Bitter is the New Black

So I just finished reading Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, egomaniacal, self-centered smart-ass, or why you should never carry a Prada bag to the unemployment office, by Jen Lancaster! This book can simply be described in one word: HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know that I have ever laughed out loud so many times from a book!!!


Here is Amazon's description of the book:
"Jen Lancaster was living the sweet life-until real life kicked her to the curb.

She had the perfect man, the perfect job-hell, she had the perfect life-and there was no reason to think it wouldn't last. Or maybe there was, but Jen Lancaster was too busy being manicured, pedicured, highlighted, and generally adored to notice.

This is the smart-mouthed, soul-searching story of a woman trying to figure out what happens next when she's gone from six figures to unemployment checks and she stops to reconsider some of the less-than-rosy attitudes and values she thought she'd never have to answer for when times were good.

Filled with caustic wit and unusual insight, it's a rollicking read as speedy and unpredictable as the trajectory of a burst balloon. "

Just for fun, here are a few of my favorite quotes throughout the book!

"Perhaps my first mistake was taking financial advice from a book titled Confessions of a Shopaholic." Chapter 3

"Because I'm not a deadbeat. I'm not about to suck on the government's teat. For crying out loud, I'm a Republican. They'd kick me out of the party if I went on welfare." Chapter 4

"Maisy, this sucks. I have no Cadillac, no esthetician services, no Vegas trip, no tan, and no damn job. My life is a country music song." Chapter 6

"I complain. A Lot. Be particularly cautious if I am hungry, hot or tired. God have mercy on your soul if I am all three!" Chapter 6

"Mom, we're going to Las Vegas. They have EVERYTHING there, ok? I could call the concierge and request a crack pipe and a thirteen-year-old male prostitute, and both would be delivered to the room within the hour." Chapter 6

"My mother and I both lack the internal firewall that keeps us from saying almost everything we think" Chapter 6 - this is hilarious mainly because this runs in my family as well!

"You can insult my parentage, intelligence, or taste but you DO NOT say disparaging things about my dogs!" Chapter 7 - this is SOOO true!!!

All of this to say, if you need a fun, quick read (and don't mind a some language here and there), this is a great book! I'm out the door to purchase the rest of Jen Lancaster's books!

Proposal Story

Today at Kelly's Korner, everyone is sharing their proposal stories.

My proposal story happened on Valentine's Day, 2007. Brant and I had been dating for about a year and a half, and I knew this was the man I would marry. We had talked about a summer wedding because he knew I didn't want to get married in the fall or winter (only because we already have too many birthday and family "stuff" during that time) and I certainly didn't want to wait until next spring.

Well the night before Valentine's Day, I remember us being on the phone and Brant told me that he didn't know when I would get my wedding. He had planned to buy an engagement ring with his tax return, but he didn't know how big his return would be or when he would get it. So I spent most of the night in tears...but he promised me that he WOULD marry me one day.

So for Valentine's Day, we had plans just to go to dinner, so I told him that I would meet him at his apartment after work. So as soon as I got there, he asked if I was ready for my present, and I told him yes. So he asked me to sit down in the chair and close my eyes. I felt something heavy in my hands, and when he told me to open my eyes, there was a beautiful leather bound Bible with Ashley Williams engraved on it. Well, Williams is of course my married name, so at the time, I was Ashley Wages. Brant told me to open my new Bible to 1 Corinthians, chapter 13. There, tied to the small satin bookmark was a beautiful diamond solitaire.

If Brant were describing this story, he would tell you that it was at that moment that I turned into Niagara Falls. He then pulled me to my feet, untied the ring, and on one knee, asked me to be his wife.

The rest is simply history. We were married 5 short months later and I was able to have my summer wedding. In July, Brant and I will celebrate 3 years of marriage. It seems like we had our first date just yesterday. Well, I guess we'll see what the next 50 years holds!!!

East of Eden

Well I just finished East of Eden, an incredibly novel by John Steinbeck.

WOW!!!

