Bright Lights, Big Dreams

I'm Leaving....! But you can find me at.........

2010-05-06T04:22:00.001-07:00

Blogger has been fun, but you can now visit my blog on Tumblr!

Byeeee Blogger!

2010-05-05T23:33:00.000-07:00

2010-05-05T23:11:00.001-07:00

2010-05-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

NEW OBSESSION: BLIK.

You are probably wondering what on earth I am on about....Well, during my boring days at work I trail through the internet for design ideas to jazz up my bland cream walled bedroom, with my jewellery sprawled out on every surface thats visible, shoe boxes piled high, and handbags dotted around because I have no closet space for them! It doesn't exactly sound idylic does it. I fantasise about coming home to this amazing space which entices me to want to spend time in it. Its about time I had a revamp, and pronto.
Let's be honest, I don't trust myself with a paintbrush so I figured i'd use some kind of wall art. Thats when I stumbled upon Blik. Effective yet so simple even I could do it! I love it. This isn't going to change the fact that I have no space for anything, but it will make it look prettier! We can just call it organised chaos for now.
Here are some of my faves!

Bedroom Inspiration

2010-05-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love these simple ideas! I think I am going to steal them for my own room! Yes I am.

What camera do I buy?? Decisions Decisions!!

2010-04-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

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I ♥ Style

2010-04-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

A Fabulous Life

2010-04-29T01:45:00.000-07:00

Everything Fabulous

2010-04-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

2010-04-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

Silently Screaming

2010-04-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

The writers block has conveniently ceased whilst I'm standing on a crowded train and I suddenly have a thousand thoughts passing through my mind. Rummaging through my giant handbag to find my Blackberry, I start to compose an email to myself just so I can get a few things down. If my head was a typewriter there would be paper sprawling out my ears.

As I look around at everyone, nothing new, the same faces that don't smile, the same people you see every morning but yet you don't even acknowledge one another. The same people going about their daily routine. Its tedious. Boring. Lifeless. We are all suits. I look around and wonder what everyone is thinking, take guesses on what job they do, watch the same woman every morning put on her mascara with precision, why is it that I can't help but stare? People fascinate me. On a rush hour morning train, the word 'originality' really does dwindle. More suits. I am no different. Must comply with 'office etiquette', ugh this is not my idea of living. I suppose I could dress a little smarter for the office but I don't, I don't want to blend in. But yet I don't like the attention it draws either.

There are so many avenues that I have thought about exploring. I have had quite the interesting career path. From Event Coordinator, to PA, to trying my luck at Stock Broking! When you were young and someone asked you want you wanted to be when you grow up, how could we possibly even think about answering that question?! I'm still trying to figure it out!
What they don't tell you is that whatever you decide to be, it’s the deciding that's the easy part, achieving it is the hard part. It’s been quite the journey so far! When it’s been good, it’s been amazing, when it’s been bad, I like to call it an experience.
If you are grateful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you’ll never, ever have enough.
The rollercoaster continues…. So watch this space.

2010-04-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

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2010-04-22T01:00:00.001-07:00

Dont mind if I do....!

2010-04-22T00:59:00.001-07:00

2010-04-22T00:57:00.001-07:00

Perfection doesn't exist....

2010-04-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

Part of the plan?

2010-04-20T23:50:00.001-07:00

What if he was meant to be, or could have been, someone important in my life? I think that’s what scares me: the randomness of everything. That the people who could be important to you might just pass you by. Or you pass them by. How do you know....? How do you know when to take a chance? I guess that’s why it’s called a chance, you don’t. You just need to know whether it’s worth it or not.

2010-04-19T23:11:00.001-07:00

2010-04-19T23:05:00.001-07:00

Lets be extraordinary together...

What are they listening to?

2010-04-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

James Dean, 1955. Dennis Stock / Magnum Photos.

Muhammad Ali, 1966. Thomas Hoepker / Magnum Photos

2010-04-15T08:58:00.001-07:00

“As we drive along this road called life, occasionally a gal will find herself a little lost. And when that happens, I guess she has to let go of the coulda, shoulda, woulda, buckle up and just keep going.”

