Everyone

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, ASH General, ASH Photography, Celebrity Fluff, Dorkdom, Just Fun, My New Life As Me

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Look what we did!

I know it might seem super lame to you, but to me this is a big deal.

When I started ASH Multimedia two years ago, it was originally a companion site for my former husband’s photography. He couldn’t generate interest in his photos, so he thought my writing would help. When we split up, I was unsure of what to do with it, so my dearest friend Drew suggested we work on it together…so we did.

For a good long time, I only had one fan. I adored my one fan. They meant everything to me because they were reading what I wrote. Then, more of you came and slowly, this little blog turned into something successful…sort of.

I write a lot of words. It’s all I do. Sometimes I write about my life and how I screw it up almost every second of every day. Sometimes I struggle to be a single mom. Sometimes I look at the latest mess I’ve gotten into. Sometimes, I just have an idea & want to share it with y’all. Maybe you’ve had the same thought and felt like someone got it. Maybe you thought I was an idiot. Regardless, you read this blog. Sometimes, you read it more than once. Some of you are regulars. So, whether you’re that one fan that kept me motivated for two years or someone who just popped in; thank you so much for reading my kooky little words. It may not seem like much to you, but it means everything in the entire world to me. No matter how successful I become as a writer or a person, I’ll always remember the day my little project reached this milestone and smile.

So, thanks for making my project something. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll keep writing if you’ll keep coming. If I’ve ever said anything that helped you, made you think or anything other than I’m an idiot, thanks. The one thing I hope you take into the next 10k is this: If you find that something I say makes you think of yourself, a moment in time or whatever, maybe there’s a reason. Maybe there’s something to it that you need to apply to your own life. We could all use a little guidance, and if in any way made you think, then I did my job as a writer well.

-MHC

The 2013 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day Nine

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, Dear Blank, MH vs Dating, Mommydom, Relationships

Day Nine: List 10 people who influenced you and how.

Huzzah! I’m actually writing about y’all!

1. My daughters. They inspire me to be a better person every second of every day. They’re why I go to school, why I try hard to write. They influence everything I do; whom I date, whom I speak with, why I try harder to be nice, my carbon footprint. I want to give them everything in life that they feel would make it better, even the stuff that I just can’t do. Without them, I’d somehow be a bigger screw up than usual.

2. Drew. Drew is my best friend in the whole world. He tells me every day that I am awesome. He isn’t afraid to tell me I’m too nice and God help the person who hurts me. He will coldly shut them out FOREVER and make sure you know that he hates you and will continue to treat you like crap unless I can convince him that it hurts me to treat you like crap. Drew’s opinion matters to me. If he doesn’t like you, chances are you will be removed from my life, because he has a good reason. I trust his judgment implicitly & that’s why some people think we share a mind. Who knows? Maybe we do!

3. My foster father. Arguably the smartest and most awesome man in my entire life, he made me strive to be…anything because I could be anything. I may not have done everything the way he would have wanted me to, but I’ve tried my hardest and I hope he’s proud of me. He’s the standard of which I’ve set men, since my divorce, I’ve only considered men that have traits like my father.

4. The Gleason Table. My good friend and fellow blogger at the Gleason Table is one of two reasons this blog is still operational right now. He reminds me that I need to not give an effing eff and do what makes ME happy and not just let people walk all over me. He’s a good friend and a better man & he brings out the DILIGAF in me.

5. The Texan. The other reason my blog is still running; the Texan wouldn’t have it any other way! She’s a good friend who truly demonstrates God’s love every day by helping people, even a silly Canadian girl who can’t keep her life together. I look to her for guidance on how to love my neighbour and be a better person.

6. The Artist. My best girlfriend helps me strive to be a better housekeeper, something she struggles with too. We’re working together to improve as domestic engineers.

7. My College Professor. She’s a mom, the course coordinator for the journalism program at my alma mater and a published author. I would love to do everything like she does. The day she called me a colleague was the happiest day of my life.

8. Yogi & Dawna, the ASH Team. Drew gets his special spot, but my girls Yogi & Dawna influence me in a lot of ways. From pimping my blog to get me to 10K views to dishing out harsh love life advice, they influence me by reminding me that I don’t need to be perfect, just me.

9. The Psych Major. My Jeopardy partner BFF is always the voice of reason. Rarely is she wrong about the world; something to do with her background in psychology.

10. The Audience of One. When I launched this blog, I had one fan. The most wonderful thing he (anyone) ever said to me was “I’ve read every word you’ve ever written.” Unlike other men, my work wasn’t a hobby; it was my life & he was proud of me. He would help me work, brag about me. He built me up as this thing; sweet, beautiful, perfect, the ideal mate & how badly I wanted to be that thing, because he is that thing. I tried so hard to do it too, but being the tornado of screw up that I am, I failed. Then he said the most hurtful thing any human being has ever said to me, to the point where I wanted to shut down my project (even so, I’m not terribly proud of my current work). I guess he influenced me because I wanted to be the person he seemed to see in me, not the reality of suck that is the real me.

