A Video Blog for Erin.

This video is for Erin, my dear friend who is pregnant with TWIN! GIRLS! The seriously amazing Renee organized a virtual baby shower for her. How sweet is that?

We all blogged (or video blogged - complete with a messy bun and no make up) about our favorite things that come in pairs. Erin, behold:

For Miss Erin from Ashley Marie on Vimeo.

(Pretend like I have some idea where I found my almond butter. And that I am wearing a cute outfit with my hair done.)

(PS: I thought of another pair! Pam and Jim! Amen.)

Internet Friends do Indy.

(This and all photos by Erin. Except the last, which was some random guy.)

Once upon a time, I missed an epic Vegas trip. I was heartbroken, but a dear friend was getting married that weekend, and I couldn’t very well skip her wedding to meet a bunch of ‘internet friends’ without lying quite a bit.

I vowed to go the next year, and all the dear friends I’d missed meeting vowed there would be a next time. (And I made plans to meet some amazing California friends in the meantime.)

Next time, though, flights were $500 and I found myself (surprise!) nearly six months pregnant.

And so, plans for a different sort of trip was emerged. A Midwest adventure: a road trip to Indianapolis for a weekend of soul-quenching girl time.

We descended upon Indianapolis from every direction, Renee and Erin from the north, Nora from the west, EP from the south, and I from the east. I honestly can’t believe I hadn’t met these girls before- I feel like I’ve known them forever.

What do you tell people when you’re going to spend the weekend with ‘internet friends’? I told some it was a weekend trip with college friends and others, I confessed my dorky secret: I was spending the entire weekend, and sharing a bed, with Internet Friends. Yes, I had never met these people before. Yes, this is totally normal. No, they are not creepy 45-year-old men.

It wasn’t weird or awkward for one minute – it was perfect. It was comfortable and cozy and full of honest, open conversations. It was late night chats and little sleep. It was a spa day and early morning laughter. It was a surprise mini baby shower and singing "Soul Sister" in Renee's car. It was Erin's sweet accent and amazing cookies.  It was Nora's incredible kindness and always knowing ever blogger that ever existed.  It was Renee's bright spirit. It was Erin glowing and rubbing her baby bump.

It was a photo session with EP, an amazing photographer.

It was a fried food hangover.

It was a Barbie exhibit at the Children's Museum.

 It was being with four girls, gorgeous inside and out.

Can we talk for a minute about food? Because the weekend was full of delicious food. Friday night was Mug n’ Bun with homemade freakin’ root beer and FUNNEL CAKE fries (how did I not know these existed?! And don’t even mention Burger King until you’ve had these puppies.) Saturday was Thai food (Massaman curry with tofu, Thai iced tea, and mango and sticky rice) with a dear college friend and her husband who happened to be in town from Atlanta for a wedding, then a topless bar for dinner. Okay, so maybe it was a tapas bar and maybe we got goat cheese, macaroni and cheese, and other deliciousness. We rounded out the weekend with an amazing brunch at Café Patachou, where I ate croissant French toast topped with sugared walnuts and maple syrup. Yes, French toast made from croissants. Yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds.

Ladies, thank you for a beautiful weekend.

I am lucky and my soul is smiling.

Love Harder: Saying a Little Prayer for Brandy...

Hello, lovelies!

The post (and video!) below is something that will be sprinkled across the internet today - please take the time to read. And not just because Brandy is adorable and a seriously fabulous writer. Read it, you'll see.

And the video? Well, it's our attempt at cheering Brandy up with a little song. (Brandy, uh, sorry for being a terrible singer). I dare you to not sing along.

PS: Mike and I sing in the video. Can you catch us?

PPS: How crazy is it to see SO MANY bloggers in one video? Woah. Brandy, you are a very special lady. (Duh.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Our Plea

Our friend Brandy is a brilliant writer, a wonderful teacher, and a generous friend. And she is in love with a man who has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

We are raising money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Fund in his name. For the price of a cinnamon dolce latte, half-caf, hold the whip, you can be part of an effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide.

www.loveharder.org

Every dollar brings us a dollar closer to a cure. And every donation brings a sliver of hope to a girl who needs all the hope she can get.

Love Harder,
Ashley


What You Can Do

• Give. Be part of a worldwide effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide. Every dollar helps.
  
  
• Pass it on. Forward this story to five people. Share this blog post. Become our fan on Facebook.
  
  
• Love harder. Life is short, love is unbending, and no one knows what could happen next. Tell someone you love them today.
  

Where Your Money Goes

• The American Institute of Philanthropy recently named The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation one of the best organizations to give to in terms of their accountability and use of resources.
  
  
• By working closely with researchers, clinicians and partners in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, the MMRF has helped bring multiple myeloma patients four new treatments that are extending lives around the globe.
  
  
• The MMRF has advanced twenty Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. They need your support to advance these clinical research programs and accelerate the development of better, more effective treatments.
  
  
• The MMRF's Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative recently became the first to sequence the multiple myeloma whole genome in its entirety.
  
  
• A whopping 98% of your donation to the MMRF will be used immediately to support high-priority multiple myeloma research.
  
  
• With diminishing funding for early stage drug development and the next myeloma treatments not expected to be approved until 2011, the MMRF desperately needs your help.
  

Brandy's Story

My name is Brandy. And I have a blog.

