It's the Little Things

So with the seasons changing, slowly but surely even though Texas is taking a little longer than usual, I've been making some small changes. Changes like a new candle from bath and body works, which I talked about in one of my previous posts, and it is amazing and still going strong. Another change was a new Bath and Body Works hand soap. It is called Scarlet Pumpkin and HOLY GOODNESS.  Scarlet Pumpkin
It just makes me want to wash my hands fifty times a day just so that I can always smell its lovely scent. I also want to say that it is probably the only pumpkin thing that I will be embracing, besides stuffing myself with some pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving of course. So since it's Sunday and I am still cranking out an essay rough draft that's all I have for you today, a little thing that brightens my day. 

I'm Late, I'm Late, For an Important Date

Or an interview that is, that I was late for. 1st of all it was a minor scheduling flaw on my part. I somehow thought that I would have enough time to go to the chiropractor and still have plenty of time to make it to my interview. Which didn't happen because when you are stretched for time everything takes longer than you expect it to. So when the boyfriend and I got back from the chiropractor all I had to do was change clothes, print a copy of my resume, and get in the car. But it took me about ten minutes to do all that, and then slowly walk down the stairs to the car (heel + stairs = possibility for disaster). So I get in the car, pop on my apple maps, and start heading toward the place for my interview. I am at this point running five minutes behind based on the ETA that my apple maps is giving me, and I'm think ok, five minutes is ok, no reason to freak out. So I arrive at the place that apple maps tells me I am supposed to be, run inside, and then after a couple of minutes realize that I must be in the wrong building. CRAP. So I grab my phone and call the girl that scheduled my interview and let her know that I was lost, she tried to help me find the area, and I input the address into maps again and realized that I was indeed in the wrong building. So I sprint back to my car and frantically get to the right building. By the time I finally found the building it was 12:09, and my interview was scheduled for 11:45. UGH. So the nice receptionist lets the interviewer know that I am there and he comes out and says that he is currently in a meeting, but that he would be able to interview me at 1:45, but I told him that that was too late for me. Now it wasn't too late because I had another appointment or anything, but because I was a whole 30ish minutes from the apartment, and I had nothing to do for the next almost 2 hours! So it was a waste of a drive but the interviewer was nice enough to tell me that I could call back the HR girl and ask for another interview. 
On the bright side this was only one of three interviews that I have scheduled, so hopefully I will have better luck with the other two. I already got a second interview with the first place that I interviewed and I have a phone interview with another company tomorrow. Crossing my fingers and hoping that everything goes well with that so that I have a couple options when it comes to choosing  job. 
Even though it sounds hectic I actually prefer being busy. Now don't get me wrong I love lazy days, and free time as much as the next girl but having a schedule keeps me from lounging on the couch and watching Netflix all day. (Speaking of Netflix season 6 of Gossip Girl is finally on it, and I will be watching it ASAP)
What I learned today:

• I need to download Google Maps. Apple I love ya, but you keeping taking me to the wrong places.
• When planning an interview time make sure you have plenty of time to get there, and get lost.
• Don't not eat breakfast, barely eat lunch, and only have coffee, Dr. Pepper, and tater tots in your system. Your body needs some water! (and some nutrition for that matter)
• Take the toll road, it's faster

A Busy Monday

Well it is Monday, and it is by far one of the busiest Mondays that I have had in a while. I had a job interview this morning, and then spent the afternoon watching Gossip Girl (well I guess that isn't that productive) scheduling some campus tours for colleges that I have applied to and eagerly waiting for a follow up call to see if I get a second interview. 
Well I did get a second interview, YAY!! So now I have another date to add to my slowly, but surely, filling up planner. I have an interview at another place tomorrow (keeping my options open!), and a whole list of other things. From chiropractor appointments, interviews, and classes about to start my schedule is slowing getting some regular routine back in place (minus the routine of watching hours of netflix on the couch, whoops), now if only I can shove a workout routine in there somewhere.....
Anyways this weekend wasn't all that terribly eventful, even though it was a good weekend. The boyfriend and I went and watched this little gem of a movie with his parents on Saturday night. EEK, it is one of the cutest movies that I have EVER seen. Seriously you need to go see it. Honestly they do a pretty decent job of giving a recap of the first movie so even if you haven't seen it you could probably still go see this and not entirely feel like you missed anything. Oh and that strawberry in the picture? One of the most adorable characters ever, and she doesn't even really talk! Just go see it, I promise that you won't be sorry. 
Well that is my very small weekend recap!

