Slow 'er Down

I'm one of those I-wish-winter-would-hurry-up-and-go-away-so-I-can-enjoy-life-again kinds of people. But even though I've been wanting to fast-forward a couple months lately, I'd really like life to slow down because how is it even possible that I graduated high school almost eight years ago?

And I've been out of college four years already.

And I've been at Hobby Lobby half a year already.

And the weekend is almost over already.

Seriously, where does time go? Into some time-sucking washing machine? You know, cause socks always disappear in the washer.

Or is that just me?

Anyway, I know I'm not the only one who wants to slow time down because I have the whole I-can't-believe-it's-already-2013/how-am-I-26-years-old/did-I-seriously-graduate-eight-years-ago conversations at least three times a week.

And no, not just with myself.

Since I haven't yet figured out how to slow time down (but I keep watching Big Bang Theory in hopes of learning enough science-y stuff to start my experiment), I'm going to do what I can:

Enjoy every day to the fullest.

Cheesy, I know. But I mean it. If we don't take time to appreciate every day we have, suddenly we're eight years out of high school and can barely remember what it was like to live at home with Mom.

My brother and I actually had a conversation the other day in which we both admitted we didn't remember much of what it was like to live together, before any of us graduated and moved away.

That conversation made me sad. And it made me realize how important it is to make and document memories.

That's part of the reason I have this little blog. And a big part of the reason I haven't deactivated my Facebook even though I realize what a huge time-suck it is. (My nosiness selfless desire to keep in touch with every person I've come in contact with since I could talk has nothing to do with my decision.)

And that's also why I started the 2013 Memory Jar. You've probably seen this on Pinterest (and if you're not on Pinterest, what the heck are you waiting for?), but basically, you write down any good/funny/generally memorable things that happen to you throughout the year, put them in a jar, and read them all on New Year's Eve.

I only have a few slips of paper in my jar so far, but I've got high hopes for this year. I'm excited to look back on the year and actually be able to remember all the events (both big and small) that made it memorable.

But not so excited that I want it to be New Year's Eve already. Cause I'm doing that living-life-to-the-fullest thing, remember?

How are you going to make 2013 memorable?

DIY T-Shirt Scarf

I was busy gettin’ my craft on in December. As much as cutting up a t-shirt counts as being crafty.

I've had plans to make a t-shirt scarf for a while and decided to make a few as Christmas gifts.

Here was my inspiration:

Original pin

Mine didn't turn out quite as cute (let's be honest, the braiding intimidated me), but I got several compliments on the one I made for myself, so they must not look too terrible.

These were super simple to make, and I made them while watching “Friends.” Win-win situation. Each scarf took about an episode to make.

Here's how it works:

A t-shirt and scissors are all you really need for this if-Ashley-can-do-it-anyone-can project. The bigger the shirt, the longer the scarf will be, so I recommend using XL shirts. Also, be sure to get the ones without side seams. You don't want the unsightly seam to show when you sport your scarf.

After you've chosen your shirt (mine is red, but these terrible pictures make it look pink...), just do this:

I say square-ish because I can't cut a straight line even with a ruler. So I just cut across and hoped for the best. Luckily, you don't have to be precise with this project.

Next, cut your square-ish piece of fabric into 1 1/2" to 2" strips. I could get about 17 strips from each shirt.

You can't really tell from this picture, but the edges of my strips are just as janky and uneven as the edges from the square-ish piece of fabric.

Good thing that after you do the next step you won't even be able to tell.

And that next step would be stretching each strip (I did two at a time) until you've got a loop as long as you want your scarf to be.

I stretched my strips resistance band style. I did a little behind-the-back action, some side-to-side stuff, and whatever else I could think of to stretch the heck outta the strips.

When you've stretched all the strips, set one aside to tie the rest with. Then just gather the remaining loops into a bundle and wrap the set-aside strip around them.

I did this by tying a knot at one end and then wrapping to cover the knot. You want to wrap snugly, but not so tight that you can't weave the other end of the strip underneath the wrap, which is how you finish the scarf.

Yeah, that was a pretty confusing explanation. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can pretty much do that step however you want. And if you're brave/talented enough to attempt the braid, go for it.

Here's what the last couple steps look like:

Ta-da!

This is seriously one of the easiest things I've ever made. I'll probably make one in every color, so you'll see me in these a lot.

If you make a ton because they're so simple, cheap, and cute one, let me know how it goes!

