A Little Easter Fun

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Hey y’all!
At Blissdom, I had the opportunity to create my own Easter basket filled with fun Hershey’s candy. The yummy goodies should be delivered in the next few days, and I seriously can’t wait! :)
Growing up, Easter, like all of the other holidays, was always a big deal in our family. Momma and Daddy always worked so hard to make sure we had a fun Easter morning. Even while I was in college, we still had Easter baskets waiting for us with colorful eggs hidden all over the house.
An Easter memory that always sticks out in my mind (and I’m sure he’s sick and tired of hearing this story) is Colby’s method for finding the Easter eggs. After we looked through our fun baskets, we would head off to find the eggs hidden around the house. For YEARS, Colby would follow along behind me and look in the exact same spot I looked, just in case I left an egg or two for him. When the eggs were all found, my basket would be overflowing, and Colby would be lucky to have two or three. Sorry Colby! :)
What are some of your favorite Easter memories? If you could design the perfect Easter basket, what would be in it?

Wednesday Randoms

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Hey y’all!

My hotel internet has been down, and it’s finally back up this morning, so I thought I’d pop in really quick and say hi. So…hi! :)

I’ve had a running list in my head of things I wanted to blog about as soon as the internet was working, but now that things are working, I can’t remember many of them. Here are just a few things that have been on my mind the last couple of days.
Monday night, I met Jackie for dinner at Wolfgang Puck Bistro.
We had such a wonderful time! Jackie is super sweet, and I honestly felt like I’d known her forever. Jackie, we will definitely have to get togethere again soon! Neely, we missed you!
I’m having a wonderful week at The Vintage Pearl! I have learned so much, and I’m actually picking up things a lot quicker than I thought I would. I know I’ve said this several times, but the girls at the Tulsa store are awesome, and I wish I could bring them to work at the Edmond store with me!
One of my new work outfits. I’m feeling all kinds of official now! :)
Have y’all seen this?
Carrie Underwood’s new album Blown Away is being released May 1st! I absolutely can’t wait! Shocking, I know.
Army Wives started back Sunday night!
Did y’all watch? I’ll be giving my opinion on the new episodes on Friday for Boob Tube Babble.

Boob Tube Babble
Y’all should link up and tell Neely and me what you’ve been watching lately!
 
Alrighty, time for me to finish getting ready for work. Y’all have a great Wednesday!

Weekend Update

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Hey y’all!

Wow, I know it’s only been a few days, but it feels like forever since I’ve been around here. It has been a super crazy last few days.

I went to Tulsa on Thursday to start my training with The Vintage Pearl. It was a crazy busy few days, but they were wonderful! I learned SO much, and I’m even more excited about my store opening in a few weeks. Erin, if you’re reading this, you’ve got some WONDERFUL women working in your store!
I go back to Tulsa today, and I’ll be there all week learning more. It feels so good to be working again, and I love spending time with the girls there. I’m also ridiculously excited because I get to meet up with Jackie sometime this week! We live so close, but we’ve never met in person. I can’t wait to hang out with her!
I hope y’all have a great week! I will try to catch up on blog reading this week. I’ve missed y’all!

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Boob Tube Babble
Hey y’all!
 
Time for our weekly TV talk!
 
This week, American Idol chose the top 13 contestants. There are actually some decent people this year. I’m hoping for a good season. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Skylar Laine
Phillip Phillips

Are y’all watching? Any favorites yet?

I also watched Parenthood this week.

Before I stayed with Neely last week, I had never watched a single episode of it. After watching with her, I’m now emotionally invested in these people, and I CRIED watching this week! I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, but it definitely made me want to go back and watch the other seasons.
Still watching and loving Smash.
For me, it’s like a grown-up Glee. I adore Katharine McPhee, and I think the show is fantastic!
This week, the teams on The Voice were finalized.
I think all of the teams have some great people, and I’m excited to see the battle rounds next week. I will definitely be cheering on my favorites:
Chris Mann (duh!)
Jordis Unga
Tony Lucca
What are y’all watching this week? Link up with Neely and me!

http://ashleylately.com/2012/03/hey-yall-time-for-our-weekly-tv-talk/

What Blissdom Taught Me

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Hey y’all!

