Sweet things I'm loving right now

It's beginning to feel like fall around here and I couldn't be more excited.  To ring in the chilly weather I've taken note of a few things I'm absolutely loving these days!

1.  Sweet Leaf Tea: I've loved this tea for quite some time and I tend to hold onto their bottle caps for a few reasons.  Not only do they make cute decorations for a dorm room (this picture doesn't do the amount I have justice) but they also provide some daily wisdom.  I take a look at them once in a while and it's a fun way to stop and think.  Recent favorites: "Turn the world on with a smile" and "If you didn't know your age, how old would you be?"

2.  This adorable fall print from Jones Design Company!  I can't wait to hang this in my room.  It's everything I love about this time of the year...minus the antlers...I love animals a little too much to hang em' on my wall.  

3.  This lipstick:  I have been wearing it every chance I can get (actually every time I go out, see below) since it showed up in my August Birchbox!  Rest assured, I'll be buying a new one when my sample runs out!  

 

4.  The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons and Good Old War.  There's nothing like a good fall playlist to cozy up too.  I am fan of a ton of different bands and genre's of music but The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons and Good Old War always tend to make it feel more like fall.  I have such fond memories attached to their music.  Its feel good music for me and thus all three play quietly in the background all day long.  

5.  I've been sorta kinda dying to die my hair.  But not all the way, maybe just a subtle ombre... I am currently loving the idea of putting in warm red highlights!

6.  This picture: seriously I can't stop laughing...

7.  New restaurants!  My girlfriends and I have been trying a few new places lately and I've gotten to try some fabulous food...below are my favorites:

Crab cake wrap, crab nachos and smores cheescake...yum!

8.  My family and friends: I wanted to throw them all a little shout out.  They've truly been a blessing <3

What are you guys loving right now?!

The Anxiety Diaries, pray more...worry less

A friend of mine has a phone case that on the back says “Pray More, Worry Less.”

Preach.

I want this phone case but because life is unfair and I can’t afford the iPhone 5 (which the case is made for…only) I am SOL.  ANYWAY.  What a great way to look at things right?  Sometimes I wake up with the most irrational worries and they consume me.  It’s no way to live life, honestly.  When I saw my friends phone case the other day I thought, “That’s it, that’s the ticket!” 

Life happens, in reality we can control very little of it.  It’s not worth consuming yourself with worries that are out of your hand, just pray about them!

There are days I wake up and honestly start worrying about my life two years from now.  No, I’m not kidding and to tell you the truth, writing this, I don’t think I can tell you exactly what I worry about.  Obviously there are worries in life that are natural.  They are things we should be worrying about.  Then there are others…worries that consume us with no real reason at all.  I know for me I have started to take a step back in times that I am worrying most and think, “Is this really worth it right now?  Should I be concerned about it?”  If not, I try to stop.  I can’t control everything (although, I would absolutely love that but I am not God, so there’s that.)  It’s helped.  Even if I’m not perfect at it yet, the thought of trying makes me feel good about myself…proud even. 

I am the type of person who is always worrying about the future as opposed to living in the moment and I’ve missed out on a lot because of it….but that’s a topic for next week. 

The point is, pray more…worry less.  Let life happen.

**I am not an expert in anxiety and if you are feeling it intensely, please seek help in some way!  This series is not meant to be anything other than my experience with my own anxiety.  I hope it provides everyone a little laughter and a lot of relief.  

Series:

The Anxiety Diaries, a welcome address

The Anxiety Diaries, extending my comfort zone

Life is good...and other notes from my new desk

I've got to be honest, in August it seemed there was a never-ending amount of "bad" going on in life...in my life in particular.  Then, in the blink of an eye things all started to change!  It's funny how life works.  If I had to guess why life was on the upwards, I would say it has a lot to do with finding the silver lining.  About a month ago I realized I had no choice but to find the silver lining in life, in every moment...the good and the bad.  Doing so has helped me appreciate the small victories in my life..which last week included getting Starbucks on a busy day.  It's helped the circumstances and it's felt good to rebuild and reboot myself after all this time.  Find the silver lining guys...it's how everything eventually falls into place.

ANYWAY.

I'm writing you all from my new desk, which is particularly exciting because it's my own.  At my last internship I sat at a conference table often having to move around the normal hustle and bustle of the office.  Nope, not this time!  I have my own desk, phone and Mac...I'm also doing what I love.  I'm pretty sure today is the best Monday I have had in a very long time. 

In other news, last week also kicked ass.  I landed an awesome freelance opportunity, took a babysitting job, had an amazing dinner with two of my very best girlfriends, went to Hoboken with a girlfriend from home and then hid the rest of the weekend, slept and watched Harry Potter.  That's only to name a few.  BAM.  I win.   Small victories and silver linings included, last week was fantastic. 


I was sitting reading the October issue of Real Simple last night because I am all about fall these days and I came across a quote I thought I'd share:

"With great power...comes great need to take a nap"

Preach.

Also, from Pinterest:

"A well read woman is a dangerous creature"

Preach.

--
Think about those.

Sorry for rambling, but thanks for listening <3

The Anxiety Diaries, extending my comfort zone

Everyone has a comfort zone…that’s just common knowledge.  Howevvveeerrrr, for people with anxiety our comfort zone is like a bed of fantastically comfortable blankets in which we refuse to leave.  Leaving is terrifying….like “holy crap” scary.  We often watch from the sidelines and think, “That looks like so much fun, but no really…I’ll stay here!”

