rushley & crew

Any Friends  lovers out there? If you're a true fan, you'll know that my titles are kind of stolen from Friends. Every episode of Friends  is called "The one with . . . " just like my blog. Or, I guess, my blogs titles start "the one with . . . " just like Friends  episodes :) I fell in love with Friends  shortly after I fell in love with Russ :) For the first two months of our marriage, Russ and I stayed at my boss's house because she was out of the country. My boss happens to own the entire Friends  series, so, though I had never seen an episode before, Russ and I started watching them together, and that's the first series we watched from start to finish. Don't you worry. I cried the last couple episodes because those guys really became some of our best friends. Pathetic, right? :) But just like I had to say goodbye to my "friends," I think with a new year starting, it's time to say goodbye to the Friends -inspired tit...

Remember when Russ and I wore our Christmas sweaters ? Well, that's not the first time those sweaters made their appearance in our lives.  Russ and I met just over two years ago at church . Sometime I'll tell the whole story, but for now, I'll just say that we were in the same Family Home Evening group (which is a group made up of my apartment and his apartment that got together every Monday evening for a spiritual thought and an activity). Everyone in our FHE group became really great friends, so when Christmas came around, we thought we'd make a family Christmas card! I brought at least five Christmas sweaters to contribute to the sweater fest. I think these photos turned out great :) maybe someday Russ and I will have a real family Christmas card where we all wear crazy Christmas sweaters :)  What do you think makes a Christmas card awesome? **ashleynicole

I have a problem. It's Christmas Eve and . . . I don't know what I'm doing for Russ for Christmas! A few weeks ago we talked about what we were going to do gift-wise this year, and we decided we'd buy Christmas presents for ourselves this year. Sounds lame, but we both (maybe me in particular . . . ) had particular things that we wanted or needed for Christmas and I guess I'm picky because I wanted to pick my own stuff. (But that's because I want things like a straightener [mine exploded] and I didn't want him picking that out, because what does he know about straighteners?) Anyways. So we decided to do that and then get each other one thoughtful  gift.  We agreed that thoughtful could be anything--it could be something homemade or store-bought, as long as our mentality about the gift was something along the lines of "I saw this and thought it was perfect for you!" Originally, I thought it was a brilliant idea. Now? It just feels like pre...

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever! Weird since it's only been like . . . two days. But I have just been chilling in Boise with my husband and his family, and it's been so relaxing that it seems like forever! Have I mentioned that I love love love holiday breaks? :) This December, I've been reading some posts from The Small Seed , a blog focused on God, faith, and joy. They've been doing a mini series called the  12 Days of Christmas  where they discuss ways to put Christ back in Christmas. As I've read some of the posts, it's made me wonder . . . What can I  do to put Christ back in Christmas? Commercially, Christmas is all about the gifts. But I think spiritually, Christmas is still all about gifts.  The two things that stand out in my mind of how I can turn my focus to Christ during this Christmas season (and those to come) are: 1. Be more grateful for all the gifts in my life. It's been so easy to spend this December thinking about ...

Husband says this is the best one, but I don't know. Selfies are just weird for me! Remember my last post ?  Well, this is to prove that's not always the case. See? My hair's not always in a bun!  And I'm wearing a real outfit under there, too, but selfies aren't conducive to full-length photos.  I'm also wearing make-up, though maybe not enough, since people are always telling me I look 17 or 18.  But . . . I did still eat pizza for dinner tonight, so maybe being done with finals isn't all that different from being in the midst of them. JUST KIDDING. I am so happy  to be done :) Anyone want to sing a hallelujah chorus with me? ;) **ashleynicole

What does finals week look like? Yup. Sweatpants, a t-shirt, minimal make-up, hair in a bun, and pepperoni pizza and crazy bread for dinner. Gotta love it. Except I don't. 40 more hours . . .  **ashleynicole

Okay, so they're not ugly, they're just over-the-top Christmas-y.  and i love them. So happy that Husband is a good sport and let me convince him to wear my childhood Christmas sweaters with me for one night :) **ashleynicole

Last week, I shared one of my  favorite Christmas songs . If you missed it, you should go check it out :) In response, one of my followers [who also happens to be my sister :)] shared one of her favorites with me. I liked it a lot! I like the diversity of the group, and I like their unique voices :) And, bonus, these guys have actually collaborated with Lindsey Stirling before, so you can check that out , too. Little Drummer Boy Pentatonix Enjoy! As always, let me know what you think, and let me know about other songs I should feature! Only one more week of Christmas music, so be sure to tell me your favorite Christmas tunes :) **ashleynicole

it's finals week.  Therefore, I might spend the whole week hiding like a hermit crab, studying. I might not get online to blog or check blogs at all. Or, it's possible that I'll blog more than ever as I procrastinate . . . Guess we'll see :) Wish me luck!! **ashleynicole

