do you hear the people sing?

would you judge me if i told you i've been sitting in this exact spot on my couch for almost five hours? my sweet husband picked me up from school with a gallon of orange juice and les mis in hand. so this is what our friday night looks like: 

(we like to push our couches together to make one extra large super couch)
although i know my pathetic words won't do justice describing this cinematic work of art, let me say that i feel so inspired as i journey with valjean throughout the film. i am humbled, i am heartbroken, i am filled with love and faith. my heart is touched by the immediate and passionate love between marius and cossett. les mis motivates me to be a better person, to love with my whole heart, and to show compassion to everyone around me. personally, i choose to label the 2.5 hours as more of a spiritual experience rather than a casual movie watching. i am already excited to watch it and be enlightened again. and again. and again. thanks, husband.

i love the internet

happy wednesdizzle my peeps. how u be?
oh, i'm sorry...
it seems like my new favorite website is rubbing off on me.

have you been on gizoogle.net?
i just spent the last 10 minutes wiping tears off my face.
this site might be the funniest thing i have ever seen in my entire life.

it lets you search anything (similar to the original google), but the results are translated into gangster language. seriously. look up any site through gizoogle.net, and watch the magic happen. this has the potential to provide me with hours upon hours of entertainment.

my blog:
http://www.gizoogle.net/index.php?search=ashleynoelbarnes.blogspot.com&se=Gizoogle+Dis+Shiznit

my twitter:
http://gizoogle.net/index.php?search=%40ashleyymarx&se=Gizoogle+Dis+Shiznit

i'm dying.
peace up.

(and while we're on the topic of gangsters, please enjoy these photos of kristine and myself dressed up for halloween. maybe like... 2006? 2007? favorite costume ever.)

straight up.

my latest power outfit

i don't know about you, but when i'm stressed out of my mind, my coping method of choice is retail therapy. there's something so motivating and comforting about wearing a new piece of clothing! i knew this week was going to be a little on the crazy side, so i found some peace in this adorable top from forever 21. the peter pan collar trend is rocking my world. 

plus, today i had to teach 3 lessons and be observed by my professor and school facilitator. 

if that doesn't justify a new blouse, i don't know what does. 

my protocol in life for any nerve-wrecking event (tests, interviews, sacrament meeting talks, etc.) is to dress as cute as humanly possible. because hey, even if it doesn't end well, at least i still feel like some hot piece of ass. 

(but don't worry, i crushed my observation) 

my FAVORITE app

is it just me, or are digital cameras a thing of the past?

i never use mine. in fact, i had completely forgotten about it until a few days ago when i was rearranging a closet. i wiped off the inch-thick layer of dust and pushed the power button. the most recent pictures on it were from our HONEYMOON! seriously? so long ago. anyway, the point i'm trying to get to is this: i use my iphone in place of a camera 99.9% of the time. it's so convenient, i always have it with me, and it's super easy to share my pictures with friends and other devices via messaging, social media, email, and dropbox. duh. 

the only thing i don't particularly love about my phone turned camera is the subpar picture quality. it's good... but it's not great. that is - it wasn't great. UNTIL, my homie jen (who you all should follow because she's hilarious) introduced me to afterglow.

i'm convinced it's the best photo app out there. maybe even the best app in general. 

it totally transforms my pictures.

it is so easy to use, yet makes me feel like a photography genius.

exhibit 1: crappy picture taken by apple employee

terrible lighting. terrible everything. we were trying to document a huge milestone in our life (buying an iPad), and walked away with this dark ridiculous picture. how sad would it be if i was stuck with this picture for the rest of my life? no fear- a few minutes of quality time with afterglow, and this is the result: 

BOOM! right?! you can almost see the tears of joy streaming down scotty's face.

exhibit 2: fantastic frames
another thing i love about afterglow is the frames. hearts, stars, circles, you name it.
they give my pictures character.

cute, right? 

so take the 30 seconds and 99 cents out of your life and download afterglow... because i promise you, you won't regret it. what are your favorite apps? i love hearing what ones other people are obsessed with!

