hey girl.

i've been too busy reading these all day to blog...

Source: handmaderyangosling.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

God did good when he made ryan gosling. amen.

you can do it!

lately i've been thinking about career possibilities.

as in, if i could have any job in the world, and sitting at home crafting all day is out of the question and martha just doesn't need another assistant, i think i'd be a life coach.

Source: palmercash.com via Ashley on Pinterest

you see, i'm really good at pepping people up. getting them all giddy inside. and making them think they can tackle the world.

in the last month that T has been out of work, i've given more pep talks than john calipari. i've said things like, "your awesome", "you're the fing sh*t", "chin up 'ol chap" and the likes. and it's working! things are going so well for him now.

and there's nothing better than seeing someone you love feel good about themselves. confident people are the most attractive people in my eyes.

Source: moneysavingmom.com via Ashley on Pinterest

but what do you do when someone try to do it all and you know they just can't?

i find that in my life there are two groups this quote defines. my sorority girls and myself.

it's funny when you're in college, and you make a D on a paper or your "best" friend flirts with the guy you like, or you don't get the internship that you wanted, all the bad things that happen are so terribly awful, you feel like life can't get any worse. it's as if all your hopes and dreams have crashed and burned and you're left trying to pick up the pieces alone. the fact is, you're not alone and there are so many options in college.

don't like your major? change it. don't like your friends? get new ones. there's only 20,000 people on campus. don't like your extracurriculars? join a new club. don't like your schedule? change classes.

 see i could totally be a life coach.

 now i'll move on to being my own life coach.

i'm really great at telling other people how they should live their life. but am i completely honest with myself? do i push myself to the limit everyday? do i set goals and work towards them? do i want something but am too afraid to go after it?

sure.

but i'm also a realist. and sometimes you just literally can't have it all. you might not be able to get married, go back to school, find a new job, move to a different city, buy a house, volunteer and lose forty more pounds all at once. in fact, i know it's impossible. yet, i strive to make it all happen. why can't i be my own damn life coach?

 my new life motto?

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

and i think it suits me just fine. because really, aren't we all awesome. at something, in some way, we all are. and being awesome one day at a time is way easier. so today i'm going to be awesome. awesome at my job, taking care of myself, my fiance, my dog, my advisor responsibilities and awesome at telling everyone else that they're awesome. you can do it, people!

so who needs a life coach? ash is starting a new business and i'll gladly be yours. and i'll give you a discount for being my first client!

weekend recap

worked late friday night. i ate at subway. i hate subway. early bed time. up and at 'em saturday. clean house. run errands. walk dallas. new blog design. shopping with barclay. nap time. get ready. night out (finally!). late mexican dinner. chaperone sorority date party. downtown with friends after. early morning bed time. so worth it. sleep in sunday. grocery shopping. new dress. new book. lazy sunday afternoon. silly fam photo shoot. AOII meeting. off to bed with my new book. T off to bed with his new tablet/game thing. dalpal off to bed with his baby. night night. ready to start a busy week.

letters to maddie

dear sweet maddie,

it's almost spring in the bluegrass.

spring isn't my favorite season (fall is. i don't want the suspense to kill you.) but i do love the change of seasons.

spring is great for so many reasons. new plants bud. the animals come out from hibernation. spring break. sunshine. driving with the windows down. and new life. more specifically, your new life.

your momma's at 29 weeks now and you're getting so close to being here.

this spring will bring lots of changes.

so i'm ready.

ready for spring. ready for change. ready for you to come out and play (although, i know it's in your best interest to stay in there and cook for a bit longer. no one wants an under cooked baby.).

love,
ash

Source: suziebeezie.tumblr.com via Mari on Pinterest

friday's fabulousness

well another work week has come and gone. i feel like all i do is live for the weekends. i think it's the weather. i just want to be outside. and let's be honest. so do the girls. and cooped up girls make for a rough week!

on to the fab.

1. when T and i finally move into a house (hopefully at the end of april!!!) i will be making this...

Source: thisoldhouse.com via Ashley on Pinterest

but of course it will not be red. 

2. is this not the cutest wedding picture ever?

Source: Uploaded by user via Ashley on Pinterest

i've already sent it to our photographer so it can be on our "must have" list! 

