Grad School Reflections, Summer Semester

It's crazy that I'm already 1/3 of the way through my masters degree at the University of Georgia. Just typing that gave me chills!

If you haven't read my "what's next" post that I published before I graduated, I am currently working towards earning a Master of Market Research degree at UGA. My program is a year long and is focused on preparing us to jump into the industry as soon as we graduate. I started in June, 3 weeks after graduating with my Bachelors (!!!!), and finished the first semester in July. My cohort took 10.5 credit hours in what ended up being about 6 weeks. I have never experienced a more hectic summer! I'm now a month into my fall semester and things are flying so I wanted to take the time to document my first semester.

// Change is HARD //

I experienced more changes in the course of a month than I had probably since moving to college four years ago, if not more. I moved, graduated (yes I moved before graduating), went home, came back, got settled, dealt with a whole host of apartment issues, and started school. While most people don't experience this much this quickly while transitioning to grad school, it's still a big change. I felt the most adult I ever had, but also like a scared freshman all over again. I'm "off the payroll" for the first time in my life and having to pay bills and manage finances, but I was (read as: still am) getting lost and turned around on campus. 

// Self care is ESSENTIAL // 

It's easy to get burned out in undergrad, but I experienced burn out so much faster during my first semester. Now this is in a large part due to the fact that I did not have much time to recover from the burnout of my last semester of undergrad, but no matter how long you have before starting, grad school is crazy demanding. There is always something you should be doing - reading, getting ahead, etc. I had to work really hard to prioritize taking care of myself, instead of trying to have it all together.

// It's OKAY to Ask for Help //

Asking for help has never, ever been something I have been good at. I'm fiercely independent and stubborn and hate looking weak or incompetent. What a combination right? 9 times out of 10 I will choose to suffer in silence just to prove to myself that I can. But that's not healthy or sustainable. This summer I hit a breaking point and finally asked for help. Whether it's in school or personal life, it's never easy. But it is so, so necessary. And I am very thankful that I got over myself in order to ask.

// Comparison Kills //

We've all heard that comparison is the thief of joy, but it's also a huge cause of unnecessary worry and stress. I have a very small cohort and everyone is brilliant and amazing. I very quickly fell down the rabbit hole of comparing myself to everyone else. So and so spent hours on this assignment and I didn't. I probably screwed it up and am going to get a bad grade. They present so well, I'm a terrible public speaker, this is going to be awful. They're also so qualified, I have no experience, what the heck am I doing here? These are a tiny sampling of the negative self talk I experienced this summer. In such a small group, comparison is a very easy trap to get into. I am still struggling with it, but have gotten a little better at realizing that I have my own strengths that others don't and they have strengths that I don't, and that's okay.

// Offer Assistance Whenever Possible //

This sort of builds on my last two points. Everyone needs help sometimes and we all have different strengths, so it's important to offer to help. I am very thankful for classmates who helped me before I realized I needed it and I have tried to return the favor for others. I am going into a very small industry, so the connections I form this year are going to be important for the rest of my career. Just as I want to be able to take help from others, I want to be able to offer it as well.

// Slow Mornings are Everything //

I got into a great morning routine over the summer, though I have fallen out of it some this fall. I would wake up and immediately open my Bible and devotional. It was such a great way to build my day on what is important. From there I would make my bed, make coffee and breakfast, and take my time getting ready. Starting off relaxed in the morning was so much better for me than when I was frantically running around like a crazy person during my last semester of undergrad.

These are a few things that I learned during my first semester of grad school, I hope you enjoyed reading them. I'm going to try to do a better job of keeping updates of grad school on here. Do you have any advice for surviving grad school or post grad? I'd love to hear it!

3 Years

Three years ago, I took a leap and did something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I launched this blog. I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew that I loved writing, found blogs fascinating, and there weren't many blogs that were realistic to the place I was at in life. All of that is still true. 

I've learned a lot along the way. Blogging is a lot more complicated than it looks. From graphic design, photography, website design, social media promotion, even just coming up with post ideas, there is a lot that goes into it. Honestly, all of that other stuff gets in my head and keeps me from doing what I originally set out to do - use my words to help other girls who didn't see someone that represented them online. 

A lot has changed in 3 years, I've been through the rest of my college career, figured out what I want to do, had some of the most trying times of my life, gotten into graduate school, graduated college, and so much more. My little corner of the internet has grown with me. It got a new look and has gotten close to 20,000 page views, which may be daily views for some people, but I find it really impressive. I have had the opportunity to work with some great brands and connected with other bloggers, like sweet Katie, who not only came to Clemson, but also became my sorority sister! 

I have been really conflicted on whether I want to keep my blog going in this next season of life. Seeing all these big time bloggers who started their blogs after I started mine or even other college bloggers with large followings can be disheartening. However, that's all part of this comparison game we play. Other people's success is not my failure. Their social media perfection is a highlight reel, just like mine is. So I'm really excited to keep this website going and figure out the direction I want to take it as I transition into grad school then adult life.

What's Next?

I graduate college in less than one month.

I'm sorry WHAT?!?!?!! I have no idea where the time has gone. I was hoping this semester would slow down, but it has turned out to be the fastest one yet. 

Over the past few months (years really), I have gotten the same question more times than I can count, the question that every graduating senior dreads: so, what's next?

It seems like from the time that we start thinking about college, we're meant to have a plan. Well meaning friends and family want to know where you want to go to college, then what you want to do after that - grad school, job. People so easily forget that they were once 21 without a plan. Even still, that question is wrapped up with so much shame and fear. At least it is for me and a lot of people I know. I think to explain this well, I have to give a little background about myself.

