And then there were three...

After all the one on one's, group dates, and solo dates...we are down to three women. A big congrats goes to Gia, Vienna, and Tenley. I don't think there could be three completely opposite women in the final running. Don't ya think?
Let's first discuss the hometown dates...
We went home with Gia to meet her family. I think Gia connected with Gia a bit more on this date. He seems to really care for her and to really care for her family. I think if Ali had chosen to stay, Gia would have gone home though. I'm gonna give it a guess and say that Gia gets the boot next week. I just think his connection with the other two is much stronger.
Vienna and Tenley's dates were awesome as well. I think I really enjoyed watching Vienna's hometown date. They just seemed so real and didn't want any b.s. Vienna's dad was hillarious to me. He was trying to play rough and tough and it just made me laugh while I was watching. Tenley's date was sooo focused on her ex husband that I just wanted to hear more about Jake and her. I know that is such a huge thing and it just happened to Tenley, but why focus on the negative? Uh oh...I hear some comments coming about that statement.
Alright...on to the juicy part!
Ali!!! Well ladies and gentleman (or just ladies) I guess the rumor I heard was true that she sends herself home. Now why on earth would you say "I love you" to the guy and then say "I have to go" all within a short time period. Boy, I don't know....I am not in her predicament but I just don't know if I would have left. Not with being "in love".
OK SPOILER ALERT....scroll down past the part in pink if you don't want to read the spoiler! WARNING!
The phone call next week isn't Ali begging to come back. She is just going to wish him the best and tell him to follow his heart. But the GREAT news is...for all you Ali lovers that want to read the spoiler...she has been unofficially picked as the next Bachelorette! YAY!
Ok you can come back now...
I can't wait for next week so that we can see the beautiful dates in St. Lucia. Gosh I am jealous! St. Lucia is where I really really want to go! Oh well leave it to the Bachelor to go there first. ugh. Anyways, I wish the girls the best of luck!
Thoughts? Feelings? Cuss Words? Kind Words?
-Let me have it...your thoughts on this episode! Any predications now that Ali is gone?-
XOXO
-Ashley-

Chain Letter

All of us have gotten a chain letter or two, whether it is on email, mail, facebook, etc. You know...the ones that promise you good luck or that your secret crush will tell you they like you. Honestly, I am the girl that deletes it before I even read it. I don't really have time for all the silly stuff. Well when I was in Atlanta for Girls Weekend, my girlfriends and I were talking about chain letters and if we could start one what would we do. We came up with some crazy ideas and then just kind of brushed it off.
Last week I got a phone call from my friend, Rebecca (which by the way just started a blog after our girls weekend...visit her here! She is a new blog member so send her some encouraging words.) Anyways, back to the phone call. She got a chain letter in the mail! Are you serious???!?! People still send those?!? This one was really neat! Basically it says that the letter is a "Recipe Tree". You are to send a recipe to the name on the paper and then pass the letter on to five people. You now put the person's name who sent it to you on the outside of the sheet so they will get some recipes. By the end of the journey, you should have 36 new recipes from people you don't even know!
Well, guess what I got in the mail this past week?!?! The Recipe Tree Chain Letter!
I just got finished filling out my recipe card that I am going to send on to the lucky lady on the outside of my letter. Then I am going to pass it along to five lucky ladies! So, I ask you guys...is anyone in?!? I would love to pass it through "blog world" too! Let me know if you want it!
Oh on another note, when I got this letter it reminded me of a book I read when I was younger...

I hadn't thought of this book in forever! I honestly don't even remember what it is about other than if you don't send the chain letter bad things happen. Yikes! I better hurry up and send out this Recipe Tree Chain Letter!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!
-XOXO-
Ashley