Today I’m going to do my best to talk about the things I learned from Blissdom. There are so many thoughts going through my head, and I hope this post makes sense when I’m done! :)

Blissdom was more than just a few days of fun with the  girls. It was an incredible learning experience in an uplifting, supportive environment. I have never felt more accepted and supported by a group of people I barley know for doing what I do. I was in a place with 750+ women (and a few men!) who get me, who understand why I share my life online, and who realize how online friendships are real friendships. It was an incredible place to be, and it was difficult rejoining the real world. Today, I want to share what Blissdom taught me about life and blogging.

First, I want to share the opening video.

BlissDom ’12 – Opening Video from Blissful Media Group on Vimeo.

Let me tell you, that video got me even more excited about the conference! What a wonderful way to start!

Our opening keynote speaker, Jon Acuff, was the perfect person to start off the conference. He said so many inspiring things that I struggled to write down and tweet everything I wanted to remember! Here are a few of his words that stuck with me.

“Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”
“Finding your dream isn’t an act of discovery. It’s an act of recovery.”
“Make time for the things that matter.”
“Social media never sleeps. You’ll never say ‘Hey, I’ve finished Twitter for today.’”
“Critics math: 1 insult + 1000 compliments = 1 insult”
“Learn to disappoint the right people. Make a list of who you don’t want to disappoint and ignore the rest.”
“Cinderella runs Disney like Jay-Z runs New York.”
Hey, it was too good not to share!
Another thing he talked about was ignoring the haters, not listening to the negative voices in your head. He asked us to tell him on Twitter what our voices tell us. Here’s what I sent to him.
That insecure part of me tells me over and over that I’ll never be good enough. Jon told me that I am good enough!
I wish I could remember everything he said. There were times when I felt like he was speaking directly to me. He was absolutely wonderful. He gave us all signed copies of his book Quitter, and I can’t wait to get started on it.
The first session I attended was called “Living and Embracing the Best Life You Have Created for Yourself”, and it was taught by Jeannette Kaplun. I have two full pages of notes from her session. Again, I wish I could share everything with you, but I will pick out some of the most important things.
“Some people think things just happen to them. What you do with those things is up to you. You choose how you react.”
“You choose what to do with the lemons life hands you.”
“Your life is a sum of choices. You are empowered. Stop seeing yourself as a victim. Change the questions you ask yourself.”
“Forgive yourself. You can’t live at war with yourself.”
“Live in the moment. If you’re always planning or trying to grab onto a memory, your present slips by.”
“You cannot please everyone because you end up failing the most important person. You!”
“Let go of what ifs, what could have been. It’s energy you need to turn what is into what you want it to be. Let go of what didn’t happen.”
“Forgive! Forgive yourself and forgive others. Forgive even when they didn’t ask for forgiveness.”
Oh, how I needed to hear this! In that moment, I closed my eyes and forgave some people that have hurt me. It felt so good to let those things go!
Another session I attended was called “Stop Monetizing Joy”, and it was led by the fabulous Alli Worthington and Erin Loechner. Here are a few words of wisdom from them!
“Paid passion equals pressure. Pressure dilutes joy.”
“You can’t force a hobby.”
“Just because you can monetize doesn’t mean you should.”
“Hobbies deserve protection and need nurturing. Earning money, by nature, is not a nurturing process.”
In this session, I learned that it is really important to make time for the things that make me happy. I’ll be a happier person and a better person if I make time for those things. I forsee more writing for fun, reading, and piano time in my future!
Again, there are so many things I could talk about that I learned. As I continue to process information and go through notes, I may share more with you in other posts.
One of the biggest things I have taken away from my experience at Blissdom is this: I am a part of an amazing group of women (and men!) that are changing the world. We are bigger than just our small corners of the Internet. We all have a powerful voice and we shouldn’t be afraid to use it.
Blogging is so much more than the numbers, the followers, and the comments. Our blogs should be used to express ourselves and to support and build each other up. There has been so much drama lately that some people have been leaving the blog/twitter world. There’s no need for any of this. We don’t have to agree, and we don’t have to all like each other, but we should support each other as fellow bloggers. If you’re focusing on the numbers and popularity, you’re seriously missing out on the important part of blogging. The world of blogging is so much bigger than any of us.
My blog is something I’ve kept hidden from most of the people in my personal life. I was nervous and a little embarrassed to tell people about it, worried about what they would say or think. Blissdom changed that for me so much that I shared my blog link on Facebook this week! I’m proud of my blog and proud to be part of this wonderful place called Blog Land. Thank you to Alli, Barbara, Paula, and everyone on the Blissdom team for a life-changing weekend!

