Commercial Break (Caroline G Shop)...

We girls all have a few things in common. We cry at sappy movies (or even sappy commercials, if you're my mom). We love chocolate (at least, every girl I know does.) And a lot of us really love jewelry, am I right? A great necklace or pair of earrings can really make an outfit, and since "statement necklaces" have become so popular, it's pretty easy to find one that "speaks" to you. (Don't act like stuff doesn't call your name at Target. Okay, maybe it's just me.)

If you follow any style blogs or even scroll through the clothing section on Pinterest, you have probably seen a bubble necklace or two (or a hundred). Of the many varieties of statement necklaces out there, this one has become popular (first introduced by J. Crew) for a reason... it has a really beautiful shape, comes in so many pretty colors, and can make even the simplest outfit "pop." When I was on the hunt for my first bubble necklace, I found that most of them were either a) expensive or b) super cheap (not in a good way) or c) being sold from Timbuktu (is that a real place?) and would cost an arm and a leg in shipping. 

Finally, my search led me to Caroline G Shop, an online store that sells beautiful jewelry among other items, many of them handmade. Also, Caroline G is owned by Carrie, who blogs over at Chasing Big Dreams and is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. (I haven't actually met her in person, but her blog is a great picture of her heart for others and she has always been super helpful with questions about her business.) A few of you, like me, have purchased from Caroline G and know just how great her service and product quality are. My bubble necklace(s) (yes, plural) are some of my favorite jewelry, and the ones I've given as gifts have been very well received. Plus, if you've seen my What I Wore Wednesday posts, you know I wear one of my Caroline G necklaces at least once a week!

 Since I'm a big fan of Carrie's, imagine my excitement when she asked if I would be interested in being a brand ambassador for Caroline G! What's that mean? Basically, it's a fancy way of saying I get to talk about her products, which is no problem because I do that anyway! I've told a whole bunch of people, including everyone who asks about my bubble necklaces, about her shop, because I really do think it's great. 

Can you tell I like my Caroline G necklaces? These are only a few outfits I've worn them with! Oh, and did I mention that my sister-in-law got me yet another bubble necklace for Christmas, in navy and white? It's sooo very nautical and I can't wait to wear it this spring.

A few other pieces from Carrie's shop that I'm currently in love with are this mint green teardrop necklace, these bubble earrings (in lots of pretty colors!) and the new hair bows that will be added soon (she posted a pic of them on Instagram and they're adorable... especially in her signature green and pink. =) 

So, if you're on the hunt for some really beautiful statement jewelry or adorable handmade hair accessories, Caroline G is the place to go. And because Carrie is such a sweetheart, she's given me a discount code just for you Dash of Ashers. =) Enter code "ashleym" at checkout for 15% off your entire purchase! Woohoo! Oh, and just so you know, Carrie regularly posts awesome giveaways and discount codes on her Facebook page, so you should definitely head over and "like" it for even more opportunities to save.

Get shopping, peeps! Don't forget "ashleym" at checkout to save 15%... just in time for Valentine's Day! =) (hint, hint, Jonathan!)


Ash






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New Nephew....

You may remember that back in September I wrote about my seester April expecting a baby boy. Well, the little angel arrived just after midnight on Monday, January 28- my brand new, beautiful, BIG nephew, Landon Robert Joines. (Sorry, I'm a slave to alliteration.)

I had FaceTimed April that afternoon, enjoying pleasant conversation until a contraction hit (her, not me) and I watched the excruciating pain she was enduring for about 2.4 seconds before I declined sharing any more magical moments of the labor/delivery process. Call me a baby/chicken/wimp. Yes/yes/yes. 

Anyway, I heard snippets of progress throughout the day (the sister who lives far away is the last to find out anything, of course) and by the time I went to bed there was still no baby. I made my mom promise to call and wake me up and drifted off to sleep. At about 12:40 (already a half hour old! No one thought to call me for 30 MINUTES! Sorry, not bitter not to be there or anything) and the call came. He's here! After a groggy "hooray" and being vaguely aware of his (hefty) weight (9.12!) and length, I went back to sleep. Of course, then the dinging of pictures began for the next hour, but who could mind? This boy is beautiful. Hello!

