Finally Something Good Today!

Got my All Access pass for Jingle Ball! Cannot wait to photograph this concert! Its gonna be a blast & just picking up the pass alone has made my day!!

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12 Crafts of Christmas-Day 8

12 Crafts of Christmas-Day 8- Beer Glasses!
Okay okay, so this isn't my best work, but it gives you the idea of what you can do as a gift for a guy! The Dollar Tree has these awesome beer glasses and they have some beer mugs as well that when painted make a great gift ;) Give it to him with a 6 pack of his favorite beer and he won't even notice if the art on it isn't perfect. Bonus tip: If you want to give him an assortment of beer visit a tap house that sells by the bottle and get 6 different bottles to give with the glass!


Items you will need:
* White Folk Art Enamels Paint
* Black Folk Art Enamels Paint
* Q-tips
* A Beer Glass
* Assorted brushes
* A cookie sheet
* An oven
* Styrofoam Plate
* Rubbing Alcohol

Instructions:
1. Clean the exterior of the Beer Glass with rubbing alcohol.
2. Pour a little paint onto the Styrofoam Plate and paint any image you want onto the glass.  Don't paint the bottom. Let it sit to air dry 30 minutes.
3. Pour another color of paint onto the Styrofoam Plate. After letting the first layer dry paint additional colors on top of it. For example-in the above photo I painted the white layer for the cards first and let it dry before adding the details in black. Let is sit to air dry an hour
4. Place a cookie sheet into a COOL oven and place the air dried painted candle holder onto the cookie sheet.
5. Close the oven and set the oven to 350 degrees. Then set a timer for 40 minutes.
6. When the timer goes off turn off the oven immediately and leave the item in the oven until it is completely cooled down.
7. Once the oven is cooled down voila! you have a hand painted Beer Glass! Add beer and you're all set!

Other crafts for the 12 Crafts of Christmas:
Day 7 SnowGIRL ornament
Day 6 Red Ball Snowman Ornament
Day 5 Christmas Wreath
Day 4 Snowman Banner
Day 3 Candy Cane Ornament
Day 2 Polka Dot Votive Holder
Day 1 Snowman Votive Holder

12 Crafts of Christmas-Day 6

Day 6- Snowman Ornament. Okay okay...if you have not figured it out by now...I really like snowmen. Maybe it's because of my frustration over the fact that in Florida we can't build them?

Items Needed:
1. Red Ball Ornament (You could also use green or blue. Silver and Gold don't work as well with the paint)
2. Sponge brush
3. Assorted paintbrushes (Could just use Q-tips for a simple snowman)
4. White acrylic paint
5. Black acrylic paint
6. Orange acrylic paint
7. assorted acrylic paint colors for the hat
8. Red fabric ribbon (again could use a different color ribbon depending on your preference.)
9. Styrofoam plate

Instructions:
1. Pour a little white acrylic paint onto the Styrofoam plate. With the sponge brush sponge a circle onto the front surface of the red ball ornament. Let it dry for a few hours.
2. Pour a very small amount of black paint and orange paint onto the Styrofoam plate.
3. Then with either a q-tip or a brush paint on the nose with the orange paint and then eyes and mouth with black paint. If you don't want to "draw" or don't think you can create the details just use dots for the black eyes and mouth. Let it dry again for a few hours.
4. If you are happy with just eyes, nose and mouth and having a simple snowman, then feed the red fabric ribbon through the hook on the top of the ornament ball. Tie it into a bow so that you can hang it on the tree and you're done.
5. To add extra detail use additional colors to paint a hat onto the snowman, then dry again, add the ribbon and then hang it on the tree ;)


Other crafts for the 12 Crafts of Christmas:
Day 5 Christmas Wreath
Day 4 Snowman Banner
Day 3 Candy Cane Ornament
Day 2 Polka Dot Votive Holder
Day 1 Snowman Votive Holder

Peppermint Hot Chocolate at Felicitous!

I frikkin' love Felicitous Coffee House! I wish I had the ability to move closer to USF so that I could visit this place more often.

