Smash it up!

Rockabye baby!

2009-10-27T15:07:00.001-07:00

Lately, many of my friends have been jumping on the baby wagon and I couldn't be happier or more excited for them! I have also been buying lots of little tiny clothes and loving every minute of it, but for the first time just last week I actually bought from a baby registry. Maybe most people would think of this first, but I just love looking a baby-sized clothing, so I usually get pulled into Baby Gap before I ever even think to ask my friends what they might want or NEED. Point being, I was looking my friend's baby registry through Amazon and came across these:

And there are SO MANY MORE! You can buy lullaby renditions of Coldplay, Bjork, Radiohead and even Metallica! So for all of you folks out there with little people and taste that surpasses "Twinkle, twinkle little star..." these just might be for you. Check out all the options here.

Online magazine crush...

2009-10-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I have missed Domino Magazine. I used to love opening my mailbox and finding the newest issue, full of fabulous design and inspirational ideas. Well, today I happened upon Lonny:

This is 195 pages of gorgeous homes and great fashion. I still miss being able to actually flip the pages, but Lonny makes up for it by hyperlinking to various items on each page. For example, in their article featuring Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge (another one of my favorite design sites), they have 16 pages dedicated to her and on each of these you see artwork, furniture and fabric. If you like something, click on it and it links to where you can buy it! It is genius really. And I am hooked. Check it out and I'm sure you will be too!

New online obsession...

2009-10-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this online boutique called Ruche. It is like a less expensive version of Anthropologie and who doesn't love that?!

Here are a few of my favorite items:

eggplant ruffle sweater dress $42.99

modern victorian sweater dress $54.99

twisted rope stretch belt in mustard $14.99

Once I have recovered from all of my nuptial spending, I will be making some purchasing from here, without a doubt!

Well, hellooo there!

2009-09-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't believe it has been 4 months since I posted to this blog. I will say that I have been a little busy getting ready for the biggest day of my life thus far, October 3rd, at which time I will officially become Mrs. Ashley Reader. Whoa! And October 4th will be the party to celebrate the name change. I have to give major props to my dear friend, Brad, who made us the most amazing wedding favors and for this I will be forever in his debt. (So please contact him and give him lots of money to make awesome things for you!) Just look at the invite he did for us:

He is truly amazing, right? There is more, but I can't figure out for the life of me how to make a PDF into a JPG so I can upload it. For now, this small taste of his greatness will have to do. I promise not to be gone so long next time and will put up loads of pics from the party of the century, aka my wedding.

Biscuit may be getting a new present!

2009-05-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

Nobody likes cleaning out a litter box. Nobody. But I might not mind it as much, if I had one of these:

It is the ModKat Litter Box and it is kind of revolutionizing kitty poop boxes everywhere. The price is a little steep, but with all the money I will save on litter liners I should make my money back by the time Biscuit joins Nestor in that big litter box in the sky.

Available in a variety of colors, too. You can pre-order now and start saving your pennies!

Weapons of destruction...

2009-04-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, two of my best friends, Heath and Lindsay, gave me this awesome grenade oil lamp for my birthday.

(the gold one!)

And now I think I want to pick up one of these beautiful bomb flower vases.

What do you think this says about my design aesthetic?

No, no, no....just...no.

2009-04-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, I love bacon. I do. It is so delicious and breakfast just isn't the same without it. Do you know what IS good without it, though? Vodka. I'm sure of it. But if you aren't as convinced as I am, then this is for you:

That's right. Bacon flavored vodka. You can make cocktails with names as enticing as "Irish boar". Who wouldn't want to drink that? Oh yeah, me. And people with a gag reflex.

Nesting is fun!

2009-04-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

I have been buying new furniture, hanging pictures and organizing. Did I move again, you ask?!? No! I just decided to start making my house a home. I think I am so used to moving ever year and a half or so that I always set up house (paint, buy a few new items, but no big ticket purchases), but never actually settle in. Now that I own my own condo, I'm completely making it mine.

So what have I purchased? A new, lucite (or invisible, as my friend Ara likes to say) coffee table that looks super fab in my living room. By the way, this is not my living room, but I will be posting pictures of all my new purchases in their natural habitat very soon.

peekaboo coffee table

But buyer beware, if you have a super rambunctious kitty, you may want to equip him or her with protective headgear before introducing this coffee table. My cat almost knocked herself out after running through the living room at top speed!

I also bought a great shag rug that goes underneath my new coffee table. This replaces the flokati rug that my sweet Biscuit mistook as her litter box after she lost her lady parts.

And I got this awesome mirror for my bedroom. It is HUGE and I love it!

