Happiness Project

So I picked up this book called The Happiness Project.  The insert read something like..."I am not particularly not happy but I'm not the happiest I could be.  I have a husband and child, am a writer and live in NYC but I feel as though I am not appreciating life as I should be...blah blah blah."  I said this is perfect a woman's journey to find happiness when she already has it, I must read this book and see what more she finds out.  Then as I started reading, I thought to myself, wait there are definitely a number of things I want to change in my life but when I think of them all it seems overwhelming and so you always put it on the back burner for a rainy day, yet the rainy day never seems to come.  And it clicked, this chick is simply taking something we all want to do, which is better ourselves and progress to some type of growth through out our daily lives and has simplified the shit out of it.  She has picked 12 things to change or alter or better about herself or something she wants to learn and dedicates a whole month to that one thing in hopes that it will carry on.  Research has shown that it takes 30 days to break or form a new habit and so this project seems completely doable and worth trying.  And at what better time then start of a new year. I have tried to narrow it down into 12 things...here is what I have so far and in no particular order of importance...
1.) Cook more

2.) Write

          Book

          Blog

 3.) Health

          Exercise

          Drink more water

          Decrease Alcohol

          Poop regularly

          Cleanse

 4.) Meet new people

 5.) Money

          Work more

           Work out Debt

           Launch Double Aces Event Planning

 6.) Learn French

 7.) Learn piano

 8.) Simplify life

          Connect with nature

          Hike more

          Walk more

          Camp

          De-clutter

 9.) Bond with my son Colin

 10.) Be a better girlfriend

          Be sexier

 11.) Become more cultured, worldly

          Better vocabulary

          Current events

          Volunteer

 12.) Learn Photography

So here I go...on my journey to a happier more balanced me.  

I Said Yes to the Dress!

I can't believe it...I'm officially getting married now! Now that I have my dress, it truly feels official. I would love to post a picture here for all of you to see but I think my fiance secretly reads our blog so I don't want to spoil the surprise! All I will say is that it is absolutely gorgeous, totally me, and made my mom sob like a baby.

My mom, Alicia, and I spent a Saturday dress shopping. I made 2 appointments with lunch in between so we could have time to discuss what we liked, what we didn't like, etc. I purposely picked Alicia and my mom to come with me as well because I know we all have different styles but all can agree on what looks good, what is flattering, and what makes my Kim K booty look even bigger. I knew I wanted to look like a princess, Alicia wanted me to show off my curves, and my mom just wanted me to try on different dresses.

The first store was great and they had tons of dresses from the designer I liked. Plus I found this one dress online and they had it at the store. The process was exactly how I thought it was going to be. You strip down to your bra and undies and the sales associate completely dresses you. It was tons of fun and I could definitely get used to someone dressing me everyday! I have to say I was a little disappointed when I left though. There were 3 beautiful dresses I was torn between at the end of my 1 hour appointment but none of them gave me the "this is it" moment. Even the dress I thought I would most certainly be buying didn't give me that feeling. I expected to cry or have my breath taken away but that didn't happen. At lunch I was a little down thinking I would never find a dress or that I would just never know which one I wanted.

I went to my second appointment not expecting anything. We picked dresses off the rack that were unlike any of the dresses I tried on earlier so I could make sure to try on every kind of style. I tried on about 10 dresses at the first store and picked about 12 dresses at this store. There was one that caught my eye that I really wanted to try on first. The details I could see peeking out of the bag looked beautiful. I tried it on and pretty much knew that was my dress. I didn't cry but when I saw myself in the mirror I could picture me walking down the aisle in that dress. I was super excited to show my mom and Alicia. I came out and big smiles came across their faces as well. Kim was helping me at this store and she had a really good point to tell us all to help keep us on track. She told us we will narrow everything down to top 3 dresses and at the end of the appointment, I can try those top 3 on again. Once I got my top 3 dresses she would ask if I wanted to replace the current dress with a dress in the top 3. It really helped us narrow things down and figure out how much we liked each dress. This was my first dress here but I knew it was instantly in my top 3. I agreed to continue trying on dresses because I didn't want to sell myself short and there may have been something better for me out there. I went through all 12 dresses and had my top 3. One my mom really liked, one Alicia really liked, and my dress. Unfortunately for my mom, her pick was the first one to go. It was just a little to basic for me. I was torn between my pick and Alicia's pick. Alicia's pick was a little bit tighter to show off my curves but still fairly comfortable to sit in. Both of our picks were elegant and classy but modern at the same time. Luckily for me, my pick won! It was the only dress all three of us agreed upon and had all of the characteristics that we originally wanted. It makes me look like a princess, shows off my waistline, and made my mom cry and be happy for me.

