Never Say Never

Hello + Happy Tuesday! Tomorrow is my 30th birthday (eek), so I thought I would put together a fun little post of twenty things I never thought I would do by the end of my 20's! It was kind of fun to reflect on what life was like in 2003 when I turned 20. Just a few fun facts about life 10 years ago: Facebook did not exist (it launched in Feb 2004); I thought I was cool because I learned some [very simple] code on how to see who clicked on my AIM links; I was ecstatic the day I upgraded my Nokia cell phone for a StarTac flip phone; I still had an undeclared major and was contributing to IU's title of #1 Party School; Gas was only $1.20; I religiously watched Jessica Simpson's reality show, 'The Newly Weds'; Madonna kissed Brittany at the VMAs, Angelina kissed her brother and Brad was still kissing Jen!! Crazy!! Anyway, hope you enjoy my list below! I truly believe, you should never say never! 

Twenty things I never thought I would do by the end of my 20's:

1. {Move to Philadelphia}. Seriously, who does that? But... best decision of my life to leave Ohio when I did. If I had delayed moving by even a week, I probably would have never met {Alejandro}! Timing is everything. I am so happy I trusted my instincts on that move while everyone around me thought I was absolutely crazy for not going to NYC!

2. Love someone as ridiculously much as I love Alejandro! If you had met my boyfriends from the majority of my twenties, you would understand why I never thought true love was even possible! Oh, and I have to throw it out there... never imagined dating a guy named Alejandro! ;)

3. Admit that my mom [and dad] did, in fact, always know best. In my 30's, I will remind them of that more often. I think they would appreciate that!

4. Appreciate the little things. I'm the girl who would take a hand-written note over a gift any day! It's the little things that count and make every day a little more special.

5. Wear [short] shorts to work. Or flip-flops. Or cropped shirts. All the same, right? On the flip side to that, never imagined planning out my "post 30" wardrobe! Apparently cut off shorts are not acceptable after 30? Shoot... what am I going to wear this summer? ;)

6. Feel most comfortable in the least amount of makeup. This has also allowed me to cut down my "get ready" time by half! I used to own every color of mac eyeshadow ever made -- now all I wear is mascara and lip gloss and occasionally use {this}... the best stuff ever made in the world!

7. Be able to live without a tan. Or... lather up in SPF 30 every time I go in the sun. I spent every day of my early 20's tanning - I wouldn't dare walk into a tanning salon now. Wait, do those still exist? 

8. Turn into a decent cook. Still not often... but when I do, I have people who can vouch - "it's delish"! I think Alejandro would say I need to do this more often in my 30's! But, I'm spoiled with all of his yummy meals he makes me!

9. Love, love, love green juice! Actually just a year ago I looked at it and gagged in my mouth. Now, I try to drink it often!

10. Prefer flats to heels. If you saw my shoe collection in my early 20's... there was no such thing as a flat riding boot or the perfect sandal.  Just hundreds of heels taking over my closet. Not exaggerating about that hundred... it was absurd!

11. Participate in a Mud Run! Yup, {Warrior Dash 2011} - so fun!

12. Have fun without going out to the bars! Actually the thought of going to the bars makes me cringe - can't we just go to a cute tapas restaurant and eat yummy food and drink a bottle of wine instead?! Who am I kidding, I prefer a night in any Friday night! Yup, I'm old.

13. Go to bed before 10pm. In my early 20's... actually pretty much my entire life, I couldn't even attempt to go to bed before midnight. My mind wouldn't stop and I felt like there was always so much to do. Now, I love putting the day away and heading to bed around 9pm!

14. Appreciate a good bottle of wine and prefer red wine to white. In college I drank Franzia. In my mid-twenties, I thought a $6 bottle of Riesling was real wine. Enough said.

15. Forget everything I learned in high school! For real - I can't remember anything! Calculus? Don’t know. Physics? What’s that? Great Gatsby? Read it once, someone dies. How to cite sources? Ask the internet. Seriously, I dread the day I have to help my future children with basic homework... I forgot it all.

16. Turn my photography into a side business. I have loved taking photos from when I was very little and I would line up my dolls and stuffed animals for a photo shoot! In 2011, I started {Ashley Gale Photography} and focus on lifestyle portraits, specifically kiddos!

17. Be able to carry my life in my the palm of my hand! When I turned 20, I think I just got text on my phone! Maybe? Maybe it was later! Picture messaging came around age 25... and I finally got an iPhone when I turned 27! Good or bad, my phone has my life stored in it and I don't know how I lived without it!

