wednesdays; if i close my eyes for too long, i'll surely fall asleep

by 10am today, my head was still droopy and my eyes were still heavy. i lay in bed with devin hours before, willing my body sick, so i wouldn't have to get out of bed. it's amazing how quickly i can come up with a list of excuses that would render me unable to go into the office when i want a few more hours of sleep. and oh, that snugly dog of mine, with his chin propped on my stomach, and his eyes half-open. he is expert with those big, long sighs. he looks just how i feel. so completely tired, and so very comfortable. isn't it funny how sick you start to feel once you've started wishing you were sick so you could stay in bed all day? because, bleh. i do. i had a small adrenaline rush as i started planning some details for devin's birthday next month, and now i am back to half-asleep at noon-thirty. and it's not even like i have any reason to be this tired. i'd just rather take today much slower. i told devin this morning as we laid there that i would rather fold laundry than go to work today. which is really saying something, because laundry is my very least favorite thing. and seeing as how there are literally FIVE loads of laundry sprawled across my living room floor, waiting to be folded, as we speak, I was really saying something there. i would have so happily stayed home and returned those clothes to their drawers and closets, folded and hung. but here i am, at my desk. on a slow wednesday afternoon, thinking things like wow, making it past hump day really IS a feat! because, really. it is. wednesdays are hard. wednesdays should be saturdays. i have had a recurring thought over the past few months that i truly believe the entire world should just all come together and start taking fridays off, too. because 2 days off out of 7 just never seems to be enough for us. i certainly wouldn't mind an extra sunday. even if businesses shut down for 1 extra day! we would all get by, wouldn't we? isn't that a good idea? tell me you agree. if we start a petition, i'll turn it in to Kid President. I'm almost positive he'd agree. and if anyone can inspire the world, it's him. 

this morning

when i woke up this morning, my kitchen was filled with the most beautiful natural light. and birds were chirping. birds were chirping. i don't remember the last time i heard that sound. the sun was out! it was gorgeous and springy and made me smile.

but i still had to take a scalding hot shower to get warm.

so i knew it was too good to be true.

but at least i know spring is on it's way.

a good morning song here.

for the sake of updating

i started a private blog, so i've been giving more attention to that lately, plus also, we've been more busy than ever! a few updates:

1. I have loved every minute of my new job. It's still extremely overwhelming, and I'm starting to feel like I'll never get the hang of it all, but I think it will just take a little more practice! The guys in the shop are hilarious and also really nice, and the customers are awesome. The shop definitely has a good reputation. Plus also? It's pretty funny to take the company car for a spin every once in awhile :)

2. Sean and Chloe are having a BOY!!! I am getting a new nephew! I married into 2 nieces and a nephew, and even though Addi was still a baby when I met Devin, it will be so different to have a niece/nephew born since I've been an Ashby! It's been fun to watch Chloe and Sean through the pregnancy, and the other night, Chloe brought over the DVD of the ultrasound and we got to watch! I had never seen a video of one before and I was totally amazed by it! You could see the tiny little heart beating inside baby ashby's chest, and you could see his brain! He is going to be so, so gorgeous! Sean has already nicknamed him "blue" because as Chloe has tracked the size of the baby with those fruit things, Sean got hooked on calling "it" (at the time) "baby blue" - now it definitely fits, being a boy and all! I am so excited for them to be parents. They will be so great! 

3. We are moving in ONE WEEK. Holy cow. Where did this last week go? Now all the sudden we have TONS to pack and move in the next week. It's going to be exhausting! I keep looking at the pictures I took on my phone from when we first walked through the house, and it gets me more and more excited. I can't wait! Devin has already set up the internet and i'm pretty sure even the utility bills. The only thing left to do is sign the lease officially and get those keys!!! (Did I mention there's a pool?!)

4. Kelli's birthday was on Wednesday! My big sister is 24! It's weird to think that my husband is older than my older (est) sister. I've just always seen her as so much older and more mature! We get to celebrate at dinner with Kelli, Sean and other friends tomorrow. I love my cheech SO much! I wish she didn't live so far away :(

5. Strawberry soda. I forgot how much I loved this stuff. When I was at UVU, I would buy a can of Welch's at one of the little cafes in the LA building almost every day, and then forgot it existed. When Devin was craving soda at the grocery store the other night, and we saw there was a sale... I couldn't help but get some! So good. So, so good.

