Spreading More Love

Who doesn’t like an award huh? First let me thank Jeni at Two Shades Of Lovely for nominating me!  She has a fabulous blog and an adorable shop!  Check her out!

What is this Liebster Award?

"The Liebster award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome."- Adrian (Adrian Loves Owls)

The Rules:

- Each person must post 11 things about themselves.

- Answer the questions that the tagger set for you PLUS create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.

- Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

- Go to their page and tell them.

*No tag backs!*

 

11 Things About Me

1. I am an only child, but I have 4 half siblings ages 3-13.

2. I am allergic to peanuts and bee stings. I carry and Epi-pen

3. I was once in a Christian rock music video. No you haven't seen it and I won't tell you where to find it.

4. I was a rock climbing instructor during college.

5. I spent a summer living and working in London as an intern for a fashion PR company.

6. I currently work for a nonprofit health organization.

7. I hung a chandelier in my office to make it feel more like home.

8. I drive a brigth blue ford focus hatchback named Fiona.

9. I love hosting parties and wrapping gifts.

10. If get-away driving didn't involve leaving the scene of a crime, I would totally do it. I always envied Fast and the Furious.

11. I hate making decisions about what to eat. It's a lot of pressure.

Questions From Jeni
1. If you could vacation anywhere, where would be it?

I am dying to go to Greece. I go to my favorite Greek restaurant almost every week for lunch just to look at the pictures- well, that and the food is faboo!

2. What is one of your family traditions?

My family doesn't have many traditions. When I was little we would line the street with luminaries to make a runway for Santa. I always liked that.

3. What was the best concert you've ever been to?

I'm almost embarrassed to say this, but when I was in London, my friend got free tickets to the Justin Timberlake concert. I was excited, but I am no super-fan. The show was AMAZEING!!! He sang, he dance, he played the guitar, the drums and the piano. I was so impressed!

4. What skill do you wish to learn?

I would like to learn how to do website coding. I just don't get it, and if I knew what I was doing, it would make my life easier!

5. What is (or who) can always cheer you up?

The boyfriend can cheer me up, but so can a good rom-com or a chocolate dipped cone from Dairy Queen!

6. How did you meet your best friend?

We met in dance class in 7th grade but didn't become best friends until about a year later when we started went to the same high school. BFFs for life!

7. When did you start your blog, and why?

I actually started blogging a couple years ago, but I couldn't commit. This blog started back in November as a way to keep myself inspired and get out my need to write and share.

8. What is one goal that you want to achieve by the end of 2012?

Oh man, just one goal?! I want to have aced my first semester back in school. I graduated with a dual bachelors degree back in 2007, but I am headed back this fall for some prerequisites to go in a completely new direction for my masters degree.

9. If you could go back and tell the high school you one thing, what would it be?

I was pretty shy until I broke out of my shell in college. I would say, "Hey, who cares if they judge you! Be yourself and get to know people!"

10. Backstreet Boys or Nsync?

If I have to chose, Nsync. I was not a big boy band girl. Can I choose Pink?

11. What are you most proud of?

I would have to say, that I am most proud of who I am today, the things I have overcome and the person it has made me.

 

Questions for my nominees

1. Tell me about your favorite place?

2. Who inspires you most?

3. If you could be any celebrities significant other, who would it be?

4. What does your perfect day include?

5. What is something you have always wanted to see?

6. What is your dream job?

7. Flip flops or high heels?

8. Where do you go for your favorite pizza?

9. What superpower would you want if you could choose?

10. What TV show do you just have to watch every week?

11. What is the most bizarre food you have ever eaten?

And finally, here are my nominees!

1. Courtney at Courtney Cakes

2. Becca at Love Always

3. Laura at Under the Suburban Sun

4. Samantha at Dysfunctional Ever After

5. Danielle at The Life Of An “Ordinary” Housewife

6. Jessie at Coming From A Place Of Yes And Everything In Between

7. Danielle at Secrets Of A Sweet Southern Girl

8. Valeri at SubURBAN Living

9. KB at Kiss, Laugh and Dream

10. Jenn at Party Of One

11. Anne at Hell on Heels

If you aren’t already reading these blogs, check them out!  They are all fantastic!

