loving life all day...everyday.

In full faith Breath in these words till they take root in every cell, tissue, and muscle in your body.

Theses words will become your life if you focus on them daily. Your life will change, believe it and receive it. Faith, love, perfect health, happiness, joy, success, prosperity, abundance, overcome, reprocity, wisdom, understanding, perfect vision, growth, focus, determination, an open mind, peace, dedication, integrity, honesty, loyalty, friendship, networking, wealth, expand, effectiveness, productive, purpose, multiple streams of income, believe, forgiveness, humility, aggressive, desire, mentors, proteges, alive, teachers, balance, confidence, compassion, decisive, energy, grateful, inspire, learn, goals, listen, enthusiasm, manifest, passion, patience, poise, courage, sincere, smile, strength, strong, survivor, trust, wholeness, worthy, deserving, clear, beautiful, clarity, centered, creative, dynamic, fantastic, wonderful, kindness, give, nurture, laugh, smile! Change your words change your life!

hope you guys have a great week!

the abc's of miss aev.

a little bit about yours truly...you are welcome!

(A) Age: 26 and loving it!
(B) Bed Size: Queen - just right for little ole me
(C) Chore You Hate: mopping. I just dislike it with a passion.
(D) Dogs?: Miss Payton will forever be my little baby. (Golden Retriever)
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: cup of coffee with peppermint mocha creamer and a tiny scoop of organic sugar
(F) Favorite Color: Green
(G) Gold or Silver? Silver
(H) Height: 5’2” – when I wear heels, I’m probably 5’3”
(I) Instruments You Play: Does the recorder count? Ha-ha. I always wanted to learn how to play the piano.
(J) Job Title: Rental Operations Specialist
(K) Kids: Not at this time, but in my future...yes!
(L) Live: In good ole’ north cackalacky = North Carolina
(M) Mom's Name: Jacqueline
(N) Nicknames: Ash, Jelly, Maria, lil’ mama, shorty, ella (middle name Elaine)
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? Not so far…
(P) Pet Peeve: People with no manners. Saying please and thank you is not very hard.
(Q) Quote from a Movie: “Say hello to my little friend”. - Scarface
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right
(S) Siblings: 1 younger sister: Arlene
(T) Time You Wake Up? 6:15 a.m.

(U) Underwear: yep, a whole drawer full of Vicky Hush Hush
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Collard Greens: crazy someone from the South doesn’t like greens. Ewwww.
(W) What Makes You Run Late: Taking too long to decide what to wear.
(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: too many to count…yes, I’m a klutz
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: My famous Spicy Enchiladas and mini fruit pancakes.
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: giraffe – I’m obsessed with anything that’s taller than me.

so, Volvo (company i work for) has a golf league. how did i not know this???
 i've been wanting to learn for the longest, so now i have my chance.

hopefully, i won't hurt myself or anyone else. pray for me please. hahaha

a little inspiration :)

"Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning." - Mahatma Gandhi

enjoy your weekend dolls!!!

jump over a kia? no problem.

Blake Griffin jumps over a kia and wins the 2011 NBA Dunk Contest {2.19.11}

whhhaattttt??? this is bananas for real!!!

lifebyme.com

happy hump day peeps!

LIVE

I didn’t always know how to live. For a long time, I just survived. Then one day, after having enough of getting by, I chose to go in, really chose to go into life. I taught myself how and learned to live fully – outrageously, boldly, courageously, authentically, joyfully, peacefully, and passionately – in every moment! I learned how to be present in every moment in laughter, delight, and appreciation. We each have a choice in every moment: love or fear, joy or pain, darkness or light. It’s in making that choice that we begin to fully live.

LOVE

Love is where everything starts and ends. We all want to love and be loved – unconditionally. It’s been said that we have three main purposes in life: to love ourselves, to love others, and to love what we do. It seems pretty simple, but it can feel so complicated sometimes. Yet when we open our hearts to love ourselves and love others, we truly begin to feel alive and are able to give and receive.