I cannot wait until September 14, 2013 now! I have been excited ever since Jay popped the question but now I can't wait to wear this dress and just feel absolutely beautiful. It will be the most magical day ever. Maybe I'll even show you guys a sneak peak once it gets a bit closer :)

With love and pearls,
Ashley

To Be (Thin) or Not To Be (Thin)

So of course I'm sitting here, after just finishing my lunch, and thinking I really need to go to the gym today. But why? I absolutely hate the gym and hate almost every minute of it while I'm there. Yes, it has been proven that the human body needs exercise to stay healthy but does it need as much as society says it does? Why do WE put so much pressure on ourselves to work out and stay thin? Every person I talk to is constantly talking about their body in one way or another: I hate my legs, I'm really toning up, that last bite cost me 3 extra points, etc.  Half of the people that go to the gym are only there because society thinks they're fat, not because they're trying to get healthy. I myself am only going to the gym because people have noticed I've put on a few pounds. Marilyn Monroe was one of the most beautiful women ever and she was rumored to be a size 14! It didn't seem to matter what size she was, they only noticed how beautiful she was, just ask JFK...not appropriate? How is it that in 50 years time, a woman that size would now be called obese or plus-size and would be mocked by others? Why can't we go back to those times where women are beautiful because of their skin or their eyes or their personality and not because they're a size 2? I will admit I am not totally happy with my body so I could benefit from going to the gym but if I decided not to, would I be talked about behind my back or be called or thunder thighs? I guess only time will tell. And maybe in 50 years from now, we'll only be beautiful if we have 6 rolls instead of a 6-pack.

With love and pearls,
Ashley

Resolutions?

Happy New Year!! It's the first day back at work since the holiday and it feels like I've been gone much longer than 4 days.

Now, I am not one to make New Year's resolutions because let's face it 1. No one ever follows through with them for the entire year and if you say you do, you're lying and 2. You shouldn't need the start of a new year to eat healthier or stop cursing or to start a family. But here I go, I'm giving in to the trends and making some resolutions. I will try to stick with them as long as I can but I am not promising anything!

2012 Resolutions

1. Lose weight (just like the other 4 billion people in the world because 3 billion of you are already skinny bitches)
2. Grow my business
3. Stop spending money on useless things and save money for more important things in my future: house, car, wedding, family
4. Do something different every month. It can be as simple as baking a pie or as dedicated as learning how to play golf. As long as I try new things, I will be happy. This is the only resolution I really hope I keep.
5. Make more of an effort to organize events with friends. Whether it be monthly dinners, birthday parties or a night out to the movies.

Have you made any resolutions you hope to keep?

With love and pearls,
Ashley

Zumba Attraction

Recently I have joined a gym. I know, for those of you who know me, your jaws have just hit the floor. But it is time to really start taking care of myself and my body. The main things that attracted me to this gym were the pool and Zumba classes. I've been hearing about Zumba for the last year now and I figured I would give it a try. Well let me tell you, I am seriously in love.

These classes are a total blast. The music is loud, the momentum is high and all of us ladies (sometimes men!) are having fun. Where else can you dance your ass off without wearing make-up and heels! Some people can dance and some people look silly but no one even cares. It's all about following our teacher as best as we can.

Now here comes the reason why I really wanted to write this blog...I could not take my eyes off of my teacher. Not only was I watching her to figure out what the hell I should be doing, but I was drawn to her every move. If any of you women out there are in need of learning how to be "sexy" again, TAKE ZUMBA. The way her body moved and swayed had me mesmerized. Her abs were tight, her hips were fierce and her ass looked great. For those who do not know me, I am not into women. I have an amazing boyfriend who I hope will pop the question sooner rather than later but I do have an appreciation for beautiful ladies.

Zumba is a combination of Latin and International music and the music itself brings out your desire to be sexy. The entire time I was hoping I looked as amazing as she did and that someone was staring at me the way I was staring at her. The moves are basic and easy to learn, but the charisma and sexuality she exuded can not be learned in a simple class. She will keep me coming back to this class, not only to get it right, get it tight but to learn how to attract people with a simple sway of my hip.

With love and pearls,
Ashley

And It Begins...

The time has come for us to unleash our real beasts. For those of you who actually know us, you will not at all be surprised by the name of this blog. For those of you who don't, we sound more official and poised then we really are. We try hard to project ourselves as the social norm. We dress the part, we look the part, we act the part, only to have one slip of the tongue, some vulgar language escape and people are now blushing when they're around us. Now don't get me wrong, I can country club with the best of them but don't you sometimes wish you could get away with saying whatever you want, whenever you want and not have anyone bat an eye?

This blog will not be all crude and rude so if that's not your style, don't turn away. It's just about speaking your mind and not having someone give you the stinkeye. We plan on keeping up with all things fashion, travel and beauty thrown in with some sex, alcohol and celebrity guilty pleasures. We can please all the Charlotte's and the Samantha's of the world at the same time.

Our goal is to have this blog not only entertain you, but entertain your mother, your sister, your best friend and even your boyfriend. We are two twenty-somethings trying hard to fulfill all of our dreams and we plan on taking you on the ride with us...

With love and pearls,
Ashley