Farewell, Sweet Diamond Friend...

When I was a 21 year-old junior in college, I decided to get my nose pierced.  Actually, I decided when I was around 19 but it took me all of two years to get the courage up.  (I have an innate phobia of needles).  But I finally did, and I loved it!

Here I am getting it done.  I asked made my friend, Tony, come with me so I could hold break his hand in the process!  It honestly didn't even hurt that bad so for those of you considering it...DO IT!  Do it before you get a grown up, professional job and have to take it out!!

Please excuse the hideousness of this picture.

Anyway, fast forward two and a half years to 23.  I've graduated college and am on the hunt for a career!  I took my little diamond stud out for all my interviews and for every day at work once I got my big girl job.  I would take it out right before I walked into the office, and put it back in right when I walked out, in fear of it closing up!  It came really close a few times, in fact!  On days that I stuck around a little in the office, it was definitely a tight squeeze to get it back in; yikes!  Because of this, I started getting nervous about my impending Chicago business trip - it would be a full 20 hour work day without my little stud in; uh oh.  Uh oh was right...it starting closing up during the first day and it was then and there in Chicago that I decided I needed to grow up, say my goodbyes, and let go of my sweet diamond friend.  Although my company doesn't have a "policy" against it, its a very professional company and nose piercings definitely aren't the standard.  And having to stress about it closing up every day was just no fun.  

I'm a little very sad to say that it has officially fully closed up.  No more hold through my nose, no more chances to rock out with a diamond stud, no more tangible reminder of my 'rebellious' college stunt.  ::sigh:: oh well, I knew the time was coming eventually, although I had kinda hoped no one would notice and I could just keep it forever :)

Here are just a few pictures in tribute to my nose ring, my rebellion, my growing up, and my sweet diamond friend...

Ok, you have to actually click on the pictures, blow them up, 

and look closely to actually see it.  

See, mom?  It was never really that noticeably anyway ;)

Cheers to growing up!

You're Off to Great Places; You're Off and Away!

My sister, Cynthia, graduated high school this past weekend!  I only got a little teary-eyed when they started playing the Graduation March and that's only because that song always gets me!  I was really just super excited for her - for all the places she'll get to go and all the things she's soon to experience.  College was THE BEST time of my life (thus far) and I can't wait for her to love it as much as I did.

For her graduation gift, I gave her the Dr. Seuss book "Oh The Places You Will Go" and wrote a forever long note inside.  In true Herring-sister fashion, she started crying on page one.  By the time she got to the Toms I had had hand-painted for her, she was donezo.  Get it?  Shoes?  They take you places?  So clever, I know :)

Here's a little look at what her custom Toms look like:

I wanted these shoes to incorporate everything she loved and everything that held significance in her life: music, photography, softball, her favorite quotes, the fact that she's going half way across the country for school, etc.  These were done for me by a friend of a friend - he has so many people wanting a hand-painted pair that, even though I starting asking around four months ago, I had to call in a favor to get them done for graduation.  But I think they were worth it!! He did SUCH a great job - talent like this boggles my mind.  And these aren't even great quality pictures; they're simply snapped on my iPhone so most of the incredible detail is lost in the poor quality.  But they're baller; let me tell you!

And in case you missed it on the shoes...yes, my sister is going to Berklee College of Music.  Because she's amazing (look for a post featuring her music, soon!):

And although she'll be half-way across the country in Boston, and I'll miss her dearly and will for sure be sad when she leaves in September, this past weekend was so much about celebrating where she's been and where she's headed.

So congrats again, Cynthia, I'm so proud of you 

and so excited for you to start this next life journey!

Craving and Caving

I must admit that, although a mere four posts ago, I was ranting about the ridiculous line at In-N-Out and the absurd people who would be willing to tough it out for a burger, I caved.  I gave in.  I waited in the line.  For 31 minutes.

 Beginning-ish of the line.  Start clock: 6:00pm.

Finally on the other side of the building!  Order taken.  Clock time: 6:23pm. 

 Moving on up!  Order confirmed.  Clock time: 6:25pm.

About to exchange the cash for the noms.  Clock time: 6:31pm. 

Yum.

The verdict?  Pretty darn great.  And considering I was with my mom, the wait flew by and wasn't too bad.  I still haven't decided how I feel about them descending on The Lone Star State, but it WAS good to have a little taste of what I've been missing since the last time I had one of their burgers in...Reno?!  Wow, almost two years!  Thanks, In-N-Out, for satisfying my craving.  And congrats on making me cave.

