Mid Season Finale

Celebrating school ending

This is the end of SBCC Ashley season 1A, but don't worry because I'll be back January 20 for season 1B. I've officially finished all of my finals and winter break has begun. I will miss you all greatly and I'll countdown the days until we are together again. I'll probably also cry because that means I have to go to school and do homework once again and act more adultish. 

Last Christmas with Josh and
Auntie April

My favorite part about Christmas break is sleeping in, warm sweaters, and eating bundles of pork tamales. My life will be put together and on track by the time I come back and my blogs will be more regular like they once were.

I can't wait until I come back so I can tell all you about my Christmas break adventures like bowling at 3 am and eating Denny's at odd hours. I will show you lots of pictures from the holidays and the funny pranks I'll pull on everyone (Josh). 

Otto judging me

You can read my latest blog post here and you can keep up with my life and adventures here. And until next time! 

XOXO

Ashley

Finals

Just a random street
I thought was pretty

Finals are coming up and it's incredibly stressful for all college students. All of my finals happen to be on Monday. It kind of sucks because I only have like an hour between each to study for the next one. It's going to be extremely crazy and I'm going to feel really rushed. I just so happened to have finished my cashier school training Thursday so my biggest fear is writing produce codes on my final rather than my math equations. 

My de stressing tips may work for you but probably not since I've never done college finals and high school finals were really easy so I wasn't ever too stressed out. Except for my chemistry final Sophomore year, that one made me cry. Thanks Danny D. 

I really did get a tattoo tho

Tip #1

Get a tattoo. Rather than study this past week I spent a good three hours getting a new tattoo. It eliminated my fear of finals by making my find focus on something else far more painful. Every time I start worrying about finals I just poke my arm and feel the pain from my tattoo.

Tip #2

Don't believe what you don't see. If you can't see your notes from this semester than they are not actually real and you don't have to worry about anything. Where did all my notes from Spanish go? I don't know, I haven't seen them for weeks!

Ain't no party like a Dorito
party

Tip #3

Eat. A lot. During finals food is your best friend. If you choose to study don't forget to schedule in some food breaks. Take food with you to finals, don't be afraid to eat your lunch while writing that last English essay.

Tip #4

Go see a play! Theatre is the best medicine to stress, I went and saw a play last night and it mostly confused me but it did help me forget about the future lying ahead for me tomorrow morning.

Just a picture of me in a
vest

Warning

I wouldn't recommend following any of these tips mostly because I'm a really bad influence and make poor decisions. The reason I did all these ridiculous things is because I somehow do really well in school and I get really really lucky. 

My cat's butt and I, having a
good time

Winter break is approaching (for me it begins tomorrow night), good luck on finals everyone and until next time! Also read my last blog post!

XOXO

Ashley

Hell of a Life

The view from West
Campus when you lay
on the hill

Sometimes I'm a really shitty person, sometimes I make bad decisions like stealing my friends car keys as a joke and then accidentally breaking his car. Yes that really happened. So, back to me being a shitty person, I procrastinated and got really behind on all of my homework so I didn't have much time to do anything. I kind of forgot about blogging and I'm sorry to all of my loyal viewers.

My thanksgiving dinner
at Denny's

Academics have been sort of tough considering how lazy I let myself get, but I'm somehow still passing my classes and getting all of my homework done. I let myself get way too stressed and that's definitely not something I'm going let happen next semester. Something I've learned in college this semester is the importance of time management.

Stomach getting smaller,
butt staying the same

Work has also been tough just because I was so behind in school. Spending nine hours at work four days in a row doesn't relieve the stress of two 6-8 page essays that are due the next week. I really do love my job though, the cute boys and friends are nice. I spent my thanksgiving at my job so I guess they're my new family since I'll probably be spending the next few Thanksgivings there. I made them all eat my tater tot casserole since my grandma never makes tater tots for holidays. 

An update on my weight loss is that I'm doing pretty well. I've lost another like 8 pounds but my butt isn't getting any bigger. I do lots of weighted squats and other butt exercises but my butt refuses to budge. I would just like my butt to be like 1/10 the size of Kim Kardashians, it just isn't happening. 

