Fall Themed Festivities

This weekend held a lot of Fall-ish/Halloweeny things for me.  On Friday afternoon/evening, we hosted an office Halloween Party for BCGers and their families.  We decorated the 23rd floor complete with trick-or-treating for the kids, booze for the adults, and food and fun for everyone.  The recruiting girls decided to dress up like crayons for the day:

It's a great day when you can wear jeans and sneakers to work.

Sarah and me with our Manager, Jen...cutest costume, ever!

The actual party itself was several weeks (months, really...) in the making for Jen and myself and tons of time decorating and numerous last minute runs to Target/Walmart/Party City.  I very quickly learned how hard it is to full-out decorate almost an entire floor of your office.  And BCG likes to go big.  Here's just a little glimpse into some of the decorations:

Our cafe...

More of the cafe...

Entrance to the trick-or-treater hallway...

Before all the kiddos showed up...

Saturday night I went to a Halloween Party at a friend's apartment.  There were some pretty thoughtful and crazy costumes at the party which is always fun.  However, being that I had spent all my creativity and time the week before on my office party, I decided to reuse this little treasure:

Easy Mac...possibly my favorite costume of the night!

After a few hours of catching up with friends at the party, I left to meet some other friends at a bar downtown.  In the midst of all the zombies and firefighters, I ran into a few more of my kind:

I KEEP running into male Black Swans...

Sunday evening I hosted a potluck dinner for some work friends at my apartment.  We decided to go with a "Fall theme" for our food selection and ended up with a spread that was absolutely mouthwatering.  Our menu included:

1) Salad with the most amazing home-made, family-secret-recipe dressing ever

2) Bread rolls with a caramelized onion and cheesy center

3) Chicken Pot Pie

4) Butternut Squash Risotto

5) Corn pudding filled Acorn Squash

6) Red Wine

7) Rum-Spiked Hot Apple Cider

8) Pumpkin Pie

9) Apple Cake

Everything was home-made and absolutely delicious.  I believe we were all in a food coma at work today:

Lacey is taking the picture and Brittany wasn't there, yet, but it's a good shot of most of the group!!

HAPPY FALL, EVERYONE!!

Let's. Go. Ran. Gers.

In honor of Game Seven tonight:

Just some office friends last Friday :) Let's go, Rangers!!

Hopefully we can lock it in early and avoid another nail-biter like last night.

Spoiled

Yesterday I went out to dinner with one of my best friends, Taylor.  We exchanged birthday gifts, enjoyed a margarita and some enchiladas, and spent an hour or so catching up on life.  We got to talking about a few of the generous things our parents have done for us and after chatting for awhile, came to a very sound conclusion: we are spoiled.  But spoiled in a good way.

I believe my parents have always taught me to use good judgment, to make wise decisions, and to be kind to others.  They have taught me to work hard for what I want and what I need, to value time and thought more than what money can buy, and to appreciate that the world does not revolve around yourself.

Not only have they taught me these things through their words, but also by their actions.  Taylor and I sat there recollecting on a few of the things our parents have done for us: like the time her parents moved her out of her apartment themselves while she was at Fish Camp, or when they did it again so she could work.  Or like the time my mom cut out every single coupon I might possibly use for everything from hair dye to boxed rice because she knows I find a thrill in saving money.  We talked about the time her mom stayed up all night making special cupcakes for her and her friends.  And the time my parents drove down to my apartment and sat there for hours waiting for my alarm system to be installed so I didn't have to use a vacation day.

What our parents have not done, however, is spoil us rotten.  We're not driving a brand new Lexus, compliments of our parents.  I don't have a credit card linked to their account.  And our mothers do not take us on blow-out shopping sprees every weekend just so we can stay in sync with the 'latest trends.'

But we are spoiled; spoiled by generosity and kindness, helpfulness and love.  Spoiled in a way that makes us want to give back to others like we have been given, rather than expecting others to continue to give to us like has always been done in the past.

So thanks, mom and dad, for spoiling me all these years and teaching me what it feels like to be spoiled with love :)

Meet Ghinells

You've met a few of my friends before.  And now it's time for another.  The woman you're about to meet is one of my favorite people in the world.  She is the "sit on the couch and eat an entire gallon of ice cream" and the "pick up and take a random roadtrip" and the "unashamedly sing and dance to N*Sync" kind of friend.  Basically we have a fantastic time every time we're together.

So...drum roll please...meet: Lauren Ghinelli.  Or, as I most often call her, Ghinells.

Our blooming friendship started just a few short years ago when I chose her to be a counselor in my camp. I was a co-chair that year and, from her interview scores and stellar application, I knew I wanted her for Camp Sharp.  I figured she'd be a great counselor and maybe even turn into a friend.  Both were a complete understatement...