6. Shortly after Devin started working for Momentum, the owner and his good friend, Jeff, commissioned him to build a team-building program for businesses. This week, the program launched! Not only am I so excited for the kinds of things this will mean for the gym, but I am SO proud of Devin! This is the kind of thing he is going to school for, so for him to be getting this experience right now, while he is just starting the Outdoor Rec. Management program is HUGE! I'm a proud wife :) read more about the program here.

7. It's wedding season. Which means that Devin just finished up editing the last photos he's taken, and it also means that our weekends are booked for receptions of dear friends. Tomorrow? A mission companion. And next Saturday (which is also move-in day!), our dear friends Brit and Joe! So happy for them!

8. My One Tree Hill marathon has finally reached season 2. I love this show so much. I just forgot for... several years... haha!

9. We are PUPPY SHOPPING! If anybody has any information on affordable mini australian shepherd puppies/breeders in Utah or Idaho, please let us know! We are willing to drive pretty much anywhere in the state to find the perfect puppy! We don't need any show dog AKC kind of stuff. Just a cute little guy to be a family dog. Now that we will be living somewhere puppy friendly, we won't last very long without a puppy! 

10. I would also like recommendations for a good new book to read! I'm fresh out! Not that I've had much time for reading lately or anything... ha!

Autumn

Fall is fast approaching, and it's a good thing, too. All my life, I thought I was a summer girl. Maybe it's the fact that I'm not in school anymore, so summer lost that special freedom. Maybe it's the incredibly hot and dry summers we've been experiencing in Utah these last couple years, but I totally take it back. I'm Fall and Spring, through and through!

Last year, Fall fashion became a really big deal. Bigger than I had ever noticed before. And this year is just the same. By mid-July, I was already pinning fall-inspired wardrobe pieces, and I'm anxious for this heat to be replaced with chilly weather and red leaves. I am by no means a fashion blogger. In fact, I'm pretty positive I've never even done an outfit post. That's not what this blog is about. Instead of sharing what I wear, or how I did it, I choose to keep this blog the way it's been since 2009, when I started it as "Wishful Thinking" (most of those posts got deleted for reasons not worth talking about...): a lifestyle blog. That being said, after the recent birthday shopping spree I had with my sisters and my husband on my birthday weekend - I feel like I have a whole new wardrobe. I feel more in the fashion loop than I ever have. Some of these trends have been around for summer, but I'm excited to carry them through to the colder months. Here are some of the things I've stocked up on for autumn:

neutral layering pieces

bright tees for layering (I grabbed these two colors)

fall colored denim (similar): so far, i've got black, white, olive and eggplant (each pair I bought was under $30, from either Charlotte Russe or Wet Seal - which both have great-fitting jeans!)

statement necklaces (similar)

chambray (similar)

and some pieces that have yet to find their way into my closet:

bright pea coat (similar)

equestrian style boots

neutral/neon color blocking

lace detailing

lace pencil skirt (similar)

converse (similar)

hunters!

and looks i love:

white on white

mixed neutrals

dressy relaxed

preppy

bright color stories

now if only the weather would cool down...

it's silly... but i'm serious.

with my birthday exactly 1 month away today, i thought it was a good excuse to share my current wish list!

1. bookshelf - built by devin. i just want it to look like this
2. necklace - i think this necklace is so pretty. i would love it.
3. phone case - or basically any society 6 case, really.
4. shoes (similar) - who doesn't want tiffany blue nikes??
5. watch - heard of Feral Watches yet? (it's a creation of one of the traveling triplets!)
6. harness - a want, but also a need. very much so. i've been climbing in the same harness i've had since i was 13.
7.  "&" print - i just need this.
8. puppy - any puppy. right now.

northbound

life has been discouraging lately. i feel like devin and i are still scrambling, trying to figure it out. we keep making changes: our cars, our schooling, our jobs, our priorities, and it's obviously far from over, as i am on the job search once again!

i love the company i work for and have nothing but good things to say about them, but when it doesn't feel right, i know that means it's time for something else.

