{Tunes} on Tuesday Featuring: Bon Iver

5.31.2011


If I wasn't so much in love with a Mr. Nielson, I would be in love with whatever face was possessing this voice.
Please, just turn down the lights, lay back on the couch and enjoy the splendor that is Bon Iver.
It's been a long month. 
You deserve it.

EXPLORE YOUR STATE!

5.30.2011

 Aye yi yi, thank you sweet friends who suggested we eat at the Haunted Burger. 
I'm not a big meat eater, but I've been having the strangest burger cravings this month, and this delicious burger+twice-baked potato really hit the spot!
Marcus' steak fries were also some of the best I've ever had!
Hopefully someday we'll get to stay at this hotel during the Halloween season. 
My favorite holiday+friends+haunted hotel=well, you do the math.
LLLOVE these girls!
and especially this boy.
We stopped in at the brothel-turned-gift-shop, but um, turns out there's still some pretty scandalous stuff in there. So if you're ever in Jerome, enter at your own risk... 
Marcus and I really enjoyed our Thrifty's ice-cream cone (perhaps the best mint-chip I've ever had)
But not as much as Ted enjoyed his. It was like a love affair going on with him and that cone.
Lauren and Ted wore matching beatles shirts while Marcus and I wore matching Sperries.
Aren't we just the cutest couple of couples?
Or maybe just the dorkiest...

This restaurant was built in the 1880's and everything is still original expect for the counter-top. It was so charming and if we ever go back to Jerome, I vote we patronize this place.

On our way home Ted, Lauren, Marcus and I pulled off at this little shop that had billboards for it's "Famous Pies" and seeing as it was my half birthday, it only seemed reasonable that the four of us just have at an entire coconut cream pie. It was delicious and we had no shame.

What a great trip with great friends.
Thanks Ted and Lauren for inviting us to tag along on this grand adventure!

Someday. Sunday.

5.29.2011

Today I will attempt the EvaForeva: DIY Idea, Braided Headband.
Here's another DIY project I completed last week for the winner of this little game we played on the blog awhile back.
I had attempted it before, and while I liked my first try, it didn't look like the tutorial.
The second did :)

haunting the haunted.

5.28.2011

One week ago, today, Marcus and I had the pleasure of going on a little day trip to Jerome, Arizona with Lauren, Ted, Sierra, and Ty. Jerome is a charming little town with a population just large enough to staff the cute shops that line the tiny, European style streets. 
Sounds quaint, right?
Well, there's something you should know about Jerome.
It's haunted.
Don't believe me? 
Take a look for yourself:
 Marcus was in the restroom behind this wall when he heard the scream of a woman.



Okay, okay, so some of these might just be slow shutter speeds, light flares, wooden figurines, and rusty pipes, but please tell me how these men showed up in my picture, because I'm still baffled.

Lauren, Ted, Ty, and Sierra were all in this little general store, as Marcus and I snapped a picture. 
The street was empty. These men never passed us. Never. Neither of us ever saw anyone in the street as I took this picture, I lowered my phone to look at the picture and saw two figures on the screen, I looked up to see where they were. Nowhere. There was NO ONE THERE!

This little experience made me a believer in the Haunted nature of Jerome.

{For Fashion's Sake} Saturday: Week Fan Club

I'm so happy to be living in a place where I can where skirts without goosebumps.
As I went outside my house to take pictures, some of the neighborhood kids were playing in the street.  
I didn't think they'd pay much attention to us as we did our little shoot. 
Boy was I wrong. 
They ran over to us, complimented me on my outfit--every detail was named and adored by Little Miss Sassy Pants in the teal shorts. And clearly, with a knee pop like that, she knows what's up.
The Breakdown:
Navy Striped Top: H&M
Braided Belt: Forever21
Vintage Army Fanny Pack: Found it in our camping gear
Red Floral Skirt: Anthropologie gift from Reachel
Socks: c/o welovecolors
Turquoise Earrings: Borrowed
Turquoise Ring: New Mexican Trading Post $18
Bracelets:
Emerson Made: gift from NieNie
Hex-Nut Bracelet: Homemade with tutorial
Twig Necklace (worn as a bracelet, don't you love it!?): c/o Dolly and Boy Jewelry


Have you seen the new items added to the shop?

A Letter to the Lady with the Bangs.

5.27.2011

Okay, okay, can I just tell you about the greatest thing that ever happened to me yesterday at Liberty Market???

Imagine this Scene: 
Me going to Liberty Market for the first time.
So many delicious sounding options.
No idea what to order.
Narrow it down to either the chicken pasta or the 'best chicken sandwich'.
Decide upon the pasta.
It was delicious, but I was still so curious about this 'best chicken sandwich' I heard so much about.

Behind me is sitting Robin (Lauren's sister-in-law, whom I recognize from the blog) and a group of her adorable girlfriends (who I do NOT know, mind you).

As we're leaving, I go over to introduce myself.
I ask them about their food choices (as to help me decide what to try next time.)

Cute girl with heavy bangs had the 'best chicken sandwich' on her plate.
I ask her if it lives up to its pompous name.

