Yeah football doesn't go so much with my usual blog themes, but this does!
Puppy Bowl 2010 is on Animal Planet today at 3:00! So far my day has been spent sleeping in (til almost 11 - so late for me!), tea and breakfast, errands, maybe some laundrey and the treadmill if the mood strikes, brownie baking, and tonight heading over to a small gathering at a friend's apartment to eat and watch the commercials. Oh and I think some crafting might be involved.
Bought this desk calendar for my bedroom's desk on Etsy - It's even cuter in person. Here is the Etsy shop - Curious Doodles, Urban Eco Friendly and Crafty Goods. I loved the one I bought last year on Etsy so much that I definitely had to get another. And all the calendars are free shipping, so get one if you haven't bought a 2010 calendar yet!
I liked your movie, especially when I realized 5 minutes in that I had read the book. But I was just wondering, why must your target audience be so annoying? I just wanted to have a relaxing Friday night after a long week, but instead found myself in the scene from Mean Girls where all the girls go wild in the school at the end. Cell phone lights held out as if at a concert, extreme reactions to each turn of events, dashing up and down the aisles, even a few male jeers as if that made it ok that they were there, somehow all that didn't make for a pleasant night at the movies. Please make your movies less appealing to twelve year-olds from now on.
Sincerely,
A disgruntled movie goer
Went to my first ever hot yoga session Monday night with some coworkers - and they're not lying about the hot part, we're talking ring your t-shirt out, guzzle gallons of water, wipe your face fifty times throughout ... yeah it was intense. But I kind of loved and hated it at the same time. We decided that it's like a drug addiction, it was really hard and I felt nautious at times, but I loved the way it made me feel after (A workout, massage and facial all in one!) - So I'm going to sign up for 20 more classes! Plus the studio is right by my condo and the sessions are perfect times for my work schedule. And it was such a de-stresser. The steamy dim lit incense smelling studio forced me to instantly shift out of work mode, something I struggle with. I think this cancels out the chocolate sprinkle doughnut I just ate, doesn't it?
Bespoke Labs Featherweight Dryer. Last week my cheap purple hair dryer just gave out so I thought it's time to invest in one that 1. Dries my hair in as short of time possible 2. One that actually doesn't burn and permanently damage my hair everytime I use it and 3. One that will actually last more than a year. I invested in a Chi straightener (or as my dad calls it, "hair masher") at least 4 years ago and I'm still using it. So this past Sat. morning I made my way to Lenox Mall to pick up my prized possession at Sephora and get my eyebrows threaded at "The Arches" - which made me wish I didn't have any hair at all.
Old college besties Sarah, Chelsea and Brittany came in from KY and NC last weekend. And in typical blog fashion here's literally everything we did:
Friday night: Dinner at Cantina, a fun new Mexican restaurant in Buckhead, and Yorgurt Berry (My latest obsession). We all forgot our cameras that night, trajedy
Saturday:
Flying Biscuit ... coffee, biscuits with apple butter, chicken sausage, perfect start to a rainy Saturday, and we got an early start, out the door by like 9:30.
Then off to the Georgia Aquarium! Biggest in the world. I'd never been before and definitely recommend it.
Outline of Brittany and I in front of the jellies
Crawling through a tunnel to get to a photo op made me feel twice my age
Had to shove my way through a hord of wild children to see the penguins
Scary! 
Pretty tunnel
Sarah and I loved the turtles!
After the Aquarium we went shopping in the Virginia Highlands and got a snack at Belly. I bought this amazing chair half off at Urban Cottage. Then we went to Anthropologie (since they don't have one) in Lenox Mall where I found this pillow at Crate and Barrel. Obessed.
Then to Trader Joe's, Fresh Market and CamiCakes for dinner supplies. Sushi night is a requirement when we get together!
Adorable salt and pepper shakers from Anthropologie Chelsea and Brittany gave me as a belated house warming present
Sunday: Panera for breakfast, then Chelsea and Brittany had to head back. Sarah had a work function in atlanta that afternoon. We got dinner at Treehouse and saw Sherlock Holmes, which I surprisingly really liked. We actually bought tickets to see Leap Year, but the stores closing early forced us to pop in a random movie before and we didn't want to leave!
