TGIF Pins

Finally...FRIDAY! This week has been just a little bit stressful for me (remember when I told you I worry about everything?) But it's over, I'm still alive and everything is okay. This weekend looks like a pretty laidback one for me; hopefully I will be seeing some family this weekend and Sunday we are going to a picnic/party. Not too much is going on since my brother works all weekend--the kid's first job! I am going to close out the week with a positive and upbeat day at work and these lovely pins for you. The food has my mouth watering; Tuesday was National Chocolate Eclair Day so those have been on my mind, and how delicious does that peach and balsamic pizza look! Very summer-y. :) Enjoy!

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Have a great weekend!

<3 Ashley

My Summer Uniform

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So I feel like we really have jumped right into summer. It gets hotter and hotter everyday! I need to find some appropriate dresses to wear to work because I am dying in my pants! It seems that all I wear this summer is for work and there is hardly time for me to break out my cute summer threads. During this time of year I love to wear dresses (and skirts...but I'm talking dresses here!) I have not really had a chance to go shopping but I have gotten in some browsing time. I have found three styles that I really like and want to try more of this summer: floral maxi dresses, neon dresses and high-low dresses. 

What dress styles do you tend to wear more often?

<3 Ashley

Freshman Survival Tips

Summer officially started on Friday and is now in full swing (hello, 91 degrees!) I then realized that I have about 2 months before I move back to Pitt. With that in mind, I also remember agreeing to requests to write a post with my own tips for surviving the first year of college. I know from reading a few of the blogposts in my feed that some of you are indeed about to embark on some awesome collegiate adventures. 

I decided to go for a different setting completely: from rural to busy urban. Considering just this little bit of information we jump into my first tip....

1. Get to know the area fairly well. The reality is unless you're attending school near home and have no need to live on campus, you're living in a new and strange place for approximately 8 mos. a year on your own. My friends and I often took walks around the campus after classes to see where any interesting cafés, restaurants and shops might be. We've made lots of amazing discoveries that way. On the weekends we would take a bus to some of the cool areas around Oakland--Downtown, SouthSide and Shadyside have seen us many, many times. Sometimes when it's nice we walk to Shadyside because it is close enough.

2. Keep your eye on the bulletin boards around campus. Head over to the student union and see if there are any fun activities going on for you to participate in. Local and campus bands will put up signs for any upcoming shows. Volunteer opportunities and late night fun for party scene non-members are also posted.

3. No need to feel the pressure. Whether you believe it or not, we are all semi-mature adults now. You will run into some activities that you have not had to confront yet, but you don't need to fear any horrible judgement from friends if you don't participate in them. I can honestly say that I have not once felt pressured to do anything and I assure you...they are still friends with me. :)

4. Go to class! Unless you are carrying a deadly disease and absolutely need to be quarantined I suggest showing up in class. You can get away with 2-3 absences in smaller classes...use those wisely and at your own discretion. It is definitely easier to not show up to big lectures but you also losing a bulk of the information that, if your luck is anything like mine, will most definitely be on the test. There were some people that I saw on the first day of lecture and didn't see again until the final exam. How they even took the test confidently is beyond my comprehension! Be responsible!

 5. Embrace any "you time" that comes your way. I used to be really weird about doing things on my own, but that changed this past year. Chances are your schedule is very different from your friends' schedules and you will have to combat a lot of lonely evenings and weekends alone while they are studying for that horrid Bio test everyone is complaining about (I'm not in any science related major so this happened to me a lot!) or are in evening classes and you've finished with any work or studying you have. I would take evening runs, dine out (yes, alone!) and even took an awesome Saturday trip to the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History all by myself to take in some wonderful art and let my inner 7 year old boy enjoy the dinosaurs. I used it as time to take care of what I really wanted to do and focus on my own thoughts.

**Updated

6. The workload. This differs from major to major. I am a Communication major also working on a history minor and a writing certificate. Those classes take up most of my schedule, but since I am in a liberal arts school I have to do general education requirements as well. I always start studying for tests at least 3 days before the exam (there is such a thing as studying too hard; my high school Spanish teacher told us that) I usually write outlines or make flash cards. I find for me that writing things down and reading them outloud help me memorize information. In terms of papers most of mine have been 5 pages and we were given 1-2 week notice on those assignments. All I can say is prioritize and commit! Write an outline if it helps and organize your thoughts. They quicker you attack things and get them done, the better; you can avoid the stress and getting bogged down!

I hope that at least one of these tips inspires you as you begin this new journey. It really isn't as scary as some people might have you believe, but it does put you at a new level of responsibility i.e. getting yourself up, well fed, and on your way to class.

Any other tips? Anything I forgot to address? Any Pitt students who want something more specific? :)

<3 Ashley

Summer Lovin'

Photo: here

Here we are...the last official day of spring. Tomorrow summer starts and I've started thinking about all of the fun things I have planned for this summer (aside from working, right?)

July 4th is right around the corner and an outdoor BBQ with fireworks is always fun--but I will probably end up working at some point during the day. My birthday is also coming up in July and I will be turning 19; not that there is anything particularly special about that age. Then we are taking a week long trip to the beach which I couldn't be more excited for. A whole week of being lazy and carefree will be greatly welcomed. Then in August my friend and I are going to see Matchbox Twenty and the Goo Goo Dolls in Hershey! I also have tentative plans with friends to take a day trip to the Jersey shore and have a weekend together before going back to school.

What fun plans do you have for the summer?

