unabashedly asheville

grateful for time, grateful for flexibility

2014-01-13T15:23:00.000-05:00

"i love a broad margin to my life"
-henry david thoreau

i'm back

2013-12-18T21:23:00.002-05:00

there are two kinds of blogs out there: pretty ones and honest ones. why can't mine be both?

i started this blog as a senior in college. it was mean to be a practical guide to living life to the fullest with an emphasis on supporting local business, living within one's means, and maintaining an easy-going and humble lifestyle. it was a pretty blog.

but then i grew up. in the last three years, i graduated from college, spent six soul-crushing months in asheville with no direction, nine months living and working a big girl job in nyc, another nine in the first year of a Ph.D. program in Chapel Hill, and the last six recovering from an eating disorder, putting my broken body and spirit back together.

i also met the man of my dreams, bonded with his little boy, reconnected with my family, and charted a new course for my life. i've turned away from isms (workaholism, perfectionism, materialism, and careerism) and turned toward peace (health, happiness, balance, and contentment).

i've left my Ph.D. program in favor of a telecommuting job with a close family friend. i'm moving back to asheville to start a lifewith my partner and his son. i'm focusing on building up from the bottom of the hierarchy of needs. my priority is stability.

i am 25, and this blog is not meant to be a practical guide to anything. it's meant to be an honest and beautiful accounting of what happens when i try to put the lessons i've learned into practice. it's meant to help me stay accountable, to be grateful, and to stay in the gray.

to be unabashed is to own oneself - the pretty and the honest. this blog, like life, is meant to be both.

fall cross-body bags... under $200

2011-08-17T13:35:00.000-04:00

staying true to my hands-free lifestyle, loving these cross-bodies for fall --

both fossil vintage re-issue crossbodies - $158

still a little out of your price range? me, too! these are a lil' cheaper... gotta love asos.

from top right - saddle satchel - warehouse clean cross-body bag - leather saddle bag - suede slouch satchel - prices range from $34 (!) to $112.

for you ladies interested in handmade, check out this awesome etsy shop - harlex. handmade leather goods for all of your carrying needs. my favorites are...

personalized envelope leather clutch - $94 - leather pouch bag - $255.

definitely a little pricey, but very pretty. i'm not much for personalization, so i'd probably ask for the clutch without it.

happy monday, happy august

2011-08-01T11:50:00.000-04:00

after an AMAZING bele chere weekend (i know, gasp!), i'm already excited for what the week holds.

monday

i will continue my quest to find the best fish tacos in asheville. so far, papas and beer takes the cake, with a $2.50 fish taco on the a la carte menu. delish! but, i have a good lead on some tasty tacos at u joint, which the ladies and i will be hitting this evening!

tuesday

the movies! so excited that something i actually want to see finally came to the brew n view, (also known as the asheville pizza and brewing company on merrimon). $3 movies, great pizza, and great beer - how could you go wrong? i'll be having a slice of shear delight and a pint of shiva as i watch bridesmaids there tomorrow!

(thirsty) thursday

my favorite summer tradition - thursdays watching our beloved asheville tourists hammer or be hammered on the baseball field. that is, of course, while we do some hammering ourselves on one dollar beers!

hope everyone has a great monday and a perfect start to a new month. keep an eye out for my expert opinion on the fish tacos at u joint!

best practices: bele chere

2011-07-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

bele chere - excellent way to spend the weekend or to be avoided at all costs? depends on if you know what you're doing. after going to at least a decade's worth of this summer festival, i've gleaned a little knowledge that i'd love to share.

1. go early or late - don't go during the day! too hot, too crowded.

2. shhh, but byob. unless you like shelling out $7 for a bud light. i like to bring my hydroflask full of my favorite cocktails. (also byo water!)

3. walk, don't drive.

4. as far as wardrobe is concerned, anything goes, so the less clothes the better!

5. the best part is the bars after the festival closes! go late, see a few bands, then hit the bars!