GIVE

It starts with giving to ourselves. This is the one we so often forget. We may be good at giving to others and being of service, but if we’ve forgotten to give to ourselves, everything goes awry. Giving is a natural cycle of life. If we give, we receive, and when we receive, we give another person the opportunity to give. We often forget this little nuance. When we live fully in the flow of giving and receiving, a whole new world of joy, light, laughter, and love is bestowed upon us.


When we open ourselves up to living, loving, and giving fully, the magic, mystery, and miracles of life shower upon us.


- Pilar Stella

http://www.lifebyme.com/pilar-stella-live-love-give/



“I like my money right where I can see it... hanging in my closet.” - Carrie Bradshaw

i'd like to show you the fabulous closet i have...yes, in my dreams it looks just like the closet above. 

in my closet dreams, i also have all of my jimmy choo's, manolo blahnik's, and christian louboutin's

set up just like the beautiful and crazy talented ms. Christina Aguilera. amazing how we both have the same taste.

like i said people...those are just dreams.

so here is my reality...

i have way too many clothes, shoes, purses, etc. for my tiny closet :(

i've never had close to 40 dresses in my entire life. never.

as i've gotten older, my fetish for dresses has grown.

there is just something so attractive about woman in a dress.

and if you're short like me...throw some heels on with it!

okay, so 20 pairs of jeans...

i know some people who have way more and i've actually gotten rid of some.

every girl needs a nice pair of jeans. or a couple few ;)

52 pairs of shoes includes: boots, heels, sandals, flats, tennis shoes...

i have way too many pairs of heels. for one...i have to wear them to work everyday and

um, hello...shorty over here. i like to feel tall like everyone else sometimes. lol

my all time favorite store is....drum roll pleassee.....

TJ MAXX!!!

for my birthday last month, i got a $25 gift card to TJ MAXX.

last week i'm shopping (go figure) and i spot the lovely Jessica Simpson purse above.

what a beauty! originally, this purse was $80 bucks! TJ MAXX's price was $40 bucks!

Ashley's price was around $18 bucks with tax and using my $25 gift card! talk about a deal!



if you're familiar with the store EXPRESS, than you probably know what fast cash is.

anyway, i had a $25 fast cash coupon (basically free money) and i got these cute simple black sandals.

i can't wait for the warm weather to come, so i can rock these cuties!

every morning this is me.

i stand in front of my closet complaining i have nothing to wear.

ha, yeah right sista girl!

do any of you ladies ever feel like you have nothing to wear, but have a closet full of clothes?

a little lovin' for ya.

Hope you guys had a wonderful weekend!

ever heard of a website called, The Daily Love?

no? where have you been?

what are you waiting for....google it! now!

you can subscribe to receive daily messages like the one below.

"Defeat may test you; it need not stop you. If at first you don't succeed, try another way. For every obstacle there is a solution. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. The greatest mistake is giving up." - Anon

Push past the point at which you want to give up. The darkest moment is before the dawn. You cannot break through to a new life if you are not willing to fully commit to your outcome. See all that happens as happening for your best interest. Once you have asked for something it shall be yours, and so will all the blocks that currently exist that are in the way of what you want. These blocks are not there to make you stop, but to make you stronger, wiser and better able to navigate the challenges of life. Keep the desire burning strong within you to achieve your goal. Desire is the predecessor of manifestation. Then throw yourself into action. Throw yourself into your dream's pursuit. The darkness will come... and it is at THAT moment that you will shine brightest - FROM WITHIN.


Love, Mastin
http://thedailylove.com/

happy monday!