3. i can't stop looking at this picture.

love my boys! 

4. one thing i'm dying to do this weekend?

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

print this out and put it in a frame. perfect art for our house! 

5. made this soup last night for josh and T...

Source: tasteofhome.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

it was delish and not too bad for you once i worked my weight watcher magic on it! 

 how was your week? itching for spring yet? 

i hope you have a wonderful weekend. i'll be busy, busy but it's better than the alternative!

life goal #2545

i can officially check off another life goals from my ginormous list...

ps. oh how i love thee, martha.

giving up or giving in?

wake up! it's lenten season. so for all those who can't eat meat or have given up their beloved social media networks, tv shows and food, it's time to let it go for the next forty days. 

 right?

Source: someecards.com via Ashley on Pinterest

maybe not. 

 you see i give up the same thing for lent every year (at least for the past 6) and this year will be no different. so goodbye soda and fried foods. see you, well, hopefully never but at least not for the next forty days. 

 but this year i'll be doing something different as well.

i'm giving in. 

giving in to church. 

giving in to family. 

giving in to friends. 

giving in to volunteering. 

giving in to helping others. 

giving in to teaching. 

giving in to learning. 

giving in to a selfless fiance.

giving in to those puppy dog eyes begging for a walk. 

giving in to my body telling me to try just a bit harder. 

giving in to the holy spirit moving through me to let Him have it all. 

lent doesn't just have to be about giving things up. 

why must we sacrifice in order to be closer to God? 

this lent, i'll be living by this and i'll be trying every day after lent to keep it alive in my heart...

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

you see, in order to increase Him, we must decrease ourselves but it isn't necessarily through soda and fried food. 

it's through love and tolerance. faith and hope. charity and selflessness.

we're number 1

just in case you're not aware. i bleed blue. 

 let me explain that for all y'all non-kentuckians. 

 this state bleeds blue for everything and anything that has to do with the University of Kentucky. more importantly anything and everything that has to do with Kentucky basketball. 

 so, having graduated from UK and having been a part of some of the greatest sports traditions in the world (i'm not bias at all!), i can't help but bleed blue. 

 and it's only right to brag about my team and their number one basketball team in the nation. and just how we're all around awesome. because yes, i too play on the team. we all do in the great state of kentucky! 

 here's some of my fav stuff floating around pinterest for those who bleed blue...

Source: Uploaded by user via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: sprinklebakes.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Ashley on Pinterest

and there you have it. the best university. the best basketball team. the best place to be a fan.

 dare i taste a national championship?

weekend recap

Source: urbansavior.com via Ashley on Pinterest

a friday night date with myself. tv catch up. ww burrito. snuggles with dalpal. early wake-up call. off to louisville (again.). mccalisters deli. wedding planning. invitation meltdown. bridezilla moment. giant chocolate chip cookie to ease my pain or maybe T's pain. back to lexington. date night. yummy tacos. movie time. honeymoon planning. most productive sunday ever. workout. take care of dog stuff. clean entire house, top to bottom. go to grocery. meal plan for the week. first AOII meeting. homemade pizza for dinner. help T with most difficult job app ever. ten minutes of snuggle time with dallas. second AOII meeting. home before 11pm (yay!!!). asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

letters to maddie

dear sweet maddie,

i'm going to tell you about last saturday.

last saturday uncle T and i had our engagement party. it was great and we got to see a lot of our family and friends. we got presents and played games and ate cake.

fun was had all around.

then aunt ash had too much to drink. you know, too much formula. adult formula. and might have done some silly things.

normally i wouldn't tell a fetus about this BUT since greek runs in your blood and you'll be born a little panda in 12 short weeks, i figure this is something you must know.

here's a list of things that may or may not have happened...

i may or may not have kissed your mother's belly several times.

i may or may not have taken several pictures of josh's beard.

i may or may not have pulled my spanx off in the middle of the party.

i may or may not have had three cupcakes.

i may or may not have been playing with a very large knife to cut the cake.

i may or may not have let T answer all of the questions to the game. terrible, horrible idea.

i may or may not have stayed up until 3 am.

i may or may not have taken several bad photos because my face turns into a red mess when i drink.

i may or may not made fun of someone in the most cruel way ever.

i may or may not have shushed T. more than once.

i may or may not have accused someone of being on drugs.

i may or may not have had the best time. ever.

but you can keep all this a secret, right? i trust you baby girl. i mean, you don't want to rat out your favorite aunt. the one that will bail you out of anything and everything when you're bigger. in fact, it's in your very best interest to stay on my good side at all times, mad. mmmmmkay?