A Week of Bliss, Part 2

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Hey y’all!
Today is part two of my Blissdom recap!
Saturday morning, we had another full day of sessions and parties!
Neely and Tiffany with their matching Tory Burch boots
Saturday, Chris Mann from The Voice performed during lunch. He’s performed the last three years of Blissdom. He has a beautiful voice, and I can’t wait to see how he does on The Voice.

We got to meet him after the show. He’s so cute, and he has the most beautiful eyes :)
Neely and Chris
Amber, Meghan, and Chris
Awkward family photos
Me and my girls at the closing keynote
Saturday night, I got to have dinner and spend some time with Amy and Brody. They are some very special people in my life, and I hadn’t seen them since Brody was a baby. I am so thankful that we got a little time to visit. It was definitely the highlight of my trip!

My sweet friend Carrie! We connected on Facebook and Twitter a few weeks before the conference, and we are so much alike that it’s a little crazy! She’s adorable.
Neely and Heather
Saturday night dance/karaoke party
“I ain’t no hollaback girl”
Rachel and Whitney sang with a group of girls
The wonderful Jenny of Jenny On The Spot performing “Lose Yourself”
I won a $25 Famous Footwear giftcard because “People ‘like’ me”! :)
Oh goodness, we had so much fun. It was so nice to be surrounded by 750 people who get me, who understand what I do here, and who support each other no matter how big or small their blogs are. It was great to be completely immersed in blog land for several days with some of my most favorite people. I loved getting to meet new people and meet people I’ve only ever talked to online.
Blissdom was more than just fun with the girls. Blissdom gave me a new persepective and motivation for this little blog. I learned a lot about blogging, and I learned a lot about myself. Tomorrow, I’ll talk more about what I learned from Blissdom.
Have a great Wednesday!

A Week of Bliss, Part 1

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Hey y’all!

It feels good to be home!