Weekend Adventures

This past weekend held many wonderful Dallas adventures - an eclectic grouping of events, if you will!  Friday night and Saturday morning I went to this conference at my church: "Single's Conference 2011: The Kingdom is at Hand."  There were several speakers and sermons and lots of awesome worship including a Christian rapper.  Although bits of it were too much of a 'production' for my liking (and just strange because The Village is usually pretty 'plain jane'), the message was legit: learn to be content with the wonderful places you are in your life and continue to press into the Lord and your personal relationship with him.  Life doesn't start at marriage, things don't get 'easier when you're married,' and tomorrow is not promised so don't waste today holding out for what might never come.  I obviously don't regurgitate it quite as eloquently as the pastors presented it, but the take-away was good, I promise :)

Saturday night I went out to eat with my parents and then met up with some wonderful A&M friends in Uptown.  It was just four of us and after recalling many a fun time in good ol' College Station, it definitely made me wish I could slip back into the college life for just a little bit...oh well.  Making money is fun, too.

Sunday morning my sister and I went to church, lunch (if a drive-through Whataburger meal counts), and to see a Dallas Summer Musical: Dolly Pardon's new one, 9-5!  It was actually really good and quite funny.  And I got to check something off my "Dallas Bucket List!!"  My sister and I purchased this package of three shows (9-5, Stomp, and Guys and Dolls) at a discounted price so we'll be getting our artsy fartsy pants on quite often these next few months!

This weekend was quite the whirlwind with so many different things going on but it was all so enjoyable I didn't mind!  Stay tuned for a post on this next weekend's adventures - its sure to be just as crazy and eventful!

Spread The Word

Last night a deadly tornado tore through the little town of Joplin, Missouri, leaving debris and heartache in its wake.  One of my very best friends, Molly, lives just a few blocks from where it touched down.  Luckily (for her) it turned south and she came away unscathed, but for the hundred more that lost their lives and the thousands more that are mourning the lives, possessions, and life-as-they-knew-it now gone, yesterday was anything but a lucky day.

In disasters like this its never clear why it happened.  To who it did.  When it did.  But what does become very apparent is that tomorrow is never promised - for anyone.  So take a moment and tell the people you love that you love them.  Right the wrongs you've created, and forgive those for whom you're harboring a grudge.  This could be your very last day - or someone else's - so turn out the light at night on a day worth living.

Mols and me!

So to leave this post on a happier note, I'll go first.  I love you, Molly!  

So glad you're ok and I love you dearly :)

God is great. God is good.

Just a little love for Jesus on this beautiful Sunday!

We had an incredible worship after the sermon today.  (At The Village we have the sermon followed by worship - which is AWESOME - because you leave on such a high!)  Here is one of my favorites from today.  You should definitely check it out:

"Forever Reign"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QwVekS886w

The Not So In-N-Out Trip

They recently built an In-N-Out Burger about five minutes from my house.  For those of you who may have been living under a rock for the past decade, In-N-Out is a burger chain featuring a wisely limited selection of scrumptious burgers.  Basically you choose a #1, #2, #3 - also known as a single, double, or triple.  But what makes them a cut above the rest?  The bread is soft, the meat is good, the veggies (so I've heard) are always fresh, and the fries are yummy.  The kicker?  Up until now they've only populated the far western states (Cali, Nevada, etc).

Upon hearing they would be transcending upon the Lone Star State, and even more so just a quick jog away from my house, I had very bittersweet feelings arise.  Yes, I absolutely adore their food and love collecting their tshirts (they make for GREAT conversation starters among strangers).  However, its always been a little bit of the "want what you can't have" type idea that keeps me eating five of them in a one-week, California vacation.  The "coolness" of them being something "foreign" definitely had ahold of me.  And I liked it.  But now?  Now I can get them ANYtime I want.  How boring is that?  Or so I thought...

It opened its doors over a week ago and it has had a line of people extending well outside the front doors and a line of cars snaking around the building, through the parking lot, and down the road (so extravagantly that they had to call in the police to man the traffic) constantly.  And its not like I've only driven by at dinner time - which would still be ridiculous - but oh, no, I've driving by at 2:00pm, 2:00am, 6:30pm, 8:00am.  It. Is. Insane.  For a burger?  Really, people?