I went to an amazing private high school were I received a fantastic education. Due to the high standard of excellence of the school, most graduates are interested in Ivy Leagues or prestigious liberal arts colleges. When I chose to go to Clemson, most people had not heard of it and had no idea how great of a school it is. I also chose to major in psychology, because I've always been fascinated by how people think and behave. From the second I said that people assumed one of two things about me: 1) I am not that smart and wanted to major in something "easy" in college, or 2) even if I did well at my degree, it is a useless degree and I would have to pursue higher education in order to make a halfway decent living. 

It is a terrifying thing to be told at 18 that your degree is not going to be worth much. I have always placed a high value on my intelligence and education. Being told that my degree was useless made me feel useless. In order to change people's minds about the first part, I made up my mind that I was going to go to med school to become a psychiatrist. But that wasn't me, never was. I realized that, but still had no idea what was the right path for me. 

Fall of my junior year, I started to find it. I chose a business minor because of its practicality the year before, but last fall I took my first marketing class. My eyes opened to a whole new field, an intersection of psychology and business. I was hooked. In the spring, I took consumer behavior and my fascination continued to grow. My professor introduced me to the idea of pursuing a graduate degree in marketing research. 

I was hesitant to go down a completely different path than I set out on at 18. I didn't want to confirm the uselessness of my degree, but I could not deny how much I love this field. I drug my feet while applying because I doubted my capability, a product of the doubt I received from others in the past. Eventually, I got it together and nervously pressed submit on my application.

With shock, amazement, and glory to God, I will be pursuing a Master's of Market Research at the University of Georgia starting in June! This is my dream program and I am so excited for the next year. 

But guess what? After I get my master's, I don't know what's next.

Staying Organized for Midterms

Hi friends!!

We are in that CRAZY time of the semester where there is so much going on and spring break seems to still be forever away. As midterms come, I feel myself going a little bit crazy. Tests in every class, papers, assignments, social life, whatever else, it all seems to be SO much!

Today, I'm going to share with you how I've been managing to keep myself sane with help from Kahootie Co. If you've never heard of Kahootie, they make the absolute cutest planners and stationary products to help keep life on track. They were nice enough to send me their Two Category To Do List and y'all, it is a game changer!

I've talked about it a ton before, but I swear by the Simplified Planner because it has a daily to do list. I love that I can write down a million things every day and never run out of room. The only problem I run into is that I don't have a big weekly overview of all of the things I need to get accomplished this week. Enter Kahootie's Double To Do list.

For the past couple weeks, I take some time at the start of the week to just brain dump every single thing I need to accomplish or turn in during the week. I use the first column of the Double To Do list to write down all of my assignments, chores, and other random tasks to do this week. I use the second column to detail out bigger projects. For example, this week, I am going to an academic conference to present research. So I used the second to do list last week to list all of the things I needed to do before the conference. This week, I used the second to do list as a packing list for the conference.

Being able to see two lists at once really helps me stay organized for the week. I'm able to reference my longer list in order to plan each day and see what I still need to do. Having this big to do list would also be helpful to write out what's coming up next week, separating work and school, work and chores/errands, or so many other combinations. It can be really be whatever you need it to be and you can change it from page to page, which I think is awesome.

Kahootie has helped me better manage the chaos of all I’ve got going on. What do you do to stay on top of everything during midterms?

Formal Dresses Under $70

We are officially starting one of my favorite times of year - formal season! 

In college, all spring is filled with a variety of formals - sorority, fraternity, ROTC, other student organizations. Throughout college, I have averaged 2-3 formals each spring (my sorority, my boyfriend's fraternity, and his military ball). That's 12 formal dresses in 4 years! Now I have re-worn dresses a few times, which I highly recommend, but no one wants to wear the same dresses every year, especially if you're posting tons of pics - which you definitely should if you're getting all dressed up!

I am pretty good at finding awesome dresses at better prices, if I do say so myself. I have never spent more than $70 on a formal dress and have loved my dresses every year. Today, I'm rounding up some of my favorite affordable formal dresses and giving suggestions on other ways to save on a dress for your next fancy occasion - including the dress I bought (can you guess which one it is?).

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

Tips for Finding Cheap, Great Formal Dresses

 // Check online boutiques and flash sale websites //

Big online retailers or department stores tend to be more expensive. Online boutiques can have some really great prices, and they'll be more unique than the dresses that everyone else found at Nordstrom. Flash sale websites like Hautelook or Rue La La usually have amazing dresses for a fraction of their original price.

// ALWAYS check the sale section //

If you are looking at big online retailers, check the sale section! Some stores separate their sale and clearance items from their in season items. Search everywhere on the website - women's, juniors, sale, etc. You never know what you'll find.

// Consider the reviews //

I know some people who have had great luck with buying dresses on Amazon for formals. While this is great because free shipping and returns, Amazon quality can be risky. Also cheaper sites like Tobi, Romwe, and Shein can have iffy quality sometimes. Read through customer reviews to get an idea of quality, sizing, etc. This way you're more likely to get a dress that fits and looks great.

// Take your measurements before buying online //

This is something my mom taught me! Before I buy anything online, I always take my measurements - bust, waist, and hips. Then, I compare that to the size chart on the website. If you do this, it's a lot more likely that your dress will fit when it comes in, so you won't have to worry about returning it and rush shipping another dress.

// Consider renting a dress //

Rent the Runway has really pretty designer dresses, if that's what you're looking for. (Personally, that makes me a little nervous, because I wouldn't want something to happen to that dress and be on the hook for something expensive.) The Curtsy app allows you to rent from other girls on your college campus! The girls' also tend to rent their dresses for very cheap.