The obsession never ends

These are like the only things going on in my life right now so I'm sorry there isn't much to say. Butttt my cats are doing are great and are as cute as ever. You can read my latest blog post here although it's probably super irrelevant by now and until next time!

XOXO

Ashley

Shenanigans

Pregaming

Sometimes blogs are kind of hard to write and my bosses totally feel for us so they sent us some topics we could possibly write about. Since teaching you guys the perfect bp shot was off limits and I don’t know the kuhl kid on dp with hella swag I’m going to tell you about my weekend activities.

So I am currently taking 18 units in school because I honestly think that when I signed up for classes I was actually trying to kill myself. Between working like 35 hours a week and all the stupid and sometimes unnecessary homework I really don’t have time for a social life. But since starting my job I’ve made a lot of friends and we hang out after work and it’s so nice be popular again.

Dairy Fairy

There’s a contract that I signed saying that I can’t mention co workers names and all that and I don’t know if that applies while I’m outside of work so I’m just not going to say anyones name.

We started on Thursday because we are that crazy. I’m totally kidding about the crazy thing, we honestly just went bowling and ate in n out and I only won one of the games so I’m disappointed about Thursday. 

I just can't be serious

Friday night was not all crazy, I went home and slept well in order to prepare for Saturday night. I got called in early Saturday which I guess is good because I was probably going to spend all of my money anyway. So Saturday night finallllyyyy comes and one by one everyone gets picked up and the fun times begin. I love most of my coworkers so hanging out with them outside of work is always really really fun. We had a little sleepover and we just told jokes and ate Doritos all night. Most of the jokes start out, “So I was stocking the meat department” and I guess regular people wouldn't get it but it’s a grocery store joke. We had to wake up really early but a few of us fell back asleep later. I was one of those few that fell back asleep (because I'm a lazy). 

But unfortunately the night ended and I had to go back to work, I woke up with a sore throat and a cough so work wasn't fun at all but I made it through. 

Otto and I trying to look fierce

My weekend lacked love from cats and my mom but I had a good time and who knows maybe there will be another Doritos party in the very near future. You can read my latest blog here and until next time! 

XOXO

Ashley

Perfection

I feel like I should apologize for my lack of posting but life happens. School and work got really stressful all at once and last week was sort of hell but I’m back and I made it out alive. 

There's been a lot of talk about death lately and especially with that lady who was doing assisted suicide or whatever and it made me think about what I would do if I knew that it was my last day alive. So here's what I would do:

I'd wake up and hug my cats for a little bit then I would get ready for the day. My Grandma Jaccie would pick up my mom and I and we would go to Santa Clarita for a family day. Everyone would be there too. We'd get there at the same time as Jailene and I would hug Dj  really tightly. I would probably say something rude to my brother in law and then go inside my Grandma Kim and Grandpa Monty's house. My Auntie April, Josh, Kaitlyn, Travis and Austin would be there and we'd play in the pool together. Kaitlyn, Travis and I would probably run across the street to Kathryn's and wake up Brent and Sage from one of their naps and then we'd steal Kathryn's food and go in the pool then run back across the street to my Grandmas house. And eventually Kathryn and Steve and Brent and Sage would come over too.

Grandma Kim would keep her promise and make tater tots with dinner and Josh would make jalapeño poppers and we'd eat tamales like it was Christmas and none of this food makes sense together but that's exactly what we would do. Kaitlyn and I would eat too many chips and probably get in trouble with Grandma Jaccie for spoiling our dinner. Then I'd tell her that I'm an adult and I can do whatever I want but she would give me that look and I'd stop anyway. 

My Uncle Chris would actually show up and he'd have Madison and only Madison with him. Then for the most random reason in the world Kaitlyn and I would run outside like we did a couple years ago and we'd wait for Uncle James to drive up and we'd cry and hug him and complain he's too skinny. Lastly my papa will come with Mary, Gary and Paige and we'd all go inside and we'd just sit and talk and laugh. Everyone would talk about how pretty I am and they'd envy everything about me as usual. Jailene, my brother, Kaitlyn, Gary and I would all huddle together and make fun of everyone and laugh until we cry. Then I'd go cuddle on the couch and make fun of some more people with Josh because that's just what we do.