18. Appreciate a budget! I didn't get on the savings bandwagon right out of college. Thinking back... did I really need that $150 shirt or that $400 bag or a new dress for every.single.occasion? No, not at all. Today I don't go a week without looking at my budget [some would say I am borderline psycho when it comes to my budget] ... and while I still love to shop and treat myself to the [more than] occasional splurge, I know what my short and long term saving goals are and am successfully sticking to my plan!

19. Have a blog with over 1,000 'official' followers and thousands of hits daily! Seriously, you guys are the best!! xxoo. 

20. Fully understand the meaning of "if you want to make God laugh - tell him your plans"! I used to plan every detail of my life, but nothing has ever worked out to plan (thank goodness too)! I have finally, finally learned to just let go and enjoy whatever my future throws my way... I think this is going to make my 30's even more fun than my 20's! )

And... if I had to give advice to my 22 year old self I would say: Travel to a different country once a year... you are at an age where nothing is holding you back! Spend less on the impulses; Buy more classic pieces. Let your sister borrow your clothes. Stay calm, worry less -- everything always works out how it is supposed to! It's ok to not have it all figured out! Patience truly is a virtue and good things come to those to wait (and to those who work really hard... so keep on kicking ass)! Always challenge the status quo! And... Keep on Smiling! :)

{image} - I thought this image was most appropriate because when I first saw it after NYFW, I thought "never"... now I kinda love the looks!

What a Year... ♥

One year ago (yesterday) I started my blog!  I just re-read my {first post} and I think I've stuck with the goal of my blog pretty well... "a place for my photos and favorite things" ! :)  When I first started blogging, I had no idea where it would go... all I know is that I have stuck to one main principle - to be myself and to write like it was only for me!  I am overwhelmed by the amount of followers and daily comments and emails I receive from you all!  I continue to be amazed by the blogging community and the many friendships I have formed with bloggers who appreciate the same things I do!  It absolutely makes my day when I see a note from you or when someone links to me on twitter or facebook... and you all give me the inspiration to keep sharing with you!  In August, I started sharing a little bit more about my life personally through instagram photos and weekend recaps - I learned quickly that I needed to make this personal connection with my readers, but was still cautious about how much I shared!  However, I continue to receive emails weekly asking for more  information about me, my boyfriend, my job... etc!  I realized, just like many of the blogs I read daily, we have become a part of each others life... even if it is just for 2 minutes when browsing through google reader! ;)  So... below, you will find a little bit more about me, the girl behind a {little} dash of ash!  Hope you enjoy and thank you again for reading my blog! xxoo.

The Random Stuff:

My full name is Ashley Rebecca Gale. When I was born, a little girl told my grandma that I had 3 first names! :)  I am 29 (as of yesterday) and I am completely ok with the fact that it is the last year of my 20's - I truly believe my 30's will be the best years of my life!  My favorite color is green, which is also my eye color.  When I was five I always doodled hearts - I would lock myself in my bedroom just to draw thousands of hearts on construction paper.  I still doodle hearts.  I am secretly a hopeless romantic (not so secretly anymore).  My favorite cereal is lucky charms.  If I won the lottery, I would buy a loft in NYC and decorate it with my inspirations on {pinterest} so I would always have a beautiful place to visit.  My dream is to go to Paris (which will come true next year) and my favorite indulgence is a Wendy's Frosty.

How I got into Corporate Retail:

I get this question in my email more than any other one!  I went to Indiana University and changed my major to Apparel Merchandising my Sophomore year after going to a career seminar and listening to the recruiter from Macy's West talk about corporate retail and how to become a buyer!  I instantly knew that is what I wanted to do and literally stalked the recruiters at Macy's in San Francisco for an entire year before being offered an internship my junior year!  I fell in love with the buying job and moved out West to start my career.  I worked as a buyer in women's shoes (dream come true), men's sportswear and fragrance.  Three years later, I moved back to Ohio to work for A&F.  I switched over to merchandise planning at this time - which was similar to a buyer role at a department store, but with more of an emphasis on the financials of running a product category (which I love)!  At A&F, I worked on many different product categories including: intimates, swim, sleep and accessories.  After another three years, I moved to Philadelphia where I currently work for Free People - still in merchandise planning and still loving what I do after (almost) 7 years! :) 

The Boyfriend:

My favorite email ever was from a reader 5 months ago.  It said, "All of a sudden you just started talking about a guy named Alejandro on your blog - are you going to tell us how you met him?"  I thought about this for awhile now and part of me didn't want to share too much info about him (us), but part of me wants to tell you the best story of my life! So.... a couple weeks after moving to Philadelphia (7 months ago), I was walking to get some food and as I crossed the street, I saw this guy and thought, "wow, he is really cute" - (but really, that is irrelevant because I would never stop a random guy and be like, "hey, you are cute, want to hang out" ;)!! As we passed each other, his ID fell out of his pocket. I tried turning around to tell him, but he was too quick and the light was turning green so I had to get out of the crosswalk. I didn't pick up the ID and went on my way to eat (since I was absolutely starving)!! After ordering my food and sitting down to eat... there was this crazy voice screaming at me to go get his ID from the crosswalk! So... I left the restaurant (and my food on the table), waited for traffic to stop, and got his ID. I ended up sending him a message on facebook and asked him if he wanted me to send it back to him... not really thinking I would ever see him again!! But, he messaged me back the next day and asked if I wanted to meet at Starbucks (he didn't know yet... but lattes are pretty much the way to my heart ;)!! The day that I ended up meeting him at Starbucks, I parked in 20 minute parking because I really thought I was just going to run in and hand him his ID... potentially get a coffee as well (all of which can be done in less than 20 minutes!) Nope... we ended up sitting down and having one of the best conversations I have ever had! I think we were there for over an hour and already had trips to London and Peru planned together! ;) He instantly became the most interesting person in the world and someone I knew I could have a lot of fun with.... So, I think I asked him out to dinner?! Or maybe he asked me? Can't remember... but either way - first date scheduled before we left Starbucks... which made the $93 parking ticket I received for staying past my 20 minutes a little more enjoyable! :)  And... I still think he is the greatest guy I have ever met in my life! :) 

Happy 6 Months!

Hi Friends! :)  First, I am so sorry that I was the worst blogger ever last week!  It was just a crazy week that got away from me way.too.fast!  However, I realized this weekend that it was my 6 month blog anniversary!  I can't believe it!  It has been so fun blogging each week and I have met so many great blog friends!  And... I am at over 300 followers now - thank you, thank you for reading daily!!!  So...  you might have noticed a change when you hopped over to my blog!  Yes, that is right, I decided to change things up a little bit!  Say goodbye to my old header (for now):

...because Kelly, from {Fabulous K Creative} created this fun new header for me!  She even painted the banner with water colors herself!  I've been so inspired by water colors and love everything black and white, so why not combine the two to get....

images above via {pinterest}

I hope you like the new look!  And... I promise I will try to stay a little bit more on top of the blogging! Hope you have a great week!  I will because Bachelor Pad starts tomorrow! Ha! .... xxoo!

Goodbye, Columbus!

Yesterday was moving day... and it was a lot harder to leave Columbus than I thought!  But.. I am all settled into my short term housing in Philly and I already found a super cute apartment that I will move into in a few weeks!  It is an older apartment in {Old City} but has a lot of character including exposed brick walls (which I have always loved)!  Oh, and I lucked out with the closet space as well... aka I can go shopping, everyday, to fill the closets! :)  After finding an apartment, I headed over to the {Jonathan Adler} store (just a block away from my new place) and bought myself a housewarming present - just the perfect orange chevron rug for my new kitchen!  So excited :)  Well... back to my last week in Columbus - it was great to have time off, to go to happy hours at normal happy hour times and to get together with all my friends before I left :)  A big thank you to my sister who helped me pack up a lot of things... and to my "super MOM" who always goes above and beyond everytime I move.  ex. She drove with me to Philly this weekend... moved me into my short term apt, she is meeting my movers at my place in OH next week, then she is coming back to Philly to help me move into my "real" apartment... REALLY, how did I get so lucky?! :)  Anyway - I miss you already Columbus and I will see you in just a few short months!  Lots of love to everyone back in Ohio :)  Muah!

New Job. New City.

Hi Friends!  So I have been kind of keeping a secret for a little bit... but since it is already out in the world of Facebook, I thought I should tell all of my blog friends as well!  I am picking up my life in Ohio and moving to the East Coast... this weekend!!  Philadelphia to be exact :)  I am so excited... but a little nervous because I don't know a single person in Philly!  Not too nervous though... because the more people I tell, the more I hear about 'friends of friends'!  Plus, I will only be an hour -ish from NYC (lot of friends there), an hour from Baltimore (friends and family there), and an hour from the BEACH!!  The beach is my best friend!! :) Anyway... so why this big change?!  I was looking to get back to a bigger city and I was ready for a new challenge in my career.  I've worked in corporate retail as a buyer/planner for the past 6 years and I absolutely love it... but I'm off to continue what I love to do at {Free People}, part of Urban Outfitters, Inc.  I start working there next Tuesday!! So exciting!!  Check out my new office space... who wouldn't enjoy working here everyday?! :)  Wish me luck...