Oh, and I have exceeding, abundant admiration for April being such a trooper through this whole process, with nary a complaint about the pain (okay, not really, but I wasn't there, so I'm guessing she was calm as a cucumber?) She did great! 

Finally I was awake and aware the next morning and Monday afternoon was able to FaceTime Landon for the first time. Clearly, he was overjoyed to meet Auntie Ashley, knowing that his very own blog post would be featured soon. (Smart kid.)




Those eyes! That hair!


Cheeks! Lips!



Seriously... I can't handle all this cuteness.


Leslie was a little less than impressed with this wrinkly new family member.


He's talking to me! Can't you tell?!


One more just because you want an extra, dontcha?

I can HARDLY wait to meet this little guy in person in a few weeks and kiss those fat cheeks! Oh, and if you live in Georgia, just be prepared NOT to hold this baby for the three days I'm home. I will not be sharing, k? 

Welcome to the world, Landon! Auntie Ashley (your favorite) loves you!


Ash

P.S. I did not include any pictures of Landon's beautiful mommy because, well, she would kill me. Perhaps in a few days. =) She and Daddy (Jake) and sister (Leslie) are all doing and looking great, though!

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What I Wore Wednesday...

Hi there, friends! I hope the first half of your week has gone well. Mine's been okay... I'm just tired (my own fault) after an impromptu 3-hour classroom makeover last night. Oh, well. At least *most* of my snowflake stuff is gone and I will be able to enjoy my Valentine's stuff for a reasonable amount of time. 

 Speaking of leaving snowflakes behind, this week has totally put me in the mood for spring. I know some of you have been in that mood since like November, but I usually like to hold on to the cold for a little while. Basically this year, I was done with it after Christmas. The cold/endless bundling up has lost its charm and I am ready, not necessarily for the gross humidity, but just ready to be able to go out without a parka. (I exaggerate... it's never that cold in NC. (And whyyyy do I always end up talking about the weather? I guess because it determines what I wear.)

 And what I wear is the point of this post, so I'll actually get to that now.

School:
Skirt- Belk
Sweater/Cowl- Old Navy

I captioned this on Instagram as "Little Ash on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls McNeese." It was sooo cold that morning that I knew I wanted to be as cozy as possible. Mission accomplished, looking slightly 19th century in the process.


School:
Skirt- Target
Long-sleeve Tee- Target
Sweater- Old Navy
Boots- Rampage
New Specs- c/o Firmoo



Date Night:
Top- Loft
Cardigan- Old Navy 
Necklace- Target
(Too much polka dots? I liked it, but what do I know?)



Shopping (btw I got some insane deals at Loft that day. So great.):
Top- Belk (my new favorite favorite favorite. I love it so much.)
Hat- Loft (Jonathan did not vote for me to purchase it. ha.)


School:
Cardigan and top- Target
(I apologize for the wretched photo quality. This was a "just got home very late and realized I didn't document this outfit" photo. Oops.)


School:
Skirt and Sweater- Old Navy
Flats- Target


Church:
Skirt- Belk
Button-down- Ann Taylor
Cardigan- Loft
Heels- Target

There you have it. As always, thanks for stopping over, leaving your oh-so-sweet comments, and brightening my Wednesdays. =) Have a wonderful day, ladies!


Ash

P.S. Linked up with Lindsey at the Pleated Poppy!

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Coming Up Next...


Just thought I'd try being one of those people who start each blog post with a random picture of myself, regardless of the topic. First and last time, promise.

I am not really a "let me write that in my planner" kind of person, until the actual week of an event is upon me and then I'll write in things for a few days in advance. So, because every one of you sweet and captivated people care immensely about my schedule, I am going to unload share with you a few of the events of this week that I'm looking forward to crossing off my list enjoying to the fullest. =)

Monday- basketball game (away). I somehow (and by somehow I mean I'm married to the coach and have nearly a decade of experience) got enlisted as the statistician of our school's fledgling basketball team and am therefore required to attend all the games. Even the ones that are away.... and I get to ride in the van. With the team. Made up of 11-14 year old boys. Glorious fun, as you can imagine. 