Trying to get in the holiday spirit? Stop by and order a Peppermint Hot Chocolate with whipped cream. Yum! The large cup with the peppermint syrup and whipped cream was $4.55 with tax and worth every penny. So tasty.

As for the cup it came in...zebra stripes and chocolate syrup in zebra pattern on top of the whipped cream...hmmm...coincidence? I think not!

More on Felicitous:
I did a business shout out on them in Creative Loafing when they first opened, a Cheap Eats write up a few months later on Tampa Bay's Metromix and have mentioned them as often as possible on facebook, on my blog and on About.com.

They have free wi-fi, great pastries and desserts and some of the best frozen frappes I've ever tried!

Felicitous is located at:

11706 North 51st Street
Tampa, FL 33617

(813) 988-2828

12 Crafts of Christmas-Day 5

Now before you all freak out on me and run away with your tail between your legs, you should know that making a wreath for Christmas is much easier than it looks. All you really need is to figure out the colors you want in it and that is the hardest part.

Items needed:
1. Green Wreath- Joann's sells these as cheap as $1.99 during its sales for the season!
2. A bow. You can either make it by hand or they sell lots of premade ones
3. Ornaments. There are lots of little trinkets that are perfect for wreaths in the floral section at Joann's that you can get as cheap as $1 each or less depending on the sales. The floral picks that have flowers and other adornments attached to a long piece of green wire have always worked best for me. The above wreath has about 12 floral picks in it along with one big bow
4. Green floral wire
5. Wire cutters or heavy duty scissors that can clip wire

Instructions:
1. Place everything on top of the wreath to see how it will look. Arrange it and rearrange it until you think it looks perfect. I often will take a picture once its perfect so that I remember how it looked as I'm securing everything to the wreath.
2. Insert the floral picks into the wreath one by one and twist the wire around the back to secure it.
3. Add the bow to the top, middle or side. Whereever you like it and secure to the back of the wreath with floral wire.
4. For added security I often go back with floral wire and wrap it around my picks and my bow just to make sure that while its hanging nothing falls off. Some folks I know will secure it with a hot glue gun. I personally don't because I prefer to change out the picks annually so that my wreaths are different each year.

Other crafts for the 12 Crafts of Christmas:
Day 4 Snowman Banner
Day 3 Candy Cane Ornament
Day 2 Polka Dot Votive Holder
Day 1 Snowman Votive Holder

The Real Reason People Have Kids

Sometimes I wonder if the real reason people have kids is so they won't feel strange buying kids toys that they actually want to play with.

I'm walking through the kids toys at Target and seeing all kinds of fun stuff I want to play with. The problem is I don't have children and it would be awkward walking to the register and having the cashier say something like "Is this for your little boy for Christmas?" Then I would have to give the odd response of "No, I just want to play with legos! Leave me alone!!!"

If you have kids, have you ever bought something for your child so you could play with it? Or if you don't have kids but wanted a toy to play with would you buy it anyway?!?

12 Crafts of Christmas-Day 4

Wooden Snowman Banner:
Why make it difficult by finding all the supplies when you can just buy the Wooden Snowman Banner Craft Kit from Oriental Trading Company? Buy this awesome kit HERE and you can make 12 Wooden Snowman Banners. They can either be used as hanging decorations on the wall or ornaments on a bigger tree. Final products end up being about 6" in length. They are so cute and come with instructions for the best way to put them together.

12 Crafts of Christmas-Day 3

Day 3. Sorry I'm posting this a little late, but hey- it's still December 3 in California for a little while longer. Therefore-here is Day 3's Craft!

Candy Cane Ornament:

Items Needed:
*Pipe Cleaners
*Red Beads- the three pronged beads are preffered
*White Beads- again the three pronged beads are preffered

Instructions:
1. Cut a pipe cleaner in half and at one end place a red or white bead and wrap the pipe cleaner around it once to secure it.
2. String the beads onto the pipe cleaner. Red, then white, then red, then white until you get to the end of the pipe cleaner.
3. Secure the last bead on the pipe cleaner by wrapping it with the end of the pipe cleaner.
4. To form a "cane" simply bend the pipe cleaner into a J shape.