The One Where I Explain My Name Change

I realized today that I was remiss in giving a reason for my name change. Who changes their name without telling why? Sean Combs/Puff Daddy/Puffy/P.Diddy/Diddy, that’s who. But not this girl.

So allow me to explain.

I did mention in my name change post that I never liked my original blog name. But that’s only part of the reason for the new moniker.

The main reason is because with a name like Always Many Laughs, there’s a certain pressure (admittedly, self-imposed pressure) to at least try to be funny in every post.

While my life usually is full of laughter, what with awkward bathroom buddies, cooking mishaps, and all manner of other comedic happenings, sometimes life isn’t that grand.

I have the same financial fears, insecurity issues, and work worries that everyone else has.

And when those stressful times hit, writing about them helps get over the hurt/worry/fear and start working toward making it better.

Now, this isn’t to say that every post from now on is going to make you want to turn on your sad music playlist and have a good cry, but every now and then you’ll likely see a more serious side of Ashley.

So in a nutshell: My life doesn’t actually always have many laughs. Blog name was too limiting. Changed name to something less mood specific. The end.

13 in '13

If you know me even a little bit, you know I’m big on making goals and lists. It also probably comes as no surprise that I love a new year because it gives me the perfect excuse to do both those things.

I know I can make goals and lists any ol’ day (and I do make lists on the daily), but there’s just so much hope and promise in a brand-new year that it’s my favorite time to set new goals for myself. I get so excited thinking about how satisfied and how much better I’ll feel about myself when I accomplish my goals.

Last year I set a goal for every month, after reading The Happiness Project and being so inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s discipline and overall outlook on life and making yourself happy.

I did great on some goals (make my bed every day, don’t eat out for a month), not so great on a few others (improve my posture, run three times a week), and somehow completely forgot about a couple more (write in my journal every day, Furminate Deuce every day).

In my defense, the ones I forgot about after two days were for November and December, everyone’s most stressful and hectic months.

All that to say, this year my goals are not specific to any month and are just things I want to do over the next year.

I give you my 13 in 13:

1. Pay off all my credit cards. Here’s hoping the fiscal cliff doesn’t nip this one in the bud before I even get a chance to start. Otherwise, I may be tempted to just jump off said cliff.

2. Get back down to my driver’s license weight. No, I’m not going to tell you what it is. But I’ll certainly let you know when I get there.

3. Learn to crochet. Several of my friends crochet. I’ve written instructions for making crochet purses and necklaces (seriously, so gorgeous). So it only makes sense that I should know how to crochet too. And it’s going to happen. A crochet day is already in the works. Well…kinda. We talked about it that one time.

4. Read at least one nonfiction book a month. I’m not going overboard with my reading goal this year, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop reading (and writing about reading) altogether. I don’t wanna become illiterate, ya know.

5. Run a 5K. Color Me Rad, perhaps? It’s coming to OKC in May, so if anyone wants to run three miles and get splattered with paint while doing it, holla atcha girl. (crickets) Okay, just pretend that didn’t happen.

6. Attend my family reunion. A couple of my cousins have planned the first Luckett family reunion for March. About 30 Lucketts together in one place for the first time in many years = so much fun it should be illegal. At least, that’s what I’m anticipating.

7. Buy new Zumba shoes. I’ve been in dire need for months, but since I hate wearing shoes, it pains me to spend more than twenty bucks on footwear. But something must be done about my had-them-since-college-and-I-graduated-four-years-ago New Balances. [Side note: Shoe wearing is one of two ways my mom and I differ. She doesn’t take hers off until she goes to bed, whereas I kick mine off as soon as I step in the door. Our other difference lies in our feelings about John Wayne. She love love loves his movies, so that should tell you how I feel about them.]

8. Try at least one Pinterest recipe/project a month. I’ve got to do something about my ridiculously full “DIY” and “nom noms” boards.

9. Write at least 100 blog posts. This should benefit my become-a-better-writer journey. And if I post just twice a week, I’ll accomplish this goal. This is my third post this week, so I’m ahead of the game here.

10. Take a weekend trip with Randel. Last year we wanted to go to a Rangers game and Six Flags and just get away for a few days. That didn’t happen. So I’m gonna try my darndest to make it happen this year. Since the Rangers got rid of most of my favorite players, I’m thinking maybe Eureka Springs or camping somewhere.

