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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sometimes you think you're safe....

.....When you are at JoAnn's at 9 in the morning.

You're looking at skirt patterns so you can hurry and buy your materials and book it to your classes.

A man with three little kids walks by you and you smile absentmindedly at the adorable kiddos.

Soon though, things take a creeptastic turn.

The man with the kiddos turns back around and asks "what are you doing?".

"Oh, I'm looking for a skirt pattern for my sewing class", you respond.

"Ohhhhh a High School class, or College class?", Mr. Mom asks.

"Oh, I'm in College", you respond.

The conversation dwindles and you are glad to be over with it. 

You have no time to stop and chat.

You feel uneasy though as you realize the man is still standing there. 

Just staring at you.

Watching you look at patterns and flip through books.

Soon, your roommate comes and rescues you. 

Or does she?

Taken aback by the new company, the man finally leaves to chase after his little boys and you breathe a sigh of relief.

Until he is back and standing even closer to you!

"You look kind of confused. Do you need help?", he asks.

"Oh, no thanks. I think I'm fine", you nervously reply.

"Is this your roommate?", he persists.

"Yes". Simple and to the point right?

Wrong.

He keeps tallllking and creeping.

He once again leaves to chase after his kids that are wreaking havoc on the store.

He returns. AGAIN.

Pretty soon, I am ready to just tell him to get lost.

Seriously, why does he keep returning to talk to me?!

Finally, his wife appears and he disappears.

I was left mystified at this predicament.

Why are people so weird? And creepy?

Word to the wise: You are never safe! Do not mistake the cozy atmosphere of JoAnn's for a safe haven from creepers.

Also, never think that just because a man has super cute kids, that he is not a SC (secret creeper).

They are everywhere. 


Quote of the Day


Sometimes you've just gotta be nice to creepers though.....haven't you ever seen horror movies? The girls that were mean to the nerdy boys always get wacked first.


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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

You know it's going to be a long day......

..................When your phone flat out dies.

DIES.

R.I.P Sammy


You haven't dropped it, it hasn't been submerged in water.

Your touch screen suddenly goes black and you are doomed.

Doomed to a life of horse and buggies, outhouses, and gasp no electricity!

Ok, maybe that was a little dramatic.

But seriously, I am lost folks.

I do not know how I lived before a cell phone came into my life.

Granted, at times I just want to get away.

I want to escape the calls and texts. I just want to lie back with a great book and have a technology free vacation.

A brief existence free of hassle, deadlines, drama, and interruption.

Then I start to get antsy.

I worry that I'm not going to be reachable during an emergency, or that I won't be there to help a friend that needs me.

I also worry that I'll miss the phone call of some cutie that I am interested in.

Cause once that moment passes, it is gone people....and with my luck, he would call right at the time that I have dropped off the grid.

But really, I have felt kind of lost this whole day.

My life has been pretty hectic lately so I decided to take a personal day.

I only had one class and gosh darn it, I skipped it!

I needed time to re-charge.

I needed time to blast some music, dance like a crazy person, wear some old jeans and a t-shirt, and bake.

A little Ashley 101: Baking takes my frustrations and stress away...baking and cleaning.

I can put all of my angst into doing something productive that benefits not only me, but others.

Today's stress reliever: Joshua Radin on the ipod and banana bread baking in the oven.

There is no possible way to remain stressed or upset with that winning combination.

Music is the best kind of therapy and the smell of warm bread makes me feel like I am safe at home.

It takes me back to random days when I would come home from school to find my mom cooking in the kitchen.

I would pull up a chair and just watch her.

We would talk about my day and the cares of the world would just disappear. 

As I have grown older, I have grown to appreciate taking time out of the hustle and bustle of my life to just breathe. 

A day, a minute, and hour where I do something that makes me tick.

Those little moments help me rediscover myself.

They help me remember what my talents are and how I can use them to help others.

Sometimes, we just need to be still. We need to listen and watch for promptings in our lives.

Little by little, I am feeling less Amish today. I am feeling okay about my lack of technology.

It just forces people to be more creative when trying to reach me and let me tell ya, this girl appreciates creativity.


Quote of the Day


Take your own personal day, you deserve it.


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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Embrace your imperfections

So, as you probably already know from reading my blog, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

I am so grateful for my Church and for the blessing that it is in my life.