Clarisonic First Impressions

I don't know about you but recently I have felt very frustrated with my skin care routine. And by skin care routine I mean washing my face maybe once a day, if I remember to even wash it at all. Bad right? Well I am trying to make more of an effort to keep my skin clean and decrease the size of my pores. 
Now as for what my skin is generally like, I don't have a lot of acne but I do get breakouts every so often. mostly around my nose and mouth, and then sometimes on my forehead right by my hairline. I have normal to combination skin. So basically sometimes its normal or sometimes is oily or dry. 
Right now I am seeming to have breakouts fairly often, so I am committed to making sure that I keep my face nice and clean. Recently I have heard a ton of great things about Clarisonic, the Mia 2 in particular. So I took the plunge and bought one (in purple of course, cause its my favorite color). The other night was my first night using it, and overall I really liked it. And my skin felt really good afterwards! Here are some pictures I took after using it for the first time:

I honestly think that my skin feels smooth, and it really feels clean! So far I like it. I plan to keep updating yall about how this is working for me, so I will do another post after a week of using it, then two weeks, and a month. So tell me do you own a clarisonic? Do you like it?

It's Time to Backthatazzup Friday!

It is FRIDAY. YAY. So you know that it is necessary that you make sure to #backthatazzup with Whitney over at I Wore Yoga Pants, because that is what ever good blogger does on Friday. That, and how could you not want to listen to other people's jams and maybe discover some new music that would be perfect for your weekend? It's a no brainer.
So I do have some great posts coming to yall over the next few weeks, and since I am very busy working on those, today will be short and sweet and include my all time favorite jam of the moment.

This song just gets me so pumped up! I've basically loved it ever since the first time I heard. I think that it's very empowering and it also makes me wanna dance around. WIN, WIN. 

Loving and Loathing

I am here today to tell you about a few things that I am loving and loathing.

Sandalwood Citrus candle from Bath & Body Works

• THIS CANDLE IS AMAZING. Honestly I just picked it up today, but it has been burning ever since I walked in the door. I am a huge fan of sandalwood (just as a scent in general), I have quite a few sandalwood scent lotions and I absolutely LOVE them. Also I love citrus. So basically this candle is the shizz. Check it out here>>>>>>Sandalwood Citrus Candle                                                                                                                                                                 

Apple iPhone 5s

• As I said in an earlier post I just recently got the iPhone 5s, and I love it. I had the 4s for theee longest time, and even though I liked it, it was really heavy compared to my previous android phone. Now since I will probably never go back to android, because I really prefer the operating system that apple has because it is FANTASTIC, I was waiting and holding out for the 5s. I could sing the praises of this phone forever, but that would probably be a post for another day. I love it, it's great, and if you are eligible for an upgrade, or unhappy with your android, I strongly recommend that you get it.                                                                                                                                

Rubbish Sweater

• It's grey, soft, and INSANELY comfortable. I can't find a picture of it online, probably because I got it on sale at the Nordstrom Rack (which is AMAZING btw if you've never been. GO.). $15 dollars for the perfect winter comfy cozy sweater? I think yes. I am wearing it right now with black yoga pants and a black tank top.

Dark Nail Polish

• I think that I'm currently loving dark nail polish because I want it to be fall already. (I know it is "technically" fall but it does not feel like it in Texas) So my nails were dark purple, and icing nail polish color that I have had FOREVER, but I love it, probably because I love purple. But I literally just painted my nails this deep copper-y red color that I have maybe only worn like one other time but i'm pretty sure that I just rediscovered my love for it.

iOS 7 - On the iPad

• Now don't get me wrong this has nothing to do with me not liking iOS 7, because I really do like it. BUT, I still wish that I had left my iPad running iOS 6. Why? Because for some reason iOS 7 runs INCREDIBLY slow on my iPad. I have the newest iPad, so I wouldn't think that it would be a problem but for some reason it still persists. I can't type hardly anything on my iPad without an incredibly long lag. It was so bad to the point that I had to turn off my passcode because the lag was so bad that it was near impossible to type it in. (Dear Apple, pleasepleaseplease release an update to fix this!)

