Ivy's PARTY!

I was so excited about Ivy's party this year!!! I put lots of effort and planning into it. I came home from work around 5am! BLEH! and I was beyond tired so I set an early alarm to finish up cleaning and decoraiting....well at 10am (only 2 hours before the party!) I woke up from knocking at my door, it was "the girls" (11 year old twins, close family friends) they were coming over to help make to brownie dipped oreos that I was making rather than cake. I woke up with a KILLER migraine )= I seem to get them at the very wosrt times! Luckily I had lots of help setting up and baking!!!! I was in so much pain that I couldnt see to put my make up on or do much with my hair.....so there were no pictures of me haha (=

Best friends!!! And closet cousins!!!
SASSY! She knew this day was ALL about her!!!! Thanks Brit for making Ivy's hair clip!!!! CUTE!!!!

All dressed up!!!

MY CUTE CUTE NEPHEW!!!

Since I was so sick I could not get everything done, steamers werent hung and table wasnt set so I just decided to lay it all out on the table and everyone could help themselves. Wasnt exacly how I planned it but I think it tuned out cute (=

Singing to Ivy!!!

Happy birthday sweet girl!!!!!

My Ivy's 3rd birthday!!!!

When I asked Ivy what she wanted for Christmas besides a dolly she wanted a pillow pet SOOOOO bad! I tried to change the subject or ask her if she like other things because I HATE PILLOW PETS! They are UGLY! And I just cound not see myself spending $20 on a cheap ugly pillow!

My nephew Ezra got a pillow pet for Christmas from his grandparents so I couldnt just avoid them at the store and be ok, she saw Ezra's everyday and wanted one so bad!

Sooo for her birthday I caved, I bought it and it is her favorite thing ever! She always sleeps with it! So I guess my $20 was wisely spent (= Below is a picture of Ivy and Ezras racing their pets!!!

It was a tie!!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET LITTLE GIRL!

Ivy,

I cannot believe that you are THREE! Wow how time flies! I cant imagine my life without you! You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love watching you play, you have such an imagination! And you are SO SOOOOO SMART! I am always amazed with how much you know! Your glowing smile keeps me going when im feeling down. And your laugh is so contagious!!! I am so proud of all your accomplishments! Even at three you have soo many!

I love you

I LOVE YOU

I love you

LOVE,

Mommy (= XOXOXOXOXOXOX

my favoritist holiday!!!!

My mom noticed my brother Aaron and I looked like twins!!! Both wearing red and same hair color! (=
Parents in AUSSIE!!! We miss you guys!
PRESENTS! And new jammies!

PJ's

Aaron got off at 1am, I got off at 4am and Brennan got off at 1 or 2 am! So the last two Christmas' have been hard because we all work nights and everyone is still ready to get up at 7am and open presents!

Here are Ivy's new PJ's!!!!!

CHRISTMAS IS MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY!!!!!!!! I LOOOOOVE it! EVERYTHING about it!

my passion!

i decided to go to cosmetology school because i looooved doing updos! and i always hoped i could work on the strip and get lots and lots of brides and stuff.

Well a couple weeks ago while at work (i work in a club) i decided that i needed to promote my hairstyling, so i asked almost every girl why they were in town...hoping to find some brides! it was locals night so i would ask he locals if they knew of anyone getting married, i was really trying to get myself out there, obviously! haha. i was getting tired of asking people and getting weird looks back so i stopped asking, but while talking to a local that is good friends with my co-worker i just decided to ask, "hey, do you by chance know anyone whos getting married? I do hair." she replied, "no, but my family owns a wedding chapel." WHAAAAAT!!!! so i pulled up my hair blog (still in the works.....http://awclothes.blogspot.com/.....) and she loved my work!!! so we exchanged information and two days later her husband called me for an interview!.....I GOT IT! it will be extremely part-time right now but im super excited! they have a list of 5 girls that they call for hair and they said i will be there 2nd girl they call, the first girl owns a salon and is very busy so hopefully with v-day coming up we will get some weddings up in here! im still looking for a normal day job with normal people hours, this night thing is taking a huge tole on my body! but i feel sooooooOOOoooOOOooo blessed about this new opportunity!

here is their link...

http://www.vegasadventureweddings.com/glamsquad.htm

GOALS!!!

in 5 pounds down and have a ways to go, i know i'll get there! Ive been there before!!!......before ivy of course!

THIS IS NOT ME NOW!

this is the me in the near future (well the actual pic is from the past haha but im going back!)

i was 135ish in this picture, i carry weight pretty well so i always weigh more then i look. look out for this girl! cus shes coming back to stay!

up up and AWAY!!!!

A little fun with mommy!!!

Little kids are so easily entertained! And mommy got a nice little leg workout (0=

It's a win win situation!!!

LOOOOOONG ovedue!

Happy 4th of JULY!!!!.....

.

well I'm a little late posting but I just got the pictures.

Since I have been working nights I pretty much miss out on everything and it totally sucks! You'll notice that we are doing fireworks in the daylight/sunset light (=

So happy my mom was in town for this!

these are a few of my favorite things!

