Happily Ever Ashley

Cultivating a life of joy

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If you know me, you know I keep myself REALLY busy. I’m usually pretty good at scheduling in recovery time for myself. Time to relax, zone out, get caught up on sleep, laundry etc., but for the last probably 8 weeks that hasn’t happened. And I hit a wall... hard. First I noticed I was having a really hard time controlling my anxiety and emotions. This was abnormal for me because I’ve always been able to keep myself together until there was an appropriate time for a meltdown (like in the shower or during a sad movie). Also I’ve always been able to manage stress and anxiety with breathing. Next, my body decided it hated me. Every part of me hurt, likely from eating mostly shitty food for weeks, not taking care of myself and carrying around so much stress for so long. Then came the exhaustion. I could hardly keep my eyes open. My body decided I needed a break and didn’t let me put it off. I had to cancel some appointments (which I never do) and I spent the rest of the day sleeping. The next day @andazscottsdaleweddings treated me to a lovely day of healthy food, spa services and the relaxing atmosphere of the resort. It’s definitely helped me reset a bit, but I still don’t feel quite myself. My point in sharing all this is to say I learned a very important lesson over the last couple days: you have to make yourself as much of a priority as the things on your to do list. At some point it all catches up with you and your body and you get forced into a break. For the rest of the year I am planning to lighten my schedule as best I can, take a solid 2 weeks off for the holidays and refocus on keeping myself healthy, both physically and mentally. If you are getting overwhelmed from all the stress this time of year, do yourself a favor and give yourself a break. Take a yoga class, sleep in, go for a drive or take a day off if you need it. Trust me when I tell you it’s better to choose this for your body than have your body choose it for you.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret! We might look like we have it all together, but we are always learning and growing with our business. When we decided to open a business together, we had no idea how to start a company. We had no idea how to scale a business. We had no idea what we really needed in our emergency kit. We weren’t sure how to hire employees. We weren’t sure how to get people to hire us. ⠀ ⠀ Today, we’ve conquered a lot, but our business has evolved and grown and we are still constantly figuring out how to navigate the next thing. No matter how together we might look, the truth about any small business owner is we are figuring it out as we go. We appear to have it all together only because our greatest skill as business owners is learning from our failures and making ourselves better because of them! So to anyone feeling overwhelmed by the weight of owning a business, keep going. We’re cheering you on! And just know, none of us have it as together as you think we do! Photo by @justindouglasphotography

Ever since I got this slouchy top from @shopchicsoul I’ve been living in it! It’s so comfy and even better, it’s on sale for $18 today only! I think I may need to order it in a few more colors, especially since it’s usually $48! . . . . . #chicsoul #shopchicsoul #furvest #plussize #plussizefashion #curvygirl #curvyfashion #curvystyle #winterstyle #fallfashion #winterstyle #arizonastyle #arizonafashion

One of the best things I’ve done for my business in the last year was take some time away from it. If you know me, you know I’m a workaholic. I want to do more, be more, impact more at all times. I love it but it’s also exhausting. Escaping to Paris last summer gave me new perspective. The city taught me the beauty of taking my time to create more thoughtful details in every aspect of my life. It taught me to look around, not just ahead. It taught me sit back and enjoy the moment. It gave me the space to dream a little more, to find inspiration and to build a tribe of cheerleaders. It opened up my world and helped me find greater purpose. You may not need to go to Paris to find all these things for yourself... but why not? It sounds like a hell of a good excuse for a vacation to me! If you want to escape to Paris with me this summer, DM for all the details of this years @reparisretreat trip! Photo by @amberlearussell

@shopchicsoul is offering some great Black Friday deals and door busters! I fell in love with this cozy plaid poncho! I also found an adorable fuzzy brown vest (on sale for $28), and a super cute black and white buffalo check infinity scarf (on sale do $10). Swipe to see all the items I snagged! What’s on your Black Friday shopping list? . . . . . #shopchicsoul #chicsoul #curvyfashion #curvystyle #plussizefashion #plussizestyle #winterstyle #fashioninspo #funwithfashion #blackfriday #blackfriday2019 #blackfridaysale #blackfridaydeals #curvygirlstyle #fallfashion #snowvalleyvest #cozycuddlesponcho #seasonsgreetingsscarf

Happy Thanksgiving- this top felt fitting because it’s covered in pies! My contribution every year is making lots of pies and this year on the menu it’s chocolate cream, apple crumble, peanut butter cream, and bourbon pumpkin! #happythanksgiving . . . . . #curvygirl #curvystyle #xoq #thanksgivingoutfit #curvystyle #plussize #plussizefashion #arizonafashion #arizonastyle #plussizestyle #funwithfashion #eloquii #conversationaltieneckblouse #fallfashion #

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