It's good.  But it ain't THAT good.

I couldn't get a picture of the lines but I DID manage to nab a picture of the actual restaurant while waiting at the stoplight.  Oh In-N-Out burger, how your name is such a false advertisement right now...

Maybe in a month or so when the crowd dies down I'll swing by and grab a bite.  I hope its as good in Tejas as it is on the west coast!  

Food Frenzy

I've recently been on this journey to find, do and experience new things.  One half of this is the long self-made "Dallas Bucket List" that I've been working hard to accomplish.  However, the other half of this is the list of personal goals I've set for myself.  A major one of these is to branch out in the food department.  For anyone who knows me well (or at all, really), they know I like my hamburgers with meat, mustard, and bun only; my sandwiches are always simply turkey and cheese; and I do not, under any circumstance, order sea and/or ethnic food for a meal.  I MIGHT squeeze down a bite of someone else's if I'm feeling adventurous.  Oh, and I just started eating salads a few short years ago.  Pathetic, I know.

So I'm on the quest to change this!  Starting this past weekend at the wedding, they had these awesome gourmet pizzas (among other delicious entrees).  I bravely selected a slice of the crab, mushroom and chicken, and pepperoni.  Keep in mind this was the first time I've ever eaten crab OR mushroom so I was quite proud of myself for branching out.  Verdict?  Not too bad!  I loved the chicken and mushroom, obviously devoured the pepperoni, and although the crab was not my favorite, it wasn't TERRIBLE!

I decided I liked testing my pallet and went out on a limb again on Tuesday!  My company puts together these things called "Group Lunches" where every-so-often they place five or six people from different departments together in a group and treat you to lunch!  The idea is to enable those who might not usually get the opportunity to mingle, to get to know one another a bit better.  We're big on creating a solid company atmosphere and great team dynamic.  And its a free lunch - my office LOVES food :)  We went to Nick & Sam's Grill in Uptown and, although I'm sure it sounds silly to all you less picky eaters, I was quite adventurous when I ordered my turkey burger with cranberry sauce and a side of sweet potato fries!  I mean, hey, if I hated it, at least I wasn't footing the bill!  And we have PLENTY of snacks at my office so I wasn't too worried about starving :)  But I absolutely devoured it!  Good pick number two.

On Wednesday I headed to lunch with a couple girls from my office.  We went down the street to Paradise Bakery and instead of a typical "plain sandwich" meal like usual, I ventured out and got a spinach and cheese quiche and a side caesar salad.  Yum.  Good choice, Ashley; that's three in a row.

And finally, to top off my week of "adventurous" foods, I had a turkey and avocado sandwich today at lunch.  My office catered in for all those getting CPR certified so its not like I necessarily had a choice.  However, I didn't shy away from it.  Again, combined with my salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and chicken panini slice, it was such a delicious meal!

Every Friday my office has lunch brought in as a special treat.  One time it was Mediterranean food, one week it was Fuddruckers...I'm excited to see what tomorrow will bring!

So there you have it, folks.  What to others may be a "normal" week of food, helped me begin accomplishing a personal goal of mine.  And although it may not be much, its week one; baby steps, people, baby steps!

Until next time, Bon Appetit!

Chi Town

As promised, here's a little peek into my wonderful Chicago trip last week.  I went with two other girls that I work with for our North American recruiting training.  We were there for a full two days and used every single bit of it to our advantage.  Amidst tons of training and work, we also got tons of fun and play time in.  Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

View from the 47th floor of our Chicago office.  Incredible view of the city.

I am very spoiled to work for a company who really values the luxury of having a nice office.  Our Chicago office is no exception.  Besides having an absolutely stunning office space, they have amazing 360 degree views of the city.

Out enjoying the Chicago nightlife.

The recruiting team was treated to cocktail hour on the roof of this quaint restaurant and the most amazing three-course meal.  We ventured to check out the Chicago nightlife after and I must 

admit that, even with being in my work clothes, I have no complaints :)

 

Just walking downtown; ready for another day at the office!

So apparently to every native Chicago-an everything is "just down the street" or "right around the corner."  Although heeding their advice and opting to walk (miles) in heels rather than snag a cab was not ideal, it gave us a great opportunity to immerse ourselves in the city!  I felt like a true city girl, wheeling my luggage around and all!

Millennium Park.  

