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

Musings of a Disgruntled Girl

I've reached an epiphany of sorts. It can be summed up in three parts:

* PART THE FIRST! - I Don't Like to Be Told What to Do
I went on a date about a month ago with a guy who seemed fairly nice. We got along well so I decided to get to know him better. After two dates, he started to talk about being "exclusive" and implied other future plans. This ticked me off for a few different reasons. He hadn't known me more than two weeks and he already felt comfortable enough to discuss MY future with HIM, we hadn't talked about much else than himself so he basically had no interest in who I am or who I want to be (apparently there's plenty of time to work that all out after the wedding), and then, to top it all off, he suggested I stay in Idaho after I graduate and forget about a career. No one plans my future for me but God, and even He draws a line.

*PART THE SECOND! - Words Are Awesome...But I Need More
I've heard many a boy say some pretty words. Words are great. I respect a man who can speak his mind and do so eloquently. However, I need something more substantial to back them up. I'm absolutely sick to death of boys who can't man up and do what they say what they're going to do.

*PART THE THIRD! - I'm Sweet Not Stupid
I'm not entirely sure what makes some guys believe that I'm gullible when they first meet me...I guess all they see is a cute face and blond hair. But those are exactly the boys I refuse to deal with from now on. I used to use that type a bit and toy with them. Just to blow them off completely, later. Avoiding them in general would probably be wisest not only for my own physical and emotional safety, but for the feeling of a clean conscience in not leading anyone on. Boys like that are stupid for the most part and not worth my time or attention.

Thinking about this in general is somewhat frustrating. But it had to be thought about. Now I have written down and can be done with it. <3

A Lesson in Charm

In a certain recent meeting of my church's single adult ladies auxiliary, a certain lady made a certain comment that struck a sour chord with me: "Let's face it girls, we're never getting married."
This rather nonsensical and compulsive speech was a blatant advertisement of her own bitter and spinsterish mood to all those present. Now how many recognized it for what it was is uncertain as many of the women in our congregation would love nothing more than to be married but are not, thus this discouraged some even further I'm sure.
I think the lady in question was just having a bad day as she'd just turned 35 and had no prospects. Perhaps I'm too bold to suggest what could be her problem?
For starters, the attitude needs some adjusting. A spinster is as a spinster thinks, ya know! What one doesn't have in beauty must be made up for with wit and personality. Energetic love of life and laughter not only makes a person happier, it makes them prettier on the outside too. A higher level of grooming wouldn't hurt either, though.
This girl is no mud fence, no, not at all. But she doesn't ever play up the best features of her face and figure. What's getting up maybe 10 minutes earlier to pamper yourself in the morning? When I feel pretty, I act pretty. And I've noticed the same behavior in the cases of many other girls.
Another good emotional make-better tip comes to mind: Ditch the idea that you absolutely have to get married at a certain age. I don't think God intended life to be a man hunt for matrimony. Don't get me wrong, marriage is an awesome goal to have. But pinning it to an age just isn't fair to you. It leaves almost no room for love or any sort of meeting of the heart with the head.
I suppose the point of this blog is this: When you're feeling unattractive and just can't seem to establish a good relationship with a good person, perhaps it's time you took stock of yourself as a person and changed what you don't like, rather than blaming the world for your problems and spreading gloom where it has no business being spread.

<3 Ashley