-Sarah Jessica Parker (sex and the city)

Spring is such a beautiful season

2010-04-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

2010-04-15T04:33:00.000-07:00

I am going to take up photography........... New plan as of now.

Mulburry Alexa

2010-04-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

This bag is just all kinds of sex....... Sex your can carry around your stuff in. I want it.

2010-04-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

This photo makes me feel all fuzzy inside, a little slice of my idea of heaven, surrounded by books, a glass of red wine, and a candle. Let the outside world slip away.......

2010-04-12T03:08:00.001-07:00

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2010-04-09T07:05:00.001-07:00

"Sometimes we put up walls. Not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to knock them down."

2010-04-08T03:37:00.000-07:00

2010-04-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

Acceptable methods of office communication:

IM
Phone
Email
~~IM to ask if I got an email~~
~~Call to see if I saw the IM you sent me about the email~~
~~Come to my desk to let me know you’ve IMed me about an email~~
~~Numbers 4-6 in a row~~
Carrier Pigeon

Diamonds AND shoes..... Swooon!

2010-04-06T13:50:00.001-07:00

For You...

2010-03-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

I still remember that night as if it were last night.

The first night you saw me undress, you still tell me the image is engraved in your mind, the glow of the street lights framing my silhouette while I changed out of my clothes. The first night I slipped under the covers with you. The first night we were spending together. The room was dark; I felt self conscious around your perfect form, feeling inadequate next to you.
We were in New York City - the city that never sleeps. And we were not sleeping.
You didn't know it at that time, but I was so nervous. I felt like my heart was about to leap out of my chest. In one smooth motion, you took me into your arms. You gazed down at me as I anxiously looked up at you.

I caught my breath and held it for what seemed like an eternity. And then you leaned down and kissed me softly and just held me for the whole night. I couldn’t stop smiling.
I wasn't even sure if I loved you yet. But at that moment, I knew you were different. You weren't like the other guys. You didn't rush me or make me feel bad for pushing you away. You were patient. You patiently waited for me until I was ready. Ready in every way to have you in my life. I told you I was scared and that I needed to feel safe, you told me that one day you will be the one that makes me feel safe.
You were something. But sometimes we lose track of what that something really is. You taught me how to look through others eyes, and for that I am thankful. Your thoughts fascinated me. But we were too different, wanted different things, lost track of our own lives.
Looking back, the best thing we did was let eachother go. Now look at us. I still smile.

Places I wouldn't mind waking up....

2010-03-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

2010-03-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

The Bucket List

2010-03-22T02:31:00.000-07:00

Guanabara Bay & Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro

Sunrise At Machu Picchu Peru

Neuschwanstein Castle, Royal Palace in the Bavarian Alps of Germany

Feminine, Floral, Flirty and Floaty!

2010-03-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

The thought of the official start of spring almost upon us Northern Hemisphere fashionistas is more than pleasing to say the least! Although it does bring a rather shocking realisation that as those hemlines are getting shorter than the average mini, I should probably make use of that gym membership I so begrudgingly pay for!
The return of hot pants, boy shorts and thigh high dress splits will be gracing our streets with a vengeance! Feminine, floaty, floral, and innocently chic! But if bold prints and floral patterns aren’t your thing this season, there is no need to panic! There is a sexy tom boy in all of us! Boyfriend blazers, ripped jeans and dishevelled denim, are still the epitome of cool this spring! Why not add a feminine accessory like a bowed hair band or layered necklace to soften your boyfriend look.

For the ultimately fearless fashionista; the military trend is getting bigger and better! Studded belts, gladiator sandals, and jewellery to match, coupled with soft fabrics is certainly one way to get noticed!

Aswell as bright floral patterns, and bold statement pieces, barely there nudes, champagnes, beiges and greys are all equally chic as we approach the brighter months!