 Tuesday- tutoring. I enjoy tutoring because I feel like I'm a little (dare I say it?) kinder when I'm dealing with kids one on one. (Go ahead... doubt my word.) Anyway, I get to talk about grammar for 45 minutes, so nothing to complain about there. 

 Wednesday- Awanas, aka have a jolly good time with Mrs. Jo, the future version of myself, if I'm lucky. Seriously, the funniest lady ever. I love her. Oh, and we do feed the kids too... that's our very important job.

 Thursday- God willing, come home right after school, clean, and cook something yummy. Watch What not to Wear. Finish unfinished lesson plans. Like I said, the goal is to not have to go anywhere.

 Friday- another away game. Joy. Rapture. More bonding time with adolescents. Go Mustangs. 

 Saturday- dinner with cousins, barring illness or any other unforeseen delays. It's about time, since we've lived in the same town for seven months! I am a terrible person.

 So, I'm hoping that all of these things actually get accomplished and go well, since I'll actually be squeezing in (hopefully) a trip to the doctor to take Gimpy back for a checkup since his bum knee is only getting bummier, continuing my endless search for a miraculous zero-point cheeseburger, and uploading dozens of obnoxiously proud pictures of my brand new nephew who is supposed to be making his appearance tonight!!! Woohoo!

And in the spirit of full disclosure, I'll be pining away for this view all the while. (We were in Myrtle Beach this weekend, fyi. And I could totally live with being this close to the ocean all the time. Until hurricane season, at which time I would high-tail it to the nearest dry land.)
I'll probably look back on this list and laugh, considering how things rarely go as planned here at the McNeese homestead. Oh well, at least writing it down makes me feel organized. That's what counts, right?

Ash

 P.S. Linking up with Molly!
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New Specs (Firmoo Review)...

A few weeks ago, the good people at Firmoo contacted me about reviewing a pair of their glasses. In case you didn't know, I am blind as a bat and have to wear glasses all the time. Not my first choice, but contacts are out of the question due to this traumatic experience. Anyway, I have been wanting a second pair of glasses, since you never know what will happen to your frames (story of my life) and sometimes a different color pair would match an outfit a little better. Firmoo is an online company that offers prescription eyewear at super reasonable prices (we're talking a very small fraction of your typical vision center) with tons of fashionable options. They're one of the best in the business, for good reason!

 Anyway, the hardest part of the whole process was choosing a new pair. I am so indecisive, and there were lots of super cute options, so narrowing them down was a challenge! Thanks to Firmoo's Virtual Try-On feature, you can see the frames on a real person OR upload a picture of yourself to really get a good idea of what you're getting. And while you obviously can't tell over the internet exactly how a pair of glasses will look/feel on your face, you do get a fairly clear picture of the look and I'd say that the convenience of doing everything online without having to go to a store or doctor's office and try on frames is worth it. 

SO my glasses arrived within two weeks and I love them! I went with this pair and I really like the way they look. I wanted black (to match when I wear black/gray) but solid black frames kind of overwhelm my face, so the clear bottom part was perfect. Plus I think they look quite grown up, which helps me out in the "are you 16?" question department. (Really, people can be so dumb.) 



The frames came with a case, cleaning cloth (I am forever losing those!) and a small bag with a nifty little tool set. The frames fit really well, but were tiny bit loose, so I used the tools (assuming that's what they were for) to tighten them and now they're just right. 

 If you're in the market for a new pair of frames, I would definitely recommend Firmoo. Their website is user-friendly, their choices are nearly endless, and the entire process was painless (high praise for what is usually a tedious task, for me anyway.) Most importantly, my prescription is spot-on and I love the way the frames look! And (drum roll, please).... in case you need one more selling point, Firmoo offers your first pair of glasses FREE! 

