Summer Reading List

I am so excited to write this post, because it means I have to be held accountable for reading all these books! I find that I get my most reading done during the summer. There are so many great books out right now, and I can't wait to dive into some of them. I tried to hit a lot of genres here, so hopefully by the end of summer I'll have read books all across the board. Here is what's on my list this summer:

1. Modern Lovers by Emma Straub 

2. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty 

3. The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close

4. Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam 

5. The Assistants by Camille Perri

6. What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan

7. The Girls by Emma Cline

8. One by Sarah Crossan

9. Life In Motion by Misty Copeland

10. The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

11. The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin

12. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

13. The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

14. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

15. The Precious One by Marisa de los Santos

16. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

17. A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams 

18. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

19. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

20. The Royal We by Heather Cocks 

21. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

22. The Accident by C.L. Taylor

23. Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry 

24. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

25. The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell

Thanks for reading! 

-Ashley Ann

Summer Bucket List

via

I am so excited to share my summer bucket list! Summer is my absolute favorite season. I love being outdoors and going to the beach, not to mention all the amazing food. Here are the fun activities I want to do this summer: 

1. See fireworks 

2. Eat fresh strawberries 

3. Make a batch of lemonade

4. Host a BBQ

5. Roast marshmallows 

6. Stargaze 

7. Play mini golf 

8. Go sailing 

9. Watch the sunset 

10. Collect seashells 

11. Brunch al fresco 

12. Read 25 books 

13. Watch a movie outside 

14. Have a picnic 

15. Go a week with no makeup 

16. Sleep by the pool 

17. Bake festive 4th of July treats 

18. Go river tubing 

19. See a horse race 

20. Visit a street fair in NYC

21. Take lots of pictures 

Thanks for reading!

-Ashley Ann

Favorite Instagram Accounts

Instagram has always been (and probably will always be) my favorite app. I love sharing (colorful) bits and pieces of my life! I love stumbling upon an unique and interesting account that you normally wouldn't think to follow. Here are some of my favorites, because of their aesthetic, quality, or just something cool they feature!

1. @jennasweeney // she posts fun and beautiful pictures depicting her adventures throughout New England... often with the KJP clan! 

2. @amystone // I think Amy is on everyone's "favorite Instagram accounts" list. Her aesthetic is to die for. With light blues, periwinkles and lavenders, every picture she posts is extremely pleasing to the eye!

3. @daphnemodeandthecity // this is a relatively new account to me. I am so jealous that Daphne gets to live in Paris! Her style is very unique: a mix of classic, preppy and Parisian. Somehow, it all works and she executes every outfit she wears flawlessly. 

4. @carly // I've been following Carly's Instagram (and blog) for the longest time. I think my Instagram feed is most similar to hers out of all these on the list: colorful and bright pictures! Whether it be a shot of her food, her outfit of the day or travel snaps, I'm never bored with her feed. 

5. @seblester // I became obsessed with this account last year. His calligraphy skills are on. point. As a perfectionist, I love seeing his artwork (that's how I see it) come together. The videos are mesmerizing and make you wonder, why can't I write like that?! 

6. @laurenconrad // every picture Lauren posts has a blush pink tint to it. Her life is Pinterest-worthy, and I love following along!

7. @theprepnextdoor // I randomly stumbled on this account through the popular page and quickly followed. She always posts the cutest pictures! I love her travel snaps. 

8. @saipancakes // I found out about this account through Buzzfeed and now religiously check it everyday. This super cool Dad has a hidden talent for creating amazing pancakes... they are seriously works of art! He did a bunch of awesome Harry Potter characters, but does so many other people/things for his children. Not going to lie, I tried to make my own pancakes like this and failed miserably. 

Thanks for reading!

-Ashley Ann 

Weekly Roundups

So something kind of exciting happened on Friday... I graduated!!! And then this upcoming week, I leave for my college orientation! It's a busy week leading up to my surgery. 

Here are this week's links: 

1. An emotional & raw read. 

2. Carly's trip to Ireland looked amazing. 

3. Jess' bedroom is so chic and elegant.

4. How to have your prettiest summer yet.

5. It's pretty unbelievable how good this 5-year old is at hair! 

6. I LOVE this dress!!! 

7. Nautical reaches a new level of chicness. 

8. An effortless summer outfit. 
9.  Just stumbled upon these 10 hotel secrets.

On the blog this week:

5 things I learned my senior year of high school, staple summer accessories, and my prom dress!

Recent purchases: 

This shift dress, this adorable sundress and Lilly Pulitzer brought back their old Ugotta Regatta print!

Thanks for reading!

-Ashley Ann 

5 Things I Learned My Senior Year of Highschool

I learned more about myself this year, than any other year of my life. There's been a lot of changes, a lot of exciting events, and a lot of emotions. I wanted to touch on a few things I picked up along the way, now that I graduated today!

 I love this picture of my best friend and I.

1. It's the people, not the place- I've said it many times before, but I have amazing friends that I've connected with on a deeper level this year. Having great friends makes you feel good about yourself and the world around you. This was one of the happiest years of my life, simply due to the fact that I have incredible people in my life, constantly supporting and lifting me up. I learned what it means to truly be a friend to someone: dropping everything to help them, always being happy for them even if you're not happy yourself, supporting others in their endeavors, being a listener. 