// Buy secondhand //

Poshmark, resale Facebook groups, or even from your friends. There are tons of options out there for buying previously worn formal dresses.

// Borrow dresses //

I borrowed a couple of my cousin's old bridesmaid dresses for formals. My sister has borrowed some of my dresses for her formal events. Ask around your sorority house or text your older sister and cousins to see if they have that gorgeous bridesmaid dress that they're never going to ~shorten and wear again (lol)~. Best part of borrowing dresses? They're free!

My Favorite Influencers

Hi friends!

I still can't believe we're over two weeks into the new year! It already feels like it's flying and I am so not ready for that! But back to the point, like most people, I see the new year as a time to be refreshed and get inspired. I also think it's really easy to fall into the trap of comparison and beat yourself up because your new year isn't as perfect or polished as everyone else's. That's why this year, I'm making a point to follow accounts and people that inspire and motivate me. 

These are some of my favorite accounts to follow. Some I've followed for years, others I've recently discovered, some are big time bloggers, others are boss ladies, all are great. 

Dani Austin || Dani is awesome! I've followed her on Instagram for a while, but only recently really started paying attention. Do you ever mindlessly scroll through insta and just double tap the pretty pictures without really reading the captions? I do! Well Dani is someone whose captions you'll want to pay attention to. She is so inspiring and down-to-earth. She's made it her mission to be authentic online, which I think these days is so rare! Dani is goofy and silly, but also has awesome style and so many great words of wisdom to share. She also fearlessly shares her faith, which I really admire.

Stephanie May Wilson || Stephanie is someone I've recently started to follow, and let me just say, I'm obsessed with her, like I want her to be my best friend or mentor. I first found out about Stephanie by seeing her book The Lipstick Gospel recommended on Instagram. The e-book is available for free on her website, so I highly recommend checking it out! After reading her book, I followed her on Instagram, listened to episodes of her podcast, and ordered her devotional and prayer journal. Totally normal. Stephanie is just so relatable! She comes from a place of understanding and encouragement, not judgement which I think isn't totally common when it comes to Christian books. Half the time, I think her words were written just for me. 

Krista Robertson || I don't think there is anyone who blogs who doesn't know who Krista of Covering the Bases is, or at least I hope not. What I really appreciate about Krista is that she's real. No offense to other bloggers, but so many of them are toothpick thin and always look absolutely perfect with their flawless makeup, eyelash extensions, and fabulous outfits. Krista isn't an XS, she posts her comfy outfits and gets on insta stories without a stitch of makeup, and I think she rocks! The other day, she shared on insta stories during her workout how posing can completely transform the look of someone's body. We seem to think that blogs are more real than magazines and aren't photoshopped, but posing can do just as much as photoshop. I love that Krista wasn't afraid to show the reality of this. I think there need to be more bloggers who are transparent online (noticing a trend?).

Emily Ley || I could sing the praises of Emily Ley all day long. I'm obsessed with her Simplified Planner and loved her book, Grace Not Perfection. I am so inspired by how she has built her business and the message she shares through her work. She's not selling the idea of a perfectly organized life equals happiness, rather that a little organization can help make room in your life for what matters most. Pretty powerful stuff. 

Kristen Shane || I've followed Kristen on Instagram for a while and recently started keeping up with her blog. My goodness does this girl have a lot of wisdom to share, she's also still in college. Her blog is more on the lifestyle side, but she mixes in a fair bit of fashion and faith as well. I loved her post on who God is calling her to be, it really resonated with me. She also shared a great post on improving blog photography. Kristen is also rocking her insta game. Definitely check her out!

These are some of my favorite people to follow online. I love discovering inspiring women online, who are some of your favorite people to follow?

Colorful 2018!

Hi friends! Welcome to a new year. 

I can't even wrap my head around the fact that this is the year I graduate from college and enter a new, undetermined chapter of my life. 2017 was a wild ride and if I'm being entirely honest, it just wasn't my year. I have some great memories from the year, but I didn't grow or change or do anything really big this past year.

But that will NOT be the case for 2018. I am so determined to make this a great year, because there is so much I want to do before I finish college and begin my next chapter. Lots of people have a "word" for each year and I have never done that before but I want to give it a try. I didn't really have any idea what I wanted my word to be - there are SO many different directions I could have taken my word considering how big this year is going to be. As I processed a few different ideas, one word kept coming to the forefront of my brain, and it didn't really make sense.

COLORFUL.

What? You're probably thinking, Ashley you're silly, colorful is not a word to live by for an entire year. That's what I kept thinking too. But it just kept coming back up. The more I thought about it though, the more it made sense. I want a colorful year, a colorful life!

Now colorful doesn't mean perfect, or pretty, or perfectly curated in order to share on Instagram. To me, colorful is messy and real, and just plain happy, joyful even. To say I want my life to be filled with color means I want it to be filled with new experiences and new, interesting people. I want to say yes to the things that make me smile and spend a lot of time laughing and enjoying this last bit of college. I want to make new friends, because you can never have too many. I want to pursue whatever it is that sets my soul on fire. I plan to really dive into areas of my life that I've been holding back on and figure out what's next. I plan to cherish and appreciate this last semester in my perfect college town and love the people that have been a part of my college journey. I could probably keep going about everything colorful means for me in 2018, but I think some things are better kept to oneself when it comes to dreams, goals, and resolutions.

Have you ever picked out a word for your year? I would love to hear it!

Happy New Year, may your 2018 be beautiful and COLORFUL!!!