you look better with the lights off

sometimes i find songs that are perfectly fitting and relevant to real life experiences. for example:
hearing your alarm clock go off = don't wake me up by chris brown
going on my second date with scotty = fallin' for you by colbie caillat
some girl from vegas claims she went to your "my world" tour and now has your baby and is filing a lawsuit and making you take a DNA test = maria by justin bieber (p.s. what ever happened with that?)
buying a lamp shade at target = better with the lights off by new boyz
... let me explain.
scotty and i were making our weekly target trip on thursday night, minding our own business, when suddenly my eyes were blinded by the beauty of this lamp shade:

i was almost in tears because i've never seen anything so perfect and pretty.
it was like the only three things in the store were me, scotty, and the shade. a complete and happy little family.
i love the pattern and i especially love the color.
i love the bold contrast between the white and mustard.
what a statement piece - i needed it.
i was planning on getting down on my knees and begging, but before i could do so the husband said we should probably get it :) wahoo! everything was falling perfectly into place. i knew this was meant to be. we ran home and we couldn't put the new piece on our lamp fast enough; i was so excited. as my handy man finished, i stared in awe. it was so lovely. there was not an ounce of regret from my impulse purchase. surely this would become a family heirloom. something my kids would fight over when i die. it was a beautiful sight to see. and then... something happened.

i said to scotty, "turn it on!!!" and the magic was ruined. as the light shone through the shade, the white turned to a dirty yellow and the mustard turned to gold. the contrast was gone, and my heart crumbled to pieces.

to quote the wise words of new boyz, some things (in their case, women) look better with the lights off.

you're a dime, so beautiful. top of the line, so unusual. words can't define. running through my mind all day. i'm so happy you're mine ... i hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you look better with the lights off.

so do i keep it? if the purpose of a lamp is to give light, but i only like its shade when it's not giving light, does that make me crazy? what's a girl to do?

celtics vs. jazz game

scotty's mom made his wildest dreams come true this past christmas when she bought him tickets to the jazz vs. celtics game. seriously. he was practically jumping for joy haha! but i mean, what kind of mother could resist buying her son tickets after receiving a note such as the following?

HAHAHA! he kills me. so monday night was the big night! we had so much fun! scotty was in heaven. they ended up going into overtime and the celtics won by 3! it was an intense game! 

 here are some other snippets from our night: 

-the couple sitting directly behind us got engaged! we were right there in the middle of the action. 

the cheerleaders walked up from the court with a bouquet of flowers for the girl.

-"justin bieber has been in this very arena"

-seeing a celtics player named chris wilcox and thinking of our singles ward bishop chris wilcox. 

we miss you, bishop!  

-paying $12 for ice cream and a soft pretzel

-"the smell of beer makes me homesick" 

-scotty losing his voice

-wearing the only two green things we own

-taking trax so we weren't stuck in traffic (best idea ever)

-"i'm asking for basketball tickets every christmas!"

thanks ron and kim for the gift! 

movie time > school time

scotty and i are really enjoying this break from school.

i fear i'm getting too comfortable with this whole no-responsibility thing!
i mean, during the school year i hardly watch movies... 

and if i do, i usually force myself to sit down and watch them. 

movies just can't make my priority list when school is in session.

so, since i currently have no readings, homework assignments, upcoming tests, etc, we have had a lot of time to watch movies! how sad is my life in which 7 movies in one week is overly exciting to me? here is a list and my humble opinions of the movies we've seen. 

1. Jack Reacher

surprisingly really interesting. ron and kim took us and it was very enjoyable. it's about a shooting and all of the detective work after said shooting.  i liked it way more than i thought i would; i think it's fascinating how people can think so outside of the box and pay such close attention to detail. i didn't really like the main girl, but who doesn't love tom cruise? i'd rate it 3.5/5, only taking points off because of the violence and the lack of a good romance :)

2. Pitch Perfect

i can't believe i waited so long to enjoy this hilarious movie! a lot of good one liners, plus a ton of great songs. i'm a sucker for a cappella and synchronized dance moves. mitchell gave me this for christmas, and i am way excited to own it! i feel like i was laughing the entire time that we watched it. 5/5 stars for sure!

3. Total Recall 

i don't know. maybe this shouldn't be on the list because i fell asleep after four minutes. but scotty liked it! 

