Friday, October 31, 2008

YouTube

Have you ever observed the YouTube phenomenon? Whenever two or more people get together and one of them pulls up a YouTube video, no matter how many times they say, "I'm just going to show you this one video," the 'one video' turns into another... and another... and another... and a.n.o.t.h.e.r. Well, I've definitely been one to fall into that trap... often willingly.

So the next time you get into a YouTube fest, I've listed some of my favorite YouTube videos for you to share. You've probably already seen most of them, but on the off-chance you haven't:

-Canadian Border Patrol
-Can I Have Your Number?
-Charlie Bit My Finger!
-Angry Eye Baby
-Baby Laughs
-Pool Jump
-Miss South Carolina
-Car Phone Salesman

And by far my favorite, and one you probably haven't seen is the Seesaw Faceplant. This video was captured by my best friends Geoffrey and Beau when they went to New York a few years back. You have to listen to it with the sound on!
-Seesaw Faceplant

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Vlad was Real Bad

Wednesday, October 29: You Can Vote However You Like
This is just adorable and makes me smile: You Can Vote However You Like.

Thursday, October 30: The History Channel
I don't watch it as much as I would like, but I love, love, LOVE educational television! The past week, my favorite informative show has been Cities of the Underworld on The History Channel. In honor of Halloween, the show that aired tonight was about Vlad III the Impaler, also known as Vladimir Dracula, the Wallachia prince of terror from the 15th century.

Vlad was the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. But don't be fooled, Vlad the Impaler makes Dracula and his entire vampire underworld look like Care Bears. Just in case any of you are reading this while eating, I'll spare you the gory details. But let's just say, Vlad wasn't called the Impaler for nothing - according to the show, he's thought to have killed between 40,000 and 100,000 people.
Anyway, this post serves two functions cause I'm definitely thankful for educational TV, but I'm also SUPER thankful that we live in a country where we don't have to worry from day to day if we will be ruthlessly executed by our leaders.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Lubbock, Texas

The reason Lubbock is our winner today is two-fold:

1. Lubbock Local Media
For the first time in my PR career, I have had to pitch the media this week. Let me say this is not the norm.
Well, media pitching is obviously not my strong point. Therefore, I was scared to death when I was notified that I'd have to call around 50 local media outlets in the Lubbock area.

At first, it appeared my fears would be justified: my first three pitches included me calling the wrong person (due to an outdated media list), a receptionist with an attitude all but yelling at me and a number that was no longer in service. It seemed that I was never going to get this story covered.

Well, apparently it's the fourth (NOT the third) time that's a charm. From that fourth call on, every media person I spoke with was so friendly and almost all of them agreed to mention our story!

Reason #1 I say, "Thank you Lubbock!"


2. Chace Crawford
This heartthrob from the CW's not-so-PG-rated Gossip Girl was born and raised in Lubbock. That's him to the left. I believe that should be explanation enough.








P.S. I bought Sleepless in Seattle today at Target for a mere $6.50! I am watching it and now have this to say:

Dear Nora Ephron,

Please write the script for my life. I would appreciate a romantic interest slightly more attractive than Tom Hanks or Billy Crystal, but everything else is good. Thanks much!

Love,
Ashleigh

Monday, October 27, 2008

Witty Remarks

Oh my, I'm so thankful for witty remarks! I laughed out loud at this one from my clever roommate, Audrey:

"Well Lindsey's sketchier than a notepad!"

Maybe you had to be there, but in the moment, nothing could have been funnier.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

The Weekend: Reason #908,309,039,231 to be Thankful

Weekends... they need no explanation. I'm just thankful for them.

Saturday, October 25, 2008: Cookouts
Sallie, my bff, came out to see the new house in Atlanta for the first time on Saturday! As soon as she got there, we made some no-bake cookies and headed over to our good friends Al and Kassie's apartment for football-watching and a cookout. It was truly wonderful to see everyone there since I don't get to see many of them often! Seeing old friends wasn't the only great thing -- Georgia beat LSU - a much-needed victory, Bama beat Tennessee (I really, really don't like Tennessee) AND I ate a delicious hamburger! It was truly a great day!

Sunday, October 26, 2008: Porch Swings
Today was just one of the most beautiful days, in every way. Sallie and I woke up and laid in bed for a while before getting up and having a tasty breakfast at the Wa-Ho. Then, I listened to an Andy Stanley podcast while I drove home and had a trampoline battle with my sister, Alyssa. I'm pretty sure she won because she's mastered the beauty of the double-jump. Don't worry, I'll get there. Then, Dad, Aly, my brother, Zack, and I all went to see High School Musical 3!!! It was so wonderfully bad -- just like the other two!

