Pretty things to end the month

2/28/2010 09:18:00 PM Ashley 0 Comments

It's Sunday and the last day of the month. To say good-bye to February, I thought I'd share some pretty things that make me drool just a little.


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Jade is the New Black

2/26/2010 08:43:00 PM Ashley 4 Comments

Say hello to the wonderful new color "Jade is the New Black" from OPI's Hong Kong line. Try not to say hello to my paint job, my 7 year old self decided to make a visit.

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Natural light.

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With flash.

This is two-ish coats. I was having a damn hard time painting my nails. It was no fault of the polish, just of the polisher. I think that this formula works perfectly fine with two coats.

I am loving this color! It's a great rich green color on the nail (I might even say a jungle green (go get your Crayon box)). The color is very much a cream, no shimmer or sparkle to be found. It's unlike anything I have seen from OPI recently. I'm very happy that I finally talked myself into getting it. I haven't even had it on for a day and I received two separate compliments on the color! This one is a winner in my book. In fact I love it so much, I might just think about making it part of my March giveaway (which is gearing up to be full of a lot of awesome goodies!).

Has anyone else tried "Jade is the New Black? Are you going to try it?

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Master bedroom issues

2/26/2010 10:40:00 AM Ashley 2 Comments

I have issues folks. Okay, I should be more specific when I say I have issues (lets not go there). I like our bedding in our master bedroom, but by no means do I love it. I mostly got it because we went from having a Queen bed to a Cal King and we needed new bedding. I had found the perfect comforter from Crate and Barrel, but of course it sold out right after we decided to upgrade our bed. That meant the hunt was on and boy can I say nothing really jumped out at me. I ended up with a set from Macy's Style&Co line that was on sale and while I wasn't in love with it, I was happy for the time being.

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"Ombre Petals" (Our current bedding) {photo from Macys.com}

Yes, I tend to go towards green when all else fails. It's how my mind works. Honestly, I wanted something gray and funny enough, gray is still what I am leaning towards.

Really what I want to do is have a Kelly green, black and white bedroom. I've been in love with that color combination ever since I had to paint the walls green at Banana Republic (a few years back). They were a little paint happy at the time, which meant I was not happy most of the time, because I was the main painter in our store. This time though, they paired the green with beautiful black and white photos. Ever since then I have wanted to do a room that way.

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{Photo from Apartment Therapy}

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{Photo from HGTV Dream Home}

Yummy!

But we can't paint in this house and I know we won't be able to paint wherever we move to next, so that color combo will have to wait until we're in our forever home. I swear that I will have some room styled that way when I get the chance.

For now I am sticking with my other color combination love. Gray and yellow. Yes I know this was the color combo of the year and is now over played. I seem to love colors a year or so before they hit big. I'm creeped out by the fact that this always happens. Anywho, I love it for our bedroom and because it's gotten popular, it's easier to fine out in the market place. Even Target sells a very very popular pillow from the Dwell line in the colors.

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The other side is done in reverse colors (yellow flowers, gray background).

Not going to lie, I scooped these little puppies up the moment I saw them. I have them waiting for the moment I find the perfect bedding.

Target is currently getting some new pieces for the DwellStudio for Target line, which now includes two gray/yellow options!

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Gray and yellow coverlet.


Mandala bedding {Photo from Apartment Therapy}

While I like this bedding, I don't know if I would like to have it as a long term look.


Orbit comforter {Photo from Target.com}

Again I really like this one, but I have to be honest with myself and having that much white on our bed. Having a dog that sleeps on our bed and white just don't mix. Heck even we have issues always keeping Emmett's white fur...well...white.

In my crazy searching for the perfect comforter I discovered a line called BlissLiving. They have three different options and one of them I am in love with.


Ayanna {Photo from Blissliving.com}

So pretty, but again with the white and also I'd like to stay away from the leaves seeing as that's a theme we currently have.


Peri {Photo from LNT.com}

I actually really love this bedding, but Nate swears that Emmett will get tangled in it. I know he's probably right, but dang it I like it. Maybe I could get one of the pillows to suffice my love of the pleats.


Ashley Citron {Photo from Blissliving.com}

Maybe it's the name of this bedding or the fact that it's sunny and happy, but I lurve this bedding.

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Gemini Citron throw pillow

In person the citron color is far more of a yellow. I was worried when I read the description that it would have a lot of green in it, but that's not the case at all.

Of course my decision couldn't be easy, because I walked by Crate and Barrel and saw this in their windows...

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You know me so well.

This window display drove me inside where I found bright yellow everywhere.


Marimekko "Madison" {Photo from Kaboodle.com}

I know, I know leaves but it's just so pretty and bright.

I have a lot of choices and I just don't know which way to go.

Here's our bed for reference...


Sumatra bed {Photo from PotteryBarn.com}

We have the side tables and dresser from that collection as well.

Now to think about what to do.

So dear readers, what are your thoughts on all of this? What bedding do you like? Have you seen a gray/yellow combo that you like (link me to it if you please)?

