Create

This sketch of Heinz Chapel on campus as a result of a stressful week. 

Happy Monday everybody! This was definitely a great weekend to have. Up until this weekend I have been spending day in and day out in bed...on the couch...watching tv...on the computer. Really it was very sad. None of my friends were out of school yet and everyone around the house was working. Well finally my friends are home and we got a night in this weekend to catch up and get into our typical shenanigans. Also, I'm now employed for the summer! I don't have to worry about having no money all summer.

Before any of this happened I had been thinking for awhile about what I could do to better pass the time. I've spent some more time reading outside which has been nice. But I wanted to actually feel like I was doing something. When I was younger one of my hobbies was art. Over the years I drew, maybe a little painting, sewing, knitting, writing, you name it! But I've stopped. I want to start up again. During the semester I was super stressed and decided to sketch to distract myself. The drawing was actually pretty good considering the time I haven't done anything. I want to get back to this hobby of creating, letting the creative juices flow, and keeping myself busy.

<3 Ashley

What hobbies do you have? How do you like to keep busy?

Guilty!

Image: here 

By now I am sure that you have seen the 5-minute video "Look Up" that has made a few bloggers (at least in my blogroll!) take a step back and think about social media, how they use it, and HOW OFTEN they use it. It certainly did that for me! If you haven't seen the video, please take 5-minutes now and do yourself that favorite and check it out here.

It is truly amazing how often a person can be caught looking down at a screen, not paying attention to what's going on around them. It's also amazing how much we miss when doing this! As a blogger, I know that I am so very guilty of constantly checking my email on my phone to see if I have any new comments, or how when silence hits when I am with someone my go-to move is to whip out my phone and see what is happening on Facebook or Twitter. How did I let this happen to myself??? I don't know about you, but I do think that it is a problem that personal, face-to-face conversation is not what it used to be!

This video did make an impact on how I view technology and social media. I have made a few promises to myself, not to completely cut it out because that is nearly impossible but to limit my use of it. For one, I have deleted Twitter and Facebook apps from my phone. That is the worst right there--having those apps with you on the go ensures that you are pretty much connected 24/7. This also limits how often I look down at my screen in order to combat a silence in a conversation...now I actually have to talk! Now the blog. I obviously love blogging! But it does take up some time. Here's my compromise. Once...only one part of the day will I dedicate to the blog and blog-related activities. Everything will be done in the morning with my morning cup. The rest of the day is blog-free.

If everyone takes steps to limit their tech and social media use and takes sometime to look up we can learn that we don't need to rely on it so much to entertain us and get us through the day. There is so much else around us that we have not paid much attention to that can do that job instead!

<3 Ashley

Have you seen the video? What are your thoughts? Does it change how you view social media and technology?

Also...anyone else see the irony in the post following a post devoted to my Pinterest addiction?? It's a process people! One step at a time.

A Love Letter To Pinterest

Dear Pinterest,

A couple of years ago we embarked on a relationship that--to be honest--I did not think would last too long. There are lots of other social media sites that I am on like Facebook and Twitter that recently I have begun to not see as much of. But you...you I have been seeing a bit more. I find myself organizing boards, putting them in a specific order and picking cover photos that are the most visually appealing and work well with the other board cover photos.

You have always been there for me when I have needed inspiration or needed something to do. You are there for me on rainy days, slow days, and days when I need a break or a little distraction from what I should be doing. Even five minutes turns into an hour and a half with you. You always know what I want to see--beautiful, colorful and inspired photos and quotes paint your homepage just waiting for me to scroll through and choose what I see fit for my own boards. You have become a very creative, calming and therapeutic activity for me. What I'm trying to say is...I appreciate you, and thank you.

Here's to many more years together!

<3 Ashley

Haha! Okay...so it's not an extreme relationship that I have with Pinterest, but it is very therapeutic sometimes! Are you on Pinterest? Follow my boards here.

It's May!

Image: here

Today is the beginning of May, and it is beginning (in my opinion!) in the best way possible. It is gorgeous outside! April ended with two days straight of rain showers and now the sun is out and the window are open. Let's get those May flowers blooming! May is absolutely the quintessential spring month: the temperatures are pretty consistently beautiful, there are more bunnies in the backyard, the grass has its color back, and the flowers are coming out. All I need here is the leaves to be back on all of the trees and I am in full spring mode--get on that, Mother Nature!

<3 Ashley

What do you love about May?