I've found lately in my life especially that I’d like to get rid of this comfort zone.

Dear Comfort Zone,

Go. Away.

Sincerely,

Ashley

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

I’d like to start doing things that would otherwise make me uncomfortable.  For example, I hate when the attention is on me because I obviously just assume that I am awkward and fugly* and that everyone knows it but lies to my face.  Anyway, I try to avoid doing things that make me look like a fool because in my head I already look like one (wow that sounds stupid when I say it out loud.)  The point is, the other day I was at an event for my school and that song that you do “The Wobble” too came on and all of my friends ran out into the middle to start dancing.  I obviously stayed on the sidelines with a girlfriend of mine who also has anxiety because, you know, fuzzy comfy blankets…obv not leaving!  One of our friends ran back and grabbed the both of us, dragged us to the center, taught us “The Wobble,” and made us dance.  I later thanked him.  He probably thought I was a crazy person, but seriously I was so thankful.  I felt like I had climbed Mt. Everest and held a dance party at the top.  Here I was in my damn navy blue bicycle print dress (yep, you can find it at Target) dancing to “The Wobble” and I was having the time of my life.  I didn't care that I looked like a fool, because you do, you just do when you are doing this dance.  If you don’t know it, look it up, teach it to yourself and then dance it alone.  Wobble till you can’t freaking Wobble anymore.  I was proud.  I had left my comfort zone and didn't even want to go back.  I’d like to make this a trend in life because leaving my comfort zone was so refreshing.

Since this moment I have tried to push myself a little farther in life and let me tell you...it's so rewarding!  I think if you do one thing a day that you normally wouldn't do, then you've been successful.  Ever since I made the decision to push myself more, it feels like certain daily anxieties that I would have have subdued.  I know this isn't a result from just that, but I'd like to think it plays a huge part.

If you are the type to stay within your comfort zone typically...I challenge you!  Go do something you wouldn't normally do and just feel amazing about it.  It helps.

 

*Look this word up on Urban Dictionary…thank me later ;)

**I am not an expert in anxiety and if you are feeling it intensely, please seek help in some way!  This series is not meant to be anything other than my experience with my own anxiety.  I hope it provides everyone a little laughter and a lot of relief.  

Series:

The Anxiety Diaries, a welcome address

Well it's Tuesday...and SEPTEMBER!

I'm so excited it's September I can't even begin to describe it to you...but it's also Tuesday, which for most of us feels like Monday so today also sucks.

Anyway.  Typically on Tuesday's I will post another part of The Anxiety Diaries but since I really thought today was Monday we will just have to be behind a day this week.  Bare with me...it's been a loooongggg weekend.

To catch you all up, my uncle got married this weekend!  He and I are only four years apart (I am the oldest granddaughter in the family) and so this weekend was particularly amazing because I've grown really close to his wife these past couple of years.  She's such a fantastic person and I am in total awe of their relationship.  Watching her walk down the aisle and seeing how happy she was (the minute she saw him she started waving really big and I think we all basically melted and died) was so heartwarming.  I'm SO happy for them.

Here's a recap:

On Thursday evening I drove home to my parents house, which was a nice, brief visit until they informed me I needed an oil change before I drove to Buffalo (5 hours away.)  So on Friday I woke up as early as I could to go wait on the damn oil change line and then got in my car and drove alone to Buffalo for the first time...go me.  I guess it's kinda weird to say I am proud of myself for making the drive, but I am really proud of myself.  I also pumped my own gas for the first time and who knew that could be so empowering?!

I stayed with one of my aunts and uncle's this time around as opposed to my grandparents and this was obviously exciting because I had a weekend of sleepovers with my 4 and 7 year old cousins.  I have a lot of younger cousins and it's hard living far away from them.  I got to read the girls some books before bed on Friday night and it's moments like those where I just want to pack my bags and move to Buffalo (I am really considering this.)  It's just hard to feel like you miss all of those moments with all of them when you are so far away.  We read and talked about their days and laughed about things that wouldn't be funny to an adult but were in that moment because it made them happy.  It was a fantastic night.

Saturday started the madness as it was the rehearsal dinner and what not.  They ended up renting a boat to take everyone out for dinner and it was just beautiful! It was an absolutely great way to celebrate.

Sunday was, of course, the wedding.  I did my hair based on one of the hair tutorials posted on The Small Things Blog and it came out fan-freaking-tastic.  Her tutorials are so easy and great!  I wish I had pictures of my hair but with the craziness of the day I really didn't get to take pictures of myself.  Hopefully I will get to show you all more once their wedding photos are up.  They had a really short but so so so sweet ceremony which worked out perfectly because it had started to rain during cocktail hour but that passed and the reception itself turned out fantastic.  After the wedding (which was a blast because it's my family and we throw great parties) the whole bridal party, my grandparents, aunts...family....etc went to a bar in downtown Buffalo...no I'm not kidding.  There was an after party after THE party in which my whole family pretty much attended.  I'm newly 21 so I think in a way this was one of my favorite parts.  Buffalo has such a great downtown area and it was such a good time.  Needless to say, it's still blowing my mind that I was in downtown Buffalo in the wee hours of the morning and somehow rolled out of bed and made my way back to New Jersey....Also, bruises?  Where did you come from?!

Pictures!!!

The best little helper around!

Largest wedding party...ever!

The Bride!

Also, a few favorite photos from before school started to finish off this recap!