Favorite Things- shopping for others

Okay... so we have probably finished most of our holiday shopping... but for those few friends and family members who are hard to buy for... who we keep twiddling our thumbs over... how about popping into...

Mindful Nest.  They have locations in Burbank, and Santa Monica.  They are an awesome boutique that sells goods made by individual artists.   They have everything from jewelry (rocking jewelry by the way) to kitchen sink stoppers to lotions to garden sculptures to paintings to handmade stuffed animals.

A few of you have been lucky enough to receive gifts from me from Mindful Nest.

I love shopping there they ladies who work there are so nice, and I get a good feeling inside when I know I am helping support someone... one person...not a huge corporation.

Favorite Things- everyday kinda splurge

Okay.... so not really every day... but on a somewhat regular basis... I get pedis.  I am not a huge fan of Manis... but I get them occasionally.  But I love getting pedis.

I love how my toes feel "cuter" when I am done.  How my feet are soft and the dry skin is gone.   I have my regular place... which is awesome by the way... I will have to give them a write up later...but I have a place I have been wanting to go for awhile... I just couldnt get myself to go because I like my regular place...and this other place is more costly.

But... I went a couple of weeks ago with my pal Lori....and it was nice.  I want to go back asap.

Mani Kir Royale.  A basic mani pedi is in the mid $40 range...see a bit pricey.  But.... they give you champagne... yep... you are already being pampered... you get gossip magazines to read... and you get some bubbly.... my days done.

I left with a rocking set of fingers and toes... as did Lori... she had some blinging toes, she went with gold and it was like hello New Years!!!!!

So... if you are looking to pamper yourself... and dont want to spend too much... give them a call and get your toes in there.

Favorite Things- Big Splurge

Spa Luce....

I really shouldnt have to say anymore...this is hands down my favorite place to be.... my favortire massage I have ever gotten...also the hubbys.... we have a hard time going anywhere else for a massage.


Spa Luce...its in Hollywood at the Renaissance Hotel and it is luxurious.  The hubby and I go here for couples massage and spend hundreds of dollars...and want to do it again the next day.

They treat you right at Spa Luce... they have great locker rooms...yes locker rooms... I am going off on locker rooms... but they give you robes and slippers, and amazing showers and fruit, and drinks.

Then the waiting/relaxing area...is amazing, faux white furs with beds and fruit and drinks, and magazines, and a fire.  A mazing!!!!!!

Then the massages are wonderful.  So relaxing, and peaceful and the rooms you are in are very nice and white, and clean.

You have to splurge and go one day, it is awesome.

More Favorite Things

Have you ever wanted to send a really nice thank you?  or write a letter to your grandma on paper that she will treasure?




I know handwriting is going out the door.... due to emails... but sometimes it is so nice to open up that mailbox and find a letter mixed in with all the bills and junk mail...

So why not send a few letters this holiday/new years season.

My suggestion... splurge on some really nice paper... at Soolip.  Soolip is a beautiful little store in West Hollywood that sells amazing stationary and wrapping, and stamps and all that great stuff to make a letter beautiful and personalized.

I have given gifts from Soolip to many people... always with great reception. They have many gifty items as well... journals, candles, nice pens.

So do it... spend a bit of money on some really nice paper, and help support an independent business!!!!

Favorite Things day 2- splurges

Okay...so this is on my list because each class is a bit costly... $16... if you buy individual classes.

But...it is a damn good work out and very worth it.

Cardio Barre.

A dear friend of mine, Val took me to my first class...and I have loved it ever since.
The studio I go to is in Studio City, but they have studios all over the city.

The class is fun, and tough.  If you have a love or interest in dance, then this is a great way to work out.
It is fairly obvious a barre is involved... you do a lot of leg and arm work at a ballet barre, but they dont forget your abs either... they save that for the end... and you get some stretching and cool down as well...
not a bad deal for $16.

Now... I consider this a splurge...cause I will take a class every now and then, but I have a gym membership already at another gym.
How I wish my gym offered a cardio class like this.  How awesome would my legs and butt look?


So.. if you are not scared and are looking for a new way to exercise... give it a try...
oh and this is not just for the ladies... men... there are a lot of ladies but I see a guy in there every so often.



This is also a good thing for all those holiday food splurges we all will be partaking in.

Ashleighs favorite splurges

So... The holidays are hectic, busy and about friends and family.  So... why not try to sneak in some "me" time.
This weeks posts are going to be about some of my favorite splurges... things I try not to indulge in to often... cause really... they are splurges...some more so then others.

To get the week started....

Eyebrows... I love love love to have my brows done.  I am not afraid to get in there myself and do them... not at all... I maintain on a regular basis; but sometimes a girl wants someone else to get in there do a bit of plucking...some waxing...some coloring.

