Jantzen, my swimsuit of choice!

If you'd ever told me that I'd be able to find an amazing one-piece, I would have laughed. And maybe pointed. But at least laughed. 

Until I met Jantzen, that is!

I was on the hunt for the perfect swimsuit when I saw that pink number above. It made me think of two things: a cupcake and the Pussycat Dolls! It was girly, but it also had enough structure that I didn't look like a grandma. Obessed. Also, it was a bit pricey for my taste, but that was years ago, and I'm still wearing it!

I just wanted to tell you about this brand because I love it, genuinely. (Obviously, since I own three suits!) I wanted to blog about it, so my almost-13-year-old sister was my photographer, other than the one selfie!

After l-o-v-i-n-g the pink suit, I decided to invest in another! This bedazzled blue number was my obvious choice!!

(Hey cellulite! I'm not worried about you!)

Last summer, as Jordan and I were deciding what we wanted for our rehearsal dinner, we decided on a pool party! As luck (and hope) would have it, I won a Jantzen swimsuit!!!!

And for my two new favorite pictures of me:

My sister nailed these pictures! I was so proud and impressed! Loved this backyard photo session!

We had a fun time! She even arranged the chair and other props and directed certain poses! Then we swam and my newly blonde-r hair turned green!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy summer, y'all!

Love,

Jessica

Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest! @jesstinybird

MySpace or yours?

Dear MySpace,

     Hello. I'm Jessica. Formerly Eubanks, now Thornton. You may remember me as aprincessjess04. 

     From 2004 until 2009-ish, I blogged my entire college and young adult life on your page? Server? Whatever. I don't know the technical lingo. 

     I never stopped logging in. Even after all my friends quit MySpace. I didn't even join Facebook until 2009. I was so loyal. ("I was such a good friend." a la Gretchen Weiners)

     Now, I'm ecstatic for new MySpace, but I never saved all my old blogs and pictures. I'm scared to log-in, fearing that they are all long gone. 

     So, here's my plea - to Tom or Justin Timberlake or whoever is in charge now - please dig back in your archives, print all the blogs and pictures, and sell them to me. All my moments and memories I shared with you!

Sincerely yours,

little miss nostaglic

Weekend recap!

I love a good weekend. LOVE it. Friday night was super low key. I stayed in and painted my nails!

Saturday included hair dye, a wedding, and watching Jordan's band play a late night show!

Since it was my first time dying it for bright results, I documented the process!

Letting the dye sit and work its magic....

Brighter!!!!! Obsessed with this blonde. There were three platinum shades to choose from. I started with the darkest, so there's still potential to be brighter!!

From L to R: Lightest, lighter, and the light shade I started with. Platinum is where it's at!

An old dress. Wearing shoes I bought a year and a half ago for the first time. 

Jordan and I, fresh out of the photobooth at Chelsea and Sanders' wedding!!! 

Jordan took this one after the wedding! He's really embracing being a blogger husband! Thankful.  :)

Headed to see Jordan play music with his best friends! It was totally worth a late night. 

Sunday was lazy and wonderful. 

What did you do this weekend?

Xoxo,

Jessica

Go blonde or go home!

If you know me or have read for any length of time, you know how much I love blonde hair!

I'm a natural blonde, and until this year, I absolutely refused to dye it! Hahah. However, I have used my fair share of Sun-In and John Frieda products to enhance and amplify it. 

In February, I finally used hair dye on a weekend whim with my best blondes, Paige and Karson. It was a great product, but it was the exact same shade as my natural color! (See below!)

Now, I've bought a new dye, and I think it's about to go down. Hashtag scared to death. 

Here goes nothing....

Favorites with My Favorites: Blonde Edition - Laura from the Band Wife

Y'all, when I first saw Laura's blog in February, I was immediately obsessed. (I know I use the word "obsessed" a lot, but I mean it. Blonde. Blogger. LOVE.) Not only is she over-the-top-gorgeous, she really has her own voice and super fun style! She has outfit posts, diys, and an adorable cat. And she happens to be married to a man (Todd) in the little band MuteMath. You totally want in on this! I LOVE following along - you should too! Run, don't walk - The Band Wife!

Laura was nice enough to let me in on some of her favorite things! Enjoy!

