Ashli

HAPPY FRIDAYS LOVE BUGS. got any big plans this weekend?? i do !!! follow me on instagram/snapchat at @ashli_p for updates because i’m going to have an amazing weekend that i can’t wait for !!!

-anyway-

i was texting a friend of mine about life and, lets be honest probably memes, and he randomly said to me… “are you happy, generally?” hmmmm good question. am i? i replied pretty instinctively because, with that question, arent your instincts the best indicator of how you really feel? seriously.

so what did i answer.

i said something along the lines of – “yeah i am! i really am. i have my basic needs met, i live in the best city in the world and not only do i have a job but i love it!”

he probably wanted to kill me for that generically cliche and uppity response. you might also.

but the truth is, my goal for this year is to take less for granted. not to hate my apartment bc its small but love it because ive made it into a home, it has everything i need, its close to the subway, i have a great roommate and landlord and it’s my happy place. not to ever complain about work because there are lay-offs left and right in my industry, im doing what i love, im working with intelligent, kind and hard working people, and what else would i want? im healthy and my needs are met. thats SUCH a huge win compared to others in the world and im thankful for that.

but if you need some help remembering the little things, or if you’re annoyed at my rantings, here are small victories we can all be thankful for that you may have overlooked. maybe when we notice the little things, we are all a little happier and what more could we do right now in this political climate but focus on our happiness, ya know?

i’m thankful for the line at starbucks because it gives me a second to zone out on my phone before heading into work calls, emails, etc.

i’m thankful for the busy subway, because when i first moved here i thought the energy of the trains felt so energetic and alive and i need to hold on to that.

i’m thankful for my overflowing laundry, because that means that i’ve had one helluva week with tons of different things going on.

i’m thankful for my glitchy internet, because even if it goes in and out, it lets me watch Netflix, Hulu, HBOGo, and write this blog post!

i’m thankful that i don’t have a dishwasher, central air or laundry in my apartment because OH MY GOD I CANT WAIT UNTIL I DO AGAIN AND ITS GOING TO BE THE MOST GLORIOUS DAY EVER.

i’m thankful for tacos, cause duh.

i’m thankful for the internet! i love that i have an outlet for my naturally oversharing tendencies, like my pictures of my shoes or pictures of me getting caught taking pictures of my shoes.

i’m thankful for seasons – winter makes me love summer, summer makes me crave winter, and so on. i can’t wait for rose on the water and rooftops etc etc etc.

i’m thankful for my shoe collection because CMON IT MAKES ME HAPPY okay??!?!

my point is – be thankful, it makes you happy. you could be in the shittiest possible situation on the planet, or maybe you have been or maybe you are, but you will bury yourself in doubt and insecurity if you can’t find light in the darkness. EW there’s that cliche attitude again.

basically, no matter how many hypothetical dishes you have in your sink, just know one day you’ll have a dishwasher.

better?

i wish you happiness, my friends. find little things to be thankful for today

xx Ashli

happy sunny Monday, love bugs 🙂 xx

maybe you follow me on IG, maybe we know each other from college, or maybe you don’t know me at all in which i’m sure your life is much better off (jkjkjk) – but for those who don’t know, i got in a car accident last week that’s kind of rattled me a bit… literally and figuratively. i was in an Uber heading to my friends wedding reception, sitting in the backseat behind the driver. i wanted to charge my phone, and the driver said i could use his cord but should move up to the front since the cord was shorter…so at the stop sign i moved to the front. once we went through the stop sign, we got smashed into by an SUV in the exact spot where i was JUST sitting in the back.

ya. freaky. i still have nightmares.

we all walked away without any cuts and scrapes and bruises thankfully but i did end up with a concussion. given that i couldve been at the point of impact, i will gladly take a concussion. so back to NYC i went, but i ended up not feeling so well when i got back…nausea, headaches, of course but the most concerning was that i couldnt exactly use my hands. i couldn’t write, i couldnt use my remote, etc. i saw a couple neurologists who all were concerned about what was going on so i got additional scans. TBD on the results, but i’m confident they will come back okay – mainly because as i’m typing this, a week after the accident, my hands starting working this morning again!! weaker but still properly – which i will take.

this whole experience to be honest, as a whole, is pretty mild – i’m not trying to over dramatize a situation that could have been much worse, and very well would have. plenty of people have concussions, they are solved by some R&R which can almost always be done at home, and will be fine in a couple weeks. i have my limbs, i have my senses, i dont need any surgery, etc.   the whole experience *did* really make me think a lot though, especially about those who live with something everyday. even now i have a headache and nausea, but nothing that inhibits my ability to work, or to write, or…to take selfies 🙂

it just makes you think about how “dont take your health for granted” really holds more weight than we give it credit. if you woke up this morning, got out of bed unassisted, walked perfectly to the bathroom with your legs and vision, and brushed your teeth, think of the abundance of bodily functions you just managed to execute without any true pain/agony, assistance, etc. i’m so much more thankful for my health, because of my slightly inconvenient concussion that ended up turning out 100% treatable and fixable.

if i had stayed in that backseat i wouldnt be able to say the same thing. my heart goes to those who have had accident or life events where it may have ended much worse for them.