Today at Church, we talked about tender mercies.

For me, tender mercies can be defined as little miracles in your life that help you to know that God is real, and that he is mindful of you.

Perhaps you are having a really hard day and you get a surprise sweet text message from a friend with words of encouragement.

Coincidence, or tender mercy?

Many of you might be thinking, "tender mercy?! You're on crack. That is totally a coincidence". 

For me, something as simple as that is a mini-miracle in my life because it shows me that I am important.

Even if the rest of the world cannot see or appreciate me, I am worthwhile. I am enough.

I am loved and watched over by someone who died to know me.

Someone that sacrificed everything.

A girl at Church shared an experience of coming home late one night during the semester. She was really upset about something that had happened that day.

Her roommates were all asleep, so she just sat in her living room and cried. 

She felt really alone and insignificant.

Soon, she heard the buzz of her phone and wondered who would be texting her at 3 am.

She looked down and it was a message from her dad.

His message contained two words : "Be Strong".

He did not know what was going on in her life at that moment.

He was awakened by a thought that he needed to reach out to his daughter.

So that is what he did.

He did not know the situation, he did not understand why he needed to reach out to her, he just did.

However simple the words, they made all of the difference to her in that moment.

She felt loved. She felt strong.

I am grateful for the tender mercies in my life.

I am grateful for the kindness of friends and strangers.

I am grateful that I can find a silver lining to any day.

However awful a day may be, there are always tender mercies. 

Maybe a cute boy smiled at you as you walked by, or someone complimented you on your outfit.

Maybe someone dropped off warm cookies at your house, or gave you some love in the form of a warm hug.

The tender mercies are there, you just have to look for them.

If all else fails, try to be a tender mercy in someone else's life.

That my friends is the best day brightener of all.





This couple's tender mercy came in the form of a child.

They struggled with infertility and found their answer through a prompting to adopt a child.......



Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy?


Quote of the Day


Haha if only life was that simple :)

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Friday, September 23, 2011

Anything can happen

Listen to the Mustn'ts,child,
Listen to the Don'ts
Listen to the Shouldn'ts
The Impossibles, the Won'ts
Listen to the Never Haves,
Then listen close to me --
Anything can happen, child,
Anything can be.

-Shel Silverstein


Lately, I have been thinking a lot about possibilities. 

I am a planner.

I'm the type of person that likes to have an idea of where I will be six months from now.

This past week though, I've realized that living that way is slightly crazy.

It is crazy to think that life will turn out exactly the way I plan.

No questions asked. No missteps.

It is crazy to build up certain expectations, only to be disappointed later.

In one of my classes, we talked about an idea called Idealized Thinking.

Idealized thinking is something that we are all guilty off.

We daydream in a boring class and start imagining our lives.



A rockin' wedding


                    Source: tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest




 A smokin' hot hubby


                     Source: polyvore.com via Ashley on Pinterest




 A white picket fence






 The cutest kiddos in the universe










             Source: blog.hannamac.com via Ashley on Pinterest




                  Source: in-gender.com via Ashley on Pinterest




                        Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest




I really think a lot about having cute kiddos.


I'm weird. I know.


..............I could go on forever in my daydreaming.


Today, I learned that this is not necessary a good thing.

I learned that I need to stop planning so much.

Plans are good and keep us on track, but when used in extreme, they limit us.

If we are too busy planning, we are not living. 

I want to embrace my life; come what may.

That is how we grow.

We grow when life throws us a curve-ball. 

We learn when our best laid plans fall through, but we end up some where wayyyy better than we could have ever imagined.

I vow to embrace my spontaneous side more.

I vow to live in the moment and stop analyzing and second-guessing everything.

Who knows, I might be missing out on something great in my quest to define everything.

Missing out on an opportunity to build friendships, love people with all of my heart, and become who I am meant to be.

Not who I want to be, but who God wants me to be.

I need to have open hands and remember that anything is possible.

I'm going to stop limiting myself.

Sometimes, you cannot see what is right in front of you until you relax and just let it be.

Let go of the pressure to be perfect.

The pressure to live up to the expectations of others.

Pattern your life around the Lord and you will never go wrong.

Once you open yourself up to being led, your possibilities are endless.

