{frolic!}

{guest blogger ansley: thanks}

Thanks for letting me be a guest blogger.  It was so much fun to revisit lots of my bookmarked sites and search for new things to share.

Have a very happy weekend!

{guest blogger ansley: powdermillstudio}

D left a comment on my post about natural jewelry suggesting I look on Etsy.com at powdermillstudio.  I'm really glad I did because this jewelry is beautiful.
 
 

{guest blogger ansley: marimekko}

When I was younger, my bedroom had hardwood floors, a big rug the color of bright green grass, yellow walls, and two twin beds with white comforters covered in bright flowers by Marimekko; I've grown much more subdued.  But there are times I wonder if it's more a fear of color, or too bold a style, of making a wrong design choice. Neutral is much more safe.  But I still like to look at the Marimekko site.  And there are a few items I think even a neutral girl like me can have without worrying about matching.  I think you can carry any umbrella or handbag you want and get away with it if you walk proudly enough.
 
 
And please, if you want a bean bag, make it one like this,

                            
 

{guest blogger ansley: candles}

I once heard someone say that scented candles are like the cats of our generation.  All single girls have them and the longer they are single, the more they collect.  Well I don't have any cats but I do like candles, candlelight, and shadows.  So this is perfect.  It's also kinda how I like my guys, not too big or flashy but very fun with the lights out.
From Rare Device by Adam Frank

{guest blogger ansley: aprons}

These aprons either make me want to slave over a hot stove all day or figure out some way to make them appropriate to wear out in public.  From Jessie Steele.
 

{guest blogger ansley: dwell bedding}

   Look at this bedding by dwell.  It's neutral but not boring.  Almost all the patterns could go with each other for endless possibilities.  And you could throw in a more vibrant color and it would work well.

{guest blogger ansley: moving sale}

Just a quick mention that I'm moving and selling all my furniture.  If you are interested and live near Salt Lake City, here's the info.  Also, at some point, I'll have a yard sale for the smaller stuff so check back at my blog for more details.
http://ansleysmoving.blogspot.com/

{guest blogger ansley: pocket mirrors}

So cute I want to buy one of each and give them as presents to everyone I know.  Plus the web store is called boygirlparty.com, such a fun name.  These little 2.5" mirrors come in velveteen bags for safe storage.  There are 19 different patterns.
 
 

{guest blogger ansley: more dreamy dresses}

Another site, Hemlock Vintage, has beautiful dresses that are a bit more realistically priced. 
 
 

{guest blogger ansley: dreamy unrealistic dresses}

This site, thefrock.com, has some amazing dresses.  They are sorted by era and they even have some worn by stars like Carol Channing, Eva Gabor, Liza Minelli, and Sophia Loren.  Most are way out of my price range but it is fun to look.  I can't even tell you how hard it was to pick just 4 to show here.
 
 

{guest blogger ansley: tord boontje}

I have seen some of his work before but it still seems magical.  Apparently he designed a Christmas collection for Target last year which I somehow missed.  I'm sure that was the only way I could ever afford anything, but I can still dream.  I love these place settings.

 

 

{guest blogger ansley: local harvest}

I love the idea of eating local (the grammar queen in me just has to say that should be "eating locally" but for some reason, it just works better to say "local" since it's in the name of the website, gotta know the rules to break them).  I love strolling through a farmer's market, buying everything I need to make a delicious dinner and maybe a treat to eat while wandering.  I love you-pick-it farms and the recipes I get to try with the abundance or, because I pick too much, overabundance.  I just found this site, localharvest, where you can search for farmer's markets, farms, grocery stores, co-ops, and even restaurants that use local/organic ingredients.  And look at that map, there's one near you.

{guest blogger ansley: onesies}

I don't have any kids but I love the new trend toward more interesting onesies.  Little flower prints are cute but I isn't a difficult to define word, Chinese zodiac sign, or a robot so much better?  Some of my favorites...
    

{guest blogger ansley: natural jewelry}

I really like the look of these pieces from Just Katie.  So natural, both are one of a kind.  The necklace actually started as a twig she covered in metal and then fired.
 

{guest blogger ansley: concert art}

I grew up on John Hughes movies and then graduated to Cameron Crowe movies.  These movies and their soundtracks were like love letters written to concerts and music.  When I was in college, my boyfriend and my roommate both worked at music stores.  They gave me all the album covers and band posters I could want.  While I have gotten a bit too refined/old for door-sized band posters stuck to my wall or ceiling with plasti-tack, I still love the idea of collecting concert posters.  This site, gigposters.com, let's you search by artist, city, or even venue for concert posters that could double as art (only hitch is, they don't sell them, you have to search eBay or elsewhere for that).  I would love a collection of these in a home office.  I can't decide if I would frame them in simple IKEA frames or in something much more ornate as a juxtaposition to the poster itself.

