Summer Lovin'

Just stopping by to say I love you. Just stopping by to say how much I care. It's finaleez summer out there, and I'm trying to enjoy it to the best of my ability. Summer don't come around here often, you know. I'm spending the next three days with boyfriend. I'm not really sure what we're going to do, but laying around in the sun all day sounds nice to me. Except for the fact that I'm typing this in the middle of a freak downpour. What!?

Don't hate on me for being an irregular blogger. My work schedule isn't really conducive for normal and consistent anything, let alone a blog schedule. I either work all the time or not at all. My goal is to get it all sorted out in July. Which is only a few days away, so bear with me!

Thanks for the positive feedback on my video! Several of you wanted more, and I'm inclined to give it to you, since you asked nicely. Subject recommendations are welcome!


Top: Thrifted
Jeans: American Eagle
Fingernail polish: "All Hail the Queen" by Butter London

Seven (very random, not well thought out) facts about me, in a video!

So. In the past few months, a lot of y'all (thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and THANK YOU because I know I missed some) tagged me/gave me those little blog awards where I'm supposed to post seven facts about myself. I was bad and never did it...but now I'm (hopefully) making up for it by giving you seven AWESOME facts about me via vlog! And by awesome facts, I mean....extremely random facts that I took two minutes to think up while standing in my kitchen. Mmmhmm. Yeah. Shaddup.

Do you like how my sexual innuendo isn't even a sexual innuendo? Yeah...me too. Someone's desperate.

Lovies!

Beary good

So, I hope you like the wooden deck as a backdrop for photos, because I will not be venturing out any further into my yard for a while, not even in the name of TEITM. A few days ago, I was sitting inside, working on my computer (as always), when my momma and I spotted giant black bear walking up our driveway (Pics or GTFO, you say? I got you). As you should remember from this post, I used to be extremely afraid of bears when I was a smaller Ashley. Like, not-go-outside-by-self-in-fear-of-being-tasty-meal afraid. Despite living here my whole life, this is only about the third bear I've actually seen (although there's been evidence OF bears tromping around a lot more often than that), so I don't think I need to be too concerned. But still, I am creeped out. Thank you, Smokey, you have temporarily ruined my summer.

This outfit came to surface in a different way than usual. Normally, I already have an outfit in mind to begin with--I just need to grab all the pieces out of my closet (or off of my floor. Ahem) and throw them on. Today, I didn't have anything in mind, so I built the whole ensemble piece by piece using trial and error. This is actually my sheer black skirt, and I didn't want it to be too heavy for summer, so I chose a white linen top to go with it. Add a belt, fun earrings, and a pop of color and I'm all set. I'm not used to this "bottom-up" process of creating an outfit...I never really think that much about individual pieces: normally, I have a vision already and just have to put it together. How about you? Do you dream up your outfits ahead of time, or do you make them up the moment you're ready to get dressed?

Top, skirt: Urban Outfitters
Earrings: Mi abuela
Clutch: Marc by Marc Jacobs

La la la Lolita

I'm feeling so much more refreshed after a couple of days off from work and some time with da boi*. Yeaahhhhh. Tis a nice feeling to be relaxed for a change! I breezed right through my homework this afternoon. I mean, it took me three hours, but I was just like, "I'mma do this," and you know what? I did it. Right there on the spot. No distractions. Except maybe a small piece of cake and some chocolate chips. You know how I do.

I am in luuuuurve with my new crop top. So is everyone else, apparently. You know how you can just feel the stares? Yeah. Awkward. But I guess that's what I get for leaving the house with nearly half my ass hanging out. Oh yes, my friends, the shorts are short. I haven't been this much of a floozy since back in two-thousand-and-ten! Oh, and that 20°F temperature drop? Fucking awesome. Fantastic. Rock 'n' roll.

* Seriously though, one of my pet peeves is when people refer to their boyfriend as "the boy." Like, what? You never hear zee males talking about, "Oh yeah, well, I spent sometime with the girl yesterday." No. You know why? Because they're not dating a child, and neither are you. So refer to that "boy" as your boyfriend, your lover, your boo, your sprinkles, your fuck stick, your main squeeze...I don't care, just don't refer to your fully-grown adult male significant other as "the boy." Kthxbye.

Crop top: Motel
Shorts: American Eagle
Belt: Thrifted
Bag: Fossil
Sunnies & sandals: UO

Walk a mile in my moccasins. Or ten.

These pictures are from Saturday when I toted my boyfriend along with me to the Park Point garage sales. It wasn't all that thrilling. It was a lot of walking. A lot of junk. A lot of guys riding around on bikes looking for old marbles. Yeah. I scored a dirty blazer for free and a pair of earrings for a dollah, but other than that? Bust! Except we stopped for ice cream later, which was delicious and apparently had 500 calories. And we probably walked about 10 miles in total since I parked waaaaaay the hell away from Park Point because I anticipated a lot of traffic (which there wasn't) and also because I am the cheapest savviest girlfriend you know and didn't want to pay $2 for parking.