12 Crafts of Christmas-Day 2

 

Today's Christmas Craft is green and red polka dot candle holders.  See day 1 HERE

Polka Dot Candle Holders

Items you will need:
* Red Folk Art Enamels Paint
* Green Folk Art Enamels Paint
* Q-tips
* A Glass Votive Candle Holder
* A cookie sheet
* An oven
* Styrofoam Plate
* Rubbing Alcohol

Costs to expect: Enamels paint is about $2 each. You can get votive holders for $1 or less at Wal-Mart and the Dollar Tree.


How to:
Super simple!!!
1. Clean the exterior of the Glass Votive Candle Holder with rubbing alcohol.
2. Pour a little green paint onto a Styrofoam Plate. With a Q-tip paint dots onto the glass in whatever pattern you would like.
3. Pour a little red paint onto a Styrofoam Plate. Now take the Q-tip and make red dots on the exterior to foll in the spots where there is no green paint. Let is sit to air dry an hour.
4. Place a cookie sheet into a COOL oven and place the air dried painted candle holder onto the cookie sheet.
5. Close the oven and set the oven to 350 degrees. Then set a timer for 40 minutes.
6. When the timer goes off turn off the oven immediately and leave the item in the oven until it is completely cooled down.
7. Once the oven is cooled down voila! you have a hand painted Polka Dot Candle Holder! Add a tealight and you're all set! (Giving it as a gift? Place it in a little party bag and twist tie it shut-you can get 20 at Wal-Mart with twist ties for just $0.97- then either wrap it in a gift bag or give as is.)

12 Crafts of Christmas-Day 1

In an effort to prove that you don't have to be Martha Stewart to make gifts by hands for folks I took a page from the Dealicious Finds site to show the readers of The Famous Ashley Grant and Tampa Bay Freebies my 12 Crafts of Christmas!

So, without further adieu...today is Day #1!!! The Snowman Candle you see at the top of this post is easier than you can imagine to make!

Items you will need:
* White Folk Art Enamels Paint
* Black Folk Art Enamels Paint
* Q-tips
* A Glass Votive Candle Holder
* A Sponge brush
* A cookie sheet
* An oven
* Styrofoam Plate
* Rubbing Alcohol

Costs to expect: Enamels paint is about $2 each. You can get votive holders for $1 or less at Wal-Mart and the Dollar Tree.


How to:
Super simple!!!
1. Clean the exterior of the Glass Votive Candle Holder with rubbing alcohol.
2. Pour a little white paint onto a Styrofoam Plate. Sponge it onto the exterior of the Glass Votive Candle Holder. Don't paint the bottom. (For best results dab the sponge to coat the surface, don't stroke in lines.) Let it sit to air dry 30 minutes.
3. Pour a little black paint onto a Styrofoam Plate. Take the Q-tip and make black dots on the exterior to create a face. Let is sit to air dry an hour
4. Place a cookie sheet into a COOL oven and place the air dried painted candle holder onto the cookie sheet.
5. Close the oven and set the oven to 350 degrees. Then set a timer for 40 minutes.
6. When the timer goes off turn off the oven immediately and leave the item in the oven until it is completely cooled down.
7. Once the oven is cooled down voila! you have a hand painted Snowman Candle Holder! Add a tealight and you're all set!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! May your food be good and your hearts be happy!

My Name is a BAD Password! LoL

 

Forbes has revealed the top 25 worst passwords! My name is #16. If any of these are your password-change it. Is your name on the list? hahaha!!! I feel special that my name is popular enough to be on the bad password list. See the original story HERE
1. password
2. 123456
3.12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. monkey
7. 1234567
8. letmein
9. trustno1
10. dragon
11. baseball
12. 111111
13. iloveyou
14. master
15. sunshine
16. ashley
17. bailey
18. passw0rd
19. shadow
20. 123123
21. 654321
22. superman
23. qazwsx
24. michael
25. football

Follow Your Dreams

Remember in grade school when teachers had motivational posters that were so encouraging? They said things like "You can achieve anything!" or "Reach for the stars!" or "Follow your dreams!"

Then, one day the posters fell to the back burner. It was time to study harder, read more, ace the test and get into a good college.

