Scandal

This weekend while visiting one of my sorority sisters, I had the opportunity to get hooked on one of the best shows on television....(yes, I'm like 3 seasons late...so!)....SCANDAL!!!

I'm sure you're wondering why the heck have I not been on this kick before this weekend!? Well in my defense, it comes on at a time when I'm usually in bed (10pm) and I'm not a huge tv watcher. I'm usually coming home from work, hitting the gym, then trying to relax a little before heading to bed no later than 9:30 on most nights. I value getting a full night's rest and not being tired and groggy in the morning. 

Either way, I started watching this over the weekend and I am HOOKED!!! When I got back home today, I got a Netflix account and am currently catching up on all the shows so that I can be all caught up in at least another week. I'm on Season 2, epi 4 right now. 

The show is so addicting and awesomely written!!! Right now, my favorite character is duh...Olivia Pope! Mainly for the fact that she handles business, has an awesome sense of fashion, and she's a woman in charge! Her presence is impeccable and Kerry Washington is truly doing her thang in this role!!

My second fav is Harrison!! Mainly because he's so handsome and those suspenders that he wears on every episode are sexy as hell!!! He's also basically just eye candy, but I do like his role on the show as well!

I can't wait to get all caught up! I think I'll watch another episode or two tonight, then try to get a few more in tomorrow! 

Welcome to November....slooooooowing down

September and October has been two months of me being constantly on the go and my social calendar bumping and booming with all kinds of great things to get into.  Now I've finally made it to November where it all slows down....and I'm 100% perfectly fine with that!!!

I have been gone every single weekend in the month of October.  For the past 3 weeks, I've been in the DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia area.  I am literally all traveled out right about now! This weekend, I went up for the final time (for a while) to visit my sister for her birthday.  I didn't get back until this morning and went straight to work! I'm grade A...exhausted!! 

For the month of November, I have plans for two weekends, and the other two weekends, I have literally scheduled a staycation....at my own home....with absolutely no plans!!! And I'm super looking forward to it!!! If I had my own, selfish way, I would make this entire month a scheduled "no plans for the weekend" ordeal.  This weekend coming up is my first weekend in months that I haven't had any plans at all! I'm sooooo looking forward to waking up in my own bed on a Saturday morning when my body feels like getting up and not when someone else is waking me up! I haven't slept-in in forever! 

Since tomorrow is election day, I have the day off so I plan to lounge around, catch up on Scandal, go vote, and hit the gym. I do need to go grocery shopping and do some cooking so I'll also add that to the plans, but as you can see, this schedule for tomorrow is very minimal compared to what I've been up to lately!

I'm not complaining about my social calendar at all....I just really do appreciate alone time from time to time and welcome it! Even if it means I have to schedule it to ensure it'll happen! 

Black Girls Rock!

On October 26th, one of my wildest dreams came true! I attended the taping of Black Girls Rock in Newark, NJ!!! In November of 2010, I watched this phenomenal awards show that showcases and highlights black women/girls who are doing amazing things in their community and in the lives of others.  It's a star studded event, yet it doesn't just highlight women/girls who have celebrity status. It's celebrates and portrays a positive image of the black girl and it's an incredible movement! 

When I first saw the show for the first time on BET, I was memorized!!! I was completely supportive of the moment and what it stood for and I also badly wanted to one day, attend the taping of the awards show. 

Since that day, I have thought and searched, and Google'd, and wrecked my brain trying to figure out how I could get tickets to this event. Then one day, I decided I would e-mail Black Girls Rock and inquire about it. Low and behold, a month later, I got a response and it was an invitation to attend the taping!!!! 

I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS HAPPENING!!! 

I mean, somebody pinch me....this is happening!!! Ok so fast forward, I open the e-mail and I'm directed to a page where I can purchase tickets. The ticket prices range from $50-$500 with all proceeds going towards the BGR community programs. And another piece of all of this was, I didn't get this e-mail until 2 weeks before the date of the taping. Luckily, I didn't have plans for the last weekend of October, so I was available to make a spontaneous decision to go! #score

Being there to watch the taping of the show was nothing short of amazing! One of my favorite actresses, Tracee Ellis Ross was a host (ahhhhhhhhhhhh I love her) which totally made being there even more amazing!!! And just being surrounded by so much positivity and awesomeness was what made actually going an experience in my life that will go down in the books!  I'm so thankful and blessed to have had this opportunity!!! 

Special shout out and huge thank you to my Bih for coming through with those tickets!!!!

Here are a few pics from the evening.  I wasn't able to take many because we were actually strictly forbidden to take any pictures while the show was going on. I snuck a few though, but I did uphold the promise to not post them until after the show had aired on television so I wouldn't be a spoiler!!

One of the biggest highlights of the night was when the cast from Girlfriends came out!!! I looooove that show!! 

Patti LaBelle performing!! 

A few flicks of me and Bih before the show! 

Vacation....please!

My first post in a long time and the post is about needing a vacation! HA! Well I've been away for a while because I've been super slammed busy at work and have been dog tired lately! I also haven't really had too many blog worthy things happening, thus, I figured I'd spare you all from reading some random post.