This is my perfect day, and this is how I would spend the last day of my life if I could. The only problem with this perfect day is that I would never want it to end. The most disappointing part would be leaving and driving home. I miss my family a lot so just thinking about this makes me sad because it'll be a long time until it really happens. 

Also I'm just throwing this out but if Kanye West wants to stop by too I'll be totally fine with that. This is probably completely random and no one probably knows who any of these people are but you'll catch on someday. You can read my last blog post here and until next time! 

XOXO

Ashley

On To The Next One

You know that song Fabulous from HSM 2? When Sharpay sings, "It's out with the old, in with the new". That's how I feel about my October to November transition. October was great and all but I have a feeling amazing things are coming in November. Like maybe making an imaginary relationship real. Although I never get enough sleep and sometimes sweeping at work sucks; life is going really well. I've made a lot of friends at work which is surprising considering I'm socially awkward and bad at talking to people. There were so many things I loved about October but I'm definitely ready to take on November. Also that selfie has nothing to do with this entire post, I just like how pretty I am.

October Favorites

I just discovered this new store called Heavenly Couture and everything there is sixteen dollars and under, can you say Ballin' On A Budget? We all know that I have a shopping problem so obviously this is one of my top October favorites. I've spent way to much money on clothes honestly but I look super cute all the time so it's pretty "worf it" as Big Sean would say.

Thrifty's ice cream!! Rainbow Sherbet ice cream is my absolute favorite ice cream of all time. I used to work in an ice cream shop and I definitely ate way too much of it. Most of the time before I go to work I walk over and get some. Maybe it's weird but I like ice cream better when it's cold outside. My favorite part about October and Thrifty's ice cream was walking along state street and listening to the pianos that are put up and down the blocks. I love music and listening the pretty tunes while walking down the street is so peaceful.

I don't like coffee and I'm not really sure how I feel about tea and I'm afraid to try new ones so for right now I'm using hot chocolate on the days I go to school. It looks like I'm drinking coffee like any normal stressed out college student EXCEPT I'm just drinking delicious hot chocolate.

My of course most favorite part of October is the mystery boy I kind of sort of like and right now it's just an imaginary relationship in my head. He probably thinks I talk too much or smile too often but I think he's funny and I tolerate him which is unusual for me. I still haven't completely figured him out so for now he'll remain my mystery boy. My mystery boy who makes me smile and laugh even when I'm grumpy and really just want to sleep. And everyone in my family is probably going to call me the moment they read this and say, "I had to find this out by reading your blog?" in really annoyed voices.

I know this wasn't much but even though I loved October it was super crazy and I didn't have much time to do anything besides sleep and work and go to school so I promise that by the time I post again I'll have lots to say and more exciting things to talk about. Although I think my mystery boy is pretty interesting if I do say so myself. You can read my latest blog post here and until next time!

                                                                            XOXO

                                                                            Ashley

National Cat Day

Today is my day, literally my day. Today like defines my whole life and existence and purpose. Today is probably the second most important holiday of the year, (the most important being my birth week or Ashley Week, as it is commonly called).  I'm sad I didn't get to stay home and lay in the sun with my cats all day, but since it's almost Halloween and Coraline is a Halloweeny movie, here's a cat quote to start off with:

“What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat. 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?'

'Cats don't have names,' it said.

'No?' said Coraline.

'No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.” 

This is a quote from a kids movie and it's so powerful, we are all so unsure of ourselves but cats are so sure of themselves. They do what they want and live their lives for themselves. Us humans should take note of this and live our lives accordingly. 

Anyone who is regular reader knows that most of the time I write about my cats and share lots of cute cat pictures. I've always had cats, so my obsession grew as I got older because they were always around. I'm also someone who hates sleeping alone so cuddling with my cats at night is my favorite. Cats make the house not so empty and when you're alone in your room frustrated with your life you can scream and cry and they'll meow at you and let you lay your head on their stomach. Fun Fact: The more you talk to cats throughout their life the more social they are and the more they'll talk back.

