Life Lessons, As Taught By Churro the Chihuahua

gilani photograpy

Churro is one wise little fella. Besides the fact that he sometimes runs into walls and gets scared by his own shadow, I think this chihuahua has a thing or two to teach us about life (as told by churro): 

In life, you should always bite off more than you can chew. There's nothing like going for the big bone, even if it seems overwhelming at first. You'll be proud of yourself for hanging with the big dogs.

Sometimes, you'll be forced to deal with straight up bullshit: 

I mean, honestly...why does mom want to torture me so? 

Aunt Ashley calls me 'Big Gay Al' in this Hawaiian shirt. I don't quite know what she means by that, but I don't like it! 

Not funny, mom. NOT FUNNY.

After all of that nonsense, there will be times when you just don't wanna get out of bed. This is perfectly acceptable. 

In fact, don't forget to rest! Napping is the best part of my day...humans are always moving too much. 

I need the rest, because Mom and Aunt Ashley always insist on dragging me along for silly photo shoots. This tires a little guy out! I guess sometimes one just has to grin and bear it, especially because I'm not strong enough to fight. 

Aunt Ashley makes up for it by taking me on rides. One should always make time to travel. Aunt Ashley likes traveling too, I think. 

Lastly, my final word of advice: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! Mom and Aunt Ashley hold me and rub my belly at the end of the day. I think they really love me.

On a Magic Carpet Ride...

I went to a deliciously fun belly dancing/magic show/concert last weekend called Magick Carpet Ride. These sorts of events are rich in culture and different than the tired club-hopping scene. There's also something very satisfying about supporting the local arts.

All photos taken by gilani photography

The show featured my talented belly dancing teacher Adelaide and her sis, who have formed a group dubbed the Shimmy Sisters (cute!). Performing alongside was a middle-eastern flavored band called Danyavaad. Watching the show, I felt transported to gypsy's den, complete with snakes, swords and hypnotic colors. It was most definitely a hippie's dream!

Adelaide bravely dancing with a snake.

These girls make belly dancing seem easy peasy; in reality, I now know how hard belly dancing is after taking a few lessons. I am forever wowed by the art form of belly dancing, and hope I can perfect a few moves. Oh, and can we bring up the snakes? SNAKES + BELLY DANCING = ONE BAD ASS COMBO! 

Above: She's swallowing a sword...can you believe it??

Adelaide is a stellar acrobat!

Well, I'm off to perfect my belly dancing moves, but I'll leave you with a couple links:

Alizera Gilani is a new friend of mine that took the above beautiful photos. Here is his web site.

Below is a picture of the band plus the Shimmy Sisters, and here is their web site where you can see awesome videos of the belly dancing in action.

Enjoy!

Let's Get Personal

Selma tagged me in a fun lil' fact session and questionnaire...so, um, let's get personal! 

FACTS

1. I fell in love with a pet chihuahua. I didn't mean to as I only like big dogs, but living with the little guy has changed my mind. He's still not a real dog, though. 

2. I'll always choose red wine over white wine. 

3. I'm oddly good at public speaking.

4. I'm not an avid dater. People find me weird because of it, but I have no qualms about being the single gal. 

5. I usually refuse to wear heels as they are highly impractical. 

6. I don't like seafood. 

7. Driving is a major stress-relief for me.

8. I can't stand fake conversations. I'd rather you not talk to me if you can't find it in your shallow heart to be genuine. 

9. Motown is my favorite music genre. Always and forever.  

10. I've lived in San Diego practically my whole life, but that will change in a month and a half (eek!).

QUESTIONS

1. What is your profession? 
I am an admissions advisor. It's a cross between academic advisor and sales person.


2. How would you describe your style? 
Usually I dig flowy, breezy things: dresses, dangly earrings and scarves. I'm also partial to a well-worn pair of jeans. Heels aren't usually my thing, unless it's a comfy wedge. I'm all about the low-maintence philosophy and believe in collecting jewelry from every country I visit.

3. What one make-up product can you not live without?
Mascara and blush! 

4. If you could be besties with one celebrity, who would it be?
Kevin Spacey. I believe there are fabulous conversations to be had with him. 

