Quarter of a century & life lessons for the 50 year old self.

How does time go by SO incredibly fast? It seems like it was just yesterday where I was a care-free 18 year old running around on the beaches of Cancun only just beginning to discover life's infinite possibilities, blissfully unaware of the life-long changes that would very soon be taking place.
You thought you were soooo cool. Where was I headed exactly? No clue, but I was happy with the unknown. And in many ways, I still feel that same way. The only difference is now, I am approaching the mid-twenties, and wow is it not what I expected it would be. I wonder if there are many people out there who are exactly where they thought they would be approaching the big 2-5. Career path- sorted. Married or engaged- sorted. Kids already, or in the very near future- sorted. EVERYTHING FIGURED OUT- SORTED. Does this really even happen? I hope I am not the only one who HASN'T figured ANY of that out...yet!
In many ways, I still feel like I am just starting out in my journey. It has after all taken me this long to figure out exactly what I want to do (career-wise) and many times over, I still question myself, is this REALLY what I want to do? Most of the time its a yes that I tell myself but other times I still doubt myself. After all, how can you be 100 percent certain you are ever on the right track?!

I am still that same dreamer I always was as a stringy haired 10 year old except hopefully a little wiser.. I believe.. You are NEVER too old to have BIG DREAMS. All you gotta do is GO FOR THEM.
Well I thought I would write myself some goals for this year and also a letter to myself exactly 25 more years from now. I am so scared to be turning 25, I know I should embrace it and all that, after all I am not old or anything, BUT the years keep flying by so fast! Going to sleep every night lately and having mini freak-out thoughts of "OMG... 25.. that's not 18 anymore or anywhere near it.." "Where am I going?" "Is all this hard work and studying in fashion going to pay off?" "When is my career path going to begin?" "WHERE WILL I END UP?" And maybe if I had everything exactly set out as I imagined I would at the age of 25, I wouldn't be so terrified.. Geez! If I am this bad now, I wonder what I will be like when I turn 30.. Ok..enough talk about numbers, what do they really mean anyway...

Goals for this year:

Graduate from AICD

Intern or gain as much industry work experience as possible (no matter what city this takes me to)

Begin the early stages of sourcing fabrics/suppliers/manufacturers for the 'ARAE' swimwear label

Come up with a fabulous business name

Travel to a place I have never been to

Tone up! and get professional photos done for my '50 year old self'

Create my own textile prints for swimwear and beach bags

Register a domain name to get a website up and running

Be a part of something amazing

More to come

....Letter to my 50 year old self

         Dear Alexa,
Happy Birthday!!! You are 50!!! And still looking fabulous. I hope you have made it this far. I know how you loved to party and live on the edge in your younger days... Actually, you probably still do, who am I kidding? Well, on a more mature scale of course.. :wink face:
I'm sure the years have just flown by and it seems like yesterday you were writing this letter. Thoughts and feelings 25 years ago? Scared. Uncertain. Immature. Excited. Doubtful. Positive. Hopeful. (to sum it all up)
Don't get discouraged if you have a mini freak-out on this day as well. 50 is a big milestone, but you should always be proud of yourself because you always tried your best. I really hope by now you know exactly who you are, and that is a bright, caring, loving, independent, intelligent young woman. You have no doubt learned this from one of the best examples you could, and that is your mom. Which I'm sure you have passed on to your children as well. When you were 25, you wanted to do SOOOO many things. I hope you did them. If you didn't that's ok too, it just means it wasn't the right path or maybe something better was meant to happen. You wanted to have your own swimwear label, you wanted to work for Beach Bunny, you wanted to someday live in Cali to be closer to your family, you wanted to have a family (in your late 20s), you wanted to live on the beach, you wanted to get a puppy, you wanted to do more traveling, you loved to sing, loved new adventures and loved meeting new people. You knew who your true friends were then as I'm sure you do now, and know the ones that didn't make it to the next chapter and why. Remember, everything happened for a reason.
At 25, you were passionate about health and working out but still wanted to have a good balance of having fun and letting loose. I'm sure that trait is still there. You were an American Girl living in AUSTRALIA, and have seen so many amazing and beautiful places.You may or may not still be living there, which was a second home and a place part of the heart will always be. Who knows where life took you?... You were only just figuring it all out and discovering your true self at the tender age of 25. Life happens when you're not expecting it. Let it happen. People will always be jealous of other people's carefree and positive spirits, let them be. Stay outspoken and stay strong. They are the ones losing in the end. Haters will hate, f* em! (You probably already told them to anyway)
ALWAYS BE YOURSELF. If anyone tries to change you, they shouldn't be in your life.
I hope you are still passionate and full of life, and never for one second, got discouraged with who you are or where you were going as a person. Life is scary but it is also a wonderful ride. And you still have MANY more years ahead to come. Enjoy them and enjoy each and every moment. Time may have passed too quickly to comprehend, but you are not the only one! No time is ever wasted. Your loved ones are always with you, if you have lost some along the way. You will see them again some day, until then they are always in your heart and soul.
And don't get frightened by the wrinkles that may be appearing on your face either, or the grey hairs which who knows when they even started appearing; and who knows in this day and age you are living in, you probably still look like you did 25 years ago by some miracle cream in a jar?! If not though, just remember, they are signs of wisdom, knowledge, strength, and BEAUTY. Something nobody can ever take away from you.

FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. SO ARE TRUE FRIENDS. LIVE WITH PASSION. ALWAYS BE YOU. THATS ALL YOU CAN DO. AND ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU FEEL IN YOUR HEART IS RIGHT, and you can never go wrong.

Love Always,

Alexa Rae Ashley

 



I like baking.

Cooking healthy that is! Not to mention I'm obsessed with the millions of healthy recipes on Pinterest. I swear I will get around to all of them one day.

I wanted to share a few of my favorite recipes with my friends and family to try. Ive always been really into healthy cooking/baking. Ive found that you can really turn ANYTHING from being naughty and off limits, to healthy and fulfilling.

One of my favorite snacks are no bake cookies (popular in America, no Aussies have ever heard of them so I have kindly introduced this to them)
Basically a peanut butter oatmeal chocolate cookie. Normally made with copious amounts of butter and sugar. However I have changed around a few ingredients and also added some protein in for extra fulfillment.
TRY IT..... although, WARNING- you may eat an entire batch in one sitting.

HEALTHY NO BAKE COOKIES

Ingredients:

Cocoa powder (2 heaping tablespoons)

Coconut Oil (1/2 cup)

Natural vanilla whey protein (2 heaping scoops)

Natural sweetener (1 cup)

Natural peanut butter chunky (3/4 cup)

Vanilla Essence (1 teaspoon)

Quick Oats (2 1/2 cups)

Almond milk (1/2 cup)

Wax paper

In a large saucepan, bring to a boil sweetener, cocoa, coconut oil, and almond milk. Let boil for 1 minute, then mix in peanut butter, vanilla, 2 scoops protein powder, and oats.

Spoon out teaspoonfuls onto sheets of waxed paper, layer in tupperware container if need be. Mixture may seem as if it is not sticking together but once hardened they will. Put container straight into fridge for a couple of hours until hardened!

New Challenge:: Transforming myself

I am in a bit of a transition stage at the moment. I dont want to waste anymore valuable time. I know I am still young but these years are passing by in the blink of an eye. I really just want to do something GREAT in life and set goals and achieve them. I have realized it truly doesn't even matter what I end up doing. I may never get famous or I may never get rich, but as long as I can make a positive difference somehow, on a daily basis, learn to live each day with passion, be abundant in true happiness, love, and have the beauty of the world all around me, thats all I need.

The getting there is the hard part, but it is true that it is the getting there that is challenging yet exciting as it is all a part of our journey. Because once you are there, you have to set yourself new challenges and goals.

I have decided to challenge myself like never before- in entering a real Fitness comp!
So scary yet exciting at the same time. I would never have seen myself doing this ever before because I never wanted to push myself to its limits, didn't really ever see any reason for it but after doing a bit of research, I have been very inspired lately to do so. It scares the living hell out of me knowing I am getting up on stage being judged by my body, but it will only make me work even harder.
After all what is 3 months compared to a life long positive change of learning self-discipline, learning the importance of goal-setting, trying your very best to achieve them and working hard to reap amazing benefits. I am so excited for this experience.
It will be soo tough for me, especially because I am not a person who likes to diet at ALL. I love my food and especially my sweets. BUT what keeps me motivated and going every day are the RESULTS that I will see. It will be amazing to see how hard you can push yourself physically and mentally!
I hope to look back on this someday and be very proud of myself and what I achieved.

Its the 2nd week into this diet of preparation. And I am doing pretty well, trying hard not to complain although sometimes you want to scream and throw a tantrum on any diet I suppose ha ha. Learning patience and preparation is key. Any time I think about reaching for a snack or something not in my diet plan, even just wanting to add a dash of milk to my coffee.. I think twice and remind myself it is not worth it to ruin all my hard work. So I skip it. Which is something I used to not be able to control! Ive found myself not really being hungry like I thought I would be, so that is definitely a plus.
Since nearly two weeks ago, I have already lost 2% body fat, and nearly 1kg. That is great for my size and I am so excited to keep going and see where I will be in 1 month-2 month-3 months time!
And let me say, protein shakes are my new best friend. I get three a day. Mmm!