<3 Ashley

Four Floral Favorites

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Well we're halfway there! This week already feels too long for me. I thought to give myself a break, I would participate again in the Four Favorites link-up hosted by let it be beautiful and fancy things.  This week the link-up is about all things floral. As spring is drawing to a close and summer is taking over it's hard not to notice all of the beautiful floral prints and where they are ending up. Aside from the garden or a vase, flowers have shown up on our tops, dresses, pants, skirts, shoes, bags, jewelry and other accessories. Floral is definitely a go-to theme for these warm summer months and it's a print that I am kind of obsessed with. P.S. are those shoes not the cutest?!

What are your floral favorites? Join the link up by clicking below! 

<3 Ashley

This or That?

Here's the scenario: it is about time for my cell phone upgrade. The past two years have been HORRIFIC in terms of cell phones. It started with a Samsung Gem that operated on the Android Market. That lasted maybe a year before it started freezing and being difficult. Then I moved to my dad's Droid X. That was good and fun for awhile until the battery life became ridiculous. Seriously, I would unplug it from the charger after a night, turn it on and it would turn off immediately. Then I went back to my old Blackberry Curve (what I now use) because it can stay alive for more than 5 seconds and doesn't freeze as much on me.

So here's where you come in. I'm getting a new phone next month before I leave for the beach and I want your feedback. From what I've seen there are three big contenders out there: iPhone, Galaxy, and Lumia.

If you have any of these phones what are the pros and cons? Would you suggest it?

<3 Ashley

Weekend Wrap-Up: Father's Day

Recipe: here

This past weekend we celebrated Father's Day (I saw some lovely blog posts yesterday!) Considering the age and ability of both my brother and I, we decided to do a bit more than draw dad a picture and simply wish him a nice day. We bought him a DVD that he wanted, and humorous card (that may or may not have been completely accurate in describing ourselves to him) and on top of that made him probably the best lunch ever. Seriously...how did this guy get so lucky?

But Father's Day came and passed and now it's back to work, right? And in the world of retail we are on to our next big adventure: 4th of July! Get that shopping done!

How was your weekend? How did you celebrate Father's Day?

TGIF Pins

After a long work week it's nice to know that starting at 5 o'clock this evening I have the weekend to relax and refuel. I might even pick up a pair of those flip flops featured in my summer wishlist post yesterday--I have noticed that they are on sale! :) But for now here are my favorite pins of the week!

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Photos: here

Have a great weekend everybody!

<3 Ashley

Just a Friendly Reminder

I'm sure by now you've all heard about Google Friend Connect (GFC) being shut down which means you will not be able to follow and receive updates from my blog. If you would like to continue following All That Glitters (and other blogs for the matter...) you can follow on Bloglovin'. I have a link in the side bar but here is the link just in case -----> Follow on Bloglovin'

<3 Ashley

Summer Wish-List

As I have been earning my money over this break I have been restraining myself against making any splurges or unnecessary shopping sprees. Let me tell you, so far so good! However, I'm not one to completely cut myself off...that would just be too painful. So I've decided to continue holding off but compile a wish-list. My birthday is next month so hopefully I will get a bunch of gift cards and money to spend (while putting some away for school; because I'm that responsible!)

Really there are only 3 items on my list so far...but the summer is young! I have been eying both the LC Lauren Conrad Valencia flip flops and the Elle denim jackets at Kohl's. I need new flip flops and would like a denim jacket as well. I am also in love with that vintage style swimsuit that you see above. I'd even go for that color. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure where this suit is from but I imagine that I might have some luck looking on ModCloth.

What items are on your wishlist this summer?

<3 Ashley

A Little More Positivity

Photo: here

Good morning everybody! 

Once again we find ourselves waking up to Wednesday and seeing another weekend on the horizon. The purpose of today's post is my attitude as of late. I think I've been really negative and maybe a little lazy and grouchy these past few weeks. I've been thinking a lot about work lately since some changes occurred that stressed me out a little bit. The thing is...it shouldn't be stressing me out. I'm the kind of person that let's something worry them and then continues to worry about it. I have a constant lump in my throat. 

But I have decided that this summer is only going to get more and more miserable if I keep up this frame of mind. So here's what I am going to do: since writing comes easier than talking to me I am going to start journaling again. Anytime I feel overwhelmed or worried about something I am going to write it down, close the book and leave it at that. I am going to wake up every morning and remember that it's a new day and yesterday's issues are not my problem today. I'm also going to make the most of the summer and find motivation to do more and make more plans (albeit evening plans but still...)

How do you keep a positive attitude?

<3 Ashley

Book Club

Well they must have sensed my excitement at a three day weekend because last night I got a call to cover an 11-5 shift today. Oh well...I just have to keep telling myself, 'I'm getting paid for this.' Regardless of the quick ending, this weekend was lovely and relaxing. I am almost done reading The Devil Wears Prada.

Since I turned in a bunch of my textbooks to Amazon I have been buying up books on my Kindle. The next two books I have lined up to read have me very excited. After I finish this one, I will immediately be jumping into the recently released sequel Revenge Wears Prada (here) by Lauren Weisberger. Then after that--considering my schedule--I imagine I will be reading Someday, Someday, Maybe (here) by Lauren Graham on the beach in July. I have read a lot of good things about this book so I do have some expectations going into it.

What books are you reading this summer?

<3 Ashley

TGIF Pins

Friday is finally here!

I have a three day weekend now and I couldn't be more thrilled (I am thrilled anytime I have days off!) Yesterday I did accomplish more than I usually do on a rainy day; I updated my pin board that I am using in my dorm so that it matched the color scheme of the room (black and white) I will post a picture once I have charged the battery on the camera! Anyway, here are my pins of the week!

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Have a great weekend everybody! 

Have any fun plans?

<3 Ashley