MY IMAGINARY WEEKEND GETAWAY

I think it would be fun to go here this weekend...



mornings filled with coffee and laughter with tom...

hours spent laying out on the dock reading in the sun...

afternoons filled with and a little swimming and bbq'ing...

that sounds delightful to me.

SIMA BOOT CAMP

I'm LOVING our new SIMA lunch time workout. A trainer has been coming to our office every Tuesday and Thursday for a lunch time session to kick our butts...literally.

It has been so convenient to just walk downstairs to one of our vacant suites, get an hour workout in, and head back on up to work. I don't think i have sweat this much or had that burning "oh my goodness my throat may be bleeding" feeling since basketball double days back in the day.

I'm totally gross at work in the afternoons but i have been strategically scheduling any meetings in the morning hours. The beautiful thing about it though is that there are at least 5 other girls in the office that look and smell just as bad as I do!

Hopefully we can all keep this up because im loving it!

25 THINGS ABOUT ME- BY STINES

One day Stines decided she too would make a "25 Things about Ashley List"

(i think this is hysterical because oddly enough i had forgotten about 25% of them...)


1. Has Peeps in the freezer year round- yes, those gross yellow marshmallow looking like thing that appear in stores around Easter. She loves them. (not so anymore but there was a time)

2. Will randomly speak gibberish, usually in an effort to quiet someone. Ex; “hig-ga-da-ba” – ash, you know

3. Likes to say words in weird accents and pronunciations.

4. Will spend 20 minutes in grocery store reading random cards, laughing hysterically and inevitably buying at least 10 of them, none of which have any purpose, if you’re reading this, you’ve probably gotten one.

5. Once tried to help with the communication between a friend and her boyfriend by making analogy to a dog and the puss in the dog’s eyes- it needed to be wiped away so it could see. Hysterical- had to be there. (vaguely remember this but i have no doubt that i did)

6. Deathly allergic to bees- … still questionable? (tis true...let's not chance it)

7. Tried repeatedly to kill 2 “tester” fish for a fish tank in college by torturing them using methods of solitary confinement and starvation (oddly they wouldn’t die). Then bought another 1 that ended up eating everything. I mean everything- even Manuel- the sucker fish that eats the algae. End of story.

8. Which leads me to #9- created collage on back of dorm room door highlighting various monthly awareness topics and just random life experiences/milestones/lessons.

9. For most of sophomore year, kept college dorm as messy as possible to avoid any new roommates from wanting to move in. (stines too did this, i wasn't alone)

10. Loves the fact that her full name is ideal for monogramming- and yes, everything is monogrammed- sheets, towels, robes, underwear … well not sure about underwear but wouldn’t put it past her. (great idea!)

11. Arrived to college with a license plate that said- ASH 32 and about 15 matching “sweater sets” in various pastel colors.

12. Obsessed with Martha Stewart.

13. Has worn the same scrunchy to bed every night since I’ve known her- a yellow-ish thing with weird animals on it (maybe sheep). Think was originally part of a pajama set. (i still to this day own this, however it doesn't get the usage it once did unfortunately)

14. Is a surprisingly good dancer. Both on a dance floor and in a car.

15. Has oddly large toenails on her big toes.

16. When listening to a somewhat dramatic story told by another, she will mimic the facial expressions of the other person without realizing it. This is actually really funny.

17. Can flex her eyelid – its weird. Trust me.

18. Has something weird going on with her belly button- cant touch it or it will make her nauseous – I think the thought might make her queasy too.

19. Before her and tom were together- she told me that she always had a thing for him and he was mysterious. ( ;) )

20. She has an infectious laugh. I can just watch her laugh, have no idea why she’s laughing, and start laughing too. Pretty hard actually.

21. You will never find her on a trip with out some fake eye lashes and extra hair in her bag. (obviously) (stines to this day will pull on my hair when she first sees me to see if its fake)

22. Guaranteed to say “get serious” at least once during a conversation.

23. She has sung me the entire “happy birthday” song ever year on my birthday since I’ve known her with a strong half Indian/ half not sure accent. Think she sings song for everyone- not sure if everyone gets the heavy accent. (nope stiggs, just you)

24. Over exaggerates to avoid honest answers that could lead to potentially awkward situations.

25. When getting ready to do something/go somewhere, she motivates herself be using a countdown like she is about to perform a choreographed recital, as in “ And 5, 6, 7, 8”

26. Has no real concept of numbers. I deduce this fact because most combinations of numbers she uses in sentences are completely impossible. For instance, she likes to say someone has done something “97 times” but obviously, that’s impossible. Typical combinations of numbers used: a 9, a 3 or a 7

27. Gets excited about gardening…. (refer back to the herb garden post)

I think its funny that she too couldn't just stop at 25...

ME

This is actually a list that i posted on Facebook a while back and i thought that all my loyal readers out there would like to see it as well...

25 things about ME:

(actually 32 because i couldn't stop)

1- I fall in love more and more with my husband every day and that’s crazy to me.

