The Clock

It was 2AM...I was still awake. Screwdriver in hand and a little old alarm clock in my lap as I sat cross-legged on the floor. This sucker would work if it was the last thing I did. After applying a bit of pressure (very gingerly, mind you) at the edges of the small plastic skeleton, it came apart. The tender, intricate insides bare for me to examine. The wiring was simple enough. Typical 80's LED display with the little boards connected to eachother for the mechanism. And...ah...there was the problem. Four of the little wires connecting the mechanism board to the display board had broken. I split little bits of electrical tape, then gently rapped each wire to its respective half. Carefully folding the boards back together, I put the skeleton back over my work. Praying silently that the wires had stayed together when folded with the tape, I plugged the cord into a socket in my room. It lit up and the buzzer came to life. I checked the buttons: everything worked perfectly. My heart swelled with pride at my small accomplishment. Now I could think about sleeping.....but....there was that lantern in the basement that needed fixing....

Ashley's Floral Fantacies

Be sure to check out my portfolio blog and see how I'm doing as a floral designer ;-P

Just click on the title of this post and it'll link you right to it! <3

What I've Been Working On

In case you didn't know, I'm currently studying Floral Design. Part of my schoolwork is to work with real clients as often as possible. My very first happened to be my aunt who wanted to show her full support of my career choice by going out and getting a boatload of silk flowers for me to play with and put around her home!

This one's my favorite!

Valentine's With a New Attitude

If you're anything like me, dear reader, then you probably have a history of seriously disliking Valentine's (aka Singles Awareness) Day. Well, I recently had the opportunity to rethink the meaning of the holiday with the hope that I would avoid a day of wasting my energy being negative.
Firstly, I ditched the image of a fat baby shooting arrows at unsuspecting victims and actually looked up the story of Cupid, or as I'd rather call him "Eros". It's a wonderful tale and I encourage you to look it up for yourself. It actually made me think more about trust and seeing with one's heart rather than one's eyes. I thought about the trust and faith that goes into loving someone else and the importance of those two qualities in any relationship. There can be no true everlasting love where there is no trust.
With that in mind I took it into a different direction and thought about the importance of being honest with yourself. If you can't be honest with yourself, you can't truly be honest with anyone else. These collective ideas led me to a rather adventurous sounding conclusion: Use Valentine's to be completely honest with myself and everyone else.

Long Stemmed Roses and a Blue Sky

Today was wet, cold and gray. 3 things that most definitely do not suit my personality. Oh what I'd give to see flowers again! I was walking through the store the other day and I happened past the floral section they have. I smelled the roses before I saw them. Oh yes....they were that good. I know, flowers from a grocery store are probably not the highest quality. But I am so starved for something alive and growing! ARGH! I miss springtime.
Tonight, I'm going to make a wish. I wish for some long stemmed roses to brighten up the room until spring gets here and a blue sky for at least part of every day for the rest of winter. I need sunshine!

What Makes a Woman

After that last blog, my fabulous readers demanded that I write what characteristics I think separate the women from the girls. So here we go!

#1-A woman holds herself accountable for her actions- She doesn't blame the world for her problems. She doesn't whine that she was misunderstood or that someone else could have done something for her. She tries hard and doesn't accept less than her best.

#2-A woman does what she can to be accomplished- She's always doing something. She enjoys doing many things and loves to grow and perfect her interests.

#3- A woman is open minded- She takes all things into consideration and does what she knows is best with what information she has.

#4- A woman can speak her mind without sounding preachy- She recognizes that what she has to say is important and that it is best to convey those thoughts in a short-sweet-to-the-point manner.

#5- A woman is compassionate- She is a nurturer. She's the go to lady when you need advice or just to be understood. She has your best interest at heart and genuinely cares about what's going on in your life.

#6- A woman is resourceful- She makes things happen and just has a way of getting exactly what she needs. When she can't get what she needs, she either finds a way or finds a substitute that is equal if not better than what she originally had in mind.

#7- A woman is a fierce friend- She does not hesitate to stand up for those she loves.

#8- A woman is honest- She will tell you exactly what you need to hear, whether you want to hear it or not.

#9- A woman has a sense of honor- She defends what's right and sticks to her guns even when it's not what's in vogue to do so.

#10- A woman loves herself- She knows that she can't truly love anyone unless she is happy with who she is and enjoys being herself.

#11- A woman knows how to have fun- She loves to laugh and make other people smile. She enjoys the best things in life and makes time to play.

#12- A woman places high value on family and expects those with whom she associates to respect that- Self explanatory.

There you have it. I find ladies like this in some pretty interesting places so it's hard to say where you'll spot them. But you'll most definitely know her once you start talking to her.

<3 Ashley

What Makes a Man

Due to recent events and certain people bugging me about it, today's post is a summary of what I think constitutes a "Man". i.e. certain characteristics that cause me to think of a guy as a man rather than a boy.
For starters, a man acknowledges his own feelings as well as those of others. When he's angry or sad, he doesn't bottle up the negativity for later. He talks to someone about it and takes care of it as it happens.
A man doesn't take himself too seriously. When he screws up or falls over or something, he laughs about it, gets up, dusts himself off and moves on (literally and metaphorically).
A man can speak his mind and do so eloquently. He's not as concerned with being right as he is with what is right.
A man knows when to be spontaneous and when to think things through.
A man places high value on family and expects those he associates with to respect that.
A man likes to be active. He's always doing something and is motivated towards specific goals. He also likes to play ^_^. New things fascinate him.
And last but not least, a man loves life in general. He loves people and wants to see more of the world. Stuck up everybody-elses are a waste of his time and they don't feel comfortable around him. But he's well liked by every one in general.
Now how would I spot such a gentleman? Well it takes some doing.
#1 He cleans up very nicely - He looks great in a suit because he knows what works for him and he takes pride in who and what he is.
#2 He asks questions- He's genuinely interested in things and wants to know more.
#3 He loves to dance- Socializing is fun for him. He likes the atmosphere of a group setting and loves music.
#4 He knows how to relax- Sometimes it's just great to stay home and wear pajama pants. Maybe make breakfast for dinner. I could see myself laying on a beach with him and just talking about anything and everything.
#5 He's well read- He gobbles up books and refers to them often.
#6 He appreciates the arts- Self explanatory if you know me ;-) but his fascination with life and all things beautiful and praiseworthy can manifest itself that way.
#7 He talks animatedly- he really gets into a conversation. He loves sharing ideas and is excited about what he believes in.
That's the basic run down.

Well there you go. Now you know.
Ashley <3