Thoughts on a Thursday

Today I am linking up with the fabulous Neely at A Complete Waste of Makeup, like I often do on Thursdays and Anna at Everything Nice, for the insta-grid party.  (There are a lot of fun link ups on Thursdays kids.  It is so hard for me to choose just one, then I do multiple posts and bombard you with all my thoughts, so to save us all a little time, I am postponing my already delayed women who inspire post until next week and just writing this one.  Drawn out, unnecessary explanation? Absolutely.)

And away we go...

It's okay to...
Be a bit of a narcissist.  Isn't that kind of the cornerstone of our generation? Reality TV, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (which you can totally link to if you want- ha); we like to share and we love to know about everyone and everything.  We post pictures of our face ( but I was having an awesome hair day, so it only felt right to capture it. )

Be pretty annoyed with Viacom for ruining your going to bed TV routine. 
Love watching basketball.  Even women's basketball.  By the way, WNBA games are great for way more than basketball.  You can people watch, sit fourth row, dance on the court during timeouts, get on the jumbotron, eat free food and maybe even get free tickets. (okay, so that was my experience.)  It was awesome.

That rainy days make the day so much better. (It's Arizona, we don't have many)


Pack all your food for the week on Sunday so you have a better chance at eating healthy all week long. 

Be proud of yourself for big and small accomplishments (like finishing your laundry before it is time to do laundry again.)

Love you precious pup even though she jumps in your bed with muddy paws, eats your dinner off the counter and causes you other moments of stress and terror.  She's still my little angel.

Completely change your life plan to something you know will excite and challenge you.

To get invited to a Suns event, and only go for the free glasses of wine, the meatballs and the chance to sit 2nd row during an interview with Alvin Gentry.  Oh yeah and we got to go out on the court and shoot around.  Most people took that as an opportunity to shoot hoops, we took it as an opportunity for a photo shoot.  Not the same? Just as awesome!

Dress up like an idiot at for work to try to win a spirit contest.  We totally won by the way. 

Love blogging more and more every day because it such a great way to connect with people and find new ways to challenge and inspire yourself. 

Happy Thursday!

If You Really Knew Me...

First, welcome to any of the new kids that came over from Life of Bon!  In elementary school I was the girl that always showed the new kids around.  Where to find the restroom, the best parts of the playground, the nurses office, library, you know, all the essentials.   Old habits die hard.  Here you will find my Bucket List as well as a 30 before 30 list.  Then of course there I gave you a quick run down of who I am here. I post a lot about silly things I do, inspiring women and other fun things! You can follow me in lots of ways over there on the right too!

Second, I wanted to thank all you wonderful people that stopped by yesterday. I had to work up some nerve to click publish on that one, but boy oh boy am I glad I did. We've all got some messy bits and I love the support the blogging world gives to one another. Thank you all for your lovely comments.

Today I was going to write about an inspiring woman, but I just didn't have the time to do all the fact checking and information collecting I usually like to do.  I'll probably post it a day late (like always).  Instead, I decided to share some more things about me that you probably didn't know.  I guess I am just into sharing this week. 

Jenni at Story Of My Life, copied her friend Kristen with this post, so I am doing the same.  Imitation is the greatest form of flattery right?

If you really knew me...

+ You'd know snakes completely disable me.  I curl into a little ball at the sight of one and typically end up crying.

+ On a similar note, you would know I hate E.T. The movie has always creeped me out and don't get me started on the ride!  I had a total panic attack.  No phoning home for me.

+You'd know I was born tongue tied.  Basically that means my tongue was attached to the bottom of my mouth with extra tissue making it hard for me to talk correctly , but more importantly I couldn't stick my tongue out at people.  It was corrected when I was 4.

+You'd know I love to listen to people's stomach's gurgle.  I think it's hilarious.  Last night, the boyfriends stomach was upset, and I told him I spoke fluent stomach and could probably determine the problem.  After a few seconds of intent listening I said, "Oh stomach, you are too funny."  The boyfriend now thinks I am a lunatic.

+ I think talking animals are the funniest thing in the world.  When Baxter is barking with subtitles in Anchorman, I die, I absolutely die.  Those pictures of animals with their thought make me giggle for hours on end.

+ I get up early enough in the morning to shower, dry off and lay back in bed for at least 20 minutes.  I love the feeling of my sheets after a shower. 

+ You'd know that if there is music on, I am probably wiggling some part of my body.  Usually it is my feet or the ever sexy neck bob.  Sometimes, I am choreographing a whole dance in my head and you might catch a glimpse of a somewhat spastic movement that just escaped my brain all the way to my body. 

