4 Ways to Pamper Yourself

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Like everyone, I love to sit back and relax once in a while. Sometimes, it's the tiniest things that make you feel so much better! When I'm stressed or nervous about anything, these are my go-to relaxation techniques.

1. Hold a hot wash cloth over your face- this is the most simple thing to do, but feels so luxurious. Something about the steam just instantly detoxifies my face and calms my skin down.

2. Make a bowl of popcorn and settle in for a movie- I feel like Olivia Pope because I eat a gigantic bowl of popcorn nearly every night. Maybe it's not the healthiest choice, but it's something that always makes me feel at home. My favorite movie to watch is The Parent Trap!!

3. Fill a bath with lavender and read a good book- I only take baths once in a while, but when I do, it feels amazing. I have natural epsom bath salts from Whole Foods that I love to sprinkle in my tub. This is a special way to decompress when you're traveling. Most hotels have a jar of salts in the bathroom! You'd be surprised how much of a book you can read when you're comfy, warm and relaxed.

4. Do a series of face masks- when I have a couple of hours to kill during a night at home, I do multiple face masks. Meaning, I'll do a super detoxifying charcoal mask, then a brightening peel, then a hydrating mask to get some moisture back into my skin. Sometimes one mask is just not enough! This is a great way to help your skin almost instantly. You can even combine masks on your face all at once- maybe applying a charcoal mask to your T-zone and a brightening mask on your cheeks.

Thanks for reading! 

-Ashley Ann 

Lilly Pulitzer New Arrivals

Last summer, Lilly Pulitzer had an amazing selection of prints & styles. They really knocked it out of the park. Last month I found myself thinking: I wonder if Lilly is going to do it again? The verdict? YES. I'm absolutely in love with all of the new arrivals!! The patterns this year are unlike anything I've seen before from them: bright patriotic shades, neon corals, beautiful blues, and soft greens. I did a little rest and went through the entire website, adding stuff to my cart that I absolutely loved, just to see what the total came to. When it was all said and done with, I had about $4,000 worth of clothes in my cart!! I think that gives you a pretty good idea of how much I want EVERYTHING. Obviously, I didn't order all those clothes but I narrowed it down to 3 or 4 items I saw fitting into my summer wardrobe. 

Anyways, I'm in love with these espadrilles. I didn't know I needed a pair of Lilly espadrilles in my life until I saw them! The shoes look so comfy (I added them to my 4 item cart). 

The UPF dresses work for any season but winter. I love them- the shape is so flattering on any type of body and they come in so many fun patterns that it's nearly impossible to find one you don't like. I have a couple from years past, but this patriotic number caught my eye. Perfect 4th of July dress (or let's be real, all summer long dress). 

The style of this Ardleigh dress is perfect!! Sometimes a lot of the classic shift dresses tend to be a little too fancy for every day wear. The casual cut and fit of this sundress makes it perfect for running errands, going out to brunch with friends, or going for a nice dinner. The options are endless! I also am loving the new pattern that it comes in- the seashells are amazing. 

I've been wanting to purchase a trapeze dress for a long time now, and this one seems to be perfect. I LOVE the blue and white pattern- it's not classic Lilly but it's quite beautiful. 

What a unique shift dress. The famous pink and green are upgraded with the halter lace crochet top. 

Don't you love everything?! 

Thanks for reading! 

-Ashley Ann 

Memorial Day Outfits

My family and I packed up the cars today and headed down to the beach for Memorial Day weekend! We have a really nice long weekend with Monday AND Tuesday off (I'm afraid I won't ever go back to school)... Anyways, Memorial Day always kicks off my favorite season and favorite time for fashion. I can wear all the navy, white and red I want without getting judged! It's supposed to be pretty nice the whole weekend except for some rain on Monday. Here are some outfits that I'll definitely be sporting for a festive start to the summer season! 

For a festive backyard party:

For a day spent at the beach or by the pool: 

For an alfresco brunch: 

For a chilly night by the water: 

Look #1: 

Dress // Sandals // Sunglasses 

Look #2: 

Sun Hat // Board Shorts // Sunglasses // Bikini Top // Bikini Bottoms // Towel // Sandals 

Look #3: 

Bow-Tie Top // Scalloped Shorts // Espadrilles

Look #4: 

Sun Hat // Wedge Sandals // Navy Sweater // White Jeans // Aviators // Clutch

Thanks for reading!

-Ashley Ann  

May Bucket List

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April was a good month because I did a lot of shopping and eating and traveling. I was basically gone every single weekend, though I'm not complaining. I LOVE taking quick weekend trips to visit cities! It's going to be nice to be home the entire month of May. I don't have any plans to travel, but I might have to sneak in one trip to stick to my "travel once a month" resolution. The only three things I couldn't check off my bucket list were outside activities because of this crappy weather we've been having! I can't remember the last time I saw sunlight!! It's just constant rain, clouds and chilly wind. I mean,  I know "April showers bring May flowers" but it's 2 weeks into May and nothing has changed. 

I did find an amazing straw hat that I'm hoping to feature in many outfit posts this summer, along with a prom dress! I got through three books: The Girl On the Train, The Nest, and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? I found a great spring uniform that I've been wearing non-stop. It's nothing too extreme, but this is what's been getting me through the rainy and cold days: white jeans, a long-sleeved striped tee, Hunter boots and a trench coat. And, finally, the moment we've all been waiting for: I decided on a college! A very exciting first step towards the next phase of my life. I honestly couldn't be happier :) 

1. Have a Harry Potter movie marathon- I normally re-watch the movies every couple of months or so, but I realized I haven't watched Harry Potter since November (a long time for me). 

2. Go for a bike ride- the summer is when I'm at my absolute happiest because my car gets no mileage on it and I simply ride my bike everywhere. Until I move down to the beach for the summer, long rides through the park are going to have to cut it. 

3. Wash and clean my car- this is long overdue! 

4. Bake cupcakes- I've been craving a good batch of vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting lately. This may be the first thing I check off... might make them tomorrow! 

5. Play badminton- I LOVE playing badminton. I completely swing and miss a lot (okay, most) of the time but it's still so fun to play with friends on a sunny day. 

6. Declutter photos- I worked on decluttering my digital life last month, but I did mostly files on my Google Drive and computer which took up a ton of time. I'm going to try and get rid of everything I don't need: useless screenshots, pictures of homework, 87 copies of the same picture, e.t.c. Then I'll import everything onto my laptop so I free up space on the cloud! 

7. Create a tangible workout/food plan, then stick to it- to be honest, 2016 has been the most unhealthy year so far... between getting sick multiple times in a row, struggling with a knee injury and straight up just eating crap, my body is not feeling its best. I saw a couple of fitness posts (this, this, and this) that inspired me to get my butt back in shape before the summer. I have an extremely petite build so it's not weight I'm worried about; I just want to get my body back to feeling the best it can be! 

8. Go to a farmer's market- moving this one up from April to May.

9. Do a run-through of prom makeup and hair- I usually do my own makeup for proms. I'm actually pretty knowledgeable in the makeup department as for what works for me and what doesn't. I feel most comfortable when I'm doing my own smokey eye... why pay someone to do what I could probably do better, ya know? I just replaced a lot of my expired makeup with shiny new products that I can't wait to test out and create an amazing look with! As for hair, my aunt (a hair stylist) graciously offered to do mine so I need to meet with her to determine what look we want to go for.

10. Order a new phone case- this is kind of boring, but my phone case is cracked, dirty, and downright disgusting. I'm in the market for a new one (love this Minnie and Emma palm tree case!). 

Anything on your bucket list?

Thanks for reading! 

-Ashley Ann