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?

Shots From the Beach: That Face

Well as far as I am concerned, summer is pretty much over. My break from school has pretty much revolved around working and saving up for this coming school year. Last week was a lovely and welcomed break from “Did you find everything okay?” “Any other coupons?” and “Have a great day!” I had such a good time soaking up the sun on the beach and spending nights on the boardwalk. While I’m sure a few of you have seen just about enough vacation photos on Instagram, I have discovered the best ones on the family camera.

One thing I have noticed over this past year of blogging and seeing all of the photos that accompany posts, is that the blogger/subject in the image is usually very poised and busy selling whatever their wearing or doing to the reader. The photos are beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but once in awhile an injection of personality is very welcomed. So I pulled just a few photos from the vacation collection that display my very happy, excited, cheesy and kind-of-embarrassing-for-others personality!

That middle face is a good one to use if you really want your family to pretend they don't know you ;)

<3 Ashley

How have you been since I've been away?

P.S. Have you checked out the Wear It Loud giveaway that I have partnered with rue21 on? If you haven’t, by all means don’t wait any longer! You could win a $100 rue gift card or a $250 shopping spree with this girl! **two big thumbs pointing at me!

She's Baaaack!

Just wanted to drop a small note and let you know that I am back from the most relaxing and enjoyable vacation. So my blog silence is over and am back to regular updates.

And for those readers of mine getting ready for back to school check out my giveaway with rue21! As a runner up you receive a $100 rue21 gift card and if you are a winner you get a $250 rue21 shopping spree with me!

Have a nice weekend!!
<3 Ashley

Finally Taking a Vacation

Photo: here

It’s finally here! The day I have been pining for for the past month: the last day of work before we leave for vacation. This year a long trip feels very much well deserved.

I will be gone for all of next week so that means that the blog is definitely not going to get AS MUCH attention as it probably deserves. I do have a few posts planned and will be taking my computer with me only for the sake of a VERY special post that I have coming up on Wednesday (so don’t miss it!) But can honestly say that I will not be posting everyday. How can I with a beach in front of me?

However, you will by no means be losing contact with me; in this day and age I find it difficult to completely fall off the face of the Earth. I’m sure there will be Instagramming galore from me. If you haven’t yet you can follow my Instagram amor0713. Also, don’t forget that I have a new Twitter for the blog @ashley_atg. I just wanted to make sure I posted this before I left; there will still be a TGIF Pins post tomorrow though!

<3 Ashley

Have you been on vacation yet? Where did/will you go?

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

Spring Break Ideas

So as I was looking through my desk calendar, an exciting realization hit me: Spring Break starts next Friday! Next Friday at 2 PM my bus will be rolling away from Pittsburgh to take me home for the week. I will admit that my Spring Break will be spent at home catching up with family and friends that I have missed since I came back. Let's be honest, I have three more Spring Breaks to do something awesome. I know that many of you will be embarking on your adventures at the end of this week actually. So I decided to find a few Spring Break ideas ranging in price.

1. The Beach!

Unfortunately for those of us here in the north, that requires a long drive down south because the beaches are nowhere near warm here at this point. Florida is a popular destination for college Spring Breakers as are certain areas of Mexico. At the same time, if you are looking to go somewhere less crowded and not as popular, the Outer Banks are also a lovely beach destination. I know some of my friends are actually venturing to the Bahamas for break (jealous!)

2. Road Trip!

One thing I have always wanted to do is take a road trip with just a couple of friends. Ideally my road trip would be cross country; this would probably be better suited for summer. But there is still a lot of asphalt you can cover in one week! So grab a few friends, pack the trunk, grab a map and discover some new locations (you should probably establish a budget in that process as well!)

3. Skiing!

While it doesn't exactly sound like a spring activity, it's not exactly spring yet, is it? Make some reservations at a ski resort for the week or just a few days. There are also places where you can go for the day to ski, snowboard, or go tubing (Ski Roundtop for those of you in South Central PA)

4. Volunteer Trips!

Some people also opt for the alternative break: volunteer trips! A lot of colleges and universities have organized volunteer opportunities that you can partake in during spring break. While these are fairly expensive (ours are about $300) they offer you the opportunity to reach out and help others for the week.

5. Make Discoveries at Home!

Okay, in exploring places you haven't ventured to close to home you probably won't encounter any caves or awesome cliffs like these, but how awesome is this picture? This break, my friends and I will be mapping out something cool things to do and interesting places to eat that we haven't been to around home. We are going to become one with our surroundings! Find some interesting hole-in-the-wall café or restaurant that you haven't noticed before or go for a hike! (We live in a valley in the Appalachian Mountains so we can do this!)

These are just a few ideas how you can spend your week away from classes during break. There are definitely other options out there! For those of you getting ready to go on break after this week of classes, have fun and be safe!

<3 Ashley

How do you plan on spending your spring break?

The Thanksgiving Trek

Well Thanksgiving break is just 6 days away from me, I can practically taste the cranberry sauce. If you are like me, having chosen a school 4+ hours away from home, this is probably your first trip home that you have made since move-in day. I have already been thinking about what to pack and realized that this is a good opportunity to take back some of the stuff that I will not be needing through the winter months. Plus, if you have forgotten anything from home, you can make some room for that (plus don't forget those Christmas clothes that you will no doubt be acquiring!) 

I have a list of things that you should pack for the 4-5 day break and some things that you can leave at home or bring back with you.

Things to pack for break:

1. Jeans: 1 or 2 pairs will suffice. It's not even a week long, you do not need a plethora of outfits. If it helps, plan your outfits ahead of time so you only take what you need! 

2. Cardigan: A good way to pull together jeans and t-shirt if you are meeting up with some friends for coffee or lunch. 

3. Dress: Just one nice dress for Thanksgiving dinner is all you need. It does not need to be fancy, but a holiday dinner is the perfect excuse to dress up.

4. Pair of Boots: Pick a pair that will go with almost everything, so that you do not need to lug your entire shoe collection onto the bus, train, or plane. (Also grab a pair of shoes for the dress!) 

5. T-Shirts: Only if truly necessary. I know I left plenty of tops at home so that I did not need to take everything back with me.

Things to leave at home:

1. Shorts: Unless you go to school in an extremely warm climate at this time of year, I can almost guarantee that you will not need any Daisy Dukes.

2. Sundresses: I am keeping some dresses to layer under sweaters, but all florals are being sheltered until the springtime.

3. Sandals: Along with the shorts, these probably will not be seeing daylight too soon. Make more room for boots in your dorm by keeping the sandals at home.

Things to bring back to school:

1. Sweaters: Make sure you grab all of your sweaters, these are going to be a staple in your wardrobe for the next few months.

2. Boots: If your hitting up stores for Black Friday or your parents offer to buy you something before you head back, a good pair of boots is certainly no bad investment.

3. Anything you forgot!: If there is something you need that you forgot when you left, make sure you get it this time!

Happy packing everyone! Just one week! :)

<3 Ashley

What do you have to pack for this break?