The Hot Texas Weather

• Hey Texas, just a heads up, IT'S FALL. Though I shouldn't complain too much because it is a great deal cooler outside, the temperatures in the 80's are still kinda warm. And by kinda warm I mean that too warm for me to wear boots with my skinny jeans, and cute scarves. Get with the picture Texas.

Well there you have it, that's what I am currently loving and loathing. Thankfully I am loving more things than I am loathing! Come back tomorrow to backthatazzup and hear about my first impressions with the Clarisonic Mia 2.

Six Pictures, and Some Details

Well the weekend is over and its back to doing real things in the real world. And I am officially a lazy blogger because I started working on my weekend recap post yesterday and still didn't finish it until today. 

Whoops. 

So anyways here it is in six pictures with some captions. 

I made some delicious snickerdoodle cookies & I had some coffee in my adorable cups (they're from Ikea!)

I took some "artistic" pictures, haha with my favorite arrow ring, and the boyfriend and I are currently obsessed with these cases, they are the Speck brand, the Fabshell Burton case and they are just amazing! Not only do they really protect your phone, but they are lightweight and the back is covered with fabric. They just feel really natural in your hand, and they come in a variety of patterns. 

Check them out here: Speck Fabshell Burton Case

Also I found this awesome aquarium end table (with a not so awesome price), and made some salmon patties with this really simple easy recipe.  

Welp there was my weekend, and it only took me until Tuesday. 

Hydro-bed

No this post is not about mattresses, or waterbeds, and I am not trying to convince you to buy something. But I might try to convince you to go to the chiropractor. I have some on-going back and neck issues due to a car accident that I was in almost two months ago, so I have been seeing a chiropractor in order to get everything taken care of. So the reason I am telling you about all this is because my chiropractor has this awesome thing called a Hydro-bed. It's like a warm water bed that massages your back. IT IS THE BEST. I could sing praises of this for forever and I've only done it a few times. I just lay down and catch up on my social media and blogs while I get a lovely 8 minute water massage. 

It's just AMAZING.

Andddd, i'm out. 

p.s. Tomorrow is Friday! 

Weekends are Fun

I think I am officially a procasa-blogger (procrastinator blogger) because it takes me until Tuesday to get my weekend recap post up. Blogger FAIL. 

So anyways this is what I did this weekend

It cooled down this weekend! Thank goodness! It has been wayyyyy too hot, and its finally staying around the low 80's, and it's FANTASTIC. Also I got a sunburn being out enjoying the cool weather. Just my luck.

I put my hair in braids and left it in for a whole day and then ended up with these pretty waves! I'll definitely be trying that again. And the boyfriend and I went up to spend a day with his parents. FYI I oddly like to take pictures while he is driving and he thinks I'm silly. #iPhoneaddict

Speaking of being an iPhone addict.....I got the 5s! I love it so much more than my 4s, and it is so much lighter it's not even funny. I also snagged this cute case for it for under $20 (mainly cause I refused to carry it around without one) and I actually really like it. It's a full case, it covers the sides and stuff, and it has a fabric like texture that feels super awesome when you hold it. Overall, it seems pretty durable and protective for under $20.

Welp there you have it my weekend in a nutshell. Linking up with Sami!

Loving and Loathing: iOS 7 Edition

Everyone seems to be talking about what they like and dislike about iOS 7, so I wanna pitch in my opinion. First let me say that overall, I love it. It's different but its fresh and it seems lighter and better than the previous OS. 

Let's talk some specifics: 

Love

 The redesign of the photo app. 

Not only is it really easy to take pictures (also in different sizes, like square for instagram!) but it is really easy to look through your photos without having to scroll through 200+ pictures. Considering I generally have 200+ photos on my iPhone I like this feature because it is really easy for me to look for the photo I want and it only takes me a few seconds.

