flor de arizona

2.28.2014

The season of the unicorn is here! I'm loving every minutes of it and can't find enough excuses to get outside and smell the flowers (even if this cold refuses to budge!). This week marcus and i went to the Mesa Temple. The grounds were so beautiful and the weather matched that beauty.

While Marcus and I were dating we used to hold regular weekly planning meetings, come to think of it, our very first date was a planning meeting--haha. But when we got married, we fell out of the habit--which was silly, since we need it just as much now, if not more. Anyway, this Sunday we reinstated that tradition and had a full on, agenda lead, meeting to get our lives in order. 

We had categories of house projects, spiritual goals, physical goals, social goals, travel plans, and food planning and so far we've done pretty good. It feels so nice to be able to get to the end of a week and look back and feel like you really accomplished something worth while, instead of just living life and not really remembering where all your time has gone. We, of course, had a few hiccups, but that's what next week planning meeting is for, discussing what we could do better and how.

Life is just about progress, sometimes we get off the path, but the important thing is that we always end up back on it!

I hope your week is going lovely and that you have some relaxing or exciting plans for the weekend!

p.s. there is going to be a giveaway on my instagram account (@ashleyanielson) to win one of these lovely, authentic, fair-trade mexican dresses from flor de luz, so be sure to follow along :)
 <<what i wore>>
mexi dress//c.o. flordeluzshop (buy here --i hemmed mine a few inches) +USE CODE flordearizona for 20% off your entire purchase :)
bracelets//threads 
daisy ring//denmark souvenir (similar here)
petty booties//sam edelman (buy here --they run big!)

marcus' gingham tie//j.crew (similar here)

Step into Spring

2.27.2014

I've had a few people emailing me, asking for suggestions on where to find longer dresses or dresses with sleeves for upcoming weddings, church, parties, or just to keep cool as weather warms up. I made a little grouping of some favorites. Feel free to scroll through--(fyi: there are two pages on the 'greys and blacks' collage) you can click directly on the dress you like and it will take you to the appropriate site. Hope that helps! You're gonna look lovely!

back in black

2.24.2014

This weekend started off with a bang when my sister chopped off 14 inches of my hair and restored my blonde per marcus' pleading requests. I'm loving it so far, although, I'm still getting used to seeing my new self in the mirror. I'm sure there will be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to styling it--seeing as I haven't had short hair since i was 8! So feel free to send me any advice if you're an experienced short-haired girl :)
It's definitely a fun change and marcus is making it all the more fun, every time i look at him he's on the verge of giddy laughter, he loves it so much. He makes me feel good. I'm lucky.

Today I'm in bed with a nasty cold--the kind that keeps you up all night. I'm hoping it will pass quickly! I have too many things I want to accomplish this week. Feeling miserable sure is the pits!

Hope you all are well!
p.s. if you haven't already, be sure to get your entries in to win two pair of tights from we love colors! or just read through the comments and get inspired, i loved hearing from all of you!
 <<what i wore>>
new hair//themodboho
earrings//shop le mode (buy similar here)
faux leather jacket//c.o. oasap
gold circle necklace// gift (find similar here)
jersey black dress//c.o. persunmall
nude sunnies//c.o. oasap
cognac leather petty booties//sam edelman (buy here)

CLOSED: yoga in my heart + a giveaway

2.19.2014

The winner is Natasha L'nei! Check your email friend :)
I had a year in my life that was pretty much a dark cloud, I've talked about it once or twice before on here, but without going into detail about it today, I just wanted to share with you the soft spot in my heart I have for yoga. It was my solace during 'that year'. I attended no less than 4 classes a week, usually more, and i had the best teacher--i've unfortunately never been able to find an instructor that i've connected with quite like that one. My heart broke a little bit when i moved by to arizona and found out that he had moved and was no longer teaching classes. I don't think that even if he had been there, it would have been the same, because I was passed that year, and while I still thought it was a great practice, it wasn't something I absolutely needed to survive. 

Yoga was what i needed at that time in my life--it let me think about something else, it let me focus on myself and my body and my movements and i needed that control since i couldn't control the other things that were going on in my life. For that, yoga will always have a special place in my heart and it is something I try and practice on occasion still. 