4. Dark Knight Rises
a timeless movie. i'll never get sick of watching christian bale and anne hathaway. i mean, bane gives me the freaking creeps, but it's still a good movie.
i give it 4 stars.

5. The Avengers

a classic. scotty and i freaking love this movie, as mentioned in this earlier blog post. a perfect combination of wit, action, humor, and adventure. 5/5 stars. 

6. Breaking Dawn pt. 2

i actually had high hopes for this movie; i heard nothing but positive reviews from a variety of facebook friends. however, i thought it was boring beyond belief... and i think that's saying a lot coming from someone who read all of the books and went to previous midnight showings. i think the "sex scene" in the beginning was so ridiculously stupid that i couldn't take the rest of the movie seriously. plus, the whole plot was just edward and bella gathering friends to touch their baby. weird. and the cheesy recap at the end almost made me gag. i have no desire to watch it ever again. 0/5 stars. to cancel out the negativity, here is a funny picture of robert pattinson:

7. Les Miserables 

i seriously saved the best for last. words cannot describe the emotions i felt while watching this movie. the cast had so much passion, and the whole thing was so real! the storyline, the familiar tunes, the tears, the blood. i could almost smell the dirt when valjean was carrying marius through the sewers. i cried twice, but i guess i shouldn't really call it "crying." i was weeping. sobbing. noises were coming out of my mouth - it wasn't like a few tears silently ran down my face. everything was so powerful. i loved anne hathaway, amanda seyfried and especially eddie redmayne and samantha barks. what a great cast! i walked out of the theater wanting to be a better person, feeling so blessed for all that i have, and wanting to hug and cherish all of my family members. i left feeling inspired to be kind and to serve others. isn't that how every movie should leave you feeling? this movie is an inspiration! 8 out of 5 stars.

i'm already dying to see it again.
hopefully we can squeeze in a few more movies before school starts!
any suggestions? 

VMA 2012

yeah, yeah, i know i'm late.

what else is new.

school is borderline impossible.

BUT, i just got around to looking at the VMA reviews and pictures.

and i gotta say,

there is ONE person whose look i absolutely adored!

... not miley cyrus.

looking at boobs isn't really my thing.

not emma watson.

it's just too much going on. hurts my eyes.

 not katy perry, not rihanna, definitely not nicki minaj,

and i'm still up in the air about t swift.

missy franklin... let's not be ridiculous. i'm proud of you for representing our country. but your gold medal belongs in a glass case in your living room. do you wear it to high school and the mall, too? 

my favorite outfit of the VMA's belonged to...

*drumroll, please*

GABBY DOUGLAS!

oh my heck.

have you ever seen a dress so sparkly?

so classy?

and so MODEST?

here is someone who probably has the most banging body out there, being so in shape and all, and she chooses to wear a knee-length, half-sleeve, glittery ensemble of perfection.

not to mention, her shoes are awesome.

i'd wear it.

bravo, gabby douglas. bravo.

good gone bad.

life just doesn't make sense sometimes.

you think something is fine and going great, then BOOM. 

disaster hits.

and i get a little anxious when i'm not in control.

because let's be honest... i make great decisions sometimes.

what i'm trying to get to is this: if i ran the world, things would be so different. 

1. this freaking disaster of a haircut would not have happened.

listen miley, i know you "feel so free" and "have never been this happy" and "feel the prettiest ever" ... but that's a shame, because 7 billion other people in the world disagree and think that you look like draco malfoy... but uglier.

 2. this freaking disaster of a song would not have happened.

taylor, taylor, taylor. what in the world is going on? i feel weird listening to this song. in fact, i even feel weird calling these few minutes of you talking and whining a "song." the awkward little voice inserts are too much for me. go back to where you came from and sing the cute, upbeat, happy songs again.

3. this freaking disaster of a pin would not have happened.

straight up ruined my day. 

how cute is this backpack? 

... right? so i ecstatically click on it with the intention to buy it. talk about a perfect way to cope with summer coming to an end! what could get me more excited about school starting than this darling backpack? so i click on the link. it's a dud. i hate when people pin from tumblr or, even worse, just upload a random picture. i have no way of backtracking it! i investigated for a few minutes, and found some that were close but just not the same. i also found one extremely close, a darker color, that is no longer in stock. awesome. 

