Road Jes Traveled

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Ginny at Centime Gifts . She was incredibly sweet and after reading about some of the things I've been through within the past year, she asked me to send her a few handwriting samples. I sent her my signature and some of my favorite words. A few days later there was a gift in the mail from her. A ring that says "Duke" in memory of my sweet boy who went to doggy heaven in August , and a necklace that says "Jessica Stronger" in my handwriting . How cool is that?! My favorite quote is " What does not kill me will make me stronger. "... because I truly believe it. I'm stronger because of the things that life has thrown my way. So the word "stronger" reminds me of this. It doesn't get much more personal than that! I was speechless. The necklace is stunning and the ring makes me smile. Both items immediately went to the top of my favorite jewelry list. And they are always conversation starters. ...

I got a ton of feedback from my very personal post about my divorce . More than I could have ever imagined. And more positive than I could have ever hoped for. I've been so inspired and uplifted by the stories that I've heard about people in similar situations, the words of encouragement, the prayers, the kindness that has been shown to me. I've really just been blown away by it all. Sharing my story not only helped me, but helped readers too. And that means more to me than I can put into words. Along with the countless comments, emails, messages, and phone calls, I received a gift too! Whitney (the hilarious writer behind I Wore Yoga Pants to Work ) sent me a fun package that included the sweetest note, a fearless koozie, and a Fearless tank that she designed. Besides the fact that it's super comfy, it has a ton of meaning behind it for me. I'm so grateful for Whitney and the many people that I've met along this little journey of mine. Thank you al...

Home. It's a funny word, right? A tiny word that has a whole lot of meaning. I've had several "homes" but one always remains, wherever I am. TEXAS, y'all. I was trying to describe what it was like to be a Texan to a friend from Pennsylvania. He said he was more of a Texan than I was because he's from the "country" in PA. Ummmm no no no. This obviously enraged me (my fellow Texans know what kind of pride we have) but as I began to explain what the difference was, I kind of hesitated. I didn't even know where to begin. Because being Texan is a feeling. It's hard to describe. It's country music and dance halls. It's beer. Lots of beer. It's BBQ and sweet tea. It's breakfast tacos and Tex-Mex. It's Spanglish, y'all, and ain't. It's jeans and cowboy boots, big hair and belt buckles. It's southern rap (hello H-town chopped and screwed!) and southern swag. It's southern accents, southern gent...