11. Get all my cavities filled. I don’t even wanna think about how much time I’ll have to take off work to do this one.

12. Watch at least 52 movies on my where-have-you-been-all-your-life movie list. Surely I can devote at least two hours a week to a movie. Maybe then I’ll start catching even more references in my daily life. It’s already started happening with Friends.

13. Finish my Christmas shopping by December 1. I’m not gonna be the regifts-gift-cards-cause-she's-not-braving-the-mall-on-Christmas-Eve girl this year. Hypothetically speaking, of course. This year I plan to take note of any little thing the people I buy for say they want and shop throughout the year.

And those, my friends, are my 2013 goals. I hesitate to call them resolutions, because I know myself. I'm the type who eats a cheeseburger for lunch and considers her diet shot for the entire year. So I’m calling them my 2013 goals and giving myself a year to accomplish them.

What are your goals/resolutions for this year?

Why I Don't Watch Movies

An alternative title to this post could be "I Know I'm Lame because I've Seen Virtually No Movies That Everyone Else on the Planet Has Watched, but I'm Doing Something about That, So Don't Judge Me Too Harshly."

Anyone who knows me well knows that I rarely watch movies. It’s not that I dislike the idea of movies. It’s that I’m a multitasker with a short attention span by nature. I like the freedom that a sitcom gives me, with its lighthearted material and commercial breaks. I can fold laundry, load the dishwasher, or check Facebook, all without missing any important plot points.

With a movie, you have to devote your full attention to one thing for two hours. That’s just not something I normally choose to do.

So almost any time someone asks me if I’ve seen a movie, the answer is no.

But that’s all about to change, my friends.

Kelly, my friend and copywriting partner in crime, and I have come up with a list of over 100 movies I must watch. And I've decided to start working my way through that list this year. More on this tomorrow...

I’m not going to post the whole list, because who really cares that much? But just to give you an idea of how bad I am at watching movies, here are a few of the movies I've never seen:

Sleepless in Seattle
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Gone with the Wind
Juno
Footloose (to be fair, I have seen bits and pieces)
E.T.

and the list goes on.

Don't judge.

Below are the movies I don’t have access to. So if you have any of these movies, wanna let me borrow them? And/or watch with me?

1. Tootsie

2. Father of the Bride

3. Sleeping with the Enemy

4. Dying Young

5. To Kill a Mockingbird

6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

7. Casablanca

8. The Shining

9. Gran Torino

10. Memento

11. Fargo

12. Vanilla Sky

13. Empire of the Sun

14. Mystic River

15. Brother, Where Art Thou?

16. Rain Man

17. The Shawshank Redemption

18. Idiocracy

19. The Commitments

20. Muriel’s Wedding

21. Office Space

22. Funny Girl

23. Up

24. Catch Me If You Can

25. Changeling

26. The Intouchables

27. Misery

28. 40-Year-Old Virgin

29. Atonement

30. Dead Poet’s Society

31. The Truman Show

32. A Few Good Men

Get ready for a year of movie-related posts. These won't be reviews, because I'm hardly qualified to discuss a movie's strong and weak points--obviously. But I'll let you know what I think of 'em.

New Year, New Name

I went back and forth on my new blog name for weeks before finally choosing Wish Me Luckett once and for all…just four days ago.

 I thought about doing something with Ashley, but nothing felt quite right. I had a serious case of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” goin’ on.

 Ultimately, though, I chose Wish Me Luckett for several reasons:

 1) I say “wish me luck” a lot (when I’m interviewing, starting a new project, making a doctor’s appointment, etc.). So I figured I’d just add the e-t-t (yes, that’s two t’s) and make it my own.

2) I never really liked my original name (Always Many Laughs). While that name did reflect my life on the daily, I never thought, Wow, what a perfect blog name, Ash. So it obviously needed to go.

3) My high school nickname was Lucky. Okay, my friend Sheri was the only one who called me that, but still.

4) I’ve always liked my last name. And I won’t have it forever—assuming that boy of mine ever wants to put a ring on it—so I wanna use it while I can.

So there you have it: a long (and likely confusing/ridiculously mundane) explanation of the origin of my new blog identity, which you may dislike just as much as I disliked Always Many Laughs.

But please don’t tell me if you do. My feelings are easily hurt.
Fun fact: I already have a new named picked out for when (the power of positive thinking) that boy of mine does pop the question. Here’s a hint: His last name is Rose. And remember, I’m kind of obsessed with names.
Feel free to start making guesses.