Dear John

The verdict is: loved it! The hubby and I went on a double date with my parents today to see Dear John. I read the book awhile back and honestly I didn't remember much about the book going into the movie. I also hadn't seen too many previews. All I knew was the if one of Nicholas Sparks' books was made into a movie it was going to be good. I think they ALL are amazing movies.
So the movie seemed to fly by and there wasn't a dull moment in the whole thing. The acting was wonderful and they couldn't have picked better people to have done the acting. The movie was filled with the sniffs of women all around us (while I kept mine as quiet as possible...I knew my dad and the hubs would make fun of me). The story line was great and even the hubs admitted to that on the drive home.
Ok the only thing I didn't like were the last five minutes...I hated how the movie just ended. I wanted at least thirty more minutes so I could have seen just a tad more of how things were going to end up. I won't say too much so I don't spoil it for you, but just a couple more scenes even would have let me know what happens in the grand scheme of things. ahhh!
Anyways, I know it just came out and the line of people waiting to buy tickets lets me know that there are tons of people going to see it this weekend. I recommend going too! We hit up a matinee performance so the cost wasn't outrageous too!
So verdict is: Dear John = Two thumbs up from Mrs. Pinkture Perfect!

Skinny Couple in a Box

While waiting on my study group yesterday afternoon, I found myself browsing Barnes & Noble. I was actually on a hunt for the book "Behind the Bell" by Dustin Diamond. You know Screech from Saved by the Bell? Apparently he wrote a book about what life was like behind the scenes that I am just dying to read. Well, it was a no go. I guess Saved by the Bell is too old school for Barnes & Noble.
So anyways I met with my study group to discuss this book we are required to read. I will have to post about it later because it is such an amazing book (The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy). I thought I was going to hate that book (since it was a required reading, but boy was I wrong!) On my way out I decided to keep browsing. I then thought of the other Tori Spelling book that she had written. I did a post awhile back about Stori Telling and I have been dying to read her other one. However there has been no time in my day to pick up a book other than what is required of me for school.
On my way out, after having decided not to buy a darn thing, I saw this box called "The Skinny Couple" Hmm...I like to be skinny and fit...my hubby is working towards that too...could it be something?!? I picked it up and saw there was nothing written on the back. Boo! I ended up taking the plunge and buying the book because it looked like a hillarious weight loss book. I don't want it to lose weight, but I thought it would have funny stories and jokes that would continue to inspire me to work out and stay healthy.

I could have bought just the girl book but I didn't want to leave the hubby out. I texted him and told him I got him a surprise....I gave it to him when I got home and I don't think he was impressed. He thinks its another one of my purchases that doesn't make sense! Boy, I should make him do a mini book club with me while we read! He would die! So anyways, we haven't opened the pack yet, but I plan to this weekend. Has anyone read it? Like it? Love it? Hate it?
We shall find out....
-XOXO-
Ashley

Congrats Sissy! (This one is for you!)

Just this past weekend, my little sister went through recruitment at Elon University. I remember recruitment like it was yesterday. I think it was one of my favorite parts of being in a sorority. It was the one time throughout my four years of college that all the sorority girls were on the same page and were excited to cheer on their sorority. I loved it! So after the long weekend of recruitment, parties, and conversations, she decided to accept a bid from Alpha Xi Delta! Go double blue and gold!!!

Melissa was so excited to start pledging AZD and she had a lot of friends that were already a part of the organization. (Sister is on the left!) She will now endure the six week pledging process that will require her to learn all of the sorority history, facts, and sister information. I can't wait to hear how different and similiar our pledging processes are. Our sorority was capped at 55 girls, give or take a few. We had one of the largest chapters at our school too! Melissa's pledge class has 41 girls! Holy moly! It was tough pledging with 12 girls, I can't imagine 41.

When I look back...let's see I think of all the wonderful memories and wonderful friends I made through spending four years as a Phi Mu. Some of my best friends are the friends I still have today. I hope Melissa meets her bridesmaids over the next few years and I hope she makes the lasting relationships that I carried on with me long after college.

