how sweet it is.

4.30.2012

after church on sunday, i spent the afternoon out on the grass, with this girl and her pretty mother (my sister) enjoying the last few drops of our nice spring weather.
remember the good old days of bare-feet and sidewalk chalk?
how great it is that we get to relive it all when we surround ourselves with children.

What's Your Favorite Summertime Memory?

CLOSED: a giveaway from the ladies at antique plaza + last weeks winner

4.27.2012

DANI, you're the winner! Check your email for details :)
erica and kat have the very fun job of running the blog for, i must admit, my very favorite antique shop in mesa. i've been going to antique plaza on main street since i was twelve and greg (the owner) even gave me a wedding gift--that's how often i go to this gem of a shop in downtown.
these girls show us how you don't have to be antique collectors to find treasure in an antique shop.
for this giveaway they took antique jewelry pieces and created them into something different than what they were intended for, like headbands, and belts!
just go to their blog right HERE and tell me which is your favorite, it's winners choice, you can even pick the headband i have on in these photos!
for extra entries:
1. tweet this: "hurry on over to this pretty little antique giveaway on @ashleyanielson's blog: http://goo.gl/h74H9!"
2. add their cute blog to your reading list
3. "like" them on facebook

$30 La Posh Style Winner Posted Right HERE!

{Wardrobe} Wednesday: Pink Panther

4.25.2012

i felt a little bit like this song should be playing everywhere i went today...
but alas, we do not live in world quite that amazing yet. 
heck, i'd take personalized theme song technology over Siri any day...
who's with me?
 outfit details:
linen sweater: j.crew on sale now
skirt: ancient, i believe it's from ross
lace up sandals: payless
timex: j.crew


***LAST DAY TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY

Eclipse of a Dream.

4.22.2012

  It was a cool spring night, billows of blue blanket engulfed my warm body and stars filled my eyes. Covering my walls were carefully painted constellations; they made me feel like I was outside sleeping on the trampoline, like I was breathing in only open-air and fresh cut grass. I was excited about life and innocent of pain. As I wiggled in my bed the shift of weight in the blankets exposed cool pockets, as if the folds had provided shade for their own hiding parts. I shivered with glee.

   Childhood was slipping from my grasp as I faded off to sleep. My mind conjured up a favorite memory--I was in kindergarten, we were let out of class early for a special trip out to a mysterious dome in the field. As we entered, it was dark and unsettling for some, but for me it was pure joy, like stepping into outer space. The lights began to glitter and dance. It was then that I decided this terrestrial life was no place for me; I needed the chance to dance on his dust and play on his starry playground--I was going to the moon.


   The years passed, but the dream stayed safe and unchallenged in the back of my imagination. I was twelve and on the verge of adolescence. Reasoning skills were in the brew and I made a disturbing departure from dreamland, back to my bed. 
“How was I going to get to the moon?” 
   Before my mind could even reason, my heart quickened. I jumped out of my bed, ran up the stairs, swung open the door, brushed over the porch, through the backyard, past the regal old ash tree, and scanned the brilliant skies. 
There He was. 
Bright and smug with that calming glow He’s always had. He hung there unaffected by my concern. 


How did I let this happen? 
Why had I held on to this dream for so long? 
Why hadn’t I let it go before it had welded itself so severely to my heart? 


Tears welled up in my eyes and a pit formed deep in my stomach, like a wormhole through an apple. I tried to escape back to the ignorance I had lived in only a few hours earlier, but it was no use, forlorn and fallen I melted back to my unassuming bed. I stared at the ceiling for a long time, as if mourning the death of a dear friend. 
   This was the worst feeling I had ever experienced. And it didn’t go away. The next day I felt bitter and betrayed.

Why hadn’t somebody told me I couldn’t actually go to the moon? 


This was worse than Santa Claus, and this was definitely worse than the lousy old tooth fairy and somebody had thought to tell me about those disappointments long ago. 
I had heard that Misery loved company, so I told everyone I saw that they too, like me, were never going to go to the moon. Nobody was quite as troubled about this as I was, and so without satisfaction I kept my feelings in. 


   Months past, then a year, I painted over my glowing constellations in an effort to purge my dreams, but one night an old star shown through and I was reminded of that emptiness. I again began to ruminate and tense. Then in my daze of despair I was swirled back in time to the parking lot carnivals, specifically that ride with my best friend that could make me feel like we were really flying. I jumped to the scene of my first kiss, me shaking with innocent excitement, the linger of Burt's Bees Wax on my lips. And then to the time my brother broke my heart with his selfish decisions. I tasted the salt of those tears, but up and over through time and space to Coronado Island where I fell in love, real love, the kind you can really trust.
I woke up renewed and strengthened by some new power. Hope and Happyness came quickly to the mend. 
I realized that although the moon would have to wait, there were plenty of things here on Earth to explore and discover, Pains that make us stronger, Joys that make us better, there are Mistakes we have to learn from and Mercies that bring us to our knees. All waiting for us here on Earth.

