Food + Stories
Singing.
I’m multi-passionate. Each creative passion I’ve strived for felt right in each moment. A million years ago (lol), I pursued singing. I had so much fun writing songs and recording. I wrote all of my own songs. Although I laugh at some of my songs now, I do think I had a number of potential award-winning songs . . . well, at least close to it. Maybe a nomination or something. Well . . . Hmmm . . . I think at least one Grammy. LOL!
I remember getting a call back from a music production company after sending them an EP. That was so exciting! I was supposed to fly out to meet them. I had rehearsed my songs over and over again. Mama would be nodding her head and clapping and snapping her fingers with that big beautiful smile on her face. My uncle made all of my album covers. I thought the Grammy’s was around the corner for me. LOL!!
I didn’t get a second callback, but I am so grateful for that moment. I wasn’t supposed to get a callback. The music production company was very nice. I just wasn’t as ready as I thought I was. I was ready vocally, but I guess I needed to have that full artist look that super shy teenage me didn’t have. I didn’t stop there. I tried for a little afterward, realizing although singing is a passion, it’s not supposed to be my career. Lol.
I have always really loved singing since I was a little girl. I would sing for Mama, my uncle, and other family members. I sang to my babies when they were in my belly and I still sing to them.
I have always been really shy but would find the courage to sing in front of an audience. I opened up a celebrity’s book signing singing two songs back in the day.
To this day, all of these years later, my uncle still plays my music. Sometimes . . . all the time, he plays my music and puts on my old performance when the house is packed when we visit. LOL!!
Everyone knows the words. Last year, my mama and sister got up and started dancing and singing my lyrics when my uncle put my songs on. It was hilarious. My husband and my babies love listening to my music. I always see it on our road trip playlists and it’s on my uncle’s playlist. Lol!
Writing.
Like singing, ever since I was a little girl I wrote books, poems, and eventually quotes. In Elementary, I would write stories on computer paper, (or was it construction paper?) draw all of my illustrations, and make the book cover out of cardboard. In the eighth grade, I wrote a poem for a student for a program we were a part of in choir class. I had a singing part in that same program.
I was on a very popular radio station to promote my first ever published book. I was so nervous, but It wasn’t very long. I didn’t have to say much.
Mama always listened to my books like soap operas as I wrote them. She would really be discussing the characters like it’s a movie. She and my husband would be sitting down on the couch listening. It was hilarious and beautiful at the same time.
My family is everything to me!
Recipe Developer. Food Writer. Food Photographer.
I remember when I first pressed the launch button for Love, Jane. I was so happy and it was an emotional moment. I remember hearing an amazing storyteller tell her story on television. She said when she walked out on that stage to her show for the first time, she knew that was it. She is one of one in what she does, she’s paved the way for many and inspired so many including myself. Those are the results of standing authentically in your own lane.
I am so passionate about Love, Jane. When I think back to pressing that launch button, I smile. I understood what she meant when she said it. When you find your creative space, you’ll know. I still am excited about Love, Jane. I get to express different layers of myself. I am very family-oriented, I love connection, I am a deep thinker and feeler, I love to write, I love to cook and eat, so building this business is so much fun. I homeschool my babies and do the majority of my projects from home throughout the week. When I do have an invite or a project somewhere else, I’m blessed that my family can be with me. They love it and so do I. They are super excited for me.
Building a business in food is so much fun. My mom already thinks I need to start hiring people in case there’s a moment I get a request when I’m already booked. She’s funny! Lol. My phone is ringing and the emails are coming in, however, nothing is overlapping. I think I can wait a little longer. Lol!
When I first launched, Love, Jane, I knew it could be a business, however, I knew that I was and still am having fun. I have always loved food, so it was fun building the blog when I didn’t know when doors would open.
By the way, we absolutely shared recipes before! LOL!! I wasn’t ready to share the recipes requested at the time so I didn’t share and I told my husband not to share it either. LOL!!
Part 2 with her saying she forgot we shared some recipes. I forgot too though. Lol! She was sleepy and still join me for this conversation.
But I do have recipes that I don’t share on the blog because I just want it to be special for my husband and my babies. Special for my uncle. Gumbo is one of those recipes. I will develop a really delicious recipe for the blog, but the recipe that I’ve been cooking for years that my family loves, the gumbo I cook for my uncle when we visit, the gumbo that is inspired by my mommy’s gumbo, the gumbo she loved, the gumbo my mom and sister and brothers love, the gumbo my aunts call for . . . THAT gumbo recipe stays under our roof for my children and my husband’s eyes only. LOL! I don’t ever read my recipe when I do it. I been doing it for decades. That recipe is special. It is for us only. LOL! My uncle doesn’t want the recipe. He just wants me to cook it. LOL!
If you want to taste it, book me to cook it for you. It’s authentic Louisiana gumbo. Whenever I say I’m cooking a pot of it, my phone literally rings with request after request.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this conversation with me. I thought it would be fun to introduce myself to those who may be visiting the blog for the first time. This is what I love about Love, Jane. I get to share different layers of myself. I used to have a blog where I shared the stories of many different people from all walks of life, all shapes and sizes. I had conversations with women who had heart transplants, and weight struggles, moments of insecurities, and they were all so beautiful. At the same time was my page where I shared quotes, stories, and poems. My favorite page was my locked page for only family and friends. On every page, I shared a portion of those layers of myself. I decided I would have one online page. I’ve combined those layers of me in one space.
Do you want to know what I was reflecting on just now? Music, writing, and food are all universal. I think I’ll elaborate more on why this touched me in our next conversation.
