Hey there sister!

This may be a very informal way to introduce myself but I am going to do it anyway.  HELLO, my name is Ashley and I am just your average tall, blonde girl from the midwest! Some of you reading this have been following me for a while and already know a little about me; and some of you may have just found me through a friend or the explorer page on Instagram.  Regardless of who you are, you all are welcomed and you are loved!

It has been a while since I have introduced myself to you all and explained a little about who I am and what the heck is going on in my life.  In a nutshell here are a few basic facts about me:

• I was born and raised in central Indiana. 
• Michael and I lived in Chicago our first year of marriage. (Chicago is Michael’ s hometown)
• I am 5’11” – haven’t grown since middle school
• I am a math nerd. (I used to teach geometry and algebra)
• I studied business/finance at Indiana Wesleyan University .
• I have been a runner my entire life.  I was a sprinter and mid distance runner in track during college. I also did steeplechase and triple jump.
• I love fitness. HIIT, Running, and Boxing are my favorite types of workouts
• I met my husband, Michael, during college and we have been married for almost 7 years.  (May 19, 2012)
• I am part Native American. (Dad’s side)
• I am 29 years old.
• My maiden name was Perritt
• I am the oldest with two brothers, Alex and Ashton. Alex lives in Indiana, Ashton lives with his Wife in Virginia. 
• All of my sister in laws are natural blondes (Libby, Bridget, and Meghan)
• I attend church at  Harvest Bible Chapel.  My parents helped plant this church and my mama is the director of children’s ministry there. 
• I have a dog named Denver.  He is a catahoula leopard/boxer mix. Denver likes to run with me too.  He can run up to 5-6 miles and still have energy to play.
• I was an account manager and business teacher before I took on blogging full time this past September. 
• I started blogging around Summer 2017.

• I am a 3 on the Enneagram test  Click HERE to see what a 3 is. Click HERE to take the free Enneagram Test.

Who I was growing up: 

I hope you all got a closer glimpse of who I am.  I also love writing about what is on my mind and my friends have been on my mind lately.   I am pretty sure I am the luckiest person in the world.  I have the most amazing friends.  I remember growing up I struggled making friends.  I usually hung out building forts with my brothers friends.  I also was very shy which didn’t help either.  I would be so afraid to say hi to someone and to ask them out to lunch because I would be too afraid they would think I am some weirdo.  I also was a good girl growing up and wasn’t a partier.  I often didn’t get invited to things growing up because I was labeled as the “Christian girl” and I never really did anything bad.

To the girl who can’t seem to find a friend group:

If you knew me in high school you probably would say would probably say that I would be the least likely person to every be a blogger.  My friends were popular, but I definitely wasn’t the main attraction and I kind of did my own thing.  I had friends, but I was never a “clicky” person.  

 I learned  and grew so much since high school because of the friends and mentors that I made in my 20s.  They helped and challenged me to be more confident in who I am and held me accountable during the times I needed it. They taught me how to be a supportive friend, how to pray, how to handle difficult situations and hard conversations, how to cook, how to travel, how to take risks, and much more.  It is very important to surround yourself with people who genuinely celebrate you and fill you.   It doesn’t matter the quantity of friends, but the quality of friends in our lives.  It also doesn’t matter how long you have been friends either!  Some of my dearest friends I have only known for less than a year.  I am beyond thankful the amazing women God has blessed me with.  To those women who are reading this, I love you! To the women who feel like they don’t have a community of friends in their life, there is hope and if you are yourself, the right people will be drawn to you. The biggest advice I have received is that 100% of the solid friendships you make in life are the ones that you pursue. 

Why I started blogging:

I cannot give you the exact reason why I started blogging.  I have always been into creating, learning, and building community.  I took a few photography and graphic design classes in the past and had always loved art and one of my biggest goals was to start my own business.  I also love connecting with people in all areas of life.  Blogging seemed like the perfect space for me to do all of those things at once. 

The biggest reason why I started blogging is that I wanted to create a space for all women to feel welcome and loved.  Women can be so hard on each other with comparison and their own self image.  I want my blog to be a relatable space where we can support and lift each other up.  I also want you all to know that I struggle to with my own issues. I have night wheres I cry, moments where I don’t like the way I look, and moments where I totally mess up.  I want to let every women out their know that they are not alone and that there is hope and that I have cellulite too.

HEW, THAT GOT A LITTLE DEEP. BEFORE I LEAVE I WANTED TO SHARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS RIGHT NOW:

• Favorite artists: Johnny Swim, Drew Holcomb, NeedtoBreathe, and Taylor Swift
• Favorite Comfort food: Pizza and strawberry or cherry chip ice cream
• Favorite healthy snack: popcorn or sugar snap peas with hummus
• Favorite state: Colorado (I bet I would like California, but I have never been there)
• Favorite Season: Summer DUH!!
• Favorite Beauty Product: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer and BeneFIT Bang Mascara
• Favorite Lipstick: Mehr Matte by Mac
• Favorite Hair Tool: T3 Micro 1.25 or 1.5 clip barrel
• Favorite skincare product: TULA! (Get 20% off with code TALLBLONDEBELL)
• Favorite TV Show: Friends (I am also a sucker for the Bachelor)
• Favorite Drink: some sort of green smoothie or a honey latte
• Favorite place for tall jeans: Madewell (high rise skinny in the taller size)
• Favorite place for swimwear: Aerie (they have tall sizes in one pieces too)

Outfit Details:

Covered head to toe in VICIDOLLS.  Get 20% off your entire purchase with code TALLBLONDE20