Help me help me.....

You can help me help myself in my journey to a new me! Since you follow our page, why not follow mine and see what I am doing outside of being the most AWESOME wife Shane has ever had. hehehe (Since I'm the only one...) Follow my motivational blog to weight loss and beyond! ashleysmotivationstation.blogspot.com

Remember the smiling, happy, nearly healthy Ashley that you saw in the Key West post? Well, everything she worked so hard for to lay in a bikini on the beach for that trip has gone back to her old ways and is looking for a BIG change!

A Home for My Clothes

We enjoy going to the Salt Lake Valley Parade of Homes every year. I really like going to get ideas and dream of someday having a dream house. I am happy where ever my home is, but you can always want your house to look better. From decorating and design ideas to inspirations for remodeling what we have, we get a lot of enjoyment walking through other peoples' houses. One week after we finished going to all of the houses, we started tearing our closet apart. It only took 2 days and I love it. Not the walk-in closet with a dressing table that I REALLY want, but one step closer. The picture above was the closet that was used for inspiration. 

This is our "stock" or original closet that was built with the house back in 1987. One long shelf and one long bar. The shelf wasn't so bad, it was the the bar that was holding so much clothing that it was starting to pull the brace off the wall. My side also had a seam on it because it was an adjustable bar. This would cause my clothes to not be able to slide when I was looking for something.

Here is what we came up with. Shane built everything for the closet, the shelves, the middle "bookcase", and eventually put in the custom bars. (Yay! No bumps!) After a run to Target for some fabric bins, it was ready to put clothes in. I did have to get rid of some of my shoes, but now I can fit in more clothes!

Below, this is what my side of the closet looks like now. Homes for my purses, tanks, flip flops, shirts, shoes and pants. Thanks to Shane for all the hard work!

What does it look like inside my head?

Ever think about what you would see if you looked into someone else's head? Shane feels that he now knows based on a recent trip to Z Gallerie. There was a section of the store that was completely turquoise, white and silver. His words were "Whoa! This is what the inside of your head must look like." I didn't get a picture from the store, but it was a little much, even for me. Here are some pics just to give you a little slice of what we saw: 

I actually loved this bedding from Z Gallerie.

Found this pic on the internet. Someone's real room.

Another shot of the room I found online.

I actually LOVE this bathroom vanity!



While searching for pics online of decor and rooms decorated in this fashion, I found an amazing blog, everythingturquoise.com. From there I found a link for House of Turquoise, where I found the room pics. Look at what Shane started me thinking about......

We drove what to Wendover?!?!?!

(driving past the Bonneville Salt Flats)

We drove Shane's car. Out of the 4 cars we have, this is the oldest and loudest one, the only one without air conditioning and windows that don't roll all the way up.

Brooke, Korri and I riding in the back of Jessen's Nova.

Washing the Nova at the car wash, old school style.

I don't remember taking this pic.

The girls.

(Korri, Brooke, me and Monica)

The guys.

(Nick, Shane, Jessen, Jay)

Nick and Korri's truck at the Salt Flats.

Sadly, it didn't make it home on its own.

Fun trip, fun friends....money well lost.

Let's Go....G.N.O.!!!!

July's Girls' Night Out @ Bout Time

(me, Brooke, Monique, Nicole, Heather, Bre)

It was a nice, cloudy day. Perfect for sitting out on the patio.

Heather and Bre

Brooke, Nicole and Monique...It was also a b-day celebration for Nicole.

Cheers! to Girls' night. We were also going to see Bridesmaids, the movie, but we were having too much fun socializing.

Moab 2011

I learned that Jessen is a klutz, tourist attractions are more fun with friends and there can be snow strorms in at the end of April.

Some things that make me happy.....

I love my new shoes! So much that I clean and organized my closet, which is now another thing that I love. I have all my shoes organized, my clothes hung, winter sweaters stored away and purses in a tote. Then I did all my laundry and put it away. ( When you have as much clothing as me, this is a feat. Then I found this quote: "It's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes -- that's why you sometimes need really special shoes!" I may not be single, but I like to think I'm fabulous which is why I wanted these shoes. But currently, well according to last night's episode of Sex and the City on E!, Carrie Bradshaw is. My new tv addiction is Sex and the City ever since it started playing on E! and Style, and also since my friend Sonia invited me to the opening night of Sex and the City 2 last summer. By the way, the new episode of Glee is on next Tuesday, April 19.

Out with the old, in with the new

This year is starting with a lot of new...... New fridge...so fresh and so clean, clean.

New rides to make some new, exciting memories.

Fun new style sense....just joking. Starting a new, healthier me.

New purse....and developing another shopping addiction.

And developing a new, sunny, happy outlook on life.

P.S. I will also have to get a new bumper and trunk lid for my car. No pictures yet; the thought of Shane backing into the car is too fresh in my mind.

When was the last time you had a cheeseburger in paradise?

March 1st was the last time I did. And I actually had one in Margaritaville, without the cheese.

True! There are no snowmobiles allowed in Key West. (Found this in the garden of a man who also has a house in Sundance.) Well, they might be allowed, but there's no point in having one. That's the beautiful part of being there in February....NO SNOW!!! Before you start thinking this was a great vacation, it was a business trip.

Now its not uncommon for me to sleep in while Shane is at work, but this was especially sweet. It was Saturday, he was stuck in a meeting and I went on an early morning walk that ended with me falling asleep in a hammock on the resort's private beach. This is how vacations should be!

Not only was it a new experience for us to be on vacation in paradise, but we also got to try snorkeling. I loved it, Shane...not so much. But at least the drinks and the boat ride made it worthwhile. Have you noticed the pattern in my pictures so far? Sunshine equals happy Ashley! If you ever needed a reason to laugh, this would be it. Our little scooter topped out at 35 mph but at least it got us to the most Southern point of the US. (It was also a 10 minute walk from our hotel.) The island was so small, I'm pretty sure that I walked the same amount the whole trip as one day in Disneyland. Casa Marina Resort.....thank you for you beautiful trees, sand, hammocks and for selling PopTarts and chai in your gift shop. I will be back....but this time I will have to pay for my own room. Can I get a previous guest discount?