I realise that I might get shot for saying this....BUT....I LOVE BEDHEAD MAKE UP.....EVEN MORE THAN MAC! There I said it! Its one of the best things that has ever happened to me!

My bomb-A straightener! Its by Joico, its the K-PAK reconstr vapr iron. You put this oil in the top part and the vapors come out and it actually reconstructs your hair! Its amazing! Dont look at my hair because Im cheap so I use the oil VERY sparingly!
Of course! The make up kit!

The kid! (=

Just some of my loves!

Proud of....ME! THIS IS ONE OF THOSE VENTING BLOGS! REEEEAD MEEEEEE!

My best friend Jen is so awesome! The other day she told me she was bragging about me to somebody, she couldnt remember who she was talking to but she said they were talking about single parenting. She said she was telling them about me and how Im a great mom and how smart Ivy is. That made me feel SOOO GOOD! It made me think a little. I can be VERY hard on myself, I am sure most mothers are like that. I like lots of moms try to be perfect, I wish I was thinner, I wish I could say that I have never given my kid fast food and I make home cooked meals everyday, I wish my hair make up and nail polish was always done...but we arent perfect, we arent supposed to be perfect.

I do work very hard! I am a working mom, I work 7 nights a week. I am also a stay at home mom, Im home with Ivy all day (= Its really great that I can do both! I wont lie, it is exhausting! I dont sleep enough! When I pick Ivy up in the early morning she wakes right up and is ready for breakfast and I am ready for bed.

Jen made me feel so good! Yes, Ivy is smart, I did baby signs with her starting at 6 months old, I work with her a lot and Im always teaching her things. I feel like I am a great mom!!! (= Ivy doesnt want for anything, she isnt missing anything. She is happy and healthy.

Being an LDS single mom is far from easy, I get weird looks all the time! Especially at the sngles ward. Sometimes I think people feel uncomfortable because I am so confidant about being a sinlge mom, I just laugh at them. Like everyone, I have made mistakes, and like most I have learned and I am a stronger person because of them. I refuse to wallow in the past.

I have another friend Anita, who is my moms age she goes to my ward and has been for years, shes practically a member she just needs to quit smoking to get baptized. The other day she told me that part of the RSGC (Relief Society Gossip Circle).....yes I just made that up!.....gossip was going around that I had not been going to church and that I was sleeping at my boyfriends (dont have one) house. Before the lady who was spreading the gossip could even finish Anita cut her off and firmly told her that yes you dont see Ashley at church because she was called as the sunbeam teacher. And she told the ladies that if they want something to gossip about that go find someone else to talk about, "because Ashley has got her head on her shoulders!" BAM! THANK YOU ANITA!!!!

Another friend, Oscar (who actually used to be good friends with my sprem donor but now is my friend because donor is a jerk!) told me once that anyone would be so lucky to have Ivy and I, that really hit me because I have heard a lot of people say that it would take a really good guy to "take on" a girl with a child, I had never heard someone say that he'd be "lucky." Felt good!!!

Im not trying to brag, and definitely not promoting single parenting, I do not plan on staying single forever, I know what I want. When I get married it will be in the temple, one day I will be sealed to my Ivy!!!! (= I am just saying that I am over everyones dummy remarks and stupid looks, I am confidant and I am proud of myself! And that I have wonderful friends!

new do!

A couple months ago I decided to finally chop Ivy's hair! It was getting to stringy and it would tangle easily. I'm sooooo happy I cut it! Here is a before picture.

Here is the back when I finished!!!
I curled it a little


Profile

This is the ideal cut for Ivy! Its SOOOOO easy, after her bath I run a comb through it and it drys just like it is in this picture! Very very easy! YAY! I love a-lines!

thanksgiving....im catching up

i dont have a computer or a working as well as i want camera so i have been slacking on the blog updates...sry

just days before thanksgiving i heard a knock at my door. I was in my tank top and pj bottoms so i wanted just wait for whoever it was to go away, but ivy had another idea. she ran to the front window yelling with excitment. i heard someone outside say, "oh good your here, i'll go get it...." so opened the door and saw brother fiscus who is one of the counslers of my ward, he had a basket of goodies, following behind him was my bishop with a shopping bag. My ward was more than generous, they brought me everything you would need to make a thankgiving dinner! including a card with a marie calenders gift card inside!

ATTACK!

Ok so I work in a club so you can only imagine all the crap I deal with. Drunk people are NUTSO! The other day (well actually a couple months ago) a woman walked into the bathroom and shouted, "I'm a lesbian!" Then she ran into the bathroom to do her business. When she came out she started pointing at other girls and saying, "hot, hot, hot," as if she were playing duck duck goose. I, jokingly asked, "Hey! What about me!" And she ran over and bit and sucked my neck! I mean she jumped on me! YIKES!!! As hard as I tried I could not get her to stop! FINALLY after she stopped and left the bathroom I didnt know whether to laugh, cry, or go get tested for rabies! haha well here is the damage, it definitely doesnt do it justice! I hurt like heck!

winter fun

A couple of weeks ago after Fhe my friends and I decided it would be fun to drive up to Mtn. Charleston. We definitely picked the wrong day to go...there was no pretty snow )= just ICE! but we didnt let that stop us from having a good time. We still went sledding, I'll admit that I only went once because it was too icey and I scrapped both ancles on the first try but I still had lots of fun sliddng down on my butt.