5. What is your dream vacation?
I'm dreaming of Italy because I haven't been yet. It's on my hit list!  

6. What magazines do you subscribe to? 
People is a guilty pleasure. I like to call it the classy tabloid. 

7. If you could have any special talent {that you don't currently have}, what would it be?
I wish I could play the piano beautifully and speak multiple languages. 

8. What is your favorite breakfast food?
The good ol' American breakfast: Pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs. How can you go wrong with that? 

9. If you could do anything, what is your dream job?
I'd love to be a study abroad advisor. I'd also love to travel the world and get paid writing about it! 

10. What is your guilty pleasure?
Most recently: watching The Bachelorette. I got sucked in!! *hangs head in shame* 


If you're interested in playing along, I tag: Molly, Jillian, Donny and Felicia.  

Little Movie Gems

Recently, I've watched a few movies that have really moved me in some way. You've probably heard of one or two of them (Hello, Academy Award Winners!), but may be oblivious to the existence of the others. That's why I'm here to share:

The Artist

***

This film was just plain beautiful. I hadn't sat through a silent film before, but I rather enjoyed it. It was incredibly refreshing to watch a soundless movie in an age where technology, effects, lights and noise reign supreme. Silent films are stripped of all the clutter, and you'll find yourself really concentrating on body language and character interaction while watching, which pulls you deep into the story. Bravo, Artist! I can see why you won the Oscar!

Bread and Tulips

***

This is an italian flick that is well worth the watch. I love movies that touch on the idea of creating a new life from scratch (sort of a theme in my life right now). There's even a line in the movie that goes "You've made my phoenix rise from the ashes," and is done in a non-cheesy way, if you can believe that. It comes down to the script: a poetic, beautifully written masterpiece that really captures human emotion. Furthermore, this movie had me wishing I continued with those Italian lessons.



Dakota Skye

***

The acting is not the greatest here, but sort of plays into that 'whatever' attitude of teenagers. The story is about the lead girl, Dakota, who is a self-professed cynic that refuses to believe in love; rather, she believes that everyone is trying to bullshit her, until she meets her "arch nemesis." It's an endearing coming-of-age flick that won me over in the end. A good watch on a rainy day.


Last Night

***

It's been awhile since I've seen a movie with such realistic, gritty acting. It's not a story for the faint of heart: there's a lot of deception and infidelity going on here. But I enjoy movies that make me think about the meaning of love, marriage and settling down. Last Night does all of this, and it's hard to go wrong with the talents of Ms. Knightly.

Telling the Truth

"Can I...talk to you?"

It's a question that breaks the stillest of concentrations, and one I uttered to my boss as I nervously tip-toed into his office. He instantly raised his head and replied, "Of course, what about?"

You see, I really like my boss. I'm at a place where I have great management, and things are going fine, and the sun is shining pretty steadily. But as you all know, I'm not staying at my job. I'm opting for excitement, embodied in a one way ticket to London. As much as I wanted to avoid the conversation with my adored boss, I knew the time had come to reveal my sneaky plan.

"I'm heading to London to study abroad, and I'm really excited about it. It's been a dream of mine to live overseas, and I just...I have to go! You've been one of my favorite bosses, but I've just got to go!"

He paused for a second, smiled and said,"Well of course you do. That's where you belong and you'll do great there. We'll have to keep in touch through e-mail or facebook so I can live vicariously through you."

And that was that. He said it like it was fact. And that's when I realized: it is fact. It is the greatest feeling when someone you respect sees that very truth in you--that what you've been dreaming of should become a reality.

"That's where you belong..." 

That, dear readers, is the truth.

A Glimpse of the Blur (With Help from Instagram)

My weekends have been a blur of events, but my trusty iPhone has managed to capture a few glimpses here and there. My life, through Instagram (the only thing I actually like using my phone for): 

My friend, Jenny, getting all glammed up for her wedding...she looked rather stunning!

My very good friend Rachel was a bridesmaid with me. We looked all decent, and stuff. Guess we had to wash up if we were going to be part of a wedding. Well, Rachel, you clean up nice!

After one wedding comes another: Bethany's Bachelorette Party! (Don't I look like an alien in the above photo? It's sort of awesome!)

Pretty plates for a classy event; although, I may have omitted any phallic objects I used for decoration. 

:) 

 It's a Small World at Disneyland...a ride I was coerced to go onto.

Captian E.O., a ride that I always beg to go onto! Michael Jackson for life!