Little reminders to myself.....

DON'T COMPLAIN (or at least try not to)... JUST DO IT.

Each day counts. And each day brings you closer to your goals..

Push yourself, body & mind, to its LIMITS.

Things will get easier.

FACE YOUR FEARS.. It will all be worth it in the end.

I know there are a lot of people who will think I don't need to be doing this and why am I doing this when I am already healthy, I don't need to diet and all of that..There is nothing wrong with wanting to be your very best self- And wanting to challenge yourself to reach your maximum ability. I know I am healthy-ish for the most part, maintaining a semi-healthy physique not trying too hard or really pushing myself to the limit, BUT I just want to see what happens when I DO my VERY best and restrict myself, and give it all that I've got, to get to that next level!

Favorite Mid-Week Article Reads.

35 is the new 25.

Fashion duo behind Sass & Bide reveal their secrets to Success. Capital S-uccess.

Chantelle Lingerie

Word's out about the World's Best Beach

Style/Fit-Spirations

STYLE Inspirations/ FITspiration

If I had all the money in the world, I would buy both these women's wardrobes.

SI 1:

Victoria Beckham

Doesn't necessarily follow trends, she makes her own.

 SI 2:

Nicole Ritchie

Love the boho glam look.

 

FITspiration:

Jamie Eason

I've always been pro-taste, and all for the saying "eating healthy doesn't have to be boring and tasteless." In fact, it not only tastes, but feels even better to know you what you are putting in your body is healthy and good for you. And these protein bars are a perfect example of that. Honestly, one of the tastiest, healthy baked item I have ever made! Everyone must try, even if you are trying to be healthy or not, these are a delicious snack/breakfast/or even dessert for anyone. So good, and good for you.

Baking and preparing your own food is one of the best ways I have found to monitor what you are actually putting in your body, and cooking my own food has always helped me lose/maintain a healthy weight/physique. Its when I stop caring to prepare, that I feel I start gaining.

I love cooking/baking healthy and I can't wait to experiment more with making & creating my own things from pure & natural ingredients, according to my own tastes!

These were just toooo good. Had to share. I'll warn you though.. It may be hard to eat just two.. Which is one serving size.

Thanks Jamie Eason, for the amazing recipes from the Live Fit Plan!

Get Lean Eat Clean: Carrot Cake Protein Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour (or organic spelt flour)

2 scoops vanilla whey protein (all natural if you can find it)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

4 egg whites

3/4 cup Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal Xylitol

8 oz baby food carrots

4 oz water

Ahhhh-mazing.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (180 C)
2. Mix flour, whey protein, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
3. Mix egg whites, Splenda, baby food carrots and water (optional) in a bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
5. Spray glass pyrex dish with non-stick butter spray.
6. Pour ingredients into dish.
7. Bake 20-30 minutes.
   Makes 16 squares, 2 squares per serving. About 100 calories for two.

Live, Dream, Do, CREATE. It is NEVER too late to go for your dreams.



I love sharing my goals, dreams, and hopes for the future with my loving family and friends who support me no matter what.

Ever since I could remember, I always had BIG dreams. Growing up, everyone would say "well now you have to think realistically because that only happens one out of a million times..." as people still continue to always say. I never listened.

I knew that if I believed it, I could achieve it! As challenging as it can be sometimes when it seems like you are doing your best and nothing seems to be happening, it is tough not to lose your faith.

After making this big move to Australia and after 3 years later.. Ive finally realized. I dont want to let all of these hopes and dreams I had once just slip away. Any talents I may have, any passions that lie within me, I need to utilize and put out there into the world. If you never try, you will never know. And I never want to live years from now with any kind of regret about the things I DIDN'T do.

Singing was always one of my passions as I grew up with it being a big part in my life but when I turned 18, I went to college and tried to find a "realistic" career path to fall back on instead. I sort of lost those dreams and left them behind.
You have to go with those little nudges and signs that you may get in order to give yourself the kick in the ass that it may need to get into GEAR and GO. I have had a little nudge from within telling me to just DO it and try it, and see what happens. It may go places it may not. But at least I will be putting a piece of myself out there and making a creation no matter how big or small it may be.
Music is something I have always wanted to create; singing is a talent I have been given and I want to use it to make some sort of difference whether it is to inspire others or even just for myself. You can always hear it in the songs and the emotions behind them.
Its a hobby I hope to never leave behind again. Its all about finding the time to do it! As adults, our minds get so crowded these days with "reality" which is why a lot of the time, we forget to keep dreaming and therefore create NEW dreams.