Here's us.  Just being all cute at camp together.

She's turned into one of my absolute best friends and is encompassed in so many of my most favorite memories.

Like that one summer night in college we just drove around College Station and ran into this fella:

Or that one fall semester we went to the Ol Ags' Boston Tea Party together:

Or the time she helped me celebrate turning 22 at my favorite CS restaurant, La Bodega:

Shoutout to my other Hoemancer, Bri!  And our traditional Hoemancer picture.

We were also together for many a tailgate experience such as this:

And many an impromptu, middle of the week, cash in on Tuesday night specials at Madhatters outings like this:

I was there when she turned 21 on a Sunday and we were the only ones in the shot bar:

And again when she got her Fightin' Texas Aggie ring:

And then there was the time that she became a co-chair of her own camp:

And asked me to be her Campfire Speaker and speak to her freshmen at camp:

We had some repeat events like another Ol Ags' Boston Tea Party:

And another one of my birthdays:

But we continue to make new events as well.  Like when she helped me celebrate my graduation:

And the many River Trips we go on annually:

It's safe to say that, over the past three years we've stuck together like peanut butter and jelly.  Through our mutual love of old movies and a good bottle of wine, our numerous breakups and heartaches, and the emotional roller coaster that graduating college and beginning your life in the real world will become, she's continued, more and more each day, to be my anchor.  And she just might be the only person alive who is as "all over the place" as I am.  But I guess that's why we're best friends.

Even though our hectic lives have landed us in two separate cities, several hours apart, there's no doubt in my mind that she'll always be a huge part of my life!  

Love you, Ghinells!

My Day at Trial: Law & Order Style

Yesterday was a most unusual day for me.  It involved a visit to my alma mater town, a stint on the witness stand, and an unexpected apology.  But let me back up.

Context:
A little over a year ago my house in College Station was robbed.  Twice.  Within three weeks.  How's that for bad luck?  Essentially everything of value, both monetarily and sentimentally, was taken from me.  I moved out two days after the second time, void of valuables and full of fear.

I think it's important to touch on how big of an impact this had on my life.  The outpouring of help and love I received was overwhelming; the friends that dropped plans and work at a last minute's notice to help me move, the friends who slept on my couch or let me stay with them when I was too scared to be alone, the friend who gave me her brand new iPod because I had lost mine, the friend who just held me while I cried and helped me wash the sheets and clothes they had touched, and the hugs and smiles and 'i love yous' that reminded me that there is good, so much good, in people.  I learned a big lesson on what's important in life. Although I lost some precious things, some gifts that can never be replaced, and some things I really loved, it simply reminded me that my life is so much more than the items I own.  It is the people I surround myself with, the friends family I spent the entirety of college building.

I've spent the last year really trying to focus on the good that came out of this; the lessons I learned, the values I was reminded of, and simply the knowledge that time heals all.  So when I got the call on Friday evening that they had set the trial date for one of the individuals involved in my burglary, you can imagine the mixed emotions that bubbled to the surface.  And then I learned they needed me to testify.

On Tuesday morning, with my mom in tow, I headed down to College Station: apprehensive, a little nervous, and even a bit excited.  I met with the Prosecutor to go over some questions and walk through what the day would look like.  Shortly thereafter the trial began again and I was the first witness called to the stand.  Let me paint a picture for you:

Prosecutor: "The state would like to call it's first witness, Ashley Herring, to the stand."
Me: awkwardly stands, unaware if this is when I make my way to the witness box.  Do you have to be formally invited by the judge to enter the area?!  Apparently not.  The Prosecutor met me at the stand, opened the gate for me, and I sat down.
Judge: "Ms. Herring, can you please raise your right hand? Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
Me: "I do."
Judge: "Prosecutor, you may proceed."

Law & Order, people.

On the whole, I was on the stand for about an hour.  I went through some preliminary questions about myself, countless details about the incidents, and was questioned on some impact topics.  I was definitely nervous, but it was exciting nonetheless.  After the prosecutor was done questioning me, he passed me to the Defense Attorney.  He asked me even more questions, although not as many, and I was eventually excused.

We were given the option to stay the remainder of the day and we decided to cash in on that.  A few more witnesses were called, for both sides, and eventually the defendant himself took the stand.

It was honestly really hard: hearing them recount the story of my burglary; learning exactly how it had all unfolded.  It was hard sitting there, staring in the face the man who broke into my house, stole my things, and created havoc in my life.  It was hard to not fall back into that feeling of hatred and disgust, and it was hard to finally put a face to the mysterious man who has haunted my nightmares for the past year.