Embracing The Curl

For as long as I can remember I have not liked my hair. I have very thick, very wavy/sometimes curly hair. It has a mind of its own and I've never really known what to do with it. I don't think I ever even did my hair until I got to junior high - the ages when everyone is unhappy with how they look. Everyone I knew had super long, very straight hair. Naturally, because my hair was a curly mess, I would go to town trying to get it pin straight with my hand-me-down flat iron. This trend stayed through high school. I had a short bob that did not work with my natural curl.

It wasn't until college that I started to embrace my hair more. Not because I stopped caring, but because South Carolina humidity is absolutely insane and there is little I can do to protect my hair from it. I'm always looking for products that will help me manage my hair. 

These three products have been my go-tos lately to keep my hair nice, clean, and curly.

My hair routine starts with shampooing. About a month ago, Maple Holistics reached out to me and offered to send me a bottle of their tea tree oil shampoo. I switched to natural skin care earlier this year, so I jumped at the chance to try a natural shampoo. I've been trying out the shampoo for the past few weeks and really love it. As you can see from one of my other favorite products, I use dry shampoo often between washes. This tea tree shampoo is one of the only things I've tried that really makes my hair feel clean and removes any product build up. 

I typically shower and wash my hair at night and go to bed with my hair damp. When I wake up, my hair is soo curly. I highly recommend this shampoo! Especially because it has a great price point. If you're interested, you can try product samples for free!

Can you even go through college without dry shampoo? I don't think so. Batiste has been my favorite brand for a while now. I typically switch scents every time I get a new bottle, but they all work the same in my opinion. My only problem is that because I have dark hair, some times the white powder is very hard to rub in.

This mousse is my newest product to manage my curls. On days where I do shower in the morning, I'll put a dollop of this mousse into my hair when it's damp then use the diffuser attachment for my hair dryer. The combination mimics how my hair drys naturally and I really like it.

What are some of your favorite hair products? Do you have anything that helps manage your hair, I would love to hear about it?

10 Under $30: Semi Formal Dresses

Happy Friday friends!!! I hope you have had a great week! It's been a long week for me, but I'm so excited because there are so many fun things coming up. This weekend is parent's weekend at Clemson and my parents and little brother will be here very soon! And then next week, my sorority is having our semi formal (the inspiration for this post!). 

Semi is always one of my favorite functions and I love finding a cute cocktail dress to wear for it. I always see fun dresses online, but often they're so expensive. Semi dresses aren't something I'll get a ton of wear out of, since I'm not going to wear a cocktail dress to class, so it's something I'd rather not spend very much money on. I spent some time this week rounding up a variety of dresses that would work for your semi formal or homecoming and not break the bank! 

green lace || black sequins || burgundy romper || black halter || blush pink

red bows || blue longsleeve || dark coral lace || black lace || red jumpsuit

I tried to find all different styles that could appeal to anyone. Clearly I favor jewel tones and black. And I love the idea of doing something unexpected like a romper or jumpsuit for semi. Even better, all these dresses are from Forever 21 and today they have free shipping on ALL orders! So go check out these dresses (or the tons of other ones they have) and find the perfect dress for your event!

A Little Guide: Gameday

My favorite season is finally here!!! No, not fall or PSL season. I'm talking about football season. I love football, and can do a pretty decent job of following the game too, if I do say so myself. After spending my junior high and high school years cheering on the sidelines every Thursday or Friday, the start of September always means the start of football and all the great things that come with it. 

My first football game at Clemson was my first time watching a game for a school I attend as a fan. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, considering all the fun and excitement that comes from being on the sidelines, but I quickly learned how great gamedays are as a student. However, gamedays do come with a new set of situations that you have to be prepared for, so today I'm giving you a full guide on everything you need to know about surviving college gamedays.

1 // The Outfit

Can you even tailgate if you don't have the perfect tailgate outfit? Not in my world. However, game day is not the time to bring out your favorite pieces. The perfect Lilly sundress that just happens to be in your school's colors? Leave it on the rack or in your closet. Brand new white converse? Save them for walking around campus. Any expensive jewelry? Just don't. Game days are long and hot, especially at the start of the season. You'll most likely be hopping from one tailgate to another. Wear something cool and comfortable that you don't mind getting carbonated beverages spilled on, because it will happen - even if you're not the person who spills it.

I'm a sundress and old cowboy boots type of girl when it comes to tailgate attire. This Old Navy dress  (sold out in orange) that I wore last week was perfect for a hot first gameday. Some girls are the jersey, shorts, and sneakers type. Or others are really into being trendy and roll up in school themed cut up t shirts or crop tops. Honestly it's all about whatever you're comfortable in. You will be wearing this all day so don't choose something that'll be uncomfortable before 2pm. 

2 // Plan Ahead

You think you can just roll out of bed, throw on your aforementioned perfect outfit and see where the wind takes you? Oh my dear friend, no. Game day takes planning. The day before you should work out with your friends where everyone is sitting at the game and where they are going to tailgate and what they plan to do after the game. Gamedays are so much more fun when you spend them with friends, so you don't want to wake up on gameday and realize all of your friends have plans already and you don't know where to go before the game starts. Failing to plan means planning to fail, just sayin.

3 // Day Of Preparation

I'm a big fan of getting up early-ish on game days (I mean come on GET UP IT'S GAMEDAY!!!!). You don't need to be up at 6am by any means, but it helps to get an earlier start to the day. If you sleep in, you'll have to rush to get ready, won't have time for breakfast and it'll just be a rough day. So give yourself plenty of time, have your coffee and a filling breakfast, then start getting ready for the day. It's important to remember that game days are an all day affair, prepare accordingly. The eyeliner that smudges down your face two hours in, ditch it. A complicated party pony with a million bobbie pins sticking in your head, no thank you. Go for makeup and hairstyles that will stay all day. Your instas from the stadium at 8pm will thank me. 