I Just Wanna Go Places

My summer break has just started and already I find myself daydreaming of the vacations that could be but won't be. This is the problem with getting out so early...none of my friends are home yet so I have no distractions to keep me from the daydreaming. These daydreams are going to stay that way too...I have no budget to go anywhere--the struggles of the modern college student! It doesn't help that everyone I follow on Twitter or Instagram is constantly posting their adventures in all of these places that I want to be. Here are just a few of the things that I have been daydreaming about:

 A beach vacation. This is what I long for every day of the year! Haha! I cannot tell you how many times I sat in statistics and dreamt of just falling asleep on the sand with the sound of waves hitting the shore. How relaxing does that sound?

A music festival. I have never been to one and I really want to! A few years ago they started the Mixtape Festival in Hershey which is so close to me, but I always end up either on vacation or heading back to school when it comes around. As a music fan, this is something that I would love to do at some point!

A roadtrip. My friends have been talking about taking a roadtrip next summer to check out grad-schools down south and part of me wants to just tag along so that I can see the sites! At some point I think it would be super cool to take a cross country trip.

<3 Ashley

What are some trips you want to take this summer? Any of these in the near future?

**Images are linked to websites

It's Been Real, It's Been Fun...

Image: here

...and it has most definitely been real fun! I'm officially back home from school for the next four months. Sophomore year was definitely the best one yet! My roommate and I spent our last night together reminiscing about the year and how great it really was. We expanded our friend group and added some guys to it--an accomplishment that we are probably the most excited about. We are already excited to get back for junior and get the fun started with everyone again! We have already discussed the first week back and having a couple of dinners and outings before classes start.

But that is all four months away. I have this summer to look forward to; and I am definitely looking forward to it! Since I have been home I have been unpacking (still not done!) and applying for jobs. Hopefully I can get some work soon because boy do I need to start saving for junior year! Having apartment style living and a minimal meal plans means plenty of grocery shopping. I do not really have any huge plans for the summer, but I kind of like that. It will be nice, relaxing and laidback. Before we left, my roommate and I agreed that we were going to take this summer to work on ourselves. For me that means I'm really going to focus on being healthy--back to morning runs and cooking some great food! I also really want to do a lot of reading. I have downloaded some new books to my Kindle and am very excited about sitting on the deck and spending my afternoon reading through them.

While I am getting antsy for junior year (when is it appropriate to start a countdown?) I am also anticipating a great summer spent the way that I want to spend it!

<3 Ashley

How excited are you for the summer? Do you have any plans?

Easter + Finals

Image: here

Happy Monday everybody! Yes...even though it is the beginning of a very trying time I like to call Finals Week it is still a pretty solid Monday! It is absolutely gorgeous in Pittsburgh today and yesterday was Easter and the weather for that was just as fabulous. We went to the 10 AM mass and then followed up with a delicious brunch which I capped off with, of course, ice cream.

Unfortunately, after brunch my Easter was pretty much over so I did what any student on this campus is doing...studied for finals. I grabbed a blanket and sat under the Sun making my notecards for astronomy. Today I was out there again for a good two hours studying and get a good bit of color--no burn though! My roommate and I have also started packing up our room. It is a pretty heartbreaking task, honest. We have had so much fun in this room and have had many great nights hanging out with out friends. But at the same time we are pretty pumped to come back in August and move our stuff into an APARTMENT! We cannot wait to finally have a kitchen and our own rooms.

However, for now I can't be thinking those happy thoughts yet. I have to get through the stress of exams and final papers this week as well as packing away my sophomore year memories. Happy Finals Week, folks!

<3 Ashley

Weekend Wrap-Up: The 70s

The view from the incline

The 70s...that is where temperatures were all weekend and it was pretty much the best weekend since Light Up Night earlier in the winter. You know it was a good weekend because I got zero school work done! Seriously, this is the last week of classes and I am so far behind it is not even funny. I am stressed but I am by no means mad at myself. Sure, I have a speech to give Wednesday that is only half written but it was worth it for what we did. Saturday my roommate and I to a trip to the Monongahela Incline to take in a daytime view of Pittsburgh and enjoy the sun with a couple of our friends from our floor. This was followed by an impromptu mid-afternoon trip to Primanti's for fries. Then we spent the time until the sunset back on campus (outside!) having a catch.

 

Timeflies. This man specifically was very attractive ;)

Then yesterday we had a little birthday brunch for a couple of the girls whose birthdays are a week or two after we leave Pittsburgh. Let me tell you, Double Wide Grill in SouthSide...their brunch is fantastic! I got the veggie omelet and was so beyond satisfied. My roommate and I got back to campus intent on getting work done despite the gorgeous near 80 weather when all of a sudden the guys invited us to the concert that was happening on campus. So instead of speech writing I found myself on Bigelow Boulevard waiting for Timeflies to perform. The show was fantastic and so much fun! I really don't think I could have asked for a better, incredibly non-productive weekend!

