The Thaw

I've been busy with all kinds of living, hibernating, and magic making. But tomorrow is the first day of Spring, and it's time to write again!

Winter, you were a crazy, wonderful, frigid ass bitch. Now gtfo, xoxo.
(It snowed 4,000 inches this day.)

The snow has melted.

Have you ever looked at a sidewalk square and thought, "this is the single greatest thing I've ever seen!"? I love it-- bootprints and gum splotches and cracks where sand peeks through -- because its appearance means the most exciting thing ever: WINTER IS FINALLY FREAKIN' OVER. Yay!

To give dues, this winter was actually  awesome. It was so full, and busy, and happy, and gray. Cold as balls, but love-filled; arctic, but impressive. It was spotted with trips down to the stunning park where M & I are going to throw a party in which we consume questionable amounts of steak and martinis and then try to dance, and also get married (OH MY GOD). Having a beautiful respite in winter, when one finds herself in a city turned charcoal-sludge-gray by its daily motion, is seriously nourishing. It's amazing to visit a place with signs of life available to peruse. I love you, eagles & trees!

What really made this winter bearable: THESE BOOTS!!!!!!
Also this winter: I developed an exclamation point overuse issue.

My other getaway: giving a tiki party for some of my very favorite people on the planet, and drinking out of pineapple cups. Which, let's be real, just because Tiki Time is over doesn't mean I have not been drinking out of them still. Can you blame me? That shit is multi-seasonal.

You guys, drinking out of these makes everything so much better. IT JUST DOES.

There were snowstorms that pounded, monolith heaps of slush formed at the roadside, about 9 billion tons of snow buried my very tiny car. The shit show that is "dibs" littered the often unsuitable parking spaces in our neck of the woods with lawn chairs, sawhorses, neon carnival toys, TVs from the early 90s, and terrifying holiday decorations. During a 19" snowfall from which we were all warned to keep indoors, we trekked to a doughnut shop and found it brimming (WINTER CAN'T STOP DOUGHNUTS). Every time I got stuck in the snow, someone stepped up to help me out. I love this city.

#chiberiaproblems

Other things that rocked this winter: my coat. I love you, coat. But not as much as I love the fact that I SAW GRASS TODAY!  I also got my hair stuck in, like, 3 trees (congratulations to anyone who witnessed this). So maybe I forgot what it's like to be tall without a hood on. I am not complaining. What's a couple of branches tangled with my dome-piece next to WINTER FOREVER?

I loved you, winter in Chicago, full of wedding-planning and working and laughing and septum-piercing and adventuring and freaking out that the snow might never go away because OHMYGAWD it kept falling, and honeymoon booking, and wine drinking, and house re-decorating, and plant not-killing (this is a really big deal!), and dreaming, and freezing, and blogging a little at work, and laughing a whole hell of a lot. But one more day in the negatives, and I would've been taking my pasty ass to Barcelona until further notice.

Places I will actually be taking my pasty ass: Puerto Rico (yay honeymoon)!!! Because rainforest. And because ocean. And more importantly, because being lazy as hell on a rooftop with M. and soaking up some much needed sunshine. 

Heelllooooo Spring!!! 

Here's to packing away the winter coats, figuring out transitional dressing, piling on the pastels, and rolling in endless meadows of glorious flowers (because that's what's going to happen now, right?). 

It's good to be back. <3

Kisses, chickens!

-Ash

It's Fall and I'm in love!

...with this leather jacket + bootie combination. 

 Every day is better when I look down and this is my footwear situation.
These {booties} are the greatest thing ever. Seriously, though. EVER.

Guys, it's officially FALL! I know the first day of fall was supposedly a while ago, but today is one of the the first days there are gathered leaves on the ground, it's a beautiful Chicago October, and I'm starting fall today. So obviously I just want to crawl inside the pages of Vogue and make myself at home in a Dolce & Gabbana campaign/fairytale-worthy brocades/fursandfursandfurs with a pile of doughnuts, a latte, a million pumpkin flavored things, and wear leopard print hair calf booties everyday. Because that's how everybody feels about fall. Right? Amiright??!!

I've got the booties bit down. Fursandfursandfurs, forthcoming?

