A Blast from the Past

I'll blame this post on nostalgia and an afternoon of unplanned organization in our office closet. I thought I was going to do a little bit of quick filing; however, with storage and space being at a minimum, moving things around is like a strategic game of Jenga. I've got a few plastic containers that are housed in this particular closet, and I needed to get to the one labeled momentos. I had a handful of miscellaneous cards and pictures that I wanted to add to my collection of keepsakes. Getting to this particular Rubbermaid proved to be a lot more difficult than I'd originally expected. The next thing I know, I've got extra picture frames falling from the top shelf, along with old textbooks, and shredded paper filling. What was intended to be a quick and efficient task turned into a fussy Ashley surrounded by odds and ends strewn across the floor. Why not take advantage of the situation and venture down memory lane?

   Photo Descriptions: 

(Left to Right)

• My Grandpa built us this miniature red car. We thought it was so cool to actually go on real streets with it. As a true conformist, I remember wondering if it was allowed and worried about the police seeing us.
• My sister, Aubrey, and me. Once a protective older sister, always a protective older sister. Clearly, I took this job quite seriously. I still do!
• Our outfits ALWAYS matched or coordinated. People often thought we were twins for this very reason.
• Posing with Dad and Aub in front of a windmill in the Netherlands. I'm partial to Aub's outfit; I feel like it's an ode to the TV show Blossom. It's fabulous!
• This photo is tiny for a reason. My sister and I look like uncooperative boobs. How many times can you say your parents took you on a trip to Glacier Bay in Iceland? The least we could have done was smile pretty for the camera. My poor parents.
• I had to include this photo of my Grandma, sister, cousin, and me, because it's filled with so much perm!
• I was asked to play the coveted role of flower girl in my aunt's wedding. I should also note that it was the last time I was asked. Somehow, I managed to spill a cup of coffee all over my cream-colored satin dress. Mind you, this all happened BEFORE the actual ceremony.
• Hanging out with one of my besties in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Apparently, this impromptu photo sesh on the front stoop requires accessories and matching ensembles. Werq!
• I guess I was thirsty...
• Throwing Aubrey some shade. I imagine I didn't want to share the tricycle. Thankfully, a cute cardi, matching scrunchie, jean mini skirt, and Keds make the situation bearable. 

Need Read Greed

Today's Need Read Greed courtesy of Victoria Steible of Leishops:

• Need: Two words: hot tea. I grew up having a cup of hot tea first thing in the morning, EVERY morning. I adhere to this ritual to this very day. I know coffee is a more widespread choice for a morning jolt, and don't get me wrong, there is definitely room in my life for coffee. However, it always been tea for me. My current tea of choice is Twinings Almond Chai. The almond flavor is what really draws me to this spice-filled tea.  
• Read: Hands down, my all-time favorite book of my adult (post-grad) life is The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels — A Love Story, by Ree Drummond. She is THE Pioneer Woman of blog, cookbook, and Food Network fame. This novel chronicles the journey of Ree meeting and falling in love with her rancher husband. It is just about the best love story ever. I am definitely on the look out for a man with her husband's, integrity, kindness, and fun personality.  
• Greed: I am a sandals girl through and through, so I am counting down the days until it gets warm enough to wear sandals and not look silly. As much as I do love a great ballet flat, I long for sandals days. Do I really have to wait until Easter? Would it be appropriate to go ahead and break out the sandals? This specific pair is a little too expensive for my current budget, so they will go to my wish list for now. I love their glitz without being overly glittery. Also, they are a neutral metallic so they will go with all of my crazy colored skinny pants and jeans.

Thanks for sharing, Victoria! 

I'm slightly obsessed with P-Dubb, and glittery metallics are definitely the new neutral.

Have a swell Wednesday!

Toodles,

ANF

P.S. Interested in sharing your Need Read Greed? Email me.

Art I Heart

Lately, I've come across various artists whose work has left me feeling rather giddy, i.e., I'm smiling bright-eyed like a lunatic and my excitement is almost childlike. I'm talking about the kind of joy when you want to lean over and share your discoveries with anyone that will listen. And if that nearby stranger is lucky, there may even be jazz hands. Thankfully, I was able to spare myself from such embarrassment and turn this art elation into bloggie inspiration. Since I'm sharing these colorful creations with you, the Bob Fosse fingers are on the house.

The Artists:

Shohei Hanazaki // Jeremy Rabus

Gunther Forg // Kate Roebuck

Tom Climent // CarolLynn Tice

Claire Desjardins // Helen Birch

Horia Damian // Jeremy Rabus

Ulrich Wulff // Jan Willem van Welzenis

ANF

Monday Moodboard

Happy Monday! How about a little visual sunshine to help set the tone for the week?

Camelia via Brigite OURY—I'm in love with her work!

Untitled via Ashley Goldberg

Think Happy Be Happy via Old English Co.

Black Stripes and Hot Pink—Love this look!

Holy Housewifery by Ethel Marbach—A book cover worth a good chuckle.

Lime Green Textural Brushstroke via Lauren Adams Art

Neon Bib Necklace via Max & Chloe

Willow Road Gia via Kate Spade—How about those New Arrivals?

Calf Hair Skinny Belt via J.Crew—A wardrobe staple on sale.

Stunning Designs via StudioLin

Neon Green Stripes via The Paper Source

Lipstick Pantone Swatch via Mr. Boddington

YSL Provocative Pink via Decade Diary

Munster Rose Arrangement via Bri Emery—I'm still itching to attend a BlogShop one day.

LAX via Bill Brown

Lurve Loave Luff

Let's get right to it, shall we?

Here's what made me feel all twitterpated, smile contagiously, giggle uncontrollably, etc.

• Mr. Porter interview with Max Greenfield: I love me some Schmidt. I was sad when I realized there would be no new Mindy Project or New Girl this week. I guess I'll consider this my Schmidt fix for the week.
• Italic Monogram Piñata: Do you need a reason to have a piñata handy? This one is just too stinkin' cute. 
• You've Got (Fancy) Mail Stamps: I'm a big fan of Ashley Brook Designs, and I almost jumped out of my chair when I saw these adorable stamps. It's no secret that I love snail mail, and cute stamps like these would be the cherry on top. Why can't all stamps look like this?
• Sunset Spectrum Clutch: This is such a fun and versatile piece. I'm sold.
• Lovely Ladies: I'm smitten with Katie Evans and the illustrations and advice she offers over at DesignLoveFest.
• Warhol: A Gold Book: This week, I couldn't help but be inspired by this book. It's stunning!
• Cucumber Margarita: Serve this refreshing adult beverage at your next happy hour. The color is perfect for St. Patty's Day.
• Floral Jammies: This pajama set screams SPRING!
• The Sidewalk Skimmer in Porchstripe: I missed out on these bad boys last year, and I'm not making that mistake again. They put the fun in functional.
• DIY Mouse Pad: What a genius idea! This is one DIY I don't think I can mess up.
• Be Good. Do Good. Have Fun.: An oldie, but goodie. This print filled the space in the graphic and I needed a bright splash of pink. Can you blame me for choosing this?
• Free Desktop Backgrounds: Dress your tech with one of these cute backgrounds available at DesignLoveFest.
• Fashion Night on Bravo: Did anyone else tune in and watch The Rachel Zoe Project and It's a Brad Brad World? Wednesday night was my definition of TV heaven. All of the behind-the-scenes footage of Brad styling Kate Spade was dreamy. What did you think?