And a plea.

I use my blog to showcase the crazy I meet everyday, share the stories of the kids I teach, and document my love for tequila, dairy products and the abdominal muscles of Ryan Reynolds.

Rarely do I talk about personal issues on my blog-- as personal as the dude that I adore. But I need your help. And it involves my dude.

He's a guy who made math comics for my class, so they would love learning about addition. He's the guy who sends my friends gift cards when they are having hard times, who remembers every story I ever told him, who was the first person I celebrated with when I got a teaching job.

He's the guy who sent flowers to me at school-- dozens of my favourite pink roses just because he loves me. He's a guy who has spent a year patiently explaining (and re-explaining) everything there is to know about football during the important games when silence is preferred.

He's made me word puzzles and comics and stayed up late playing Scrabble with me (even though I beat him almost every time). He's listened to me cry about school and family and jobs. He is everything I never knew I needed and everything I always knew I wanted.

I realize this all sounds dramatic, a Lifetime movie in the making-- but this is life. Right now. And I'm throwing away any hint of ego and am humbly asking for you to pray or think kind thoughts. If you are able to pass this on, thank you.

This isn't a call for sympathy or a plea for pity. It's just one girl hoping you can think positive thoughts for the person she adores. If my current heartache provides you with anything, let it be the reminder that life is short, love is unbending and no one knows what could happen next.

Thank you for reading this, and if you haven't already? Please tell someone you love them today.

I did.

DONATE: www.loveharder.org
CONTACT: theloveharderfund@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.loveharder.org
MORE INFO: www.themmrf.org

Enough of this Narcissism! Let's Talk About You.

Lovelies!

Today is (National? International? Blogosphere-ical?) Delurking Day. I’ve never participated in a one of these, but I am curious: Who are you people?

I’m also going to add this as a permanent link on the sidebar where readers can introduce themselves. I’ve connected with a lot of you, but I’d love to know more about the people who are kind enough to drop by my little website.

So, whether you're a regular commenter, a dear friend, or a new reader who just lurks about (I promise not to be creeped out by that image), I'd be delighted if you'd take a moment to leave a comment and introduce yourself.

Answer one, two, or all of these:

· Where are you from?

· Tell me a little bit about your daily life: what is a typical day like for you? What's your favorite part of each day?

· What book changed your life?

· If you’re a fellow blogger: what's your URL? What do you write about?

· Food is good. What's your favorite thing to eat? OR: coffee drink of choice?

· What TV show on DVD should I start watching next?

I can’t wait to hear from you, wonderful people.

I Don't Do "Balance" Well.

I began blogging as a way to keep in touch with my friends while in Hawaii for a semester.

I continued blogging because I was enthralled by the idea of this world where people wrote as a way of communication. Writers spent time expressing their thoughts and readers took time to read and respond.

This blogging thing seemed to encourage us to take the time to listen to each other. Sometimes we giggle together, sometimes we learn together, and sometimes we disagree. But, we’re always talking.

And I love that about blogging.

I love that blogging has led me to some of the sweetest, kindest, and most wonderful people I’ve ever known. When I cry, you send me emails to see how I am. You make me laugh with your silly stories. You make me want to be a better person. You encourage me to be who I want to be. You even support my little Etsy shop and freelance design work. You are amazing.
The price of getting cozy and comfortable in this wonderful little corner of my life, though, is that I have neglected other people and other pieces of my life that I love dearly.

.

.

.

It makes catching up with an old friend quite one-sided when they’re updated on all the details of your life from your blog. You start out on a story while at coffee with a friend, and wonder, “Am I repeating something I wrote?” Your friend confesses to loving your blog, but feels “like a total stalker” for reading it. You don’t send birthday cards, you tweet birthday wishes instead. You get lazy about keeping in touch. Your husband begins to feel neglected.

You love blogging and you love your “real life” friends and family.

You seek to find a balance.

..................

Psst: In honor of being more "balanced," I'd like to solicit a few guest bloggers for this weekend. I'll be heading down to Georgia for a work trip. Leave a comment below or email me if you're interested. Thanks!

Days 8 & 9: Our Weekend in LA.

After several days camping and driving through Colorado and Utah's beautiful mountains and canyons, our time in Las Vegas was a definite change of pace and prepared us for a weekend in the City of Angels. Instead of being hurried and busy, though, we actually spent a great deal of time simply relaxing in a lovely apartment.

LA was sort of the crown jewel of our trip; when people asked where were traveling, we'd answer with shining faces: “Los Angeles!” And it was all because of a conversation one early summer evening less than a month ago.

Mike and I were on a walk, chatting about the rest of the summer and our tentative plans to go on a trip down to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We sat on a stone bench, and I said wistfully, “Some day, I'd like to go on a road trip to California and back.”

Mike paused. “It's funny how we limit ourselves,” he said, “because there's no reason we couldn't go to California right now.”

Ever the “No!” one in our marriage, I quickly countered that I had a job and he had classes. It was easier to come up with reasons why we couldn't go than why we could. After a bit more conversation, I excitedly agreed that we could go once our obligations were over.

And thus the planning began – a few short weeks before the trip.