  

The redesign of messages! It just looks so fluid and simple, and I just really really like it. 

Oh and if you're wondering what time someone sent you a message, apple added a handy little, semi hidden feature for you to be able to tell what time you sent/ received a message. Just press your screen anywhere within your messages and slide it left!

iTunes Radio. 

Once I updated to iOS 7, I said goodbye to Pandora. Who needs an extra app when this one does the same thing?

Weather

I really like that the screen emulates the weather outside, so if I only had a second to glance at my phone I would know what the weather was doing without having to squint at the little icons. Yay for much needed rain!

Loathing

The app tray bar. For some reason to me it just seems a little excessive. I think it just takes up more space than it needs to. It very meh. 

The notification bar. 

I don't have a picture for this cause I would have to catch it at just the right time and I am not that talented. But it seems a little large as well as intrusive. All of the other elements on the phone are light colored and simple, then you get a notification and BAM. HELLO LARGE BLACK BAR AT THE TOP OF MY SCREEN. 

The iPad Version

Now I think iOS 7 is great for the iPad, everything is sized for the iPad unlike the previous OS. That I like. But is is REALLY laggy when I try to type anything. Typing in my password take a good 30 seconds. Typing in my password for app purchases takes even longer. It is really bugging me, and I hope they release an update to fix it. 

So there you have it. That's what I'm loving and loathing about iOS 7. What about you?

I've Got BIG Dreams!

As all of you know this blog is centered around dreams, and on the fact that you can do anything to make them come true. Though I haven't talked about it much I just started at a brand new college, a college that is great, the teachers are fantastic, and the campus is beyond beautiful. But after two weeks I realized that as much as I though that this was my DREAM college, the one that I was absolutely supposed to go, the only one that I applied to and spent months waiting to find out if I was accepted, it was not. Though I still love everything about the school, I hate being there.

Then there was the kicker, I wanted to change my major. I really did some digging into the field that I know I want to pursue and I realized that a degree in English, while it still could be good for my field, is not the best. And personally I want the best degree I can have to be prepared for the field I want to pursue. 

I believe that when you are spending so much to get an education (hello! 40,000 tuition) that you should make sure you are getting what you want. It is hard enough spending 40,000 for two years (I went to a community college for two years and I am extremely glad that I owe nothing on those years) I can't imagine the people that spent 40,000 on four years. No judgement to those that did, I know that there are a lot of scholarships available, and financial aid, but still 40,000 is a lot. And I can definitely not justify spending 40,000 a year getting a degree that I am one, unhappy with, two, is not very useful and three, at a school that I am not enjoying my classes, neither my time at. Now I know that picking the wrong school is partially my fault. I allowed myself to fall in love with the amazing student to teacher ratio, and the gorgeous campus, and all the things to get involved in and didn't do the research about my field, my degree, or if the school even offered what I need. 

As it turns out, the school I am going to does not offer the degree that I want. Now that was a HUGE bummer. They offer something kinda-ish like it, but its not a good program, and its not the exact degree. So I was at a loss, not entirely knowing what to do next. So I did what I do best and I researched. The first thing I knew what that I was going to need to change schools. In looking for schools I considered the degree and the location. I want to get a degree in broadcast journalism, and to do that I really need to be some where near the Metroplex area. The town that my college located in is small-ish and has like one TV station, and since I want to go into news being near several TV stations is going to be crucial in looking for jobs and internships. So I spent quite a bit of time researching my options and ended up applying to four different schools. FOUR. This is from the girl who has only ever applied to two colleges. But I am very happy with the four schools that I applied to, they all offer the right degree, Broadcast Journalism, and are located in the right area. Win, Win. 

So now that I have applied to some new schools, I am about to begin the process of packing my things (since I am moving), beginning the search of looking for someone to sublet my apartment, and crossing my fingers and waiting to hear back from the schools I applied to. 

Wish me luck as I pack, move, look for a job, and wait to hear back from my schools! 

Hopefully i'll be back with an update soon, and some good news!