Headquarters at the Navy Yard

Free People: {BLDG 25}

Open Workspace

Conference Room

all images {via}

Oh... and another great perk about working at Urban Outfitters is that you can bring your dog to work! I don't have a dog (well, our family dog, but he lives with mom and dad)... but I can't wait to be surrounded by cute pups everyday!  Maybe I will finally get the english bull dog I have been wanting for the past ten years!!  Also... if you want another fabulous blog to follow... check out Free People's blog {here} - It has been one of my favorites before I even started interviewing there! xo.

Sorry I have been MIA...

Hi Friends!  I am so sorry I have been gone for awhile!  So much to update you on.... First - remember, my {travel post} last week and how I was craving a trip in the near future!?  That evening I came home from a long day of work to an email from one of my bff's...  it said, "I went ahead and booked us a hotel in London!  Because, why the hell not!?  Let's book flights asap"!  And.... we did - less than an hour later!!!  Yup, I am going to London in just a few months!! I am soooo excited :)

My sister's Wedding Weekend was absolutely fabulous! Everything was so beautiful and perfect and my family had a blast!  It is amazing how much fun and more special a family wedding is.  I didn't take a lot of photos because I was busy being a maid (or dancing all night long)... but here are a few mobile pics.  I will make sure to have a post dedicated to the wedding photos when we get them back from the photographer! :) 

...And they are now Mr. & Mrs. Huff!

I became obsessed with the iPhone app - Instagram (if you couldn't tell from the photos above)! It's like a new Pinterest to me - I could browse people's instagram photos all day! If you download the app, add me as a friend! :)  Oh... and I also got my first Shellac Manicure! Love, love, love and will most likely never go back to regular polish again!  It's already been 5 days and my nails are still perfect!

On Sunday we had a brunch for all of the out of town guests -- while most people were still celebrating the newlyweds, I was celebrating my momma for Mother's Day!  I couldn't imagine not giving a shout out to my wonderful mom who is one of my biggest blog followers (she has emailed me everyday this week asking when I was going to post again!!)  Thank you Mom for being YOU and for all of your support and the little things you do for me throughout the year - you have no idea how much they are appreciated.  A lot of people asked me what my favorite part of Amanda's wedding was - at first, I couldn't think of just one thing, but then I decided my favorite moment was when my mom finally relaxed and enjoyed herself on the dance floor! :)  xxoo!

Last night I went to the Bon Jovi Concert! We started the evening off with drinks and yummy appetizers and then headed to the concert for a night of singing and dancing with one of my favorite music artists of all time!

Oh... and last - I am no longer on a "wedding diet" (Yes, I know - I acted as if it was my own wedding)!!  I've already been to one of my favorite places twice since this weekend!  I love you Jeni, but I wish you did not live across the street from me! 

Photo taken by NKP

And now... it's already Wednesday! And... I am back to blogging :)  I have some fun things coming up in the near future for my blog - including a new series I am going to start next Wednesday! Check back daily!  Have a great day! :)  -ashley

Weekly Gratitude

There is a Weekly Gratitude series going on in the blogging world and I thought that this would be a great week to join in!  There are so many things that I am grateful for in my life, but here are just a few I thought I would share with you this week:

I am thankful for the best spring trip to Mexico with 5 amazing ladies! 

The weather, the food, the drinks were all absolutely amazing!  

Can't wait to see you all again soon!

I am thankful for the people at Vino Vino for hosting the most wonderful 

wedding shower ever for my sister this past weekend.  

It was absolutely one of the best parties I have ever been to!  

Pictures to come soon :)

I am thankful that I got to see all the wonderful women in my family this week!  

It's not often that we are all together in one spot, but thanks to 

Amanda's wedding events, it seems I get to see them monthly now :) 

I am thankful that it is FINALLY starting to feel like spring!  

I love that it is daylight when I leave work and the warmer temperatures 

have inspired me to rearrange my closet with spring clothes first!

I am thankful for the two newborn baby sessions I have this weekend!  

