who wore it better?

happy hump day, dolls.

how about a little...who wore it better?

gotta love celebrities and their fashion...lets begin. shall we?

vanessa hudgens vs. halle berry

i'm diggin' the jean shorts on halle. she can make anything look good!

kourtney kardashian vs. colbie caillat

i'm a fan of both of these lovely ladies, but this number fits colbie like a glove.

kristin cavallari vs. annalynne mccord

i'm a kristin fan, so she wins. in plus, she has a little more meat on her!

 isla fisher vs. christina aguilera

isla simple look with the dolce & gabbana dress is cute. sorry x-tina!



 vanessa minnillo vs. olivia munn

the future mrs. nick lachey to-be wins this one! she is so pretty!

nicky hilton vs. jenna dewan

jenna gets my vote! loved her in step up! and, her hubby is a hottie!

who do you think wore it better???

{pictures found at people.com}

he put a ring on it.

my bestest friend ever got engaged on new years eve. 

and, guess what? she asked me to be her maid of honor. of course! thats a given. 

i'm super duper excited and soooo very happy for her! 

2011 where ya at?

the new year is quickly approaching. ohmygosh! already?

what things will you do differently in 2011?

what are your resolutions or goals?

it is sooooooooo very easy to set a goal or make a resolution, but the difficult part is actually maintaining those goals and resolutions throughout the remainder of the year. every year, we hear the same thing..."oh this year, i'm really gonna stick to it...no really, i am"...blah blah blah. i'm guilty of this too. but, this year...lets mix it up a little...do it a lil' different...go hard or go home! make it happen! you and i can accomplish whatever it is our little hearts desire. so, this year if you make any goals or resolutions...really try to make them happen. just make those resolutions before you start popping champagne. ha-ha. be realistic, sometimes alcohol tends make us believe in any and everything. don't follow jamie foxx and blame it on the a-a-alcohol...drink (your choice of beverage), be merry and get that midnight kiss. muahhhhh!!!

bye bye 2010, bring it on 2011 :)

my 2011 remix is...

be a better...friend, sister, daughter, christian, runner, employee, blogger, etc.

overall, just grow and strive to be a better me!

i wish each and one of you lovely ladies a very happy new year!

be safe and see ya next year!

misunderstood.

have you ever felt misunderstood?

by definition: misunderstood -adj. : not properly or sympathetically understood: a misunderstood work of art; a misunderstood adolescent.

in my case, often times people perceive me as being cold, distant or rude when simply i am just a shy person. always have been. but, once i'm comfortable i tend to come out of my shell. and, then the party really gets started! :) i really am a likable person. well, in my opinion i am and i'm pretty sure a few others would vouch for me. they better! lets just say if i wasn't me, i'd want to be my friend. if that makes any sense? ha-ha. i'm a pretty nice, fun and easy person to talk to, and actually i am the "mother of advice" to all my close friends. i should start charging for real. kidding. like some, i guess my shyness comes out when i'm not in my comfort zone. as an adult, i've tried to work harder to not be so shy. i'm a work in progress, but aren't we all. i believe growth is one of life's greatest gifts. you aren't the same person you were yesterday. you are a better person.

okay, i'm getting a little off topic here. the reason be hide this post is because of a recent comment that was made. basically, a close friend of mine mentioned my relationship or lack of relationship with one of their close friends. now, i do not dislike this person, in fact, we have been in each others presence numerous times due to our mutual friend. however, it always seemed there were preconceived notions which existed between us. it all boils down to this...we never got to know each other. frankly, we never tried. you would think that we both would have at least tried to get to know each other due to our mutual friend being such an important person to both of us. long story short...i feel misunderstood. i feel like this person doesn't know me at all. and, honestly i do not know them all that well either.

yeah, they say {whoever "they" is}...you only get one shot at a first impression. and the golden rule as a child is, don't judge a book by its cover. sometimes people interpret things differently to what we intended to say. sometimes people are quick to judge before you open your mouth or the second you speak. sometimes people judge how you dress, how you write, or how you walk. sometimes you just can't win with some people. we are all guilty of this. shame on you...and me! i think as adults, we should be slow to judge each other...especially if you haven't even taken the time to truly get to know the person. i'm saying this now after hearing the comment that was made, and i think next time i feel myself judging someone else...i'll tell myself to shut up!

misunderstood, don't

don't let me be misunderstood, don't

i'm just human

misunderstood, by common

christmas, snow, friends and birthdays...oh my!

hope you dolls had a wonderful Christmas!

as you can see...i spent most of my time doing the above.
don't judge me stuffing my face because i'm sure most of you did the same. lol. i wouldn't dare let all the delicious desserts go to waste. oh nooooo! but, now its time to get back to being healthy. or "trying" to be healthy. good thing i'm running my fourth 5k on New Years Day! starting off the New Year with a bang! ohbytheway, isn't my sweater just the cutest? i got it from H&M for only $10 bucks! gotta love deals like that!

