Book Club: The Fault In Our Stars

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So I finally did it! For the past year or so friends and other people around me have encouraged me to pick up "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green and give it a read. I am so glad that I did; I found that it really lived up to the hype. That's just my personal opinion though.

The story follows two cancer patients, Hazel and Augustus, as they meet and develop a beautiful relationship. I really don't want to spoil too much for those who have not read it yet! There was quite a bit of humor in the novel, which was very nice considering that the characters were dealing with something serious; it was refreshing to get some jokes from those characters in particular because they're also teenagers.

I went very quickly through this book. It was an easy book to follow and I honestly did not want to put it down. I grew very attached to these characters and their personalities which may have made the last few chapters even worse for me--I cried like a baby! If you do pick up this book, prepare for the feels! I highly recommend this book! Also, I believe their making/have made a film adaptation of the book. Not sure if I'm going to be able to sit through that with dry eyes...I couldn't even deal with the end of "The Last Song" in theaters!

<3 Ashley

Have you/will you read "The Fault In Our Stars?" Thoughts?

The Other "B" Word

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Once in awhile, when I am watching the news at night a story will catch my attention and I will begin to obsessively research. Well last night just that happened. The story I am referring to discussed the efforts of a group, Lean In, to have the word "bossy" banned. The bossy label is something that has effected women for years with the perception that if you come off as too aggressive or "bossy" then there is a good chance that the people around you will not like you.

Even young girls are starting to get the message that participating and speaking up too much in class will earn her the label of overachiever which should by no means be a bad thing! I know that I have felt this sometimes as well. I mean, a lot of my quiet demeanor comes from the fact that I am simply a very shy person. However, I have observed how some of my peers reacted to the girls who were very active and vocal during discussions--judgmental, disapproving, joking looks. 

Through high school and my time in college so far, I have had to step up a bit in group projects and presentations due to the fact that a lot of times the people in my group were not very clear and organized in terms of what they wanted to do. I am happy that I have been able to boost my leadership abilities a bit, but at the same time the voice in my head is reminding me to take it down a notch and maintain my likability.

WHY IS THIS EVEN A CONCERN?! Why is the fact that I want to get something done in an organized way a bad thing? Why can't women be the least bit assertive without being labeled bossy or mean? Is society really still that insecure?

Here is an interview with the women at the helm of this effort!

<3 Ashley

What are your thoughts on the "bossy" label? What have your experiences been with this label?

Spring Forward

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Happy Monday everybody!

As I'm sure you are aware, this past weekend we set our clocks forward and lost an hour of sleep. What followed was probably the longest Sunday I have ever experienced in my life! I was up early to get coffee and breakfast with my mother. It felt like we had been sitting there talking for hours before we left to go to the store. When we came out of the store we saw that it was just past 10 AM!

However, I have big plans for the rest of this spring break! I will enjoying the fact that these next two days are going to see temperatures in the high 50s and possibly low 60s? I've heard rumors. :) I am dedicating a majority of my time this week to some spring cleaning. My room may be small but I can be quite a hoarder throughout the year. It's that time to lighten the load again. Then I have a day set aside to hang out with the few friends of mine that are home now too.

<3 Ashley

Do you have any plans to enjoy this sneak peak of spring?

Sunday Edition

Sunday Edition Link-Up

A Little Hope for Spring

 

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Well, we are about a week into March and tomorrow I am heading home for spring break 2014. I hate that we have spring break so early because it never actually feels like spring...at least the kind of weather I associate spring with. I check ahead on the weather at home and it looks like it could get up into the low 50s for a few days though! In any event today it's a cool 30 degrees. But the sun is out and I had quite the vision this morning when I was sitting at my desk by the window working: birds! A few flocks of birds made rounds right past my window and one bird actually sat outside it for a few minutes. Does this mean that spring is finally making its way back to the mid-Atlantic?! Man oh man I hope so! I am bursting to bring out the spring wardrobe!

<3 Ashley

Are you seeing signs of spring where you live?

Book Club: Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

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If I haven't said so already I will now; college is not the place to read for fun. I honestly have no time during my day anymore to just sit down, put my feet up and read for a good stretch. Lately I have been waking up earlier to give myself a less rushed morning routine. I now wake up an hour earlier than I did before to have some water before I drink my coffee (a tip I picked up from my last book club read!) and in that hour I also catch up on some reading. This past weekend I was able to finish the latest, "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" by Maria Semple.

The book takes place in Seattle for the most part. A good bulk of the content is not so much narrative as is typical but is meant to be a compilation of important documents like e-mails, letters and reports to give the reader a little insight to a variety of characters and what they are thinking about Bernadette before and after she goes missing.

All the documents are compiled by Bernadette's daughter, Bee who is concerned with finding her mother while it seems like everyone else around her does not seem to be putting up much of an effort. Overall, I loved this book! I had heard A LOT about it; it seemed to be really popular around the holidays if I remember correctly. I admit the references to Seattle were kind of lost on me since I'm not familiar with it but that is in no mean detrimental to what I thought of the book. I definitely recommend it!

<3 Ashley

Have you read "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you think you will?

Obligatory Oscars Post

I will be completely honest...I didn't watch the Oscars. Don't get me wrong! I definitely would have watched it if I had a TV. Alas, my roommate and I no longer have one. But I did manage to keep semi-updated on the night's festivities--red carpet fashion in particular. I stayed up really just to see if Leo would finally get his long overdue Oscar...foiled again! However, from what I understand Matthew McConaughey was very deserving of this award this year as well. I don't know...I didn't actually see any of the nominated films. I will try to make it a point to see a bunch of them though! Hey, I do have a spring break coming up.

Fashion wise, I don't think I've seen enough of the dresses to give you my official best/worst dressed choices. However, from the pictures I did see through the night I definitely have two favorites!

 

   I loved Jennifer Garner's Oscar de la Renta fringe gown. She looked so glamorous! I also adored the color and look of the Prada dress that Lupita Nyong'o wore to the ceremony; it was very reminiscent of Cinderella for me! 

<3 Ashley

What did you like about the 2014 Oscars? Best/worst dressed in your opinion?

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