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Backwards N High Heels

Balancing work and play while wearing many hats (I mean heels).

Now I Am Left Cleaning The Mess

September 21, 2017

Article originally published on Her View From Home.

Disclaimer: I wrote this post in May of 2017. I held my breath and hit submit, as I emailed my first piece to Her View From Her Home for consideration. A few days later, the kind, patient and encouraging Leslie Means, creator of Her View From Her Home, gave me a chance at writing. A lot has changed since I wrote this piece; however, this time in my life was a breaking point that changed me. Like a light switch that finally after years of jiggling turned on. This work opened up my blogging networking doors, but it also contributed to the most private messages on any one post I have yet to receive. It is an important message, so I share again this time on here, in the hopes that it will resonate with you.


 Lately, I have felt like the inside of a soda pop bottle. The liquid that swashes and swishes around against the inside of the plastic bottle being tossed around by a swinging hand. A sway to one side and a swoosh to the other before one day the handler grabs the bottle with both hands and furiously shakes it with all their might. The pressure builds. And finally the cap unscrews and I feel all the emotions that have been stirring inside me, spill out all over myself, others and everything I touch.

Now I am left cleaning the mess.

A mess that includes words mumbled under my breath to my husband in frustration, yet he heard; impatience with my two-year-old who just can’t keep up with my mental and physical speed of doing things; shortness with my work department team who bears the brunt of coldness after I return from a stressful meeting; a home that needs dire attention due to lack of time to care for the space; and, my own personal self who feels the weight of the world heavy on my mind and heart.

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1 Comment CATEGORIES // Family, Lifestyle TAGGED: Advice, Backwards In High Heels, Backwards N High Heels, Backwards N High Heels Lifestyle Blog, Motherhood, Parenting, Work Life Balance, Working Mom

The New American Dream

April 29, 2016

Lately I have found myself thinking about the American Dream.

When I think about that term, the image that typically comes to mind is one similar to the image below.

A smiling, well dress, well behaved, quite near perfect looking family. The funny thing is I Googled, “The American Dream Family” and these are the images that popped up.

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Yep, all the same and completely 100% stereotypical, really. The American Dream was ultimately about success. Rising from poverty to defeat all barriers set before them to raise children, buy a home and emerge to a “comfort” status that was once the markings of success, contentment and happiness. The wish to set forth and make a life that was better than your parents. But, even that dream scenario, predates the images pictured above.

The American Dream was about opportunity and more importantly, hard work. It was about getting married, buying a home, starting a family, rising in status (whether that be corporately or socially or both) and living a comfortable life. To me the definition was defined by achieving successes within one’s life.

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Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Family TAGGED: Advice, Backwards In High Heels, Backwards N High Heels, Backwards N High Heels Lifestyle Blog, BackwardsNHighHeels, Being A Mom, Happiness, Mom Life, Mommy Blog, Motherhood, My Definition Of The American Dream, Parenting, Success, The American Dream, The American Dream Has Changed, Wisdom

2 am Confessional

February 17, 2016

It is 2:30 am. And, I cannot sleep.

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Maybe it is stress? Maybe it is the fact that I am fighting sickness? And, maybe it is that cold medicine that I took to fight the sickness, that sometimes has the opposite effect on me?

I have been tossing and turning all night. Waking every half hour and looking at the clock. I actually awoke once and read 12:25 am and instead of my normal feeling of jubilee for more time in bed, more time for shut-eye, I actually sighed like, “Really? Only 12:25?!”

By 2:00 am, the baby awoke from her sleep and cried out for her lost pacifier. I swear yesterday we had 15 in the house, just lying around. Tonight 0. I searched high and low. Literally. Under couches, under beds, finally finding 1. Just 1. Returning to bed, I tossed. Mind racing. I checked Twitter. See look. Proof that at 2:00 am I was reading articles and posting to the web.

Deep down I knew what was happening to me, but I fought it and made excuses for my reckless sleep cycle.

The truth is, I know He is trying to tell me something these days. And, by He, I am referring to God.

I can’t quite figure it out but it hits me and is unlike anything else I can explain.

“Get up and write!” I heard it loud as day in my head.

Fighting to stay in bed, in the warm comfort of my sheets and blankets, I laid there. Squeezing my eyes shut like a child trying to go to sleep. I tossed and turned and fought back, “No, you are crazy. It is 2 am. I cannot get up and  write now?”

“Go write. It will clear your mind.” I kept hearing this over and over in my mind. So, finally, laying on my belly starring at the headboard (gosh, I remember LOVING belly sleeping. I lost that urge when I got pregnant with Lo and had to develop a new sleep structure.) I thought, “If you want me up, get me up.” A few seconds later, Baby Lo started to cry, and cry and cry. Lost pacifier recovery mission part two. Okay, I am awake and up.

