The Sovereign of Stain Removal

I performed a minor miracle tonight on a very special, cute shirt of mine. It came out of the washing machine with some weird rust-like spots that were not on it before it went in there. I dabbed some bleach on the spots with a q-tip. After a little rubbing, the shirt is as good as new! I'm so excited, I thought it was a goner.

My sister told me she thought she spotted a Panera near my office in downtown San Jose the other day. Yesterday I did some sleuthing, and about a mile away from my office there is a brand new Panera going in!! That is going to be so awesome! There's also a new Michael's, Target, Cost Plus and Marshall's in that shopping center, and a bunch of other little restaurants. I bet I'm going to be there about three times a week. Yay!

Ooh! I'm watching "So You Think You Can Dance?" right now. HILARIOUS! I'm glad to have a new Wednesday night show for the summer now that "Lost" is over.

A Giant Clothespin

Check out the neat project I made last night!

I bought these oversized clothespins from Oriental Trading to decorate and use as picture holders. I think my first one turned out pretty cool! Here's a close-up (sorry, kind of dark):

Chirp Chirp

If anyone was trying to find a gift for me in the $300 range, might I recommend Cricut? This would seriously enhance all of my paper crafting endeavors.

Those sly foxes at Michael's have put it on sale every week since I spotted it, so I can't use their 40 percent off coupon.

But I'm watching them. And one week they're going to forget to put it on sale. And I will swoop into Michael's with my coupon and proudly carry the Cricut home with me.

Long Weekend

I hate "The Sopranos." I can't wait for it to be over. Nobody ever wants to do anything fun when they're on! And Steve has been borrowing somebody's DVDs so he can re-watch the entire series from the beginning. It's a non-stop Sopranofest everywhere I go!!

However, I love Slurpees. I have enjoyed a few of them this weekend. And I am happy because I discovered today that I can walk to our neighborhood 7-11 in about ten minutes to fill my Slurpee cravings.

I also love baby feet. I got to play with two pair of them this weekend, belonging to our little friend James and our new tiny neighbor Emma.

And I love long weekends. I feel like I'm a kid on summer vacation just cause I have one day off.

Size DOES Matter

I just came home with a fabulous idea that involved baking a cake in a jelly roll pan. But guess what? My stupid jelly roll pans don't fit in my oven!! Why do they make pans in sizes that don't fit standard ovens? I know this has happened to other people, including my mom on Christmas Eve! Geez!! I think I'm going to start a petition to the pan-making companies!

Also, I just took off my pearl earrings which I purchased for myself on Overstock.com. I'm not really a pearl girl, but I figured they were classic and the price was great. Well, it wasn't too great, cause the pearl broke off the post in my hand. I've had them for about a year, so I think it's too late to send them back. GRRR.

Hopefully the season finale of "Lost" tonight will not disappoint like my dumb pan and earrings.

Advice from the Trailer Park

I was just trying to discuss some serious life issues with Steve, but he started screaming at the basketball game on TV, so I decided I'd come blog instead.

This weekend we had some friends over for a barbecue. Look at the cute napkin stamping I did!

Yes, friends. Rubber stamps are such a versatile and economical hobby! Would you ever guess that these adorable napkins were actually from a giant package purchased at the dollar store?!

I treated myself to a manicure tonight, and the lady next to me seemed like authentic white trash. She was sharing some great tips with the manicurist, and I was more than happy to eavesdrop. And now I will share one of her fantastic tips with you:

She suggested that before and after a night of hard drinking, you take a swig of your baby's Pedialyte (or swipe one of their Pedialyte popsicles). This will guarantee a hangover-free morning. Also, she specifically recommended the generic brand of Pedialyte, as their bubble gum flavor is much more tasty than the expensive stuff.

Britney Spears, are you listening?

Easy as 1-2-3

My friend Shannon decided to make up her own blog questionnaire. So, if you're reading this, cut and paste the questionnaire into your blog with your own answers. Let's see if we can make Shannon famous!