Source: someecards.com via Ashley on Pinterest

and a party we did, indeed, go to!

ps. i am in no way saying that i am a drunk. i'm not. yes, i had a little bit too much fun. and that's all it was, fun. also, i do not at all endorse babies getting drunk or being alcoholics. however, i guess it's really the choice of the baby and it's parents. since i am not a baby nor do i have a baby, i cannot speak on their behalf.

friday's fabulousness

well, i had an awesome post all ready and then, i deleted it. let's call this week "the week of bad luck for ash". i'm over it. so instead of five fabulous things, you're getting these favorite pictures from this week...

Source: stylemepretty.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: shitthatsirisays.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

hope you all have a great weekend! we'll be in louisville, again. but it's hard to complain about traveling there when we get to do fun stuff like see family and friends and take care of wedding plans!

party time

as mentioned on my friday's fabulousness last week, T and i were super excited (and beyond blessed!) to have an engagement party thrown for us by my wonderful aunt and uncle in louisville. i thought i'd share some of my fav pics of the night!

my girls, well minus tara and kb.

me and T 

my bestie and matron of honor. what you can't see is her adorable baby belly!

photo booth action

fam pic, minus jarred.

T and his bro. i swear they look just alike but he doesn't think so.

he's not really going to stab me!

my step-dad surprised me!

baby bro. aka schwab.

brookie and tara.

he really was going to stab the cake!

but i made sure he didn't. isn't that what having a wife is all about? making sure their husbands don't do stupid things? well, i'll be really good at that. haha!


it really was such a great night. most of our friends and family made great efforts to be there. some came from far, new york and colorado and some not too far but they were all there for the two of us and we couldn't be for thankful.

of course it wouldn't have been such a great night without my aunt and uncle (and sweet b) who put everything together and said some very sweet things about the T and i.

we had a great time and by the feel of my hangover the next day, i'd say the wedding won't be anything less! 

touché facebook, touché

lately i have been wanting to clean up everything. and i'm not just talking my extremely messy house. i'm talking life, specifically my social media outlets. i've been working to clean up my blog design. something cleaner, more modern, less cluttered. and then suddenly that spilled over to twitter (oh, how i loathe thee, twitter.) and facebook.

you see, it's not that i dislike facebook, unlike it's condensed friend, twitter. i actually really like the fb. but, lately i've been reading statuses and seeing pics and comments that i just have no interest in. i'm talking people who put up all life's drama so everyone can feel sorry for them. or the person who insists on inviting you to join them in every group, game and internet debauchery known to man. or how about the person putting all their political or religious beliefs on you when all you wanted to do was look at the picture of your besties gosh darn cutie pup?

well, all that to say that i started to clean up my facebook. delete this person, block that one, etc. one "friend" in particular was someone who literally put up ten to twenty statuses a day about their entire life's ups and downs with no qualms about who would see it, care about it, judge them for it or use it against them.

i'd been thinking about doing it for so long. and then, i. finally. did. it.

and now? i feel like this...

Source: lovequotesrus.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

defrienders remorse. 

what the hell will i do with my time and what will i talk to jennifer about 500 times a day?

serious defrienders remorse. the only thing worse? asking to be this persons friend again and therefore openly admitting online that i unfriended you just to want you back again. it's like a bad relationship that you just can't shake.

and that, my friends, is today's social media lesson.
think before you defriend.

happy heart day

Source: shepardspencer.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

true love at it's greatest.

that and you know you're loved when you get a tank of gas instead of flowers and chocolate on valentines.

and that's why i love T.

well, that and a million other reasons!

in other news...