So, I did what any normal person would do whose alarm starts at 5:30 am for the day. I made a cup of Chai tea and started to write. Now we are up to speed.

I don’t know what I am doing these days. I don’t understand what I am looking for, but I know I am looking, no, I am searching.

This is all super funny to me right now in a serendipity kind of way, because I stumbled across this picture earlier last evening and posted it on my Instagram feed. (I know two hyperlinks to social accounts. Super sly.)
Inspire_2am-Confessional_BackwardsNHighHeelsI had no idea when it spoke to me earlier that it would be a 2 am topic of discussion. I shared part of my story on Instagram, part of the bigger picture that I still am uncertain of. My nagging feeling. This voice inside my head. Questioning myself, but in a soul searching and not harmful way.

I know He is telling me something, yet I cannot quite put it together. I feel the need to inspire as the picture above so simply states. I feel the need to contribute to society more, yet don’t know how.

We go to church. We pray. We teach our 14 month old to clasp her hands and say “Amen” before every meal. I hold her at night and pray on her behalf and then usually, and honestly, fall asleep each night in the middle of my own prayers, but through all these “good Christian” ways, I never have felt more connected to God, other than Lo’s birth, than I do when I encounter these moments. The moment I know He is speaking to me. The frustrating thing for me is I don’t know what to do. And, I am someone who needs to know what to do.

So, I sit here crying, drinking my tea, questioning even sharing this post and hitting save and closing the laptop and walking away. Maybe just writing is the therapy I subconsciously needed? But, then I think back to 15 – 20 minutes ago, when I heard, “Go write!” And, I think of this yearning to do more, give back, find my purpose in this world, inspire and think maybe someone else is up right now too and needs this? Who knows?

I do not know His plan. I do not quite yet know what He is telling me. These gut feelings that seem to creep in and present themselves.

Maybe these little moments are just little crumbs leading a trail through the forest, and one day I will come out to a clearing and finally see.

All I can do is listen, act and trust in Him.

This tea is mighty fine and calming and I am questioning the cold medicine, but for now, I am going to shut this computer down, hit post and return to bed.

Thanks, friends.

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Wednesday Wisdom

August 19, 2015

Wednesday Wisdom back at ya! I started thinking about this reoccurring post theme and I realized to some of you I may seem like I am trying to tote myself as some mindful human being who walks around giving advice like a martyr. I am not. Honestly, the origin of my Wednesday Wisdom post series came out of pure therapy for me. You see I am a words kind of gal. My love language is Words of Affirmation. So, it is only fitting that when I need a boast in energy, confidence or confirmation that all will be okay, I turn to words.

When I get down on myself, stressed and frustrated I always find myself on Pinterest, thumbs ferociously searching for a quote, a sign, a line or two that make me sigh in relief and even on occasion, cry in hope or exhaustion. My only intent with Wednesday Wisdom is to share with you what I have found inspiring throughout the week.

I don’t know why I am explaining myself. This is my here blog, I do what I want. But, you will also find as you read along with me and my life journeys I tend to put weight on what others think. It truly is a terrible trait.

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Wednesday Wisdom

June 17, 2015

Without getting into too much detail I must say the past three weeks have been like a giant tornado. I feel like I am grasping for items, while trying to stay grounded as the wind comes swirling around me. There have been so many ups and downs and so many tense, stressful, sleepless nights. I have contemplated my purpose, contemplated my worth and contemplated how to do it all and keep everything a priority. Basically, I am complaining right now and basically I am spent. Life is so unpredictable. I know this. While, I whine about the chaos and sadness that has been a part of my life, I am reminded just how lucky and blessed I am.  I know that my crazy, chaos would be welcomed by someone who has it far worse.  When I get super down on myself I look around me. I have a roof over my head, food in the refrigerator, a great support system, a loving husband and sweet, healthy, baby girl. I am grateful. For these things, life is good. No, life is great.

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2 Comments CATEGORIES // Lifestyle TAGGED: Advice, Backwards In High Heels, Backwards N High Heels, backwards n high heels blog, Backwards N High Heels Lifestyle Blog, BackwardsNHighHeels, Pinables, Quotes, Tweetables, Wednesday Wisdom, Words of Wisdom

Wednesday Wisdom

April 8, 2015

It’s back. Wednesday Wisdom coming at ya’.

There is a quote that my Dad often says to me in times of chaos, stress or anxiety. You may have heard it before. It is pretty famous.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

You know you would think after all these years that I would know that when I turn to him out of worry or just to vent he would repeat the words above.  I mean he is a man of few words to begin with so I don’t know why I expect more. Worry and stress never seem to fleet me and yet instead of learning my lesson and just saying those words in my head, because you know, I have them memorized, I still find myself turning to him. Maybe the comfort just exists in hearing his voice say the words.  Yeah, that is it.  I am going to go with that.

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