+ You'd know I can sleep anywhere in the middle of the day.  I just have to put my mind to it.  At night, it's a different story.

+ You'd know the sound of the ocean instantly calms me down.  I am so at peace when I can hear the constant repetition of waves.

+ I get distracted easily.  I make a lot of to do lists to keep me on track.  (Just since starting this post, I have been distracted multiple times.  Like 8.


Happy Wednesday to everyone!  Because I like any excuse to celebrate, here is one hell of reason to celebrate today.

It's 7/11 which means free Slurpee day!  Stop by your nearest 7-11 for a cool drink!

The Part I Left Out...

Hi, I'm Ashley. I wholeheartedly believe that a soundtrack can make or break a movie.  I am a die hard suns fan.  I am a social media addict.  I think women are amazing and love to share how they inspire me.  I love fashion although I am most comfortable in a t-shirt, worn in jeans and flip flops. I am a sucker for a good rom-com. I'm a little obsessed with my awesome siblings.  I live for bright colors and things that sparkle.  I love to dance and travel (not usually at the same time, so I don't know why I combined them in one sentence).  I think using parenthesis is like telling you a secret.  I dream big.

These are all things I have mentioned before, but there is a part of me that I have been hesitant to share.  For one, I read every day about the beautiful love stories of my fellow bloggers.  I see their perfect marriages grow stronger with each pixel.  I envy their sheer perfection. I am hesitant to share because of the people that know me personally that read my blog and also the people that don't know me at all.  I waiver because its not always easy for me to put all the emotions into words.  But somehow, today, for whatever reason, I have to tell it.  This little tidbit will forever define me in a way nothing else ever has, but will in no way determine my future.  This single adjective has forever changed me, but in more ways than one made me more myself. Strap on your seat belts kids, this might get a little bumpy.

I got divorced when I was 24. 

I know all the things you are considering right now, because they are the same thoughts everyone has when I say those words. 

"Did she rush into marriage?"

"You were too young to get married!"

"Was s/he a cheater?"

"I bet s/he didn't value marriage the way I do" 

"Does she hate men now?"

"Who got the ring?"

"That will never happen to us."

"Is this going to be some rant about not getting married to young or that men are evil spawns of Satan?"

The truth is, I met a boy my freshman year in college.  I fell in love with him and gave him everything I could give.  2.5 years later about a month into our senior year, he broke my heart by saying, "I'm just not in love with you anymore."  He couldn't give me much more of an explanation.  Ever the hopeless romantic, I was not convinced.  I gave it time.  I made it seem like I was doing fine.  I only cried on my tear-stained futon and in the shadows of friends dorm rooms.  Within a month, he was begging me back.  He said letting me go was the biggest mistake he had ever made and he wanted to spend the rest of his life making it up to me.  I was no fool.  I had seen all the movies and read all  the fairytales.  Ever love story needs a little challenge, and this was ours.  This was my love story.  I took him back and we were stronger than ever. 

Fast forward.  A year after graduating from college, (and if you are doing your math you know that is a little over 4 years into our relationship) I found myself in a room filled with red roses in front of a man down on one knee.  Of course I said yes.  Planning turned into execution and in 6 months time, I was his Mrs.  My life was exactly the way I had planned.  Soon we were house hunting for a place big enough to start a family.

Just a few days after our one year anniversary (and about two and a half years after our breakup).  Words I never expected to feel the pain from again hit me like a ton of bricks. "I'm not in love with you anymore".  What?  Were we not living in the same world?  I thought everything was on track. We were closing on a house.  I hosted dinner parties. I bought aprons and table linens.  What?  Ashton, am I getting punked?

For the first few hours, I approached the news with surprising calm.  I said we would work through it.  I said we could get the spark back (but it still hadn't set in that his world wasn't shining like mine). Slowly the gravity of his words and what he really meant from them began to set in.  I spent three days in bed.  Nothing could have pulled me out from under the weight of those words.  There were more tears than I can venture to count.  I threw a framed wedding photo.  I begged.  I pleaded.  I melted into a puddle on the floor.  I lost myself is pure sadness.