Anything can happen, so let it.



Quote of the Day



"Don't be afraid to dream a little bigger darling"

Anything can happen, anything can be.


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Thursday, September 22, 2011

So long summer


Tomorrow is the official first day of fall.

I'm so freaking excited people!

When you ask most people what their favorite season is, the common answer is Summer.

I can understand that because summer is fun.

School is out, tans are in full-fledge, and warm nights are spent hanging out with friends, blasting music, and starting up that perfect summer romance. 

I love the beginning of summer, but towards the end, I am so over it!

1. I am finished with arriving at my classes, only to have the shiniest face ever from walking around in the heat.

"Hi. My name is Ashley and I look like I doused my face with olive oil. Nice to meet you too!".

2. I LOVE fall fashion. 

Out come the adorable boots, curve hugging jeans, luscious non-frizzy hair, comfy sweatshirts, beautiful scarves, and layers.....ohhhh so many glorious layers!

3. I love fall colors.

I love seeing the gorgeous red/orange leaves and feeling them crunch under my feet. The air is perfectly crisp, but not cold. You can get by with a light jacket or sweatshirt.

 (cue Miss Congeniality flashback)



4. Halloween. I love Halloween. 

I love hayrides and carving pumpkins. I love apple cider and warm doughnuts.

And come on, what could be better than passing out candy to adorable children in costumes?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

5. I love the smell of wood-burning fireplaces and the coziness of snuggling up with a great book....or with someone special ;)

6. Lastly, fall brings about one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving.

I love the warmth that this holiday brings. I love the food, traditions, and family togetherness.


So...as all of you mourn the passing of summer, be excited!

All of the seasons are amazing and fall is a personal favorite.



Quote of the Day


What do you love about fall?


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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Pintervention

I am in desperate need of one right now.

As a college student, I am busy.

I'm trying to learn how to juggle studying, exercise (ok, to be completely honest, this is non-existent right now....but it will be implemented shortly. I swear.), eating nutritiously, and having a social life.


With all of these things to juggle, you'd think I would buckle down and git-r-done right?


Wrong. 

It is not easy folks when you have an addiction that is hard to shake.

Unlike Clark Kent, my weakness is not kryptonite. 

It is Pinterest..........oh boy is it ever.

I will get an email about someone liking my pin and I will naively  tell myself that I will just get on for 5 minutes to check things out.

Pretty soon, an hour has passed and I am mystified

How the heck did I waste all of that time?

It was spent chuckling over funny quotes or sayings.

Admiring hairstyles that I will never have the expertise or features to pull off.


Oh, and lets not forget lusting over shoes and clothes that I do not have the money for. sigh.

Pinterest is an addiction, and I need help.

My name is Ashley McCarthy, and I am a Pinteraholic.

It has been 2 hours since my last pin.

I need another fix.


Quote of the Day


Please tell me I am not the only one!

What are your guilty pinning pleasures? 

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Your worst frenemy

Have you ever had friendships that have negative undercurrents?

Maybe you see it through a back-handed compliment, or perhaps through the way they support/don't support you?

I know that I have had those types of friends frenemies.

Sometimes I think of them as "fair-weather" friends. 

They are there when things are fun and happy, but nowhere to be seen when times get rough.

Don't you hate that?

I know I do.

Normally, what happens is that I realize that the positives in our "friendship" are not enough to compensate for the pure negativity.

I realize that I am sick of the debbie-makes-ya-a-downer's.

or

 the makes-you-think-negatively-about-yourself-Nancy's.

Today, I commit to getting rid of negativity in my life.

I do not need it.

You do not either!

If someone needs to tear you down to make themselves feel better, they are not your friend. 

If someone belittles you or your ideas, they are not your friend.

See them for what they are= Insecure mean girls

Recognize that real friends strengthen and build you up.

You better believe that real friends are right there with you when you are suffering and feeling your most vulnerable.

They offer you a shoulder to cry, lean, and snot on.

They do not make you feel like a loser for having a moment of weakness.

Real friends know that you are not perfect, but they love you anyways.

So lets rid ourselves of mean girls!

Kindness is not overrated.

Charity is not dead.


Quote of the Day


In order to be truly beautiful, we must start on the inside.

I pledge to be more kind and to be a true friend.

Who's with me?


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