I emailed my blogger friends in LA, absolutely on giddy that we could finally meet. Crystal generously offered her gorgeous apartment for our use as she would be gone (sadly!). When my grandma asked me where were staying in LA, I was certain not to mention anything like, “internet friend” or “never met her.” Seriously, though, how sweet is Crystal to trust someone she's never actually met to stay in her beautiful apartment? It was absolutely glorious to unwind for once on the road. No tent, no seedy motel, and wi-fi! What more could you want? (Oh, a freaking huge television? Check. She has it.)

We spent some time in Malibu Beach – trying a raw restaurant for the first time, checking out their awesome farmer's market, and staring at the ocean. (Mmm, ocean. I sure miss the days I lived in Hawaii.)

We checked out Beverly Hills, drove Sunset Avenue, and did the totally touristy Walk of Fame, Kodak Theater, and Chinese Theater. It was a bit overwhelming, so we opted for a quiet dinner at an adorable little restaurant...

Where we had a celebrity spotting. Yep. We were stuffing our faces with black bean nachos at A Votre Sante when I was a bit bothered by the PDA-crazy couple at the table next to us. I looked at them, slightly annoyed. I looked closer...is that?...and it was totally Oscar from The Office

Grinning, I mouthed my discovery to Mike. We both grinned like idiots throughout the rest of dinner, stealing furtive glances in his direction. The first thing I whispered to Mike was, “Well, I guess he's not gay for real!” Did I mention how giddy we were? He and his wife were adorable, they were cuddling and obviously enjoying their night out together. There was no way I was going to bother him. (Plus, I am a total chicken. Total.)

Despite our being very lame and not doing tons of cool stuff in LA, we managed to see a celebrity. And what's more, an actor from a show we totally love!

On Sunday, we spent nearly the entire day with a delightful group of girls (and Jonathon) from around LA and Cali. When I first met them, I wanted to yelp, “Finally!” I can't put into words how very, very wonderful it was. Conversation flowed easily, they were ridiculously sweet, and as Jimaie said, “I haven't stopped smiling; my face hurts!”

Saying goodbye to them was no fun, and even now as I remember, I'm smiling now as I recall the many hugs I gave each of them - in disbelief, in pure happiness, and in reluctance to let them leave. Any time you girls find yourself in the midwest, I'm driving to see you. And that's a promise. (You can also find yourself in Cleveland and I'll show you a good time.)

It was so wonderful to have Mike there with me – honestly, I wasn't sure if I'd rather have it just be girls – but it was nice to have him meet them and fall in love with them as well. (I believe his exact words were, “I feel like I'm a mom who just met her daughter's friends and is very, very happy with how sweet and kind they are.” Ha.)

Who knew that this whole blogging thing could bring you true, real friends? Friends who would drive across the state or find a substitute for work or come after a long day of work to say hello? I am blessed.

PS: I may have fallen in love with these while in LA, too:

Thanks for the recommendation, ladies. (Steph actually wrote down our entire order for us, so I could be sure to get yumminess my first time at In -n- Out.)

My Former Lover...Er, Blog.

This post is a part of 20SB’s Looking Back Blog Carnival, and Ben & Jerry’s is awarding free ice cream to lucky bloggers and readers! (I love Ben and Jerry's. I went to the factory on my honeymoon, in fact.)
..............................................................................................................................

I used to have an old blog. It's embarrassing, actually, how hard I tried to be funny and how often I used exclamation points. I started it in January 2004 to keep in touch with my friends while I was in Hawaii for a semester. (If nothing else, look at the blog to see how lucky I was to live there for four months. Sigh.)

It's fun to look back and see how Mike left comments - it was the beginning stages of our relationship, and he was adorably supportive and ridiculously interested in my updates!!!! of my being in Hawai'i!! Yay!!

Choosing an entry from the first two months that "shows your mentality and outlook from the onset of your blog" was difficult. I mean, this one is an interesting look into growing up (complete with dramatic Garden State quote, of course), these ones makes me hate my current life (why doesn't Cleveland have sea turtles??), this one is a crazy awesome story of hanging out with a homeless guy, and this one is so ridiculously long it's laughable. They are all sort of like long emails, almost painfully chatty:

"I love this new blog. I feel like such a poser calling it a 'blog'. Like I know what a blog even is! It's like some journal online thing. That's all I know. Anyway, I think it's pretty sweet." - 1/26/05

I decided on this abridged (trust me, it needed to be) post:

..............................................................................................................................

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Let Me Be the One You Need

I could try not to make you guys jealous and say that Hawai'i isn't really all that great. That it's just like Dayton with a little more sunshine and a beach. But I'm not gonna lie, it's great! Even just being able to leave at 12am and go find stuff to do is awesome. And the fact that I can wear shorts and t-shirt at night in January and not freeze...well, that's amazing, too! I know I probably sound like a little kid in a candy store, constantly marveling at all this.

.....Chaminade Camping Club is basically a guy, Sam, who drives us around the island and teaches us about the Hawaiian culture and history in a big van with lots of people. Sam...where do I start? As Shannon says "He's part monkey...or part wolf...but he has such a good heart!" He is from Detroit and Hawaii...a weird combination. He loves his rap a lot, I wish you guys could see him dancing while driving the van! He also loves the ocean like no one I've ever seen. He could spend all day with his body board and flippers, fighting against the huge waves. He doesn't walk anywhere, he just runs. It's fun to watch him enjoy everything so much. By the way: he totally can't drive. I fear my life when he drives.