We separated just before Christmas, a holiday season that is hard to remember now even though it was only a few years ago.  Couples therapy was useless.  He had made up his mind and nothing I or a therapist could say was going to change it.  Three months later, we filed for divorce.  I was alone. I was lost somewhere in the shell of a person I no longer knew.  I had gotten so use to playing the role of wife. I didn't know how to just be me.  It hasn't been an easy road back.  I have realized lately, that there are other women out there that are going through the same things, and I share my story not for sympathy, but to let them know, you are not alone.

In the end, I don't think I rushed into marriage.  I was ready.  I can't speak for him though. 

I don't think age matters when both people believe in marriage in the same way and understand it is something you have to work at to make strong.  I can't say we ever talked about what marriage really ment to us as a couple.  I assumed we both were committed to forever. I will say I was too young to deal with being divorced.  I had no one to relate to and I felt horribly alone. I was the only one who was divorced in what felt like a sea of women planning thier weddings.

I never cheated.  Again, I can't speak for him, but I try to believe he is a better person than that. 

I didn't believe in divorce and I am fairly ashamed to say I judged those that settled for divorce instead of fought for their marriage.  I don't feel I settled.  I fought with everything I had left.  It wasn't enough. 

I don't hate men or love.  I love love, and I especially love the man in my life and the plans we have for the future.  

I sold the ring. It lost any value it ever had to me.

And sincerely, with all my heart, down to the depths of my soul, I hope it doesn't ever happen to you. 

But, if it does, I can say this.  You will learn the power of your own strength and perseverance.  You will hurt like you have never hurt before.  You will find out who your true friends are. You will find out if you are being true to yourself.  You will learn to trust your gut.  You will learn to forgive both him (eventually) and hopefully yourself too.  You will make some mistakes and not always handle things with grace. You will love again, no matter how unlikely that seems.  You will eventually count yourself lucky to have the chance to fall in love all over again. 

I had a really hard time finding anyone who really understood what I was going through.  Divorce is definitely one of those things, that you can't relate to unless you have gone through it.  It is like your worst break up, times a million. with a side of financial mess and social agony... squared.  But if there is anyone out there that is just looking for someone to "get it",  I am always willing to listen. 

I don't know why I was finally ready to share all of that, but if you made it this far, thank you for sticking with me.  (If you are new here, I am usually more fun than this... promise.  See here and here and especially here!)

You can unbuckle your seat belts now.  My ride isn't over, but I am fairly certain that I can handle any bumps that might come along in my future.

Lakers Getting Nash-ty

This is not my usual type of post, but I just had to share.

I couldn't bring myself to blog yesterday.  Today, I considered calling out sick.  Was it because I had a tummy ache? A migraine? Perhaps the flu?  Nope, I am suffering from a broken heart.  Steve Nash went to the Lakers.

When it all began.  Barkley, KJ and Thunder Dan.

I know I haven't shared my love for the Phoenix Suns often on my blog.  You may have caught on the day I posted this, but I try to keep my FANatic status under wraps for the most part.  Let me let you in on a big part of my life. 

I am a die hard Phoenix Suns fan! I attend at least 15 to 20 games a year.  I mean I am no Orange Man, but I would certainly consider myself a dedicated fan!  Anywho, when I heard the announcement that Nash was going to the Lakers, I thought the boyfriend (a Lakers fan) was just being a jerk and trying to ruin my Fourth of July.  Nash wouldn't betray his fans?  He wouldn't rip my heart from my chest and dribble it with force down the court like a slightly flat basketball? No, not my Nash.  Upon further investigation, I found out the boyfriend was right.

Let's talk reality. 

I had a good idea that Nash was leaving.  He wanted a championship and based on my teams performance this year, that doesn't seem likely any time soon. The Lakers are obviously a winning franchise. Kobe called him personally to get him to LA.  The Lakers need a good ball handler, so when the best becomes available, I can't blame them for going in for the kill.   Nash will have to give up his number though since 13 has been retired. 

He wanted to stay close to family.  I mean the guy turned down an offer to play in Toronto that would have paid about 10 million more.  I can't really fault a man for putting his family first. 

He did his best to soften the blow.  He was a free agent.  He could have gone to the Lakers and left the Suns out in the cold.   Instead, he did a sign and trade deal, giving the Suns 4 draft picks over the next 3 years.  Considering how much the Suns need to rebuild and grow, this will be beneficial down the line.

Steve, I wish you the very best stats you can get with a losing season. We will miss you and the Suns will never be the same. 

Alright, have you had enough of my basketball banter?  I promise, I will not talk about it again until the season starts and I have cute game day outfits to share!  Ugh, le sigh.

