A-Z of Miss Directions

A is for Ashleigh.
Because that's my name. You can call me Ash if you like, welcome to Miss Directions!

Hopefully this A-Z will help you to learn a bit more about who I am and the stuff I like. If there is anything else you would like to know, please email me or add a comment below :-)

B is for Blogger.
Which I obviously am.

I can quote myself from my first blog post here...

"So my reasons for wanting a blog are rather typical. I'm not happy with the direction my life is heading but I'm not sure how to change it. Or where I'd rather it went."

Two(Three) years later and I have had some big changes in my life, mainly moving to Melbourne and a new job (and back to Brisbane again). Still hoping to have a lot of changes and new directions to blog about in the future. In the meantime, I'll post about my trivial daily life, outfits, nail polish and shopping....(though lately it's just renovations).

I don't really fit into a blogging niche either. I'm not particularly funny or witty and have a hard time sounding anything but dead serious when I write. I am honest though, I'll always write what I think and reveal a bit more about myself than I probably should. I tend to type my thoughts and leave out the editing process...

C is for Chocolate.
Chocolate is my vice, I don't drink alcohol or smoke or 'do' caffeine so I don't feel guilty about it. That's the theory anyway.

I prefer milk chocolate at room temperature but if you're offering I'll take it any way it comes. I eat too much of it but I think most women probably do.

This picture is from a day of 'cooking' Christmas slices with some younger cousins. I don't appear own any other pictures of chocolate, I assume because if I have it in my hands I am eating it, not photographing it...

D is for Dearest.
Since 'B is for Boyfriend' would eventually be replaced by 'H is for Husband'...on this blog I call him SJ. We live together and he cooks me dinner almost every night. He's also a pretty keen cyclist.

If you want to read about how we got together then click away.


E is for Entertainment.
Other than the things I have mentioned elsewhere in this A-Z, I enjoy spending time at the beach (not in the middle of the day though!) and supporting the Brisbane Broncos (NRL for all you southerners). I enjoy getting away whenever I can too, though my budget doesn't allow for much at the moment, SJ and I do go camping from time to time.

And of course, I spend more time than I should watching television.

F is for Family and Friends.
My parents, my sisters, a giant extended family and a bunch of friends who I would do anything for.
This is me with Mum, one of our first ever cuddles.
I also have three younger sisters who I would be lost without.
My sisters are MissE (2 years younger), MissT(3 years younger) and MissC (6 years younger). My parents were busy!
I have plenty of friends who won't be making an appearance on this blog unless I have told them about it. So the only one you will regularly hear about is MissA. She and I met on a Contiki trip through Europe many years ago and have been best friends ever since. I'll was Maid of Honour at her wedding, November 2013.

G is for Giraffe.
My favourite animal. One day I will get to Africa to see them in the wild and not just in zoos.

In the late '90s I was on a tv game show ('Now You See It') and they introduced me and stated my favourite animal. When I walked out and my height became apparent it was considered rather amusing by the audience. Thankfully I have grown a little since then, to a grand height of 5"3.


H is for Hair.
I can be a little precious about my hair, it's rather long (about waist length with it's longest layer, depending on how long it's been since my last cut) and naturally blonde/red. I don't tend to do much with it styling wise and I wash it too frequently (almost every day) but I'm generally pretty happy with it. It makes frequent appearances on this blog.

I is for Instruments.
When I was 4 I decided I wanted to play the violin after seeing a string group performing in a shopping centre. My mother told me I might be allowed if I learnt to play the piano first. I started playing the piano aged 5 and the violin at aged 7, 'upgrading' to the viola as a teenager. I had lessons for both (and orchestra etc.) until the end of high school and have barely played either since.

For my 20th birthday my parents bought me a guitar, which I started to teach myself to play and still haven't gotten very far. I should cut off all my finger nails and get into it again.


J is for Jewel.
The singer-songwriter not the sort you wear, though like most girls I'm a big fan of diamonds.

My music tastes are pretty mainstream except that I'm a fan of pop-folk-country-rock music...I own nine Jewel albums plus a few by the Dixie Chicks and Taylor Swift.

I'm open to most genres and have a lot of friends who like to 'expand my tastes', but on a bad day, I always go back to something just a little bit country.


K is for Klutz.
I run into things all the time and lack co-ordination. I was never great at sports growing up and I've always (even now) got bruises up my legs from bumping into things. And on my arms, not sure where those come from though.

Riding to work (in Sept 2011) I managed to fall off my bike and dislocate my elbow. As would be the case, I was riding super slowly and knew I was going to fall. I wasn't worried but stuck out my arm to break my fall...and my elbow popped. I still don't have full extension in that arm (but it's as straight as it's going to get) and it's noticeably weaker than my right. Oh and now I'm one of those old people who gets aches when it's cold!

L is for Literature.
I like books. I read almost anything and everything. I used to think I liked everything but science fiction and fantasy, but I'm into those now too. Romance/fluff/girly books are my go-to when I want to read something quickly to zone out and at the other end of the scale I like non-fiction science/how things work/travel books a lot....and, well, everything in between.

My mother used to punish me as a child by taking my books away from me and I always got in trouble on road trips for having my head in a book and ignoring the scenery.