   There have been events in my life that could have jaded my outlook on it’s beauty, but when those times come I jump out of my bed, run up the stairs, swing open the door, brush over the porch, through the backyard, past the regal old ash tree, and scan the brilliant skies. 
There He is. 
Bright and smug with that calming glow He’s always had. He’s taught me that things don’t always go the way we might have planned, and that might just mean that we need to change our plans.

{For Fashion's Sake} Saturday: Girls vs. Boys

4.21.2012

when i found this gem of a jumpsuit on the goodwill earlier this week it had massive shoulder pads and a large white bib or sorts in the chest area, but those little tricksters couldn't fool me. I saw this polka-doted pleasantry for the prize it was. and when i realized it was $1 because of Dollar Day, there was no question about whether this would be mine.
i came home, ripped the shoulder pads out, unhooked the bib, stitched the neckline a little higher, rolled the sleeves, and added a belt.
and voilà! i had myself a precious little number that marcus said,"...still seems a totally 80s."--sometimes boys just can't see the vision.
i guess i'll wear it for girls luncheons instead of date nights.

Do you notice that there are certain outfits you wear when you want to look cute around your girlfriends vs. your husband/boyfriend/guy friends?

the breakdown:
jumpsuit: vintage via goodwill dollar day
necklaces: stella & dot & nordstroms
belt: jcrew (old)
heels: seychelles (old)

CLOSED: $30 giveaway from La Posh Style

4.19.2012

well i never heard from the original winner and they didn't leave contact info, so the new winner is...
KAITY!
email me, girl!
Who doesn't want a little something new to welcome in the beautiful season of Spring?
How about a $30 credit to La Posh Style to get you started?
Just be a follower of this blog and like la posh style on facebook right here.
Then come back and tell me that you did :)
For an extra entry you can tweet the link below:
"Win a $30 credit to La Posh Style on @ashleyanielson's blog: http://goo.gl/D3ciV" 

Here are my absolute favorites:

delighting in a song.

marcus and i bought last minute tickets to the andrew bird concert that was going down at the mesa art center. we had been obsessing over his newest album break it yourself since it came out, but had somehow failed to buy tickets until two hours before the show.
live music makes me appreciate the artist all the more. it's truly amazing to see him/them create these emotion evoking sounds right in front of you. there's no remixing, no edits, just an artist, his (many) instruments, speakers, and an audience.
how great it was.
especially since we ended up running into a bunch of friends after the show.
i really love concerts. and i really love this song:

ok, and this one...
and this one might have been my favorite from last night, because i had never heard it before...
are you going to any concerts this year? tell me!

how to sell arizona//part3

4.18.2012

Downtown Phoenix can really be the deal sealer. It has some beautiful architecture, a rather wonderful art museum, vintage shops, historical neighborhoods, the light-rail, an art district, quite possibly the best pizza place in the land, and one killer design studio that would be a pretty ideal place for a certain jenny to obtain an internship...if your buyer happens to be named jenny and happens to need an internship, that is.
Downtown Phoenix:
Phx



how to sell arizona//part2

4.17.2012

one can hope that your buyer is not interested in actually buying in the scottsdale area, as the prices are higher and the company snootier, but scottsdale is a great place to visit, shop, and nosh, so a day spent there, is a day well spent.
Scottsdale:

how to sell arizona//part1

4.16.2012

make sure prospective buyer arrives at ideal weather time. in the valley that would be springtime--no contest. months: feburary-late april. trees are normally in bloom, grass is green, weather is warm enough for outdoor activities, such as bike rides, but cools off in the evenings so dinner outside is more than comfortable, but rather, quite divine.

Tempe:
Tempe





{For Fashion's Sake} Saturday: The Basics

4.14.2012

I love it when companies get creative with the basics.
it's a simple cream t-shirt, with a little something special in the back.

isn't there some elementary rhyme about a lady with buttons down her back?
perhaps involving elephants?
i always want to sing that when i wear this shirt, but can't quite remember it.
i'll probably be a terrible mom...
the breakdown:
t-shirt: madewell sale
charm necklace: gifts from my sisters via anthropologie
jeans: banana republic
watch: urban outfitters
bracelet: charlotte russe
moccosins: big buddha bambi moccasin  via danielle :)

And she was gone as quickly as she came, like rain in the desert.

4.13.2012

a surprising visit from your best friend refreshes your soul and opens your eyes to the world around you.
her stay was full of warm weather, exploring, good eats, and even better conversation.
is it july yet? i can't wait to see her again!
A stop by the Mesa Temple for my favorite visitor.
Temple
A dip in the pool with the kiddos.
Unicorn
a magnificent house-warming gift from a faraway friend.
Burger
the last supper before she left us.
© i believe in unicorns. Maira Gall.