The Pieces That Make Me

Posted on July 11, 2011 by vanderbiltwife

I am from 70s yellow tupperware, from Captain Crunch and Bob Evans.
I am from the blue house with blue shutters, painted with friendly hand, wooded, with fluffy purple carpet.
I am from the dogwood tree, the oak that fell during Hurricane Isabel.

I am from jingle bells and jiggly thighs, from Hunt and Wasson and long last name music teachers love.
I am from stomach pains and green thumbs,
From are you sure you want to wear that? and no waking up until 7 on Christmas morning.

I am from Jesus is the answer, and unBaptist Baptists, and falling under water while the words of Isaiah hang in the humid air.

I’m from Germany and Dayton, lima bean casserole and sauerkraut,
From the soldier who swiped Nazi flags, the ones who ran the oil company, he who detested the mean town boys on their fancy bicycles.

I am from cloth-covered albums, ones labeled with the names of 15 grandchildren, from an old violin and a beloved trumpet, from the treasured only son perished in a hospital room, from Silent Night tears.

I am from loss and love, little and plenty, and it carries me to where I go.

Apparently this was a long-forgotten meme that has been resurrected (I found it via Mary on Jennifer and Stephanie‘s blogs). It’s based on a poem, and you can find the template here. If you decide to post one, please leave me the link in the comments!

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Ultimate Blog Party ’11

Posted on April 1, 2011 by vanderbiltwife

’11? How can it be ’11 already? How can it already be April when I still don’t think it’s 2011? It might have something to do with the fact that I have a 3-month-old baby who doesn’t love to sleep and my brain is basically fried. Maybe.

I love to look back at my posts from one or two years ago and see how much has changed! At the 2010 Blog Party, I had recently moved to Chattanooga and became a stay-at-home mom. (I was also pregnant with David, my son, but didn’t know it yet!) In 2009 I was obsessing over swaddling and running around as a full-time working-outside-the-home mom. I also went to one of the Ultimate Blog Party in Real Life things.

*Speaking of the fact I’ve been blogging for YEARS, my five-year “blogiversary” is in July. And I have some big stuff up my sleeve. So you should definitely subscribe to Vanderbilt Wife so you don’t miss out! You’ll also get some great recipes, thoughts on God and faith, writing and grammar tips, and some general nonsense.

This is me and my precious little boy, David. He’s about as sweet as they come. And he’s very squishy.

And this is my little ~~stinker~~ 2-and-a-half-year-old, Libbie. She is a handful and a half, but she’s certainly funny. If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll probably hear a lot of “Libbie-isms.”

Anything you want to know about me can probably be found on my About Me page. Anything else, you can always email me on the sidebar there. I’m pretty much an open book.

So, want to win a $100 Target gift card? I have a great group of blogger friends and we call ourselves the #sisterchicks. We’re pooling together to offer this great prize to one lucky UBP visitor! Here’s what you need to do:

Find all the words to the quote in pictures on each of our blogs. Each blog will send you to the next word (in order), although keep in mind that I might not be the FIRST word.
Once you have the quote, e-mail it to sisterchickies@gmail.com with UBP11 in the subject line.
Wait to see if you’ve won the grand prize! We’ll announce it after the UBP ends (it’s April 1-8). We will also e-mail the winner
If you don’t respond within 48 hours, you give up $100 and we pick someone else!

Ready to start? Here ya go!

For your next clue, go visit OhAmanda!

And if you are a regular reader and have no clue what I’m talking about, all the Ultimate Blog fun is happening over at 5 Minutes for Mom!

Please visit my wonderful sponsors, MoxieMandie and Mimi’s Babies!
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FIve Minutes on Mail

Posted on February 10, 2011 by vanderbiltwife

It always astounds me when I get e-mails from people who read this blog, long emails with advice or compliments or suggestions for what I should write my next grammar post on.

I recently told someone how it freaks me out a little bit when I find out people I know read the blog–especially male people. Cause sometimes I put it all out there. Even about, ahem, my upper body.

It’s not like I ever forget this is out there for the general population; it feeds into my personal Facebook account and is linked at the bottom of each of my e-mails. And yet I choose to ignore that those closest to me can read it–along with our leasing agent, the workers of our former day care, choir members at church, and anyone else who darn well wants to.

There’s a comfort in writing. I keep writing because I have to. Long ago I used to think it was strange that I narrated my own life in my head. Now I just write blog posts in there instead. Changing my life, tweaking it to make it digestible for general consumption. Adding quirky tidbits and baby pictures.

I do love those emails from the unknowns. It warms my heart that someone cares about me and wants to minister to me. One recently said, basically, “Been there, done that, praying for you. It gets better.”