ANYWAY. LIGHTER SUBJECT. has anyone else noticed that this is the first true “spring” we’ve had in NYC in …. years?? normally we get 2 weeks of chilly but awakening SPRING and then its blistering summer til Sept. i’m loving the transition – spring jackets, long tunics, and taking advantage of my favorite booties for just a little while longer!! enjoy some spring picks to replicate my outfit – all of which are on sale (UM SCORE??)

xx

happy monday! and happy easter love bugs (a day late, sure but you were with family yesterday anyway right?)

OK FINE ALSO. you guys are too sweet, thank you for the birthday wishes as well. love you guys like sooo much, i cant believe you remembered?! enough about me.

Easter, man. it’s the whole thing. rebirth. rising from the ashes. growth, development, etc. it’s an inspiring message and time of year, regardless of what you worship, what you believe, if you believe, etc. you know? i think we all have times in our lives when we are goin along, living life as normal, and out of nowhere the world you know as blue and green and on a circular globe is actually purple and neon orange and square shaped. (editors note: its not but go with it) (yes, i’m the editor)

nothing particularly horrifying may have happened in this life event, but everything you knew changed. you feel confused and disoriented and maybe a little freaked out – i know i’ve been there. have you?

i feel like these instances are actually those that i feel *most* thankful. i fall asleep at night so happy to have seen my favorite bodega guy in the morning or really relieved that one teeny little work project was finished or totally in love with that amazing shade of pink on this tiny flower growing in the crack of the sidewalk.

laughter feels more beautiful and the niceness of other humans doesn’t go unnoticed as easily. because you know how bad it really could be. you don’t have time to be annoyed at UPS or your friend who cancelled plans. in the grand scheme of things, none of that stuff even matters, especially when things are completely shapeshifting.

so this is what you do .

you get by with a little help, regardless of what ashes you may rise from, and thats a big lesson i’ve learned lately: the importance of asking for and allowing help. you get help by blasting that amazing new song you heard on spotify and a home cooked meal from a new cookbook you have or whatever version of happiness you may turn to. you find help in pushing your ego to the wayside and saying to someone you trust “listen im in a super f***ed up spot and i feel like a failure and i need some help getting out of it”. you find help in making sure that whatever change may be going on in your life, unwanted or purposefully, you make time for your joys so you get through the day with smiles and happiness still. because there is ALWAYS opportunity to smile 🙂

you get help by way of friendship, and sunny days and walks in the park and maybe even a new dress (or leggings!)

ok or a clutch but we get the point.

you. get. by.

that is the Easter message. you can be condemned and you can rise. you can be hated and you can rise. you can be made to feel you are not enough, that you are alone, that everything you’re doing is wrong and you can rise. you can feel like you’re losing everything but until you’ve lost your family or your friends or the opportunity to be thankful for the most beautiful parts of average days, you have lost absolutely nothing at all but stuff and maybe some assholes with unwanted negative energy.

what a thing to rise away from.

Happy Easter my loves.

xx

Ashli

we all have those days.

those lay-in-bed-all-day kinds of days where you dont even realize that its 6pm and you havent had dinner and you’ve just wondered for hours and hours how to get through xyz, if things will ever be the same, if you aren’t the failure you feel like you are…whatever. bad days. we all have them.

Banana Republic is urging people to state #whatmovesyou – i was inspired by Tilden of blog To Be Bright to open up as well. we all have moments we force ourselves to put ourselves together and get out of the house. they always say when you least expect it, expect it, and that’s definitely been my experience with the toughest times in life.

enter: cozy items that never go out of style + faux happiness for the win.

the best way through not so high times and all-day-bed-days is throw on and go goodness. worthy of investing in, so you can always turn to it in a time of need. like friends. or desserts.

the thing about low points is that there’s always a way up. my friend Sarah always says “peaks and valleys” (i actually think its a thing between her + her gf and here i am stealing it from them) and its the truth. with all high points come low and at the end of the day, regardless of anything…optimism overcomes all. goodness always prevails, i do believe that.

that notion, that belief, that reminder at the end of the day – especially if that day effing blows – is what #whatmovesme. knowing that my day is in my hands and life is allllll about how you react to life drives me to always be my best. it gets me out of bed, it gets me in the shower, it keeps me staying active. my life is all about how i react, and that is simply all i can control. knowing that my decisions are all the matters keeps me focused on what i want out of MY life.

what moves you?