6. hate to share this one, but many of my favorite stores have super sales going on throughout the weekend. make sure to check out minx for big discounts. go today!

bands i want to see:

fri - floating action, the whigs, holy ghost tent revival.

sat - kovacs and the polar bears, jessica lea mayfield, railroad earth.

sun - common foundation, do it to julia.

catching up

2011-03-29T14:16:00.000-04:00

i've been operating on a "work really hard, play really hard" schedule these last few weeks, hence the lack of posts. for those of you who would like to follow a similar schedule, it's possible with these simple steps:

1. work

2. work

3. work

4. binge drink

5. fall asleep with your boots on

6. rinse and repeat

not so healthy, but i'm compensating for all the beer calories with all the food i haven't been eating. right? however, i did check out some new places that i'd like to tell you about!

dobra tea house

my friends camilla and rachel took me to the tea house on a rainy saturday, and it was adorable! they literally have a phone book's worth of tea choices, and the prices are great! we got a pot for $5.50 between the three of us, and sat for maybe two hours? they bring you extra hot water so you can keep on infusing and keep on drinking! you ring a bell when you're ready to order (which, between the eight thousand varieties of tea and copious amounts of girl talk to be had, took awhile). that part was cute, but kind of odd. i highly recommend it! it was really cozy and a lot of people were there with their computers, just getting stuff done in a really nice environment.

universal joint

swung by here after the wedge friday night to watch the carolina game and get some grub. cute place in west asheville with a good beer selection and GREAT service. they were totally packed, it being friday and a huge basketball night, but the people were so nice and accommodating! i ordered the black bean quesadilla, which was a mistake, but my friends got burgers which they LOVED. so, definitely need to check it out again.

also, learned what may be a bad bit of information for me to have my hands on... $2 wells and draft beers at the southern on tuesdays. i know, just the day you need to be doing a serious amount of drinking, but do what you choose with this information.

sephora giveaway!

2011-03-21T12:13:00.000-04:00

hey, hey -- stumbled upon this $40 sephora giveaway. enter!

local etsy finds - home pt. ii

2011-03-20T13:34:00.000-04:00

people in this world are so incredibly talented! the wheatfield etsy shop, from right here in asheville, has been getting TONS of attention out there on the blogosphere. no surprise! the prints are happy and cheap, between $5-$25ish.

go, shop, and get them framed at blackbird frame and art on merrimon. my girl grace will take wonderful care of you!

making me smile on this rainy tuesday...

2011-03-15T13:31:00.000-04:00

it is weirdly cold and rainy today, but there are definitely some things that are making me smile!

1. cozy craft projects

fun things to make at home on a day such as this. i'm not normally the crafting type, but with some support from my lovely friend katlin, i'm indulging my left brain!

left - amy butler fabric to make boxy cosmetic bag, top right - gorgeous diy flowers to add to a chain for a great asymmetrical necklace, bottom right - instructions for cosmetic bag

2. jpk bags

now that it's spring, i'm yearning to dump my black leather bag in favor of something more colorful. thank goodness for jpk handbags, which are (i think!) a huge step up visually from those old longchamp nylon bags (that everyone STILL carries) and at a better price point to boot. their nylon buckets are to die for and only $98 at moda, a boutique here in asheville. they can also be found at nordstrom and on their website.

3. march madness!

lovin my cuse orange as we hit that tourney. let's go orange!!!

photo from here

we're being unabashedly boston today

2011-03-09T20:01:00.001-05:00

hello! lots going on in these few days, including a whirlwind new england trip, visits to law schools and family, and... dun dun dunnnahhh -- i finally got an iphone. expect lots more pins, twitter updates, and blog posts from my newly networked self.

is it bad that i take better pictures with my iphone than with my nikon? oh well.

signing off from boston!

polka dots, asheville style

2011-03-07T23:10:00.000-05:00

central to the asheville lifestyle is a sense of calm, a laid-back vibe that can be hard to reconcile with pursuits of higher fashion. particularly with slightly louder patterns, such as polka dots, it's sometimes hard to pull them off without looking vaguely ridiculous. central to the mission of this blog is to translate high fashion in a practical, affordable, and accessible way - aka, put an asheville twist on it!

mab flats, rebecca minkoff - tunic and blue dress, marc by marc jacobs - bathing suit and taupe skirt, topshop - light coral skirt, j crew

out of town

2011-03-07T09:43:00.000-05:00

hey, hey folks - i'm out of town for the next week or so, and posting will be light. for now, just enjoy this...

i found an adorable lawyer/blogger!