2- I’ve had the same blanket since I was born that I sleep with every night still. It even went to college with me. I call it my “B”

3- We live in the 26th wealthiest communities in the US which makes buying a house virtually impossible.

4- I have three dogs, Harry, Hazel and Kylie. My husband thinks I’m unhealthily attached to them.

5- Saying I have a husband is still weird to me.

6- I want 3 kids but I have no idea when we will start popping them out

7- I could eat chicken and salad every day of my life and be fine with it.

8- I bought an apartment building when I was 23 but I still don’t own a house. Refer back to #3.

9- I played basketball everyday from the time I was 10 till I was 18 and then stopped cold turkey. I haven’t picked up a ball since. Literally.

10- My toe nails have not, not been painted probably since 7th grade.

11- When I was little, my hair was super straight and fine and then in 6th grade I got a perm and it never went back. Till this day I naturally have very curly hair.

12- I got very good grades in school and really didn’t try all that hard.

13- Family is the most important thing in my life without question. I am thankful everyday that my parents have stayed married for 33 years

14- I love to cook.

15- My family shows and breeds dogs for a living. And yes, you can make a profession out of that. They are like the Michael Jordans of the dog show world as Tom would say.

16- I visit www.imnotobsessed.com daily and still read wedding blogs even though I’ve already had my wedding.

17- I can watch the same episode of the Real Housewives (of any city) 84 times and still tune in if it’s on.

18- I HATE eggs

19- I’m obsessed with weddings and would become a wedding planner/designer if didn’t already have a really good career and wasn’t scared of making less money.

20- My sister is rad. Hilarious and gorgeous and her forehead make this dinosaur looking bump on it when she laughs really hard.

21- I’ve never babysat a day in my life which makes me scared to have kids.

22- I think our house might be haunted.

23- My favorite color is green

24- Growing up my mom always told me that I should wait to get married till I was 28 and I always argued that I would be 27 (I have no idea why). I got married in September…I was 28.

25- I order avocado on everything and rationalize it by saying it makes my hair and nails pretty.

26- I have a fascination with all things having to do with skin ailments. I.e. fungus, puss, scabs, boils, you name it, I want to see it. But I cant watch those tv shows where they cut people open for surgery…that makes my stomach turn.

27- My biggest pet peeve is a disorganized line…my second is when someone sneezing and no one says “bless you”

28- I LOVE flowers

29- I only use blue ink pens

30- I am really good at doing hair. And even used to cut stines’ hair in our kitchen.

31- When I come home from a trip it takes me weeks to unpack my bag

32- I know that I am a really lucky and blessed person.

Well thats ME in a nutshell. feel free to add anything to the list...

TWO IS BETTER THEN NONE

for the many readers who are still sitting at the edge of their seats waiting to hear about bug's big weekend...

2 more points for bug (no tacky trophies), 11 more to go!

Correction: 12 more to go!

the BUG

Wish me good luck! (or rather wish bug good luck!)

I'm off to Long Beach for "The Big Show." Bug looks fabulous, her coat magnificent, and most importantly...her spirit is unbroken!

prepped and ready to go!

isn't she just as cute as a BUG?!

Everyone keep your fingers crossed for a victorious weekend...hopefully we come back with some correctly colored ribbons, some tacky trophies and most importantly FOUR points!

GLAMMING UP A GARAGE

I've been thinking of ways to dress up a boring garage door without spending too much money swapping out the actual doors. I thought about a pergola but thought that may be too cumbersome for a small driveway...then i stumbled across these photos and found the perfect solution...a MINI pergola!

ok, granted this house is obviously ADORABLE, but lets focus in on the trellis...it adds the perfect amount of character and can be used over any garage door really.

this really can't be too difficult (i say this now...)

tom i'm sure would beg to differ.

im loving the detail on these doors and hanging two lanterns on either side is a must.

depending on its surroundings, a natural wood pergola could add some interesting detail. I like how this one looks on the house. black shutters and a black pergola would look nice as well...

in any case, i think i have found the perfect garage door accessory to our imaginary house!

thoughts....

UPDATE: Tom had a great idea as well. we could hang hanging plants on either side to add a splash of color... maybe two large pots on either side with miniature lemon trees too...LOVE THAT!

UPDATE #2: i really like the look of this trellis and trim color, especially on a stucco house.

pink

To me, pink is a touchy color. if used in the wrong way it can make things look too frilly, girly, kitchy (is that a word?). This is how you make PINK Fabulous!

i found this gorgeous wedding while stalking a favorite wedding photographer's blog- MiBelle (http://blog.mibelleinc.com/). i love love love these details and how cute is the bride?

If i had seen this fabulousness before our wedding, i may have forced tom into pink:)

STILL DREAMING OF OUR DREAM HOME

Last night tom and i went by "our house" to show my sister its fabulousness so i decided i would take some photos while i was there. I wanted to bust out my measuring tape but i thought that might be too much. i refrained.

BTW- we still love it just as much and even more!