2 comments :

Randomness thy name is Ashley

2/25/2010 08:20:00 PM Ashley 2 Comments

Warning: This is going to be one random post so try to stick with me.

Lets start with the fact that I have been trying to decide if I should paint the less than attractive dresser that we have in our guest bedroom or get rid of it and look for something new or off of Craigslist. There's issues with both of these ideas. If I keep the existing dresser I'm still going to have to deal with the drawers sticking and not wanting to open. If I look for something from Criagslist I have the issue of not having a wide selection and price gouging. So today as I was looking through the Denver section of Craigslist and found what I want almost instantly.





With the color of our bedding in the guest bedroom I wouldn't even need to paint it. I love the simple look of it and that it has a desk as a part of it. I'm drooling as we speak, if only we had a way to get it home. I'm rather sad about that issue. Guess I'll have to suck it up and keep looking around where we live.


Recently I had just picked up a shampoo and conditioner from L'Orèal's new line for color treated hair called EverPure. I've been testing the moisture version for a month (I don't wash my hair every day) and so far I'm liking it a lot.

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This is my hair after using this product about 7-8 times (as of today).

I do want to try it for a bit longer before I do a full on review, so keep your eye out for that!

I stopped by J Crew today and found two tops, one of which I had been in love with since I saw it in their holiday catalog.

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I'm a sucker for a snowflake.

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I love yellow and can't wait to pair this up with a gray shirt underneath. I'm hoping that the light weight cotton is light enough for where we live.

Now the most random thing about this post. I was walking through Target just a bit ago and walked past the Barbie aisle, when I was stopped dead in my tracks. Now I had heard and I had seen some of the "retro" Barbies that they have been re-releasing. Pretty much they took the most iconic Barbies from every decade and are selling them again. I have already seen the 60's and 70's re-releases, but I had not seen the 80's until tonight and boy did I have a wicked crazy flashback.

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Peaches and Cream Barbie.

Does anyone remember her? I do. I had her and I loved her. From her dress to her jewelry, this is the outfit that I have never forgotten. I seriously had to fight with my 7 year old self to keep from buying her. *Sigh*

I also saw a few new Barbies from their Barbie Basics line. From what I can tell there are 12 different Barbies (different races and hair colors) and the are all wearing a different version of a "little black dress".

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Two of the Barbie Basics.

I'm rather enjoying the concept of getting a plain (but stylish) Barbie that you can dress from the ground up.

Oh to be young again.

Have you found anything good through Craigslist? Were you a Barbie girl? Did you have the Peaches and Cream Barbie?

2 comments :

A lucky find and other things

2/24/2010 10:43:00 PM Ashley 4 Comments

After my trip to Beauty Brands, Nate and I hung out a bit at the hotel. He needed to get some work done and I, of course, blogged about my new nail polishes. After some hard work from Nate we ran off to the very large HomeGoods and TJ MAxx that we passed on our way to the hotel. Now to side track real quick, before we headed out Nate decided he needed to harass the dog. Now he will swear that this is not harassment, but Emmett was peacefully sleeping on the bed and Nate decided he'd be happier if he was tucked under the blankets.

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I guess he didn't mind Nate messing with him seeing as he kept sleeping.

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Such a hard life he leads, let me tell you.

For whatever reason I am very very enthralled with lamps right now. It didn't help that when I walked into this HomeGoods I was greeted by their lamp section. Even though I didn't buy any (I really wanted one of them), these are some of best ones I found...

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I really love the shape of the arm that holds the lamp shade. It also doesn't hurt that the shade is green. I worry that I am always going to be pulled back to doing every room in some shade of green.

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I was drawn to the lamps that had arms that held out the shade I guess. I think I also just liked the grouping of three.

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This one was hard not to bring home. If I did our bedroom in black, white and green this would be where I started (I may have also had to talk myself out of getting them for use in our guest room).

Probably the greatest thing about this trip was the unexpected items I found in the bath section. Just the day before I was over at The Great Indoors looking at bedding (for our room) and a shower curtain (for our guest bathroom). I had snapped a few pictures so I could show Nate some of the things I liked, one of them being a shower curtain made by Vera (yes that wonderful designer from the 70's).

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I really liked the bright colors, but wasn't sure about the $35+ price tag that it carried.

As I walked around in the bath section I stopped in my tracks when I saw that bright yellow and orange pattern. There was all of the matching accessories, but no shower curtain. I tried not to get my hopes up as I looked around. Then I found it. A beautiful deal at $13. I also grabbed the waist basket for $16 (instead of 35+) and the soap dish for $5 (instead of $15).

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The shower curtain.

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Trash can and soap dish.

Both of the pictures aren't showing the true yellow and olive green that is in the pattern. Once I get them home and up in the bathroom I will definitely take pictures!

I also grabbed two more picture frames to make into earring holders. I hope to add them to my Etsy shop as soon as I get them finished.

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This is a gold-ish colored frame.

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Close up.

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Pretty frame with wonderful roses.

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Close up of roses.