Since our training ended early afternoon on the second day, and our manager was awesome enough to suggest we take a later flight out to save time to enjoy the city, we did just that and decided to play "tourist" for the afternoon!  After an awesome Architectural Boat Tour, we headed to Michigan Ave. and Millennium Park.  Although none of us quite caught on to what the "Bean" hype was all about, we definitely weren't leaving Chicago without this signature picture!

All in all this was a fabulous vacation work trip that I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be apart of!  And plus, now I can check "Chicago" off my list of places to visit!  

Hot Yoga. Hot Damn.

This past weekend I tried something that I've honestly been wanting to try for a while: hot yoga.  Although 8:30am on a Saturday after a trip to Chicago, drive and a half to Houston (story to come), and a week of no sleep whatsoever was not the time I would have hand selected, it was there.  So why not give it a shot?

Bright and early Saturday I headed to the yoga studio with my best friend, Andrew, his dad, step-mom, and step-brother.  I knew it was going to be "hot" but boy did I underestimate what I was in for.  Stepping into the 104 degree room, raised to 40% humidity, was like getting the air sucked out of you while being suffocated with a hot, smelly towel at the same time.  Disgusting.  

The 50 minute class was a series of stretches and balancing exercises, body and mind connection practices, and scheduled breathing techniques.  All the while sweat was dripping off everyone like waterfalls.  At the end of the class, I picked my exhausted body up off the floor, dropped my sweat soaked towels and borrowed mat in the hamper, and headed for the exit.  Once back in the lobby, I was handed a yummy drink called Electris.  This helps your body replenish all the electrolytes and energy it lost while in class.

In addition to all the electrolytes and energy I supposedly lost, I nearly emptied my body of all sweat.  This is extremely abnormal for me.  I've danced my entire life and taken on stints of kickboxing and boot camps but NEVER have I sweated as much in 50 minutes as I did during hot yoga.  I'm usually "lucky" if I get the little ring of sweat around the neck of my shirt after a good work out.  For a pictorial demonstration see below.  (Keep in mind that, yes, this is gross.  But more importantly this is 30 minutes after class was out and I had had plenty of time to dry off, drink lots, and freshen up.)

So the verdict?  Although both the class and after drink were quite refreshing and a nice change of pace, I'm not sure I'll regularly be signing up for anything that a good amount of water after won't fix!  It was a good experience for sure but all I have to say is...hot yoga? Hot damn!

Wind-Blown and Jet-Lagged

Last week I travelled to the 'windy city' for work. It was a fun few days filled with lots of work and lots of play.  (More to come on this awesome trip later).  However, the trip back from Chicago was less than smooth.  Let me just give you a run-down of what went awry:

1) The cabbie that took us to the airport was apparently a huge fan of the "stop-and-go" driving technique.

2) We got stuck in AWFUL traffic.  (That coupled with the awful driving did not bode well for my sensitive, car-sick-inclined stomach).

3) Our flight was delayed an hour and a half.

4) I was one of the last to board the completely full flight.  Due to the mass amount of people and bags, all the overhead compartments were full.  Cool.  So down below went my luggage with me crossing my fingers the whole flight that it in fact stayed ON the plane at our connector stop in St. Louis.

5) I sidled into the last seat on the plane and we then proceeded to sit on the tarmac for an additional 20 minutes and taxi in (what felt like) circles around the terminal.

6) When we finally took off and landed smoothly in St. Louis I figured things had started looking up.  Wrong.  Only 14 of us were continuing on from St. Louis to Dallas and the mass evacuation of people coupled with a broken AC unit provided for a VERY freezing plane ride back to the Lone Star State.  So much for getting some wink-eye in on the plane!

7) Once we finally landed in Texas, I grabbed my suitcase from baggage claim as quickly as possible and headed out to the car - only to find myself facing a broken escalator.  This wouldn't normally have been an issue at all considering I'm a huge advocate of taking the stairs.  However, at 12:30 in the morning, loaded with luggage and computer bags, and having been in heels for 17 hours, I would have very much appreciated an easy ride to the bottom.

Oh well.  I got home at 1:30, unpacked and re-packed for my Houston trip (more to come on this!) and was in bed by 2:30.  Although 5:45 came a lot earlier than I would have liked, I treated myself to a venti Starbucks coffee with an extra espresso shot on my way to work :)

More details to come on my awesome trip to the midwest soon - I just had to get all my complaining out of the way, first!

