Wedding Dress Remix

I wasn't lying when I told you I would style my wedding dress for everyday wear by the end of the month!  So naturally, I waited until the last day to do it.  When I decided to wear a short wedding dress, I knew I wanted to buy something that could be worn more than once.  I've heard so many stories of women who wear their dress once, get it cleaned and put in a pretty box so it never sees the light of day again.  That's just not me!  Luckily, Ruche had the perfect dress that I could wear to the courthouse and beyond :)

No Mayo Spicy Chicken Salad Recipe

Chicken salad is one of my favorite go-to lunches.  It's easy and filling without stuffing yourself with carbs (unless you put it inside a sandwich).  I try not to order it at a restaurant because I have a serious problem with mayonnaise.  Not only am I not crazy about the taste but it's filled with fat!  I know I'm not reinventing the wheel here, but I like to whip this up in a time pinch or for a packed lunch on the go.  So here is my quick and easy no mayo spicy chicken salad recipe.

Swimming Through Our Dreams

This outfit was worn a couple weekends ago when my husband and I were house hunting.  It was 80 degrees out and I needed something cute and functional but also comfortable enough to be out all day in.  This lace dress is something I've had for a few years but I never wear for two reasons.  One, it has spaghetti straps and I hate wearing strapless bras.  And two, it's a little short for my taste.  It used to be longer but I accidentally put it in the dryer which essentially made me throw it in the back of my closet with the rest of my forgotten pieces.  But I chose to stop being a baby, put on a strapless bra, and surprisingly enough received a ton of compliments from strangers all day.

A Wrinkle In Time

Okay, so maybe I'm being a little silly in these photos but I was completely excited at how warm the weather was this day.  While I love layering with cardigans and coats, I'd rather be in warm enough weather to not have to wear one.  Can you blame me?  This new skirt from August Wrinkle begs to be shown off!  I love wearing blue and green together and any excuse to mix polka dots with a color blocked skirt is a win/win to me.

Flock Together: Simply Sweet

It's time for another Flock Together post!  This time Katherine, the blogger behind Of Corgis and Cocktails, let me style her adorable purple dress.  It's not only my favorite color, but the cut is gorgeous too!

Our Wedding Photos

The time is finally here!  I've been dying to post my wedding photos for you and I was waiting for the perfect time to share them.  Today is my husband's birthday so instead of tending to my blog I'll be spending time with him.  I hope you enjoy!

Into The White

Here is another example of how I take my summer dresses into colder weather.  I know some of you are dealing with crazy amounts of snow at the moment but 60 degree weather is pretty cold for me!  Adding a cardigan and some tights is the recipe for warming up any summer dress so I'm not even going to pretend I'm some kind of genius.  Although I'd like to think so!  It's actually quite funny because by the time I post this the weather will be in the 80's and this outfit will no longer be appropriate for today.  But that's the wonderful thing about southern California, the weather can go from horribly cold to pseudo summer in just a few days.

My Lovely Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!  Today, while considered a "Hallmark holiday", is still a wonderful day to remember your loved ones and show them how much you care.  I never expect anything big or overdone because a sweet card is all I really need.  But I do love to dress for the occasion.  This outfit is pretty special to me because I'm wearing both my wedding shoes and sash.  I love having pieces I can wear over and over again.  In fact, I can style my wedding dress for everyday wear.  I can't wait to remix that dress for you later in the month :)

Let It Be

 Okay so remember that time I told you I was going to dye my hair back to my natural shade?  Well, it didn't quite work out.  As it turns out, dying your hair bright red at a salon (as well as weekly treatments at home) can make that pretty difficult.  Five hours later we got my hair a nice auburn color.   It isn't quite my natural color, but I need to give my hair a break so I can eventually go back.  I love red hair anyway so I can't even say that I'm bummed!   I also want to mention that my Modcloth modeling debut is up!  I wore fifteen different pieces ten different ways.  It was such a wonderful experience and you can check it out by clicking HERE.

My Valentine's Day Gift Guide

I don't really consider myself a hard person to shop for.  But that doesn't mean I can't make a list of the things I'd want to receive for Valentine's Day!  Here are my top six picks:

Betsey Johnson sequin handbag /Modcloth  fox bracelet / Versace floral perfume / Yves Saint Laurent red lipstick / Sephora Collection heart print nail stickers / Modcloth Luck Be A Lady Dress in Red

As you can probably already tell I'm a sucker for anything fashion/beauty related.  Of course those heart print nails stickers would be on the top of my list!  What's your idea of the perfect gift?

xoxo

Ashley

Be Mine

Oh Valentine's Day, I both love and hate you at the same time.  On one hand, I love going out to a romantic dinner and spending time with my husband.  And on the other, I hate that it's forced, the restaurants are always crowded, and let's face it: we go out to romantic dinners on the regular.  I guess I'm just a lucky gal, but every year I vow not to do anything special.  And of course, every year we do at least a special dinner.  Maybe this year will be different but I'm not counting on it :)

The Hound Sleuth

Have you ever been obsessed with an item of clothing?  Well I certainly have, and it definitely was this Modcloth dress.  I had seen this dress months ago and quickly added it to my wishlist.  I was hoping to get it for Christmas but my size quickly run out of stock.  I was so upset!  Luckily, I got two of the same dresses and had some store credit.  So you know what I did?  I waited.  And waited.  And one day it was back in stock.  So I moved on it real quick and that's how I have this dress today.  It's pretty much everything I'd ever want in a dress.  Fit and flare, super cute dog print, modest but also form fitting.  Can you tell how much I love it?

Cheers to Two Years

I can't believe it's already been two years!  When I started this blog my life was so much different than it is now.  Kevin and I lived together, but his job had him all over the world.  I was lucky if I saw him once a month, sometimes he would be gone a few months at a time.  We moved to a new and bigger city and I felt completely alone.  I remember one time he called me from Japan and I was just in tears.  I just wanted to feel normal again.

Maybe it sounds a little lame, but when I started blogging I started to feel better.  I didn't feel as homesick and didn't miss Kevin as much because I had something to occupy my time.  And in time I started making friends with people who had the same interests as me.  It was really exciting and therapeutic to connect with other people all over the world.  I may post my outfits and talk about them a lot, but the best part of this blog is the people I have met because of it.

Fast forward two years and I now have two cute chihuahuas, a husband who works in California everyday, and countless amounts of friends I've had the pleasure of getting to know through their blogs.  I also had the honor of modeling for Modcloth, which to me is still surreal!  Overall, I feel like I'm truly blessed to have such a tight knit support group.  I'm really thankful for everyone in my life :).

These last two years have been life changing and I can't wait to see what the future holds!

xoxo

Ashley

P.S. Thanks to everyone who wished me well.  My wedding was amazing and exactly what I wanted.  Above is a sneak peek of my wedding pictures.  More are to come!

Flock Together: Heart Shaped World

Well, it's that time again!  Today I'm blogging over at Flock Together, this time I'm styling a super cute dress from Marisa of Shades of Monet Chronicles.  I'm also showing you how Jessica of Midwest Muse styled the same dress as well.

Back to Normal

Let me just say: I'm pretty happy that I'm now a married woman.  My normal everyday stresses are sometimes annoying, but nothing compared to the added stress of wedding planning.  Even with a small ceremony you cannot hide from the little things that just get to you.  I can say with a huge sigh of relief that I can now worry about normal things like getting to work on time and what to make for dinner.  It's the little things...