So.. my favorite place to got....

Zoey Van Jones- Brow Studio

Its in Pasadena...and they are the Best!!!!
It is so much fun to go in, they treat you like a princess, they chat with you and the place is set up very nice. You walk in and you feel pampered... you walk out and you look great.

Plus you are in Pasadena and there are a ton of shops and restaurants around so go and make an afternoon of it.

Plus, eyebrow waxing is universal... MEN do not be afraid... your partner will love you all the more for it.  Waxing and tweezing is not THAT bad.
I mean if you think grooming the eyebrows is not for you... this place will change your mind.

Royal/T

Royal/ T
I want to go there. Now.

This space looks A Mazing!!!!

it is rather new to LA, actually Culver City.

Royal/T is a cafe/shop/ and art Space all rolled into one.

Okay, So Royal/T is modeled after some cafes in Japan, there is one called The Maid Cafe (Meido Kissa). At this cafe the wait staff (women) wear maid uniforms. Okay a bit pervy I know. That is so not why I want to go. I want to go for the experience. Royal/T has exhibitions in it, as well as artwork from the owners collection, all the art is very contemporary, very japanese focused.

The food in the cafe is japanese, with items such as Vegetable Gyoza, Tuna Tataki, Grilled Miso Chicken and Green Tea Soba Noodles.

But....

they also have High Tea!!!!!!

FUN!!!!! it comes with desserts and pastereis on a 3 tiered tray... I mean come on......

they bring you your own 3 TIERED TRAY!!!!!! I am a nerd I know... but that is soooo cute.

can you imagine a super cute maid bringing you a pot of tea and a 3 tiered tray with dessert on it? Not to mention you are surrounded by great art and fun things to buy.

Royal/ T,

Where have you been all my life?

Halloween is just around the corner....need stuff to do?

Hey ghouls and ghosts...

I know... LAME!!!!

but I had to...

I HAD TO.

So, Halloween is a nearing, and we all want to have stuff to do.

For me its the kick off party for the season, so it has to be exciting.

So, I thought I would list a few ideas here leading up to the BIG DAY!!!!!

One way to get out and celebrate is:

THRILL THE WORLD DAY

Now you ask what is Thrill the World Day... and I say...

OH YOU KNOW, only the greatest day of days (besides Thanksgiving and Christmas.)

Okay... I'll tell you...

This Saturday the 24th at 5:30pm Pacific time... people around the world will all be doing the Thriller Dance!!!!!!!!

So head downtown and get your undead groove on, and rock to the king of pop.

Oh... MJ must be so happy... who knows maybe he'll actually stop by?

Heres a link with info on what and where, oh and links to places that might be able to learn you the dance.

I love this site!!!!

Cake Wrecks... it kills a lot of time.

Its so simple... so smart... so funny.

A blog about cake disasters... like this one:


A cake that has the directions on how to decorate it... as the decoration.

Or this one:


Even the baby is trying to escape this cake. (SCARY!!!!!) ( What kind of event would you get this for? - a baby shower... are you insinuating that the baby cannot wait to escape the moms belly?)

How about this one:


It seems the decorator gave up and just said... hide it.


But its also fun to look at AMAZING, AWESOME and sometimes jawdropping cakes:


Heres a pretty awesome James Bond cake:


How about this adorable little ghost cake:



Now we get to the JAWDROPPING part:


Yes WallE is made out of CAKE!!!!!
I mean who could eat that? Its too amazing to eat.

So, go check out some Cake Wrecks...

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone is having a great day. For those of you 9 to 5ers... I hope you are enjoying your three day weekend.

In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to post a few pics, of some of the awesome places we have here in the good ol U.S. of A!!!!

Venice Beach, CA- where everyone is welcome, and I do mean everyone.


New York skyline, NY- The city that never sleeps


Lombard St. San Francisco, CA- Only in the U.S. would such a street exist.


Mount Rushmore, South Dakota- Giant patriotic art.


French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisana- Southern hospitality at its best, and the beignets are not too bad either.


Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming- The most celebrated National Park we have... and it smells bad!!!!

Whales need love too!!!!

Hey,

So, I came across this awesome sight that combines two things we humans love.

1. Whales
2. Taking pictures of ourselves and putting them on the internet.

Basically, this site Tails for Whales allows you combine your passions. This is how it works, you send a pic in like this:

PICTURE TO COME!!!!
See... see how I am making a whale tail with my arms? Get it? Tails for Whales... okay you do, moving on.

Okay, so you take a picture of yourself making a whales tail.
You send it to the site, once they gather enough they make a book of pictures of people across the world making whales tails. While they are gathering pictures for books to publish and put on government desks, your photo is becoming a part of a "worldwide people power movement." Your photo could be published on their website, as well as commercials, and news segments. See... one person can make a difference.