Thankful for a weekend full of shopping, good food, hanging out, and catching up with old friends :)
and lived somewhere that snowed, I would definitely make these adorable ice lanterns:
LIKES:
~Even more than usual, bagels. Particularly if they're from Goldberg's or Einstein's. This morning I had not one but two breakfasts. A prework bowl of Kashi cereal and a midmorning cheese bagel with cream cheese. And I'm eating a Lean Cuisine right now.
~So lots of people have been asking if I've been watching The Bachelor and sadly the answer is no. I'm not proud to admit this but I'm all about Fox Family right now. The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Make It or Break It are my current guilty pleasures (and the previously mentioned Jersey Shore). Plus The Bach is just so long and not the same without my close girlfriends to watch it with me.
~Speaking of old Bachelor viewing friends, getting excited for three of my college/high school friends to visit me tomorrow. The agenda for the weekend: brunch, mexican, sushi, aquarium, cupcakes, shopping, movies, scrabble. Hey one of them is pregnant so she needs to eat a lot. We're all going to cram into my one bedroom condo and they better be ok with my new extra loud noice machine!
DISLIKES:
~My bangs right now. To cut or grow out?
~My internet usage time. I've been feeling like I must get maximum use out of my newly installed internet at home. Whether aimless facebooking or playing songs on you tube in the morning, I have yet to do anything worthwhile since getting it.
~And I had a traumatic experience yeterday ...
What started as eye strain turned into blurry spotty vision and being all around disoriented. Seriously it was awful. It lasted for a few hours until I finally just had to leave work around 3. I had a bad headache and felt nautious. It's better now but I still don't feel quite like myself. This has happened before but never to this extent. After several convos with my mom we agreed that it was probably a combination of stress and a reaction to something. Almost having an anxiety attack at work is not my idea of a fun day.
~Ok on to something lighter, everyone is so happy about the warmer weather here in atl. Not me. It's still Jan. and I hate the up and down! I want to get sick of all my scarfs before moving on to spring'ish weather. It's just confusing. Here's the forecast this weekend:
If you are looking for a way to help the people of Port-au-Prince, Haiti from the devasting earthquake, click here to make a donation to Food For The Poor. Your donation will bring immediate relief to those affected.
I've said before that blogging about things I want is almost like shopping (almost), so I'm going to try doing that for my "perfect day." Not that today is that awful, just your typical work day, except for the guy suspended 10 stories up cleaning windows who just scared the crap out me (I almost shut the blinds but didn't want to hurt his feelings). So if I could do anything today, here's what it'd be (Oh and we'll keep this in Atlanta, no inpromptu flying to Paris)
~After a restful night's sleep of no less than 10 hours, get up only to snuggle with one of these blankets, latte in hand by a cozy fire for some quiet time, and Annie in lap who doesn't throw up any today.
~Brunch at Flying Biscuit, Ria's Bluebird or Buckhead Diner, anywhere that has biscuits and gravy really
~And then maybe a leisurely walk with a golden, bichon and cavalier in a cute area, and the leashes never tangle
~Then take a Forever 21/H&M/Anthropologie/Urban Outfitters/Little 5 Points and Highlands boutiques shopping spree
~Afternoon of pampering - mani/pedi's, massage, facials, etc. And snacks must be present (preferably CamiCake cupcakes, sushi and cucumber water - Martha Stewart has a pitcher waiting for her at work everyday)
~Then home to lay by the pool in the sun (the sun doesn't burn me on my perfect day) to read a surprise released Harry Potter book that is the best one yet.
~Dress up, out to dinner somewhere I've never been, and then out dancing where they play Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" and Black Eyed Peas "Ima Be" a lot!
My perfect day sounds like a day in Paris Hilton's life. Ugh, oh well emphasis on day. And it goes without saying I'm with people I like. And there's no traffic in Atl. And I'm able to stay out past 10 without getting tired like an 80 year-old.
Cue reader participation: What does your perfect day look like?