3 Things I'm Obsessed with Right Now
1. Monogrammed things
2. Whether or not I should get acrylic nails
3. Panera

3 Things I'm Obsessed with Permanently
1. My weight
2. My bank account
3. Crossing things off lists

3 Things I Believe are True, But Aren't
1. You'll get cancer from standing in front of the microwave
2. Pregnant ladies carrying their weight in front are having a boy; those carrying it all over are having a girl (FYI: My success rate of guessing the sex of babies before they're born is 0%)
3. Life would be perfect if we could just win the lottery

3 Things I Want People to Say About Me When I Die
1. She lived a full life
2. She made a difference
3. She made things fun

3 Things I'm Good At (the conceited category)
1. Bargain hunting
2. Formatting Microsoft Word documents
3. Telling stories

3 Things I'm Bad At (the low self-esteem category)
1. Cutting a staight line (I guess I don't really "Rock Scissors," though I do rock my paper cutter)2. Parallel parking
3. Portion control

3 Things That Baffle Me
1. Why people put dirty dishes in the sink when the dish washer is empty and just inches away
2. Why people sit right next to you in the movies when there are tons of other empty seats
3. Why other people in the office would want to use your special, personalized coffee mug

3 TV Shows That Many Other People Watch, But I Don't
1. The Sopranos
2. Alias
3. America's Next Top Model

3 Inventions for Which "I don't know how we lived without it" is Not Just a Saying
1. E-mail
2. Cell phones
3. Air conditioning

Things Are Blooming

I have four exciting pieces of information to share today:

1. I have successfully grown a strawberry.

And it was yummy and sweet. There are a bunch more on the way, so we should be enjoying strawberry shortcakes for dessert soon enough.

In other garden news, we have two little zucchinis started:

And some flowers on the tomatoes and the pumpkins:

2. "Trading Spaces" is filming in my neighborhood.

My friend Rebecca from work bumped into designer Edward at our local JoAnn Fabrics. He was shopping for vinyl (to cover closet doors and walls) and other animal print fabrics. I have a feeling those people are not going to like their room!

3. We have voluntarily agreed to run 6 miles.

Erica invited Steve and me to run Wharf to Wharf with her and her friends. Starting today the Swerens are in serious training mode. We have about a month and a half to get in shape for this!!

4. My husband is lovely.

Tonight I made the barbecue pork chops from Super Suppers on our George Forman, along with corn on the cob and salad. Steve graciously did all of the dishes and he scrubbed the yuckiness off the Forman. I am very appreciative :)

That's Hot

I'm back from another fulfilling round of pilates (blah). I totally planned to blog last night, but I didn't realize that "Grey's Anatomy" was going to keep me up late two nights in a row to watch the three-hour season finale! It was so good and totally worth it, though!

I want to give a shout out to my friend and blog reader Kylie! Steve and I had a lovely dinner with her and her husband Tim last night at Pizza Antica. We used to share an office when we both started working out of college. I think we've come a long way since then ;)

When we got home last night our house was 84 degrees! We had to put the AC on in the house for the first time this year. I'm very grateful that we have AC. I'm also very grateful for my new lovely quilt, which has enabled me to sleep through the night without breaking into an uncomfortable sweat. Isn't it pretty?

Five Things ...

In my fridge
1. A bowl of freshly sliced watermelon
2. Three bags of our new obsession: Hormel turkey pepperoni
3. Some strawberries from the farmer’s market
4. A piece of leftover pesto chicken
5. Corn on the cob

In my closet
1. My beach bag
2. My jean jacket
3. A rolly set of drawers full of t-shirts
4. My “going out” purses
5. My turquoise poncho

In my purse
1. My expense check
2. A little tin of “Getting Intimints” from Victoria’s Secret
3. My lipstick
4. A gazillion Starbucks cards
5. My Tide pen for stains

In my car
1. My practice bouquet for my wedding made of the ribbons from my shower gifts (I don’t know why I haven’t thrown it away, since I couldn’t even use it, as the cat tore it up way before the wedding)
2. A picnic blanket
3. My umbrella
4. An emergency roadside kit
5. A pair of old sneakers

On my TiVo
1. Martha
2. Oprah
3. The O.C.
4. Desperate Housewives
5. Grey’s Anatomy

Weekend Wrap-up

This weekend was way too short, though we did do a lot of fun things. On Friday night I made the pesto chicken from Super Suppers. It was pretty good, though a little mustardy. After that, Steve and I finally made a dent in our Netflix queue and watched "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." I'm not really a big Harry Potter fan, but it was OK.