Here is a pic. of some of Melissa's pledge class! HUGE! Were any of you sorority girls?!? What were some of your favorite memories? Do you still keep in touch with them?
I love Phi Mu and I can't wait to share sorority memories with my sister!
XOXO
-Ashley-

The Final Four

This is it ladies (& gentlemen)! We are down to the final four for Mr. Jake. After a very tearful rose ceremony for Jake, he decided to let Corrie leave after the one on one date. Blame him? Not one bit. On their date, I didn't really see the connection.
Each posting of the Bachelor I do, I always say how I feel about the girls so why not do it again?!
Gia
Super cute girl and has really grown on me. She is really spunky and brings out a playful side in Jake (that I think he needs). I loved how Jake was on his two on one date with Vienna and Gia and he made sure Gia got some of his time. It looks like they really fell "in love" during their time. I couldn't take my eyes off of them.
Tenley
Alright, she is a sweetheart! The thing is that I think she is too sweet. She is always wishing the other girls good luck and letting them she hopes they have fun on their dates with Jake. I just don't get why she wants them to have a good time when they are competing for the same man. Maybe I am just not as nice of a girl as she is, but it is time to step it up girlfriend! Show Jake you are after him and not there to be best friends with the girls.
Ali
Donezo! I am over her. She was one of my top picks in the beginning and I have lost it for the chica. I just think she is focusing too much on Vienna and is harping on her, her her! It is only during the times where she is with Jake that I can see her as a good choice. I heard a rumor though. It is that she sends herself home after the hometown dates. I don't know if it is true, but we will see!
Vienna
I like her more and more after each episode, for real. The only thing I didn't like was her going back to climb in bed with Jake on the two on one date. That didn't really sit well with me, but hey she is after her man and isn't willing to give up. I like that! I will have to do a later post on her but the things surfacing the internet about her are not that great either. I think the world is against her. All of my friends dislike her too. Hmm....maybe I don't see what everyone else sees!

So next week we head to the hometowns...just from the previews I can tell it is going to be interesting. Jake is in for a real shocker! And remember there is not a rose ceremony at the end of next week's show...do you think it is because Ali sends herself home?!?! Ooooo the rumors! And I'll leave you with a question....
If you had to pick one chica now for Jake, who would it be?!?!?!
Until later,
XOXO
Ashley
p.s The premiere of Lost is on tonight...the last season! Make sure you catch it! It is an amazing show!

Old Man Winter Finally Listened!

It finally came! It finally came! All week the news kept telling me that there was going to be a big winter storm this weekend. Ha! I laughed it off honestly because whenever snow is predicted it doesn't seem to fall where I live. So Friday after school I went and met a couple of the girls I work with for drinks at Village Tavern. During our get together my phone rang and it was the mom of the family I was supposed to babysit on Friday night. She told me that it was snowing super hard at her house and basically within the next hour we came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to be babysitting. Sure enough...about twenty minutes from my house it was downpouring SNOW! I was really excited as I drove home through it all.
I got home and there was not a flake of snow on the ground or falling from the sky! I was so disappointed. I literally watched out the window all evening (the hubby was djing) and there was nothing on the ground as of two in the morning. I thought for sure my neighborhood was jipped (spelling?!?) So I went to sleep super sad because everywhere else in the city of Charlotte was getting snow, but not my area. ugh.

I woke up to a white yard! Woohoo! I was super stoked. I got up and you wouldn't believe what I started to do. Yes, my graduate school work. Boo! I had a TON to do this weekend so I wanted to get half of it done before I went to play in the snow. Check..got it done and called my momma right away. I think my mom is one of the only people that likes to play in the snow as much as I do! We have our own secret spot by the church that no one else knows about! It is the perfect hill for sledding/riding on a disc.

The hubby, Mason and I headed over to my parents house for a little fun in the snow! We had a ball in the snow and we sure got our workout from climbing up and down the hill. Mason also loved his first time in the snow. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he loved running around in the snow and of course eating it! We hung out with my family for a little bit and then headed over to Johns parents house. We haven't seen them in so long so we spent the afternoon with them just catching up. We ended up driving home in more snow! Yes, it kept falling late last night!

So this morning I woke up and the yard was still white. Well, duh! It was down to like 12 degrees last so of course it stayed! I play to play again later with the momma in the snow today too and I finished the other half of graduate work so I am good to go! The only thing I am hoping for today is that it warms up to clear the roads. I do not want a day cancelled from school! So keep your fingers crossed that Old Man Winter doesn't freeze us out all day long!
AND keep your fingers crossed....today is my sister's BID DAY for sorority life at her university! Woohoo! I have told her many times that this will be the best time of her life so I can't wait for her to begin her journey in her new home!
XOXO
-Ashley-