Long Time No Blog!

Hi everyone! I know I haven't blogged in what seems like forever--almost 2 and a half months! I hate to have left you guys hanging with such a downer of a post, so I decided to come back.


I just got 2 very sweet comments on my last post that really made me realize that I miss this blogging community. I actually haven't completely left blogging really--I'm just doing more of it over at almostveggirlie, since I discovered that Wordpress is a lot easier to use. And I also wanted to try to focus less on my eating disorder and more about the rest of my life. 


I am definitely doing a lot better since I posted last. Yes, I am still struggling with feeling okay with eating a good amount, but my body image is much stronger now. I don't hate what I see in the mirror every day, and that is amazing. I am somewhat alright with eating 'indulgences' like froyo and falafel. I don't want to starve my body and mind of what it needs. Sure, I sometimes don't eat enough but I am definitely working on fueling myself the right way. And I think if I do that, my body image will improve even more. There are hard days for sure, but I have to say most days are great.


I had a wonderful Thanksgiving break last week with my family, and I'm so ready to be done with this semester. It's definitely getting stressful with all the finals and projects, but I know that I'll enjoy Christmas break even more if I just push through all this hard stuff. And it's a month off from school, who wouldn't want that?!


So I hope you guys will all come back and read over here (if I decide to keep posting on this blog) or read my Wordpress blog if you want a lot of random posts about food, fashion and my life in general. Hope you all have been doing well and I'll definitely try to catch up on commenting on all your blogs.


Ash :)

Vacation Recap!

Thank you all again SO much for your responses to this post. I never would have guessed six months ago when I first started this blog that anyone would ever read it, let alone comment. You are all amazing, never forget that :)

Today, instead of my usual Fave Five Friday, I'll be sharing a photo recap of my vacation to Estes Park, Colorado! My family and I have been going there every summer for as long as I can remember and it's one of our favorite in-state destinations. Estes Park is a cute little touristy town, but it isn't lame and boring. It's only a few miles from Rocky Mountain National Park (home to the famous Longs Peak) and the town itself has tons of shops, restaurants and outdoor activities.

This was our first time going to EP for the 4th of July and man, was it crowded! It's usually pretty busy on the weekends but this year it was crazy. It was almost impossible to find parking, so we got a lot of walking in ;) But it was cool being there for the 4th, because we actually got to see fireworks. If we'd stayed at home, there wouldn't have been any fireworks nearby because of a fire ban. So it was totally worth all the crowds and stupid out-of-state drivers!




Hummus pizza (vegan)



The pool!

 

Model status (just kidding!)

 

 

Santa likes to drink apparently...



Strawberry froyo in a handmade marshmallow-flavored waffle cone



Lake Estes



My dad--King of the Rock!

Sunshine veggie burger with jalapenos



Chilling by the pool



Fourth of July fireworks

 


Awkward wolf sculpture in a store front



A restaurant that serves cereal?! My kinda place :)



Rainy mountains



Pool time with my sistah



Hugh Jass salad: lettuce, Craisins, strawbs, sliced almonds, raspberry vinaigrette

 


Peace out, USA!



Lawn Lake alluvial fan



Legit license plate purse

What is your favorite thing about vacations?




Weekend Update (and Smiling)

Hello blog buddies! Another weekend has come and I think it’s time for…Weekend Update!

No, not this Weekend Update! Though I really love SNL, it's probably my favorite TV show and the Stefan character in this Weekend Update edition is so hilarious!

My weekend has been busy so far, but really amazing. Last night, I went to the U2 concert! OMG, so amazing! I was somewhat of a fan of U2 before last night but the concert just blew me away. It was incredible! The venue where the concert was was huge, it's actually the stadium where the Denver Broncos play. Me and my mom were way up in the nosebleed section, so it was hard to see, but the concert was amazing anyway. I also enjoyed The Fray, who opened for U2. Since it was still light out, I got a few pictures of the giant screen where they showed the bands.



On the screen is Isaac Slade, lead singer of The Fray

 

The whole stadium was lit up just with cell phones and camera flashes, how cool is that :)

Other parts of the concert experience were...well...exciting, I guess! It was annoying because people kept getting up and leaving their seats to get drinks and food and go to the bathroom so it was really distracting. Also, it was really cold out! The light rail trip back to our car was an adventure, too. It took us forever to make the 10 minute walk back to the light rail station because thousands of people were all trying to leave at once. And then we had to wait for several light rail trains because so many people were trying to get on. Once we actually got on, it was packed to the gills with people! Oh, did I mention I had to stand for about 15 minutes in the light rail after standing up for over 2 hours...and it was 12:30 am?! I was really exhausted so I was really happy when people got off so my mom and I could sit down. And we were going to the last stop, so the ride was at least half an hour and it made a lot of stops! I think the light rail system is so cool, but last night it was ridiculous!

 

You're welcome for riding RTD ;)

Anyways, I've been awarded with the Smile, You Are Beautiful Award by the lovely Jess and the beautiful Bryana. Ever since I first saw this award, I've wanted to do it, so thanks for tagging me, ladies!

 

Here are the rules.

1. Smile!

2. Write 3 things you like about your looks.

3. Write 3 things you appreciate about your personality.

4. Write about something you find beautiful in other people (looks, personality – whatever)

5. Award as many  other people as you like and let them know!

Okay, let's do this!

1) Smile :) 
I love this mini backpack I got a few years ago, it makes me smile (and it has smileys on it, too!)

2) 3 Things I Like About My Looks

·         My face. I used to hate it because I have a young-looking face so people would always think I was a lot younger than I really am, but now I think it looks cute (is that too conceited?!)

·         My feet. Yes, this seems weird, but I like that they're small (size 6) and narrow so I can always find shoes in my size. The only problem is when I buy high heels that have an ankle strap, I always have to make extra holes because the straps are too big otherwise and I can't keep the shoes on!

• My arms. I used to hate them too and think they were "fat" and "huge" but now I know that it's muscle. People don't usually expect me to have biceps so when I show them, they're surprised! And I'm pretty good at arm-wrestling, too ;)

Even if it sounds vain, I like my face :)

3) 3 Things I Like About My Personality

·         I'm responsible. I always get my school work done on time, I try not to miss classes or appointments and I do chores at home without having to be asked a thousand times. I try to be as accountable as possible to people.

·         I'm a nice person. I don't try to get revenge on someone when they do something that upsets me. I'm polite and rarely say anything mean.

·         I'm funny. I like to joke around with people, be sarcastic and just laugh. I'm a little quiet at first but I'm totally comfortable cracking up and making funny comments with people I'm close with.

4) Something I Find Beautiful In Other People
I really hate it when people talk about other people behind their backs and it makes me feel awkward to be put in that position where somebody is saying something mean about somebody else to me, so I like people who are honest but nice and can share their problems openly without being mean.
5) Awarding People!
Since a lot of people have already been tagged, I'll tag just a few who I don't think have been tagged yet but if you have, sorry, and if you haven't, feel free to do this award!

Amy Lauren

Ashley

Lisa

Missy

I’ll leave you with one last pic of a yummy overnight oats combo I had yesterday: thick rolled oats mixed with water, organic apricot jelly and topped with a fresh apricot—yum! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, ladies!