SUMMER DRESSES!!

I HAVE IDEAS FOR YOUUU!!! In the past month, I’ve received so many questions on what I am wearing. I can’t get back to every email or DM, unfortunately, but I can communicate via the blog!

THIS DRESS is kinda genius. The fabric is thick, but not hot or heavy. It balloons out just so to create a slight princess cut (and give you room to eat and not worry!!). And it has POCKETS. Need I say more? It’s definitely on trend with the floral print and cut. I see this dress working for a long time. It’s classic enough to not fall into the “80s grandma curtain print.” I stopped counting after the 10th Dm asking me where to get it when I wore it to Step Up’s Inspiration Awards So…. here you go!! It’s a perfect option for a dressy summer wedding or cocktail party. Btw- the red dress I wore to Step Up’s event last year is on sale in blush for under $32!!

I wish I had spent more time on my hair… but, you know, I’ll do better next time.

I got stopped more than once last time I wore this jumper. It has a cut- out back, wider legs with a tie belt. I feel so put together when I wear it. I added my red Rothy’s last time and loved the pop of color with the outfit.

THE YELLOW DRESS worked well for the boys’ birthday party. And I will wear it all summer. I didn’t think yellow worked on me, but it worked with the cake!! lol I do love a subtle polkadot. This cut works well for a variety of bodies with the slight A-line. AND ALSO…POCKETS and adjustable straps. I promised several people in comments on instagram and twitter that I’d do a blog… I’m doing a full birthday blog, but for now—- here is THE DRESS;)

I posted about this dress recently when it was on sale. I think the sale is over, but I’m posting it again anyway. I have this dress in two colors because I love it THAT MUCH. You’ve seen me in it in white over and over! (Like HERE to the Inspiration awards, HERE on Easter, HERE with leather) I try to change it up with white sneakers sometimes, nude heels or my Rothy’s (like in photo above). Even though the dress is not on sale, it’s still affordable under $90 and no joke- you will wear it over and over!

I know it’s kinda old news now, but I appreciated all the questions about the DAYTIME EMMY DRESS I wore. IT IS BACK IN STOCK and really affordable. The whole look is! It’s a great fabric, but I did WEAR SPANX. Yep, I felt like it helped with my tummy and thighs. It’s no secret that we’ve been trying to have another baby.. I’m now on medication that is known for gaining weight, retaining water, etc. So…. to counteract that for a red carpet, I wear THESE. It might be TMI or overly sharing to let you know that- but it’s the kind of information I appreciate from other people, so I thought I would tell you, too. My strapless bra I planned on wearing didn’t totally work, so I also wore THESE sticky nu-bra type things. (It gives you a bit of a lift if you push those puppies together before you put the stickies on-and with the gentle boning in the dress, it works!).

And the yellow floral dress above is on SUPER SALE under $50! Sizes with all these things so fast, so happy shopping if you’re looking for something special.

And Happy Thursday! Hope y’all are having a great week. My parents arrive tomorrow, so today I’m cleaning! LOL. And getting ready for them while I have a little mini-me undoing the work. Ha.

I’d really like to know if y’all want more fashion type posts like I used to do- with more detail and such. Actually, while I’m here asking, I’d love know overall topics you’re more interested in: food, travel, fashion, parenting, fertility (I have another post I’m working on for that), work stuff, kid stuff, etc.

thanks, Y’all!

XOXO

BRING ON MAY (cauli)FLOWERS plus a GIVEAWAY

Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting a fun day with Cali’Flour Foods. New and old friends joined to learn about cauliflower recipes, eat, pick out some jewelry and catch up with each other. It really was such a good girl gang that day!

I love friends from different parts of my life getting to come together and meet each other. I should add here that this post is not sponsored- I just enjoy sharing….PLUS I AM doing a GIVEAWAY in this post!!! And since we have all these fun photos,  I had to show off my friends;)

Top Row: Kaitlyn Villasuso and daughter, Kimberly J Brown, Angelique Cabral, Briana Cuoco, Chef Ameera, Amy Lacey, Chrissy Kling, Amy Davidson, Jessica Hall, Karen (Lisa’s friend), Caitlin Brandes (Friend of Jessica’s). Bottom Row: Kaylene DeVries, Lisa Breckenridge, me, Sarah Jane Morris, Virginia Williams, Nicole Levine, Casey Henricks.

Amy Lacey wrote CALI’FLOUR KITCHEN, a book all about cooking with cauliflower and incorporating her brand, Cali’Flour Foods. We wanted to try out some recipes (and add a southern flare cause, you know, your girl IS from Texas!). Chef Ameera graced us with her cooking and dropped some knowledge. One of the my favorite things she said was that food should inspire you to be the best version of yourself— and her food will. I thought about that later. It’s a simple concept, but what we put in our bodies DOES affect a lot: our moods, our digestion/nervous system, brain power, waistline and even affects levels of anxiety. The old saying we are what we eat holds some truth. 

So much of this blog is about healthy lifestyle choices, so it’s fun to bring another idea for you all to try and incorporate in your lives. I started enjoying Cali’Flour pizzas a while ago when I tasted them at an event. Then, I ordered some to try at home. We love the italian crust. I like to put it on this pizza stone the last few minutes so it gets extra crispy. IF YOU want to try it out, we are randomly picking from comments below to pass along a $50 gift certificate. Tell us why you’d love to try it for yourself or your family. One of the things I love about using their crusts or pasts? I sneak veggies in for the kids. Hayden and Huck happen to love mashed cauliflower, but it’s not the easiest to make sure they get a decent amount of vegetables everyday.

Amy wanted to heal herself from an autoimmune disorder- necessity is the mother of invention. This lead her to creating Cali’Flour foods. She shared her story with us while we (cried a little!) and munched on the awesomeness. 

Dessert Pizza was sooo good. I’m getting the recipe, so stay tuned!

Our friends from EmmaJ Jewelry set up a mini-shopping experience where the girls got to pick a piece to take home. Vitacups provided the afternoon pick-me up! (They would love you to try out their sample pack for free! Just pay shipping at $2.95!) ALSO… THEY ARE GIVING 30% OFF TO YOU. Code ASHLEYJ works on their site until May 25th. Yay!

And last but not least, everyone went home with my some Usana goodies. Anyone that’s followed along on this blog knows I’ve been a fan and often times ambassador of sorts, so I asked for some of my favorites to share with my friends. We went with the Booster C 600, Pure Rest and new pretty in pink water bottle.   Polkatots did the cutest dessert cupcakes and our dear friends at Bashful Rose did the arrangements!! (If you are in the area and need flowers, I’m telling you… it’s been almost a week and these haven’t even wilted!!!)

Also, for those wondering, the dress I’m wearing is great for summer! Per usual, I love the pockets! I slipped my Tight Lip’d gloss in there and my phone while I hosted. It’s also in the shop section (under boutique) on the blog.

Love this shot of our coffee booth with our COOKIE FISHY. Guess who named our fish? lol

These stunning arrangements from Bashful Rose graced the table.

Kaylene DeVries, owner of EmmaJCo.com….see my bull ring???! It’s on her site now!

POLKATOT cupcakes

Amy Lacey and I before the food was devoured.

Lisa Brekenridge, me, Virgina Williams, Sarah Jane Morris

My sister-in-law Casey Henricks, Actresses Kimberly Brown, Angelique Cabral, Briana Cuoco, Amy Davidson

I’m gonna throw a few other items from our gift bag goodies in the package! So seriously— leave a comment letting us know that you’d love to try Cauli’Flour foods and we’ll announce the winner (maybe 2?) this Saturday, May 4th. So, may the force be with you. LOL.