This isn't my whole collection by the way. Just the ones I had on my bookshelf in Melbourne, seemed silly to fill my tiny apartment with the rest.

M is for Melbourne.
Where I lived from May 2011 to December 2013.

Melbourne definitely grew on me while I lived there, I wasn't a huge fan before that. I love all the little terrace houses and the laneways and shopping at the Queen Vic Markets (definitely miss those markets). I love the European influence of a lot of the architecture (the Royal Exhibition building is my favourite). I even love the trams.

I don't like the cold. Or the rain. Or the wind. Those things I was happy to leave behind.

N is for Nail Polish.
I like to paint my nails.My favourites are Red (OPI Big Apple Red usually) and French (using OPI Alpine Snow). I have been a little more creative of late, but Red and French generally match my outfits best.

O is for Outspoken.
I'm normally not afraid of speaking my mind and sharing my honest opinions on everything. I enjoy a good debate (and can occasionally admit I'm wrong) and like getting fired up. I like proper debating too and public speaking, but don't have as many opportunities now I'm away from academia.

I don't have any photos of me debating or speaking, unless you count those bad candid shots where your mouth is half open...so this is me, probably about to express some sort of feelings about being stuck in the sand...


P is for Photography.
I have a bit of an interest in photography, even buying a DSLR (Canon 50D) a few years ago. I like playing with contrasting and light but really haven't experimented enough. Most of the photos I take for this blog I take with my camera phone, my DSLR is too big to carry around most of the time.

I would like to get into time lapse photography (I have a fancy tripod and remote) but haven't yet had the patience.


Q is for Queensland.
Where I've spent most of my life, I grew up between Brisbane and the Gold Coast and love them both almost equally. I love the casual Queensland lifestyle and the attitude of most Queenslanders, and the weather is almost always gorgeous. What's not to love?

R is for Red.
My favourite colour. Red definitely not Pink.

I love it for shoes, nail polish and clothes...everything really. My home has flashes of red everywhere and my favourite flowers are roses and tulips (red, obviously). I also love apples and tomatoes. Oh and my fish was red too, though he was named 'Blue' just to be different.

S is for Shoes.
Shoes are my favourite part of fashion, I tend to wear a lot of heels as I am vertically challenged. I think shoes really make an outfit, great shoes and a $20 dress is still a great combination. I definitely prefer shoes over handbags too, though I would like a better collection of those too...oh and I'm a size 38 if you're looking for my Christmas present.

T is for Travel.
I would love to call it a 'hobby' but I really don't do it often enough. I have been lucky enough to travel to Europe and New Zealand as well as seeing a significant amount of Australia. Still so many things on my list, I hope I have the chance to see them one day.

U is for Understated.
I think that’s how I’d describe my style. It's a little boring, I prefer shades over colours and don't find myself drawn to many patterns. I have been trying to wear a bit more colour (I find it easy to wear red and blue at least) but have a tendency to be matchy-matchy. I'm just not comfortable if I'm not co-ordinated.

I don't really have style icons but I admire anyone who looks put together, classy and classic. I have yet to dislike anything Kate Middleton wears, but I suppose that's to be expected.

V is for Voguette.
I don't really read VOGUE but I have been a member of the vogue forums for a little while now, after being a lurker for a very long time. Most of the other blogs I read are by other voguettes and I have learnt a lot from both them and the forum.

My taste and attitude to fashion has been slowly evolving as a result. I now know and recognise more designer brands than I used to, which just means that I now have a long wish list. Including my ultimate, a Red Prada Saffiano Lux Tote if anyone is offering...

W is for Water.
It’s part of my job. I have a Civil Engineering degree and work in the field of Water Engineering. I work in Hydrology and deal quite a bit with the flooding of rivers and creeks. My career is rather technical and one of the advantages of having this blog is having a frivolous creative outlet.

X is for eXercise.
I have never been particularly athletic and don't enjoy exercising (or sweating!) so I don't do as much as I should. Right now, I am riding to work most days, I used to work with a personal trainer (for two years following my elbow injury) and I used to play netball once a week.

I would love to be a runner too, but even though I occasionally force myself to do it, I hate running. In the past I have also really enjoyed kick boxing classes too.

Y is for Yin-Yang.
I am a typical Libran who likes balance, justice, perfection, peace and I always follow the rules.

I'm also not a religious person but I do have some spiritual beliefs and appreciate the contrast and balance I see in the world, day/night male/female yin/yang...


Z is for Zzzzzz.
Who doesn't like sleep?? Dad does too.

8 comments:

  1. Oh just saw your new blog header and it's sooo cute!

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  2. Great post. Gorgeous photos too. As a fellow Voguette I too have learnt so much from other Vogue girls. Now u just wish they'd fix the damn thing.

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  3. I learned some interesting new things about you! It's good to actually know your name, as we see your face so often! I like that you were a debater back in the day. I debated all through high school and then when I was in uni I became an adjudicator for inter-school debates, and now I'm a teacher I run a debating competition in my school which the kids love.

    As a Melburnian, I'm glad you're enjoying our fantastic city a little more now you're settled.

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  4. Love this! You have done an awesome job, I am so impressed x

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