Right now I enjoy combining yoga poses with my new 'need'--hiking. I've been feeling stifled and frustrated with my creative state lately, so as I mentioned before, I made the goal to go on weekly hikes. The hikes are much more an excuse to get out and see beauty around me than it is for intense exerise, and they've been such a highlight to my week. Sometimes marcus or friends come along, sometimes it's just me and poppy, and while I love the company, I truly prefer the alone hikes. It gives me the freedom to take as long as I want, stop as many times as I please, to take it all in and just be.  I hope each of you can find something that makes you feel that way, because I believe it's truly good for the soul that you have. 

God has given us ways to feel enlightened and loved. 
We have to find them.
#7306 Splash Leggings & Pastel Mint Sports Bra (both run small)//c.o. we love colors
We Love Colors is giving away two pair of tights--colors are winner's choice! I've styled their tights on the blog before (polka dot, redgreen) and I'm such a fan! They have so many awesome colors and patterns to choose from and they come in all sizes, including plus size. 
To Enter {Must be a public follower of this blog}:
1. Share something you do or have done that makes you feel whole and alive!
Optional Extra Entries {New Comment for Each}:
2. Like We Love Colors on Facebook here and write on their wall telling them i sent you
3. Follow me on Instagram here
4. Follow i believe in unicorns. on bloglovin here
5. Share this post on a social platform mentioning we love colors and me and leave the link in the comments.


lovers week ❤

2.10.2014

Tis the week of love! I mentioned that Valentine's Day was coming up a few weeks ago and Marcus let out an annoyed sigh--luckily, I'm sort of right there with him. We love a good reason to celebrate, but we choose to celebrate Arizona's Birthday on February 14th. Obviously, neither of us are anti-love, but there's something about fuzzy red handcuffs greeting me when I walk into Target that really turns me off to the idea of a commercialized day dedicated to the emotion (said the girl in the sequined lip sweater, posing in a cage...).
Don't get me wrong, I've seen Valentines Day Decor done right and I'm all for that--I'm sure once we have kids, I'll be more interested in celebrating this holiday, but until then, it's our day to pay homage to the state in which we were both born--and I'm happy with that!
Do you have any February 14th traditions? Do share!
<<what i wore>>
sunnies//c.o. oasap
sequin lip sweater//c.o. persunmall (buy here)
red coat//c.o. persunmall (buy here)
bullhead black skinny jeans//pacsun (buy here on PROMO!)
colbalt heels//c.o. persunmall (buy here)

Sunday Perfect Sunday.

2.09.2014

The perfect combination of things for an ideal Sunday:
Blue Skies+
Warm Sun+
Cool Shade+
Blanket just big enough for Two+
One Hunky Man+
Green Grass+
Squeaky Swing Set+
All Afternoon.
It was a lovely weekend!

Jump from Ashley Bagley-Nielson on Vimeo.

dress//j.crew (here)
tights//welovecolors (giveaway coming up!)
petty booties//sam edelman (here)

grunge--i can't quit you.

2.06.2014

As you can see, Poppy is VERY suspicious of cameras. She genuinely despises getting her picture taken, and hates when I am getting mine taken as well. If you didn't know animals could give you the sink-eye, they can. They can do oh-so-many more things than you ever thought possible--such as ingest your favorite pair of shoes, barf on your sheets in the night and then wake up completely hogging your pillow, like they own the place, or meticulously clean out your nostrils against your will with their tiny pink tongues, and yet somehow after all the madness and even during it sometimes, they can make you believe they're the cutest thing on the planet and deserving of all your love. And she has it. I love that little Poppy Reh, even when I hate her.
In other news, I finally bit the bullet and cashed in a Nordstrom Gift Card I've had since my birthday in november on these beautiful ankle booties. I've been dying over them for about 7 months, and since I never found anything I liked better, I knew it was time (SO THANK YOU MA NIELSON FOR SUBSIDIZING THESE BEAUTES!) They're keeping me cozy in this chillier than normal weather we've been having :)
do you feel a little creeped out? good.
<<what i wore>>
fox earrings//c.o. dress lilly (buy here $6)
military style jacket//old navy (similar here)
acid wash t-shirt//c.o. swell (buy here)
buffalo check flannel//j.crew factory (buy similar here and here)
initial necklace//local boutique (similar here)
high riser skinny skinny jeans//madewell (buy here) OBSESESSED!
sam edelman petty booties//nordstroms (buy here on sale)
mexi purse//local shop
lightening bolt phone case//crewcuts (buy here $9)
© i believe in unicorns. Maira Gall.