour & a half depending on the size of your loaf and preferred doneness. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it is done to your preference.
- Sit back and enjoy! Let us know if you like this simple, flavor forward version of an American classic.
- Bon Appetit!
-jess
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fashion.boards
And just like that, February’s a memory. Goodbye skiing, another year gone by too soon.
But as Spring starts to make its annual emergence, I hear the call of sundresses, flirty skirts, sandals, Panama hats, and more. The days are getting longer, Daylight savings will soon give us light lovers an extra hour in the evening, and fashion trends are coming your way via my @fashionmeetsjess Insta page.
While it has been a busy winter for us, I am going to make it my mission to keep my fashion trend boards coming so that each week you have new inspiration. I plan to include women, mens, and kids so that inspiration for the whole family is present. Many of my boards are easily shop-able on my Amazon affiliate site – here – **reminder, as an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You can also shop my LTK (like to know it) page – here – for more inspiration across the web and across many fine retailers **another disclaimer – I may earn from qualifying purchases from this site as well.
Feel free to head over to @fashionmeetsjess and DM or comment to let me know what boards or inspirations you are looking for, and we’ll do our best to cover those topics in one of our weekly posts!
Today’s boards draw from Amazon and focus on dresses for Spring & Summer, along with coordinating favorites like necklaces, sunglasses, hats, and purses. I often wonder how there is ALWAYS new fashion available, and yet I am NEVER in want of finding new cute things to wear or shop – LUCKY us!
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hair.extended.
So the other day, I did a thing. I have been using clip-in hair extensions occasionally over the past year with success, but have been eyeing a more “permanent” option for some time.
I reached out, priced for 22″ sew-in extensions, and set up the time to make it happen. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but to my surprise, it was a painless proceedure that ran about two-hours in total or a cost of around $430. There are other tape-in options that are more affordable but I wouldn’t recommend, or the fusion/glue-in options, which, again, aren’t my preference.
The style I chose is known as an I-tip or I-Link microbead, which use tiny beads that attach the extensions to your natural hair. The hope is that they will only require maintenance every 3 months, depending on how fast my hair grows.
After the appointment, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed the newfound thickness and length with these extensions. Buyers remorse. In reverse! I am in love! My first thought was…why did I wait so long?
Since posting the initial pictures and info on my @fashionmeetsjess ‘Gram page, I have been flooded with positive comments, questions about pricing, and also a number of people who are going to follow my lead. To them I say, DO IT! You will not regret it.
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here.comes.february.
And just like that, January is headed to a close, and February beckons.
As we always try to do, we try to make each holiday and each season special and unique for the kids. Even though it is a bit early, I had some good ideas for cute Valentine’s pictures, and the girls were not only cooperative but actually having a great time.
I set up a simple white backdrop, their white PB Kids table from the playroom, and an assortment of Target balloons and Valentine’s goodies for a fun, festive shoot.
All the sweaters and decor are available on my LTK shop via the shop.my.look tab above. The sweaters are super cute and run mostly under $15.
In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, we typically make lots of festive treats, baked goods, and then a big Valentine’s Day breakfast once Cupid has made an appearance. Stay tuned for more February Fun…
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live.laugh.ski.
So after what felt like an eternity, the weather finally cooperated with some cold weather long enough for some PA skiing!! While we love all the seasons, and certainly love the warm weather, there is nothing quite like getting out on a cold, crisp January day, strapping a pair of slippery rockets to your feet, and blazing a trail down the…. bunny slope? Hah!
While Tom & I have been skiing for more than a decade, much of the past decade has been spent on and around bunny slopes and beginning greens as we teach our little ones to ski. We started Natalie at 2 years old, and have followed that tradition, with Autumn even getting on skis before her 2nd birthday. It is a lot of work to pour into our kids, with specialized gear to rent, equipment to carry, boots and skis to latch, etc. But as with most things in life, all of the efforts, all of the time and money spent, becomes irrelevant when years of work turns into a little one smiling and carving S turns down a slope with comfort, ease, and enjoyment.
This week, we had the chance to take our three girls, the youngest just over the age of 4, to Bear Creek Mountain Resort, one of our favorite haunts that is close to home. There was plenty of snow on the mountain, and being a weekday saw very little in the way of lines and lots of opportunity for us to get their “ski” legs back.
After that time, Natalie was ready to roll onto the regular lift, and Tom took her up as I stayed and worked with Savannah & Autumn.
For those of you that don’t already try it, our go-to has been to find a local ski shop by your home where you can lease skis for the season. This accomplishes two things – 1) you have a fixed cost which is usually made up if you go skiing more than a handful of times & 2) you bring your gear to the mountain, and avoid waiting in long lines each time you go to sign waiver, size up, and then get your gear. More-so than cost, this saves you precious moments that you could instead be working with the little ones and enjoying.
Also, we have tried most methods out there for training, including the “tether backpack” setup, where Mom or Dad wears a backpack and guides the child in front with “leashes.” For us, the thing that has worked best more than any other method has been to hold one pole horizontally, and have the child hold the end of the pole as far over as possible to avoid our skis getting tangled. This does require some wrist/arm strength, but really helps the kids get a feel for how their skis should feel and how to stop/turn while still having Mom or Dad as a safety net.
It is also quite easy to start teaching them to ski on their own by having them remove their hands but still keep the pole handy in case they need it as a crutch. Eventually, they learn to live without it.