And then and THEN and THEN I finally bought a new duvet cover!

pintuck duvet

I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture just how beautiful it is, but trust me...it is beautiful!

I also finally framed some great prints that I have been keeping in a drawer for way too long. My mom bought me this awesome owl print for Christmas that has been desperately waiting to be hung.
I ordered my frames online from American Frame and I have to recommend them. I was a little nervous about it at first because you have to assemble them yourself, but it is so easy and inexpensive that I may never buy frames from a walk-in store again!

I'll update with more pics soon and I may have an online poll to decide what wallpaper I'm going to put in my foyer!

How do you cut your pizza?

2009-02-18T17:15:00.001-08:00

I kind of love power tools. I put together almost an entire apartment's worth of IKEA furniture with a simple screwdriver and then a friend of mine lent me his power screwdriver and my life changed!

So, perhaps this should be my next purchase:

via

After all, a table saw would probably be overkill.

Mmmmm....donuts.....

2009-02-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

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I love donuts. I don't eat them as much as I would like because I also like my pants to fit, but if they didn't have an immediate impact on my thighs I would eat them religiously. Since moving to Boston, I have been a regular patron at Dunkin' Donuts. Every morning and every afternoon I have my usual coffee: medium iced French Vanilla with milk and one sugar. Yum. And if I'm feeling just pre-menstrual enough I may indulge in a chocolate frosted donut. It's good, but not great. The coffee is great, the donut is mediocre. But I love donuts (not to mention chocolate), so I eat it and it's good.

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I grew up in the south where Krispy Kreme is the donut king. There is nothing better than driving past a Krispy Kreme late-night and seeing the "hot donuts now" neon sign illuminated. Melt in your mouth deliciousness. I'm still surprised that every Krispy Kreme that was opened in Boston went out of business within a year. One thing I can say for the Bostonians, is that they are loyal. I respect that, but Krispy Kreme will always be my number one donut.

That being said, this is unacceptable:

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What you are looking at is a sloppy joe sandwiched between a delicious Krispy Kreme donut. What a waste.

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And these are bacon cheddar cheeseburgers on, you guessed it, glazed Krispy Kreme donuts. Tragic.

Someone, somewhere eats this. This someone has a problem. It may be this: This is why you are fat.

New design crush...Henry Road

2009-02-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

I was just introduced to the beautiful work of Paula Smail/Henry Road via Design Milk. She is based out of Los Angeles and designs the most gorgeous pillows, furniture, bags and textiles. My favorite item, that I am putting on my wishlist is this gorgeous chandelier (the largest one in the pic):

I hope this economic crisis ends soon so I can start buying more STUFF!

Can I cry for just a minute?

2009-02-11T18:00:00.001-08:00

I just found some devastating news. Ok, no one died, I still have my job and my wonderful fiance, so I suppose I am being melodramatic, but WAHHH! My favorite of all favorite magazines is going kaput! Domino magazine is no longer. I have every issue! And, just because I'm whining...why did they just send me a renewal letter for 2 more years?! What a tease! I guess I should cancel my check, huh? Last time this happened, Blueprint magazine went under before my subscription was up and I was stuck with Martha Stewart Living for 9 months. Who knows what I will get in place of my beloved Domino. Sigh.

R.I.P.

Little things are cuter than big things

2009-02-11T17:10:00.000-08:00

I'm back from my vacation and it was such a nice, relaxing break from the cold Boston winter. I had the good fortune to arrive in Arizona one week after my mom's miniature horse had her baby! A baby miniature horse! A tiny, tiny horse! Do you understand what I am telling you? No? Take a looksie:

So you can get a bit of perspective, I am 5'3". Not tall at all, but look at me compared to my mom:

It's like I'm a giant! So as you can tell from the previous video, my mom is taller than the momma horse who is taller than the teeny baby horse! Now check this out (and make sure your volume is up):

Can you believe how cute and tiny little Apache Tear is? I thought my head was going to explode on several different encounters, which explains this protective headgear:

After visiting with my mom, I got to spend some quality time with my sweet sister. We stayed at the super hip Mondrian hotel in Scottsdale for 2 nights.

We had such a great time and I definitely recommend the Mondrian (they have one in LA, too) if you are in the area and want to pamper yourself a bit.

Then I met up with my boo in sunny California where we spent time with his lovely family. Including his brand new niece, Laurel:

Again with the tiny!

And of course, we got to spend time with Joel's incredibly adorable nephew, Isaac, who is less tiny than last time I saw him, but still little and so, so cute!

All in all, it was a truly wonderful vacation and I loved getting to spend so much time with the ones that I love and don't get to see enough.