 

{guest blogger ansley: the great nw}

Picking cities to travel to made me think of cities I have lived in and loved.  I spent 7 years in Portland, OR which is a beautiful city centered around 2 rivers, equidistant from the Pacific coast and Mt Hood.  So what did I love about it...the people, my friends and the other very weird people.  There is a whole group dedicated to keeping Portland weird.  I love Seaside in the summer and Cannon Beach in the winter.  I love all the little neighborhoods, each with their own identity but still united in being uniquely Portland.  I love all of Portland's independent shops, Powell's, clothing boutiques, music venues, and art galleries.  I love that once you are downtown, you can walk almost anywhere.  I love all the bridges and the bike racks that look like my favorite bridge, the Fremont.  I love the public Rose Gardens and the private gardens in almost every yard.  I love the idea that even I could have a green thumb there.  I love having favorite restaurants where I always order the same thing but also knowing almost any other currently unknown restaurant will have something delicious.  I loved living within walking distance to a post office, library, Trader Joe's, 2 indie movie theaters, and lots of restaurants and shops.  I love the crepe stand.  I love Portland's living room, Pioneer Courthouse Square anytime but especially at lunch time or during the KINK free concert.  I love the radio stations who mix perfect amounts of old and new and not too much talk.  I loved flying back into Portland and seeing the rivers and mountains and when the person next to me told me I was so lucky to get to live here.  I knew then that she was right, but now that I'm no longer there, I know it even more.

{guest blogger ansley: dream cars}

Do you have a dream car?  When I'm being practical I would say something like a Toyota Prius or Hybrid Civic.  But my real dream car is a BMW, an old one like a 1973 BMW 2002 (I think the convertible is a 1600).  But I have to wait either until I can afford to completely restore it with new interior, new engine, and chrome trim on everything, or wait till I get married so I always have someone to call when it won't start.  These pictures are great (especially the lederhosen) but to me, the ideal color is a shiny deep maroon.

{guest blogger ansley: art as souvenirs}

In case you hadn't figured it out, let me tell you, I like to travel.  I also like to buy souvenirs.  Just like the French word it comes from, they help me remember the trip.  But I really don't like the typical plastic keychain, spoon, shot glass type of souvenir.  I have a charm bracelet so I often buy a charm. I also like to buy other types of jewelry so that I can use what I buy.  Plus I love it when people compliment my earrings and I get to say, "Oh thanks, they're from Rome."

I'm going to try something new for my travels as a nurse.  I am going to buy art.  I love the look of a home with eclectic art almost like a gallery where the pieces don't have to match.  So I hope buying art all over the country will help me achieve non-boring walls.

When I was in Charleston visiting family in June, I found what I thought I would buy when I went back there, at the Spoleto Festival.  But my super-cute Dad bought it for me for my birthday (a bit early).

Bees and Chickadees, a woodcut by Kent Ambler

{guest blogger ansley: southern hospitality}

While, much to my dismay, I no longer have the accent, being southern is a big part of my identity.  To me, the south represents casual elegance, relaxed happiness, and a smile and a "hi" for everyone you pass on the street. 

Some things change.  Lots of new people moving in to Charleston, most of them nouveau riche and driving fancy cars.  I went to a private school and the girls lived in mansions, vacationed in Vail, but drove wood-paneled station wagons.  They tore own the "old bridge" and the "new bridge" and put up an even newer one.  The "old" one was a bit of a roller coaster and was so steep it's now actually illegal to build a bridge like it. 

But some things stay the same.  The sound of ice cubes clinking in a glass of lemonade will quickly transport me home.  I miss the almost daily thunderstorms that drench you in an instant but also break the humidity if only for 30 minutes.  I still love street art and festivals and I know that started because I grew up going to the Spoleto Festival, almost unknowingly being exposed to chamber music, theater, art, and dance while wandering the city, through historic churches and the oldest theater in the US.   

But the thing that will definitely never change is that this is my home.  I may live in other places but I will always tear up a bit when I think of Charleston.  I will always be able to hear and smell the ocean in my mind.  I will always feel lucky I got to grow in a place like this.  And I hope I will always be a good example of southern hospitality.  I can't wait to go back even if only for 3 months.

{guest blogger ansley: hey y'all}

Thanks for the glowing introduction, Chelsea.

The biggest event in my life right now is that I'm planning to leave Salt Lake City and be a travel nurse. Basically I get to pick cities I want to audition as my next place to live and try them for 3 months while getting paid, they even pay for housing. Pretty great deal. Picking the cities has made me think about the places I have lived and what I liked about each of them. I have realized that I really like living near water, living in the middle of a desert will do that to you. Other things I like include:
Having public transportation
Being in a walkable city
Friendly people
Not too much cold or snow
A European feel
Cities that aren't too big but have more arts and culture than they should for their size.

So far, I have picked Boston, Austin TX, and a trip back to Charleston to be closer to family. I'm also thinking about Nashville, Memphis, or Louisville.

Any suggestions?