I took a picture of this because...I liked it. Deal with it.

I thought heart sunglasses to be appropriate for a day at Disney. 

If you were thinking, "Ashley, you went to a wedding, a bachelorette party and Disneyland?" Well...you would be right. And all of this in a week-and-a-half time frame (add work in there and you've got an exhausted girl). This being busy business is really tiring me out. I'd much prefer to be lazy...

...but I guess I would be having less fun, huh?

Music Challenge, Day 29: A Song From Your Childhood

I vow to finish this damn challenge before I leave for England! Gosh, I've taken forever on this thing.

...onto a song from my childhood. Well, it's not so much from my childhood, than from my teen years. I  just had to find a way to slip my favorite boy band into this countdown. I don't care how many years it's been (over 12), a girl just does not forget her first love...

They look so very, very gay...don't they? Source

Dear *NSYNC,

This is for...

• All the times I bought J14 Magazine to get a glimpse of you. 
• The days I religiously watched TRL to make sure BSB would not beat you to the # 1 position. 
• The countless hours I spent perfecting concert t-shirts in hopes you would see it (as I sat in the back row). 
• The arguments I would get in with classmates defending your honor (they just didn't understand). 
• The 1,620 (I don't know how many) times I watched the No Strings Attached concert VHS after I got home from school. 
• The hundreds of times I replayed "I Thought She Knew," because I thought it was your most beautiful song...*sigh*
• The times I had to tape (not DVR) the Rosie O' Donnell show so I could catch you on it. 
• The times I despised Britney Spears because she was dating JT (how dare she!). 
• All the times you made my little white-washed, upper middle class, pointless 14-year-old life so worth it. During a time when life sort of sucked (awkward years), you gave me something to dream about...

I'll love you forever, 

Ashley

On to the video: 

No other boy band compared...that's right...I SAID IT!

The Challenge so far:
day 01 - your favorite song
day 02 - your least favorite song
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a song that nobody would expect you to love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you're angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you're happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you're sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral

day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty

Fourth of July, Out With a Bang

I kept my Fourth of July relatively low key (tis what happens when you have a summer cold). 

This entailed watching Independence Day: 

And eating homemade sliders (on sweet hawaiian rolls...yum!) : 

However, even though I wanted to keep it low key, it seems San Diego had other plans: 

Hmmm...I was wondering why the sky lit up like it was the apocalypse! 

:)

New Blog Layout (Thanks to Blog Milk)

Like the new layout?

Be sure to visit blog milk shop if you fancy your own:

A sample of awesome templates that Ana has created...lovely!

I thought a new layout was imperative for a new start. Cheers!


P.S. One day I'll get back to semi-regular posting--but until I figure out VISA paperwork, navigate my way through a financial aid mess, participate in two weddings and get my stuff together (including my head)--posting may be rather sparse around here. You know I love you, though!

Ashley's Travel Tips: Airbnb

I thought I'd start a series on something I'm quite passionate about: cheap travel. I love cutting corners and showing doubters that you can travel the world without selling a car or kidney. I'm no travel expert, but I've been around the block enough to know a few things.

This brings me to my first tip on cutting hotel costs. I hardly ever stay in hotels when I travel. In Europe, you'll catch me using couchsurfing (a free lodging system mainly based on trust). Couchsurfing has always worked wonderfully for me overseas, and I highly recommend it. However, some people feel uneasy about a system solely based on trust.

Enter Airbnb--the happy medium between hostels and hotels. When researching for places to stay in New York, I found the hotels to be OUTRAGEOUSLY priced, and the couchsurfers to be unresponsive. That's when a friend recommended Airbnb, and all my problems were vanquished.

With this air "bed and breakfast" people rent out rooms in their apartments and homes for cheap prices. What results is a room that is more than half the cost of hotels, with more accountability than couchsurfing (good reviews from customers equals better business).

In Manhattan, my friend and I stayed with a lovely young married couple who gave us insider knowledge on cheap broadway tickets and places to avoid--I love staying with locals for this reason. We payed a third of the cost we would have payed in a hotel.


I highly recommend Airbnb. While couchsurfing is my ultimate favorite, sometimes it falls through. Airbnb, however, is old reliable.

P.S. I didn't get paid for this post...I simply wanted to share a tip on saving money!