About Me

It's time to put on the pretentious hat and talk about myself for a few paragraphs.


The crafty girl: My name is Jenniferlove. Yes, that's one word. I won't go into my middle or last name, because I think my first name alone is a nice way to honor the quirkiness of my parents, who felt it necessary to saddle me with such a name at such a young age. There are also plenty of powerful women who are known by one name only, and I like to think that my name is cool enough to be one of those women, even if my personality will never be famous or world renowned.

Why Playful Pastiche? I am one of those who has a lot of talent in many areas, but I don't feel I excel in any specific thing. It's rather frustrating, to be good enough in so many areas, but not enough to garner high praise. I will never win any accolades for anything I do, but I feel as though I do enough things well that I can impart some knowledge unto the rest who are also learning. Pastiche is a fancy word for art forms from various sources, and one of the definitions of art is something which adds beauty and aesthetic into our lives. The definition is so broad that the obvious forms of art (arts, crafts, photography, etc.) are easily accepted into the lexicon as the less obvious sources (makeup, nails, cooking, etc.). So what I have here is a melange of things I like to do that I feel add a quality aesthetic into the life of myself and my family. I am always learning, and if I find an easier way to do something, I will always share it because I like to teach. It's what I aspire to do.

Speaking of teaching: I have an AA in Human Biology for Allied Health because at first I was going to go to nursing school. I finally got accepted into a program, only to decline it and go back to school for a full Biology degree instead. I hope someday to teach Biology, specifically human anatomy & physiology, so the whole teaching thing is right up my alley.

Formal training: I have no formal training in anything I do, other than being a medical assistant and any of the biology nerd stuff I talk about. My cooking ability comes from many years of trial and error, as well as picking up cooking tips from my parents, both of whom are fantastic cooks in their own right, as well as a love of watching cooking shows, scouring through cookbooks, and watching lots of videos on the web. I also am the main cook in a household with two teenage boys and a husband, so I learned that I need to cook fast, tasty, and inexpensive meals to keep this family fed. I like to think that I am a fantastic baker. Baking is a wonderful way for me to relax. For art, I have no schooling for most of what I do. I cannot really draw well, but I've always had paint, pencils, and other art supplies at my disposal for years, so I can do something rather rudimentary. Better than your stick figure gallery, but not by much. I hope to take art classes at the college soon, but science eats up all of my class time. I come from a family of artists on both sides, my Mother's side has all the tactile and practical arts talent, and my Father himself was a well acclaimed storyteller and writer from back in his day. I'm pretty sure I got my writing and imaginative talent from him. I wish I had more of the tactile application though. I can sew, but I am purely self taught. I would like to take a class or two on sewing techniques as well as maybe a knitting or crochet class someday. For makeup and nails, once again I have no formal training, but I know what looks good on me and I try and play those areas up. I did some advertisements overseas back when I was a wee teenager, and the makeup artists who worked with me at the time shared some wonderful advice for me, even if now the style screams 1980s. I have YouTube and the crazy MAC makeup forums all over the web to thank for keeping me updated on newer looks.

Misc. tidbits: I drive a 1990 Mazda Miata that's got over 235K original miles.  I've owned her for 8 years and bought her when she had 189K miles on her.  I've had her repainted, replaced her top twice, but she needs another paint job and some minor body work.  Every year so far I take her into the shop and spend money fixing up things like her clutch, brakes, and rear differential.  She's a good car and the most reliable ride I have ever owned.  I maybe could have used the money I spent on repairs buying a newer model, but I'd rather spend it on her because she's not ready to give up yet.  If that doesn't give somebody an idea of what kind of a person I am, then I don't imagine little snippets of my likes and dislikes will lend any deeper insight.

But if you want those snippets, click on the link below.

http://jeisenne.blogspot.com/2009/12/about-me.html