"Perfectly Lonely"

2010-03-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I may not be happy, but I am content in my own company. Nothing but silence in an empty flat, the warm hazy weariness of the hectic Monday that has just passed, turns into a blur and I wonder how I got through the day without coffee.

Contemplating whether to pick up the book that lays beside my bed, but my eyes just won't focus on the words. My mind is empty yet nothing seems to hold my attention. I feel like writing. But my thoughts have no meaning.

I think I need some sleep.

Wardrobe Envy

2010-03-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

My NYC blues continue.... Not long now!!

2010-03-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

Hello Spring!

2010-03-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

2010-03-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

LFW 2010 Highlights: Source, The Daily

2010-02-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

Alexander McQueen

Erdem

Antonio Berardi

Fendi SS 10'

No Giving Up

2010-02-19T00:41:00.000-08:00

When you go after something, have your mind set and begin to chase your dream, it can get taken away from you as soon as you hear the word ‘No’. Don’t let one person dishearten you. Your fate is not down to anyone else and no one can take it away. I learnt that yesterday. But it hasn’t made me give up. In fact, its made me work harder to prove I can do it my way. Its choice, not chance that determines your destiny.

“Acceptance is not submission: It is acknowledgement of the facts of the situation. Then deciding what you are going to do about it.”

Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything. Except what you are going to do now and do it. I am.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

2010-02-11T07:40:00.001-08:00

2010-02-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." - Audrey Hepburn

2010-02-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Fly Away With Me

2010-02-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Hide Away

2010-02-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

Everything Fabulous

2010-02-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

2010-02-09T09:41:00.001-08:00

The Perfect Space: By London's Designers

2010-02-04T04:18:00.000-08:00

The Guardian Newspaper have been running an ongoing series called 'My Space' highlighting fabulous rooms and spaces, in homes of some of the most respected artists and designers.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Lulu Guinness

Erdem

Alice Temperley

2010-02-03T03:10:00.000-08:00

“Love at first sight? I absolutely believe in it! You’ve got to keep the faith. Who doesn’t like the idea that you could see someone tomorrow and she could be the love of your life? It’s very romantic.”

— Leonardo DiCaprio

2010-02-02T00:50:00.000-08:00

Tell me this really exists?! I need this in my life!

New York Buzz

2010-02-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

Paris Je T'aime

2010-02-01T03:05:00.000-08:00

"Books May Well Be The Only True Magic" - Alice Hoffman

2010-02-01T02:55:00.000-08:00

The Very Least

2010-01-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

Do we always expect too much and get given the very least? Or is it that the very least is actually enough? A shoulder to rest on, or a hand to hold.... its those tiny gestures that can draw a smile from your lips, through your cheeks and up into your eyes.

If there is anything I have learnt over this past year, its that not to be afraid of the responsibility that comes with caring for other people. What we do for love: those things endure. Even if the people you do them for don't. Be selfless and kind, because there is no greater feeling than the one of knowing you are doing all you can.

Don't live your life through the presence of your dreams, go out there and make them reality. We spend too much time running from our dreams instead of chasing them, and settling for following the path of others expectations.

Life has thrown me some pretty tough obstacles lately, and I have found myself overwhelmed by a reality that I wasn't ready for, all too soon. But its not a matter of whether you feel it, or how you hide it, its how you manage it that matters. A hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on is the very least but it can mean the world, and it is, enough.

2010-01-26T04:49:00.001-08:00

2010-01-26T04:48:00.001-08:00

Le Love ♥

2010-01-26T04:41:00.000-08:00

Its no secret......

2010-01-26T04:31:00.000-08:00

That I am absolutely mesmorised by New York. Here are a few reasons why; from a farmers market in Union Square, to a cup of MUD and window shopping on 9th, right through to the Upper West Side. Central Park to Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge to the top of the Empire State Building.You get the idea..!

Rules To Live By!

2010-01-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER , SO LIVE IT UP, DRINK IT DOWN, LAUGHT IT OFF, AVOID THE BULLSHITS, TAKE CHANCES, NEVER HAVE REGRETS BECAUSE AT ONE POINT EVERYTHING YOU DID WAS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO.