While testifying about being "a changed man" and wanting to jump on the straight and narrow, and at the prompting of his attorney, he declared that, if given the chance, he would like to apologize.  Awkwardly and selfishly enough, the defense attorney responded with: "Well Ms. Herring is still in the court room if you would like to say anything."

::Every head in the court room swiveled to me in the audience::

He proceeded to say he was sorry and can't imagine how I felt and a whole lot of other things that I honestly didn't process because the whole time I kept thinking "this is so unfair."  I've forgiven and tried to forget because that's healthy for me, but I'm not ready to say it's ok.  And I'm definitely not ready to accept a jury-manipulation technique prodded by the defense attorney.  Even if he was being sincere (and, let's be honest, I wasn't getting warm fuzzies from this guy), I feel like he in no way understood the depth to which he should actually be apologizing.  It's so much more than a TV and a GPS.  It was the jewelry my parents gave me for Christmas when I was three, the earrings my mother wore in her wedding, and the sense of security I lost when he and two others entered my home, rifled through my things, and took what wasn't their's.  

I mumbled a quiet "thank you" and was relieved when the trial picked up, again.  Court adjourned for the day at the end of his testimony with closing arguments being the only thing left.  I'm not yet sure what verdict the jury arrived at, or what his sentencing will be, but I do know that I feel comfortable with where I left things.  I feel as though I did my civic duty to keep another thug off the street, and I feel like, albeit hard, I gave myself a little closure to the outlying questions and feelings I had surrounding this case.

Although it brought back a lot of memories I had managed to stuff into dark corners, it was also really healing in a sense knowing that, regardless of what happens, something happened.  Whether it is probation or prison (the state is pushing for the latter), it was hopefully an impacting turning point in this young man's life.  It was certainly a great learning experience for me.

And, hey, how many people can say they've been a witness in a jury-tried case?!  Check that one off the ol' bucket list ;)

So yes, it was a hard day, it was an eventful day, but it was, in hindsight, a really great experience.  And if you made it to the end of this post, props to you - I know it was killer long!

Out of the Loop

Has anyone else realized it's October? That it's mid-October?  If it weren't for the fact that I now wear jeans and the occasional cardigan, I would swear it was still July.  Where have these past 3 months gone?!

My weeks have been crazy busy with work and my weekends have been packed to the brim with running errands, finishing up some work, and social things like weddings and birthday celebrations.  In the midst of all of this, not only have three months snuck by on me, but so have several weeks of new fall television.

I pay 53 bucks a month for cable and DVR (I know this for sure because I just got off the phone from fighting with AT&T) and have yet to even touch the DVR option.  Ridiculous.  I have no idea what the "New Girl" hype is all about, I'm totally out of the loop on whether "PanAm" or "Up All Night" are as good as their previews looked, and I've only watched one episode of "Breaking Bad" as I was forced to over at Zac's house (while concurrently logging on to do some work might I add...so this doesn't even fully count).

I am by no means a TV junkie and would much rather curl up with a good book or get my crafting on, but I do feel a little tube deprived.  So, alas, I think I will try to, slowly but surely, catch up on a few of the shows I've heard good reviews on.  First one on the list?  "The New Girl."  I'll have to watch it online, though, because I, of course, didn't record it via DVR.  Le sigh...

Catching Up...Literally

I don't have a deliciously fattening State Fair of Texas tale for you...yet.  Our trip to this trashy, yet magnificent, temporary establishment was postponed due to rain.  Yes, you read that correctly, rain...in Texas!  Although such is my luck that it came pouring down on the one day I plan for a full, outdoor adventure.  Oh well, the one tree in my "backyard" is appreciative.

My impromptu lazy Sunday rolled into a lazy-turned-productive Monday in which I spent the first half reading in bed and the latter half frantically fitting a whole day's worth of errands into two hours before packing up my bat and glove and heading to softball practice.  I was the only dedicated girl who showed - holla.  I spent the rest of the night hanging with the team boys and cheering on our beloved idols, The Texas Rangers.

Tuesday was a harried day, of course, because I didn't have work on Monday (Thank you, Chrisopher Columbus!).  Planning to fit an already crammed five day week into four makes for an interesting first day back.  We also decided last minute to send one of us to Austin for our interview slate today.  Can you guess who drew the short straw?!  (I kid, I love coming to Austin!  I'm just not a huge fan of early morning flights...).  Ergo, my Tuesday evening consisted of taking care of a few things around the house and trying (and subsequently failing) at getting to bed at a decent hour.