i noticed i've been blessed with some new followers friends
thank you very very very very much. it truly makes my day to see all the kind, sweet, funny and random comments. and, to meet new peeps through the blog world. i'm not just saying that...i really do mean it! i think i spend more time reading other peoples blogs then writing on my own. hopefully, i can continue to keep your interest. i plan to share a little more about my personal life in the new year.

snow is overrated.
okay, so it was beautiful to look at and then getting a white Christmas was the icing on the cake. but now, i'm over it. i can't even drive my car because my street is a patch of ice. literally. my poor little honda just won't make it. however, i have been driven around by a nice person and i'm kinda getting use to it. i can't complain too much though because i live in the south. good ole north carolina. i cannot imagine how y'all northerners deal with this headache every year!

in exciting news...
my 26th birthday is just around the corner {January 13th} yay! i love birthdays!

happy tuesday!

stay warm :)

one person.

the REASON for the SEASON.

Last night, I attended the Pre-Christmas Worship Celebration at church. Words cannot describe how beautiful this event truly was. Four ministers in training all spoke on the word of Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. As I listened...I felt tingles through out my entire body and tears flowing down my cheeks. The words spoken, hit me like a ton of bricks. This holiday has become so very commercialized that so many of us truly forget about the REAL meaning of CHRISTmas. We blog and talk about our holiday plans, the gifts under the tree, the oh so delicious recipe's were gonna make, and the beautiful white Christmas we all want. But, what about the ONE who makes all of this possible? Is it too much to ask, to give him praise and Thank our Lord and Savior for giving His life, so that we can live. I don't think so. And, I'm sure most of you can agree. I cannot imagine my life without Christ and thank Him numerous times everyday for my many blessings. Its one thing to count your blessings, but its another to know the Blessor. Recently, I have strengthen my relationship with God and my life has improved tremendously. And, I know it will only continue to get better. Of course none of us are perfect and He knows this. I'm not a Saint. I'm only human like you. My point is...its so easy to get wrapped up in the "busyness" of the holiday season; however, we should NEVER forget the REASON for the SEASON!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

i've got the power. do you?

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne : Creator of The Secret and The Power

 To celebrate the end of the year, and to guarantee that 2011 is your absolute best year yet, this Secret Scrolls contains one of the life-changing revelations from the book The Power, and one of the most powerful processes you can do in your life.

Whether you realize it or not, you bring everything to you through the power of your imagination. The power of imagination is not something you have to acquire; you have it already! You think in images even if you aren't aware that you do, and you use imagination or imaging every single day of your life. When you think about the past you are imagining. When you think about the future you are imagining. And as you imagine and concentrate on anything with feeling, you are bringing it to you.

When you worry about something, you are using your immense power of imagination negatively. You are imagining the worst, and as you imagine the worst, you are bringing it to you. When you are excited about something, you are using your power of imagination positively. You are imagining the best, and as you imagine the best, you are bringing it to you.

Using the power of your imagination is something that comes to you naturally, but I want you to understand something about your imagination that will change your life: Whatever you can imagine already exists! You simply can't imagine anything unless it exists already, because when you imagine something you are actually tuning into a particular frequency, and if that frequency didn't exist in the Universe you wouldn't be able to tune into it. So when you imagine yourself with something you want you are tuning into a real thing that already exists, and you are looking at the very frequency of you with your desire!

Now I am going to take you step by step through a revolutionary process using your imagination from the book The Power.

First, imagine something that you really want. It could be money, health, a particular job, a partner, a vacation, happiness, or anything else. Imagine yourself with your desire; close your eyes and really get the picture of yourself with your desire.

Pay special attention to what you see about yourself in your imagined picture. Notice how you are talking. Notice how you are moving. Notice how you are walking. Notice how you are acting. Notice how you are feeling. Look at everything about yourself in your imagined picture, but in particular, notice how happy you are! Capture every detail that you can, and open your eyes.

Understand that the picture you just imagined of yourself with your desire exists already! You know it exists because if it didn't exist how could you tune into it? How could you see it in your imagination? When you imagined yourself, you were looking at the actual real version of you with your desire!

Can you see the difference between yourself right now and your imagined picture of yourself? Because your job is to become as much like the version of yourself in the picture as you can! Walk like that now. Talk like that now. Act like that now. Feel the same as that, now. Become as happy as that person, now. Be that person, now! When you become the person in your imagined picture you have shifted yourself to the frequency of your desire, and it must and will appear. Your imagination is showing you precisely the person you need to become. It is showing you what you look like and how to act and feel so that you can copy it and become that person!

To help you become more and more like the person in your imagination, practice closing your eyes and seeing yourself in the imagined picture with your desire as many times as you want. Seeing the imagined picture of yourself will continuously remind you how you need to be, feel, and act. Then come out of your imagination and go about your day doing your best to act and feel like that person, now. You will be amazed at how little copying it takes before you see the evidence that your desire is coming.