Yesterday was pilates (blah) in the morning. Then Steve and I went to Santa Cruz and had lunch at yummy Greek restaurant Vasili's. We went sat out on the beach at the Boardwalk for a while and did a little relaxing. Then we rode a few rides and played a bunch of the "classic" games like Q*Bert and Tetris in the arcade. I'm so good at Q*Bert that I got to enter my initials as a high score several times! We also played this drum simulator game which I love, as my secret dream is to be a drummer in a rock band. I'm not that good, but Steve was so good that a crowd gathered to watch him rock out.

After the Boardwalk, we headed to the hospital to visit our friends Jim and Shannon who just had a new baby on Friday. Jim had a hankering for a quarter pounder, so we gladly delivered. Their new little boy is absolutely beautiful and super alert and interactive. And he was a C-section baby, so he's not all smooshy and wrinkly. He was nice enough to let both Steve and me hold him, and he didn't cry one bit. He even entertained us with some big yawns and sneezes, and a few little hiccups. One thing is for sure: I'm going to need to build up some muscles before I have a baby. He's only 8 lbs., and my arms were shaking after holding him for a few minutes.

For dinner, I made the Asian chicken and veggie wraps from Super Suppers, which I enjoyed more than the pesto chicken. We watched "King Kong," which was pretty good, but strenuously long.

This morning we went to my parents' to have some Mother's Day bagels with my mom. I gave her a very lovely Brighton purse, which I think she likes. After that, I did some errands, including buying a new lightweight quilt for our bed. I've been waking up sweating like a maniac a lot lately, so I thought it was time to retire the down comforter for now. I cleaned up the house a bit, did some grocery shopping, and then had an early Mother's Day dinner with my family at Hawg's. After that, we went on an excursion to Target, and now we're back and everyone's watching "The Sopranos."

All in all, a fun, eventful weekend.

Super Suppers Is Super

One of those meal assembly chains called Super Suppers just opened up near our house, so I tried it out tonight. I LOVE IT. It was totally cute inside, and they had cucumber water, sangria and lemonade set out for us to enjoy while we prepared our meals, as well as cheese and crackers, fruit and veggies to snack on. In about an hour I made the following:

-- Asian chicken and veggie wraps

-- Pesto chicken

-- Lemon herb salmon and confettti rice

-- Crunchy tilapia

-- Fiesta chicken and pineapple-peach salsa

-- Pork tenderloin with cranberry barbecue sauce

Everything is pre-cut and all of the ingredients and measuring things are set out for you. You package everything for the freezer and label it with a sticker that has the cooking instructions. Best of all, they let me package everything in smaller containers (the dinners serve 6), so Steve and I can probably get about 18 meals out of my one hour tonight!

Yippee! I'm totally going back. Actually, I already signed up for next month and I'm making 12 dishes this time. I think we might need to buy a bigger freezer!

Bronze Medal

I'd like to give a mention to my new self-tanner, Coppertone Endless Summer Tanning Foam. I bought it at Walgreen's while I was waiting for a prescription to be refilled on Monday. So far I'm loving it. The application is super-easy, fun and foamy. I've been streak-free and naturally tan-looking for a few days now. And it only has a small hint of that weird tanner smell. Overall, a good $9 investment.

Long Time No Blog

I really wanted to write last night, but I was afraid I was about to spontaneously combust. Seriously, I had been so hot and sweaty all day for no apparent reason. Last night, during my planned blogging time, I was in bed with a cold washcloth on my head trying not to catch fire. I seem to be doing better today, so here I am.

I'm sure you've all been on pins and needles waiting for my weekend recap. So here you go:

Friday was awesome simply because it was Cinco de Mayo and we had a pinata in the office. Hilarious. My parents' took me out to dinner at Aqui and then my mom and I got crafty and made some name tags we were commissioned to make for a friend's bridal shower.