2. It all works out in the end- I'm sure you could hear the despair in my voice as I wrote blog posts during the fall and winter. When I was applying to college, it was probably the worst I ever felt about myself. Those months were terrible for me and I felt like I was never going to see the end. Graduation seemed like a finish line I was never going to reach, and now I'm actually here. I can't quite believe it. I remember getting rejected from my dream school and thinking that I would never be happy again. Now, I am attending my dream school and I couldn't be happier. Things have a funny way of working out in due course, and I wish I had known that earlier. I am at such a high point in my life and I don't ever want to go back to the place that I was in only a few months ago. Things will get better, and it may take some time, but you'll be so overjoyed when they do! 

3.  Focus on what's important to you- This year I really went the extra mile to contribute to things I was passionate about. By honing in my attention to things I truly loved, I was able to learn a lot about myself, my talents, and what I was capable of. Doing what you love shows who you truly are!

4. Saying goodbye is hard- I've shed a lot of tears the past few months as I've had a lot of "lasts": last concerts, last lunches, last days of school, last class, last school events, last spirit week. All of the activities and people that have made high school amazing are all leaving me. I'm in the process of writing letters to people that have impacted my life in a major way as I've grown up. It's hard to realize that I'll soon be going off on my own and leaving behind my safe routine and life, without the people who have been there everyday by my side. I just have to accept that time goes on and I can't stop by life from changing. 

5. Be excited for the future- While I've been sad about what I'm leaving behind, it's getting me more excited for what lies ahead. I don't know what direction life will take me, or who it will be with, but I can't wait. I am so ready to start the rest of my life! College is supposedly some of the best years you will ever get, and I am beyond thrilled to become immersed in this extraordinary time. I can let myself be excited and exhilarated for a second: I just finished up twelve years of education (a huge accomplishment) and now I'm going off to study what I love. I feel so lucky and eager to see what lies ahead. 

-Ashley Ann 

Staple Summer Accessories

Accessories make an outfit. That's why today I'm coming on here to write about my absolute favorite accessories that I wear with nearly every outfit in the summer! Without further ado, here are my must-have, "wear-all-summer" accessories: 

Chic Sunhat // A good boater hat can make every outfit look classic and preppy. 

Straw Clutch // Straw clutches will never go out of style in the summer. This one has a pretty turquoise stone for an extra pop of color. 

Leather Crossbody // Simple, goes with everything. Kind of the theme here!

Classic Sunnies // My favorite sunglasses that protect your eyes, while also making you look chic. Classic wayfarers go with any type of look you're going for. 

Espadrilles // Whether they be wedges or flats, espadrilles make your outfits look effortless and beachy,  

Jack Rogers // Will a day ever go by that I don't, at some point, throw on a pair of Jacks? No. These are my favorite sandals!! I cannot say enough good things about them. With so many different colors to choose from, you'll definitely find a pair that suits your style. Make sure to break them in though (it takes about a week). 

Pearl Earrings // Classy and instantly dresses up an outfit. 

Statement Scarf // I love a good scarf thrown over a dress at night. This beautiful striped one subtly catches the eye and amps up whatever you're wearing. 

Cute Board Shorts // Whether you live at the beach like me, or are just visiting for the day, a cute coverup is a necessity! 

Thanks for reading! 

-Ashley Ann 

Prom!

I had the BEST time at my senior prom. Aside from Disney, it was my favorite event this year! I went with one of my best guy friends, so it made the whole night even greater. 

 

 I wore this gorgeous periwinkle dress that wasn't too flashy, but had a little bit of sparkle. The silver band that wraps around under your chest is the perfect accent. The rest of the dress was pretty simple, but I think that elegant goes a long way at these types of events. Surprisingly, it was only $114!

My aunt ended up driving to my house from New York to do my hair for me, and I loved how it turned out. To figure out my hair, I sent a bunch of pictures to her straight from my Pinterest board, ha. We played around and combined a couple of different hairstyles until we decided on the right one! I love the little braids and twists throughout the back of my head that all end up wrapping into a low, messy chignon. We also stuck the bun a little off to the side so that I didn't look completely bald in pictures! 

I fell in love with these shoes the moment I saw them. They're a wayyy less expensive version of these ones! I also talked about how I got them for free in last week's Weekly Roundups. 

My clutch was very simple and very me. I used my favorite Vineyard Vines straw clutch- not your typical prom bag, but I think it worked with the gown. 

The jewelry was lent to me by my Mom. I got to wear some of her vintage pieces, which I loved. 

I ended up doing my own makeup, like last year. I actually loved how it turned out! I did a pretty intense smokey eye with a bronzed face and a neutral lip. 

I also wanted to quickly touch on my nails. I did a navy polish on my fingers and toes and I loved how the darker shade of blue paired with the periwinkle color of my dress. I did acrylic tips for the first time and I can say now that even a week after getting them done, they still look perfect. They're supposed to last 2 weeks without any refills, so we'll see how it goes! It did hurt getting them done- there's a part where you have to meld the plastic tips to your nails by painting layers of gel polish onto your nail and then sticking your fingers one by one under a UV light. That part hurt. It feels like your fingers are burning for about 15 seconds, and then the pain goes away. So just a warning if you've never gotten them done, it's going to hurt a little bit. 

Wearing: Gown // Shoes // Clutch 

Thanks for reading! 

-Ashley Ann