Also, the MOST important tip: WEAR SUNSCREEN!!!! Put it on before you leave whether it's a noon game or you're starting tailgating at 2pm. Take it from someone who made the rookie mistake of not wearing sunscreen to a noon game last week, wear it. Be prepared, bring some extra with you if you can.

4 // What to Bring

These days, every stadium has some kind of clear bag policy in effect. There are a few options you can take to deal with this situation.

a. Ditch bringing a bag altogether. Wear an outfit with pockets (this is essential if you're going with out a bag), get a sticky wallet for your phone to put your student ID, cards and cash in, and put any other essentials in your pockets. You will be limited on what you can bring with you to the game, but it's okay. Just don't be the girl asking everyone to hold her stuff for her.

b. Find a cute, but tiny purse that is compliant with the "no bigger than the size of your hand" policy. I have a tiny orange crossbody that I manage to fit everything I need for game day in.

c. Go with a bigger, but clear bag policy compliant bag to hold everything for your game day needs.

If you choose b or c, I recommend making sure to have sunglasses, an external phone charger, lipstick/lipgloss, your IDs, cards, cash, a hair tie (!!!!) and any other necessity items. If you went with a bigger clear bag, you can also bring sunscreen to reapply and any spirit items you may want - like a pom pom or towel, like Texas A&Ms 12th Man towels.

5 // Tailgating

Now we get to the best part of gameday, in my opinion, Tailgating. Now, not every school is intense about tailgates as Clemson, which is unfortunate. But here in the South, we love a good tailgate and for good reason. Spending the day leading up to the game with good friends and good food just makes it that much more fun. There are two types of tailgates you will encounter: the family tailgates and the fraternity tailgates. Go to both types to get the full game day experience - this goes back to point #2 of planning ahead. Family tailgates are essential because that is where you will most likely get fed. *Free* food is really nice. No one wants to spend $20 at the stadium for a hotdog, so find a family tailgate to hang out at - yours or a friend's - and be fed. It's also really nice to talk to people who aren't college students sometimes and you may meet some cool alums. Last week at my big's parents' tailgate, we met a bunch of Clemson Theta alums! It was so much fun to hear their stories of our chapter 30 years ago.

But make sure you leave time for fraternity tailgates. The frat tailgate scene isn't everyone's thing, I highly recommend checking them out at some point in your college career. There will be a lot of people and a lot of cheap beer (if you're 21), but there's a camaraderie to it. You're surrounded by tons of people who are excited about life and football and your school. It's an energy like no other. And a great way to meet people since you already have an easy conversation starter.

6 // THE GAME

Obviously, the most important part of gameday is the game. Do not be one of those people who doesn't make it to the game. At schools like Clemson, not every student gets a ticket so it's really not cool if someone who has a ticket doesn't use it when there are literally thousands of people who would love to be there. Go to the game. And when you're at the game, be engaged with it, even if you don't know anything about football. Chances are someone around you would be willing to explain what's going on if you ask. Football games are the best way to experience the spirit of the school and they're so much more fun when you get really into it. Take part in the traditions, yell with the crowd, makes friends with the people around you. It's all part of the experience. Also, stay at the game. At Clemson there tends to be a mass exodus at halftime, especially if we're winning by a lot, which happens a good bit *insert hair flip.* But this goes back to the thousands of people who wanted a ticket. You're lucky enough to have one, support your team the whole way through. The tailgates will still be there when the game is over.

Finally, make sure to tailgate and celebrate responsibly!

So I think that is absolutely everything I have to say about game day, for now. What are your ingredients for the perfect game day?

Galveston Island Travel Guide

My family and I spent last week in Galveston, Texas. It was my first time on Galveston Island, and I really enjoyed the trip. We were only there for about three full days, but managed to fit a lot in that time. Today I'm sharing some of the highlights of our trip, including where to stay, eat, and what to do while you're there.

|| Where To Stay ||

There are plenty of hotels along the seawall, but because of frequent hurricanes there aren't any hotels or houses on the beach. We stayed in an AirBnB and I would highly recommend going that route. Our house was only a couple blocks from the beach and it was an easy walk each day. We also had a kitchen and plenty of space for the six of us, which would not have been the case in a hotel. It was all decorated in blue, beachy decor which I appreciated, I wish I had gotten pictures.

|| Where to Eat ||

The Spot : Located along the seawall, The Spot is a fun place to grab dinner or drinks. Made up of five locations in one, there are plenty of choices for everyone. The food was really good, I would recommend trying one of their burgers and my mom loved the shrimp tacos. It's definitely a touristy place, but I enjoyed it. Their variety of bars and cocktails also made it a fun place to order my first drink as a 21 year old.

Gaido's : Another restaurant along the seawall, Gaido's is a Galveston institution. Their specialty was more upscale seafood. Our waiter was extremely knowledgable and offered lots of suggestions about the various menu items. I had soft shell crab, which wasn't my favorite because I didn't realize it came fried, but it was good. They also do non-seafood well too, my sister enjoyed their pork chop.

Black Pearl : More of a bar, the Black Pearl is a small seafood place in The Strand area of town. Embracing Galveston's Mardi Gras celebrations, Black Pearl offered cajun items in addition to seafood. I had the crab cakes and they were very good, but as a main menu item, I was disappointed that they didn't come with anything in addition to the cakes and still felt hungry after I finished my dinner. The food was good and we liked it, but it's not a must eat in my opinion.

