Today, I am old.

Today is the one day that my facebook wall was littered with comments, and awkward conversations were interrupted by "happy birthdays!'. It has all been lovely, really but one thing is sticking out in my mind.

 I am OLD.

Why, hello old lady!

Those older than me would most likely chuckle and roll their eyes at the statement above, but its true! No longer a teenager, and two decades old! This is the time when life begins to roll by, a fall down a tall and icy hill with no brakes. The further we fall down that hill, the faster we fall. I now realize how important it is to live every moment, instead of letting them pass me by. My childhood is now long past, and my days of frolicking in my backyard are over. My days of responsibility and growth, of love and family lie ahead.

I realize that your twenties are what most people call their "prime" but I never thought I would make it to this point in time. Until life began to pass me by I always believed that I would be a child forever. I would always be innocent, imaginative and lighthearted, and in a way I still am.

Wednesday Whim - Boots and Bucks

There is just something about the vintage Frye Campus boot that has got me searching high and low on the shelves of every local vintage/thrift shop around lately. I know that my chances of finding a pair are slim to none, but hell what I wouldn't give to slip my size 7 1/2 foot into these comfy/boho wonderboots!!

I mean SERIOUSLY cute right?! (paired with long socks and a flouncy floral dress perchance?)

I've searched the interweb repeatedly with no luck of finding anything in my size or price range. Even the vintage pairs i've found online have been upwards of $80 ....buying new is out of the question.
Maybe the shoe gods will work in my favor on this one.  any advice?

SPEAKING of boots......
I spent a good majority of my young adult life criticizing Ugg brand boots, and telling those around me that I would never buy a pair. Well..... If being a hypocrite is wrong, I don't want to be right. I have found my match.

A few weeks ago I was scouring the discount shoe shelves at a local TJ MAXX when I found this pair of off the wall Uggs at less than half retail price. Once I slipped them on my feet I fell in love, and had to take them home. I am still pretty shocked about the fact that I actually found a pair that I LIKE. These babies have an almost victorian flare and man, are they comfortable! Not only are they extremely warm and comfy, they are delightfully tacky and wierd....kind of like me. fantastic.
ciao!
Ash

Music on a Warm Wednesday

I realize its been a couple of weeks,but I couldn't deny that this Wednesday, above all is the perfect to write to you about a band that I am REALLY loving. It is no surprise that I am a HUGE fan of The Strokes and as each band member has gone off in a seperate direction for ambitious solo projects, one that has really caught my eye [or ears, i should say] is that of Little Joy. Fabrizio Morreti, handsome and brooding drummer of the strokes joined forces with Los Hermanos guitarist and vocalist, Rodrigo Amarante in 2007. Little Joy has a simple yet lyrically complex sound deeming them a perfect soundtrack for a brisk fall day, or any day for that matter. They truly have an organic sound that seems to whisk you off to another state of mind completely.

Truly lovely.

Music on a Windy Wednesday

The Innocence Mission - Brotherhood of Men



A few weeks ago I ran across this beautiful duo. Karen has one of the most enchanting and melodic voices that i've heard in a long time. They seem like they could be the soundtrack to any dream,making them perfect for a slow autumn day. The Innocence Mission is a perfect blend of folk rock and bluegrass/acoustic, and their music fails to be merely topical. The simplistic quality of the instrumentals and vocals are strongly overshadowed by the depth in lyrics. They have a sound that seems almost primitive to the sound that most folk rock musicians have begun to create.

Today, I decided to leave you with one of my favorite tunes, entitled, The Brotherhood of Men. This song is easily the soundtrack to my day. It's a windy day in Ohio. Today life has a sort of monotonous and melancholy drone, yet it is beautiful. Acorns and crabapples litter the autumn ground, a symbol of a new change in this cycle of life. Somehow, for me this song just highlights such starkly human qualities. We all have our pains and our distractions yet we are all connected, in passing and in living our lives. This reminds me of my childhood so much, living in small town Montana, where everybody knows one another, where even the strangers aren't too foreign. Sometimes I would find myself in conversation with someone who seemed to know much more about me than even I did at the time.

Enjoy!
Toodles,
Ash

So heres the beginning of a beautiful friendship

Throughout the course of my nomadic and awkward childhood i've been called words like "dork" ,"wierd-o" or sometimes "nerd". Times have changed, new presidents have been elected, Joan Rivers had the occasional facelift (or two...or three) and people still dont understand. My bystanders have evolved from children to adults, with names spanning from "buttface" to "square" yet only now...twenty years after my birth have people begun to figure me out. My friends would describe me as an eclectic hippie grandma.... I can't disagree. So what?! I care about kittens and cows and microbes and the new black keys album and nuclear proliferation or other political/human/animal things/hippiegrandmother things.

In short, I have a heart. I care about things.
I once ran over a squirrel.... and after watching its tiny little body seize and shivver, as the life drained from its bushy little tail I CRIED. *gasp* And stopped eating meat for three months. The sheer thought still haunts me to this day. What can I say? Life is precious, no matter how small.

I have been said to be a 'hippie' but Hell, Ive never been one to label myself, but other people sure seem to be good at it. So here goes. This hippiegrandmanerddorkindependentrockermusicianromanticfreak is starting a blog.

If this were an awkward junior high gathering, we would be playing some sort of game having nothing to do with anything of real importance, but saying names and answering random and pointless questions about one another, so here I am, cutting to the chase. This entry is our awkward junior high 'getting to know you' meeting, and I am the annoying adhd kid in the corner with too much to say.

for example:

I am Ashley.

I love weird fashion.

I have an unhealthy obsession with old books

my dog is my best friend. 

sometimes I dream in song. I wake up and frantically scramble to write down lyrics and harmonies but never have I captured even one.

Ive lived in three different states

I listen to every kind of music imaginable

I sleep with books having fallen beside me.

I love hearing people's stories, so here's your glimpse into mine.

eclectically yours,

Ash