Anyway, today we went to Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Hawai'i, which is known for its HUGE waves...

(Continue reading to hear about a terribly embarrassing story that ensued while at the beach...)

Gimme a Break. Please?

After a wonderful weekend, I came to the realization I am spending more time and energy cultivating and maintaining online presence than I am on the rest of my life.

I'm not so good with balance (Hi, I'm the girl who eats entire sleeves of Candy Cane Joe Joes. Have we met?), and I need to take some time to examine my passions and motivations. I need to take some time to clean my house without thinking about my blog. I need to take some time to breathe and be. I need to do yoga, drink tea, pray, and go outside.

So, I'm signing off for a while. How long? A week? Two weeks? A month? Not forever, but just a little retreat from the internet.

Please don't forget about me, okay?

"Is This What All Your Blogs are About?"

My husband's first live(ish) appearance on this blog.

It's Like A Whining Platter. from Ashley Marie on Vimeo.

(Twitter lovers, I meant no disrespect. You know this, right? XOXO.)

Breaking Up with Twitter.

Dear Twitter,

It’s not you, it’s me.

Really. I’m not just saying that.

Maybe if I had more self-control, it could have worked out. Maybe if I didn’t check you twelve billion times a day, we’d have been together forever. Maybe if you weren’t so darn addictive, I wouldn’t be writing this letter.

But, the truth is, T (may I call you that?), you ruined my productivity at work and I turned to you when I had anything to say – which also took a toll on my poor little blog.

I have no willpower when it comes to you. No self-restraint. I check you first thing in the morning, and must indulge in countless hits everyday. Not to mention what an enabler you are to my procrastination. I hit rock-bottom last night when I realized I had ignored my husband for hours to troll around on the internet. Hours.

This might not be forever. Someday I might come back to you, and we can have a normal, adult relationship. One that doesn’t involve infatuation, but respect.

I will re-learn how to talk to people when something funny, great, or awful happens to me. I will email people. I will stop find better venues for my procrastinating.

All my love,

@ashleymarie6

Twitter Friends –

Oh how I will miss you. Please forgive me. And then email or talk to me on gmail (ashleymarie6). Seriously. I'll totally email you back.

Send a tweet for me,

@ashleymarie6

PS: As a part of my detox, I had a document open at work where I simply wrote anytime I felt the itch to Tweet. Just so you know what you’re missing:

• I quit Twitter. Weird.
• We’re done with our food allowance for the entire month. And it’s the 12^th. Oops.
• I told Mike I quit Twitter and he told me to just get more self-control. Grrr.
• Yay! I sold my coffee sleeve in less than 24 hours. I feel so cool. Now to make a purple argyle one tonight…
• Checking out FlyLady, because apparently I’m a 35-year-old mother of three.
• I spelled “simultaneously” right on the first try. Victory!
• Dude, I’m so much more productive without Twitter!
• FYI: Molasses in oatmeal = gingerbread oatmeal. Add some chopped walnuts and you’ve got heaven in a bowl. And it keeps me full until 1pm!
• Quarterly reports are stupid. Paperwork can suck it. (Tiny Fey inspired me to dust that phrase off and put it back into action.)
• Cleveland people: Where can I get a cheap manicure? Help my cuticles. Please.
• Holy hell, what is going ON outside? This is truly a blizzard.

So, just consider yourself lucky that I’m gone. ;)

FAQ Round Two.

Can we call them FAQ even if one one person asked the question?

Anyway, a few more questions and their answers...

Lily asks: What were the first changes you made to your life(style) when you decided that living green was a priority for you?

What a great question, Lily! The very first, most important change for me was reducing waste. This has taken different forms as I've grown and learned more in this lifestyle. At first, it was simply getting a water bottle to avoid all the plastic water bottles I was going through. I started to refuse bags at the store if I could just throw what I'd bought in my own big purse-slash-bag. It slowly, naturally spread to other things. One day my senior year of college, we ran out of paper towels in our house. We just started using normal towels instead. And never bought more paper towels. I didn't think twice about it. And we saved tons of money. I am convinced that no one has an excuse to not be doing these things. It's insanely easy to get a water bottle. Or wash your towels instead of getting disposable ones. It saves money and resources. Win-win.

Now, I avoid most all disposable plastic containers (particularly if they're non-recyclable). I make a ton of my own stuff, including cleaning exclusively with baking soda and vinegar. It's all come so easily and has made so much sense.

I still have some areas where I know I can improve - less driving, not getting coffee if I've forgotten my reusable mug at home, keeping the house colder, and so on. I think the more you become aware, the more you are inclined to want to do. And that makes me happy. Nothing seems to take an unusual amount of effort or thought - it's just the way things are done.

Ashley asks: What about your top 5 fave blogs to read and what your fav blog post you've written so far.

Ah! A hard one. I hate picking favorites - because then someone ALWAYS feels left out, you know? Since I am often one who feels left out (I am so sensitive that I am sad when a blogger I love doesn't have me in their blogroll. It's pathetic.), I'm going to a few awesome blogs that might be under the radar, how's that? Those bloggers who I love and think, More people need to read this!

Hilary @ Alt Christian.
Callina @ The Gingerbread House.
Sara @ Walk Slowly, Live Wildly.