Mosquito Cafe : This was by far my favorite place I ate in Galveston. My mom and I went for lunch one day and loved it. The Mosquito Cafe is located in between some of Galveston's beautiful historic homes and they specialize in lunch food, but are open for breakfast and dinner also. It was a busy lunch spot, but the staff were extremely kind and dealt with the chaos very well. My mom and I both tried one of their lunch special that day, I had the southwestern wrap and my mom had fish with fresh mango salsa, and both came with sides. After lunch, we stopped by Mosquito Cafe's sister bakery, Patty Cakes, across the street. Their lemon bombs are delicious, but very sweet.

|| What To Do ||

Go to the beach : This is obvious of course, but we enjoyed our time on the Galveston beach. We were on the east end of the island and it was relatively empty during our late morning trips.

Pleasure Pier : Galveston's Historic Pleasure Pier is a lot like any pier in any beach town, but we had fun going to it. My younger brother and I got ride all day ride pass, where as the rest of our family just did the regular walk on pass. My brother and I had a great time trying out the different rides along the pier, but be warned they're only a few steps up from your average carnival rides. My favorite was the Texas Sky Flier that went 200 feet up above the pier. I would recommend going to the pier at night when it's cooler and you can't see the ocean below you while you're going on the rides.

The Strand : The Strand is Galveston's main shopping area and it's filled with lots of touristy type shops. We spent an afternoon walking around and going into the shops. It's not a must do, in my opinion. But I would recommend stopping into La King's Confectionary for some ice cream, so good!

Tree Sculpture Tour : This is a very uniquely Galveston thing. Following Hurricane Ike in 2008, artists came to Galveston and carved beautiful sculptures out of some of the destroyed trees in the city. There's even a map you can get that tells you where to see them. Some are more visible than others, but they're really fun to see. If you're there when it's a little cooler out, you could get out and walk around the neighborhoods, but since it was pretty hot we decided to stay in the car and drive up and down the streets to see the sculptures.

House Shop : Instead of window shopping, house shop! There is no shortage of gorgeous old homes in Galveston. My mom and I loved looking at all the colorful houses and picking out our favorite ones. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, a lot of these houses are in the same area as the tree sculptures so you can check both out at the same time!

Tour Moody Mansion : The Moody Mansion was once owned by the Moody family, one of the 10 wealthiest families in America. The daughter of Mr. Moody set up a foundation to keep the house running as a museum and it is beautiful! As part of the admission to the house, you are given a small audio device and each room has a recording to listen to that explains the purpose of the room, decor, and even stories from living Moody family members. It reminded me a bit of The Biltmore in Asheville, NC (but smaller) since they were built around the same time. Through the tour we learned a lot about the history of Galveston Island and the Moody family. There is another historic home called the Bishop's Palace in Galveston, but I would recommend the Moody Mansion over it if you only have time for one.

My first trip to Galveston was really nice, we managed to fit a lot in a few days, and I would like to go back again some time. Have you been to Galveston? What did you enjoy doing there?

July Highlights! (And Birthday Post)

I sound like such a broken record, but when the heck did it get to be August?!!!! I leave for Tigertown a week from tomorrow. As always, I'm recapping my month, but with a little twist because I'm also including what I intended to post on my birthday last week (oops).

|| TURNING 21 ||

 So this was definitely the biggest thing to happen this month, even if it did just happen at the end. I'm finally 21! I've always been the baby of all of my friends, so I feel like I'm finally caught up with the big kids. I celebrated my birthday at the beach with my family on the day, then my first barhopping experience with my best friends this past weekend. It was so much fun, especially going out with my friends since we will all be in different places this year.

|| READING ||

At the end of June, I finally got myself together and went to the new public library in my town to renew my library card and check out some books. Since then, I've been reading a ton! This month alone, I read American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield, The Last Anniversary and The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton, and Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Our library has an app where you can check out e-books, so that's how I read Red Queen while I was on vacation - look into whether your library offers something similar. I liked everything I read, but Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter was a definite favorite - check out the recommendation from Nell on Prep in Your Step. I also love a good Young Adult series, so Red Queen was another favorite - it has a lot of twists and turns and wasn't what I expected, I'm itching to start the next in the series.

|| STATS ||

Y'all! The craziest thing happened about two weeks ago, I had a blog post take off on Pinterest. Like over 1,000 views on that post alone. To some people that may seem like nothing, but it's HUGE to me. And I hit a huge goal of mine with the help of that post and reached over 10,000 total views! I'm super close to 11,000 so feel free to share with your friends and family! Also, don't forget to follow me on social media (did you notice my fancy new social buttons in the sidebar? Check em out ;)

Now for the second part of this post, I intended to put it up on my birthday, but I was enjoying vacation. So better late than never, here are 21 facts about me.

1. I am the third of four siblings. My mom calls me her "well adjusted middle child," but I'm not entirely sure what that means.

2. I don't have a good reason for why I chose the college I did. Clemson just felt right in the end, so I acted on my gut feeling and haven't looked back.

 3. Texas country music is the best music in the world and what I will choose to listen to above all else. (if you like country and are looking for something new, check out Aaron Watson, Casey Donahew, or Josh Abbott Band, they're my faves).

4. When I was in the fourth grade, I modeled in a magazine called Discovery Girls. Each month they chose a state and chose girls from that state to feature. We all met in Houston and got to spend a weekend shooting for the magazine, luckily those photos do no still exist online.

5. If I could live anywhere (besides TX, of course), I would live in Savannah, Georgia. It's the prettiest city I've ever been to. 

6. I would love to adopt a child one day.

7. I'm extremely type A, but also a major procrastinator. I have a perfectly color coded agenda, but wait until the last second to cross of those to-dos.