Once this happens, we then try to have them follow close behind us. Tom or I will make very wide, exaggerated S turns in the snow, and we have the kids follow our snow tracks as closely as they can. Before you know it, they are making beautiful S turns just by simply tracing our pattern. It may not be a perfect teaching system, but it has worked wonders for us.
Our hope is to get the girls skiing at least once a week for the next 2 months, as ski season goes as quickly as it comes around these parts, and also hope for a ski-trip or two to give them that overnight experience. We had planned on a week in Vermont this year, but the combination of sub-zero Arctic blast the first week of January, and a little thing called COVID-19 had other plans.
I hope you enjoyed our post, and hope you get a chance to get out on the slopes this year before the snow retreats.
best,
jess and tom.
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power.smoothie.
A quick, easy, tasty smoothie recipe to help your New Years’ Resolutions get off to a solid start!
Since it is not always easy to have time or energy in the morning to get all of this together, I try to prep a week’s worth of smoothie’s in freezer gallon bags (minus the liquid) on the weekend, so during weekday mornings I can grab from the freezer, combine in the NutriBullet with the right amount of liquid, and I am set to conquer the world!
Power Smoothie Recipe:
- 1/2 frozen banana (if using fresh, add ice for consistency)
- handful of fresh baby spinach
- tsp natural peanut butter
- 2 scoops protein powder
- bag of frozen mixed fruit – cherries, mangoes, strawberries – picked up from freezer section at Target – $10 for a large bag
- 1/2 C to 1 C of Orange Juice (liquid depending)
I am not always in the mood to make a smoothie in the morning, so I try to prep ahead. I add all the ingredients in a. freezer gallon baggie except for the liquid. In the morning, I dump into a smoothie, add the liquid to approx level, and then add to the right consistency once blending.
I also use Moon Balance, an herbal mix from a company called Your Super that has tons of great, healthy stuff for that extra kick of nutrients – not necessary, but a definite bonus addition to an already power packed smoothie.
The whole enchilada takes just a few minutes to prep the night before in a freezer bag, and literally 60 seconds to dump and blend.
Enjoy!
jess
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planning our forever home
So the time has come for us to start prepping to build our forever home. We built our current home in 2014, back when we had 1 small child and dreams of having another or even 2 more. Fast forward 8 years, and we now have 4 kids, 2 dogs, and lots of new ideas of how we’d like our forever home to look.
While we have loved living here, and are blessed to have a safe, warm place to call home, we have known for quite some time that the house we built in our 20s would not the be the house that would carry us into our 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
We have been plotting our style ideas on Pinterest, House, iPhone Albums, etc. for as long as I can remember. Our style has shifted over time, from more traditional style colonial homes, to the rustic farmhouse, to now even more Nantucket/Cape Cod style.
Some of this has been influenced by our time spent at the beach house and proximity to cedar shakes, some by our desire for a nice, inviting, open living space, but none of our design is more driven than by the desire for light. From day to night, we’d like wide windows, bright sunshine, and light abound.
Our options are most likely limited to finding a country lot, or finding a current home, demolishing, and then building to suit. The latter actually sounds like a decent option as that allow out to use the prior footprint without additional storm water management considerations with can runs 10s or thousand or more for compliance.
Our wish list is high, with proximity to Tom’s office, girls activities, close to a good school, proximity to everyday staples like Target, Starbucks, various eateries, etc., but still have privacy, some acreage, and most impotently, southern exposure for abundant light.
We have been in talks with several builders, along with some auction houses, and also on constant monitoring on sites like Zillow & Realtor.com. There have been some possibles, but none that have met all our criteria.
You can check out my recent Instagram story to see our attempt this weekend to see a demo/rebuild land situation which did not make the cut.
As we carry on this journey, we plan to keep updating the progress here with photos and text. Feel free to ask questions, comment, and we will talk with you soon!
jess & tom
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stuffed.pepper.bake.
Simple weeknight dinner for those cold, snowy nights in early January for you all tonight.
So stuffed peppers are a common dinner in our area. Meat, rice, cheese, sauce, stuffed in a bell pepper and baked until done. Pretty simple. But kids don’t always like the look of big green bell peppers coming at them. So we try to spice things up, and tonight, went for a bit of a deconstructed stuffed pepper bake, and it was a hit!
Basics:
- 5 green bell peppers
- 1 lb. organic grass fed beef
- 2 bags of microwave ready jasmine rice
- 1 28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes (if not avail – petite diced Hunts will also do)
- 2 medium sweet onions
- 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Spices
- salt. black pepper. white pepper. garlic.
- paprika. cayenne.
So we have fun just kind of cooking by instinct – i.e. with no set plan or recipe. So we took a traditional stuffed pepper and deconstructed it to make it more appealing to the kids.
Chop the peppers & onions. Saute on medium high with lid cracked to also steam them (to soften). Remove lid after soft to create some browning. Scoop from pan, and then brown the meat. Drain. Add butter, peppers, onions, rice, and stir. If pan gets too dry, add a little more olive oil.
After a few moments, add the meat, crushed tomatoes, spices, and mix. Remove from heat, sprinkle with an even layer of shredded parmesan cheese, and bake in 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes, more for extra crispy rice and less for a “wetter” dinner.
If you’re like us, you can also set the oven to the warm setting after about 20-25 minutes and just let it hang for a bit while we’re having fun with the kids.
We served the meal with some buttered toast and a Caesar salad kit salad with Olive Garden dressing. Easy.
Probably about 10-15 minutes of active cooking, and the rest just letting it bake and hang.
We do meals like this quite a bit, so I’ll try my best to post when we come across an experiment gone right, especially if it’s an easy one to put together.
jess.