:) grateful for another day!

shake watcha mama gave ya.

are you doing your happy dance?

that's me doing mine!!!

oh, yeah...i can get down. you didn't know?

i'm sooo super duper thrilled to be back in good spirits! we're all entitled to our off days, but ya gotta get back on the horse and keep on ridin'. okay, that sounded good in my mind; however, typing and reading it back to myself sounds kinda corny. anyways, you get the point. right? don't judge me. please. ha-ha. i'm all smiles not only because its f.r.i.d.a.y, but because my clothes are starting to feel a little loose on me! score for ashley! all this running is paying off. i'm actually looking forward to my long run tomorrow morning. 8 m.i.l.e.s - wholy moley!

p.s. i'm going to see taylor swift in july with my god-daughter and cousin. pretty excited about that, because my god-daughter absolutely loves tay tay and she doesn't know shes going yet. yay!!!

wishes all you beauties a wonderful and happy weekend!

today and everyday...

and, lastly thank you ladies for reading my blog.

sending happy thoughts to you all :)

its almost friday!

i am a fighter.

back in January, i made the decision to be a more positive person, and live in the present. i discovered the law of attraction and practiced 'The Secret' process, and to my surprise it actually worked. yes, it really did! i now am i firm believer of the law of attraction. once i received what i wanted, i got too comfortable and fell off the positive boat...causing me to loose what i had manifested back into my life. no one is too blame, except for me. i'd like to think the universe, God, whomever was testing me, and obviously i lost that battle. do i give up? no. do i blame others for my failure? no. i've learned i am my biggest enemy and i have control over my life. i am responsible for my actions, thoughts, and words. i realize i'm not perfect. and sometimes when things seem to be going perfect, something will happen to knock you down. the important part is how you react to the disruption and keep on. i am not willing to take a lost on this one. that's not the woman i have become. i'm a fighter. and, i will fight till i can't anymore for what i want and deserve. its never too late to change what may seem like a lost cause situation or anything for that matter. it can happen and will happen. i am sure of this. so i'm getting back in the ring. ding ding. lets go. i'm ready!

Everyone hits a bottom. It's normal, it's natural and it's bound to happen. If you want to transcend into a reality where you live your dreams, expect that the bottom is going to come and embrace it. It's not as bad as it seems and I personally believe it happens because The Uni-verse is testing you to see how badly you want it. Keep walking when all seems lost; the dawn will break - promise! Positive and realistic affirmations and visualizations of what you want put you in the feeling place of having what you want. When you're in the feeling place of having what you want, it's a moment to celebrate because that means the manifestation is much closer to happening than is was before. See your daily affirmations and visualizations as part of flexing your manifestation muscles. - The Daily Love

there is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved.

"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

— 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

happy valentines day dolls :)

 

xoxoxo

i never want you to think that you are anything less than amazing.

have a good weekend, dolls!!!

i like 'em cold and tall.

gosh, i love this man. i could run my hands through his curly hair all day long and that voice. sing it, billy!

oh summer where art thou?

The tans will fade, but the memories will last forever.

good things take time.

This past weekend, my duties as maid of honor began. Yay! We went to look at wedding dresses. Exciting, right? Let me say, I am beyond thrilled for my bestie. After all, this is an exciting time in a girl’s life. And, I am honored to be standing by her side on her big day!

As we went through all of the gorgeous jaw-dropping dresses, I imagined myself doing the exact same thing…for my special day. This is not intended to be a sad, pity party post for poor, little Ashley. Trust me; I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer. Debbie, is no friend of mine!

Buuuttttt....being single, turning twenty-six and the fact that, most of my friends are either in a serious relationship, engaged, married and having kids, makes me look twice at my own current situation. And, then I read all of you’re blogs filled with so much love. I’m not envious or jealous for the people who have a special significant other in their life, in fact, I’m happy for them. I truly am. Love is a beautiful thing. I’ve learned to be content in my current state, because I have faith that I will be blessed too, one day. However, being single doesn’t always have its perks. I just try to think that there is a lesson be hide this single season.

When your current status reads: single…you tend to look at yourself. You question yourself. What’s wrong with me? Yes, I’m guilty as charged. I’ve questioned myself countless times. At the end of the day, you look in the mirror and see your reflection staring back at you. You can’t run from who you are. You can only appreciate the many lessons, blessings and experiences, He has provided for you. Nothing is wrong with you at all. Everyone just goes through life at their own pace. I learned, I was blocking my own blessings from happening because I was never fully satisfied with my current state, even when I was in a relationship. I always wanted more. I never learned the thing called, patience. Well, guess what...patience is trying to be my BFF now. Took you long enough!