Hello stranger

2009-01-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Where have I been?! Well, let's see. The holidays happened. I went to Alabama to visit the Southern side of my family for Thanksgiving. We went to a great flea market where I saw many unique, special and, at times, disturbing items...

...like these beautiful pheasant pelts, although I think they would have been prettier on the pheasant.

...and this poor turkey that is collecting dust. Just look at that face...

...only a mother turkey could love it, but doesn't he look so sad (and dusty!)?

But my dad found some preserves that he loved...

And I found a booth that appealed to the Elle Woods in me.

Then Christmas happened...

and I got engaged!

(yes this is my ring!!!)

Then New Year's, which brought about a nasty upper respiratory infection that has lasted until today. I am finally feeling better and am heading to the warm weather of the West tomorrow. When I return I will be back to posting and planning my future with my boo!

Ain't love grand?

Rock-afire Explosion!

2008-11-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl I spent many Friday nights at Showbiz Pizza Place. I played lots of Ms. Pac Man, Spy Hunter and Whac-a-Mole. I played these games very poorly, mind you, but I loved to play, sweat, get angry when I lost and then gorge on pizza in the dining room. Not only would I eat pizza, but I would be soothed by the sounds of Billy Bob and the Rock-afire Explosion.

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I loved that animatronic band! And now I love them even more...a very clever man, named Chris Thrash, grew up watching the same band as a young boy in Columbus GA. Fast forward 25 years to the present day and he actually has a Rock-afire Explosion band of his very own! Not only does he have all the members, but he has programmed them to perform such hits as MGMT's "Electric Feel", the White Stripe's "Conquest" and Madonna's "4 Minutes". He has posted many of these videos on YouTube and is causing quite a sensation. It is truly amazing and I really think I want the Rock-afire Explosion to play my next birthday party! You can read more about Chris and his hip, robotic band in the newest issue of Spin magazine. The article is online here and now, enjoy a few of the following masterpieces:

What a concept!

2008-11-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

Strangely enough, I found a French website, ViaComIT, that has an amazing article on American concept cars from the 50's and 60's. I don't really know what the article says (the French that I remember from high school is only good enough for me to know if cheese (fromage) comes on my ham (jambon) croissant (croissant). But the pictures tell it all! I must admit that I actually love car shows and the concept cars are typically my favorite part. I am also a huge fan of the aesthetic from the 50's and 60's, so this article, at the least the pictures anyway, was right up my alley!

Here are some of my faves:

The GM Firebird, II from 1954 and III and from 1958, looks like a jet on wheels!

This is the Oldsmobile Golden Rocket from 1956. Appropriately named.

This the Pontiac Club De Mer (1956) and if my French serves me correctly, I believe that can be translated as the Pontiac Club of the Sea. Very torpedo-esque.

This is the Ford X 2000. I guess in 1958 they thought, in the future, all cars would come with rudders.

I think this Cadillac Cyclone (1959) is my favorite. It reminds me of Wonder Woman's invisible jet...

This crazy Ford Gyron looks INSANE! It is like a car-cycle. Does it really only have 2 wheels???

There are so many more! Check them out, plus some rad video, here. I wonder what happened to all of these?

Where have you been all my life?

2008-10-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

I love having get-togethers...clothing swaps, game nights, whathaveyou. And of course, being the good hostess that I I try to be, I always have snacks and drinks for all of my guests. A problem that I have run into on more than one occasion is not having a way to differentiate one person's wine glass from another's. From time to time, I will see wine glass charms sold, but they are typically tacky beaded ones or have some sort of silly animated character on them. Until now!

They are called VinoTagz, are super stylish and can be purchased right here. Only 12 dollars for 6 of them and they come in 4 different styles. These being my favorites:

I'm seriously so excited to buy these! I'm trying to curb my spending habit, but I'm doing this not just for myself, but for my PEOPLE! You are welcome.

The future is goofy...

2008-10-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

Ever since their grand unveiling, I have thought that the Segway is super dorky.

Just look at it in action:

It doesn't matter who you are, there is NO way you can look cool riding one of these things. I don't care if you have one made by Ferrari or not.

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Not to mention, it has got to be THE laziest possible way to get from one place to another. I mean, ride a bike, for pete's sake!

But, believe it or not it actually can get dorkier (and just as lazy). Check it:

Yep, that's a man on a hover scooter. And while the technology may be cool, this gentleman is decidedly NOT. With his tie blowing in the wind, I am embarrassed for him. But, hey, if you think that this might be your thing and you have an extra 17 G's lying around, buy one here.

Or perhaps you would like to sit, since standing can be so very exhausting.

What is that, you ask? It is none other than a motorized monocycle. You can try to be as hip as this guy, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Oh future, what other ghastly, technologically awe-inspiring, inventions will you deliver to us next?