The 2013 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 8

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, Fitnesslicious, Mommydom, MusicIsLifeIsMusicIsLife, My New Life As Me

Day 8: List 5 passions that you have.

1. Writing. Writing. Writing. Writing. It’s all I really know how to do except write. I write all my feelings in letters that I never send. I write in cards instead of canned sentiment. I write for a living. I write this blog. This is all I know how to do & sometimes I even do it well. Sometimes. But writing is my true passion in life.

2. Faith/spirituality. I am very passionate about learning to be a better person, discovering God’s plans for me and my family and where all of it will take me. I’ve taken some flack from readers because of my strong pro-LGBT stance and my Christianity, however, I like to point out that I choose to focus on Jesus’s words on the subject, which are none. I enjoy my church, the community, and the messages I’m getting from the sermons. I try to apply to my daily life, try to be nicer, kinder, better.

3. Music. I love music. It makes me feel better, I listen to what affects my mood, etc. I love everything about music. Just for kicks, here’s what I’m listening to right now:

playlist

4. Self-improvement. I’m not a person who enjoys remaining stagnant. I want to grow, evolve and change. Whether it’s tearing apart my house and repainting the whole thing to make it happier, to yoga to improve my body, meditation to improve my mind, I will always continue to try and expand my horizons and grow as a person. It’s very important to me to continue to learn and grow as I wander through life. These things are important to me. I don’t want to become complacent and end up screwing up everything in my life because I didn’t follow through, etc.

5. Corporate Law. Surprisingly enough, I actually enjoy the work I do at placement…not so much in class. There’s something about actually doing it and watching the mergers and such take place that is really fascinating! I enjoy my firm, the people I work with and how it all comes together.

The 2013 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, My New Life As Me, Relationships, Seriously WTF?, When Things Suck Hard

Day 6: Name the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do.

I’m not one to go on about really personal things on my blog. I prefer high level personal anecdotes. If you only read my blog & did not know me, you likely wouldn’t know intimate details about me & that’s how I like to keep it.

The hardest thing I’ve ever done is something only two people know (besides myself). It relates to a health issue that I dealt with back in August that left me quite ill & some days, just making my daughters breakfast left me so exhausted that I needed to rest. I was very emotional because I had never had to deal with something that serious on my own, with no partner to help me with the kids, or reassure me that I would be okay, which would have been nice as for three weeks I was a human pincushion while medical personnel didn’t know what was wrong & while I was physically recovered by the end of September, it took its toll on me emotionally.

It was rough, but fortunately I had two close friends to help me through. I’m grateful it’s behind me & I truly hope I’m never in a situation like that again.

The 2013 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 5

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, Celebrity Fluff, Dorkdom, Mommydom, MusicIsLifeIsMusicIsLife, My New Life As Me

Day 5: name 5 things that make you happy right now.

Most things make me happy. I’m a generally happy person. I live a blessed life: I have three amazing children, awesome friends. I have a church community that is welcoming and allows me to grow spiritually. I’ve been blessed with many talents. I enjoy my work @ my law firm & my magazine. But I’m sure there are five things that make me happiest:

1. My daughters. Durr.
2. Maroon 5. I saw them last night & they were amazing. Adam Levine is smoking hot live & Owl City was an amazing opening act. All good things.
3. Drew. My best friend always makes life awesome.
4. The sun. I’ll like it more when it’s warm.
5. Paint. My living room is finally being painted, which will make my house a little more “mine.”

The 2013 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day Four

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, Dorkdom, Douchers, MH vs Dating, Mommydom, MusicIsLifeIsMusicIsLife, My New Life As Me, Relationships, Seriously WTF?

Day Four: 10 Things you would tell your 16 year old self.

1. True girlfriends are hard to come by & you’ll likely never have more than two at a time. Some “girlfriends” will do all of those things you see in teen dramas. This never changes, even as adults. Hold on to the true girlfriends & mad love for your guy friends & your gay friends.

2. There’s no shame in being nice, even to people who hurt you. Always treat people the way you want to be treated.

3. There’s someone out there for you. When I find them, I’ll let you know.

4. Don’t keep trying to be perfect. You’ll never be perfect. Just be you.

5. You’re gonna interview Amanda Marshall. It’s awesome.

6. You’ll always be the good girl. You’ll always love & get your heart broken. You’ll never just put out without love. You’ll never be selfish. That’s okay. Don’t let anyone tell you there’s anything wrong with being the good girl. You’ll be the role model for your daughters.

7. Good music fixes everything.

8. Don’t stress when you put on weight. You’re still pretty & you were too thin anyway.

9. Geese will never stop being scary.

10. Life never gets easier. It’ll always hurt. People will leave. They’ll crush you. Sometimes you’ll wonder what’s the freaking point. The point is that you’re amazing & the people who truly matter will know. You’ll become a mom (& a good one), a writer & you’ll be alright. You’ll do amazing things. Just get through the crap by loving the good.