8. If I had to read one book for the rest of my life, it would be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the third). It's my favorite of the series, but I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd in general.

9. I would have been born on my grandma's birthday if it wasn't for Gloria Estafan. The doctor had tickets to her show on July 23rd and didn't want to miss it if I took too long.

10. I had my first job at 14 bussing tables at restaurant on the lake nearby.

11. I started this blog with the intention of it being a fashion blog, because I was so frustrated by other bloggers' opinion about what is "reasonably priced." I hope to eventually reach that goal.

12. While I went into college wanting to becoming a psychiatrist, I now plan to go into marketing research, but I never changed my major from psychology.

13. For the majority of my life, I was a cheerleader - either through competitive teams or school. I was even captain of my high school team my junior and senior years.

14. You've probably read about him on here before, but I have a wonderfully sweet boyfriend that I will have been dating for 3 years this November.

15. The most perfect meal, in my opinion, is a grilled cheese and tomato basil soup.

16. While I have grown to appreciate neutral colored clothing as I've gotten older, 9 times out of 10 I will choose to wear something bright colored over a neutral.

17. I have an obsession with all things pineapple - I love the fruit, but mostly my obsession is with pineapple decor or embellishments. I'm not sure where it came from but I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon. I got a lamp with sequined pineapples on the shade (for my apartment) for my birthday.

18. I have an irrational nervousness (I wouldn't call it a fear) of people overhearing me talk on the phone. I won't have a long conversation with someone on the phone if there is someone else who may overhear, it feels like an invasion of privacy.

19. I'm extraordinarily fair skinned. It seems almost impossible for me to tan. I used to hate it, but it's grown on me as I've gotten older. If only I could find foundation the right shade.

20. I rarely go a day without wearing makeup, but only because I really enjoy applying makeup and it's a relaxing part of my morning routine.

21. I'm extremely introverted and shy to start off with, but once I get to know someone I can chatter on forever.

So there you have it. Some of the highlights of my July and 21 facts about me! What were some of the favorite parts of your month?

5 Tips for Having a Job in College

Going into college, my parents told me (and my siblings when they started) that we did not have to have a job while we were in school, our job was to be students and to work hard in our classes. I am very fortunate to not have to work through school, but I started an on campus job this past year and I highly recommend to anyone. Here's what you need to know about having a job in college.

I'll start off by explaining a little bit about my job and why I started working. About a year ago, I got an email saying I was eligible to apply to be a tutor with athletic academic services. I had considered having a job in college, but didn't want something that would be too stressful on my schedule. The email advertised that it was flexible hours and we could work around our schedules while being paid above minimum wage, so it sounded like a great deal to me. I applied, had a skype interview, and was hired on before I got back to school in the fall. I spent both semesters junior year working as a tutor to student athletes and I loved it. There are definitely trying times, but I really enjoyed working with these athletes and getting to know them, while helping them understand their particular subject. There are a lot of specifics related to my job that I won't get into, but I have had a great experience as a tutor and highly recommend it to anyone. Of course there a ton of different jobs you can have in college so here are my tips and advice so that having a job can be the most beneficial experience for you.

| Find a job you're interested in |

Now there are a ton of on and off campus jobs around any university, but they are not all created equally. If you can, find a job that works with your career plans. My best friend is an elementary education major and spent the past two years as a preschool teacher aide. My boyfriend works an engineering internship part time during the school year. There are tons of opportunities out there that will add to your career experience and make you excited to go to work. While I don't have plans to do any sort of teaching in the future, I liked the idea of working with fellow students and helping them. If you're not interested or excited about your job, you're going to dread going and it'll just be more of a strain on your schedule.

| Make sure they'll work with your schedule |

This is essential. As a college student, you are a student first and foremost. That's something that my boss reminds us of continually, our classes and well being come first. If you're having to duck out of class early or stay up all night to study because of your work schedule, consider finding something else or talking to your boss. You and your school work are more important than a job. If it's adding too much stress to work so many hours, talk to your boss about scaling back.

| Look into on campus opportunities |

I don't know about every school, but Clemson has a million on campus part time jobs or internships. It's worth looking into. I have friends that work in the dean's office, do research internships, tutor in the academic support center, work at the campus Starbucks (don't necessarily recommend this one though), and numerous other campus jobs. Being able to duck into work before, after, or between classes is so much easier when the job is on campus. I would regularly have tutoring sessions during a class break or before classes in the morning. It helped me stay on top of my work and be more productive during the day.

| Talk to your boss |

This one applies more once you have a job, but it doesn't hurt to be very transparent during your interview. I remember my coordinator asked during my interview if I had any questions and I did. There are lots of rumors about working with athletes and how much we're supposed to help them get through classes so I was nervous about what would be expected of me and she explained how important academic integrity is and that I would never be asked to compromise my integrity, and if I ever felt as if I was being put in such a situation to come tell her immediately. Through that conversation, she made me feel so much more comfortable about doing the job. Another great thing my boss does (honestly I could sing her praises forever, she's the best) is end of semester check ins where she meets with all the tutors to do a performance review and see how we feel. During this meeting in the fall, I discussed how many hours I was working and that it was pretty stressful and she encouraged me to take on fewer hours in the spring. Your boss isn't going to know if you're stressed or having issues if you don't tell them. Chances are there are other students working there and they will totally understand.

| Don't forfeit your social life |

I was majorly guilty of this in the fall. I worked usually 15 hours per week, mostly at night, so I was at the tutor center 5 nights a week, usually until 9 or 10pm. Since I was mostly working at night, I could get all my school work done during the day, but I sacrificed a lot of time with my friends and boyfriend. Working those hours made it almost impossible to get dinner in general, let alone with friends, and by the time I got off at 10pm, I would be too tired to go or stay very long at sorority events on week nights. Like I've said, make sure you're putting yourself before your job. While college is meant for higher education, the social aspects are huge and you don't want to miss out on anything because of your work schedule. This spring I had a class until 6pm twice a week so I put down that I wouldn't work those nights, this majorly helped with my work-life-school balance.

