Parties – Blondie Birdie

Holiday Hangs…

December 12, 2018December 18, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Good Morning and Happy “Hump Day”, everyone!

It’s been such a busy week so far- both with work and pre-holiday preparations- but today is my half day at my office and the only thing I intend on doing once I leave for the day and head home is partaking in some baking and staying bundled up in my cozy pajamas and blankets with a hot cup of cocoa while I watch some classic Christmas movies and work on my end-of-the-year posts for the blog.

I need a day of doing the bare minimum- just to recharge my batteries a bit!

I might still be recovering from this past weekend, really- which saw me stop by Idle Hands Craft Ales in Malden for Indie617‘s first annual ‘Holiday Hang’. While I had a couple of drinks and caught up with friends, the station spun some festive tunes and gave away different prizes- including concert tickets and Idle Hands swag. The turnout was great- as was the food provided by Spoko Polish Street Food. The perfect pairing with my cranberry-orange beer, really!

Also, I have to give credit to the seasonally appropriate video of Nick Offerman sitting in front of a fireplace, occasionally drinking whiskey- that was looped for ten hours and played across a wall at Idle Hands from a projector. It really set the mood.

If you want to get the video rolling at your own holiday party (all ten hours of it!)– CLICK HERE.

I’m going to be back and live on air with Indie617 this coming Friday (12/14) at 9 a.m. during ‘Morning Glory’ to talk about some of the biggest indie stories of 2018- so be sure to tune in! I’m very excited to recap what has been a crazy year in music.

A little later on this week (also on Friday, to be more specific)– I’m going to have a new bake-free dessert recipe up here on Blondie Birdie- just in time for a Tree Trimming dinner party I have planned with my family later on that night. I’ve got the cocktails ready to go and a soundtrack ready to play- but I’m admittedly still digging out ornaments from storage that my brothers and I have had since we were little kids! It’s tradition, after all.

A little hint about the recipe, by the way- if you love sugar cookies and white chocolate- you’re going to love what I’m going to share.

But for now, I’m going to get some work done and count down the minutes until noon. Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday!

– Ashley –

“Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas…”

December 7, 2018December 14, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone! We made it to another weekend!

With December officially in full-swing and Christmas just a little over two weeks away- these past few days have been spent decorating, cooking/baking, doing as much gift shopping as possible in-between work and spending time with friends/family- and that’s not including trying to iron out the details of my New Year’s Eve plans and finalizing the last of my blog posts for 2018!

As much as I love this time of year, it can be a little crazy schedule-wise- so I’ve been trying to plan/coordinate my time accordingly and days ahead of time, allotting a couple of hours here and there to get things done so that I don’t get overwhelmed, stresses and flustered. I want to enjoy the holidays, after all!

Earlier this week saw me doing what has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions in recent years- getting Oliver dressed up so I can take his photo for my annual holiday cards. While past cards have just featured Oliver in various, festive outfits by himself in front of a cute backdrop- this year I decided it was time for Oliver to meet the man himself and brought him to my local, independent pet store to meet Santa for a fun little pop-up and fundraiser they had planned.

The store in question were taking donations to help fund the construction of a new dog park in my neighborhood- which I’m really excited about- and they were so good with Oliver. The photos came out amazing- and I can’t wait to get the cards in the mail early next week!

This coming weekend kicks of the series of Christmas/Holiday parties I’ve got lined up over the next couple of weeks- and I’ll be at Idle Hands Craft Ales in Malden for Indie617′s first ever holiday gathering- with an ugly sweater ready to go! If you’re in the area and you want to stop by for some good beer and great tunes- come say hello!

But for now, I’m off to get some work done at my office, get my finances in order since it’s Pay Day today- and make sure my calendar and my planner are all organized for the next few days.

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Friday and a fun, safe weekend! I’ll be back next week with some new recipes, a re-cap of my festive fun- and plenty of photos along the way!

– Ashley –

Wedding Cake, Haunted Mansions and Post-Election Naps…

November 7, 2018November 13, 2018by Ashley DeLarge1 Comment

Good Morning and Happy “Hump Day”, everyone!

Listen, I am admittedly pretty tired after watching election coverage last night from the edge of my seat- and being at work (even just for a half day) is not something I’m particularly up for physically, mentally or emotionally right now- but I’m an adult and there’s a lot to do at my office this morning.

I’m just *really* looking forward to catching a nap at home later on this afternoon before I head out for the evening.

I had taken yesterday off from work- just because- and although I now have a lot of missed calls, e-mails, regular mail and general out-of-office maintenance to go over and catch up on- I wanted to share some photos from my longtime friend Stef’s wedding this past weekend.

Stef and I met when I was about 16/17 and we were both working at the same crummy after-school job at a local grocery. I told her a joke I’d heard in one of my classes earlier in the day- just a painfully unfunny, borderline “dad” joke- but she laughed and we became instant friends. That friendship has carried on- through good times and bad- over the course of 16 years. We’re both now in our thirties and are in very different places in our lives than we were back when we’d met- but we’re still just as close as ever.

On Saturday, Stef married her longtime boyfriend, Andy- in a lovely little ceremony in Linwood, Massachusetts. Although neither she or Andy are particularly religious, the church portion of the evening was more for their older family members who had wanted to bear witness to a a more traditional union between the two.