It is so great to be able to do what I love on the weekends and to help 

capture memories for my friends! :)

I am thankful for all of the sweet comments I receive on my blog daily!  

Thank you for reading!!!

And... since I am thanking people - I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to thank Molly from {Urban Nester} and Dora from {A Drop of Indigo} for awarding me with blogger awards!  Thank you for thinking of me!  I'm new to the blog award thing - but I think I am supposed to list 10 things (you may or may not know) about myself and then award 10 other bloggers!  My list is below... but I can't pick out just a few inspiring bloggers, so I give the award to every single blog on my blog roll (to the right)!  xxoo.

I am 100% Aquarian.  Maybe even 110%.  It's kind of scary!  

In college, I became very interested in horoscopes and rising signs... 

I was devastated when they just announced that the zodiacs may be all wrong!  

I love buying gifts for other people.  

Once I make the purchase, I get even more excited and completely impatient to give it to them.  

I need immediate gratification, even when it relates to gratifying someone else.
Oh, and every gift is absolutely beautifully wrapped :)

 

I have started a diet every single Monday since 2001.  

It has lasted until about lunch time on that particular Monday.

I just learned, at age 28, that I absolutely love tea... and toast!

oh, and I now own a toaster for the first time in my life.

I've tried switching from a PC to a Mac every year since high school.  

I finally made the switch last June and will never go back!

I love road trips!  

The most beautiful & fun road trip I ever took was from San Francisco to Portland!  

 

I remember everything from photos! 

I could tell my friends what they were wearing years ago if I saw it in a photo just once.  

I guess that goes hand in hand with the fact that I am a very visual learner.

I love day drinking!  

I will be excited for weeks if I know an event is coming up that calls for drinking before sunset 

(ie. early morning tailgating, summer holidays and parties, Sunday funday ;)

I am a HUGE excel spreadsheet nerd.

and I believe vlookup was the best invention ever!

I would have a lot more money if I had a lot less clothes!

It's true -- I absolutely do not need everything hanging in my closet... 

but they were all "must haves" at one time or another! ;)

You can find me at {little bits of lovely}

Little bits of lovely is one of my most favorite blogs to browse!  Rachel has an amazing eye for literally all things lovely!  When I started thinking about creating my own blog, I looked to Rachel's blog almost daily as inspiration! I hope you can imagine my excitement when I got a sweet email from Rachel complimenting my blog and asking me if I would like to participate in her '5 lovely things' series!  Hop over to her blog (because I know you will love it as much as I do) to see the 5 things I absolutely could not live without as well as some other great inspirations!  And... check back on Wednesday as Rachel will be guest blogging for me and sharing another lovely series she does!  xxoo!

My camera is just one of the items I absolutely could not live without.
Check out my others {here}.

Ashley Gale Photography

I have loved photos my entire life!  When I was a child, I would spend hours and hours flipping through photo albums of my parents and grandparents and I started scrapbooking at the age of 5.  In middle school, I would take photos of anything and everything -- I am positive I spent every dollar of allowance on film and photo developing!  In high school, I begged my parents to hire a professional photographer for my 16th birthday party -- and convinced my Dad to buy a brand new SLR camera for prom just so I could have the best pictures ever!  In college, I began reading books on composition, lighting and the two elements of great exposure (aperture & shutter speed).  Then, I was introduced to photo editing and learned how to take a simple picture and make it into a creative piece of art.  I realized that ten different people could take the same picture, but there was always one that stood out in the end! Last June I decided to take my love for photography to the next level. Since then, I have been having so much fun with my new camera and lenses! If you are interested in having photos taken of your family or children, I am taking a few more mini session appointments in April, May and June (weekends only)! Please contact me at argale@gmail.com for more info!

Happy Blog Day!

...and Superbowl Day! ...and birthday to ME!  Yes, today is my 28th birthday and I have to share it with the NFL and all of the crazy men who look forward to this day starting in August! Last time my birthday was on the Superbowl I hosted a party with cute little football cupcakes and all kinds of “Martha Stewart” like dishes!  I learned very quickly that the majority of my guests didn’t care about the football décor and team colored candies, they only cared about one, wait, two things – 1. Where is the beer? and 2. Where is the TV?  Haha!  This year I decided against a Superbowl themed party! Instead I have spent the past week celebrating with some of my favorite people...which concluded with a fabulous dinner at Hyde Park with my family (yum!). Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes, cards, texts, emails, phone calls, etc! ...and a huge thank you to the girls who made me an extra fabulous swim suit birthday cake!

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