After HomeGoods we got the chance to meet up with a very good friend of ours that we haven't seen in awhile. I truly adore him and he has been such a wonderful part of my life. Tonight he was very very kind and generous and gave me a box full of Origins products that he doesn't use (he has a family member that works for Origins). Luckily I use all of these products fairly religiously.

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My box full of wonder products.

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The full selection of the products I received (some of them had many duplicates).

Today was a wonderful day. I look forward to getting back to the house to get these things put to use!

Is there something (home goods wise) that you are addicted to looking at right now? Do you use Origins products? If so, what are your favorite things from them?

4 comments :

Nail polish fix

2/24/2010 02:53:00 PM Ashley 3 Comments

Yet another reason why I love being back here would be the store Beauty Brands. They sell mostly high end (salon) hair products as well as nail polish. I've found that they carry the largest selection of OPI that I have ever found, and they are very well stocked. They also have the full line of China Glaze and Essie.

I went because I forgot to bring a nail polish and I had been debating on getting two of the purples (apparently one is actually pink, but to my eye it has purple in it) and the green from OPI's Hong Kong line (I already got two colors from the line, which I talked about here). The two colors I had been looking at were "Panda-monium Pink" and "Lucky Lucky Lavender". After much debate and an excited review of "Lucky Lucky Lavender" by Veronika over at Veronika's Blushing I decided to purchase it.

It really is a lovely lavender color, but it needs three coats. I found the first coat to be streaky, but after the second coat it smoothed out nicely.

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Without flash and natural light in the hotel room. It's a little darker in person.

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With flash. Again the polish is not that light in color.

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I got fed up with the color not matching up and took the picture in the bathroom with the lights turned off and the flash on. This is the most dead on of what the color looks like in person.

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These are the other goodies I got at Beauty Brands.
From L-R: OPI Avoplex cuticle oil to-go, OPI polish remover, OPI "Jade is the New Black", OPI "Lucky Lucky Lavender", Essie "Chinchilly", Essie "Mint Candy Apple" and a free Biolage hair kit.


I had been thinking long and hard about "Jade is the New Black" because I don't have a lot of greens. So I grabbed it, because if I am thinking about it that much, then I know I will use it. I also had been wanting a gray-ish color and liked Essie's "Chinchilly". They also had two bottles left of "Mint Candy Apple", which many of you know was Essie's popular holiday color. I had been looking for it back home and pretty much no one had it, so I was shocked to see that Beauty Brands had two left so long after the holidays (I had to talk myself out of buying the second one). The OPI Avoplex was a free gift for spending so much on OPI products. I do love cuticle items, so I'll be excited to see how well it works.

When I get home I plan on trying out the other three colors from OPI's Hong Kong line and of course I will post them for you all. Nate's finishing up a few things and then we are heading out to a "real" HomeGoods, as in it is its own store! I'm trying not to be too giddy. I'll blog about the findings later!

Have you tried any of the new colors from OPI's Hong Kong line? Have you ever tried OPI's nail polish remover? If so, did you like it?

3 comments :

Big girl shopping

2/23/2010 06:13:00 PM Ashley 5 Comments

Lucky me, our hotel is less than a mile away from the very large and very wonderful FlatIron Crossing. I almost forgot what it was like to be in a place with a large mall that has many stores and ways to spend money. I didn't even make it through the whole mall, yet I wasted close to 4 hours wandering around. One of the places I had to stop was the HUGE XXI Forever...as in a Flagship Forever 21.

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It's large enough to have it's own outdoor entrance.

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This is what greeted me when I walked in. To the right was their plus size line, to the right was their line for kids. Beyond that was room after room of amazing racks of clothing. There was even a men's line!

I did a quick sweep of all of the sections and found myself sticking in the Twelve by Twelve line. There was a lot of ribbon, lace and shimmer. I found at least 7 different things and ran off to the fitting room.

I tried to be cool and took pictures of me in the things I bought. I have never done this before, so bare with me. I'm not exactly happy with my body right now, so I am super self critical of everything I put on.

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I really liked the ruffles on this top, but it totally won me over with the back, there are five rhinestone buttons on the back. I also like that this was so long. I was shocked that it was only $19 when there were other shirts that had far less going on, for far more ($30-35).

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This zippered sweater was a totally random grab off the sales rack (I got it for $8.99, down from $29!). I do not wear cardigans. This is because I have two "girls" that like to pull at the buttons. Luckily they have no chance against zippers. I seriously love the navy and mustard-y brown colors together.

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Sadly this little cutie did not come home with me. It was not friends with my chest, but man I wish it would have worked. Though I would have ditched that belt (it reminds me of my husband's belt he has to wear with his uniform).

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This was my very very random purchase. I adore all things vintage and that of course includes fasteners. I saw this and for $5 had to have it. The headband makes it easy to wear.

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It's large and bold, but I adore it. Nate thinks it's funny that I can "pull off" wearing such random things.

Have you been to/gotten anything from Forever 21? Have you ever been to XXI Forever? Have you ever bought something that is totally random, but you just loved it?

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