So those are my tips for having a job in college! Do you have any expert advice to share? I would love to hear it in the comments.

Changing Perspective

Hey there, sweet friend!

Lately, I've had a lot of thoughts running through my head about this blogging world, followers, comparison, motivation (or the lack thereof), but I couldn't seem to get them all straight until I was thinking about these topics again while in the shower - the birthplace of all major breakthroughs right? And it all clicked, so here is what I realized.

So let's start off, coming off of this holiday weekend there is something we are all so guilty of, and no I don't mean indulging in one too many patriotic treats, I mean comparison. At any point in the past few days, did you scroll through some form of social media and think "wow! Look at that vacation they're on, I've never even heard of that place, I wish I could be somewhere like that," what about "oh...they're all at that party together, I wasn't invited to the party, they must not like me very much."  I can guarantee you that I had some very similar thoughts, and I absolutely love the way my family spends the Fourth of July every year. Comparison is at the root of these thoughts, and we all know that comparison is the thief of all joy. Want to know why?

These thoughts of comparison, of not being good enough, of not being wanted, are not thoughts from God. They are thoughts planted by a very real enemy that we face every single day. This is what clicked for me in the shower. It might not seem very groundbreaking, but man that realization just about rocked my world. The enemy uses comparison to make you feel less than, unloved, unwanted. But sweet girl, that is not true!!!! I can't even stress that enough. You are so incredibly loved by a man who loved you so much He was willing to die so that you may live. That's some pretty incredible love. And don't you think it would break His heart that some pictures on social media are enough to make you forget you are made perfect in His image? It breaks my heart, and I'm guilty of having those thoughts so often.

It's hard to not fall into this trap of comparison when it is constantly pushing on us, like I said, this is a battle we have to fight each and every day, especially in this digital age, and especially if you're like me and have decided to immerse yourself further in the digital world by creating a blog, social media accounts for said blog, and following other blogs. I'm just kind of asking to be crushed by the weight of comparison, aren't I? But even if you're not neck deep in digital media, you face this every day too. Whether you're comparing yourself to some celebrity, a blogger you admire, your sorority sister, or your best friend's cousin's girlfriend that you secretly creep on Instagram because she seems so perfect (don't even pretend like you haven't done this, we've all been there), comparison is comparison and it hurts no matter what. But it only hurts if we let it hurt us.

At youth camp one year, the camp pastor talked about seeing people through "Jesus Goggles" - meaning we need to love others and see the positives in them even if others can't, the same way Jesus did when he encountered those that usually wouldn't be treated very well. I think we need to put our Jesus Goggles on when we get on social media, because it's all about perspective. Instead of being jealous that your sorority sister spent the summer jet-setting around Europe with her study abroad program, think of how amazing of an experience she's having and make a mental note - or even a real note - to ask her about it when you see her at your recruitment workshop because she probably has some cool stories and she's going to think it's really special that you made a point to ask about her trip. Or instead of getting upset when you see how many more followers another blogger has than you and that you must not be doing something right with your social media, think "wow! It's so amazing that she has such a large platform to share God's love" - this is what I've started to think when I start to envy bloggers like Kate, Rachel, Katey, or Dani, they truly let His love shine through their platforms. Can you even imagine how wonderful and positive social media would be if we approached it with our Jesus Goggles on?  

We get so wrapped up in numbers of followers, hits, and page views, and comparing our numbers to someone else that we forget to appreciate those we do have. Someone I follow tweeted that she could get upset that she has 57 followers, a small number when compared to others who have thousands or millions, but instead she was so excited by the 57 people that care about what she has to say. Wow! Talk about amazing perspective, that's what got the wheels turning on this whole post. After reading those tweets I realized how unappreciative I am. I have over 400 twitter followers, and this week I hit a major milestone of 9000 views of this blog. Now I don't give these stats to brag, but to help you understand the perspective I had. Because I saw those numbers and to me they weren't good enough, weren't high enough. I bet you can guess why by now, comparison. (I can honestly keep beating this drum all day because it's just that true and prevalent) Instead of being frustrated that I don't have thousands of followers, I should be thankful that there are 400 people that care about what I have to say, that may even find me entertaining. 400 people that I have the ability to minister to EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. All because they follow me on social media. And 9000 page views? That's 9000 times I could've shared the love of Christ with someone. That's huge! HUGE! But the massiveness of those numbers and the platform I have created for myself where I can speak truth and light into the world is entirely lost on me, because of the seeds of comparison that have been planted by the enemy.

Well no more, my dear - at least that's the end goal, this is a major life perspective to change over night, it's going to take work. But if you have read through all of my late night ramblings about a not so radical thought that popped into my head, I want to take this opportunity to thank you. Thank you so much for reading my words and caring what I have to say. This comparison trap is a dangerous thing and I truly pray that you're not falling victim to it, but if you are feel free to email me (alittleashley18@gmail.com) and we can chat about it. After all, if we're not spending all of our time comparing ourselves, we can invest that time in building a strong community. 

Just remember, you are so incredibly loved, by our Savior and by this crazy girl in Texas with a laptop who is tired of girls telling ourselves that we are not good enough, because you are more than enough.