And a few bloggers I've discovered fairly recently and love them to bits. (Hi Kyla Bea and Nicole Antoinette!)

My favorite blog post I've written might be my post for Steph's summer contest about summers at my grandparent's growing up. I had such a unique childhood with my growing up overseas, and sometimes that part of me gets buried, so it was kinda of romantic to remember.

Laura asks: How did you find the courage to open your shop & how do you keep yourself motivated?

Ha. Truth be told, I often act and then think. So, with my Etsy shop, it wasn't so much an issue of having courage - mostly because I figured, Eh, let's give this a shot. We'll see how it goes. Maybe people will like what I create?

I haven't sold a ton yet, so I'm probably not the best person to ask about motivation. I get so much inspiration from books and photos and other Etsy creations that if I happen to be successful with my Etsy shop (when, not if! power of positive thinking, right?), I'm not concered about motivation. There are so many beautiful things in the world. Plus, I aspire to do many things - add candles, soap, and graphic design services. So, I already have big plans and motivation!

I say you go for it, create that Etsy shop! What have you got to lose, honestly?

And I want to share my latest creations for my brand-spankin-new Etsy shop.

Blue Dots Tote $13, Purple Birds Boxy Pouch $5, Hot Pink Star Mini Pouch $4.25

/End NaBloPoMo.

And NaBloPoMo is over.

Let's all exhale.

(And while I'm exhaling, I might just start reading blogs again. Thanksgiving break coincided with NaBloPoMo to leave me with over 600 unread items in my Google Reader. I should post a little less and read a little more. Look sharp, old blog posts.)

And now! The winner of my giveaway was Kate P! Congrats, Kate! Just email your address to ashleymarie6(at)gmail(dot)com.

I'll answer her question first: What is one thing you've always wanted that you would never buy for yourself?

I'm not afraid to want many things. Currently? Adobe CS4, a new PowerBook, a Canon Rebel, and half a dozen design books.

I cannot justify spending all that money, so I will continue to pine away for these things. Le sigh. Maybe next year, when I start to take more design classes (squee!).

And now, I'll answer one more question.

Auburn Kat asks: Why did you start blogging? What is your favorite part about blogging?

In January of 2005, I started a blog to keep in touch with my friends while I went to Hawaii to study for a semester (and play on the beach and work at Coldstone and meet random homeless men. It was the best decision in my whole life, possibly. Other than marrying Mike, of course. Heehee.)

I blogged there very sporadically for a year or two, until I discovered the World of Blogging. It all happened one afternoon my senior year of college when I was trying to find the lyrics to a song. I stumbled across Arwen's blog and I was hooked. What a fascinating idea! People sharing their thoughts, struggles, and triumphs with others through writing. My roommate and I were quickly hooked on reading blogs, despite our friends' taunting . "You don't understand!" we insisted. My roommate even text messaged me when Arwen had her baby. :) No one else understood how we could care about "strangers."

Eventually, I started blogging again. I started reading more blogs and commenting on them. And so it began.

Mike never really understood why I would want to share my "feelings with the whole wide world," so I stopped. And I missed writing. I missed reading. I missed blogging. Shortly after we got married, he had to idea to launch a blog dedicated to personal actions related to the environment and sustainability. I jumped at the chance to blog again, I really missed the satisfaction, almost relief, that comes with expressing myself through words. It morphed from a strictly environmental focus to a somewhat environmental-with-lots-of-randomness-and-self-exploration-thrown-in focus. And that's where are now. And I still love it. (And Mike still teases me about my "online friends".)

My favorite part about blogging is writing and people. I adore writing and being able to put my thoughts into words and my words into coherent posts. It's what I've always loved about journaling. And the friendship and feedback from others is an amazing benefit that I never expected.

I've gotten things in the mail, sent goodies, and made friends with wonderful people I'd never get to interact with otherwise. The beautiful thing about blogging is that we can express ourselves honestly and openly. I could go on gushing about what I love about blogging, but basically, it's YOU.

Seriously.

How's that for a corny answer?

Look out for more answers soon! (And I'd love to hear your answers to these questions as well.)

Do You See What Etsy?

Okay, so maybe that's a bit of a stretch for a pun, but I have some news I've been hiding from you for ONE WHOLE WEEK.

(I'm terrible at keeping quiet, so I'm surprised that only Mike and my sister have known about this at until now.)

I want to humbly introduce my blog to Joyful Star.



Say hello.

I call my little friend Joyful Star because stars are my favorite shape ever. Once I learned to draw them, I've never stopped doodling them all over everything. And joyful because we could all use a little more joy in our life. And I truly feel joyful when creating these things. (Except when they frustrate the bejesus out of me and I throw my bobbin at the wall. But, that never happens, right?)

When I first heard of Etsy, I wanted one. I felt like I had no skill or talent compared to the amazing work on Etsy, but by golly I wanted one.

I forgot about it until Renee left me a comment, "Etsy that shit, Ashley!"

And so, I did.

I decided on a name last Monday, scoured dozens of Etsy newbie guides, and have been working insanely to get some things in my shop.

Here are a few of my offerings (and all very reasonably priced, if I might say so)


The best part? Before I've even posted about it, before even a week had passed after I started putting items up....I SOLD SOMETHING (that little blue star pouch, if you're curious).

I grinned for a good twenty minutes after I saw that little email in my inbox.