Somewhere along the way we quit dreaming. A piece of us dies with every dream we give up on. The good news is we can revive it! So...wherever you are today dream a little. Think back to when you were 5 & wanted to be a ballerina or a fireman or an astronaut or a teacher or a rock star. Whatever it was dream about what it would be like to live it out. Remember that its never too late to follow your dreams.

The best part about remembering your old dreams is that you may find a way for them to come true. Just that thought alone could be the motivation you need for big & amazing things to come into your life.

Reach for the stars! You CAN achieve anything!

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WTF Friday?!? 11-11-11

Just when you thought you had heard it all...there is now this! Ladies are getting drunk via tampons soaked in vodka. There are new ways to get drunk all the time it seems...The first new way I heard was a alcohol enema where you literally put alcohol in your bum to get a buzz. The second new way I heard was to soak your gummy bears in vodka to hide that you are drinking. The latest way is to insert vodka soaked tampons vaginally and anally. wow! what do you think?!?

For more ways to ingest vodka check out the 7 Most Efficient Ways to Ingest Vodka in fact...please don't!

Drink responsibly people!!! The Famous Ashley Grant does not recommend drinking in excess or using ANY of the ways mentioned in this post to get drunk or even to get a buzz!

To see more bizarre things you can do with a tampon you gotta see this weird site: Tampon Crafts! WTF?!?

Am I Too Ignorant?

The other night while out to dinner I told a friend that I'm purposefully ignorant of many things. Rather than set myself up for arguments and drama I intentionally do not learn things that are going on in the world because most of it seems to be bad news and I always try to suck the negativity out like venom in a bite and spit it away to be released from my life...but lately I've been wondering...am I too ignorant?

Sadly, I'm starting to think the answer to this question may be yes.

When I was in school I fear I didn't really learn enough of anything. I got into a very severe habit of memorizing information, regurgitating it on the day of the test and then immediately forgetting it to prepare for the next exam. The result of 12 years of public school and 6 years of college is that there are many things I don't know, can't recall and/or never bothered to really pay attention to.

In fact, the funny thing is I've learned more since graduating high school and college than I ever did while in school. However, I think it's time to focus on learning more, reading more and paying more attention. The question now is-what do I want to know?

27 Things I’ve Learned in 27 Years

I was going to wait until I turned 30 to post something like this, but everyone who knows me knows I’m impatient and that when I set my mind to something I just want to do it and not wait! So, here are 27 things I’ve learned in 27 years:

1. There is good and bad in the world. Being with like minded individuals can either lead to progress or destruction. Make sure you are in the productive group.

2. Not everyone is out to get you even when it feels like the world is against you.

3. Everyone is dealing with problems and your issue may not be as bad as theirs. The nicest home can be filled with the most troubles.

4. You can’t trust everyone you meet, but keep close the people that you can.

5. You can forgive everyone that hurts you, but you should never forget. With that said, it should be noted that revenge is not always sweet. Sometimes it’s actually really bitter.

6. What’s right is not always popular; what’s popular is not always right. (all sources I found said this quote is by Albert Einstein)

7. Being the cool kid may not be all its cracked up to be. Recently I went to dinner with two amazing women who opened my eyes to the world of being the cool kid. The amount of upkeep to always be trendy, have the perfect clothes, perfect hair and coolest gadgets just sounds exhausting. I’d rather get that extra hour of sleep than have every hair in place thank you!

8. A smile burns more calories than a frown and it looks better too. A bonus: smiling while unhappy somehow makes it hurt less.

9. Some people are innately evil and should be avoided like the plague. There really are some people who will beg, borrow and steal their way to the top and don’t care who they have to step on to get their. As soon as you realize who they are, pluck them out of your life!

10. Always look out for number 1, but don’t step in number 2 either. (movie line from Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield)

11. When you stop looking for mister right you find him. I didn’t see my husband Jeremy coming but am so glad his path crossed mine.  

12. Speaking before thinking has massive consequences but when the heart kicks in, the head shuts down.

13. I didn’t need to take as many math classes as I did. My calculator really can solve all my math problems. P.S. love the tip calculator on my phone!