Today, I decided it was time for a vacation.  Now let me clarify. I am constantly on the go especially on the weekends. I rarely spend a weekend at home which is why I really feel like it's time for a true vacation to one of my favorite locations....the beach....out of the country.

I try to get out of the country once every year, but this year, that hasn't happened. I don't see that happening at all this year either. With only 2 1/2 months left to go in 2013 (geez this year flew by), I have some trips planned, but none out of the country.

What I'd really love to do more than anything is to take a trip somewhere A-L-O-N-E!!! The only problem is that when you go somewhere alone, it's more expensive and I, Frugal Frannie would rather stretch my buck as far as it can go and traveling alone can definitely be super expensive. I feel like going on vacation alone is a must that I would like to do in my lifetime!


One day I will make this happen, it's truly on my bucket list!

Travel for 2014 is looking up already and I'm really excited about a few things that I have planned! One being a trip to Guatemala for 2 weeks for a Spanish Immersion program! That will happen at the end of June, 2014!! I haven't started paying on this trip yet, but it's offered through the county that I work for so I'm pretty excited about all of it!

Ok...I'm done ranting on and probably sound real random...I'm sleepy...still at work....and just dreaming out loud on my blog!

I'll catch up with you guys later! ;)

Closet Purge

Since the seasons are changing, it's time to make some changes around my house as well! Hi, my name is Ashley and I have inherited the habit of being a "pack rat".  Blame my mother! Then again, when I have gone to visit my dad, he might be just as guilty by the looks of his shop and all the things that have accumulated over the years.

Any way, I'm notorious for holding on to things for YEARS!!! This morning I decided to do a purge in my closet and really get rid of stuff that I haven't worn in forever and probably never will! I have been doing really good at donating things to a friend of mine who works with me, but I know I could do better. 

This morning, I went through my closet and just started pulling things out that had to go! I also went into another room of my house and gathered all the things that I planned on taking to Good Will, but they are still sitting in my house.

It's very freeing to get rid of all the clutter and I'm really trying to get better at not holding on to things. I don't want my kids to pick up this habit so I might as well break it now! :)

 

Doesn't really look like much, but there's a lot more where that came from!

How often do you purge your closet? I'm going to try to do this at least twice a year! Wish me luck! :)

Falling into Fall

Fall is here and it's actually becoming one of my favorite seasons! I'm hands down a summer kinda girl because I love the culture of summer, but fall is running a close second! I'm falling in love with the mild temperatures, boots, tights, scarves, pumpkin and apple flavored foods, the sporting events, the holidays, and the beauty of nature during this time of the year! 

About 2 years ago, I started to really marvel at all that fall had to offer. I usually just disregarded it because I was so bummed that summer was over, but now I stop and just enjoy all that comes along with this amazing season!

With new seasons comes new wardrobes! Due to weight loss, I decided to go out and get a few items because a lot of the stuff I was wearing last year around this time are now too big. Today I did some bargain shopping and snagged: a blazer, 3 shirts, a pair of skinnies, one pair of printed leggings, and a pair of boots all for about $80.00! I set a budget for myself and was way under after today's shopping extravaganza!!

I am also putting myself on a time out from buying any clothing that involves working out or going to work/church.  Let me explain! Lately, every time I go shopping, I have found myself buying more and more workout clothes and/or clothes that are  mainly appropriate for going to work or church.  When it's time for me to go out to something casual like dinner/drinks with friends, or some other social event, I'm stuck with looking like Workout Wanda or Conservative Connie.  I find it very difficult to try to find something to wear and end up having to go out and buy something.  Well I don't have to buy, but I do. 

There are a few things I want to get to set the season off, but I can definitely wait until fall is turning into winter and when stores put more items on sale! I love shopping "off season"! Deals and steals is my way to go about shopping on a budget! 

Happenings on my social calendar for October

1. VT's homecoming

2. Jaime's engagement party

3. Landy's wedding

What do you like best about fall? Is this one of your seasons as well?

Coffee please

A little late, but I'm hopping on that coffee bandwagon!

I feel like "needing" coffee is half I need the caffeine to wake up and half social.  Well maybe it's social for me....I mean I feel so cozy when I have my coffee. In fact, I feel like this.....with every cup! 

and sometimes like this....

LOL like no bull....I imagine myself in the comfy jammies or cute fall accessories enjoying my cup of Joe! 

I have attempted to limit myself to only drinking a cup on Mondays and Fridays as a treat since I love to put lots of cream in my coffee. I used to head over to Starbucks once in a while for a skinny vanilla latte and then got up on the hype of the infamous pumpkin spice latte [PSL].  Oh but the last time I went and dropped that almost $5.00 on a tall latte...I was like forget this! 

I now fill up at the local 7-11.  I'm so not a coffee snob and don't mind pouring and flavoring my own cup for $1.26 when I use my reusable cup! Schweet deal and I love it!!!

I'm hopping not to feel like I need it every day, but hey...I hear that can happen! I don't want to be one of those zombie-types who swear they can't function before having the Joe! That may be doing way too much! So are you a coffee drinker? If so, is it a "need"?