A lot of people see cats as being independent animals who don't see us as equals but more as giant cats who they have enslaved. I think this is false because it all depends on how you raise your cats. I've trained Otto (pictured left) a lot of different tricks and commands. Cats are really cool because they are super smart and capable of learning things like using a toilet and following commands. 

I've had both of cats for a really long time, they lived through the death of my great great aunt, Jailene meeting her husband, my depression, two moves, the birth of Dj, my high school graduation, and so many more significant events. I've cycled through friends but my cats have remained a constant. Maybe it sounds lame but my cats really are my friends. They cuddle me when I'm feeling sick and sometimes they let me hold them so I can give them a hug. If a dog can be a mans best friend then my cats can be mine.

Cutest kitties in the world

So in dedication to national cat, here's to all the cool cats who sleep all day and cuddle all night. You can read my last blog post here and until next time!

XOXO 

Ashley

A Day with Mickey

Me and the birthday boy

Although the title could be deceiving, I didn't spend the day at Disneyland; I went to my cousin's first birthday party. Little Austin turned one on the 21st and I thankfully got the day off of work to hang out with him and the rest of my family today. 

Austin has always really liked me so I owed it to him to buy a new outfit just for this occasion. I looked cute as hell and got tons of compliments from the family. Inside we had a lot of adults yelling at the tv because the Raiders were so bad and outside all the kids were playing in the pool and up at the tables the grandparents gossiped about everything that was going on in our lives. Of course I was a hot topic as usual, I just can't help being the family favorite. 

Dj mid throw

Austin made his party as glamorous as he could by making three outfit changes and eating his cake in the slowest way possible then ending with a bang. Dj sort of paid attention to me when he wanted food and he threw his cupcake at me when I tried to take his picture.

Kaitlyn and I

I got to catch up with Kaitlyn and Gary, although I didn't take a picture with Gary because he doesn't read my blog. Also he took 330 pointless pictures on my phone that I had to delete. When my grandpa reads this I hope he immediately finds Gary and hits him or something. Overall I was disappointed with the party because the watermelon wasn't cut into Mickey head shapes and that was lame. I mean they (JOSH) could have put a little more effort into making the food look nice. And I hope my Auntie April doesn't completely kill me for saying that last bit, it was a joke I promise!

BONUSSS

Jonah, me, and Bianca. AKA
The Fab Three

When I got home I got to go out with two of my best friends and we had a grand ole time eating pizza and catching up. Even though I'm in college and I have "adult responsibilities" I still have some love for my high school friends. Once again I will not be ending with  a picture of my pet cats because I have a picture with these cool cats *sunglasses emoji*. You can read my last blog post here and until next time!

XOXO 

Ashley

2 Months In

I keep looking back at this photo and I don't actually think it's real but somehow it is. I know the scale has already told me this but physically seeing the difference is a whole other story. The picture on the left is August 6, a few weeks before school started and the picture on the right is October 16 which was last week. In a little over two months my body looks completely foreign to me. Clothes fit differently, I'm more comfortable and I sleep better. Fitness has become such a big part of my life in college. I take a spinning class and I'm constantly on my feet at work, and don't even get me started on all the stairs and hills at CC. 

Motivation is huge, once of the last quotes my spinning teacher gave us before going on maternity leave was, "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in the person's determination". Confidence and motivation are a huge part of my road to health. Without confidence I wouldn't be able to do it, and without motivation I wouldn't have the confidence to get it done. The amount of confidence I have now is crazy because I was already a confident person so I didn't really think that I could feel even better about myself. I almost wish that I started this sooner but I'm also glad that I've matured enough to really appreciate the hard work an commitment I've put into changing myself. 

One key thing to help control to depression is diet and exercise and this has honestly helped me tone down and be more comfortable. During high school it got so bad that I couldn't be near people, I couldn't bear to get up in the morning. I started mimicking emotions to get through the day and I just turned into a zombie. Diet and exercise has helped me feel more alive and like a real person again. It's also a hugeeee stress reliever because I have 18 units of school and I work 5 days a week and I also try to sleep and eat and make sure that my blog doesn't completely suck. 