Chubby Doesn't Get Much Better!

2010-01-13T13:53:00.001-08:00

2010-01-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they’ve all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe" NEIL GAIMAN

The Fragile Mind...

2010-01-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

She's the girl...

2010-01-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

"She's the girl that believes what comes around goes around.
The one that hopes for a better day. The one that won't give up on you.
She's the girl thats unlike the rest. The one that spent her days smiling and her nights crying.
She's the girl that would love to be loved.
The one that looks so damn strong but feels so weak.
She's the girl that picks herself up everytime she falls".

Snow day... with a sprinkling of fairy dust!

2010-01-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

Thats What Friends Are For....

2010-01-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

Its 10:45pm and I finally have a minutes peace to recap on the year thats just past, and boy has it been a tough year! I won't be sorry to see the back of 2009!
But I have learnt one thing from it, or should I say 'been reminded' that nothing beats having amazing friends in your life, because with the help of them, you can get through anything. I really do have the best group of people around me that there is. (They even supported me when I told them they would have to put up with more of my rambling rubbish, because I was starting a blog!! So you can thank them later...!)
Something tells me that my group of friends are a rare breed. Most of us have all been friends since the days of bad fringes, missing front teeth, and lest us not forget the days that our Mum's dressed us in 'Culottes' yes thats right, those ghastly 'dresses' that were actually shorts in disguise?! What the...?!
We've all been there through first kisses to first love, first bra's to first base to first times, through the heartbreak and tears, to picking up the phone at 2am because you have forgotten to take your pill and you could be pregnant with Jesus' baby because thats the closest you've gotten to sex this month... Details!
My point is, there is not many girl friends that can say they have all been friends for over a decade but yet all manage to fit in great friendships around work commitments, boyfriends, date nights, husbands and babies!

At the risk of sounding cheesy (you all know I'm a big softie and for those who don't.. will!) I just want to say that I love you all so much and I couldn't have gotten through this year without you all. Thank you for all being you.
xxxx

Happiness in all its glory...

2009-12-22T02:32:00.000-08:00

2009-12-17T23:50:00.000-08:00

"Girls are like apples… the best ones are at the top of the trees. The boys don’t want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples that are on the ground that aren’t as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think there is something wrong with them, when, in reality, they are amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who’s brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree…"
- Pete Wentz

Once Upon A Time...

2009-12-11T03:33:00.000-08:00

Lose yourself in a world where anything is possible.
Finishing a book always leaves me feeling a little exhausted, as though I’ve lived many lives whilst reading it.

Books…. They open the door to your imagination and captivate your mind. They have the power to change your perspective on life, or your perceptions of the people you thought you knew. They can teach us about ourselves – and clear our heads like medicine for the mind.
Sometimes I sit and daydream about what it would be like to own a tiny bookshop, just like the one in ‘You’ve Got Mail’. There is something about the peacefulness around them and the way the shelves speak to you like a thousand tiny minds. You can forget about reality for a while and transport yourself into a world of exploration without having to leave the shop.
I’m not suggesting we live our lives through a book, but they can teach us very valuable lessons, through which we go onto living our own adapted versions.

A few of my recommendations:
The Alchemist
Tuesdays With Morri
The Great Gatsby
Pride and Prejudice
A Child Called 'It'

Enjoy bookworms! x

Seasons & Dreams

2009-12-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

I ♥ London

2009-12-02T03:01:00.000-08:00

I haven’t been in London for Christmas for 7 years now and I was starting to dread the idea of it! It doesn’t officially feel like Christmas until the lights come on and the streets and filled with thousands of twinkling fairy lights. The people of London are suddenly not as miserable as usual and you might just sense a tiny bit of Christmas cheer! Every year the lights attract thousands of tourists admiring the illuminated, glowing streets and yet I completely take them for granted!!

