Kitty Deschanel

Today my boss bought her son a few pairs of fancy socks. She had me cut the little red bows off each package, thinking this way he wouldn't know they're actually girls'  socks . I kept the bows. Instant Christmas decorations! Doesn't Kitchen Pig look so festive? Like a tiny opera singer, belting out carols. "Oooink to the world, the ham is done..." Accessorized with a festive bow over the kitchen island, you're completely unaware of the mess below...and behind...and on top of the fridge. Gosh, that light fixture looks dusty. Basically, if a bow would fit on it, it got a one. Throw in a holiday hand towel and my Christmas decorating is complete. Oh, and candy! Not that you can actually eat any of the candy. It would fall out and ruin the display. It would ruin Christmas. I'm being dramatic? Pica and Biscuit would dash over, chow down on the wrapped mints, and spend the 25th at the vet. Ahh, nothing li

Can you believe it has been 7 years since my first  Jessner Peel   and the resulting blog post (filled with gory photos - don't say I didn't warn you), which is still popular to this day?  I remember being nervous prior to my first professional treatment and thought it would be helpful to share my experience with chemical peels for anyone else who is considering this beauty service. How nervous was I? Here's what I wrote here on my site back in 2013: I hate my skin! Hate, hate, hate!! This week, at the age of 29, I had my first chemical peel. It was almost painless, but I'm told that my entire face is going to come sloughing off like a snakeskin, probably starting tomorrow. I'm also told that under  absolutely no circumstance  can I help the icky bits of dead, dried skin on their journey to the floor, where they will undoubtedly and repulsively be frantically gobbled up by Pica and Biscuit. Hands off, no matter how ridiculous and gross my face looks, or I'

Let me tell you about my Del Taco visit the other night. Spoiler alert - it was creepy! I stopped in after work to try the new Del Taco Turkey Tacos. 33% less fat? Yes, please! You know, as long as the "all the flavor" part is actually true. The Del Taco near my office serves breakfast 24/7, so I also picked up a couple of $1 breakfast burritos. I'm sure they were low-fat too. I'd been craving one of their ham, egg, and cheese breakfast biscuit sandwiches, but the price has gone up. I'm too frugal and will never be able to purchase my beloved breakfast sandwiches again. It's the principal of the matter.   Not a bad dinner for under $5, right?  Especially after I chopped each taco in half to create 2 meals. (Cue evil, cheapskate laugh - muah ha ha!) Sexy Nerd enjoyed the tacos...and he had absolutely no idea what I'd fed him was reduced fat. ( muah ha ha!)   This was an extra great deal because the cashier gave me a coupon for my next

Such a pretty dining room, but something is missing... I have something to add to my list of Christmas gift ideas . It's an idea that can be sent to your friends and family near and far, or ordered for yourself if you're having company over. There's actually still time to have it delivered by Christmas, if you can believe that! This holiday season, I had a little surprise for my Sexy Nerd. No one had ever sent him flowers before! Biscuit was very jealous. But she was still better off than Pica, who was banished to the opposite side of the doggie gate for constantly being underfoot. (Seriously, she's going to break my neck one of these days!) I went with a bouquet called "Fortified", which contained a dozen long-stemmed red/yellow roses. How could I resist flowers that match our decor? The answer: I couldn't. The flowers were delivered by mail from theBouqs.com, which grew them on a volcano. I'd nev

I hate my skin! Hate, hate, hate!! This week, at the age of 29, I had my first chemical peel. It was almost painless, but I'm told that my entire face is going to come sloughing off like a snakeskin, probably starting tomorrow. I'm also told that under absolutely no circumstance can I help the icky bits of dead, dried skin on their journey to the floor, where they will undoubtedly and repulsively be frantically gobbled up by Pica and Biscuit. Hands off, no matter how ridiculous and gross my face looks, or I'll risk permanent scarring and discoloration. I hope this is worth it!

Every autumn, SN and I enjoy a visit to the mountains in New Mexico. This photo was taken during a walk around Monte Verde Lake in Angel Fire, scarves billowing behind us and with mugs of cardamom-infused coffee warming our hands. The leaves were golden and the fragrance of pinon firewood hung pleasantly in the air.  The lake cast an irresistible spell on us, with proof provided in the nearby property we purchased shortly after. That was a surprise even to us!  Our little Olive , who is not quite so little these days, has joined us on small drives, but never on a wondrous road trip. She stays behind to mind the house and keep Bernadette and Biscuit company.  Oh, except there was that one time back when she was a young pup; the time Olive set out on her own, seeking a grand adventure. She's our little biker babe. In honor of National Pit Bull Awareness Month, join Olive on a virtual autumn road trip across the USA. There are plenty of wildflowers, fire-hued leaves, and selfie stops.