Hi! My name is Ashley Brooke Nicholas, and I’m a lifestyle blogger from sunny Orlando, Florida. Let’s be friends! I love meeting new friends online, so please stay in touch with me on my social media channels or contact me if you have a question or just want to chat!

10 Facts about Me:

1. I’m married to my high school sweetheart. Yep, I’m one of those girls. When I was growing up, I swore I wouldn’t even think about getting married until I was 30. I had my heart setting on being an independent career woman, so of course, I met the love of my life in junior year biology class. My husband Ryan and I started dating when I was 17, and we got married when I was 23. Six years later, we had my beautiful baby girl, Summer, and I am absolutely in love with our little family. While I didn’t plan to find true love at such an early age, I am so grateful to have so much time with my best friend and partner. I’m so blessed to have him in my life.

2. I’m a former ballerina. I was in a dance studio five or six days a week from ages six to twenty-seven. In addition to training and performing, I taught classical ballet for ten years (my specialty is Vaganova technique), and I still miss teaching every single day. My dance teachers, Irina Depler and Vadim Fedotov, are like extended family to me. I hope to get back into my pointe shoes soon!

3. I’m a TOTAL nerd. I may write about makeup and clothes for a living, but I’m such a nerd at heart. I read books like they’re going out of style, listen to educational podcasts and audiobooks whenever I get the chance, and have debates with my husband, brother, and friends for fun. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not that smart. I’m just the weirdo that actually liked going to school and got excited to organize her class notes each day. What can I say? Once an IB kid, always an IB kid. 

4. I became a full-time blogger by accident. I started blogging when my husband and I moved to Los Angeles, California, to finish our graduate studies. We had opposite school schedules on opposite sides of the city, so I was lonely, bored, and friendless in a new city. My anxiety levels were at an all-time high, and I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life even though I was pursuing a Masters degree in psychology. I started watching YouTube and reading blogs in my spare time, and I decided to make a Blogger account for the sole purpose of commenting on other people’s websites.

Well, then I got bored in one of my graduate classes and decided to write a blog post, and then I wrote another one…and another one…and another one. I’ve now been blogging for seven years, and I’m still astounded that I somehow managed to turn a part-time hobby into a career. I may not have intended to become a full-time blogger, but I’m so happy I stumbled onto this career path. I love my job – especially since I asked forced my two best friends, Stephanie and Michelle, to become bloggers too!

5. I’ve watched The Office from beginning to end at least several dozen times. If you’ve watched the show, you understand why. It’s the greatest piece of television ever created and never fails to make me laugh. 

6. I’m just as comfortable in a dress, heels, and full makeup as I am bare-faced in jeans, a hoodie, and a pair of Converse sneakers. And the thing is… both versions are 100% me. Michelle will tell you that I regularly show up to see her in socially-acceptable pajamas without a stitch of makeup, and Stephanie would probably tell you that I spend an hour applying my makeup. Both statements would be completely accurate.  While I tend to show my ultra-girly side of myself more on my blog and social media channels, you’ll definitely see my low-maintenance side if you watch me on Instagram Stories (@ashleybrookenicholas)!

7. I’m passionate about mental health awareness. Throughout my life, I’ve seen friends, family, and myself deal with mental health issues with sometimes devastating consequences. I focused on psychology in both my undergraduate and graduate studies, and I at one point, I even intended on becoming a therapist. While my career path has shifted, my focus on mental health will never falter. I plan on making it a priority throughout the remainder of the year to post more about this topic.

8. I really am that excited about beauty products. I have people ask me all the time if I’m really as enthusiastic about beauty products as I am on my blog, and my answer is always the same, YES. Like I mentioned earlier, I am a nerd, and I geek out on all sorts of things- beauty products being one of them. I am the girl who will leave Sephora and Ulta with swatches all the way from my hand to my elbow, and I will literally never stop searching for the perfect concealer, mascara, and conditioner… even though I’ve already own products that I’m absolutely crazy about. While I don’t wear makeup or style my hair every day, when I do, I just love the entire process!

9. I am a total fangirl. I may be thirty years old, but I am still obsessed with all things Disney. My husband and I are season pass holders, and we brought our daughter to Disney when she was only four weeks old. I’m also a major fangirl of Harry Potter. True story: Stephanie and I once staged an all-out wizarding duel in 9th grade biology, and my husband and I once quoted Harry Potter movies so often that we had to take a break from watching them so we wouldn’t be socially awkward. Again, my inner nerd is showing.

10. I have the BEST family and group of friends a girl could ask for. Seriously, I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of people in my life. I love my family and friends more than words can say and cherish each and every moment I get to spend with them.