Likes:
~So last night in a feeble attempt to be healthy and not gnaw my hand off from hunger, I microwaved some spinach leaves from a bag of spinach that I usually just eat on sandwiches and omelets. It was surprisingly really good! The salt and pepper I liberally poured on didn't hurt either. It made a great side to my tomato soup, Special K crackers and clementines. Oh and some cereal. I was starving ok, it was like 8 o'clock and I had just got out of a particularly humiliating pilates class.
~This gold bracelet my mom gave me for Christmas that I randomly came across a pic of on one of my regular blogs:
~Finally got internet installed at my condo. Commence the blogging and celeb gossip reading from home!
~The book I'm currently reading, Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner, and the movie, It's Complicated
~Jersey Shore. Nothing else to add to that.
Dislikes:
~The movie, "Nine", there were some catchy songs (Kate Hudson and Fergie's were my favs) but it could have been amazing and it just wasn't, esp when I was expecting it to be a Moulin Rouge or Chicago.
~Running in the morning, oh wait except that I haven't since before the holidays. Sleepy + Cold = So not happening
~No more holidays or upcoming vacas to look forward to. Sigh. I have it so rough I know. But Ky friends are visiting next weekend, Ga Aquarium here we come!
~The girl who hooked up with a producer on The Bachelor last night. Classy!
A mass email I just received from my property manager regarding this now frozen pond outside my building:
Dear Homeowners
Due to the freezing temperatures, we have had to turn the Koi Fountain off. Please do not tap the ice. Koi are very sensitive to sound and loud tapping could be fatal to our koi.
Richard
Ok so 1. Who would walk out to the pond and "tap" on it in freezing weather 2. Obviously someone has because of this email 3. And that weird person lives near me, great 4. This is what koi are 5. How are they surviving?! According to Wiki, "do not react well to long cold winter temperatures" 6. Poor koi! 7. But they did survive Olive, who tried to leap in the pond and eat them last she time she visited 8. I actually really like the pond frozen 9. Big fish kind of freak me out 10. "Atlantians" (new word I just made up) are beyond dramatic about cold weather, from status updates wishing to crawl into a giant ugg boot to acting like a blizzard is about to hit (we might get 1 inch tonight), c'mon people! I used to work at a rescue mission in Kentucky with just space heaters to keep warm. And I just demanded via text that my friend Devon come to Atlanta from Indy next week so we can all eat mexican for Molly's birthday, and this was her response for why she can't:
And according to Tim, Vermont got hit with 33 inches! Now if that doesn't convince Tim to buy Jake a sweater than I don't know what will. He hides it well, but just look how cold he is!
Rachel texted me this pic last night of her crazy cat/lion Buster about to pounce on his prey in the jungle. Scary!
Hi, my name's Ashley and I'm a runner, well jogger is more like it. Even though this random dog I found on flickr probably looks better at it than me ...
Seriously y'all can you even believe it?! Me! My pitiful running career has been plagued with side stitches, boredom and just all around contempt. The few 5Ks I've ever done were mostly walking. In fact the only good runs I've ever had were the results of a newly purchased i-tunes play list.
If we were having a conversation you'd be begging me to know how I did it right about now. Weeell as any super in shape celeb will tell you, there really is no hallowed secret. But I think I got my jump start by regularly pushing myself to attend pilates, yoga and cardio scult classes. I then started making it my goal to sweat every time I worked out, which comes easiest from running. Oh and the new cute blue ipod shuffle Tim gave me definitely helps, as does the big TV in my condo's gym. And I frequently dwell on the lastest piece of crap I ate as motivation while running. So as I'm sure you've gathered from my previous post, I am trying to be the best me in 2010! Or the most attractive me. Whatever.
Blender snatched off the shelf from Target: $16.99
Vitamin/protein powder from the Vitamin Store (only 70 calories per scoop!): $19.99
Skim milk, lowfat orange juice, bananas, strawberries, and blueberries: ~$15.00
Minutes of sleep lost this morning due to smoothie making: 20
Dirty cups and utensils caused by smoothie making: 6
Weird looks received at work: 2
Pounds aiming to lose: 10
People I've told I bought a blender to make smoothies: 8
Desperate measures to stop myself from shoving desserts in my face all day: Priceless
