fall cross-body bags... under $200

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

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

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

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!

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

local etsy finds - home pt. ii

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...

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