<3 Ashley

How was your weekend?

Donut Mess With Me

Image: here

I know, I know...it's been pretty much the entire week. What's my excuse now?? Pretty much the same; I have been bombarded with so much work. The semester is approaching its end and my professors are under the impression that "Eh...maybe we can fit in like three more writing assignments." What a horrible idea! Anyway, that's my story. Also it has been so nice out lately that I have been spending as much time outside and off the computer as possible. It's nice to disconnect once in awhile. 

Also, my mood has been a little out of hand only to be briefly stabilized by nice temperatures. What's the matter? I willingly removed ice cream and donuts from my life for 40 days. I like to give something up for Lent despite the fact that I'm not the most religious person in the world...I try though. This year I really wanted to give up something difficult. For me that is ice cream and donuts--my blood is pretty much one part cookies and cream, one part boston cream, and one part coffee. I actually have done extraordinarily well with this too! Up until this week I had not even thought about dessert. However, Easter is so close yet so far away. I'm starting to get restless and have had increasing fantasies about dipping donuts in ice cream. Plus, I've been so stressed with all this school work that there is nothing more I want than to stress eat a pint of Cherry Garcia. I plan on staying strong though! I've already made it this far!

<3 Ashley

Is there something you've given up? How difficult has it been for you?

April Letter

Image: here

Disclaimer: This post will include absolutely no April Fools pranks. No foolin'!

Now that we've got that out of the way...HAPPY APRIL! April has to be one of my favorite months solely because this is the month that spring weather is ushered in. Today is supposed to be a wonderful 72 degrees!! Needless to say, the sundress and cute wedges are on and ready to go.

Much of the content on the blog this month is going to have a lot to do with spring. I'm talking spring trends, spring adventures and just tons of pictures of flowers really. Just consider this "Spring Things" month!

<3 Ashley

Are you excited about April?

A Weekend to Forget

Image: here

So this was probably the worst weekend I have ever experienced! It started out normal with brunch with some people on my floor and the Pitt basketball game. I should have known that everything would go downhill when Pitt lost the game. What started out as a stomachache quickly snowballed into what I can only assume was some very unforgiving food poisoning. I cannot say I have ever been that sick in my life! I spent all of Saturday night running back and forth between my bed and the bathroom and trying to keep at least some Gatorade down--that was pretty unsuccessful.

I think I finally fell asleep around 2 but kept waking up throughout the rest of the night. Sunday was a little bit better, but still no appetite for food. I also had a lovely time trying to study for an exam and write a speech both of which were today. I can say with confidence that I pretty much failed the exam...I failed it hard. As far as the speech goes, my professor was very understanding and agreed to let me deliver it on Wednesday instead so that I have more time to focus and prepare.

Luckily today I do feel a lot better than I did this weekend--just a little tired and still without much of an appetite. I am so happy that it's over and am so grateful for all of my friends on the floor who were constantly checking up on me and making sure I had food and drinks. Thank God for friends!

<3 Ashley

How was your weekend? Hopefully better than this!

Happy Spring!

Image: here

I know I missed the first day of spring yesterday, but let's face it...I was too busy enjoying it! Free Rita's Italian ice anyone? However, I did receive quite the blow when I looked at my weather app and saw that next week was supposed to be in the 30s! Come on, spring! I am longing to break out the dresses and flats; I've been with out them for far too long!!

On a separate note, for the first time I filled out a NCAA Tournament bracket with a very limited knowledge of college basketball aside from what I know about my own team. Needless to say, I will not be a billionaire with a perfect bracket, and I have Ohio State to thank for that. Good looking out, guys! :P However, Pitt won their game against Colorado--bring it on, Florida!! Hail to Pitt!

Enjoy the beginning of spring and have a great weekend!
<3 Ashley

Did you celebrate the first day of spring?

Back to Business

Image: here

I cannot express enough how relaxing last week was for me. I'm going to be so upset when I graduate and Spring Break is not an option for me anymore. I will say that by Spring Break standards, it was rather uneventful--the struggles of the poor college student. I was quite alright with this though; after a week of study, study, study I was very happy to have the chance to just be lazy for 10 solid days. I'm talking sleeping in, camping on the couch in front of the television, making whatever food I want, and blazing through some leisure reading. I have another Book Club post in the works for ya already!