Throughout my reading, I wasn't always thrilled with the story line and sometimes I got confused, but there was something that kept me turning the page. This book my made my mind think about things I had never thought of before - of my faith, of my choices, of my will. The message of this book is one of the most powerful that I have ever read, although I didn't realize it until the last page, literally.

The story follows the history of two families: the Hamiltons and the Trasks. This story is 601 pages of good versus evil, and right versus wrong; it is 601 pages of love; it is 601 pages of blindness, betrayal and deceit.


This is John Steinbeck at his best! J and S Books says this:

"East of Eden is described as the classic Cain and Abel story replayed. The conflict of brothers is powerful in both generations. The Biblical story itself plays an important role in the novel. Yet East of Eden doesn't end the same as the original story in the Bible. Plus this novel takes the story further, showing the effects on the people around the brothers as well.

This is a masterful book, complex, and layered. The characters stay with you when you close the cover. After I finished it, I kept going back and re-reading different parts. The tone of the book is determined when Samuel, Lee, and Adam discuss the meaning of the wording of the original Cain and Abel story. That section needs re-read numerous times to get the full impact both of that scene and on the whole book.

East of Eden is considered one of John Steinbeck's greatest works. ... This is a longer, deep novel. It is worth every page of reading. Prepare to meet real people that you will respect, disregard, like and dislike depending on the circumstances - just like the people we know every day."

Finally Finished!!!

If you have been to my house in the past 6 months, then you might have noticed that there was no table in my formal living room. As soon as the holidays were over, we decided to paint our formal dining room table black so that it would coordinate with all the other black tables in the living room (because the formal dining is open to the living room).

This is the living room. This table has been in house since I can remember, and my mom and dad gave it to Brant and I when we got married because they got a new one. I think its awesome that my kids can grow up with the same table as I did...and who knows...maybe they'll have it in their house one day too. But this is what the table looked like before.

So after 6 months of the table being the in garage, it was stripped, sanded, primed, sanded, painted, stained, and finally got put back where it belongs!!!!!

I am really thrilled with the way it turned out! And whole room looks great! Yes, there are few bumps and scratches, but that's just a part of it having some personality!

Now, my biggest issue right now is the centerpiece! I originally wanted something completely new, but then I put the candles back in the middle and I love the way the red tones pop off the black surface.


What do you think??? Leave the candles, or something new????

Well, I hope you like the new table as much as I do!

Chicken Enchiladas

Saturday evening, I made some great chicken enchiladas for Sunday lunch. This recipe was excellent because you can make it, then refrigerate until you're ready to bake them! It is of course from Cooking Light and they were absolutely delicious...and much easier than I anticipated!!! Even with the cheese on top, its less than 500 calories a serving!

Give it a try, and I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!!!!!

An Evening with the Williams

Well if you've ever wanted to know what goes on at the Williams house any given weekday evening, then this is the post for you! FYI - we're pretty boring!!!!!!!

I typically leave my office around 6:10 or 6:15 - that way most of the traffic is off the roads and I'll be home in 40 minutes. I usually start dinner as soon as I get home...usually something from one of these magazines.


Last night, we had grilled chicken with this bacon macaroni and cheese (click the link for the recipe)! It was delicious. Brant hates boxed mac'n'cheese because his mom always made it from scratch...well mine didn't! (but I still love you mom!). So, I recently promised Brant and I would find a good recipe for mac'n'cheese, and I think I found it last night! Now, the actual recipe called for chicken in it, but since I was grilling some chicken breasts, I just left the chicken out. It was really, really good!


As soon as we finish dinner, there is usually a baseball game on, and at the Williams house, if the Texas Rangers are playing, then we are watching!

However, sometimes I will sneak outside to do this while Brant is watching the game. East of Eden is GREAT so far. I love having our little patio set.

And that's pretty much at night at the Williams. I warned you - we're pretty boring, but we like it that way!

Summer Reading

Well I'm not sure if I can finish all of these books this summer, but here is the start to my summer reading list. Yes, you will notice some classics, some legal and of course, some Stephanie Meyer! But this is also not the entire list...I still have about 5 or 6 more books that are being added!