I spent September distracted by the various fashion weeks' street style Instagram happenings, lavender tea, the existence of Nerds Ropes (LIFE = CHANGED), celebrating our first anniversary at work, and moving through the following stages of mourning (summer).

1. Panicking because the polar vortex is imminent.

2. Shopping for things that will make the polar vortex more bearable, such as shiny pants (oh waxed skinnies, you da best!), colorful everything, and fuzzy slippers. Or this... I really want this.

3. Preparing for the colder months by justifying the purchase of ALL of the booties, furry things, a taxidermy purse (that's another post to come...), winter boots, cozy sheepskin rugs, and piles of every Thai noodle thing. 

4. Soaking up every last warm night outside and eating way too much Halloween candy (looking at you, peanut butter Snickers, you irresistible little bastards), and wine.

5. Painting my apartment bright ass colors because HOLY GRAY WINTER, CHICAGO.

6. Getting over it because yay October/ fall fashion/ spaghetti squash/ apples/ pumpkins/ sweater weather. TIME FOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

I am incredibly excited for October! It helps that the weather here in Chicago is bright and clear, and I'm super pumped because M. has agreed to dress up for Halloween this year. THIS IS A BIG DEAL, PEOPLE.

          

          

The Best Leather Jacket 

Favorite Jeans

New Favorite $10 Tee (TALL GIRLS! THIS!)

 I want to celebrate by wearing all of the lizard & leopard things and frolicking through cornfields and Maine woods. I am celebrating by getting back to the bench and making some jewelry (the best way to spend any day). Nothing more rejuvenating to the soul than sitting down and sawing and firing some metal (to emerge covered in a delicious coat of silver dust, wax, and polishing filth, with a new creation that I hopefully did not melt and can maybe bear to part with but probably not because all of the rings should be my rings...)! Sound gross? You should totally try it. Spa day for the spirit. 

Also, sometimes you end up with a necklace like this one (which is hiding somewhere beneath my jacket in these photos ^^^):

I'm obsessed, I think I need to make more of these. Antlers FTW!

These are the most comfortable shoes. I'm in love with them. I am tempted to buy another pair so that, should they perish in some tragic future, I could spare myself the turmoil of  bereavement and slip into pair #2 unfazed. I just want to curl up with them next to a warm fire-- a couple mugs of hot (spiked) apple cider at hand and a stupid amount of "Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23" on Netflix. 

I'm excited to see what October brings, and to wear these shoes pretty much every day until salt and snow show up... Then I'll just wear them inside. 

Happy October, chickens!

Xo,

Ash

Altuzarra Does Target

Altuzarra's Target collaboration is coming at you tomorrow. I [everyone] will be needing this jacket..

  

Target is a really dangerous place, you guys. I can go in there for a $4 silverware organizer and spend $100, leaving with all kinds of things I didn't even know I needed! Thanks, Target! I know you've gone in for mouthwash and left with a flat screen. That's not the only way they work their magic, though. I've been a big fan of their designer collaborations, and I'm particularly excited for their Altuzarra line to be released to the masses on the 14th. Maybe there is an alarm set in my phone to remind me to hop on their website this weekend. Maybe.

I'm digging the orchid print.

The lookbook is pretty delicious, full of slinky fabrics and reimagined staples, and plenty of versatile pieces for any work-to-streetwear wardrobe. A little bit sexpot with skirt slits and snakeskin, but classic and feminine with tailoring and soft floral elements. I will be web-stalking a few pieces for sure.

I get excited about pieces that I can throw on after I oversleep and still show up at work looking like I do not live in a gutter. This dress is one of those pieces. Oh, how I love two-fers. This is a fun twist on the blazer, too!

There's something magical about being able to snag runway-worthy garments, paper towels, packaging tape and microwave popcorn all in one go. Not saying it's glamorous, exactly (not at all), but it's kinda badass.

My inner Golden Girl says yes OHMYGOD YES to this sweater.

Looking forward to seeing the Target-uzarra happenings. It's going to be awesome.

Put it on the calendar, chickadees!

Xx.

-Ashley


photos courtesy of  Altuzarra for Target Lookbook.