My cats hate pictures together so they are a bit pissed

Also I'm just going to say it again I keep looking at myself because I mean look at me, I think I look great and by this time next year I honestly won't be the same person at all and that completely freaks me out but makes me really happy at the same time. Loving the way I look makes shopping a lot more fun plus I have a lot more options when it comes to getting clothes. I challenge you all to be healthier and happier because I feel great so I think we all deserve to feel great! You can read my last post here and until next time!

XOXO

Ashley

fridAy

I finally got a day off of work and I did more Friday then I've in my life. I got to go shopping, see my family, go to a football game and  randomly meet a star, and end the night with fright fest at magic mountain.

If any of you watch Pretty Little Liars then you'll understand why last night was one of the coolest nights ever, here I was at my uncle's high school football game in Valencia and THREE rows in front of me is Sasha Pieterse and I got to meet her and talk to her and she is literally so nice. Besides cats and Kanye West I am also obsessed with Pretty Little Liars. 

I got to go shopping Friday morning with one of my best friends Valerie, I've low key mentioned her in a few posts before. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures with her but I have plenty of pictures on this post already so it's okay. We both have an obsession and love for shopping and I'm pretty sure that's all we do every time we hang out. We went to Heavenly Couture (my new favorite store), H&M, Forever 21, and oddly enough Old Navy. I bought the blue and white striped shirt that I'm wearing throughout this post, and I'm already planning on wearing it about three times a week.

Here's my uncle and I after his game, I know it's a little funny to have an uncle who is younger than you but you get used to it after 15 years. Although the game wasn't ideal I stilled cheered my butt off for my favorite little uncle. I even wore some Saugus blue to cheer for the Centurions, even though I literally only know one person on the team. 

I got to visit with a bunch of family during and after the game, family time is my favorite. Honestly everyone in my family is super cute so we all picture well together, it helps make us look put together even though we're not. 

So Fright Fest was way scarier than I was expecting and although Kaitlyn looks happy in this picture she's actually really annoyed with me because I freaked out so much that I made her buy me one of those flashing lights thingys so I wouldn't get scared. One of the moss bush guys called me a weenie and one of the freaky clown girls called me shiny. I mean I'm supposed to be the adult here but that shit is freaky. They have those guys everywhere and they have these little clicker things on their hands and they get really close to your face and they literally all need some breath mints or gum or something. I think it's really sadistic that these people get enjoyment out of scaring people. You can read my latest blog post here and until next time!

                                                      XOXO

                                                      Ashley

P.S. Sorry about the missing cat photo, I unfortunately wasn't with my cats all day so I got no pictures with them :(

Tips Your Hats to Old Uncle Sam

Ladies and gents, it is not hunting season nor is it award show season. Disclaimer: It may be either of those seasons, awards shows never end and I know nothing about hunting. No folks it is voting season. I took a class my senior year, as previously mentioned here, that was called American Democracy. I learned so much about the government and the way it operates. One important thing that stuck with me was when my teacher, Mr. Bisson, lectured us about the importance of getting involved and being politically aware. I was moved by that class and it made me open my eyes to how much we can impact the outcome of our country. 

I got the opportunity to work as a poll officer this voting day (November 4), I’m so excited to vote and help other people vote. Everyone who is able to vote this year should be voting!! We as young adults are getting less and less money towards our college tuitions and financial aid. This is happening because we are not voting, the people who are voting are older than us and money for college is no longer a concern for them. Instead they are voting to have money go towards their social security and retirement. Guys honestly I don’t know about you but I want that money. 

Vote yes on cats

Although one vote alone doesn't change much, all of our votes can really make a difference. The week I turned 18 I filled out my voter registration, I was so excited. I think the only adult thing I was really ready for was voting. I would hate to be a politician and work in that field but I think it’s pretty neat that I can do my part here at home. 

Vote and vote only for the things you understand. Research what’s going to be on the ballots beforehand and make logical decisions and don’t just fill in blanks. In America right now we are getting some of our freedom taken away from us. People have our information and can invade our privacy in a few clicks. We can make changes to things like this because we are a democracy. We are in charge of our country, we can make what we want to happen, happen. You guys can read my last blog post by clicking here and until next time!