------------------------------------------------------

thanks for letting me vent. 

can i be in charge for a week or two? 

dimpled & famous

one of my dreams in life is to be followed or retweeted by a celebrity. 

yes, it's really that important to me. 

i try to talk to them all the time and i never get a response.

oprah winfrey, justin bieber, miley cyrus, and sometimes even ann romney. 

none of them give me the time of day and it's really depressing. 

the most exciting thing on my newsfeed is being followed by a dimpled chin account: 

how they found me, i have no idea. 

but i guess my chin is pretty prominent in all of my pictures... 

at least someone appreciates me!

next up in excitement is a clipping from this week's BYU newspaper:

every week, they have a segment with byu-related tweets.
my memory problems are classified as "entertainment" now!

i guess it has to start out small with newspapers and random followers,
soon the time will come where my celebrities recognize me.

that's my jam!

im notorious for labeling every song that comes on the radio as "my jam."

scotty loves it.

... okay, maybe it's slightly annoying.

but there are just so many good songs out there that i love and appreciate!

right now, i have three favorite favorite favorite current jams.

i had to hurry and write this post because they will probably change in a few days.

hahaha seriously.
and yes, these ARE in a particular order.

jam #3

"glad you came" by the wanted.

can i share my favorite few lines? oh my gosh i love them.

"now i'll take you by the hand,

hand you another drink,

drink it if you can,

can you spend a little time,

time is slipping away,

away from us so stay,

stay with me i can make,

make you glad you came."

... see what they did there? im obsessed. i guess it sounds dumb reading it, so you just have to listen to it here. i love the lyrics. they're real cute. and it is such a fun, weird, upbeat song. it makes me want to dance. 

jam #2

"lights" by ellie goulding

click here for music video.

so good. so techno. so fun to sing. so catchy. her voice is so soft and so high. i know the whole song consists of about six words, but i love it. however, the music video makes me depressed because the whole three minutes and forty seconds consist of her flipping her hair around. you cant do that with a dike spike like mine. 

and last but DEFINITELY not least,

jam #1

"payphone" by maroon 5.

loooooooooooooove it! i love maroon 5. always have, always will. we had a big office debate a few weeks ago regarding the question, "who is the greatest band of the 21st century?" it seriously went on for days. we polled customers, we tried to persuade each other in heated debates, but no matter what anyone says i will never say coldplay deserves the title. because they don't. obviously, it should go to the most entertaining, versatile, likeable, band: maroon 5. an added bonus in their trip to success is adam levine's face. anyway, the song is great. a combination of reality, romance, remorse, and even a little rap. who could ask for anything more? aside from the weird anime music video and the f-word, i'm in love. repeat. repeat. repeat. oh my gosh it is so good. 

just listen. please. 

click this. 

... so much better than coldplay. 

greatest of all time.

i would say that i have a unique taste in music. i don't specifically like one genre or one artist the best. in fact, i could love and hate two songs from the same band. i know every word to every carpenters song. justin beiber speaks to my soul.  I LOVE THE BACKSTREET BOYS. and i cry sometimes during josh groban songs. but i'd rather listen to a fuzzy radio station than the red hot chili peppers.  i will die a life-long avril lavigne fan.  i am insanely irritated by coldplay. the only reason i know any journey songs is because of glee.  i absolutely loath that ridiculous "pumped up kicks" song that everyone else loves. i hate country. i sing michael jackson's "P.Y.T." every single morning while i'm getting ready.  ask scotty. i think it's getting a little out of hand.  i have a secret daughtry obsession. i'm a sucker for classic musicals: les mis, wicked, mamma mia, the sound of music, etc. and yet i love the raunchiest rap and r&b songs.

i want to share with you one of my favorite things. something that i have been obsessed with since the very first day i heard it. and while half of me wants to be the bossy, forceful pusher (like a drug pusher?) and shove it down your ear drums, the other half wants to simply recommend this treasure and encourage you to find out for yourself how truly amazing it is.

are you ready?

three words:

vices and virtues.