But that dreamy, relaxing week is over. It ended with the long and boring bus ride back to the 'Burgh yesterday. It's time to get back to business. We are in the last stretch of the semester and things are going to start getting busy for me all the while my friends and I are going to be planning as much fun as we can before we are separated for four long months. So I apologize in advanced if the posting is a little thinner than it has been--I think I definitely stepped it up this past week though! Time to attack the last of sophomore year!

<3 Ashley

Any other students on Spring Break have fun plans?! (I know a bunch have break this week!)

A Little Disconnect

The view of downtown from the Monongahela Incline this weekend.

Peek-a-boo! I really do apologize that I have so many of these silent periods anymore. For some reason it has been so difficult for me to get organized and get my thoughts together. But I'm working on it, I promise! It is not entirely a bad thing though. Through the past week I have been generally inactive on most of my social media. I mean, it helps that I have had reading and assignments galore for classes. What I'm saying is, it's been a nice little period of disconnect for me. I've been trying to look at my phone less and enjoy my quiet, down time and take some more time to experience the world around me. This past weekend I got the chance to get off campus and spend an evening (dinner included!) downtown. It was definitely well-deserved, I think, after all of the stress I have experienced lately. I didn't get the position on campus that I interviewed for; however, I'm over that now...there are other opportunities to get involved! I have also been blazing through my most recent read, "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" so expect a new Book Club post soon! Hopefully, I can back on the blogging horse again. But please be patient with me. :)

<3 Ashley

How have you been lately?

Break Me Off A Piece of Sanity

Image: here

I'm taking a break. No! Not from blogging! Why would I stop doing something that I consider so therapeutic for me? I mean from school (and people.) Thanksgiving break is in a week and I am anticipating it more than I think I ever will. Last year, I don't think I was too desperate to go home for break; this is probably due to the fact that I was getting acclimated to college life and living alone and actually enjoying it. This year is different. The semester has definitely been the most stressful and difficult academically that I have experienced so far. It has also been rather heavy in the social realm as well.

My roommate and I have been discussing this a lot lately...living in a co-ed dorm is certainly different. We've gotten close with these guys. We've seen ladies come and go over these past three months. We've had to listen to more problems and feelings than we though we'd ever hear from guys. We need a break from these people. Not that I don't appreciate how comfortable they are with me to come to me with their problems, but let me tell you...they make me feel a little masculine sometimes! There's also plenty of actual females that I need to take some time off from as well.

8 days and counting!

<3 Ashley

What do you need a break from?

Where Did Life Go?!

Image: here

So prior to yesterday, the question in the title never really crossed my mind; not after graduating high school, not after moving into my first college dorm, never. Yesterday and today two of my closest friends celebrated their 20th birthdays. Cue the late night barely-a-quarter-life crises. It finally hit me after realizing that everyone I know is entering their twenties...we're freaking adults, man! Now I still have quite a bit of time left to go before I cross into the next decade of my life but I still can't help but be a little bit taken by surprise at how quickly time seems to have passed.

I remember being in elementary and middle school with one of these girls and seeing each other everyday and going through all these really juvenile problems together. Last night, we were in our own dorms, on different college campuses, four hours away from each other still talking about our problems but with computer screens between us. We talked for hours about financial aid problems, crazy emotional guy problems, and other things that all of a sudden felt very grown up and very strange to us. I have now become very aware of life's little gray area where we are currently located.

In cultural anthropology we learned the term liminality. Liminality typically occurs in a cultural right of passage ritual; it is that step between the subjects starting social status and their new place in society. College is liminal. We aren’t the young guns who were a little sheltered, but we are also not completely cut loose and left alone to provide for ourselves and others yet. There are different rules that apply to us as we are learning how to be adults  in our specific society.

So I have nine months until I leave my teenage years and childhood behind me and really enter the age of adulthood. Luckily I have all these friends I can live through who are testing the waters for me, right? I plan on spending these last months making an effort--toward everything that’s coming at me in my in the rest of my nineteenth year as I enter into the twentieth year: applying for more scholarships to alleviate those financial aid problems, getting to know myself before concerning myself with others to maybe lessen some of those guy problems, and of course having fun to cure myself of my stress problem. After this post, I am still asking myself that question up there…where did life go? But there’s less panic now. Now it is peaceful realization and welcome toward the coming years.

<3 Ashley

Anyone else a little surprised at how fast time truly flies?