[Many thanks to my adorable husband, who has been ignoring the mess that is building up, the thread strands everywhere, and the fact that I haven't taken a breath away from my Etsy stuff. Also, thanks for getting that beard trimmer. Very cute. Too bad you are a hippie and don't want to have a trimmed beard.]

[Also many thanks to Jamie, for hosting yet another awesome giveaway on her blog. I actually won her last giveaway for an adorable soy candle from this Etsy shop. I'm beyond excited. Plus, I got my free Starbucks Gold Card in the mail Saturday. Even though the whole election/family thing is getting a little much, life is really going swell.]

A Few Emails from Among Sisters.

Friday afternoon emails...


She's in Colorado. Even though this looks totally deserted.


Thank you, Google images.


Our little cousin.

*Fun fact: As you can see by our names, my siblings and I were named after Gone With the Wind, my mother's favorite movie/book.

Now excuse me while I commence my exciting Friday night of Chipotle and Baby Mama.

Please Don't Tease Me for This, Okay?

In my pursuit of becoming a true domestic goddess, I've been hoping to plan my meals for a while now. This week, I finally got it together and took inventory of food in my fridge and pantry and used that as my starting point for meals. It means less food will go to waste, since I'm not just flying by the seat of my pants. (Ideally. We'll see how this actually goes.)

Ta-da, here's this week's dinner menu:

Monday: Whole wheat spaghetti with homemade pesto and salad.

Tuesday: Acorn squash soup (will make Monday night) and corn bread.

Wednesday: Vegetarian sloppy joes or chili (depending on my mood).

Thursday: Stir fry with veggies, tofu, and rice noodles. (I stir fry in olive oil, low sodium soy sauce, and a little toasted sesame oil.)

Friday: Out to eat or grilled cheese.

I'll have enough left over each night to bring as leftovers for lunch. Score.

PS: Check out this website for links to hundreds of other weekly meal menus.

I'm Not A Pretty Crier, Either.

I'm sitting here in the cozy room with a fireplace and big, soft chairs at our local Starbucks. I have a tall, nonfat, decaf hazelnut latte to soothe my aching head, and cute husband sitting across the table typing away on his computer, his psychopathology book open next to him. I am relaxed and at peace now.

I am exhausted, though.

What a roller coaster of a day.

This morning, I got (another) election email from the family. This came after speaking with one of my aunts last night, commiserating over the judgment our family bestows on us (okay, me, she is WAY more covert in her political views than even me). Combine the two and it was just bad timing. [Um, and throw in some hormones.]

I never stand up for myself (see?). I have a passivity problem, but I just got tired of being silent and decided to speak up for myself. I carefully crafted an email to send my mom and dad:

"I respect you and your decisions, so could you please respect me? I am intelligent and well-informed. I care passionately about being civically engaged...I guess I just want to say that just because we don't agree doesn't make us bad people or have bad morals. I am informed and I have convictions just like you guys do."

After I sent it, I felt a huge relief. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I had been able to clearly communicate months of frustration and heartbreak. I hoped for an email affirming their love and respect for me. Telling me that, yes, there was more than one way to be a good person. That, of course, they knew I carefully considered things before making my decisions. Disagreeing doesn't mean we are irreconcilable.

Instead, I got a sarcastic and cruel email from my dad, reiterating again his own opinions. He ended his long email with "None of this means we don't love and respect you. We do. Love, Dad"

I was crushed. That one line did not can

Tears instantly welled up in my eyes and I quickly brushed them away and headed to the bathroom before I could really start to cry. I sat in the stall, willing the sobbing into controlled, silent tears. All I wanted was your respect, Dad. Not more debating and arguing.

After 15 minutes, I made it back to my desk. A wave of disappointment and rejection passed over me, and the tears sprung back. My roommate and coworker came over to ask me something, saw the telltale red-rimmed eyes and asked me those fateful words: "What's wrong?"

Cue sobbing into cardigan.

Gosh, I'm classy.

I begged her to pretend like I wasn't crying (public crying humiliates me) and we carried on our work conversation like I was barely squeaking out one word responses. She's a sweetheart for playing my "I'm not crying!" game.

I left work early and found the gorgeous fall day had been taken hostage by a harsh thunder storm. I changed out of my work clothes and went for a walk with my umbrella. I called my little sister, who experiences the same castigation from the family. I shared my day with her, and it was amazing to have my family support me. At least one person in my family who loves me and understands me just the way I am. Someone else who can love our family like crazy but be outraged over their ability to treat us with love and respect this election season.

Sisters are seriously a gift from up above, however corny that sounds.

As I wrote this, I got an email from my mom. It was much, much more gracious. She still debated me, but she included this, which made me so happy:

"I appreciate your candidness on this issue and I so respect your values in many, many ways and am so proud of the fact that you are civic minded. I hope you never feel you cannot be comfortable around your dad and I, that is very sad to think about."

In my very emotional state, I, of course, had a few fat tears rolling down my face. And now my suppressing-a-cry headache is pounding. Whew. Three public cries in one day. I am spent.

I beg you - regardless of your political persuasion, be respectful and loving to those who think differently than you. We need more love and more unity, not more cruelty and hate. You never now how much your words mean to another.

