Free Printable!

It's time for free stuff! One of the things I've been doing for my literary inspired wedding is creating centerpiece/decorative art based upon classic literature quotes. I've come to realize as I've been making all of these that the greatest thing about them is the fact that they aren't part of the usual "wedding junk" that look beautiful on your big day, then sit in the garage or attic until you finally decide to sell them or give them away years later. No, these unique decorative pieces will definitely find a place in my house one day. They are in no way limited to weddings - they can be used just as easily in any room of the house! So feel free to download a copy for yourself today! The PDF below contains a 5x7 of both files. Just print them off, stick them in a cute frame, and you've got completely free (and adorable) new decor!

Click here to download!

Organizing The Beauty Army

I love stuff. It's a sad but true statement. I've found that as I've become more and more obsessed with subscription boxes over the past two years, my beauty supply "stuff" (because it's all so random) needed some major TLC and organization. So, of course I DIY'ed it. Thank you Michaels for your always present 40% off coupons and store sales that turned this project from a costly undertaking into something that only cost $40. Yes ma'am, you read it right!

Where the makeup goes:

The top unit houses all the makeup in organized and labeled drawers, and the bottom holds about half of the awesome bags I've received from my subscription boxes as well as my hair styling tools.

I also cut up cardboard to create better drawer organization for my lipsticks. Love this idea, but too bad 90% of my lipsticks live in a lipstick bag in my purse (if you actually have time to put on lipstick before you're running out the door, I'm very envious of you):

The whole shebang. Notice the rolling station under my makeshift vanity. This too is included in that $40 buy (along with the drawer and bottom unit of the makeup holder) and holds my lotions and mani/pedi supplies.

And one of my favorite Pinterest finds, my necklace holder. Been using this method for three years now, and I don't see it changing anytime soon:

DIY Save the Dates

When I began planning my literary inspired wedding, I realized that exactly what I was looking for just wasn't out there. My solution? Create it myself, of course. So that's exactly what I did for my save the dates a few months ago. I created custom save the dates to match my engagement pictures, printed them (for very cheap) at Staples on their thick cardstock, punched a hole, and added a little twine at the top. All in all, it cost me $20.00 - just the printing price for 25 sheets (100 total - a mix and match of different photos/designs). In fact, I got such positive reception and requests for them, I've opened an Etsy store and am now making them for others! The cost is $20.00 for custom bookmarks made for you. I have lots of different designs to choose from, and will work with you to get the colors/patterns you want. It's a time consuming process, but something I've really enjoyed doing! I know that there are lots of other brides out there like myself who weren't looking to spend the big bucks on every aspe of their wedding, so I'm enjoying helping them out one girl at a time! The link to my Etsy shop is to the right of my home page. If you're interested,please check it out! I'm so in love with my save the dates - every bride should feel like this through out her wedding process!

One of my save the dates: 

The most requested designs from my shop:

$10 Treasure Hunt

One thing you should know about me, I constantly buy books. I do mean constantly - as in multiple times a week. I check the book section in every store I go into. I'm one of those people who constantly change hobbies, but I do have one that has stuck with me since I was in middle school and that is buying books for my future children. Yes, I have been buying books for my nonexistent children for thirteen years now. Their collection is, without a doubt, over 300 books now. Ridiculous, I know. Maybe one day I'll give you a peek into my obsession, but until then you'll be able to pick up on it easily from my weekly book treasure hunts.

More often than not, when I walk into a store with a large book selection, I always give myself a budget. This morning I woke up and visited my small town's library sale. Because I could easily get lost in the thousands of books piled endlessly and spend half my salary on dirt cheap buys, I only took in one $10 bill in my back pocket. Can't go over your budget when you don't give yourself the option!

After an hour of browsing through dusty shelves and conversing with the sweetest old ladies in town (because I'm the only person under 50 years old who frequents this sale every month), that $10 turned into this...

So pleased!

1. The Jane Austen Book Club - one I've been wanting to read for a while!
2. The Pinballs - My favorite chapter book as a kid. I literally jumped up and down when I found this!
3. Daphne Deane - For the wedding...more about that later...
4. Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Changed the World - Highly recommended by my colleagues.
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - A middle school must read for my students.
6. Sharp Objects - I love Gillian Flynn mysteries.
7. What is a Pronoun? - My favorite picture book series for teaching parts of speech.
8. What is a Preposition? - and again...
9. You Wouldn't Want to Work on the Railroad - My favorite buy of the day. Jake is going to love the irony of this with our kids and it's such a cute story that gives the history of railroad workers. It'll easily answer the question "What does Daddy do at work?"

Lip Factory January Subscription Box Review

It's here! I made the executive decision after New Years to expand my subscription box obsession, and have been very impatiently waiting on this gem to arrive.

So ta-da! Here's my new Lip Factory box. For $22 a month, this box is completely worth it (based on my one month of experience + all the research I did on past boxes). This month's box boasted an impressive $71 worth of products. And the greatest plus is that I can actually use every product in the box - which for anyone who dabbles in the subscription box world, you know how this is never a guarantee.

I'll break my box down for you so you can see this month's contents.

I'll say up front that I was really surprised with the size of the box. I only say that because other blogs I follow have made it look larger (impressive photography skills I obviously lack). I was actually happy that it was smaller though because it fit in my mailbox! This was what I found upon opening the box, Happy New Year to me!

The red paper at the top is your information packet that breaks down each product with its price and how to use it - basically what I'll be reciting to you in a minute. The black box is your treasure chest, and its contents are pictured below.

Impressive, right? That's four full size products and one sample. We'll start with the samples first.

This is a set of samples from 29 Preserves Skin Care Collection. Although make up is my favorite

thing to receive in my boxes, I definitely don't mind trying out new skin care products from time to

time. This sample kit rings in at $4 and contains products for "brightening, firming, cellular renewal, anti-acne protection,exfoliating, and moisturizing." Sweet.

Next up we have Teeez Trendy Cosmetics Mysterious Crystal Eyeliner. The shade I received was smokey quartz. The eyeliner also contains a sharpener and smudged, which is perfect for my shade. This has a worth of $16.

I was very excited about the next product, which I'd heard has fabulous wear time. It's a mix between a lipstick, gloss, and shade. The product is Bodyography: Electric Lip Slide worth $19. I can't wait to try this out!

The next product will be no surprise to those of you fellow subscription-istas. I think this is the sixth shade I've received from various boxes over the past year and a half. I'm still a big fan though. This is  The One Stick by Be a Bombshell worth $16. I love using it for blush.

And last not least, another TEEEZ product. This is an eyeshadow palette worth $16. I got a bright blue shade, which is out of my normal natural hued comfort zone, but still fun to experiment with. Based on the two products in this month's box, TEEEZ looks like it could definitely be a fun brand.

Life in the Fast Lane

I'm Ashley. I'm 3 weeks short of 25 years old. I'm an English teacher, which means I'm at least moderately insane because I voluntarily choose to spend my time with 65 seventh graders every day. I'm an avid reader, have a passion for cooking, and lover of all this DIY. On any given day, you'll likely find me in a thrift store if I have a few extra minutes to spend. Oh, and I'm currently planning an entire DIY wedding for this June when I'll be marrying my college sweetheart, Jake. So this my life, and this is my blog. Welcome to the life of a book loving, craft doing, penny pinching, future railroader's wife! Hopefully a look into my constantly changing, always uncertain life will give you inspiration you desire as we try to find stability through out this crazy journey we're about to set out on. As those railroaders say, no matter what comes your way - just keep chugging!