I got back from Blissdom yesterday, and I am physically and mentally exhausted. I had one of the most incredible weeks of my life, and I’m thrilled to be sharing the fun with all of you. Because I’m still trying to process everything, today’s post will be part one of the fun stuff. Hopefully tomorrow, I will have part two of the fun, and then Thursday I will share with you what I learned about myself and blogging.
Tuesday, I headed to Dallas to spend the night with Neely. Kiley met us at Neely’s house Wednesday morning, and Amber picked us all up. Then, we started the 10ish hour drive to Nashville.
The conference was held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. The hotel is beautiful, and I wish I’d taken pictures. All I have are pictures I borrowed from people on Twitter :)
Thursday, we went down to registration, and within minutes who did we see?
Jenn! Jenn is more than just the fabulous person who designed my blog. She’s a precious friend, and I seriously could have left Blissdom right after I met her and been completely satisfied with the trip. She’s amazing in the blog world and even more amazing in real life!
Thursday night was the kick-off party.
Meghan, me, Neely, & Kiley
Friday morning was the official start of the conference.
Paula, Alli, & Barbara, the wonderful women who created the conference!
Jon Acuff, the opening keynote speaker
Oprah! She recorded a special video inviting us to Girls Night In. The words “Hey Blissdom” have never caused 750 women to scream so quickly as they did when they came out of Oprah’s mouth!
My sweet Twitter friend Jen! We have wonderful chats about our need for caffeine, and I’m so glad we got to meet in person!
Neely and Maggie, also known as Gussy!
She is just the cutest thing ever! It was wonderful to meet her in person!
The Lorax hung out with us all day Friday!
Neely and Kiley at the Lorax party Friday night
My bff!
Kiley and me
Rachel and me
Jenn tried grits for the first time! I don’t think we explained them well enough to her, so she didn’t like them.
My roadtrip buddies
Me and Meghan! I’m so happy we got to spend time together again! I’ve missed her!
Neely, Crystal, and Amber
My wonderful roommates
Jenn and Rachel
Meghan and Amber
Molly and Baby Callan
Joe Jonas performed first! During one of the songs, he reached down and took my hand. We had a moment. It was nice :)
Up next was Rascal Flatts! They were amazing! They sang “Why Wait”, “Fast Cars and Freedom”, “Bless the Broken Road”, “Banjo”, and “Life is a Highway”.
Gary Levox
Joe Don Rooney. He’s gorgeous
Jay Demarcus
Me with Joe Don!
Neely and Joe Don
We met the guys after the show! It was awesome!
Before the concert, we had dinner with Heather and Tiffany! They are both super sweet, and I’m so glad we got to meet!
Up next, all of the Saturday fun!

Boob Tube Babble

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Boob Tube Babble
 
Happy Friday, y’all!
 
Today, I’m talking about some of my favorite shows from my childhood. Those were the good old days, weren’t they? They just don’t make good TV like they used to.
 
Full House was probably my favorite show. I thought Stephanie and I should be best friends, and Uncle Jesse was sooooo cute!
A few more favorites…
Family Matters
Home Improvement
Step By Step
These were all so great, and we could really watch TV as a family. There aren’t too many shows these days that families can watch together. Sad :(
What were your favorite shows as a kid? Link up with Neely and me!

A Quick Update

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Hey y’all!
I’m still here! I’m still alive!
I feel like I haven’t been around here in awhile. I’ve been sick AGAIN. This time I had the flu :( I’m not totally 100% yet, but I’m feeling better every day.
I’m leaving today to go to Dallas, then Neely, Amber, Kiley, and I are heading to Nashville early Wednesday morning for Blissdom! I can’t believe after almost a year of planning, Blissdom is finally here! I’m ridiculously excited and a little nervous. I know I’m going to meet some amazing people I’ve only ever met through my computer. I’m going to meet some new people I’ve never met in this big ol’ blog land. I’m also going to deepen friendships with some of my most favorite ladies. I’m also going to squeeze in a visit with some Nashville friends while I’m there. It’s going to be a crazy whirlwind, but I absolutely can’t wait!
I’m not going to have any other posts this week other than Boob Tube Babble. Yes, it is still happening. This week we decided to have a throwback edition of BTB. We’re going to be talking all about our favorite shows from childhood. We’d love for you to link up!
I hope y’all have a wonderful week! See y’all after Bilssdom!

Let’s Talk Headbands: Vlog Style

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Hey y’all!
I am definitely not a fashionista or style expert at all. However, I am absolutely in love with headbands!
I get asked about my headbands all the time, both in everyday life and in the blog world. I have people ask all the time where I got my headbands, and I also hear “I’d love to wear them, but I don’t think they look good on me”. I thought I’d offer a little bit of headband advice today!
I hope this helps y’all! Please let me me know if you have any other questions!