And that brings us up to today.  5:00 AM came entirely too early for me.  Although I typically wake up to my alarms when I know I have to be somewhere, the rain pounding against my window and the thunder growling outside were not helping.  Let me tell you how much I wanted to just roll over and go back to sleep for a few hours.  But, alas, I dragged myself out of bed, made myself a cup of coffee (on my new Keurig - did you catch that Mom & Dad?!), and hopped in the shower.  20 minutes later and I was out the door (yes, again, you read that correctly.  I planned to be a speedster at getting ready this morning to allow for maximum sleep time).  But that's irrelevant.  I debated last night between taking a cab (which I perceive to be quicker) or driving myself (which I perceive to be cheaper).  I decided to save BCG a few bucks and battle the traffic myself.  Bad move.  Apparently Wednesday mornings are highly popular travel times.  It took me absolutely forever to find a parking spot in the garage.  No sweat, I had already printed my boarding pass and always arrive earlier than most so I wasn't worried about having plenty of time to make it through security and hopefully grab a quick bite to eat.  Wasn't worried until I walked inside, that is.  The line for security snaked all the way to the end of the rope opening.  And this was a very long rope.  After many, many painful minutes of constantly checking my phone and hoping my flight was delayed at least a little, I finally made it through security and, still putting on my shoes and stuffing my laptop in my bag, jetted down the terminal.  Naturally, my flight was taking off from the last cubicle of gates.  I rounded the last corner, barreled down the last straight-away, and literally jogged into the seating area.  The completely empty seating area.  I must have looked helpless because the guy manning the door called my name.  Yup, he knew my name.  Which means I was the last passenger and the flight was 'waiting' on me.  Oops.  I handed him my boarding pass and headed through the tent, half expecting to have to chase the plane down the tarmac.  Luckily it was still stationary ;)  I sat down and buckled my seat belt with four minutes to spare.  Phew!

I landed in Austin, grabbed some coffee to go, hailed a cab, and took off for downtown.  The rest of my day has gone smoothly and according to plan, but there's always the return trip this evening!  I got my cabbie's number, though, to be on the safe side and already set a pre-arranged meeting spot so I have a guaranteed, (hopefully) on time, ride back to the airport.

I think after such a hurried morning, my evening will consist of some 'How I Met Your Mother' viewing, some donning of the sweatpants, and the making of some delicious hot apple cider.  Quite the balancing act I'm going for.

So there you have it.  You should be caught up on my recent life happenings as well as my morning adventure of catching up to my plane!

Things I'm Loving

It is finally starting to feel like fall in Texas.  And I absolutely love it.  With this new season, brings a lot of things I have fallen in love with.  Including...

Bath & Body Works' "Marshmallow Fireside" candle

and....

"Pumpkin Spice Latte" from Starbucks.

and...

OPI's "We'll Always Have Paris" color.

All three of these, plus the boots and fall scarves I've been donning, put me in the best mood and excited to be in this wonderfully cool part of the year.

Tomorrow I'll be experiencing a little Texas State Fair action.  Don't expect a post from me as I'll be stuffing my face with Fletcher's Corn Dogs and Funnel Cakes, Fried Oreos and fresh squeezed lemonade :)  

So until Monday...tis the season!

Fortune Friday

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about my long-term goals for my life.  Where I want to be, what I want to be doing, who I want to be doing this with, and when I want to start doing whatever it is all the other questions have led me to.

At this point in my life, I'm exactly where I want, and feel I need, to be.  I have a job that I love and feel very blessed to have, I have amazing people in every aspect of my life, and I feel great about being out on my own, living in the city, and supporting myself.  But I do think there's something more, something bigger I haven't landed on, yet.  And that doesn't necessarily mean a different job, a new location, different friends, or an otherwise drastic change.  It just means I feel like I still have a big adventure left to live.

My goal in life is to positively change the lives of others; to leave an imprint on their heart.  For the first time since I joined Girl Scouts when I was in Kindergarden, I am not doing any type of regular volunteer work.  Living an essentially self-centered life doesn't fly with me.  Albeit it fun, I'm yearning for a little 'civic duty' action.  Being that this directly coincides with my overarching life goal, I'm sure my big life adventure will in someway play out in this.  I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about what I want to put my love and energy toward for the long term and I think I have a pretty good idea, I'm just a little unsure of how to take the plunge.

So when my office ordered in Pei Wei for lunch last Friday (yes, this post is referring to last Friday), I was ecstatic to open not just one, but two, fantastic fortunes which I feel were the encouragement I needed to push me into the right direction.

Fortune One: "Big journeys begin with a single step."

Fortune Two: "You will become more passionate and determined about your vision."