Women That Inspire Wednesday- a day early

Last week, a bright literary star from the writing heavens was ripped from us.  A truly great writer passed away leaving only her laughably honest screenplays and eloquently relatable pro's for us to remember her by.  Today I salute you, Nora Ephron.  You may have single handedly made entire generations of women eager to experience the za-za-zing.  Nora, you made women believe in a modern fairytale and I can't thank you enough.  She captured all the wonderful and not so wonderful feelings we have falling in and out of love and put them on the page and screen for us to enjoy and learn to cope.  She was a fighter, not just through heartbreak, but also through cancer.  Sadly, she lost her battle with leukemia last week, but one thing is certain, Nora and writing went together like a wink and a smile.

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
― Nora Ephron

Let's all relive some really great moments scribed by Nora:

When Harry Met Sally

Harry: "I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
      -I mean, who hasn't felt like this or longed to feel like this. 

Sally: What's she look like?
Marie: Thin. Pretty. Big tits. Your basic nightmare.
     -Any good girlfriend will give you this kind of truthful feedback.

Marie: All I'm saying is that somewhere out there is the man you are supposed to marry. And if you don't get him first, somebody else will, and you'll have to spend the rest of your life knowing that somebody else is married to your husband
     -I just love this scene and the look on Sally's face when confronted with this typical female nightmare.

[after Sally fakes orgasm in a deli]
Older Woman Customer: [to waiter] I'll have what she's having.
    -Iconic.  Absolutely iconic.

Sleepless in Seattle

Doctor Marcia Fieldstone: Tell me what was so special about your wife?
Sam Baldwin: Well, how long is your program? Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together... and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home... only to no home I'd ever known... I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like... magic.
     -Don't all women hope a man describes us this way?

Annie Reed: Now that was when people KNEW how to be in love. They knew it! Time, distance... nothing could separate them because they knew. It was right. It was real. It was...
Becky: A movie! That's your problem! You don't want to be in love. You want to be in love in a movie.
     -Story of my life, I want to be in love in a movie!

You've Got Mail

Kathleen Kelly: [writing to "NY152"] Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.
     -Dear void, I have been struggling with the same questions, where is a good Godfather quote now?
Kathleen Kelly: What will NY152 say today, I wonder. I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail. From you.
     -the perfect beginning to a perfect movie.

Joe Fox: Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.
     -sharpened pencils...ah!

Kathleen Kelly: [writing to "NY152"] Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one! It got on at 42nd and off at 59th, where, I assume, it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake, as almost all hats are.
     -I have this perfect mental image of what she describes here.  Thats silly butterfly!

Kathleen Kelly: When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does.
     -For me it was The Silver Slippers

Kathleen Kelly: [in an email to Joe Fox] The odd thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings.
     -Funny how it's the nothings that usually do mean more than the something.

Nora Ephron. A woman who inspired us in life, and will continue to inspire us to live, love and never miss the laughs.

A Life In Pictures

Hello Everyone! Thanks for reading on this lovely Monday! Not much to read today, just a little look at my life thanks to my IPhone.

-My two little sisters had a combined birthday party, complete with blow up slide and mini pools. The cutest little nugget you've ever seen (along with all the other kids at the party) were armed and dangerous! I was soaked from their water guns within minutes. At the top you can see what I chose to purchase for a Bieber loving (see cake) 10 year old and a Tinkerbelle loving 3 year old.

-Apparently I have been obsessing over chandeliers lately. These two reside at the Ritz Carlton Phoenix.

-On Saturday, the boyfriend and I headed to the dog park with our little girl. She had a blast with all the pups and I fell in love with a pair of snorting bulldogs. The we headed down the street to Joe's Farm Grill, for a dog-friendly, delicious breakfast.

-Later that evening after a glorious midday nap, we went to my Uncle's show. Yes, my uncle is a rock star (well I think he's a star). He is the long haired BAMF on the left with the guitar. If you are into rock music (which I am generally not, but I make this exception) check out Dagger!

-That horrible photo through a window is a wedding dress made entirely of invitations. You may not know this, but I dream of being a wedding and event planner. This dress made me feel whimsical and happy, so I had to share!

-You can't see it here, but this lamp is freaking sweet! Not $3000 sweet like the price tag implies, but it totally plays to my love of chandeliers!

Alright loves, that's all for now! Happiest of Mondays to you!