 Yes, that's right... for your first pair of Firmoo frames, all you have to pay is shipping. Woohoo! So, all my blind friends, lean in close to your screen, squint at your prescription, and get busy ordering. You'll love your new specs, and how can you argue with the price? Go to it, friends!
Ash

 P.S. Firmoo sent me my glasses free (no shipping charge) in exchange for this review, but all opinions are my own. If I hated my new frames, I'd tell ya... but I really do love them. =)
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It's Friday, Friday...

Okay, after a super busy week, is there anything better than reaching Friday? It's like the entire population breathes a huge sigh of relief. Since our nine-week grading period ends today, I have been busy giving out makeup tests and quizzes, tutoring, and just being swamped by grading in general. At least I am compulsive about getting my stuff graded immediately... it has saved me a lot of headache in the long run.

 All right... shutting up about teacher stuff you couldn't care less about. On to some my favorite moments of this week. (Linking up with Miss Lauren, of course.)

1. My Uncle David was in town this past weekend, and I got to spend a few days with him. He is so fun and crazy and of course he forced me to take a "field trip" to Krispy Kreme and eat the world's best donuts. Since I grew up next door to his house, we are close than most nieces/uncles (because I'm his favorite, of course) and even though I loved spending time with as a kid, our conversations now that I'm grown up are even more awesome. (Even though he looked at me more than once and said, "Aren't you still fifteen?") Anyway, we ate donuts, stayed up watching Iron Chef, watched football, and generally had a jolly time, as we usually do. =)


2. I stopped by FCA on Monday during lunchtime to see my kiddos I taught last year and snapped a picture with Meghan and Karsen. I miss these kids so much! (And every one of them is growing up way too fast!)



3. I adore this child and her many faces. That is all.


4. I made Hawaiian chicken the other night and it was, simply put, delicious. And pretty low on the points, which is always a plus these days.


5. My new specs arrived from Firmoo... more coming up about that soon! I really like 'em!

It's been a great week and about to get even better... we're leaving this afternoon for Myrtle Beach! Not that it's that enchanting in January (it's been freezing here all week) but we're headed to a marriage retreat with our church. And shopping, naturally. I haven't lost my mind or anything.

Happy Friday, friends! 


Ash

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What I Wore Wednesday...

It's pretty rare to experience three different seasons in a week, but that's exactly what's happened around here lately. Spring (practically summer) temperatures one day, fall-ish the next day, and back to freeeezing winter today. Only in North Carolina... 

Anyway, that has made getting dressed this week a bit of a challenge, especially when I went out of town for the weekend and had to bring clothes for a 30-degree temperature change within two days. Fun stuff. I only snapped outfit pictures a couple of times, but it's pretty obvious from the two I did get that the weather was extreme. Aaaand that's enough talk about the weather. (Sorry!)

Linked up with Lindsey today!


School/Awana:

Top: gift from seester (I think TJ Maxx though?)
Skirt: Target
Flats: Old Navy
Bubble Necklace: Caroline G

Peplum and polka dots? I'm pretty sure this is one of my new favorite tops. It's super comfortable and while 
most of the time peplum falls at a weird place on me, this one (I think) was actually flattering. Either way, it was really fun to wear, and I liked the whole primary colors thing with the necklace. Oh, and it was like 78 degrees when I wore this.


School/Basketball Game at our old school:

Skirt: Target
Sweater: Target
Chambray: Target
Boots: Nine West from Macy's 

I knew the moment I saw this skirt that I needed it in my life. And, I'm kind of ashamed to admit... I paid full price for it. I know! Pigs are flying by my window as we speak. I never do that... but I earned a little extra money recently and thought, why not? It definitely fit into my new rule of only purchasing things I absolutely love, so I went for it. I can't wait to wear this in the summer with a tank top and sandals. (Oh, and I'm aware that full price was not that much and I am incredibly cheap. Thanks.) My only complaint/warning is that if you're wearing tights or anything, it is extremely static-y and you may go insane. Like I did. Hence, it will probably be better in the summer.

Well, there you have it... from short sleeves to layers/boots within two days. Oh, North Carolina... didn't anyone tell you it's winter? Silly weather. 

Happy Wednesday, friends! Thanks for stopping by!


Ash 



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