XOXO

Ashley

Let's Be Real

“We accept the love we think we deserve”

Be comfortable with yourself,
I look like a freak and I'm still okay

I may not be the prettiest or the smartest and sometimes I make bad decisions, but all of those are why I love being human. We get to be different from everyone else in the world. I hated myself for a long time I thought I was too ugly and too fat and too smart. I look back now and I see that by trying to hide myself I really just made myself stand out even more. About the time I was 14 or 15 I said F the baggy clothes, and screw wearing my hair in a dumb ponytail everyday.

It honestly didn’t happen all at once but once I started changing I started getting more compliments and I got noticed more. Let me tell you I loved the attention. I was born to be the center of attention, I just had to hit a bump in the road in order to realize it.

Now I’m going to address something I don’t actually ever say out loud, a topic of conversation I can’t even talk with my family about. Yes, I want to lose weight and it took a long time for me to get the motivation and really really want it. I’ve been waiting for college my entire life, it has made me grow up and change so much. Since starting the semester I’ve lost about ten pounds and I didn’t even notice until I weighed myself for a project. And even though I want to lose weight and change myself, I’m doing it out of love not out of hate. I love myself enough that I know that I deserve than to be what I am now.

It's important to stay Beyonce fierce
all the time

I think that loving yourself is something most teenagers and young adults struggle with the most. I don’t care if people think I talk too much or if my mom thinks I should do the dishes more than once every six months. I’m still going to do what I want and I don’t want to change for anyone but myself. I own like ten cats shirts and some sweaters and shoes and I will wear them everyday and you just have to deal with it.

It's okay to be silly, even
if your cat hates it

I’m selfish, I’m going to think of my happiness first because I spent a lot of time unhappy. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m a mean person because I do think I’m quite nice, it just means that most of the time I’m going to put myself first. This isn’t a bad thing, you aren’t living for other people you are living for yourself. Be happy, be healthy, be fierce and buy a cat 

or two. Check out my last post here and until next time!

XOXO

Ashley

Slightly Awkward

Daniel and Valerie, two people I'm
still super close with who also
were in my Kindergarten class

I lived in a town where the people you had in your kindergarten class were probably going to be all the same people that you sit next to everyday until you graduate. I made friends when I was five and then after that I didn’t have to try so hard to be liked. But who wouldn't want to be friends with me?

Bianca and I spend our time
together watching HSM and
going to Dodger games

I wasn't ready for college. Before coming here I knew two people that were in my classes beforehand. If you’ve ever read my Instagram/ Twitter/ Tumblr bios you know that they say “almost funny and slightly awkward”. But guess what guys, it is a complete lie. I’m completely awkward, lets just rewind back to when I met Karen and Melanie at the Vaquero Welcome. They greeted me when my mom and I walked up to the table and asked if I was interested in writing a blog. And I shit you not, the only thing I did was stare at them. For a really long time. So eventually my mom speaks up, I stare at them some more and then my mom talks some more. I say like three words and BOOM two weeks later I’m a blogger. Karen remembered during the group interview how much she liked me, and heres a word of advice. When meeting strangers don’t say a word and let your mom do all the talking. And if you ever take this advice seriously maybe you should be back in high school.

Sean Paul, one of my favorites

So back to what I was saying I’m a selfish spoiled brat who loves cats way too much and I have a hard time making friends. I have a total of FOUR phone numbers from new people I just met and three of them were forced to give them to me because they are in my English writers group. 

I see people around school that know each other and laugh and talk and hang out and it makes me a little sad because all of my friends go to school at a different time then I do so I don’t get to have fun with them. I don’t want this to sound like a sob story because even though I sit alone sometimes I get to go home to my cats and my mom at the end of day so I’m not that lonely. 

And of course my two main homies

I think college is all about making new friends and being yourself and growing. So yes, I’m sorry to break it to everyone but I am not perfect. Making friends is one thing I need to work and I’ll get around to it eventually. But for now I’m sticking with my three solid friends from home and I hope everyone else is having a better time meeting new people. Check out my last post here and until next time!

XOXO 

Ashley