After we got home, I went outside and just swang on our porch swing for a half hour while the sun set. The temperature was perfect and the sun was setting just over some houses, making the trees look like their different-colored leaves were catching fire. It smelt like fresh laundry outside, oddly. While I was swinging, this boy across the street was doing tricks on his scooter and an old couple was out for a walk. It was so pleasant, I could have stayed there forever!

But, it got too cold. :)

Friday, October 24, 2008

Rainy Days and Mondays Don't Always Get Me Down

Typically, I, along with Karen Carpenter, am not a huge fan of the rain. It can get in the way of outdoor activities, ruin a good hair day and cast a gloomy shade over the day. But, some days, I welcome rain with open arms. Today is definitely one of those days.

The weather fully committed today, and I can certainly appreciate that. It was cold, rainy, windy AND foggy. An excellent combination for a day when you just want to get cozy.

Because of the cold rain today, I had an excuse to drink hot chocolate first thing in the morning to warm up, move slowly at work and to immediately jump into PJs when I got home (as if that were something out of the ordinary). --If that's not something to be thankful for, I don't know what is.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Holy Guaca-Moly!

Before I devote my time to today's thankfulness choice, let me say this was not an easy decision. As my good friend and coworker, Lindsey, says - once you're looking out for something, you'll see it everywhere (or something much more eloquent than that). And that's how it has been with this project. Ever since I started looking out for things throughout my day that I'm thankful for, I see them everywhere and it's often difficult to choose only one to talk about. In an effort to keep you reading, I'm not going to disclose what the other possibilities for today's thankfulness choice were.

However, I will tell you that today's choice is tasty guacamole!!! For those of you who don't know, the company I work for provides us free lunch every day (which will eventually, I assure you, be a thankfulness choice). Today was taco salad day - YUM!!! Taco salad day is a big day in the office... you have to set aside an extra ten minutes for lunch just because the line is so long.

Well, the taco salad was great, but I could most definitely have eaten an entire plateful of tortilla chips and that heavenly guacamole alone. I always forget how much I love guacamole until it shows up unexpectedly on my plate. Let me just tell you, this guac was DE-lish!

...Good enough that Lindsey and I had a whole conversation about it, three hours after we'd eaten it... And good enough that I felt it deserved to be today's winner. Mmmmmm... tasty tasty.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Playing Catch-Up Already... :)

Wouldn't you know, after one week of this project, I've already slacked off! ...In my defense, I was out of town at a Chick-fil-A Grand Opening in Laredo, Texas most of last week and I didn't have my computer with me (which, as I will explain in a second, is something I am thankful for). So, I'm going to make up for the past week now.

Tuesday, October 14: Recovering Work-a-holic
Anyone who's known me for an extended period of time knows that I am a slight workaholic. I don't mean to be. It just happened when I started working.
Type A personality + "Words of Affirmation" love language = Overworker/workaholic
Anyway, coming into the full-time working world, where I will live for the next 40 years of my life, I decided I would not allow myself to work 70-hour weeks, bring my laptop home every day or leave after 5:30. And, surprisingly, I have stuck to my plan so far.

Wednesday, October 15: Disney Movies
Apart from the 'bear' necessities, I'm not sure there's anything I'm more thankful for than Walt Disney and his animated motion pictures. Seriously... give me a bad day, but then put on a Disney movie... instant cure.
Top Five
1. Sleeping Beauty
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. The Lion King
5. Cinderella
Feel free to argue.

Thursday, October 16: Road Trips
Oh my gosh, I love road trips!! Half the fun to me is making the playlist for the car-ride. But I think the most fun part is the inevitable list of random, HILARIOUS quotes from a small group of people being stuffed together in one location for an extended period of time! I guess the destination's not normally too bad either. :)

Friday, October 17: Flowers
Flowers are just happy. Specifically daisies. Gerber daisies or the white ones with the yellow centers! But, I also really like tulips!
While I used to claim that I didn't want flowers from boys because it was so typically girly, I was lying. Flowers are such a happy addition to a day and they light up any room. Love them!

Saturday, October 18: Engagements!
Saturday, my best friend Molly got engaged!!! And it was just about the cutest proposal ever!! She and her now-fiance, Bryan, were in Chattanooga for the weekend and they had gone for a walk on this bridge after dinner. About halfway down the bridge, Bryan slowed til they just stopped and he must have been quiet for more than 20 seconds, because Molly inevitably said, "Ask me a question!" Right then and there, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him!!! Of course she said yes!!

Sunday, October 19: M.O.H.
I'm sorry, but this just had to be a separate post. Molly asked me to be her Maid of Honor (hereafter referred to as M.O.H.) and this is a picture of my dress.

I'm so beyond excited, it's not even funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...K, I just had to get that out of my system.