14. Someone will always be bigger, better, stronger, smarter than me. All I should really focus on is being the best I can be and following my dreams.

15. I didn’t gain weight overnight and can’t expect to lose it overnight.

16. Living a healthy lifestyle is imperative and eating crap makes me feel like crap. Note to self-must find ways to get cheaper healthier food J

17. The best job in the world is one that you love, can make money at and are actually qualified to do. When it stops being fun its time to change it.

18. Money is not the only key to happiness but it sure feels better to cry in a car with air conditioning than one without…especially in the Florida heat. Nonetheless, I’d rather be broke and happy than rich and miserable.

19. Dogs are better than cats for some people and I prefer dogs. No hate mail please-its my preference and what I learned about me!

20. Sharing is caring except when it comes to my toothbrush. Mom also always said never share my drinks, my makeup or my hairbrush.

21. Karma is a bitch sometimes but she can be sweet too. Do unto others as you want done to you.

22. One red sock can ruin an entire load of white clothes but pink is one of my favorite colors.

23. If at first you don’t succeed destroy all evidence you tried. Never give up, never surrender.

24. Being an adult is fun but responsibility blows sometimes!

25. I should have stopped wishing I was older and enjoyed every minute of the present. Too often I look forward to stuff in the future and neglect the wonderful moments of now.

26. Wine is fine but liquor is quicker; either way hangovers suck!

27. Everything happens for a reason and we may never know what that reason is. Some things in life have to be accepted and this is one of them.

Halloween is Fast Approaching and I Need Your Help!

Hey guys! I need help for Halloween!! I've got two stories I'm working on for the holiday. The first is for tbt* I'm going to be making my Halloween costume by myself for the first time and I'm looking for suggestions of what I should be and therefore what costume I should make.

The second story I'm working on is for Tampa's About.com. I'm creating a list of things to do for Halloween in Tampa. Do you know of any events?

Please use the form in this blog post to answer these questions. Thanks bunches in advance!

My Work Day > Than Yours!

What were you doing at 2 p.m. today? Were you in a boring meeting? Watching the clock tick slowly by wishing it was Friday? Well...while you were doing that.... I was trying the best Rum Runner I've ever had in my life at the bar conveniently named Rum Runners for a bar review I'm working on for Tampa Bay's Metromix!

The review won't go live until August, but I'm trying to get a head start on all of my work in case summer plans pop up! For a switch I'm trying to not be the procrastinator I've been in the past!

info on Rum Runners:

2701 US Alt.19
Palm Harbor, FL 34683

727-787-5566
http://www.rumrunnersfun.com

Come Meet Me or Just Hang!

When:

June 29 : 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Event Phone Number:

813.265.2625

 

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

Neighborhood: Lake Magdalene

13020 N Dale Mabry Hwy

Tampa, FL 33618 813.265.2625

As far as social media goes, Twitter is a polarizer—either you can’t get enough of hearing about what your friend had for lunch/reading what Ashton Kutcher is up to/telling the world about your promotion or the only definition for the word “tweet” you know is the sound a bird makes—and you’re totally fine with that.

We happen to love Twitter because it lets us get to know you, but we want to take our relationship to the next level. That’s why we’re hosting #WellDoneMix - the first Metromix Tampa Bay and Anthony's Coal Fired Tweetup from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza.
 
Come out and meet Metromix Managing Producer Jacqui Anderson (@captnjac), Marketing Coordinator Brandon Thompson (@Brandonpromo), Community Blogger Wrangler Summer Lott (@summerlott) and Photographer Ashley Grant (@TheAshleyGrant), as well as your fellow Anthony Coal Fired Pizza tweeters, have your photo taken and, most importantly, have some pizza. 

Make sure to follow us at @Metromix_Tampa and @AnthonysCFPizza to get details on the Tweetup. And if you're planning on coming out, let us know in the comments section below or just tweet us.

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza will provide pizza, wings, and meatballs for 100 people as well as t-shirts, and three $20 gift cards. Not to mention there will be tons of Metromix.com giveaways, free movie screening passes, and a raffle for DVD prizes.The first 7 people will get a Metromix swag bag at the door!