We really do live in a beautiful city…

High Fashion Tea Darling

2009-11-30T03:21:00.000-08:00

So its coming up to Christmas and everyone suddenly becomes super busy being social butterflies! But do we really need an excuse to sink our teeth into this seasons fashion when it comes in the shape of a Victoria Sponge??! No I didn't think so. (Pre-Christmas diet out the window.... check!). There is no better place to do this than at The Berkeley Hotel, London, with their 'Pret-a-Portea'.
Anyone for a 'Christian Dior almond macaroon with layered texture and white chocolate and blueberry ganache?'
Come on girls.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T00:20:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, especially to all my family over in Seattle!!
Found these cute vintage Thanksgiving cards online and thought i'd share!

To Believe or Not To Believe?

2009-11-25T01:39:00.000-08:00

I recently satisfied my curiosity and went for a Tarot reading. I didn't really know what to make of it all at first. I was looking for some guidance and probably wanted someone to tell me exactly where my life was headed, the name of my future husband, how many children I will be having and what my career has in store for me! Sadly, I know this was a bit too much to ask, but it was actually surprisingly accurate!

I came across this quote whilst doing some research "The best way to predict the future is to invent it" It got me thinking.... someone once told me that 'thought makes form'. Do we have any say in our own future or is there such a thing as our lives being mapped out for us, which is subsequently what the Tarot cards would suggest? I'm in two minds, on one hand I believe your life is what you make it, we make things happen for ourselves and can follow many different paths in order to find what we are looking for. But do they all lead to the same place inevitably? On the other hand, it raises the question that 'everything happens for a reason' and all of life's hurdles that we have to overcome are put out there to make us stronger and prepare us for things to come even though we see no reason for it at the time.
During the reading I got told that I am going to have a huge career change for the better, something completely different to what I am doing now. This has been something that has dominated my thoughts for a while now, I know I need a change, I am just unsure how to get it. So, do I just wait for something to be put on a plate and handed to me because the cards say its coming? No. Surely I would have to make that happen for myself? But then I realised you just have to learn to recognise an opportunity that life throws you and in my opinion this is where people run off course; because we fail to recognise the signs.

As Paul Coelho said: "The world's greatest lie: At a certain point in our lives we lose control of what's happening to us and our lives become controlled by fate".

Life is what we make it, chase your dreams and be happy.

Ashleigh x

Bright Lights, Big Dreams

2009-11-18T05:13:00.000-08:00

I wonder what it is about the New York air that enables me to stay up for hours in an atmosphere which in London would make a horse dizzy, but yet it merely clears the brain.

There is something about the overwhelming feeling I get when I land on the tarmac at JFK that feels like I'm home. I cant wait to get onto the streets and feel the buzz that circulates from every corner. You lose yourself in the surroundings, too busy taking in eveything around you, from the typical 'New Yorker' not afraid of telling you exactly what he thinks of you as you walk by, to the smell of the hot dog stands, and the pair of this seasons Christian Louboutins that just caught your eye as they stride past you on the feet of a 6ft leggy model that makes you feel infuriatingly small at a whopping 5"3!

I spend most of my days daydreaming of how I am actually going to get there... and when it will happen is more to the point! I want to be part of 'The City That Never Sleeps' I want to be sipping Mojitos on trendy rooftop bars overlooking the city, I want to be living in a tiny apartment that is costing me more than my monthly wages, just to be able to say "I am, and I made this happen, for myself" I think every girl dreams of the Sex and The City lifestyle... well one doesn't want to dream anymore, this needs to happen... I'll get there.

This is me..

2009-11-18T02:25:00.000-08:00

So, this is my first ever blog entry. I don't even know if I am going to have anything interesting to say!! But I thought I'd give this a go. It will be a little insight to the everyday things that cross my mind... Pretty much an extended version of my babbling Twitter account, but being limited to 140 characters just isn't me! FYI, www.twitter.com/misslyts if you can stomach anymore of my twittering rubbish!!
So let the blogging begin... i'll be back soon with something worth talking about! (or not, each to their own and all that jazz).

Ashleigh
xoxo