Without hesitation the sandwich is being handed to me.
I haven't even learned her name, and she doesn't know mine. 
She insists that I take a bite.
I, of course, take that bite--there seems to be no choice.

It was indeed THE BEST CHICKEN SANDWICH, but I'm still not sure if it's because of it's succulent ingredients, or if it was because the most generous, hilarious, and fabulously banged lady gave a nameless girl a bite of her sandwich fearlessly.
Essential Elegance Skirt c/o Modcloth
I walked out flattered, blushing, and satisfied.
I'll never be the same after this.

Best Chicken Sandwich Girl, if you read this, please invite me to your next girls night.
I loved you and your friends.

...and your sandwich.

xo, ash




***UPDATE: Thanks to a chirpy little birdy, I FOUND HER!

Our Guilty Pleasure:

5.26.2011

 Whenever we're bored, we simply drive to Chandler Mall, go to the puppy shop,
pace the row until I decide which puppy looks the most desperate to get out of those tiny little cages,
pretend we can actually afford to buy a dog that's marked up 4x as much as it should be, ask if a holding room is available, get our chosen pup, play and play and play and snuggle until I'm just about to take all money I have in my savings account and sell my liver so that I can buy the honey that has won our heart, the pet lady comes in and says it's time for the little nugget to go back in the cage, I cry a little bit, then we go back home, until we need a dose of puppy again and we go back to hold another...
This is a most excellent way to spend your free-time.
I suggest you give it a try.

I may have even filled out an application last time I was there, just so I could spend more time with the treasures...



Have You Checked Out the New Items in The Shop, Yet?

Sponsors!

5.25.2011

i believe in unicorns. is now accepting sponsors for the month of June!
If you're interested and would like to know blog stats and rates email me at ashleyanielson of the gmail persuasion.

Scenes from Last Week--A Glorious One, Indeed.

I knew the day would be a good one when the postman greeted me with this:
Not only one of my favorite books of all time, but a pop-up version no less!
A grad gift from one of my VERY BEST FRIENDS in all the world, Jenny!
 
After calming down from the gift excitement, Marcus and I hoped in the car to explore our state capital, Phoenix!
We stopped in at Book Gallery to ooo and awww over the beauty and aroma that old books provide, but were slightly disappointed as they did not have a hard cover of a Brave New World...perhaps I'll check the Mesa location (a location a personally prefer)
After a scrumptious meal at Bertha's we headed to The Streets for a hit of our latest addiction:
Coconut Milk Smoothie with Boba.
The Streets is a Japanese Drink Bar that keeps us coming back for more and more!
Please go. Thank me later.
On our way home we had our windows down to fully take in the wondrous and unusual May weather we were having, when sweet Arizona threw us another surprise--Rain!
So we left the windows down and enjoyed the gentle splashes on our faces as we laughed and blasted the tunes. I sure do love my husband for going on adventures with me.
It was a day to make the other days jealous.

{Tunes} on Tuesday Featuring: Ra Ra Riot

5.24.2011

This song has been on constant replay over at our house. Marcus and I are both a little more than obsessed with their new album, but especially this song. 

What's playing at your house?

Eat Your Heart Out.

5.23.2011

After I found out my Jury Duty Summon got canceled I decided we should celebrate the fact that the world did not come to a close on Saturday May 21st by making these Cinnamon Roll Waffles I saw on this blog earlier in the week.
Oh. My. Gosh.
I know waffles. And I most definitely know good waffles. 
And these might be the best thing that ever happened to me.

The toppings were VERY rich, and although it was indeed a scrumptious combination (how can you go wrong with butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract?)--it was really the actual waffle that had us all singing joyous praises--so light and delicious!

I can't wait to try them with ice-cream and fresh berries!

Come on Aileen...

What a charming evening was had by many this splendid Friday's Eve!
Aileen, Beth, Me, Lauren, Angela, Alex, Reachel
Marcus and new nephew Levi
Chellis
Mike and Stephanie of Yodipity
Sweet Beth, felt it silly that many of us had these bloggers of whom we followed and adored, but had never, or only rarely met; so she organized quite the dinner party for us to nosh and mingle!
The homemade pizza made by Beth's chef of a husband Jared has frequented my dreams since that evening!
Sir Weather basically begged us to have this party on the porch, for he put on his very best attire--70 degrees and clear, and it truly couldn't have been nicer outside.
silly me, i took a picture before most of the food was out...
but believe me, it was a BEAUTIFUL spread!
And Beth's perfectly decorated home provided the ideal setting for the couples in attendance.
At dinner we talked of our varying interests and even the stories of how we met our spouses.
It was both enlightening and entertaining, especially when there were different stories among the same couple!
Along with the Bloggers and their significants, we had a few other guests--Aileen, probably being the star of the night.

Someone should probably pay her to Vlog, because she is one of the most hilarious, entertaining, sassy, and honest little New Yorkers I have ever been around. 
All in attendance, I'm sure would agree, that they need a little more of her in their life.
Such a great evening!
Thanks Beth for putting it on, it will be a memory I treasure for always.

....now, let's do it again!!!
© i believe in unicorns. Maira Gall.