This is one of the most powerful processes you can ever do to make your desires appear with lightning speed. This process is based on the physics of the Universe. Use it! Practice it! You have The Power to your life; every force in the Universe will do anything for you, but you have to use The Power that you have!

my obession with...my hair.

don't most of us women have a love/hate relationship with our hair?

we all have had good hair days

and not so good {bad} hair days...

i personally, i have an interesting love/hate relationship with my hair. why? because some days, my hair does what i tell it to do and then other days it seems to have a mind of its own. one side wants to curl, the other side doesn't, some days my side swept bangs are looking fab, then the next day they look a hot mess....i could go on and one about this. some days i love my hair and some days i hate it with a passion. when it comes to my hair sometimes it seems as if i'm never fully satisfied. maybe some of you ladies can relate. men just have no idea the struggles some of us women go through with our hair! then to top it off, you have to find the right hair dresser. that's a whole nother relationship. i had to breakup with my long time hair dresser because she became unavailable; however, lucky for me i found a better one! January will be a year since i've been going to this new salon and i l.o.v.e it! i don't know about you, but if my hair is not looking so pretty than i don't feel so pretty. i think hair is what completes a look.

you see, i have whats called "mixed" hair...interesting hair is what it should be called. i have naturally curly hair. growing up my mom started putting relaxers in my hair. big mistake! its been several years since i've had a relaxer done and now my natural curls are coming back. i can pretty much do anything with my hair...curly, straight, wavy, up, down, cornrows, breads...the options are endless with this hair. although, i have so many options, doing my hair can be a struggle. about two years ago, i decided to get my hair cut short. now, for the longest time i would say i was going to cut it, but never would. i guess because i was scared of change. yes, i know hair grows back. but still. i told you...its a strange relationship i have with my hair. anyways, summer was coming around and i wanted a new look, so i finally got the bob cut, i had been obsessing about for the longest. i actually really liked it, and so did everyone else. but now after two years of short hair, i'm ready for a new look...i've been trying to grow it out and its in that middle awkward stage. its a strange feeling having hair on my neck again and i get sudden urges to cut it short, but i'm not going to. i'm going to continue to take my hair vitamins, deep condition on sundays and chop off those annoying split ends every six to eight weeks. early today, i was looking at old pictures and found myself laughing at how many different looks this mop on my head has had.

the chronicles of Ashley's hair...

[just a few - i have many more]

[loose waves/summer days = flat hair]

[natural curly look]

 [straight, carmel color and a little past my shoulders]

 [thick, dark and bouncy look]

[most recent hair style & my fav]

do you have a love/hate relationship with your head?

a bunch of mambo jambo.

i didn't plan on posting anything today...frankly, because i didn't have anything interesting to write about. after checking my email, i received notifications of new comments for my blog. i feel loved anytime i get emails like that. it really is the little things in life that can bring a smile to anyone's face. initially, my blog was for me. just to write. and then, people started to follow my blog and comment on my posts. little things like that really bring a smile to my face :) i've never been so much concerned with the number of followers i have, but the sweet comments are worth blogging. its always nice to get feedback from anyone who reads my blog. lets me know i'm not as boring as i think sometimes. lol. i really am grateful for the followers i have, the people who read this blog, and the people who comment on my posts. i definitely appreciate the love. i really do! and i really wish all of you a very merry christmas!

now that my mind is going in ten thousands different directions, i guess i'll keep writing...

yesterday, i went to the UNC vs. Texas basketball game with my dad. it was really nice to spend a little father/daughter time, especially at a sporting event. i love me some basketball. always have, but just can't play it worth a lick. although, traffic was a {insert curse word} and i froze my buns off, overall it was a really good game! by the way, Tar Heels lost if you didn't see the game on t.v. :(


let me just ask you guys...is it just me...hopefully not.

does it seem sometimes that the people whom have the "perfect life" complain often? i know, the perfect life does not exist. what i mean by that is...graduating from school, getting a new job, having a big family, being engaged, getting married, having a baby, or living in a house. those are just a few examples. i know some people who consistently complain about their social status, their spouse not doing something (they knew this before they got married), size of their home, the appearance of the spouse, family members making mistakes....blah blah blah...i tune out the complaints half the time, so i can't recall all of them. my point is...sometimes i just want to look at them and say...choose your battles. what does complaining solve if your not going to try and do something about what your complaining about in the first place? who cares if your "friend", boyfriend, or husband wants to sleep a little late on Saturday morning because he got home from work late the night before or he doesn't throw out the trash when you asked. really? or the fact that your boyfriend hasn't put a ring on your finger after a certain number of years? if you guys both have established marriage is something that's in ya'lls future and your trying to accomplish other goals first...be patient. just because you may feel your the last single woman on the plant...news flash...your not! you want a bigger house? the house you live in now is too small...at least you have a roof over your head. some things are so trivial and not even worth complaining about. yes, its easy as an outsider looking in to comment and judge. i had to learn the hard way to appreciate all of those things and only want some of these people to appreciate them now that they have them. from the bottom of my heart i truly believe gratitude is what humbles a person. be grateful for all of your blessings...whether is be your house, job, kids, spouse, money, friends, faith, love, happiness...etc. at the end of the day, your home is your "safe place"...take advantage and cherish all the "small things" in life like being with the ones you love.