Last weekend, Russ had his work party. It was a really fancy-pants event--a masquerade at a huge venue with lots of food, fancy drinks [virgin version for us, of course ;)], and entertainment. It was so fun to dress up all fancy since I haven't done that much since high school dances, and Russ looked mighty fine, I'll add :) I am LOVING his facial hair . . . too bad he had to shave it today in order to take a test (because of BYU's  honor code ). It was fun to do something out-of-the-ordinary for our date night . . . we need to do more of that! I started making a dating booklet over a year ago, but I haven't finished it. Guess I should get on that.  When we were ready to leave, there was some CRAZY snow going on! Good thing I was prepared. Under all that fanciness . . .  . . . I wore my new rainboots :) Not fancy, but they sure were functional! And since my dress touches the floor, you could barely even tell I had dinosaur feet underneath :) ...

Anyone who has had interactions with me in the wintertime knows that I don't like hot cocoa.  I try it every year, and I never like it! Which is really quite sad to me because it's such a winter/Christmas drink and there's just something romantic and cozy about drinking hot cocoa under a blanket by the fire or the Christmas tree. So this year, I decided I would try different hot cocoas until I found one that I like . . . It didn't take long: I liked the first one I tried! I recently discovered that I love peppermint flavor, so I decided to try it in cocoa, and I loved it. Seriously. Best. Ever. Go try it. Now. :)  And I liked the second one I tried, too! Starbucks Vanilla Brulee. Also amazing.  After years of trying cocoa and finding no success, I now have two cocoas that I like. I guess I just needed to branch out from the original flavor (of which I've had two different variations in the last week, and liked neither). And now I'm on a co...

Christmas is nearly here! Is anyone else as excited as I am for fun, food, and a nice holiday break? What a silly question--I'm pretty sure everyone is excited for those things :) So since it's Christmastime, I decided to pick a Christmas song for today's tune. This is one of my very favorite Christmas songs. It's sweet and wonderful, and maybe not as well-known as some of the other sweet and wonderful songs. At least, it hasn't popped up on my Christmas Pandora station 50 times like some of the other songs like "Where are You, Christmas?" or "My Grown-up Christmas List."  So here you go! Enjoy! Sending You a Little Christmas Jim Brickman & Kristy Starling Let me know what you think! Also, feel free to make recommendations for Tune Tuesday--I'd love to know what you're all listening to :) **ashleynicole

I was supposed to graduate this upcoming April. By then, I will have finished my generals, major, and minor in eight semesters. I was feeling pretty good about myself because most people take some extra time to figure out what they want to do with their lives, but I knew from the beginning that I wanted to have an English Language major and an editing minor. I prided myself on the fact that I've only taken two classes outside of my major/minor/generals. But two weeks ago, I found out I won't be able to graduate in April; apparently, you have to have 120 credits to graduate, and I will only have 110.5 credits.  At first, I was furious. I cried in both the office where I found out you have to have 120 credits and the office that told me there is pretty much no way they'll make an exception. I was just devastated because I'm so ready to be done with school and move on with my life! But slowly, I've come to terms with it. I am now excited to take a few fun clas...

A few weeks ago I blogged about going to Time Out For Women  in one of my  Spiritual Sunday   posts .  I had such a fun time with my mom, aunts, and cousins--staying up late and talking about boys [my cousin that is my age isn't married yet, so she still has some dramatic things going on in her life, but even all the married ladies had fun stuff to contribute to girl talk :)] I hardly ever have pictures to post because I'm too busy enjoying life to capture things in photo-form (sad day!), so since I do  have pictures (though, not even very many . . . ) of this event, I figured I'd post some. Most of us went to the Salt Lake Temple for initiatories. Me and Mom! :) Mom, Aunt Brenda, me, Aunt Becky, Melissa Girls just wanna have fun! :) It was a really great weekend, and if you haven't, you really should go  read about it !  What do you do for your fun girls weekends? I need ideas because I don't make much time for "gir...

So I haven't blogged in almost a week, but do I feel bad? not at all. Because I was just shamelessly enjoying my holiday break :) I ate lots of food, had time to cuddle with my husband, watched good holiday movies, did some decorating for Christmas, played with my incredibly adorable niece, saw my cousins, and did some crafting :) And I spent so much time enjoying, that I didn't capture any of it in pictures. I think other people might have taken pics, but this is the only one I got: Isn't he cute? I think so :) And now, all that stands in my way before Christmas are five days of classes and four finals. Life. Is. GOOD! How was Thanksgiving for everyone else? Any fun holiday traditions? :) **ashleynicole