Being fit and healthy is another thing that is on my list. There is nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself and what you have. It is all about a change in lifestyle. I loove organic and natural foods because they just make you feel better physically and emotionally. If you are too busy putting awesome things into your body that are so good for you, you won't want to go wrecking it with eating crap foods and consuming other harmful things that only make you feel slumpy and gross in the long run (although there is a time and a place for that at times! haha) There is a point I want to get at in my life where my entire cabinet and products, everything I use, are all natural with no harsh chemicals. I have done a lot of reading and research to find out what the difference is and it really is amazing what these things can do for you if you start now with taking care of yourself and ridding yourself of all the harm you have done to yourself in the past. The body's organs are always repairing themselves so when you begin to put the right things in it- even its just starting out obviously doing more good than harm, within a few years if you do your best to take care of it, you can essentially have new, fresh organs!
Ohhh I wish Whole Foods would come to Australia..... actually that might not be a good idea because good chance that is where all my money would be going.. :)
I have decided to make another goal, one of many this year to challenge myself and enter in a fitness model competition. Through this, I believe it will teach me self-discipline, more motivation, more of a drive to succeed, and show myself that with hard work and effort, I CAN do it. Reading so many motivating and inspiring stories about people out there who have completely transformed their bodies and had much more work to do than I myself could ever imagine, really makes me just want to GO for it. If THEY can do it, then I can. It will be tough and very challenging to stick to, but I can reap amazing benefits and rewards. I want to test myself and see just how hard I can push myself...

Fashion buying is something I have recently had a massive interest in. The wholesale side of things is very cool and I don't think I could ever do retail again. It is great experience for the industry but its just not for me. I don't enjoy it at all and I am not a seller, I am and always will be, a buyer :P
My first step in getting my feet wet is begining classes in order to learn the job, what it entails, how to break into the industry and so on. Fashion Marketing is something that ties into so many things. Every brand out there, anything you wear, how you express yourself, fashion trends that eventually make it into your shopping bag, ultimately SOMEONE out there picked that look for you, that got it into the stores in the first place. And this is such a cool concept to me and I can't wait to learn more about it. Who knows if it will be my avenue or not, but at this age, that is what I am trying to figure out. Nothing is wrong with putting yourself out there, learning about your interests, and seeing where it leads! Its a very exciting process.

Some girls love shoes, but I have a swimsuit/lingerie obsession. If I had it my way and had all the money in the world to spend, it would honestly probably make up 75% of my wardrobe.
I have dreams of someday creating my own swimwear/lingerie line. I used to draw and sketch when I was younger so it has always been something in the back of my mind to strive for. Learning the wholesale side and gaining experience in the Fashion Marketing industry can only help and inspire me more. Combining two of my absolute favorite "extra spends" Lingerie and Swimsuits with my name on it with a classy, sassy, unique, and sexy touch, would be an absolute dream come true!

The kind of lifestyle I have always wanted to live, is just within arms reach. I am basically already living it right now as again when I was younger, I always pictured myself living in a big city on my own yet close to the beach... One day... I will live not only near, but ON the beach.. How awesome would it be to look out and see this view every day...

MAJOR motivation to succeed!

Things are in the works.. Its all a process. Slowly but surely. If you just do things your way, believe in yourself, and stay motivated then no doubt things will start changing and happening in your favor.
If you don't like your current circumstances.. work as hard as you can to change it... that is what I am working on at the moment.. Creating the life I could only ever imagine!

Everything rolled into one.. There are soooo many things I want to do in this lifetime. And one day, I hope to be doing them all at once.

It IS possible.... I have to remind myself daily to just keep the faith.

XO
ALEXA RAE



Today is the day.

Be Grateful.

