You know it's going to be a long day......

..................When your phone flat out dies.

DIES.

R.I.P Sammy

You haven't dropped it, it hasn't been submerged in water.

Your touch screen suddenly goes black and you are doomed.

Doomed to a life of horse and buggies, outhouses, and gasp no electricity!

Ok, maybe that was a little dramatic.

But seriously, I am lost folks.

I do not know how I lived before a cell phone came into my life.

Granted, at times I just want to get away.

I want to escape the calls and texts. I just want to lie back with a great book and have a technology free vacation.

A brief existence free of hassle, deadlines, drama, and interruption.

Then I start to get antsy.

I worry that I'm not going to be reachable during an emergency, or that I won't be there to help a friend that needs me.

I also worry that I'll miss the phone call of some cutie that I am interested in.

Cause once that moment passes, it is gone people....and with my luck, he would call right at the time that I have dropped off the grid.

But really, I have felt kind of lost this whole day.

My life has been pretty hectic lately so I decided to take a personal day.

I only had one class and gosh darn it, I skipped it!

I needed time to re-charge.

I needed time to blast some music, dance like a crazy person, wear some old jeans and a t-shirt, and bake.

A little Ashley 101: Baking takes my frustrations and stress away...baking and cleaning.

I can put all of my angst into doing something productive that benefits not only me, but others.

Today's stress reliever: Joshua Radin on the ipod and banana bread baking in the oven.

There is no possible way to remain stressed or upset with that winning combination.

Music is the best kind of therapy and the smell of warm bread makes me feel like I am safe at home.

It takes me back to random days when I would come home from school to find my mom cooking in the kitchen.

I would pull up a chair and just watch her.

We would talk about my day and the cares of the world would just disappear. 

As I have grown older, I have grown to appreciate taking time out of the hustle and bustle of my life to just breathe. 

A day, a minute, and hour where I do something that makes me tick.

Those little moments help me rediscover myself.

They help me remember what my talents are and how I can use them to help others.

Sometimes, we just need to be still. We need to listen and watch for promptings in our lives.

Little by little, I am feeling less Amish today. I am feeling okay about my lack of technology.

It just forces people to be more creative when trying to reach me and let me tell ya, this girl appreciates creativity.

Quote of the Day

Take your own personal day, you deserve it.

You are enough

Life is hard sometimes.

Especially in those awkward teenage years, when you are trying to discover who you are, and where you fit in this crazy world.

You ask yourself.....

Am I artsy, am I witty, am I popular?

Why do we have to have labels? 

Why can't we just be ourselves?

Why can't I just be Ashley?

A girl that loves laughter and loves her friends and family with her whole heart.

A girl that hates snakes, sweet potatoes, and waking up early.

but

Loves fro-yo, love stories, and music....lots of music.

Since when does everything have to have a title or secret meaning?

I hated hearing people in school classified as "nerds" or "goody-two shoes".

Is it not possible for someone to be fun and smart?

Or genuine and outgoing?

I believe that this is possible.

We are limitless by design. It is only when we start to put labels on people that we limit ourselves and our capabilities.

You are enough.

You are fun, smart, brave, creative, loyal, beautiful, and unique.

You are anything you want to be.

That is the beauty of this world; of this country.

If you do not like something about yourself, change it!

But change it because you want to. Not because you feel pressure to be like everyone else.

We need more trendsetters....and less followers


....Well, minus being followers of Christ, laws, and all that jazz.....but you get my point!

{WARNING: YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR AN EXTREMELY CATCHY SONG}

If you cannot handle sugary-sweet bubble-gummy pop music that makes you wanna dance, do not listen. 

Ummmm.....does anyone know where I can get my hands on some sparkly headphones like those?! They are legittttt.

Seriously though, I know that for me....music totally has the ability to change my mood. 

If I am feeling grumpy or lazy, turning on some tunes never fails to get me hyped and ready for the day.

I especially love the last part of the song where she says:

"this ain't the first time you've felt like this....this ain't the last time you'll feel like this....but it'll be fine, if you can just smiiile".