that's right, last year's panic at the disco cd.
march 22nd it was released.
we're almost at a year and i still can't stop listening to it.

here is evidence proving that these are the only two albums i have on my phone

and it's been that way for almost four months now.
why? because i needed a christmas album to get through the holidays, and vices & virtues covered everything else.

happy? vices & virtues has a song for that.
sad? vices & virtues has a song for that.
excited? vices & virtues has a song for that.
driving to vegas with jen ballard? vices & virtues has 12 songs for that. repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, and we're home.
pissed at the world and everyone who lives on it? vices & virtues has a song for that.

it's not just the vast amount of instruments used and the weird ethnic-feeling rhythms that get me going.
it's the fact that every single song on the album is completely different.
and 200x better than anything they've ever done.
(don't let the cd before this one scare you away).
some of the songs make me feel like i'm at a quinceanera, some like i'm a punk at a skate park, and others like i'm at an orchestra symphony.
it's the sort of bad-ass feeling i get when i listen to them, yet the songs are totally inspiring and appropriate.
it's lyrics like "if i could trade mistakes for sheep, count me away before you sleep" ... seriously?! genius.

so please.
i beg of you.
if you haven't already, please partake of this beautiful album so i am not the only one ranting and raving about it a year later.

first try this one.

now try this. don't feel obligated to watch the video. i'll admit they're an odd bunch.

in a chill-mood? here.

... right??? i know, i know.

3

well friends, it's official. scotty jacob marx and i have been married for THREE WHOLE MONTHS! and might i say, they have been the best three months of my life.  i am the luckiest! scotty and i are so happy. every morning i wake up and am so grateful for this cute husband of mine and all he does for me. 

to celebrate this milestone in our fresh married life, we had a wonderful day spending quality time together. our friends jen and tony came over for a lunch and H&M date, which did not disappoint. we had fun helping them pick out their engagement picture outfits (can't wait to see how they turn out!) and even splurged on an italian soda at nordstrom. 

tony and jen went home, and since scotty didn't have to work tonight we had the whole night to ourselves! a blank canvas to fill! now, you should know that i'm not a big movie-goer. in fact, i would even go as far as to say that i don't really like going to movies. i willingly see a movie maybe just a few times a year- only if it's something i'm really into. i don't just go see one "for fun" haha. BUT, i have been looking forward to seeing the vow ever since i saw the trailer for it! it looked SO cute and SO good. i have been antsy waiting for it to come to theaters! 

scotty and i had originally planned to see it next week for v-day, but tonight i decided i just couldn't take the suspense any longer. i wanted the heart-throbbing, butterfly-giving, tear-jerking movie that i have been looking forward to for oh so long! i went into the movie already deciding that i loved it. and with rachel mcadams & channing tatum involved, i knew nothing could go wrong.

i was WRONG! everything was SO WRONG! wrong wrong wrong!!! i feel like i have been lied to! the trailer depicts an adorable love story with passion, dedication, and hope of a loving husband. the movie was a bunch of fights and awkward story lines and disappointment mixed together with my favorite actress. 

i am so sad. i had such high hopes for this movie! and honestly... at one point i sat there and thought to myself "i am so bored right now. how much longer is this thing?" ... seriously. a months worth of anticipation all for her husband to make ONE ATTEMPT of getting her back and taking her on a date, and then practically give up. so stupid! i'm glad that we got prepaid movie tickets for christmas because i would have been pissed to pay for our own tickets haha. scotty and i could film 2 random hours of our day and it would be a better love story.

i wanted something to make me laugh, cry, warm my heart, and all of those other ridiculous emotional feelings a girl going to a chick flick wants to feel. i sat there with a blank face, chuckled 2 times, and didn't shed one single tear.

if you want more specific details, read my friend's blog here.  she pretty much spoke my mind word for word. however, this date was not a complete waste of my life! it made me appreciate scotty for being willing to see a girly movie with me, and being a good sport the whole entire time. also, on the way home we discussed what we would do if the other person got in a car crash and lost his/her memory. we both would fight every day and not give up like SOME people in SOME retarded movies. 

wait until it comes out on redbox... or just don't see it at all. seriously. 

you won't be missing out on anything.