Life is just too short. One day it hit me. Wham, right in the face! Talk about ouch! I finally realized my worth. Some of us already know our worth and I guess others have to learn this. I had to learn this. I realized what a beautiful woman, inside and out, I truly am. For so long, I relied on others to make me happy and bring me joy. But it wasn’t till recently, I learned you are not responsible for other people's happiness, because everyone is responsible for their own lives and happiness. You have to be happy and content with yourself first, and anyone else who comes into your life will only enhance what you've already established. It’s funny how wedding dress shopping for my best friend turned into thinking about all of that...us women, and our dang analyzing. Thanks a lot, Eve!

Yesterday, in church the sermon was based around fulfilling our potential that God has given us. As I’m sitting in the pew listening closely, I thought to myself, am I fulfilling my full potential? I realize we are all works in progress and there is a lesson to learn everyday. God is constantly giving us the same tests over and over again, until we learn the lesson. This is why I feel the need to strengthen my relationship with Him… because all things are possible because of Him. He knows my needs and wants. And, He is the only one who can answer my prayers. I realize, I have a role to play, and that God is not going to do all the work for me. I feel like my faith, positive attitude and living in the present (not the past) is the only way I’m going to receive.

wedding dress shopping.

today, the bride and the 

maid of honor (me) are going to 

look at wedding dresses. yay!

this little piggie needs a nap. asap!

i have been eating all day long. why???

because at work...we love to eat!

we use any excuse to have a "snack day".

at least i brought a vegetable tray :) 

(someones got to be healthy right) ha-ha, yeah right!

{like my super bowl outfit? haha NOT!}

you can see who I'll be rooting for on Sunday!

my father is from Pittsburgh and i grew up in a

steelers fanatic house hold, so i had no choice.

gooooo steelers!!!

hope you guys have a wonderful super bowl weekend!

i would like to thank...

guess what, dolls???

i just got my first stylish blogger award!

yay! i feel famous. totally kidding! :)

maybe not famous, but i feel like the most popular girl in the class. 

 Nini said...

Hi Ashley I'm giving you and award for being such a cute and stylish and might I add savvy blogger. I recently won award for Stylish Blogger Award and I am passing it to you! Congratulations! Check out the details and grab the award from on my blog www.ninisays.com

{thank you Nini sooooo much for this award! i truly appreciate it and love reading your blog everyday} :)

*******************

There are 4 duties which must be

performed when you receive this award

1. Thank and link back to the person who send you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.

4. Contact the bloggers you picked and let them know about the award!

okay, so back to me...because this award is all about me, right? yep!

7 THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I’m an extremely emotional person. I cry over the smallest things…just can’t help it! I like to say it’s because I have such a big heart. (wink wink) I’m the girl who cries during sad commercials, Disney movies or when my best friend calls me to ask me to be her Maid of Honor. Yes, I started crying…happy tears of course. She will never let me live that down. I tell her just wait till your wedding day! Ha-ha

2. I’m a little old-fashioned at times. I still believe in things like men opening doors, saying please and thank you. I don’t mind cooking and serving my man…I get this from my momma. (Maybe it’s just a Southern thang)

3. I have a slight obsession with coconut. I love coconut everything and probably would put it on just about any and everything. Maybe is a huge obsession. Ha-ha.

4. When I open my mouth people ask if I’m from California. I get made fun of all the time for my “Valley girl” type voice. As if! J (I don’t think girls from California are Valley girls)

5. I have become a pretty positive person and try to see the good in most things. There is a reason be hide the say “What you think about, you bring about.” Sooooo true!