Now I know that sometimes it is easier said than done. 

It is easy to say "just change your attitude and you'll feel better".

The truth is though......you will feel better if you can just smile.

Find a way to break away from the situation you are in.

Punch your pillow a few times, scream as loud as you can, then walk away.

Turn on some feel good tunes...and rock out.

A few of my current feel good faves are:

1. Good life= OneRepublic (You just know it's gonna cheer you up! It says "good life" in the title!)

2. Tonight, Tonight= Hot Chelle Rae (The quintessential summer song)

3. Summer Girl= Leighton Meester (This will solve your boy woes..just grab your best gal-pal and partayyyyy)

4. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall= Coldplay (Such a great beat)

5. Stereo Hearts= Gym Class Heroes and Adam Levine (After you're done getting your previously mentioned boy woes out....this song will remind you that there are sweet boys still out there)

We all deserve to feel important and happy......so start today.

And if all else fails, know that I love ya like crazy and that you've always got a friend here.

Quote of the Day

Have a nice, safe weekend. Party extra hard for me :)

Oh Adele....

This song breaks my heart. Every. Time. I can relate to that point in a relationship when you realize it is time to move on, but a part of you aches for that person and most of all, for what could have been. You find yourself picturing what the future will be like without them. Not only what your future will be like, but what their future will be like without you.

Adele captured that feeling perfectly....which is no surprise since this song is about the end of her relationship. How heartbreaking is the part where she tells him that she wishes nothing but the best for him and his wife? I love Adele because she is so honest and her music is breathtakingly gorgeous. She sings with so much emotion and there is no auto-tuning or embellishment. 

In a world full of Ke$ha's and Lady GaGa's (don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some Ke$ha in the proper setting) it is nice to be able to hear something real, honest, and substantial. 

So grab a box of tissues and be prepared for the nostalgia that only Adele can deliver.

*Sidenote: How amazing is this version of the song? It is recorded live at her home! How the heck does she sound that perfect?*

Quote of the Day

What songs take you back to a particular moment or memory? For myself, whenever I hear "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessionals, I am instantly taken back to the summer of my Sophomore year. 

Music is legit.

T-Swizzle

Today has been a Taylor Swift kinda day. The kind of day where you are feeling all angsty and full of girl-power. On days like these, I cannot help but crank up some Taylor Swift and let it all out. One of the things that I love about Tay Swift is her ability to vent in a healthy way. Too many times, I bottle things up in order to get through them. It is sometimes easier just to cover up bad emotions than to deal with them.

I love that she does not do this. If someone has done her wrong, she writes about it. She does not name names, but she does not sugar-coat things. In our society, it is often considered rude to speak ill of someone, and in a major way this is true. I do not believe in publicly bad-mouthing someone, or talking about someone behind their back. I do believe that if someone has hurt you, you have a right to tell them. You have the right to express your feelings in a constructive manner.

Taylor also has the ability to say something tastefully. An example of this can be seen in her song "Better than revenge". In this song, she is talking to a girl that stole her boyfriend. She says:

"She's not a saint and she's not what you think she's an actress. She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress"... Is that, or is that not a nice way of calling someone a homewrecker? Haha! Ok, maybe that wasn't the best example...but we have all had moments of immaturity :p

I guess I just appreciate that she is not perfect. I love that I can identify with her music. She describes experiences that we have all been through. Sometimes I do not want to be mature about a situation. Sometimes it is nice to just say "as far as I'm concerned...you're just another picture to burn", when someone has hurt you. Or, life-changing to tell someone "you are the best thing, that's ever been mine".

Instead of making matters more complicated, why don't we just say what we mean. When we are open and honest about our feelings, we give others permission to do the same.

Quote of the Day

Ok...I couldn't help but post that quote! I almost peed my pants from laughing so hard at the idea of actually saying that!

What's more American than............

Banana Bread...?