But, without further delay, here is the Summer Reading list of 2010...thus far!

If you would like to read with me, or follow along with the book I am currently reading, just look at the left of my blog and I'll post the book I'm currently reading.

Reading

So I just finished reading the entire Twilight Series, by Stephanie Meyer (including the partial draft of Midnight Sun...the story from Edward's perspective). It was wonderful! I enjoyed both movies when they came out, but now have an incredible appreciation for the books as well. I can honestly say that I LOVED reading the whole series!

Now I am a reader...I love everything about reading, especially when there is a whole series! With summer coming around the corner quickly, I need a new reading lineup for my time in the sun! So, I am coming to you, my dear readers, for your advise on some great books...preferably fiction...but regarding pretty much any subject matter...romance, comedy, mystery, drama...just about anything! So let me have it...what are your favs?????

Count Down

For Christmas this year, Brant's parents are taking the family on a very special Christmas vacation to......

Kauai, Hawaii!!!!!!!

Brant and I are so excited to be going that we are counting down the days! We are going to be staying at the Poipu Kai resort! If you are a lost fan, then you know that Kauai is where the show LOST is filmed! We certainly plan on taking the tour of the filming area! In anticipation of our trip, I have been doing some research and looking at pictures of where we are staying. Here are a few of my favorites!

Nearby waterfalls

This is the resort beach!

Resort pool

New Blog Design

Yesterday I got the joy of giving my dear friend Kristy a blog makeover. Do you love it???

(click on the picture to enlarge)

Build a Beautiful Blog

This week, two great ladeis: Simply Stacie and Kelly's Lucky You, are hosting Build a Beautiful Blog week. Great Grabbie Designs is participating in giving away 2 custom blog designs!

To learn how to enter to win, go here:

Top 10 Movie Couples

Well I finally composed my top 10 favorite movies couples. This list was much harder than the TV list. I have my top 6 or so VERY quickly, but the other few took me awhile to come up with. My basic criteria for this was simply what movies do you love simply because of the couple? More or less - which couples did you want to fight for? So without further delay, here are my top 10 favorite movie couples (and yes, in this order)!

1. Edward Cullen and Bella Swan - Twlight series
(Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart)

2. Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton - The Notebook
(Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams)

3. Ben Barry and Andie Anderson - How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson)

4. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann - Pirates of the Caribbean Series
(Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly)

5. Johnny Cash and June Carter - Walk the Line
(Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon)

6. Jake Perry and Melanie Smooter - Sweet Home Alabama
(Josh Lucas and Reese Witherspoon)

7. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett - Pride and Prejudice
(Matthew MacFadyen and Kiera Knightly)

8. Edward Lewis and Vivian Ward - Pretty Woman
(Richard Gere and Julia Roberts)

9. Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara - Gone with the Wind
(Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh)

10. Johnny Castle and Frances "Baby" Houseman - Dirty Dancing
(Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey)

DISCLAIMER: This list is subject to change...mainly because I have never seen When Harry Met Sally and my dear friend, Emily, said that they definitely would have made the list! What are your favorite movies couples???

To Be 16 Again

Today's post was originally going to be my top 10 movie couples to follow the top 10 TV couples, but it changed after I read my "God Issue" for the day. It's a daily devotional that emailed every morning by Dr. James Denison. Today it was titled "To Be 16 Again". Yes, today's post is long, but it's good.

Dr. Denison began the devotional this morning with this story:

When Guerdwich Montimere turned 22, he posed as a 16-year old so he could play high school basketball again. Today's NPR website reports that Mr. Montimere enrolled at Permian High School in Odessa, Texas under the name "Jerry Joseph," telling authorities that he was a homeless Haitian youth.

He quickly became a standout on the team, which makes sense, as he is older than some NBA players. He was a Florida high school basketball star in his previous life; some coaches from his time in the state recognized him at a recent tournament in Arkansas and confronted him last Tuesday.

At first he denied that he was who they said he was, before finally admitting his deception. Charged with presenting false identification to a peace officer, he was taken to the Ector County Detention Center. He has now been released on bail.