Another cool thing about the site is, that they have a link on other ways to do good. Thats nice, I like that.

Etsy... my second love.

While trying to stick to a budget, yet trying to get things for the wedding that we really liked and felt represented us... I remembered my old friend.

Etsy.com

Etsy, is an awesome website, that works in the way Ebay works. Individuals can put up goods for sale, except everything is made by the sellers, and they don't have auctions... you just buy. Their tag line is this: Your place to buy and sell all things handmade. Excellent.

I cannot tell you how much I would buy if I had the money. I would seriously have a habit... a serious one. I love love love Etsy. I have gotten tons of cool gifts for people, jewelry for myself, handmade soaps, and hats.

Etsy is the place Eddie and I went to get our wedding bands. We wanted something economical in price, but rockin at the same time. So, I dug a little on Etsy, and came across Studiometalssmiths Shop. We got our wedding bands in the hammered finish. Studiometalssmith, is Kathleen Bosticks, shop and she is lovely to work with, super accommodating and fast. If you are looking for interesting jewelry I would totally take a look at her shop.

I have bought at tons of shops.. so today I will only talk about one more... but they all rock, and you have to give Etsy a gander. I swear you will be hooked.

One other shop that is great is Posh Totty Designz.
Yes, another accessories shop... but this one is different, along with the amazing jewelry the make... they make cuff links!!!!

For an early wedding gift I wanted to get the Hubby interesting cuff links. I wanted to get him cuff links that were Jim Henson inspired...since he is way into puppetry. I looked at tons of cuff links sites and nothing... mostly basic, or lame themed cuff links. So I went on Etsy and looked up the word "Kermit" I came across Posh Totty, and they had a set of Kermit earrings... and I asked if she could turn them into cuff links... and she did!!!!! Again, super fast, super accommodating.

Today is Top Gun Day.

Its simple really...sort of like Talk like a Pirate Day!!!

Here are ways to participate:
1. Make your Facebook or Myspace picture something Top Gun related

2. Quote the movie as many times as possible

3. Download the Top Gun game if you have an iPhone or iTouch

Here is the website from the creators of Top Gun Day.

The guys behind today are also on Facebook, and Twitter so you can keep up with all of their shenanigans.

Oh, and I like Val much better then Tom... so you get his hottie black and white still.


Heres Top Gun on Ice...
Enjoy.

Funny Funny Website.

A good friend of mine, has a lot of free time at work. He kills that time by finding funny sites.

He sent the link to me a while ago, and I have been checking it regularly since.

It kills me.

Texts From Last Night, check it out.
I think the title of the site is pretty self explanatory, but to make this entry longer I will explain!

Basically, people can anonymously send in to the site, the texts they either sent or recieved, just include your area code.
There are some pretty funny texts on here. Taken out of context texts are pretty funny.


a couple examples:

(206) I am dying of drunk and no thats not a typo.

(516) If you text me again I will gut all your stuffed animals.

(916) I think I just saw a monkey walking a drunk guy.

(513) Dude someone changed all the contacts in my phone to I like eggs.

(631) Skipping work because i'm still too drunk from last night still. got home
at midnight and passed out in front of my door for 2 hours bc i couldn't find my key
(631) had to call my roomate to let us in. Passed out in my dress and found
the key on my hair tie-in my hair- just now.

So... they can get pretty funny, some are a bit dirty. Def an 18 an older kinda site. But its good times.

It makes ME laugh out loud.

Project Runway!!!

I know I usually write about things to do outside the house... but there are some things I loooooovvvvvveee inside as well, and I want to share that with you.

So, this post is about the return of Tim, Nina, Michael and Heidi!!!!!!!
Project Runway returns on August 20th, at 10pm on a new Network!!!!!!
It will now be on Lifetime.

The 6th Season has been held up due to a lawsuit between the Producers (The Weinsteins) and Bravo, or rather NBC.
Well, the time has come for the show to "Carry On."

I can't even tell you how many phrases I say on a regular basis from that show. Tim Gunn genius of one liners.

Also, this season is gonna rock cause its the first to be shot in Los Angeles. Lets show those East Coasters we have awesome fashion schools as well!!!!!

I hope that one of the challenges is to go shopping on Hollywood Blvd. and make an outfit out of tacky souvenirs. I mean can you imagine all the keychains, smiley face mugs, salt n pepper shakers that look like a megaphone and a directors chair and maps to the stars homes being sewn together?????? Awesome!!!!!

Anyways, I suggest my readers throw P.R. parties and watch with other peeps who adore the show.

Oh, and on a side note.... I one time had to coordinate getting H. Weinstein a helicopter to land in Pasadena... and I did... I was on the phone with the location manager, the police department and the event supervisor of the Rose Bowl. I rock!