I won, I won!

2008-10-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

I entered a contest last week through one of my favorite websites Apartment Therapy and one of my favorite stores, Target (maybe you've heard of it?). I was randomly selected from over 650 entries and I won all of these super cool items!

The prize package consists of a DIY Cube Clock, Gama Throw Pillows (I LOVE these!), Gummy Light, and Grobal Self-Watering Flower Pot (I hope to never kill a plant again). Thank you to Apartment Therapy and to Target!

Muppets and mice and pigs, oh my!

2008-10-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up I was considered one thing. A nerd. Thick glasses, bad perm and an insatiable need to read. I read anything I could get my hands on and loved going to the library every chance I could get. I turned many pages, but I thought I would share some of my most beloved childhood reads with you.

One of my all-time favorites was The Monster at the End of This Book.

It was SO suspenseful, but then had such a happy ending! And who doesn't love Grover (Elmo is overrated, people).

As I got older my tastes changed and I wasn't much interested in Sesame Street anymore. I was given a book called Alexander and the Magic Mouse and this became my new favorite for quite some time.

The illustrations were gorgeous and would get my imagination running for hours at a time. If only there had been a magic mouse living in my house, my life would have been filled with adventure!

As I entered into early adolescence, my literary tastes changed yet again (as did my hair...enter the bad perm I mentioned earlier) and my favorite go to guide for style and beauty tips was none other than Miss Piggy's Guide to Life.

(Isn't she lovely?)

Within these pages, Miss Piggy gave advice on fashion, love and makeup application (isn't there a saying about lipstick on a pig?.... but I digress). There were great pictures inside and this handy guide went with me everywhere.

Once I went to junior high, innocence was lost. I started reading Stephen King novels and lots of True Crime stories, but the books that will always hold a place in my heart are the ones of my youth.

P.S. Hannah Montana has NOTHING on Miss Piggy.

Your favorite 80's videos...literally...

2008-10-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, these may not be your favorites, but they are definitely literal.

I want more!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2008-10-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I talked about my online love affair with Etsy, but in case you were wondering, it is still going strong. Here are just a few of my newest obsessions:

This gorgeous painting by Shelby Healy. If I buy this from her, I think I'll pick it up myself since this is where she lives.

I'm in love with this plaque by The Runny Bunny. I think it will look perfect in my navy bathroom!

This bag from Cha Cha is beyond perfection. The color, the size, the shape. I must have it, meaning...someone who loves me should buy it for me!

So, in the midst of our country's economic crisis, I encourage all of you to go shopping. I'm simply trying to help.

It's a Wold, Wold World

2008-10-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

While reading one of my favorite websites, Design Milk, I discovered the amazing work of Thomas Wold. He writes a column for Ready Made magazine where he actually tells you how to re-create some of his gorgeous projects, like this one:

This is called Fractured Fairy Tales and I LOVE it! One day, when I am really rich, I will commission him to make a Fractured Fairy Tale of my very own.

He also made this totally radical cobalt blue entertainment center:

It's even cooler when you see the before pics. Yeesh!

And last, but not least, is his BlockParty bookcase:

Isn't it so retro cool?

I'm saving up!

2008-10-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

I think I have found the headboard that I have been searching for. Picture this on my eggplant wall:

I found this on a great website called Room Service. They have some awesome stuff AND they deliver!

Baby on the brain

2008-10-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

Seriously? Am I the one writing this post? I am, but I am shocking even myself with this whole fascination of all things little, human and smelling of baby powder. I suppose it makes sense. One of my best friends, Renee, just had a beautiful baby almost 2 months ago and my best friend, Julie is having a little bambino next month and Joel's sister, Nicole, is having baby number 2 sometime in January. Babies, babies everywhere!

Needless to say, I have been shopping for baby clothes and accessories a good bit lately, but it goes farther than that. My daily blog reading typically consists of one of my favorite sites, Apartment Therapy, but as of late I have been spending as much time (if not a little bit more) on their site dedicated to all things baby, Ohdeedoh.

I am finding lots of cute baby things and bookmarking them for the future. My future, someone else's future. Who knows? And I thought I would share some of my findings with you, in case there is a baby in your future.

I love this nightlight from White Rabbit England. And of course, you don't have to be a child to enjoy this.

I love this modern bassinet from fawn&forest, although for $799 I could probably buy a baby on the black market for less.

And my favorite item, by far (and I may buy it for myself whether I end up with a child or not) is...
The Rocking Sheep by Crafts Collection. Here are a few more shots of these guys for your viewing pleasure!

Aren't they ridiculously cute? I may want one of each. Too much, do you think?