Then, he asked the inevitable question: what would you do differently if you were 16 again? The question hit me like a ton of bricks.

I love high-school kids...I have a passion for them and a big part of me longs to be in my teens again. Yes, I watch those high-school shows like One Tree Hill (one my personal favorites) and Glee, and sometimes even Gossip Girl. I feel like I live vicariously through them somehow. I love movies about high-school and college life. For me, its all a part of discovering who you are and who you will be.

I think that if I had to be 16 again, I would do things alot differently! I would wait on the Lord instead of jumping into things...I would seek Him in everything, rather than in just the things I "needed help" with...I would TRUST Him! I will confide in you that I am NOT the woman that I want to be...I long to be much more than I am. I want to have purpose! I long to be someone special. More than anything right now, I feel sinful, not special.

Dr. Denison reminded me though, that the good news is that he forgives all I confess to him in a spirit of genuine repentance. He separates my sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), hurling them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19) and remembering them no more (Isaiah 43:25).

The even better news is that he stands ready to use my life, flaws and all, for his eternal purposes. I may never see the larger significance of present faithfulness, but he does.

I can't be 16 again, but I can serve my God TODAY! I can be faithful TODAY! My sins don't have to remember because He has forgiven them!

So now I ask you the question: What would you do differently if you were 16 again?

Top 10 TV Couples

If you know well, then you know that I am a hopeless romantic! I have always been a sucker for a good love story...whether on a TV show, a movie or in a book.

In reading Twilight and watching TV shows with epic love stories in them, I began thinking about my favorite love stories. So I put together a compilation of my favorite TV couples...(I will be posting my favorite movie couples later this week).

But in NO particular order, here are my favorite 10 TV couples. Feel free to comment and post what your favorite TV couples are!!!! Jack and Kate

Lost

Justin and Rebecca
Brothers and Sisters


Jim and Pam
The Office

Nathan and Haley
One Tree Hill

Derek and Meredith
Grey's Anatomy

Chuck and Sarah
Chuck

Logan and Veronica
Veronica Mars

Ross and Rachel
Friends

Dylan and Brenda
Beverly Hills 90210

Chandler and Monica
Friends

Baby Names

Well today, Kelly's Korner is featuring baby names (or in my case - future baby names).

Brant and I have discussed this ALOT! I, Ashley, had a very common name growing up...there were always 2 or 3 other Ashley's in my classes. Therefore, I have always been inclined for my children to have more original and unusual names. Brant, on the other hand, is a very unusual name, therefore, he wants very common names. So baby names is something that we talk about often, but we have narrowed it down to a few.

Baby Boy Name:
Jude Bonner

Not too common, but not too off-the-wall! Originally, this was Jude Christian. Ever since I was young, I have wanted a little boy named Christian, but Brant wasn't crazy about the name. However, he loved the name Jude. Jude Christian was actually Brant's idea...and I loved it. However, when Brant's grandfather passed away last year, we learned that his middle name was Bonner. Tommie Stretch (Brant's granddad) was an amazing man who feared the Lord and devoted his life to serving Him and his family. Brant and I pray that our son will one day be just like his great grandfather, which is why we decided that his middle name will be Bonner. Fitting that Jude is a Hebrew name meaning praise and thanks.

Other boy names that I like (if two boys are in our future): Carter Jackson, Bronson Cole

Baby Girl Name:
Emmalee Caroline

Now baby girl names are something that we are constantly talking about. Out baby boy name is pretty much set in stone, but girl names are totally different. Brant has always wanted a little girl named Emily, but I am in love with the name Caroline. In wanting to at least pacify my husband, I agreed that we could have a daughter called "Emily" but spell it a little differently. Then Caroline as the middle name because I'm in love with it. I tell Brant all the time that I will call her "Emmalee Caroline" because its so southern and I love being southern!

Other favorite girl names: CallieAnn Hope; Jordyn Paige or Jordyn Reese; Peyton Avery or Isabella (Bella) Avery