Simple sentence- yet so many forget how important it is. I am currently reading about five different books at the moment.. Who knows when I will find time to finish them as they are all amazing books about true happiness, finances, very inspiring stuff which is always what I am into; however one of them is all about the magic of GRATITUDE, and it points out so many things that we forget to be grateful for on a day to day basis.
The main point it says that when you're grateful, that is putting yourself on the highest frequency to align yourself with all of the things that you are wanting within your life and when you are not grateful, you attract the negative circumstances that you keep complaining about over and over as "not having enough". It is such a simple concept, that makes perfect sense. It is only when you are truly grateful for what you have RIGHT NOW, that you will begin to be showered with things that you can't even imagine because you thought they were too far out of reach, and amazing things can happen within your life.
Stop complaining about not having enough- but be grateful and happy for what you already have.
It is tough sometimes to stay grateful and positive, I know trust me some days all I want to do is kick and scream like a child if things don't go my way, but its soo important to just stay patient, and look at the big picture.
Be grateful for all things around you that we forget to give thanks for on a day to day basis.
The people, your family, your friends, your home, your bed, your city, car, food, money in your account (even if its just $10, it is still $10 more than many people out there who have nothing, or are negative in $$!), your job (which is another big one for many people). And even if it isn't your "ideal" or "dream job". Picture it as if it was- as if you are living your dream life RIGHT now.. As hard as it is to picture, you really do feel absolutely amazing once you live it in your mind as opposed to your current reality. Its not something I have fully mastered myself yet as it is difficult sometimes to switch the notion that you really are capable of doing anything- but sharing a simple concept with others I think is a great way to shift the normal thought process.
You are never "stuck" in your current reality and you can always change it if you want to. We really do have the power within ourselves to do anything we desire. It doesn't matter how big or ridiculous it may sound to others. If you hate your current circumstances, CHANGE it.

Inspiration from "The Magic"-


                                                         Always believe in yourself.

YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD, AND IT IS NEVER TOO LATE, TO GO FOR YOUR DREAMS AND DESIRES.

Even if nobody else out there in the world does- if YOU believe you can do things in your own unique way, then do it. Don't listen to anybody else unless they give you a positive influence or positive constructive criticism. Sometimes people do need a bit of a kick in the ass to get going again but be sure to give yourself a kick before anyone else does! If someone is forcing things on you, its going to make you want to resist doing anything at all. Setting goals really is a great way to successfully achieve things. I have never really been major into specific "Goal Setting" however recently I have decided to do so and once you make that decision, it really does feel great. Whether you write it down or paste it onto a vision board or just surround yourself with pictures that inspire you, knowing you have set things in motion to achieve at your own free will and at your own desired pace really is an awesome feeling. This year, in my mind I have set some amazing things that I want to achieve within myself. If I don't achieve them right away, I just have to keep reminding myself not to get discouraged or disheartened because if I just make sure to keep my faith and keep trying, magic always happens one way or another.
BELIEVE even when things are looking down and you may see you have no way out. Even if there is absolutely NO way you may think you can, there is ALWAYS a way.

A few of my favorite quotes:

"Follow your bliss, and the Universe will open doors where there were only walls."

"See the things you want as already yours. Know that they will come to you at need. Then let them come. Don't fret and worry about them. Don't think about your lack of them. Think of them as yours, as belonging to you, as already in your possession."

...and don't ever let anybody tell you that what you are doing ISN'T enough. If you are trying your best and keeping your spirits up, and doing the best of what you know and what YOU believe. Then that is ALWAYS enough.

LOVE like every day is your very last.

For we never know what is in store for our tomorrow. This very subject is what inspired me to write this entire blog, and start writing them again as often as I am inspired.
If I myself, can inspire at least one person through my own experiences to take some kind of action, then not a day goes by wasted. Yes we hear this kind of stuff all the time things like "live to the fullest" or "love like you never have loved before", but sometimes never think to actually act upon as IF today was our last. We think about it and it registers, but then we get distracted by our daily worries and the mind goes on auto-pilot again. It isn't fair that sometimes it takes great tragedy or losing someone to jolt us back to reality that we cannot take the people in our lives for granted. Everyone has a different path and it sucks whenever life takes unexpected turns and people that you thought would always be there, turn out to be gone in an instant. Some people may return, but other times, they never will get the chance to.
We always tend to take soo many little things for granted even in people that are so important to us and the phrase is true you don't know what you really have, until it is gone. But I think, it doesn't ever have to be that way if you make sure to tell your loved ones every day how much you love and appreciate them being a presence in your life. Not only tell them- but most importantly show them.
Don't sweat the small stuff- there is a much bigger picture than that. Don't get mad at stupid little things, because they are just not worth it. Life really is TOO short to have resentment or hold grudges, and who knows when our journey will end. Tomorrow is never certain. Always tell the ones you love, how much you LOVE them and how much they mean to you! No matter how much they may annoy you or piss you off at times.. Get over it. Move on and up. What people in your life may have done or what YOU yourself have done that you may regret, keep working at yourself every day and no doubt it will get better; so forget the past, don't dwell on what you cannot change/ have no control over, and look forward to the future. Never wait until the day comes, that it may be too late.

xxx