The reception, on the other hand… Well, that was all Stef and Andy. 100%.

Stef had picked out the Asa Waters Mansion in Millbury as her venue. Formerly inhabited by the family behind the Waters & Co. Armory in the mid-to-late 1800s- the house was reportedly a stop on the Underground Railroad and has since been turned into a function hall, community gathering spot, and museum. It’s a beautiful house- more than likely haunted- and very cozy. Although dinner and the dance floor were a bit of a tight squeeze given how old the home is- we had a blast cutting loose and taking a tour of the grounds provided by some of the helpful staff on hand.

Stef’s wedding cake and cupcakes were crafted with love and care by our dear friend Holly- who I’m hiring for any future events I host because everything looked and tasted amazing.

It was so good catching up with old friends, making new ones, dancing and dining and laughing at the same inside jokes the lot of us have been cracking up at for over a decade now. I’m so happy for Stef and Andy and I know they’re going to have a lifetime of happiness ahead of them. I’m so grateful I got to be a part of the celebration.

I’m actually supposed to see Stef, Andy and a couple of friends visiting from out of the country later on today for a while- so I’m pretty excited to recap all the excitement with them and get a look at some of the photos that were snapped throughout the evening.

But, alas- I’ve got work to do, first. Here’s hoping you all have an easy, stress-free Wednesday! Let’s push through to the weekend!

– Ashley –

Cupcakes and Championship Belts

April 11, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

First things first- I’m positively beat. I spent a good portion of last night rocking out to Franz Ferdinand at the House of Blues thanks to a hookup from Boston’s latest independent radio station- indie617. Getting home late and then waking up early to get a good stretch and a shower in before work doesn’t bode well for me!

But despite needing an extra cup of coffee and some serious under-eye concealer this morning- I had an amazing time. Be sure to peep my Instagram for some pics/video!

It seems I’ve been going non-stop in recent days- including last night’s show- and am more than likely going to be in need of a spa day soon so that I can get a little rest and relaxation in before I hit the ground running again. Hot stone massage? Here I come!

This past Saturday marked my friend Stef’s birthday party- and our circle of friends, who are almost always too busy to coordinate anything that allows us all to be in the same place at the same time- managed to pull it off without a hitch! There were decorations, cupcakes, plenty of booze, kiddie balloons- and a pretty intense game of Cards Against Humanity.

Imagine 12-13 people sitting around, throwing down some of the most horrific and offensive cards imaginable- and not being able to stop laughing. That was my Saturday night and I couldn’t have asked for anything better, really.

On Sunday, after spending a good chunk of my morning in the kitchen baking/cooking- I headed to my friend Phill’s apartment for his annual Wrestlemania viewing party with snacks in tow. While I had dressed up like Alexa Bliss for the Royal Rumble back in January– this time I went for a hometown hero look and dressed like Boston’s very own Sasha Banks- purple hair included.

And, themed food is a must- so I brought small pigs-in-a-blanket and an applewood-smoked BBQ sauce that I called “Sasha Franks with Legit Sauce”. I wasn’t the only one who went all out, of course. I ended up eating half of my body weight in ‘Dean Ambrosia’, ‘Tag Team Meat Brawls’, and New Day-inspired pancakes.

And despite a weird, slightly unsettling ending to the actual Wrestlemania event (there was a lot of blood pouring out of someone’s head from a botched elbow to the face)– I had such a fantastic and fun time. I can’t wait for ‘Summer Slam’!

But, for now- I’ve got to get to work. Expect more photos from last night’s show to be up within the next few days- as well as a recap of some other events I’ve got going on a little later this week!

Enjoy your Hump Day, everyone!

– Ashley –

Costumes, Pizzas and Promotions…

November 3, 2017by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

You’ll Float Too! Oliver and I (kind of) matching. Halloween 2017.

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! I’m two days into my new position at work and so far, so good. I’ve just been focusing on getting my office in order and staying on top of my caseload as best as I can. My new team has been very welcoming, friendly and helpful so far- and I’m so grateful to them for it!

I am, admittedly, still trying to get out of the Halloween state of mind. It’s tricky, what with having a ton of leftover candy from Trick-Or-Treating the other night and horror movie marathons still going on at local theaters and on television- but I’m doing my best to prepare for Thanksgiving and the last days of Fall. This weekend, I’ll be going hiking with a group of my friends while the not-too-cold-weather holds up- and trying my hand at a couple of recipes I’m hoping will be a smash at the holiday get togethers my family and friends have planned in the coming weeks.

I had said I had two Halloween costumes this year, and my Georgie from ‘IT’ was undoubtedly the universal favorite- but I also went as part of a group costume at work where we all dressed as “Social (Media) Butterflies” that represented different social media apps- and of course I went as Tinder- because why wouldn’t I?

The costumes were creative enough to help my team win a company-wide contest- and to celebrate we ordered a bunch of pizzas yesterday and stuffed our faces together. It was worth wearing a scratchy tutu and oversized wings for a couple of hours. We had so much fun!

I’m storing my costume materials away until Halloween 2018 (or until the occasion to wear them again before then arises!) but I’m hoping we can hold onto our championship next Halloween should we all participate again.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I’m going to head off to get my work done so I can get a head start on my Friday night plans!

– Ashley –