1. Who is your favorite artist/musician/band? Well, of course I love MuteMath (my husband Todd is the lead guitarist), but I have a pretty wide taste in music overall. Anything that's not country, regge, or gangsta rap generally makes this list. I love everything from Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, to Phoenix, to Michael Jackson, to AC/DC and Queen. Katy Perry is my pop guilty pleasure though...

 
2. Where is your favorite place to visit? Well, being a band wife generally means that Todd gets to visit all the cool places while I stay home (bummer, right?), but I have gotten to go to Italy, Israel, and Jordan, and those were definitely my favorite out of the country places so far. In the states, San Diego is always a pretty place to be and I try to get to Coronado when I'm out there to hang out on the beach. I think I'm a California girl at heart even though I'm an east coast girl by birth.

3. What is your favorite food? Pizza! Easy one. I could eat it morning, noon, and night.
 
4. What is your favorite color? Pretty much all shades of blue except navy blue. Navy blue is kind of my nemesis color. It's not blue enough to be pretty and it's not dark enough to be black. Make up your mind navy blue!
 
5. What is your favorite movie? All Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn movies. I grew up on old classics, and those two actors have always been my top faves. The movie Charade stars both of them, and it's one of my top picks. So good! Katherine Hepburn is also fantastic, and there's several with her and Cary Grant (like Holiday, Bringing Up Baby, and The Philadelphia Story). Audrey Hepburn is grace and pure loveliness and Katherine Hepburn is a spitfire. 
 
6. What is your favorite store/designer? Well, Springfield, Mo doesn't have a lot to choose from, so I do a lot of Forever 21 and BCBG, but I love Wildfox and Chaser LA when i can get my hands on it.

7. What is your favorite beauty product? False lashes! I was not gifted with much of a lash line (although my husband was, so annoying!), so I love using lash strips or individual lashes when I have a special occasion or date night. I got lash extensions for our wedding and it was the best two months of my life- I loved them!
 
8. What is your favorite hobby? I guess doing DIY projects or little art projects are what I spend most of my time on. Shopping is really my favorite, but that gets expensive pretty fast…I also love singing when Todd accompanies me at home. He's so talented, so I can give him a song and a key and he's got it ready to sing along to in under ten minutes. It's like my own live karaoke machine.
 
9. What is your favorite book/author? I love P.G. Wodehouse and John Steinbeck. David Sedaris, A.J. Jacobs, and Chuck Klosterman are probably my favorite modern authors. Stienbeck's book "Travels with Charley" is one of the reasons I named my cat "Charlie." It's such a great read.

10. What is your favorite blog/website? Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess are the hardest working girls in the business. They constantly amaze me at how much they do and how consistently good they are. I also love reading Deer Diary and That's What She Said, those ladies are hilarious and make me laugh every time. 


Basically, the more I see from Laura, the more I love! Here's hoping for a sweet, sincere friendship with this pretty lady!!!! Now - go follow her! Tell her I sent you!

xoxo,
Jessica 

Twenty-seven.

I still feel like I'm somewhere between 17 and 21. Apparently time has flown by these past TEN years. 

Today, I'm 27 years old. 

I want this to be an amazing year. (Basically I celebrate New Year's Day in January and again on my birthday.) Here's to a new year. 

I have so many wishes and dreams and goals. 

I want to be better at following through with things and finishing things. I want to forgive myself more easily.

So, here's to 27! Maybe it will be my best year yet. 

Love,

Jessica

Why I Blog (Link-Up!)

One of my favorite bloggers, Leslie over at A Blonde Ambition, is hosting a super fun link up today!

Why do I blog? Hmm. Let me count the ways (whys)!

I've always loved writing. And sharing my opinions. Hahaha. I had an AOL Journal page. Then a Xanga, though briefly. Then MySpace, where I blogged and blogged! Then there was My Beautiful Perspective.

Last spring, I was just certain it was time for something more - a blog with a wider spectrum and reach. I was talking/brainstorming with Katelyn and Karson, and Meet the Magnolias was born! (It's almost our blog birthday!)

Meet the Magnolias and my blog reading have led me to find a wonderful community and several new friends!

So, I blog because I feel like I have something to say. (That doesn't sound quite as eloquent as I hoped it would!) And I blog because it has connected me to people to learn from and grow with!

Thankful!


Love,
Jessica

Lets be friends! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @jesstinybird!