I believe you.

Keep writing.

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Nonsensical, perhaps, but with 23 seconds to spare. Part of The Gypsy Mama’s Five-Minute Writing Exercises. [After I wrote this, I realized it was last Friday's prompt. Oh well! Posting anyway.]

(photo source)
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Getting to Know You Sunday

Posted on April 11, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

Ran across this blog through the Ultimate Blog Party and thought it would be fun to do a little “about you” thing since it’s been awhile! So here, for your pleasure or for you to ignore, are 8 random questions and the answers.

1. What color do you wear the most? Hmm. Probably black or blue. I think I wear a lot of different colors–mostly bolder colors, I’m not much of a pastel person.

2. Would you rather have $10,000 dollars or a dream vacation? Usually I would say a dream vacation but with our whole lovely house situation, I would probably take $10,000 right now. Anyone offering it up?

3. Do you have a weird, quirky or unusual habit? I really want to put a comma in that sentence, is that unusual? I am sort of a grammar freak.

4. I really need to start……….? … keeping on some sort of cleaning schedule.

5. What was the first blog you ever read? I think it was probably Jen’s at Photo Grove, although I didn’t read it regularly at first. I think I had read hers and my friend Sam‘s before I started mine.

6. Do you collect anything? Pigs, antique books, table linens, more books, cookbooks, and ideas for writing. And perhaps clothes for my daughter (mostly acquired through hand-me-downs, consignment sales, and Goodwill.)

7. How old were you when you had your first kiss? 17. I guess I could be embarrassed about that, but I’m not, really. I wish it had been with my husband. I’ve only kissed one other boy besides him.

8. Do you text/twitter while driving? No–it’s illegal in Tennessee first of all, plus I don’t really text much in the first place. And I can’t Twitter from my phone.

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Ultimate Blog Party 2010

Posted on April 9, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

A year can make quite the difference.

In last year’s UBP post, I was stressing over swaddling and daycare costs. I worked full-time and rocked my baby to bed each night.

This year, I’m happy to say I am a new stay-at-home mom in a new city (Chattanooga, TN). I spend most of my days going insane by running after my toddler daughter, Libbie. But I won’t bore you with the details. You can read all of them on my About Me page.

Pretty much, I’m always this crazy. But Libbie doesn’t always look so scared.

I thought since this was a party, and I like to claim to be a “quarter” food blog, I’d serve up some yummy party food.

First off, you must try the Mexican Corn Dip–also known as Magically Delicious Dip. I am not sure how I don’t have a picture of it since I’ve made it approximately 8,000 times. I will assume it’s because I ate it all before I could think to get my camera.

You also need to have a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing. I served these at my own going-away party at work, and several men proposed. Married ones. But since I am very devoted to my Mr. V and so not into adultery, I politely declined and moved to another city.

I think for our main course we’ll have my mom’s Turkey Pecan Salad. After we fill up on all that dip and cupcakes, we’ll need something light. We have to watch our figures, after all. (Although I no longer do Family Recipe Fridays, I shared a whole bunch of family recipes over the last year in that carnival. They’re all here, or you can check out my Recipe Index by clicking that link at the top of the page.)

So, there you have it. I hope you’re well-fed and feeling right at home in my little domestic paradise here. (Pssstt … I am only good at cooking. Please don’t look at the floors or the ants marching across the counter or my daughter taking all my cutting boards out of the cabinet.) Everyone else is hanging over at 5 Minutes for Mom, in case you have NO IDEA what I’m talking about here.

Oh! I have one more thing!

To add to the party fun, I want to introduce you to some of my blogging friends! There are nine of us who each have a word hidden in their post. These nine words make up a sentence. We will each link you up to the lady who has the next word in the sentence—but keep in mind that I might not have the first word in the sentence!

Once you have the sentence, e-mail it to sisterchickies@gmail.com with “UBP10″ in the subject line. Each person with the correct sentence will be in a drawing to win a $40 Target gift card! Winner will be announced on all of our blogs April 19, and the winner will be e-mailed. The winner has 48 hours to respond or we’ll pick someone else.

Disclaimer: Some of us are slower than others, but we will all have our posts up by noon EDT on Friday, April 9.

So for your next clue, visit Simply Staci!

And thanks for visiting me here at Vanderbilt Wife.

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As far as prizes go, my top 3 would be the $50 gift certificate for Froggy Girl Designs (US50), the Bailey’s curriculum from The Itty-Bitty Bookworm (US69), or a gift card such as the Amazon one offered by AFullCup (US74).

