Entertainment

Checking In With Ashley Tisdale

by Christine DiStasio

It's been a very Suite week so far — on the heels of the release of Dylan Sprouse's nude photos and his epic response comes some very different news from another Suite Life of Zach and Cody and The Suite Life on Deck's alums. (No, we're not talking about Brenda Song.) Ashley Tisdale's got a lot going on. She spoke to both E! News and Ryan Seacrest on Monday, Dec. 16 and apparently, she's busy. Really busy. So basically, you should be checking in with her more often — just because she's flying under the drama radar, doesn't mean that she's not important, people!

The High School Musical star and sometimes singer-songwriter is planning a wedding and recently had a guest spot on CBS' The Crazy Ones alongside her new BFF, Sarah Michelle Gellar. She gushed to E! News about her new fiancé, Christopher French, how being a perfectionist isn't making having a wedding planner any easier, and about her new single "You're Always Here".

I know, I know, you probably forgot that Tisdale is one of High School Musical's alumni — since she isn't starring in a movie with Seth Rogen or performing on Dancing With The Stars or hacking her hair off to play a homeless teenager — but we didn't. Here are five reasons why keeping her on your radar will be worth it:

1. SHE'S BFFS WITH SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR

I repeat, she and the great Buffy the Vampire Slayer are best friends which not only proves that she's awesome, but that she's got SMG's seal of approval. That means a lot to us and it should mean a lot to you, too.

2. SHE'S PLANNING A WEDDING

Okay, so she's not Kimye or Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis, but whenever a celeb is open about her wedding planning (secret weddings are so lame) it's something to pay attention to. Tisdale told Seacrest that the pair haven't set a date yet, but they're hoping to have a small and private affair. She later admitted to E! News that having a wedding planner isn't really alleviating the stress of planning her big day because she's such a perfectionist. Also, Tisdale and her fiancé Christopher French are adorable.

3. SHE'S GOT A NEW SINGLE AND IT'S NOT BAD

We're serious, it's actually not. And it's got a sweet sentiment behind it. Aside from working on it with her new fiancé, who happens to be a music producer, which makes us feel like they're in a high-functioning relationship, the song is dedicated to her grandfather who passed away three months ago. The actress-singer-songwriter told Seacrest:

With all the amazing stuff that's happened this year, some moments haven't been so amazing. I lost my grandfather exactly three months ago, and it's always hard to lose someone no matter how old or how young. I was inspired to start writing and it was helping me heal and I would go on walks and come home and have written stuff and Chris, who produces music, sat down and produced and we wrote this song together and that's the song for my grandfather.

Following the lead of fellow female stars Lea Michele and Miley Cyrus, she's penned a song about loss — Tisdale's tribute to her late grandfather is catchy and kind of beautiful. And if that wasn't sweet enough, some of the proceeds from the song will be donated to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Having a fiancé that's a producer might finally help her music career take off.

4. SHE GUEST-STARRED ON THE CRAZY ONES AND IT WASN'T BAD

Again, seriously, it wasn't that bad. Tisdale played Kelsey, the daughter of one of Lewis, Roberts & Roberts' biggest clients, the company's newest intern, and an exceptionally skilled beer pong player — we're not kidding. Naturally, Kelsey was extremely entitled and spoiled as hell, a role that Tisdale knows well from her time spent as Sharpay, so the actress fit right in. Tisdale and Gellar both tweeted about what a great time they had working on the show together and Gellar even said she couldn't wait for her to come back. A possible acting comeback and a singing career? You go, girl.

5. SHE HAS A REALLY CUTE DOG

Last but absolutely not least — following her on social media will be the most rewarding thing you've done this week because she's got one of the cutest pets we've ever seen. She's a malti-poo named Maui and she's probably the cutest most stuffed animal-esque creature we were lucky to discover today.

Images: AshleyTisdale/Instagram