Ok, I know you were probably thinking that I was going to say Apple pie, Country music, or Baseball...tricked ya! Anywho, today, to celebrate our great Nation's birthday, I decided to make Banana Bread. I'm weird, I know. Also...am I the only one who thinks of The Black-Eyed Peas oppss..Gwen Stefani when I try to remember how to spell "banana"? "This beat is bananas...b-a-n-a-n-a-s"!. Needless to say, the bread was delish and totally hit the spot! Since I am ohhhhh so nice, I decided to share the recipe with you :)

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 or 3 bananas)

1/3 cup butter

2 tbsp milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional...but yummy!)

What to do:

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the mashed banana, butter, and milk. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Then on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and remaining flour and beat until blended. Stir in the nuts.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes (I cooked mine for about 63 minutes) or until done.

Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a BBQ, watch some fireworks, and be free :)

Good Life

Yesterday, I was feeling very stressed out...like pull-my-hair-out stressed.

Lately, I have been trying to figure out how I'm going to pay for tuition and all of my living expenses at school. I have been feeling like nothing is working out.

Deep down I know this is not true. I have so much to be thankful for.

I look at other people that are struggling with so much, and I get angry at myself.

I get angry that I am sitting around feeling sorry for myself when there are families that have a loved one risking their life to protect our freedom.

I get angry at myself when I see ads for starving children. Really, I have been so blessed.

I now have a job, which I am SO incredibly grateful for.

In spite of knowing that things could be much worse, I still found myself feeling down.

I was on my way to pick up one of my bestest friends Holly for an evening out, when the song "Good Life" by OneRepublic came on. I love this song because it just makes me feel like I can do anything.

is so optimistic. I turned the volume up and felt exhilaration and motivation coursing through my veins. I sang at the top of my lungs and ignored the stares that I was getting from passing cars. Do you know what happened? I felt better! My stress melted away and I felt at peace.

When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over

when everything is out, you gotta learn to take it in.

Oh this has gotta be the good life this has gotta be the good life this could really be a good life, good life Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight like this city is on fire tonight this could really be a good life a good, good life

So whenever you are having a bad day, can you do me a favor?

Find this song, turn it up...and breathe.

I also recommend singing....VERY loud singing...and if that doesn't work, seeing "X-Men First Class" with a good friend may cure what ails ya :)

The words I couldn't say

Have you ever had that moment of nostalgia after hearing a song on the radio? That moment that takes you back to where you were when you last heard it. Maybe it was at a bonfire the summer before College, or a road trip with friends. Immediately upon hearing those familiar tunes, you find yourself reminiscing about happy, or even bittersweet moments. This is one of the top reasons that I love music. I love being able to go back in time to relive those moments. Music has a way of filling us with joy. Music puts into words the emotions that we feel, but expresses it in such a way that is universal. Music unites us and can be enjoyed by everyone. Lately, I have been feeling stressed out and my immediate go-to solution is to crank up my iPod. I play it while I get ready every morning. I play it when I cook. I have dance parties (I know...I'm a dork)...and you better believe that when my dear friend Amy texted me on my birthday telling me to do a happy dance to celebrate...I did! Did it matter that my mom looked at me very strangely when I suddenly hopped up from my seat and started moon-walking (ok...that may be an exaggeration) around the floor? NO! It didn't matter because life is too short to waste being boring. Life is too short to pretend that you do not have Justin Bieber songs on your iPod, or that you don't enjoy rocking out to Taylor Swift....guys, I know you do it too! So...in honor of music appreciation, I present my top 10 favorite songs...of this moment in time that is :)


These are not in any order...it is hard for me to pick favorites!


1. Mean- Taylor Swift
2. Hang you up- Yellowcard
3. Better together- Jack Johnson
4. Marry me- Train
5. If I die young- The Band Perry
6. Free- Zac Brown Band
7. Let me down easy- Billy Currington
8. Count on me- Bruno Mars
9. Crazy girl- Eli Young Band
10. Rhythm of love- Plain White T's


My challenge to you is to figure out what your current top songs are...and when you do, have your own crazy dance party...you will find no judgement here :)


Freshman-year flashback:

Gotta love the 1 am dress-up parties :)

Amy and I brought the hood to Provo...Lil' Wayne style