6. I always have to have earrings on! I feel naked without them. Strange…I know.

7. I’m a small person (5’2…5’4 with heels on), but that doesn’t stop me from talking a bunch of smack! Don’t underestimate the size!

and now, i'm passing my crown to some

beautiful blog ladies i love to stalk

(in the most non-freakish way) lol :)

 1. http://littlemayra.blogspot.com/
2. http://marz-royalmail.blogspot.com/

3. http://storyofmylifetheblog.blogspot.com/

4. http://itsahuntlife.blogspot.com/

5. http://lawgirlruns.blogspot.com/

6. http://runwithme23.blogspot.com/

7. http://fitnessfoodandfaith.blogspot.com/

8. http://adorablyd.blogspot.com/

9. http://melifaif.blogspot.com/

10. http://labytheway.blogspot.com/

11. http://misslc109.blogspot.com/

12. http://marcandbritt.blogspot.com/

13. http://faith-lovefamilymarriage.blogspot.com/

14. http://tortsandatiara.blogspot.com/

15. http://singlegallivingitup.blogspot.com/

the meaning be hide the history.

the month of February is important part of our history... why?

Dr. Carter G. Woodson originally initiated the meaning of this symbolic month. He founded Negro History Week, in 1926 in order to bring attention to all of the contributions of black people throughout American history. We now recognize formerly Negro History Week, as Black History Month. The second week of February was chosen for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. This month is also celebrated for the several historical events that occurred in the month of February. These events forever impacted the lives of African-Americans, such as the Fifteenth Amendment of the United States giving them the right to vote. The right to vote...something many of us take for granted. This month is not only important to African-Americans, but to all Americans because it highlights all of the contributions made to our society by African-Americans.

The F.W. Woolworth building in Greensboro, NC is not too far away from my home. Last year, the city of Greensboro finally decided to make this historical building The International Civil Right Center & Museum. I plan on visiting the museum this month. On February 1, 1960 in Greensboro NC, four freshmen from  the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College would do a sit-in at a Woolworth lunch counter that would turn into a civil rights milestone.

Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, David Richmond, and Ezell Blair, Jr.,

I would like to take a moment to thank all of the amazing and fearless people in our history for all of their contributions to our society. THANK YOU!!!



Read more: The History of Black History Month (Famous People, Women, Facts, Leaders, Events) — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html#ixzz1CoQ96SZD

Life is short... running makes it seem longer.

allow me to introduce...my running crew.

i realize its been a while since i've updated ya'll on my running thang. shame on me. i know.

so anyways, as ya know i've been running since about late october and just recently started running with the group of ladies above. [see me on the end...the short one] let me just tell you...they are pretty bad ass. we run three days out of the week. whew! last year this time, i would have laughed if you told me i would be running 6 miles on saturday morning at 7:15 am. whooooo?? meeee???? runnn?? yeah right, buddy! it is truly amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind and heart into something. i've learned to love running and the best part are the results i've gotten from doing it. my clothes have never fit better and i feel good. the motivation i receive from running with a group is awesome and its nice to be held accountable. saturday runs are the best...we run around 6-7 miles and then have breakfast...hence saturday runs being called run to breakfast :)

 

can running make you look this hott???

 jessica alba is one of my girl crushes. what a doll.

 {i need a dress like that in my life}

back to running...

this is typically our weekly running schedule:

Here's this week's runs:
 Monday: cross train

Tuesday: GDS track night. If anyone wants to meet at my house by 5:30pm, we can all carpool it to the track for 6pm. Warm-up: 10-15 minutes (1 mile), 3-4 X 800 (2 times around) at a fast pace, walk or jog 400 (one lap) for recovery- 800 cool down, relaxed pace -Total mileage: 3.5-4 miles

Wednesday: cross train

Thursday: Meet at my house at 5:30pm for a tempo run. We'll run 10-15 minutes warm-up, then hold a quicker pace for 15 minutes, 10-15 minute cool down. We'll run the same route we did last Thursday, 4.14 miles.

Friday: REST!! (my favorite day of the week...kidding)

Saturday: Run to breakfast 3...Jake's Diner on New Garden Rd.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4261122 6.79 miles
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4261103 8.65 miles


Sunday: Active recovery, just get out and move some.


piece of cake, right?