A Little Tired

I need to go back and find my motivation. I feel like I am in kind of a funk right now and procrastination is rearing its ugly head. Currently I want nothing more than to spend all day in bed reading or watching a movie. For the past three weeks I have been attending classes, meetings and appointments galore; and I'm still waiting for the weekend that I don't need to set an alarm for. Seriously...every weekend I have woken up to an alarm for a football game, some kind of community service or some other plan. This coming weekend will be no exception--I will be present at the Pittsburgh Zoo at 7AM for the Kidney Walk on Sunday. I understand that it's a good idea to be involved and put yourself out there but at what cost?! I really just want a weekend to sleep! I'm sorry that this is such a whiny post but I figure I don't do many of those.

Feel free to do your own whining in the comments below!

<3 Ashley

What's bringing you down right now?

Life As Of Late

The rains that I woke up to in the morning

Hey all!

Sorry I was so absent yesterday. I had every intention of posting but the general atmosphere around here lately did not allow for that. I got some pretty upsetting news this weekend and then I was so tired yesterday and it was raining and all of this conspired to make a very subdued, not too talkative Ashley.

But I'm back! I really don't have anything too too exciting planned for today so I will just catch you up on my life. We are halfway through the first semester of sophomore year and I am already so over this. TOO MUCH READING!! I took a few exams already and didn't do has hot as I would have liked; I still need to figure out how to study for these classes. I need to take my own advice and take some time to relax and calm down. But socially this year is already so much better since I came in with a set of friends from last year and my floor in my residence hall is so friendly! Plus, it's a co-ed floor this year which I definitely am NOT complaining about. Haha!

To be honest, there isn't too much excitement to report on. Just a lot of stressful weekends and late nights studying in the lounge.

<3 Ashley

How have you been lately?

Day 19: A Day in the Life

Photo: here

Day 19: Write a "Day in the Life" post.

I have waited the whole day to write this. I thought a Sunday would be a nice day to do this because it was more relaxed, more things were done on a whim and 6 hours wouldn't be eaten up by work.

7:30 AM: Rise and shine!
8:00 AM: Out for breakfast with mom. A latte and breakfast sandwich on a croissant for me.
9:45 AM: Make pasta salad for today's lunch
10:30 AM: Family watching a show about pizza. Lunch plans go out the window and we decide to go out for pizza instead.
11:30 AM: Inhale three slices of some pretty good mushroom pizza. No regrets here!
1:00 PM: Watching the Golden Girls with mom; dad reading trying to block it out (but he totally enjoys it...I know it.)
3:00 PM: After sneezing 5 times in a 30 second period I break and take a Benadryl. Complain to anyone about my lack of sleep over the past 3 days due to stuffy nose and sore throat.
3:15 PM: Research moisturizers; a small rash has formed on my face from this one that I am currently using. Confirmed: I have sensitive skin.
3:30 PM: Some journaling. I like to have a private little notebook to write down any thoughts that I want to get out of my head.
3:40 PM: Continue reading "The Devil Wears Prada." The sequel, "Revenge Wears Prada," is being released on June 4, I believe.
6:30 PM: I should probably eat again; dig out some of that pasta salad that was supposed to be for lunch.
7:00 PM: Watch "P.S. I Love You" because it's been awhile.
8:00 PM: About the time that I start crying. No matter how many times I watch this film, I will sob throughout the entire last half of it!
9:30 PM: Commence blog writing and ideas for tomorrow.

There you have it! I know...it's a pretty intense life. Haha! But really, this was one of those days that I enjoy. It was very laid back and quite lazy. Who doesn't love one of those days once in awhile!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 1 Fun Facts

Happy May everyone! Next month is the 1 year anniversary of All That Glitters and as a lead up to that I have decided to do the 30 Day Blogging Challenge. I thought that maybe you would like to get to know me a little bit better. So with day 1 I am giving you a list (who doesn't love lists?!) of basic facts and favorites of mine.

Birthday: July 13
Color: Mint
Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Devil Wears Prada or Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Song: "Give A Little Bit" - the Goo Goo Dolls
Book: "The Great Gatsby" - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Vacation Spot: A beach
Beauty essential: Mascara
Food: Quesadillas (they are a go-to for me)
TV Show: The Rachel Zoe Project
Drink: Water w/ lemon
Starbuck's order: Large latte
Dream Job: Magazine editor
College Major: Communications
Favorite School Subject: History

These are just a few of the basic facts I have deemed important to know. Expect a pop quiz at the end of the month! Haha!

What are some of your favorites? Do we share any similar answers?

<3 Ashley