devin and i are looking to move further north anyway, to eliminate commuting, so there are several reasons for leaving Myler.

i'm excited to move, and it's all i can think about whenever i spill on our carpeted kitchen floor (which we can't stand!), or find, yet another spider in the tub, welcoming me to my morning shower.

we were both raised in Orem, and love it here, but it's beginning to feel a little claustrophobic. we want to be more private and independent, and we see that freedom just a few minutes up the freeway.

we still haven't found an apartment, but when we do, our first purchase will be a puppy. even though i know devin will try putting it off for awhile, he won't have much luck, seeing as how a dog is becoming less of a want and more of a need in my eyes lately. no news on jobs yet either. but we aren't in a situation yet where it's totally necessary to find something new. the point is to just be happier, and figure out what feels right, but knowing that the near future holds a fresh start for us, with more room to grow and progress, makes my days bearable. i just wish it would come sooner, of course.

we are ready for a change. we feel this need to grow up a little bit, and once again, like all the other major changes we've made in the last year or so, it feels right.

changed used to be something i shied away from, but now that i have my wonderful husband by my side to rely on, i welcome anything, knowing we can handle it together. because we totally can.

so excuse us for looking like we have no clue what we're doing lately - but that's because we're still trying to figure it out! we're just doing what we know it right, every time a circumstance changes. and we're okay with that. 

time seems to go by much slower when he's gone

i'm cold

and i miss my husband. 

devin has been gone since yesterday and won't be back until tomorrow. 

i hate it when he does that.

but i love him for it. 

he's helping his dad with a scout trip.

always helping. 

such a good example to me. 

i just want him to come home so he can kiss my forehead and comment on how cold my feet are when we get into bed early, like usual.

watching the office is less funny without him. 

to let time pass

it's not often that I have a lot to say, but when the house is empty and quiet, my thoughts really can't help themselves. and as nice as watching endless episodes of Friends is... it's just not cutting it tonight.

there is a lot going on right now. in life, in my mind. it feels like it's not something I'll ever catch up to. not necessarily in a bad way. it just sort of seems like we're in limbo. past events are well over: we've been married for a year, we have a nice place and steady jobs. no recent climatic things we're still catching our breath from. and then there's now: sort of a broken record kind of phase. mostly because there is so much going on in the near and distance future: buying a house, getting a dog, getting careers, having kids... it's a lot to look forward to, and i can't wait.

but it stresses me out! i feel like I'm getting impatient for things, even when I know that now is not the time. when i can feel that it's not time yet for those things. as much as i covet homeowners and dog owners and happily employed career women and mothers... it's just not time! but I still feel this sense of urgency to reach that point? is this just me? I'm going nuts! i feel like it's not happening as fast as it should, maybe. but i also know and feel like we're progressing just like we should. it's a lot to handle all at once, especially when I'm thinking about these things all the time. i wish i could just have it explained to me sometimes.

i feel like I'm at this spot in a book where I want so badly to ask someone who knows how it ends to tell me, so I can feel better, and stop feeling anxious - but I don't want to ruin the rest of the story. i don't want to spoil the ending. i like being surprised. it's harder than i thought, though. to wait. to let time pass. to save money. to advance in our schooling and jobs. to have a clearer idea of where we are, where we are going and where we want to end up. more answers, less wondering.

via

today i'm wishing

you wouldn't think that i'd be so out of touch after a long weekend, but i am definitely off my game today! not every day as a nanny goes smoothly, and it's only noon, so things definitely have time to turn around. hoping a trip to the aquarium is in the cards for us, just to get out of the house for awhile and let the kids be a little crazy. but man. what a day so far. 

i keep daydreaming about what i wish i was doing. it involves lunch at communal, and a quick evening getaway to a cabin with a fireplace and hot tub, mint truffle hot chocolate, and a good new movie. and my husband. and some (a lot) of snow. and nobody else. and quiet. and no cell service or wi-fi. 

i think that if we get to a point where we could afford a grown up toy, it would probably be a time share for a cabin, or maybe a condo in st. george. i love the idea of always having a place to go to when you need to get away. maybe in.. oh, 15 years? 20? never...? haha.

i can dream though, right?