I signed up for another pilates class on Saturdays at 9 a.m. to force me out of bed. I really should have tried pilates out before making so many class commitments, because overall I think it's a waste of time. At least in aerobics you break into a sweat. And at least in yoga you can relax and get a good stretch. In pilates, I just get mad at myself for spending money and precious time on these classes.

After that, I talked my mom into making a pilgrimage with me to the holy land: Panera. It's about 30 minutes away from my house. But so worth the drive. I had a bistro steak salad and a cinnamon crunch bagel. I actually got a dozen bagels that I'm hoarding in my freezer right now.

After the Panera trek, I did some errands, went out to dinner and had a pina colada (or three) at my friend Sarah's luau birthday party.

On Sunday Steve returned from Orlando. I'd just like to say to the a-holes who tossed him in the pool there: karma's a bitch. Yes, my poor hubby was dunked in the pool, and his cell phone is totaled. At least my faith in humanity was restored because some kind soul turned his very expensive Oakley sunglasses in to the lost and found. But that doesn't change the fact that he had to buy a new ($200) cell phone to replace his old one just so some jerk could win a bet and not have to pay for his next beer. Sunday was pretty much errands and TV at night.

Also, I'd like say, "Ask and you shall receive." I challenged Katie Holmes with a call to action, and she made an appearance just a day later. I am so happy that she was not already perfectly skinny again, as it helps me believe that she was actually pregnant. However, there is no excuse for this, Katie:

Nobody wants to see your boob hanging out of your nursing bra!! Geez! Don't those things have little "modesty flaps" anyway?!

Reversal of Fortune

Let's compare the activities of Ashley and Steve at about 8:30 p.m. this evening.

Ashley: Sitting at desk (sole person in office) working hard on an urgent, yet totally un-interesting project.

Steve: Rocking out (probably drunk) to Counting Crows, one of his favorite bands, at a private company concert in sunny Orlando.

This is definitely a big role reversal. Steve is usually the one slaving away at all hours, while I'm doing some fabulous activity at work like planting flowers or decorating cupcakes.

Cruise Control

I seriously do not understand how anyone can find this man attractive. I've really never been a fan. I mean, come on, he looks like a soft, short little midget here. And where is Katie Holmes? She was all over the place, shopping for shoes like 5 minutes before the baby was born. It's been two weeks now, and there's no sign of her anywhere. Really, I demand a photo op, like the one Gwenyth, Chris and Moses Martin did recently.

Bargain Hunter

I got these new shoes over the weekend. Not bad for $19 from Payless?! Sorry the picture is kind of weird. I didn't realize how hard it is to take a photo of your own feet from an angle that doesn't make your legs look gigantic.

Membership has its privileges

Today was fun because I didn't have to go into the office. Instead, I was enrolled in an all-day seminar on leadership for new managers. It was in a hotel conference center downtown, and was very interesting. I feel like I learned a lot, and I definitely had a fun time. The speaker was great! We got a few nice breaks, including a long lunch. I treated myself to a shrimp salad at Cafe Primo. Across the street at the Convention Center there was a beautitian conference going on, and I kept seeing this girls come out with all kinds of cute bags full of makeup and hair product samples. I walked over there to see if I could sneak in and score some conference schwag, but the doors were heavily guarded and the tickets were $50.

We got out a little early, which I was grateful for, as I missed the traffic and crowds that were gathering downtown for this. I headed to Valley Fair to buy a few gifts for several upcoming special occasions. I need to reiterate how much I love my Elite card wrapping privileges at Macy's. I usually enjoy gift wrapping, but I totally appreciate having someone do it for me, nicely, for free. Especially because I don't have to wrestle all my gift wrap supplies out of my craft closet. And now I am totally in love with Brighton. Hello! They offered me freshly baked cookies, a bottle of water (with cute Brighton designs on it) and a cup of coffee while I shopped there. When I picked out my things and explained they were gifts, the nice ladies there whipped up the lovely wrapping creations you can see above. And, what you can't see is that all of my purchases were also put into the cutest heart-shaped tins, which are in those adorable bags. I think I will be a loyal Brighton customer for life!