[In all of this, my little community on Twitter was the most supportive group of ladies ever. I received countless messages of support and consolation. It was so encouraging and just what I needed. Sometimes people poke fun at "online friends" and how they aren't "real," but I will tell you - your support and love felt very, very real to me today when I was struggling. So, thank you. You all continue to show me how great this online place is.]

Housekeeping Deets.

I read blogs a lot.

Google Reader has been my saving grace when it comes to keeping my blogs organized and up to date. In my G'Reader, I have them all organized into "Mommy Bloggers, Environmental Bloggers, and Personal Blogs (read: Mostly 20SB)". (What did I DOOOO before Google Reader? Sometimes I wonder. ...Read less blogs, I guess. The horror!)

I've decided to create blog roll, and good LORD is it long! Take a look (come on over out of your reader!) and make sure I got your name right. I know lots of you use internet monikers, so I didn't know whether you wanted things kept private, which I did in most cases.

So please let me know if I've screwed your name up. (Or if you want your internet name up instead.)

Or if you're mad at me for forgetting you. :)

A Few Things

1. A million, billion thanks for all your wonderful advice. I poured over the comments, soaking up the wisdom, and imagining my pulled-together new look develop before my very eyes as I hit the stores with a new set of ideas and rules. I seriously STUDIED your advice. And I’m totally going to wear an adorable dress on Monday next week. I’m slowly getting used to this. And I spent the entire morning browsing shoe websites. Someone mentioned wearing “kitten heels,” which I wasn’t familiar with (I know! And I call myself a woman.), but I was elated to realize I’m wearing a pair right now! (Thanks, Google images.)

I realize how much more confident I will feel about myself when I’m able to consistently dress well. “My inside will match my outside,” as the What Not to Wear cliché goes.

{Pretty soon, you guys are going to be all, “Shut up!” and “Nooo waaay!” when I bust out in a cute new wardrobe.}

Seriously, THANK YOU.

2. I get to see my dear friend, Eileen, who lives in Texas, this weekend. Before moving to Malaysia in high school, I had the most amazing group of friends…and, amazingly, we’ve stayed really close for the past seven years. I love these girls. They’re the epitome of friendship and I’m very blessed to have them. [::End cheesiness::]

We’ll be enjoying dinner, drinks, and laughter on a restaurant’s patio overlooking the lake tomorrow night, then Saturday night my friend is having a housewarming/bonfire (that sounds odd). Throw in some DVRed Tim Gunn…I mean, Project Runway, a shopping trip with my sister advising me, and some family time, and it promises to be a fantastic weekend.

3. My almost-finished first week of work has been fantastic as far as first weeks go. My coworkers are unbelievably kind and good-natured, the work is going to be rewarding, and working on a college campus is turning out to be so fun! Next week I have two dinner dates, and have already met tons of fun, younger people who work here. I am so grateful. (Plus! I've already been invited to a co-worker book club and have heard whispers that I may have a chance to be hired on after this year!)

4. With our friend, Tipp, out of commission, I’ve taken the reins of her blog today to talk about men vs. women when it comes to blogging. Join the conversation about if the man (or woman) in YOUR life “gets” blogging.

5. Someday soon, I promise I'll get back to important issues. I know my cute cousins, work, and clothing are important, but I'm going to be rocking your world with some great environmental stuff. Watch out!

...Have a great afternoon, and excuse me while I go putz around on Old Navy's Women's Wear to Work!

Three Planets.

I'd imagine many of you have taken this quiz at one point or another during your college career. But I recently revisited the Ecological Footprint Quiz to see what my footprint is these days. (And the quiz is totally fancy schmancy and all 3D now!) For those of you unfamiliar with what the heck an ecological footprint is and why you should care - it's a rough measure of your consumption and how much energy that uses. How much land would be required to support 6 billion other individuals living just like YOU.

The result? Is startling.

I'd like to think I make some considerable effort to make less of an impact: I eat no meat, a little dairy (hello, cheese, my love!), live in a tiny 500 square foot apartment with someone else, only commute 10 miles round trip to work, and generally make an effort to tread more lightly on the earth. And yet? I still would need THREE FRIGGIN' PLANETS to support my habits for everyone on the planet.

Seriously.

That's disheartening in so many ways. I know the statistics - we're 5% of the world's population and use 25% of the resources. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It can be depressing to think about this stuff. {An aside: I recently read an article in Newsweek about the happiness gap between 'liberals' and 'conservatives' - and how 'liberals' aren't as happy. (Gah! I hate these divisive, loaded terms. And caring about the environment shouldn't be a political issue! I really want to rant about how the religious right should give a crap about being stewards of God's creation, but I won't. Oops, a little just squirted out there, sorry.)}

This is a complex issue (when I say that, I hear Joey Tribbiani tell Monica that Chandler is 'a complex fellow, one who is unlikely to take a wife.' ha!). The quiz is obviously not 100% accurate (how can you measure something like that perfectly?) and finding solutions to these problems isn't easy, simple, or painless. But I think it's important to think about our consumption and to realize that even small changes can make impacts. And those impacts add up to BIG impacts. (There's a cool tool on the website that allows you to see how changes you make might impact your footprint.)