I first discovered this song about three years ago. I liked it right away because the music is really interesting and unique.  But I fell in love with it when I really listened to the lyrics. That's part of why I picked a video that shows the lyrics rather than a video. It doesn't need images . . . its words are enough. To me, it's about a love that is above all else--a love that truly conquers all. Maybe you'll get that same impression, maybe you'll hear something totally different. Feel free to voice your opinions in a comment . . . I love to hear what you think! :) Cosmic Love florence + the machine **ashleynicole

This weekend, something very sad happened. For the first time in our marriage, Russ and I weren't together for the night! It was so weird not sleeping next to him . . . I don't know how anybody does distance for long periods of time. After 30 hours, I was definitely anxious to see him :) But the reason for our separation was a good one. I went to Time Out For Women with my Mom, two aunts, and several of my cousins. Time Out For Women is basically just a conference where you hear lots of uplifting talks--somewhat geared toward women, but mostly quite applicable to anyone. I heard so many amazing and uplifting talks that it's difficult to choose just one to talk about, which is why I've narrowed it down to two speakers who had related messages. The first is  Mary Ellen Edmunds . She talked about how powerful our thoughts are. Since our thoughts can be so powerful, it's important for us to recognize what we are thinking about, and to give more consciousness t...

I came across this artist in my Facebook newsfeed the other day. A friend of mine had posted  this  video on her husband's wall. So I listened to that one, loved it, and looked for more.  And I found something truly AMAZING! I love this piece's music, dancing, costumes, and sets. I love it all. Plus, I found out that she is  Mormon , which is just cool. I mean, it's a small world when you're Mormon, so to find out that an amazing and viral musician is Mormon, too . . . Well, it's just cool :) So here it is Elements Lindsey Stirling Enjoy! And go find more of her music :) Also,  this  behind-the-scenes video about the song is pretty sweet. I love videos that show artists as real people :) Let me know what you think! :) **ashleynicole

Most people know about Alcoholics Anonymous and other such addiction recovery groups. Those programs typically have 12 steps to overcoming your addictions. In my  church , there is a similar program with similar steps, only there is a lot more focus on bringing God into the process. Several months ago, instead of the normal third hour meetings, we had some people come talk about this  Addiction Recovery Program .  I thought the program was just for addicts--of alcohol, drugs, pornography, or other such things. i was so wrong. The speakers helped me realize that pretty much all people are addicts--of something or another. Because we're all addicted to our "favorite sins" or even just our favorite bad habits.  I have at least some level of addiction to things like TV, food, and trying to control everything in my life.  Now these aren't horrible things that will get me kicked out of the running for heaven, but they're definitely things I could be wor...

A few weeks ago, I read  this  article about 7 ways to be insufferable on Facebook. Then a few days ago, I read  this  article about the 10 worst things new/expecting moms can post on Facebook. And can I just say . . .  they both drove me crazy! I do have my opinions about things that people really  shouldn't post on Facebook. However, I also think I'm not the boss of everyone, so I'm not going to tell them what to post and what not to post.  People are so quick to want to tell others what to do . . . but h ere's the thing. Just like it is with life , you have control over YOUR Facebook and no one else's.  So if you don't want to see someone's intentionally-vague-in-order-to-get-attention posts or someone's bulging-uncovered-baby-belly photos, hide these stories from your newsfeed. Or, better yet, un-friend the person who posted them! Half the people you're friends with on Facebook aren't really your friends anyways, so why keep th...

Several weeks ago, I was with a group and we all went around and said our names and our favorite animals. I said "fennec fox" because I had recently pinned this adorable guy on Pinterest: So then my friend, Aleisha, asked me if I had seen the following viral video . . . I hadn't, but I thoroughly enjoyed it once I did. So on the off chance you haven't seen it, here you go. And if you have seen it, feel free to enjoy it once more, since it really is just funny every time :) For your enjoyment, What Does the Fox Say? Ylvis If that was your first time, please comment so I can hear what you think!  But feel free to comment if it wasn't the first time, too :) **ashleynicole

Wahoo! Finally made a graphic! ^^ Nothing too fancy, but I like it anyway :) So today in church , I heard this quote: Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man . . . It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone. C. S. Lewis I thought that it was pretty profound, maybe because it's something I need to work on . . . I do a lot of comparing. I've always known that I have my pride issues, but I had never connected  pride  with  comparisons before, so hearing the quote opened up a whole new box of issues that I should probably be working on. And because it's something that I need to work on, I really don't have any light to shed on the quote; nothing really to add. So I guess I'm just going to leave you with the quote, because I've been trying to figure out what else I might add for about half an ...

1. Hot showers when I'm cold 2. Avocados. They're seriously the best. 3. Decorating & crafting! 4. Holidays 5. Baking yummy food 6. City lights . . . I love flying over cities like Vegas at night! 7. Graphic design 8. Walking through stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael's :) :) :) 9. Planning the names of my future children 10. Russ, of course :) What are some things that you love? :) **ashleynicole