Bookshelf Bargains

Important thing to know about me: I will NOT watch a movie until I've read the book first.  Unless I don't realize it's based on a book and then the movie is fair game (obviously).

So when I was sitting in the theatre a few weeks back and saw the amazing preview for 'Water for Elephants' I very quickly added the title to my "must see movie" list and subsequently my "must read ASAP" list.  And so ensued a trip to my local Borders.

The thing about me and books is that I love them.  Almost all of them.  And especially new ones (or really old ones).  This does not often bode well for a girl on a budget.  Especially when they entice me with bargain signs.

What do I see upon first entering the beautiful bookstore?  A buy one, get one half off sale table.  Just intending to casually peruse the selections, to see if I could find any real steals and critique which authors and titles they chose to advertise, I strolled up and down, and all around the tables.  Uh oh.  Laying there just begging for a home were two books currently topping my "must read ASAP" list.  "Eat, Pray, Love" because I am dying to see the movie, but ::in abidance to my personal policy:: will not until I read the novel and "Heart of the Matter" because I have read every other Emily Giffin book.  How could I pass up this BOGO 1/2 off sale?!  I couldn't.  After snatching up these great deals, I headed back to the lit section to seek out the novel I had actually come to purchase in the first place.

So...with "Water for Elephants" in hand, sandwiched between two other self-deemed must-haves, I headed to the cash register where they promptly gave me a surprise 33% discount for being such an avid customer.  Win again.

Buy one, get one 1/2 off AND 33% off.  Not bad for three of my current craves!

Barstool For One, Please

Tonight I conquered one of my biggest fears - being at a bar alone.  Or any social, populated place for that matter.  I was meeting a group of girls I used to work with for a drink and for one good reason or another they were all late.  By at least 15 minutes.  So there I am, sifting through old text messages, ordering the drink of the night, absent mindedly watching the Boston/Miami game, and inching away from the awkward, older guy next to me.

I felt oddly sophisticated.  I even kinda liked it.  Although I probably definitely won't make it a regular thing to do in my spare time, it wasn't half bad.

So, if I'm ever caught in an "I'm running late - be there in a bit" situation again, I think I just might ask for that barstool for one :)

Twilight Bay

In honor of the Kentucky Derby and my severe adoration of hats (and other hair accessories), I trudged out to the horse races tonight with a few friends.  It was my first time at Lone Star Park and per the instructions from friends who had been there before, I promptly made my bet decision based solely on the name of the horse.  After a brief deliberation, I placed my whopping $2.00 minimum on horse 4, Twilight Bay.  

AND SHE WON!! Although I missed her 30 seconds of fame because I was inside ordering a questionable hamburger and over-priced fries, I was proud of my pick nonetheless.

I decided to forgo any additional bets, simply savor my sweet win, and root for the jockey with the best outfit or prettiest horse instead.  This tended to lend some interesting observations.  For starters, the jockeys have legs that could surely pass for twigs; they are so tiny and lack any substantive muscle.  Weighing in at an average of 125 pounds, the jockeys looked like barbie-proportioned versions of men.  Secondly, I was utterly disappointed in the one-lap races.  I had always envisioned a more nascar-esque arrangement but instead they make you suffer through 15 minutes of set-up and anticipation just to squash your excitement with a measly one trip around the track; half of which is covered from view!

All in all it was a fun experience.  My friend, Angela, definitely won the award for best costume; very Pretty Woman/Audrey Hepburn/Kate Middleton like.  And it's always great to catch up with everyone.

So was it a successful night?  I'd say so!  Hey, I walked away with $1.40 in winnings.  Just call me a high roller ;)   

Well Hello, Bandwagon!

So after months and months of religiously perusing the blog world, I've jumped on the bandwagon.  Anyone who knows me well at all knows that I keep a journal, I'm an avid list maker, and I love to get crafty.  In an effort to organize my thoughts and capture the sure-to-be awesome experiences of my budding career, metropolitan social life, and all the random tidbits in between, I decided to hitch-up to the ever popular blog frenzy.  I decided this was the perfect mix of organized, creative, english-major type project that I needed!  My life is seaming together quite nicely at the moment and I would love to be able to look back on all the memories I made along the way!

So without further adieu, welcome to my blog :)  I can't promise inspiring insights or profound proclamations but I can promise to let you in on some of the tips and secrets I discover as I stumble my way through my crazy beautiful life!