A Lovely Sunday

Most people think that Sunday is not necessarily a day for blogging, but I actually feel otherwise. I think that what you do depends on what you feel like. Like maybe I only feel like blogging on alternate Tuesdays. Haha, I just had to throw that in there. So I think everyone should just blog when they feel like it. BAM. 

So that being said I am here to start a ongoing series (I guess that's what you could call it) called Lovely Sundays. Making Sunday and easy day for me to share with you the simple things from the past week that I find lovely.

With the start of school looming in a week, the things that I have been browsing the interwebz for have been jumping back in forth between things I still need for my 1st apartment, and things I need to organize my school things. 

If you have not been to this website you need to go there ASAP. It is truly some of the cutest, and most efficient school supplies and organizers that I have seen. Very minimalist looking, but still made to stand out, hence the name Poppin. Their writing supplies are cute and downright efficient, and their organizing supplies look very versatile and extremely efficient. I am honestly considering ordering all my writing supplies for school plus organizers for my desk from here.

Check it out: www.poppin.com

I am starting to think that Target might as well be college student necessity buying central! They literally have everything. For example, this kitchen tool set. This is a perfect set for student in their first apartment, and will probably last you a good while. I just wish that Target had the price posted online!

Check it out: www.target.com

I have been looking all over for bath mats and these come in so many colors and are perfectly priced! Since the floors in my bathroom are wood these will be great not only to keep my feet dry but keep them comfy early in the morning, and warm during the winter months.

Check it out: www.target.com

Now this is something that I was SO excited to find! I chose a daybed for my room, and I also have a nightstand but it takes a lot of stretching to reach it. Enter the perfect solution, this attaches to and hangs from the bed to help keep my essentials handy. I think it would be great to store my remotes in, along with some pens, and the stylus for my iPad.

Check it out: www.target.com

Like most girls I have A LOT of shoes. Like more than you can count on one hand. And even though I have a place to store most of them, this would be perfect for keeping my favorites, the ones I wear everyday, on hand.

Check it out: www.target.com

Now I realize that this isn't entirely college related but it is something that I am loving lately so I couldn't resist putting it on the list. If you haven't watched Breaking Bad just leave now and watch it. Trust me, you need to see this. I am actually on season 2 but it is very intriguing, and definitely interesting. Most of the seasons are on Netflix except the newest season. You can bet that I will be catching up ASAP. 

Check it out: www.netflix.com

 

Hello My Name is Ashley and I am a Netflix Addict.

Welp, I would think that the title of this post pretty much sums up what this post is going to entail. 

Just kidding.

But I am here to talk about a few VERY important things with you. (which are obviously neither important nor probably even relevant to your everyday life)

Anyways, I figured out that I watch too many TV shows when I needed an app in order to organize and keep up with the season premiers, and episodes that I have watched. So I found this free little beaut of an app called iTVshows. 

It is overall FANTASTIC, and perfect at helping my feed my addiction. It is super user friendly, and it is very easy to add tv shows, manage the episodes that you have watched, and keep up with your shows that are on hiatus, and know when they will grace your beautiful tv screen (or netflix or hulu) again. 

So here is a basic outline of how the app works

The only thing that is not shown is the section for shows that have ended. The ones on my list being SATC, Ugly Betty, & Jane by Design. (TEARTEARTEAR) Anyways, if you are a TV show addict like me you definitely need this app. I snagged it when it was free, it may still be but I am not entirely sure. 

As for a few other things that I used to produce this post, my new iPad, Snugg keyboard, and another lovely app called skitch, those will have to wait for another day.

 

Fireworks, Baseball, & Food

Well the 4th is officially here and gone, and now we are all forced to resume our normal schedules of work, work, and more work. But to help brighten up your (and my) day, here is a post chock full of pictures of the lovely festivities that took place the week-ish of the 4th.

   'MERICA.

You Know What Today Is

http://www.blowdryblowdry.com/tag/friday/

http://www.kandeej.com/2012/11/friday-fun-for-everyone-you-need-to-see.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/98136721/its-friday-friday-friday-friday-175

Oh and the most important

#backthatazzup

Go check the rest of the jams out over at I Wore Yoga Pants!