Above is my friend Amber...She was the first to slip on the ice. Most deffinalety NOT the last.

Me and Briana

Butt sliders!

watching the stars

All of us girls

BLACK FRIDAY!

Wacthing all the maddness on the news used to scares me but ever since the year I was pregnant with Ivy we have made it a tradtion for us girls to go shopping. And its very fun! Ive never gone for a TV or anything crazy thank goodness! Mostly just cheap movies and christmas PJ's. This year I was determined to find a to kitchen for Ivy! While going through the ads I found one I really liked but there was no way in he-- I was going to Toys R Us! So I found another one in the Target ad. It was cheaper but I really wanted a nice wood one since it will be sitting out in my livning room most of the time....but I decided on the talking princess kitchen. Ivy spotted it in the ad on Thanksgiving and kept telling everyone she wanted it, so I know she will LOVE it! our first stop was Old Navy. Its tradition to get new PJ's on Christmas Eve so I bought some for Bren, Aaron and myself (= I also found some cute skinny jeans for $15 that will took cute with boots!!! I hope they fit!....there was no way I was waiting in the dressing room line, NOPE! The line was insainely long! Thank goodness everyone that worked there were SO nice!

second, Brit went home to feed the twins and I headed to Wal-Mart. I thought the kicthen was there so I was sad when I couldnt find it )= until I remembered that it was a Target...opps! So I headed to the cheapo movies. They had a good selection! Lots were only $1.98!!!!

thrid was Target, we got there right before it opened. We were surprised at how long the line was, it seemed to go accross the whole fornt of the store, when we got to the back we realised that it was MUCH longer than that! It went accross the whole fornt and then along side of the store! GEEPERS! Once it opened the line moved along quickly. The people were feirce! They pushed and shoved anyone or anything in the way! I saw an older lady get bumped with a cart and I was like aww sad but then she gave a butt head remark so I didnt feel as bad for her. I was happy I found the kitchen and a couple of princess baby dolls for Ivy. These people are nuts! And I guess Im a little nuts for going out but at least Im not CRAZY!

happy halloween!

I took Ivy to the Springs Preserve a couple days before Halloween, shes enjoyed it very much! They had lots of fun games and trick-or-treating but Ivy's favorite was when a local kids dance studio put on a really cool show. It was a freak circus show. The kids were really good singers/dancers. Ivy tried to sneak onto the stage a couple times hahaha (=
She was very afraid of some of the costumes but she saw someone dresses as Elmo and she freaked (with excitement!!!) she begged me to take her to him and I couldn't see where he had gone so I started heading toward the trick-or-tricking spots to hopefully get her to forget about Elmo. But she wouldn't let it go, the whole time we were walking she was calling for Elmo. I spotted a little boy with an Elmo costume on but she was not satisfied. Finally I was able to distract her at at the end of the night she did get to see Elmo (not the same one) again....oh joy!

My friend Nick and I work together so we thought it would be cool to dress up together.....it needed to be low budget but not SUPER lame. I dicided to be a widow, a widow that killed her husband. These pictures are from the night before Halloween, everyone at work dressed for the two nights before Halloween and obiously Halloween night.

Halloween night was very chill for Ivy and I this year. I had planned on hitting up as many houses as possible....so we could get LOTS of CANDY!!! We went near Rhodes Ranch where my sisters best friend lives. About 3 mins before we got there Ivy fell asleep! So I stopped at KFC and tried to get her to wake up and be happy! Its worked!....after a while. So we got there and Ivy was pretty nervous about going up to random peoples houses, which is good I guess. But she'd wake to the door, knock, then turn around and say, "no ones home," and run away (= she got scared at alot of the decorations too. She was VERY good at her "trick-or-treats!" and her, "thank yous!"

So we werent moving at the pace I had planned on so I just decided to chill out and take it easy, she was having fun so the candy was not as important. We went down aout 1 1/2 streets before Ivy told me she had to go potty, luckily we were on the same street were Karen (brits best friend) lived. So we stopped by and asked to use the restroom. They invited us to stay and sit for a while......we ended up staying over an hour, Ivy was having so much fun and I was enjoying sitting back and enjoying the company. I work 7 nights a week so I get TIRED! To say the least (= I had to get going because I had work later that night so David (Karen's husband) said they wanted to be Ivy's last house to go trick-or-tricking at. So they had Ivy and I go outside and knock again, Karens gave Ivy probably ten handfuls of candy! WOW we didnt need to go to anymore houses anyway! After we left there I took Ivy to Brittany's for bed and I went to work. What a great Halloween it was (=

its been a while....

since i have blogged! right now i work 7 nights a week and life is busy busy!

so heres a few pictures of us from the past few months (=

yay FALL!!!!

weirdy face shes making here

mother daughter

i dont know where she gets it!

she is a princess and shes lets me know it EVERYDAY!

sassy little thing! she looks 5 years old here!

new hair (=

sweetest kisses!!!