2011-02-27T13:14:00.000-05:00

to all of you nay-sayers out there, being a lawyer and being an adorably creative blogger are not mutually exclusive! i found dottie, co-writer of let's go ride a bike. she's a lawyer and lives in chicago and loves to ride her bike. also, she takes beautiful pictures and embraces messy hair. hello blog role model!

(pics from her blog)

hope ya'll are having a beautiful sunday! i finally feel better and am so excited to have my favorite gals over to coo over dresses at the oscars tonight!

some of my favorite online mags...

2011-02-26T14:39:00.000-05:00

hey, hey -- crucial to the well-planned sick day is a stack of my favorite magazines. unfortunately, my i'm sick-denial led to poor planning - no magazines! so, i've resigned myself to virtually "flipping" through these online beauties.

1. matchbook magazine

fashion, interiors, design and layout heaven.

2. rue magazine

so pretty, another lifestyle magazine that will have you drooling.

3. ivy and piper

this one is too cute -- and australian!

4. net-a-porter

don't love this one as much, but it's a weekly! strictly fashion, strictly out of my price range, but good for last-minute outfit inspiration.

all in all, i still very much prefer actual magazines. there's nothing quite like flipping through glossies looking at beautiful things. also, how are you supposed to make real-life collages without real life magazines?

wish me better!

local etsy finds - accessories

2011-02-22T16:19:00.002-05:00

will someone please get me this ring from woodland belle, and extremely talented jewelry studio from right here in asheville?? gorgeous.

ring and pins from woodland belle, clutches from FIAZCO (kinda pricey, but still pretty. i like the one on the left. they also have one in the same print but with gold hardware and salmon lining. that's the best!)

(all images the property of their respective etsys.)

local etsy finds - home

2011-02-22T16:10:00.001-05:00

out of love for the beautiful and the locally produced, i spent some time looking up ashevillian artists on etsy. these are some of my favorites.

pottery from element clay studio, lighting from splugeavl, pillow from bertharose

ps element clay studio was just featured in rue magazine, one of my favorite online mags.

bottom right-ish. go asheville! don't you just love this collage?

also, speaking of collages, i've been doing these by myself! i don't think i have the right software, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!

(images are the property of their respective etsy sites - pic of the magazine from their website as well)

figs+ginger

2011-02-17T18:30:00.004-05:00

one of my favorite local designers is figs+ginger, eco-friendly and masterful jewelry crafters. it is a husband and wife team (super cute) and they make forest-inspired designs by hand using recycled metals. not only are their designs fabulous and environmentally friendly, they're awesomely priced! they have an adorable video about their company on their website that you should totally check out, and then you should run out to frock (a local boutique downtown) to see what's for sale. my favorites are...

believe it or not, the ring and the earrings are only $25! seriously.

emersonmade giveaway (and other miracles)

2011-02-17T17:31:00.004-05:00

hesitant to share my knowledge, but since my readership is currently limited, it's cool. emersonmade (only the maker of the prettiest clothes and accessories EVER) is giving away a $500 shopping spree. i want want want!

i've already posted about some things i would get, but my wish list also includes...

emersonmade

an ode to burgermeister's

2011-02-17T12:01:00.001-05:00

so bandito's was closed last night due to a medical emergency (send them good thoughts) and we ended up at burgermeister's instead. this place is a must-hit for their delicious and varied burger choices, as well as plenty of other options. for instance, i built my own yummy grilled cheese for dinner last night instead of sampling one of their gigantic and tasty burgers.

courtesy of burgermeister's

very casual, entrees under ten bucks, decent selection of draft beers (they have liquor, too), burgermeister's makes a great choice for a weeknight out!

after we grabbed a drink at the barcade and played with the xbox kinect. have you used this thing? it's like the wii with no controller. super fun. super cool. and an added bonus of a decent workout! plus, as you're jumping and reaching and weaving, the box takes pictures of you! hilarious. they don't let you keep them, so i grabbed a snapshot of two of my buddies getting their raft on.

ps. gorgeous day again! i may have to blow off some classes to go running. sh.