The 2013 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 3

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, Mommydom, My New Life As Me, Relationships

Day three: Describe your relationship with your parents.

Well, my relationship with my mom is odd, so I would rather describe my relationship as a parent.

I’m not a conventional parent. I will ask them what their major malfunction is when they take tantrums at the store. I don’t immediately step in for conflict. I ask them what they think the right choice is & they go to bed by 8:30 on school nights. We do structured activities like crafts & go on random adventures.

I know I’m not the “typical” mom & that’s okay. It works for us. I have three well behaved children who love everyone, are compassionate & bright. My 11yo is a gifted writer & musician & her teachers rave about her leadership skills. She reads non-stop & the lessons she takes from her books makes me proud. She’s environmentally conscious & is always striving to make our house more eco-friendly. My 6yo brought home a flawless report card & reads at a grade two level. Her piano teacher raves at how well she’s doing & her bright future in music. Her imagination is unparalleled. My 3yo is sweet & loving with a razor sharp memory & vocabulary skills that are superior to much older kids.

We talk about everything, they aren’t afraid to come to me & we resolve things as a family. We may not be conventional, but we love each other & we’ll figure this life thing out together…

…and if I can get them all off to college without knocking off a liquor store, that’ll be great too.

The 2013 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day Two

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, Douchers

Day Two: Describe three legitimate fears and explain what made them become fear.

Finally! Drew gets the blog post he’s wanted forever…the blog about GEESE.

I suppose there should be three as the instructions say, but really there is only one…GEESE.

Geese are nature’s douchecanoes. They’re evil, soul sucking bastards intent on killing me.

Okay, maybe not, but they’re still really evil. My friend showed me a video of geese and I seriously hid in a corner until it was gone. I scream when I see them in cars. They’re so horrifyingly awful.

I’ve always been afraid of geese. My best friend growing up had this evil brown goose on her farm and if it was in the doorway of the barn, I would wait in the barn until it ran away. So, naturally no one would chase it away, because they’re assholes. However, the defining moment of my geese hatred came when a swarm of them attacked my eldest daughter when she tried to feed them as a toddler. I had to hold her and kick them away while they were snapping @ her and the sheer helplessness that came from them attacking my child and my inability to stop them.

So, geese are evil. Horrifyingly evil and should never be anywhere near me, my children, my yard. For some reason though, they think it’s cool to hang out in all of those places because they suck.

The 2013 30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 1

by maryhelenc, posted in ASH Blog Projects, Celebrity Fluff, Dorkdom, MH vs Dating, Mommydom, MusicIsLifeIsMusicIsLife, My New Life As Me

Blog challenge

We did this last year and it was fun, so we’re going to do it again this year. I was going to wait until the first of March, but I don’t feel like it, so we’re starting today! Enjoy!

Day One: List 20 Random Facts About Yourself

1. I will only use one brand of makeup. Allegedly they test on animals. My friend sends me photos of dead bunnies and I cry.

2. The only time I ever wanted to write poetry was after watching 10 Things I Hate About You. I thought if my person & I ever had some tragic, Shakespearean falling out, I could write something similar and it would open the doors of communication and we’d work it out. But I’m a horrible poet & chances are Heath Ledger would have taken his guitar & run with it.

3. I have a freakish obsession with pancakes.

4. I currently think the Imagine Dragons are the best new band in the history of everything.

5. Nothing can be wrong in the world when Lifehouse is on my stereo.

6. I named one of my children after a minor character in a horror movie.

7. I often wish I could change my major to Social Work. It’s why my blog’s content has gravitated towards self help.

8. I abhor the smell of vanilla.

9. I don’t own a copy of Le Petit Prince, not in french nor in english and that makes me totally sad.

10. I have a bigger TV set than anyone I know and I never watch it ever. I use it for digital music and video games.

11. I’m a huge Zelda nerd & I have never finished the game Majora’s Mask.

12. I hate planning things for myself. I hate anything that makes me the centre of attention, so my birthday plans start out with me attempting to plan, then forgetting and realizing three days before that I’m not doing anything.

13. I walked out on a date after 20 minutes because the guy told me he didn’t see the value of higher education.

14. I love Maroon 5 and Adam Levine more than anything, but I still think Songs About Jane mostly sucks.

15. My three year old has tried to teach me to understand football. She explains it better than most dudes that I know.

16. I still listen to boy bands and contend that *N’Sync was far superior to the Backstreet Boys.

17. My one goal in life is to report from a war zone. The closest I’ve come is live tweeting Dawna playing Call of Duty.

18. I have been trying to quit consuming caffeine for a month now. I have gone zero days without it.

19. I suffer from insomnia. Whenever I’m stressed or hurting, sleep is the first thing to go.

20. I’ve avoided Walmart for three weeks and will continue to do so for the next two.