The only odd, but still great, thing about the house is the living room. there is no formal dining room which will be a challenge when we design our living room to incorporate a dining area. I have seen this done many times but with the location of sliding doors, windows, counter tops, it may be challenging. The great things about the room though are the high ceilings, sky lights, and overall lighting. You get a very warm and welcoming feeling when you enter the room. (you'd get a more warm and welcoming feeling if there wasn't 36 tons of junk all over the place)

Tom was surfing the Internet looking for flooring that he liked (so cute, i know) and came across this photo which he sent over to me.


Oddly enough this room is almost identical to "our" living room! The size, shape, windows, beams, etc. We LOVE the wood floors and I love the idea of having a fireplace and mantle on that far wall... Tom loves the idea of putting a flat screen above that fireplace and mantle. In the future hopefully we will be able to do something similar with our room. Just cleaning it out and opening up the space will make a WORLD of difference.


I'm also loving this set up which is again similar to ours.


I love that fireplace and really like how they have hung their drapes. Since the windows are narrow on either side, they have hung them to the outside. this allows you to have the impact of drapes without busying up the wall. it also allows the natural light come through which is one of the things that makes "our" room so charming.


So my friends, we continue to be "CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC" on "our house" and i continue to decorate in my dreams.

QUITE POSSIBLY THE FUNNIEST WEBSITE I'VE EVER SEEN

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

Please do yourself a favor and visit this site immediately.

For those of you not following directions and still reading, here is a little taste...do not skip over the captions.

no caption neccessary.

We've got doubts.

when you're head over heels in love, why not shout it from the roof tops

she never stood a chance

I give my husband 100% of the credit for this amazing find.

OH THE ANTICIPATION

Well well well, tonight is the night Ive been waiting for almost a week and this hiatus has done to me exactly what David Stern had wanted...

I have the dogs a thawing, the beer a chilling and I can't wait for tonight's game!!

GAME 1 OF THE NBA FINALS!

Now i know everyone out there aren't Laker fans (or Kobe fans rather) but come on people, who cant get excited for a little bit of this...

(remove a Luke Walton because he is a joke and insert some Arizza)

hopefully some of this...

(best player in the NBA right there)

toss in one of these...

and we've got ourselves some entertainment!!!

and maybe if we (the lakers) can pull it together for more than just 1 out of 5 games, we (the lakers) might get ourselves one of these

this picture makes me so angry...Paul Pierce go break an ankle.

GO LAKERS!!!!!!

VERY NECCESSARY

i need one of these pillows in each room of my house....and one at my office.

SEE HOW MY LITTLE HHHHERB GARDEN GROWS

Last week after i spent $10 at the grocery store on fresh herbs for the 3rd week in a row, i decided i was going to plant my own little HHHerb garden. (no silent H here)

I did a little research and found that in order for my little plants to grow they would have to be planted in full sun and out of harms way (meaning harry, hazel and bug need to steer clear). we have a very large backyard and a perfect terraced area up on top of a hill but knowing me, unless i can see my garden grow, i will let it starve and wither away. I need that immediate gratification of coming home from work and seeing new little flower buds and leaves. i guess that's not exactly "immediate" gratification but you know what i mean. i need progress people! Therefore, i decided these little plants of mine needed to be in the front yard so i could love and encourage them on a daily basis. Instead of planting them in the ground i decided on individual planters. This way i can move them to where the sun is and i think it adds a cute touch to our garden.

I chose the herbs i use most: Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Chives, Cilantro, Parsley and super yummy Basil. I love to cook with fresh herbs, nothing beats it! and to think i can save up to $10 a week PLUS get the enjoyment of rearing these little guys... it was a home run.

I went to the nursery to pick out the herbs and soil and chose the bag with the big veggies on the front. That's gotta be the right kind right?! when in doubt...follow the pictures.

About a year ago tom "purchased" a beautiful copper-ish planter that has been sitting in my parents garage just waiting to be used. Its long narrow shape seemed absolutely perfect for the task at hand.

The other pot i used was a gift my dad just gave me that is a super cool shape and size...the color and texture is right up my alley! I have a major "thing" against terracotta...don't know why, just do. Its not the first, or last, weird kawinkidink about me.

After i had all my ducks in a row, all i had to do was arrange the herbs, fill with soil, plant, water and voila! I have myself a little garden of hhherb children!

On the left we have a variegated sage, then chives in the back, crawling rosemary in the front and purple sage on the right. to me this is compositionally perfect...who cares what the plants taste like when they look this pretty!

In this planter, composition wasn't as important as just getting the rest of the herbs to all fit. On the left is cilantro, then thyme, basil and parsley. Not as pretty but i guarantee just as yummy!

A week later and these little gems are doing great! The cilantro has definitely grabbed hold and so has the thyme. The parsley is still a little wispy and surprisingly the basil is struggling a bit (which saddens me because i use it so often). I have been whispering sweet nothings to it every evening though, so i will keep you posted as to how it progresses!

Tonight i will be using some of the dee & lish cilantro in our taco salads!!!