Friday, May 9, 2014

SLAM Poetry-Roller Coaster Love

Summer love a dusty road, the ideal love story between me and you. You see, you came into my life broken. You were broken because you didn’t know what it was like to be loved and I was broken because I all I wanted was someone to care about me.

I needed someone to show that they understood the way I was, that I was acceptable and okay and normal and you gave me that attention. That night in December for the first time you grabbed my hand. You linked each finger between mine and we intertwined. Our lives together had begun and although we would come and go and that one embrace held our future. Because when you would let go I would reach and when I would let go you would come back to me and forever, forever our fingers linked.

Your soft green eyes melted mine and I could read your soul. I could see you broken and undone and longing for love and I wanted to give it to you. I wanted all of you forever. But we were so young and we didn’t know what it meant to be us, to have the love that we have, to share the things we shared, and one night we went for walk along the lake. The moon was bright and its light glowed down on us and you held me in your arms and looked into my eyes and I let you see what was inside.

I kissed your soft lips and you kissed mine and once again we became intertwined, more physical this time though because we lay in the grass and we watched the stars and we knew that this moment forever would be remembered because you were more than just a high school love, you were more than just a hook up, you were a part of me, forever and ever.

We had our good times, we did, but we fought because we cared. And we would yell and scream and not talk for days then we would realize what life was like with out one and another and I couldn’t bare it any longer and I would pick up the phone to hear your voice and we would laugh at how stupid we were and kiss and make up and we were fine.

So fine that I wanted you to commit. I wanted you to commit to just me and although you already did physically and mentally I needed that word that would mean to me you were mine and I was yours but you see you couldn’t give that to me and you told me you were leaving and you would not be back and I couldn’t stand the thought of you gone forever and I would never see you again I thought.

That night you left we hung out with friends and we laughed and we talked and it became the end and I came up to you and gave you a hug and you embraced me for so long I could not give up everything we had or month and months was ending in that moment and I looked into your eyes and you looked into mine and we were hurt and scared and the thought of loosing each other we could not bare and I turned and walked away and you watched me leave and when I turned the corner I felt like someone had killed me. I felt that my heart was gone and I became numb and I got in the car and there was a love song and the tears began to flow and I couldn’t know that this was it and you were gone and my life was going to be done.

You called every day and we text all the time and I wanted you to know that you were still mine but we drifted apart day after day the distance soon got in our way and we forgot each other and forgot each others names and I began to love another and you did the same and we grew up and years went by and we would check in on each other to see how the time had flown by

Then the day came when you would leave again, you in your uniform with a gun in hand. I remember texting you telling you to stay in touch because the thought of loosing you again was just to much and I prayed everyday for GOD to keep you safe and I watched your life through your facebook page and then one day you messaged me you were safe and I we talked for days and days.

After 9 months of dirt and despair and some of your friends lost their lives out there but you returned home with out a single wound and Christmas day was the best Christmas I knew.

I picked you up that night in my car, and I will never forget your smile because it melted my heart and the three plus years of not seeing each other or hearing each others voice became clear that I still needed you in my life and I wanted you there. You got in the passenger seat and your teeth shined so bright, your hair cut short and your voice in the night brought back every memory I had ever had and we talked and laughed and shared our past and couldn’t not believe it had been so long I could not believe you were laying in my arms.

When you kissed me, it felt like my world was safe and the world had stopped for that second so we could embrace and you held me so tight and I hoped you didn’t let go because the safeness I felt was deeper and better than anything I had known and the love I was searching for was suddenly right there and it felt like a dream, a dream that would turn into a nightmare because you left again and this time might be for good and I am back to the exact place I stood where you leave and I wait and some day I hope to see you again


See our love is fate, and like I said before we linked hands but it meant so much more The rest of our lives our roads will intertwine and we will see each other and catch up on lost time and the love we have is real and true and I hope you love me too.

-written in 2009

Monday, May 5, 2014

The Path of The Single Girl - wedding invites..YIKES!


Lets talk about weddings shall we!?
Yes, This is my physically fighting my sister over the bouquet…not my proudest moment lol

I love them! I am a true sucker for love and all the romantic stuff. I think that may be the reason I have dated complete losers of the years, I fall for their witty pick up lines. Every. Single. Time.

Anyway, I love going to weddings. You can expect a full on water works show at every wedding I attend. Regardless if I have known the person for 2 decades or 2 minutes, I just loose it when the bride walks down the isle and the guy looks at her all lovey dovey. If the guy breaks down and cries, its over for me. I go into one of those cries where I can’t breathe and it sounds like I am suffocating.

As much as I love weddings, I hate being single at them. Why? Well duh because everyone is in love and I am sitting by myself. The worst thing about weddings is receiving the wedding invite. Addressed to “Erica Ashley and Guest” UGHHH. I have no guest! Of course I can bring my best friend, but if he attends any more weddings with me people might start thinking we are married.

So upon receiving my most recent wedding invite addressed to “Erica Ashley and Guest” I decided to attend STAG. I know a lot of people there and I don’t want to have my friend pay for a guest that I am not even that into, or that I found using Tinder. Awk. So after telling my mom that I would be attending wedding solo, she had the nerve to tell me…..


TO BRING MY SISTER! LOL WHAT!?


Talk about single embarrassing moments! Hey all! My name is Erica Ashley and I not only am single and couldn’t find/bring a date to this wedding so I brought my sister! It’s like bringing your cousin to homecoming!

I nicely told my mom that as much as I love that younger bundle of joy she brought into the world that she would not be attending the wedding with me. So as of now I am RSVPing Erica Ashley- alone, proud, and ready to take on the world!

Maybe that’s a little to much…

Any great wedding date stories from you all!?


Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Vah-kay-shun

My ability to wake up in the morning has gone from bad to worse. I think I use sleep at least 3-4 times every morning...such a bad habit!

Lucky for me I am only have 1 more morning to wake up before the crack of dawn until I am on my way to Hilton Head! I AM SO EXCITED!

Last vacation I went on was over 2 years ago to the Bahamas with my sorority sisters :)

This Vah-Kay-Shun is the last family one before my sisters get tied down to their significant others (which I am super excited about)! My brave Dad is driving down in a rented Minnie Van (yes we rent a Minnie van for vacations, family tradition) with 4 grown women (good luck to him).

So where are some good places I must go to when I am down there!? I have never been!!


Monday, April 28, 2014

The Path of the Single

It has definitely been awhile! I miss you all and I am so happy to be back. 

Sometimes you just need a break from things to focus on what truly matters in your life. I was in search of finding some special topic to blog about and after much consideration I feel like God has placed a special topic on my heart, the life of being single.

See I am kind of a pro :) 24 and SUPER single, like no one even a mile away in sight single. And although this is a huge struggle for me, it is something I want to share with everyone. The path that a single girl takes. 

There are so many books out there of being single but they all focus on "How to find your future husband" or "10 things to change your single status" but none of those books really focus on the positives of singleness. So thats what I want to do here. I want to talk about all the ups, the downs, the struggles, and the really cool things that all you married couples don't get to do. I would love to have some guests single and married if they want to speak on this topic and I am open to talk about EVERYTHING. So if you have any ideas please share :) 

Since this is opening day for The Path of the Single Girl lets start off with all the the positives and negatives! 




Things that are great:

* You can do whatever you want whenever you want
* You don't have to ask someone if you can go do something
* When making big life decisions you only have yourself to consider
* The opportunities to travel are endless
* Financially, there is only one mouth to feed…its cheap
* I am sure there are others but I can't think of any


Things that suck:

* Being alone
* When you want to cuddle you can't 
* Getting envelopes to all your friends weddings addressed to you and guest..awkward
* The awkward moment at couples night…
* Or the awkward couples dances at weddings
* Or the awkward look you get when you tell others you are 24 and single 

lol these are just for fun, but still kind of true! So what about all you single ladies out there!? What are the best and worst things!? And how about all you married or engaged ladies!? What do you miss about being single and what are you happy about that you no longer have to encounter :) 

I truly have missed all you blogging buddies out there :) I am happy to be back! 


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

You know you're an adult when….

When you buy a bed. Thats right, I bought a bed. Not just any bed but a bed I have been wanting since forever. And since I am an adult now with a real job paying real bills and what not I figure its time to upgrade and get a real life adult bed. 

I can't get a pic of this bed to load so here is the link if you are DYING to see it.

Its truly a dream come true! I am in love and I can't wait to put it together when I move to Houston in August! 

Until then it will sit in a box waiting anxiously to be put together and allow my body to complete many wonderful nights of slumber on it :) 

So besides buying a bed you know your an adult when….

- Buying furniture is not only expensive but super exciting. 

- When you go out with your sorority sisters and turn in at 11pm because its way past your bedtime. 



- Think your a rebel for going to see Divergent on a Monday night at 7pm (P.S. Four is my new boyfriend, I am completely in love)

- You go to bed earlier on a Friday night than any other night in the week simply because your exhausted from a week at work. 

- Live off of coffee and caffeine. 

- Your wardrobe goes from color to pure black (its slenderizing) 

- You advise others to be safe and responsible….okay mom! 



- Get super exited to track all shipment orders on Amazon. 

- Record all TV Shows after 10pm because you will never stay away through the entire thing. 

- When you wake up in the morning from 5 missed texts from your mom that were sent at 10:15pm yet you were asleep and she was awake… 

How do you all know your adults!? 

Friday, March 21, 2014

A change

There are so many changes taking place in my life right now it is CRAZY! God has some BIG things planned for me this year and I am ready to jump on board :)

With life changes come blog changes. I have been really thinking about how I can make this blog me. What can I write about daily that expresses who I am as an individual?

Obviously I write to write and half the stuff I talk about is pointless (thank you readers who comment on posts that mean absolutely nothing to you but everything to me) :) After much consideration I am going to change up this bad boy. I figure that a year has gone by since this little bundle of joy has come alive and its time for it to go through life with me.

So, after I get a whole new design layout, I am going to focus this blog on different teacher/organization tips and tidbits. This isn't going to be a place where ONLY teachers can get ideas, but where anyone who has questions about anything related to organization, work, pens, pencils, planners, etc you name it I will cover it :)

I am so excited to start this journey and although I won't have my own classroom till August, there is so much stuff I can share about preparing myself for the move, packing, planning, etc.

So stay tuned to major changes going on at Erica Ashley's blog, we are doing big things over here!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Great Gatsby and Green

I'll admit, I got my fair share of green bear, irish car bombs, and leprechauns yesterday. I also needed Hot Yoga sunday night to sweat it all out. 

But before we get to the wonderful holiday of green I was able to spend some time with my sorority sisters at our wonderful Formal. This years theme, The Great Gatsby.



Sigma Kappa hosted this years formal at the beautiful Grand Rapids Museum. It was so amazing! They opened up a few exhibits, let us ride the carousal,  and decorated with beautiful lights. 


It was so much fun to see some great friends and get all dressed up like I use to when I was an active member. 




Saturday I was able to go out with some great friends for St. Pattys day! I am kind of in this YOLO stage of my life (yes I used the word YOLO) where I am trying to hang out with as many people as I can before I move as well as participate in any and all local events. So for the big green holiday I went out downtown to a huge block party and had a blast! My only 2 photos from the day :) 




Hope you all had a great weekend! What did you do to celebrate!?