I have a 17-month-old daughter, so I’d love anything that would be appropriate for her, or a gift card of any kind. Favorites include: US 16, 31, 32, 37, 39, 52, 53, 55, 72, 73, 74, 87, 88, 91, 96, 104, 107, 112, USC 3, 8, 15, 27, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 60.

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BlogHop ’09

Posted on July 23, 2009 by vanderbiltwife

Hi, I’m Jessie {Hello, Jessie} And I’ve never eaten a fish. I don’t think.

Oh wait, that’s Dory.

Um, yeah. I’m Jessie, and I’ve definitely eaten a fish. And a whole lot of other stuff, because I’ll try anything once.

I started Vanderbilt Wife in July 2006, and I’m pretty sure it was going to be a personal weight-loss diary. Well, that lasted approximately three days, and it’s morphed into a place where I write about food, life, and God, among other things.

In October, I had a sweet baby girl (see above) so now I guess this is a mommy-blog since I don’t really have another genre. But mostly, it is an upbeat place where I like to chat with you, share my life, and talk about food. Lots of food. I’m also very cheap, and I like to talk about how cheap I am and good deals that I get.

I host Family Recipe Fridays, where I feature those treasured recipes that have been handed down over the years. I hope you’ll join me this week and submit a wonderful recipe.

That’s about it for now. I can’t wait to read all about your blog through Robin and Jo-Lynne’s Blog Hop! I hope you’ll surf around and leave me a comment so I can check out your blog as well.

{If you’re a regular reader, thanks for sticking with me. I love you guys! I’ll be back with Family Recipe Friday tonight at 8:30.}

A Little Bit About Me

Posted on July 22, 2008 by vanderbiltwife

This is from my professional photo shoot, AKA being in Brazil for two weeks with a graphic designer who has a great camera because he’s about to have triplets. Two weeks = two whole good pictures of me!

So, me. You can call me Jessie … because that is my name. I am 28 and have been married for 6 years to my darling Mr. Vanderbilt. We have a daughter, Libbie, who was born in October 2008, and a son, David, who was born in December 2010.

After five years in Nashville as Mr. V worked on his doctorate at Vanderbilt, we’re settling in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After five years at the same company, I’m transitioning to be a stay-at-home-mom and freelance editor and writer. In August 2009, Mr. V went ahead to Chattanooga to begin his teaching job at a private high school while I stayed behind waiting on our house in Nashville to sell. In January 2010 we gave up and Libbie and I just moved.

I started Vanderbilt Wife in 2006 as a way to make myself write more regularly. That is still my primary goal. I also want to support other women who feel more than a little imperfect, like myself. I am an awful housekeeper. I am lazy. I feel like a bad mother. And I talk about both trying to improve and my failures, as well as sharing memories, stories about my daughter, and lots of recipes.

Professionally, I was a copy editor for three and a half years. I do freelance proofreading and copy editing as well as writing. I have had articles published in HomeLife, ParentLife, and Living with Teenagers magazines and The Religous Herald newspaper; and have written leader guides for the Bible studies No Other Gods, When Wallflowers Dance, Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted, and David: Seeking a Heart Like His.

You can always e-mail me here to chat or ask questions, or inquire about writing/editing jobs.

Here’s some memes I’ve done if you’re really bored and want to know REALLY random things about me.

And Yet More Random Factoids …

Posted on February 20, 2007 by vanderbiltwife

Question and Answer–because I have nothing better to do!

What was the first movie you remember seeing in a movie theater?

Oliver and Company. According to IMDB it came out in 1988, so I would have been about 6. I know I definitely saw movies before that though! Mom loves to tell the story about how I made her sit in the front row for Follow That Bird.

What do you usually do on Sunday?

Go to church, we usually get there about 8:45 and leave about 11:45 after service. I like to go out to eat so I don’t have to cook, and then laze around all afternoon and night! Usually reading, a nap, and an easy dinner fit in there!

What magazines do you subscribe to, and why?

Woman’s Day–because I am an old lady at heart

Shape–because I like to pretend I am fit and will go to the gym

Cooking Light–love their recipes

Simple and Delicious–my mother-in-law bought me a subscription

How well do you know your next-door neighbors?

We barely talk except for when we were fighting over parking spots. Wish we did know them better.

What was the last wedding you went to? Were you in the wedding?

My cousin Tricia‘s wedding over Thanksgiving weekend, and no.

What was the worst job you ever had?

Retail at Charlotte Russe. I lasted six weeks. One of the managers hated me for no particular reason. Thought I was going to die trying to make it through shifts there.

Any more questions? Leave me a comment. Please?!?