Source: cottage-industrialist.com via Emily on Pinterest

if i were still in elementary school and it was acceptable to pass out valentines to all my classmates, you can bet your booty  you'd be getting this one.

happy valentine's day y'all!

weekend recap

friday funday with the girls. shopping. nails. clean the house. laundry. pack. seven year anniversary. i love you T. early spin class. lunch with T. drop dal off at kennel. pick up cupcakes and cake from brooke. off to louisville. stop in shelbyville to talk with caterer. finalize plans for invitations. mall time. meet up with joe and alex (yay!). run errands around louisville. check in at the sanderson resort and spa. get ready. party time! lots of family. lots of friends. games. cake. catching up. music. presents. too much wine. late, late night. six hours of sleep. watch cailou with sweet b. say goodbye to greatest hosts ever. drive back to lex. pick up a sleepy, calm, worn out dallas. nap time. four hours later get up. eat for the first time that day. more napping/lounging. sorority meeting. four hours later back in bed. chit chat with T about how awesome our fam and friends are and how lucky we are to have them and each other.

7 years

seven years ago, it all started right here.

and now, tonight, we're celebrating our engagement with our friends and family.

and in just over 7 months we'll be husband and wife. 

i love you T.

love, 

ash

letters to maddie

dear sweet maddie,

remember how i said i'd tell you that story about your mom running down rose street at 3am? well, she said she'd kill me if i told you over this here internets, so i'll be saving that one for the day you're born.

i do however have to tell you this.

i was thinking yesterday that your momma is going to need a playlist for the hospital. i have decided to make this my personal job. to find the best, most appropriate songs for you to come into the world with.

oh wait, appropriate? never. but, here's what i have come up with. and if you're at all cool (like i know you are), you'll love them!

Ain't That Loving You Baby - Elvis Presley

Baby - Justin Bieber

Baby, Baby - Amy Grant

Baby, Baby, Baby - TLC

Baby Come Close - Smokey Robbinson

Baby, Don't Forget My Number - Milli Vanilli

Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot

Baby I Need Your Lovin' - Johnny Rivers

Baby, Please Don't Go - ACDC

Be My Baby - The Ronettes

Hey Baby - No Doubt

and my personal favorite,

love, 

 ash

friday's fabulousness

so many things to be looking forward to and so much to be thankful for. 

1. just got this lovely thing and can't wait to put to use. possibly something super cute for v-day?

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

2. now that the super bowl is over, the nba sucks and all other professional sports are lame, we are that much closer to march madness. and that much closer to another UK national championship. i can taste it people. seriously. 

 3. i love pinterest. mainly because i find all kinds of things that make me lol. for instance,

Source: i.imgur.com via Ashley on Pinterest

i'm not having kids any time soon but when i do, you can bet i'll say this. more than once. you know what? scratch that. i should just go ahead and put this up for T and the dog. they know, they know. 

4. has anyone else heard about ellen vs. one million moms? why on earth would anyone go up against ellen. i love her, the gays, and now, JCPenny. 

 5. and the best thing happening this weekend?

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

yep, our engagement party. hosted by my generous aunt and uncle. can't wait to see all our family and friends and celebrate. any party starring me can't be anything but fabulous, right? 

(um, totally jking with ya on that one. que sarcasm if you will!)

what fabulous thing(s) are happening in your part of the world?

falling in love with love

i'm a romantic through and through. it's been a long time since i fell in love with love but once i did, it's never been the same.

i don't go over the top with valentines day. it's a short holiday right after christmas. although, truth be told, i've had my valentines decor up since the middle of january.

but it's not just about the lovey dovey stuff on this day. oh, no! i love the sweets and treats. the hand crafted cards and boxes of star wars or phineaus and ferb valentines. i'm a lover of red and pink. and anything with hearts on it, is a winner in my book.

Source: dailynibbles.com via Ashley on Pinterest

love these pink cookies!

Source: weheartit.com via Ashley on Pinterest

giant heart balloons in signature love colors? yes, please!

Source: realsimple.com via Ashley on Pinterest

cute handmade cards.

Source: tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

valentines nail art. i'm SO trying this!

Source: someecards.com via Ashley on Pinterest

totally inappropriate. totally necessary. 

 there are only five days left until heart day. and while T and i don't really do much, i'm thinking of a little something special for him. just remember, it's nice to know you're loved any day of the year!