So, go, check it out and if you do - what's your footprint??
___________________
Some updates:

• I'm totally going to be doing my pay-it-forward giveaway sometime soon, I promise! I bought some things to give away this weekend in Yellow Springs. Be on the lookout to enter...
• A few weeks ago, I told you guys about my MIL asking about my blog, which led me to thinking about the fantastic, insightful comments you all left. So I decided to let a few friends and my sisters know about my blog. I don't think any have taken the bait, besides my beautiful friend, Eileen, who insists this is my secret life I've been hiding. She makes me laugh. :)
• As far as the comment reply thing - I email sometimes, but I always talk aloud to my computer when I get a new comment. Like, "Aww thanks, Lindsay," "Yeah, Gabriel Brothers!," and so on. So I guess I'll email you if you have an email address associated with your Blogger ID and I want to tell you something. Otherwise, come live in my computer and hear what I have to say to you. Because replying on my own website? Kind of a pain. :) (And no one reads it, right? Why am I blathering on about this? Who cares? I'm stopping...now!)

And Then I Found Five Dollars.

Good news abounds over here at Our Little Apartment!

1. YOU GUYS. I cannot believe I haven’t told you about this yet, because Lord knows I’ve told my husband, like, five times already.

I’m a Targ-a-holic, right? I’m not in denial –I’m fully aware that if I give myself an excuse, “Oh I need a pair of hose,” then it’s like a gateway drug into the wonderful red and white world that is Target. I’ll plan on getting a pair of hose and come out with nearly a $100 worth of $1 specials, red tag clearance, and clothes made in Guatemala. So I lie to myself to make it more bearable – just getting a bottle of shampoo, but, oh wow! Look, this hair dye is on sale CLEARANCE (oh, how I LOVE CLEARANCE), must get some! And check out that lip gloss, more clearance! And so on.

Last Friday, I was going down that road. I get out of work at noon on Fridays (BEST! PART! OF! MY! JOB! Oh…wait, the kids are great, too.) and was planning on replenishing my hair product and contact solution supplies, since I was running low due to the Buy Nothing challenge in April. I planned on swinging by Target to pick them up; using the excuse that Target has super cheap contact solution – never mind that Target is 13 miles away from my work. (What is the DEAL with all my excuses?) I had daydreams of gliding my red shopping cart down Targets aisles, going wild with the ability to finally SHOP! Imagining myself guilt-free, grabbing things off the shelves and throwing them in my cart. I envisioned finding an adorable spring trench coat, whirling around in it and enjoying how cute I felt.

Do you believe that I have an addiction now? I’m hallucinating, people. About Target. Oy.

Anyway, as I was looking up directions on Google maps* (far superior to MapQuest, let’s be honest) and calculated I’d be driving about 23 miles, or a gallon of gas, just to feed my addiction. In reality, all I needed was some contact solution and miracle curl spray to get by (“Need” and “Get by” are obviously relevant terms). A red cart full of unnecessary crap was, well, unnecessary. It was painful to admit this to myself, but I DIDN’T NEED TO GO TO TARGET. (!) In fact, I’d be wasting gas and spending more money if I went to Target. I decided to stop at the drugstore on the way home and see if I couldn’t fulfill my “needs” there. CVS? Had their contact solution on SALE. Booyah. My only splurge was the clearance Burts Bees lip gloss. And four bucks is a lot less than the damage Target would have done.

Pretty excited that I was able to withstand Target’s magnetic forces. I guess consciously not purchasing anything for a month made me at least a little stronger against complete consumerism.

2. PLUS!! My post about my experience with Buy Nothing and tests has been chosen (by the wonderful Tipp) to be a part of the 20 Something Bloggers Carnival, Third Edition. I’m SO psyched about this, so please go check out my entry and the other winners. And be my friend on 20SB while you’re at it – it’s a pretty fantastic group of people.

3. And want to know MORE good news? This is a three day work week; because I have a work retreat I’m going on Thursday and Friday. It’s a FUN work retreat – I get to see my siblings, too, because they’re only 30 minutes from the retreat. (Side note: Yesterday, I called my mom to talk about coming up and spending the night tonight, and my freshman college sister who’s home for the summer tells me my parents are leaving for BRUSSELS that afternoon. News to me! But I guess that’s our family rolls, as I’ve traveled to Vancouver and London before without letting my parents know ahead of time.) For the 3.5 hour drive up tonight, I picked up some chick lit on CD to keep me entertained as I drive. (NPR is usually my choice car companion, but for longer trips I like to fill my head with fluff.)

4. With last weekend’s trip to the in-laws and this retreat, I have an apology that’s in order:

Dear Fellow Bloggers,
I am a wee bit behind in my Google Reader (66 posts to read, to be exact)– meaning my comments have been really sparse lately. I won’t kid myself saying you miss them, but I feel guilty because you’ve written some really great stuff! So, *mwah,* I love you, you’re awesome.
I’ll be less busy soon, I promise.
Ashley

5. Thanks for the fantastic, helpful responses to my last quandary. It made me think about my blog and who reads it. I'm really considering sharing it with more people that I know...But we'll see. I guess it's better to tell people than for them to find it on their own, right? I'll just voice my complaints through What the Hell!? Wednesdays. :) But, I know I definitely do NOT want to have my blog link on Facebook. Or, at least, I think I don't....

*Enviro Tip: Don’t print off your driving directions if possible – just write them on scrap paper! (Or at the very least, PRINT them on scrap paper.) J C’mon, it’s not that hard!