How perfect are those?  I feel like cracking open those fortune cookies was God's little way of helping to give me the reassurance and confidence that I'm heading into a good thing.  So will my big life adventure happen tomorrow?  Probably not.  Will I start preparing for it immediately?  Absolutely.

Stay tuned for updates on what this Fortune Friday leads to.

Thirsty Thursday Turns Tasty

My blog post was going to be titled "Thirsty Thursday" as my plans for the evening were to attend our monthly Aggie Happy Hour.  However, given that I was at work until 8:30 tonight, that wasn't so applicable anymore.

What is applicable, though, is a title about all the tasty food I scored while working late.  My office was hosting an alumni event which was, in true BCG fashion, catered with delicious food and fine wines.  So you better believe Brittany and I jumped at the chance of grabbing some when offered.  I mean, what Texas girl in her right mind wouldn't want some of this fantastic BBQ:

And you bet it was every bit as scrumptious as it looks!  And, yup, you guessed it...I devoured almost every single bit of it:

And, why yes, of course I had some dessert as well:

Don't worry - that was for both Brittany and me and we didn't even eat half of it.  One of our lucky friends enjoying the alumni event instead of working brought a sample plate over.  Fantastic.

So as you can see, my Thursday wasn't quite as thirst-quenching as I originally anticipated; although I can't say that I'm too terribly disappointed with how it turned out given the tasty pallet of food I was delivered!

Now I'm off to drink a glass of wine and watch my high school play on ESPN.  Hey, it might be heartbreaking at times to be an Aggie football fan, but my Allen Eagles always pull through ;)

'West Side Story' Wednesday

As I'm sure you guessed by reading the title of this post, I went to see 'West Side Story' tonight.  Being that it has been on my "bucket list of musicals to see," I definitely jumped at the opportunity to grab discounted tickets when I found them.  Fifteen dollas - holla!  If you wanna get real, they were actually $25 a piece once you factored in fees and parking, but that's still not too shabby for such a great production!

My favorite part of this musical was by far the dancing.  There was a decent amount of it and ::wait for it:: it was fantastic!  You could tell that everyone up there had had some serious ballet training along the way.  I've been to a good amount of musicals and watched as performers faked their way through the routines.  And honestly, they all probably looked great to the normal eye.  But to someone who grew up dancing their whole life?  Tonight's performance was a cut above the rest.  And much appreciated.

My second favorite part was the nod to one of the most heart-wrenching love stories of all time, Romeo and Juliet.  Being a literary fanatic and having taken a couple Shakespeare courses in undergrad, I definitely appreciated the classic basis.

All in all, I would give this performance 3 1/2 - 4 stars.  I wasn't on the edge of my seat the whole time, but it was definitely worth seeing.  So if you're ever scoping out your local theatre scene and happen upon the opportunity to see West Side Story...take it!

Tuesday's Tips

I have a few blogs that I peruse occasionally (typically design and DIY blogs) and one or two that I read religiously (because they're that fabulous).  One of those latter-category blogs belongs to my friend, Kelli:

Meet Kelli, owner of:

HowdyFromNYC

I'm an avid reader, vicariously living through her life in The Big Apple.  Follow the link tied to her blog title above and you'll find that she's barely avoided being spit on in the streets, nearly been hit by cars (on two separate occasions), and come into contact with overall rude people who refuse to take pictures, give directions, or help with navigating the crazy NYC life.  Somehow, New York City just doesn't make it on the top of my "cities with nice" people list.

However, today she shared a story that whistled a different tune.  Not only does it remind you that there are still good and honest people in the world (and in 'The City', no less!) but it's a very good idea for any of you fellow camera fanatics like me.  Check out her blog post, here, and I promise you'll pick up a good tip and a heartwarming story to boot!

Not a bad tip for a Tuesday, eh?    

Monday Musings

Happy Monday, everyone :)  Because I'm exhausted already and lack the energy to do an extensive post on the two awesome events that I partook in this weekend (my birthday celebration and a friend's wedding), I'll simply leave you with some of my Monday Musings.  Just a few things I often wonder about...

1) Where do all the bobby pins go in the world?  I purchase new packs of 50 bobby pins about once a month.  Seriously, people, where do these things escape to?

2) What is infinity, exactly?  An immeasurable amount?  Something too large to calculate?  The name scientists gave to something when they got too lazy to actually define it?  I find it hard to believe that something literally goes on for forever.  I mean, what exactly is "forever", anyway?

3) Why does Kleenex go to the extra trouble of adding in those sparkles and shimmers to their product?  They know they're producing something that people blow their snot into, right?  No need to be pretty.

And there you go, folks - a little taste of my Monday Musings.  Hope you have a Terrific Tuesday!