So anyway, this is me, trying to rock a 60s inspired outfit. I'm thinking Brigitte Bardot with a tweeeeest. No?

I'm blogging from my iPhone right now. Amazing stuff I tell you! Will catch up on all yer lovely blogz later, loves!

Jacket: J. Crew
Belt: Anthropologie
Striped top: UO
Jeans: Banana Republic
Bag: Fossil
Moccasins: Minnetonka

How does YOUR garden grow?

So. Remember my last post? Where I said I was totally dreading starting graduate school? Well guess what, folks. There was a very real reason for that dread, and it's not just because it's summer and there's about a million and one other things I'd rather be doing than reading 90 long, boring pages with tiny font about the U.S. Healthcare System. Graduate school is hard. Especially when you are going to graduate school for a subject you have no former training in. Especially when you are used to easy breezy liberal arts classes and then BAM! You're in balls deep trying to complete your dual master of science degree. I don't consider myself a stupid person (but really, who does? Yes, my name is Ashley, and I would just like to say that I truly do believe that I am an unintelligent human being. NO.). I breezed through all my undergraduate classes (except for College Algebra. Ahem.) with a year and a half to spare. Supposedly, I could have skipped two grade levels in elementary school because I was on my shit. I read Census date for fun. I'm a complete nerd. Why is this so difficult for me?

After a good old-fashioned tantrum some much-needed reflection, I've came to some kind of conclusion. Graduate school is supposed to be hard. If it weren't, there would be no reward. And just because I'm not able to understand all the differences between a hybrid and electronic medical record in the first two days doesn't mean I'm not cut out for the field. It means it's the first two days and I have a lot to learn. And c'mon, does anyone really get off on reading 90 long, boring pages with tiny font about the U.S. Healthcare System? Maybe a select few. But you know what? It's one class. It's three years of school. It's a lot of gaining knowledge and experience. It's a means to an end. It's a means to a better quality of living, so when I'm 95, I can pay all my grandchildren to come and take care of me instead of being stuck in a nursing home where the employees drag me down the hall and kick me when I refuse to take my medications. I don't have to love it. I don't even have to like it. I just have to try my best and get through it. So that's what I'm going to do.

Anyway. If you skipped all that garbage (I wish I could), I'll tell you about the outfit. I love these sandals. They're new. I'd talk about them more, but they're going to get their own separate post in a couple of days, as I'm starting a new feature! It's going to be fun. So look forward to it. Now.

Dress, sandals, earrings: Urban Outfitters
Jacket: Loft

The same yet so different

This dress is actually a robe. TEITM enthusiasts/crazy people should already know that, however, since I featured this dress in one of my first posts. Also featured in one of my first posts: blonde hair and a whole lotta blurriness. I've came along way, haven't I?

I've been completely and totally enjoying my summer the last couple of days. I officially start graduate school today, and I'm dreading it. Is that bad? I don't know. I think if it was fall or something, I'd be excited. But school and summer are kind of like two glasses of wine, a bottle of Jack Daniels, and a pitcher of beer that you just happen to volunteer to finish all in the same night. They don't fucking mix.

Dress/Robe: Anthropologie
Wedges: Steven by Steven Madden
Bracelet: Free People
Nail polish: China Glaze "Delight"

Fun skirt? Check. Big belt? Check. Checks? Check.

This outfit is the epitome of my style. It's a little quirky and unexpected, but still classy and not wacky enough where you're like, "What the mother fuck is she wearing?" At least, that's what I think. Maybe you are thinking, "What the mother fuck is she wearing?" Maybe you think, "What the mother fuck is she wearing?" all the time. And to that I say, "Clothes." Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!

I'mma let you in on a not-so-secret secret: summer has finally arrived, and I. LOVE. SUMMER. If summer were a person, I would get its number and ask it out on a date. Assuming it accepted (which, of course, it would! Look at this face!), I'd prepare a nice candlelit dinner for it (on a beach, no less. It is, after all, summer) consisting of pasta and wine, and a little bit of asparagus to get it in the mood. I'd give summer a sensual back massage, and, when the timing was right, I'd look into its eyes and ask summer to make love to me. Summer would oblige my request and we would make sweet, gentle whoopee into the wee hours of the morning. We eventually would fall asleep, locked in each other's warm embrace, me whispering sweet nothings into summer's ear, summer nibbling my shoulder*. In the morning, we would part and be on our separate ways. But I would call summer back the very next day, begging for more. (Summer would eventually end up filing a restraining order against me for stalking loving it so much, but we don't need to talk about that.)

In conclusion, I love summer. I have two plans for this Saturday: 1) bikini, 2) sun. I'm so glad it's already Thursday tomorrow...

* TEITM: rated PG-13

Blazer: Charlotte Russe
T-shirt: Calvin Klein
Belt: Urban Outfitters
Skirt: Nasty Gal
Boots: Seychelles