Monday, October 20: Shallow Television
Wasn't going to include this, but truly the best thing about my Monday is getting to come home and sit in my comfy living room with my roomies and watch Gossip Girl and The Hills! It's completely shallow, but it's just so much fun! It just makes me want to go paint my nails.


Tuesday, October 21: Hocus Pocus
For the past two years, Kathryn Griffin and I have been desperately searching video rental stores for Hocus Pocus, the 1993 Halloween classic. Granted, we only try to rent it around the Halloween season, but it is frustrating nonetheless when it's not in stock. So, last night, Amanda, Audrey, Katie and I all got a sudden urge to do something Fall/Halloween-ish and since it was already late, a movie seemed the only route. And that's when it hit us: HOCUS POCUS!!! So, Katie and I set out on Mission HP 2008. Let's just say that due to a series of circumstances, including a robbery, an incompetent Blockbuster worker, fifteen streets in Atlanta that go by the name 'Peachtree' and the severe lack of a GPS system, it took us an hour and a half -- but we completed our mission!!!
Hocus Pocus is now sitting very proudly on our coffee table in the living room and that is where it will remain until next Wednesday. Oh sweet victory!
If you want to read about another fun (she might argue with that adjective) adventure, check out Kelly's post on the many obstacles she went through to transport the bike of her dreams back home.

And finally....

Wednesday, October 22: Blueberry Coffee Cake
Last night, Amanda's boyfriend, John, came over and brought us some blueberry coffee cake from Starbucks. Well, I wasn't hungry enough to eat it last night, so I grabbed a piece this morning on my way to work, with the excuse that it was almost like a blueberry muffin and not dessert for breakfast. I finally got settled in the car and took a bite -- oh my goodness! It was heavenly!! It was the perfect start to the day!

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Thankfulness Project

One of my biggest strengths is positivity. It's rare you will find me in a bad mood, and when I get in one, it's very short-lived. But, I have to admit - I can be a bit of a worrier. I get anxious about financial issues, worry about how I'm doing at work and wonder when the right guy will come along.



All this worrying can wear on you and make you forget that God is ultimately in control.
And considering my life verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, I know I should be making a more concerted effort to be thankful in every circumstance in my life.

Therefore, after making this realization (and observing that I don't have enough going on day-to-day to keep this blog moving at a faster-than-glacial pace), I decided to start a little project:

The Thankfulness Project.
For the next 365 days, I will come up with something that I am thankful for and write about it. It may not always be profound, but it will be something that makes me smile. Hopefully it will make you smile too. :)

And to kick things off, I figured I would start with the thing that I am most thankful for: my family.

I come from a HUGE family. There are 50+ members on my dad's side alone, and most of them live on the same 100-acre slab of land in North Carolina. Literally. My Mimi (great-grandmother and matriarch of the family) owns the land and lives right in the middle. Then, her children, my Nana, my great-Aunt Judy and my great-Uncle Ronnie, all live in a triangle out from her. Judy's three children, Scott, Eric and Tammy, each live a triangle out from her. Then, my Uncle Tim lives across the field from my Nana. Ronnie's children live about ten minutes away a piece and then my family lives in Atlanta because my dad works for Delta and my Uncle Mark's family lives in Boone because he coaches for Appalachian State. As redneck as it sounds, I LOVE this about my family. I have always grown up appreciating family and feeling like I had a gigantic support system.




My mom's side of the family is significantly smaller, but they are similarly close and are there for us through thick and thin as well. Grandma and Grandpa are two of the sweetest and strongest prayer warriors you've ever met. Then my Aunt Kim and Uncle Randy are two of the smartest people you've ever met. Kim's daughter, Kari, is my cousin and one of my closest friends. Even though we don't get to see each other very often, we know we're always there for each other. She's here, pictured with her husband, Jason, and daughter, Emma - SOOO precious!!!




As far as my immediate family goes - we have all recently become much closer. Strangely similar to a later-seasoned episode of 7th Heaven, each member of my family has gone through the same lesson in our faith in the past year, separately. This lesson has taught us to be more compassionate with each other and to value each other's opinions in our lives.




With such an amazing group of people only a phone call or flight away, I have rarely felt alone and have always felt loved.

I am extremely blessed.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Three-Year Old Fun in Neverland!

After months of working, living on our own, paying the bills, having jobs - it was time for some good ole fashioned elementary school fun. So the girls and I packed up all the craft project goodies, B-list movies and junk food we could find and headed for the Classic City.

Upon arrival, I jumped into my beloved "onesie." This certain article of clothing seems to have brought a significant amount of joy to those closest to me. The rest of the weekend involved Georgia football, movie marathons, pumpkin painting, pallets, photo shoots and hair ribbons. It was such a breath of fresh air compared to the "grown-up" activities we've had to take part in of late.



So much laughter was such great medicine to the monotony of adult life. Yay for weekends in Neverland!!!