Tweeting in public is not only encouraged, it’s a must. If you’re part of the Twitterverse, mix and mingle with your fellow tweeps.

My Memorial Day Weekend 2011

It's rare in my line of work that I'm the one being photographed and I've been realizing just how many events I shoot where there is not a single image of me. Lately, I've been trying to include myself in the images that are taken because I want digital proof of my being there and how much fun I have while working ;)

So, here is what I did this Memorial Weekend 2011

Friday May 27, 2011 I went on a waverunner for the first time! The story about my experience will be in the tbt* on Friday, June 3 and in the St. Pete Times on Thursday, June 2

Saturday May 28, 2011 I made pulled pork sandwiches and tater tots-
no pics but hey...it was delicious! trust me!

Sunday May 29, 2011 I shot the Hula Bay and Redneck Riviera galleries for Tampa Bay's Metromix. The pics from those parties will go live Tuesday, May, 31!

Monday May 30, 2011

I made Jambalaya for the first time, tried a recipe for Mudslide Shots and won $40 on a $2 scratch off. Other than that I lazed around the house and it was fabulous!

Making Jambalaya for the first time

I've never made Jambalaya, so I thought it best to go with a box mix for my first time making it. I opted for Zatarain's New Orleans Style mix with sausage.

 

I cut the sausage up and was ready to start cooking...

 

Then it was into the pan!

 

After browning the sausage, adding the pasta and seasoning blend, bringing it to a boil and cooking it for 10 minutes I ended up with this...

 

The food was sooooooo good! I will definitely be trying it again and strongly recommend the box mix to anyone wanting to try their hand at making this New Orleans style dish!!! Now, if only there were some leftovers...

Time for an OVERHAUL!

This page is under construction so I can get my crap together and come back with all new AWESOME site just for you!

My sites under construction:
The Famous Ashley Grant
The Photographic Times
We Are Full of Bull

What Inspired Me to get Freebies

One of the number one questions I've been asked lately (aside from how do you get your freebies) is why did I start this site? It is difficult to say but it started like this...I've been obsessed with getting free stuff for a while but getting even more free stuff happened out of necessity when the number of gigs I was getting as a freelancer began to dwindle.

I heard about this cool site called Addicted to Saving and then attended one of the savings classes taught by the blogger herself Liza Ford. She was already helping me through her blog to save more than 50% on my grocery bill and as I followed her blog I even got as good as saving up to 80 and 90% on my groceries. In fact, the best I ever did was $200 worth of groceries at Publix for $0.76 out of pocket.

Still needing more ways to get free stuff I made it my mission for 30 days to see just how much free stuff I could get and by the end of the 30 days my futon in my living room was literally covered in miscellaneous products that I had gotten FREE!!! Then, I decided it was time to get SERIOUS! So, on 10-10-10 since it was an epic date anyway I bought the domain http://www.tampabayfreebies.com After a couple of days of fighting to transfer stuff I had already written through blogger over to the domain, I was in business and ready to share all the freebies I get with anyone who cared to read this.

I still view the awesome website Addicted to Saving almost daily and even post some of Liza's awesome deals on this site and give her credit for everything I get from there.

Although I'm starting to get work regularly again my obsession with free stuff is growing not only for myself but for the many people who I struggling to bring down their expenses.

I honestly believe that even if I won the lottery or had some other windfall I would still be seeking out freebies and sharing with everyone in cyberspace how I get what I get.

I hope you have been enjoying this website and I hope it can continue to grow by leaps and bounds. Thanks to everyone who has viewed it so far and for all the nice comments and amazing support. I love my readers and I LOVE FREEBIES!!!

xoxoxo~ The Famous Ashley Grant

lots of the freebies I got in my 30 day challenge to myself:

New Feature of The Famous Ashley Grant

I decided it is time to start sharing my availability. How can you know whether or not I'm available for hire if you don't know when I'm already booked? Hence-here's my photo availability calendar. If you need me on a day that I'm free-let me know!!! I'd love to work with you =)

p.s.-my calendar will now always be at the bottom of this website. Scroll down to the bottom and there is my list of gigs and stuff I'm working =)