Blogger Christmas Shopping at The Zhush

The adorable Sue from The Zhush posted a question on her blog asking what you like to buy for other people. I typically like to give a gift with meaning. It is lame-o but I usually frame a photo I have taken over the year for my friends. Two of my best girlfriends get magazine subscriptions...it just happened that one year that is what they wanted and well....Amazon auto-renews so after I get the reminder email in October its too late to change my mind! (PS-Merry Christmas Lauren & Elie!)

Sue's gift ideas from The Zhush

I think the best gifts are things you won't buy for yourself. I hate to spend money on candles and these are always an EASY gift for me. So is Chanel Lipgloss in Spark. Pretty much any home decor items, pajamas, lotions, perfumes, make-up...etc...are great ideas for someone like me b/c I dread spending money on those items. What types of gifts do you like getting? My sister-in-law would tell you I'm the easiest person to shop for and I think she is right. I'm easily amused so I'm pretty much elated at just opening a present!

Gorgeous right?!

Since Sue asked this question I decided to go through her shop and see what I would buy as gifts (or what I would like to receive!)

Reclaimed Wood Arrows $6.50/each

These are so neat and would look great in my office over my desk. I'm a Pi Phi girl and our symbol is the Arrow.

Etoile Scarf. $14.40 

Too adorable. I would have this on today. My friend invites me to her girls white elephant party and last year the scarf was stolen 4 times!

Fornash Bee Bangle $22

Watch out Jackie, I might get you this. (My sister-in-law is also one of the easiest people to shop for)

Murval Max CamouflageWallet. $22.40

Too fun! I was just given a new wallet by a co-worker but this is adorable

Moon & Lola Lille Love Knot Earrings $45

My mom used to wear a pair of earrings like this every day. Love the simplicity.

Boatman Geller Personalized Ginger Jar Notepads $29

Spoiler alert Jackie! Another killer gift for my sis-in-law. 

Global Views Gold Giraffe $40

 I have two friends due any day now, one that just had a sweet baby boy, and two more that are expecting question marks. This would be a beautiful baby gift!

Monogrammed Ladies Pajamas $100

LOVE. What a luxurious gift to give and receive!

What do you like from the Zhush?

xoxo

Hair Envy and Muppets

Me and my hair right now.

Sorry for the long hiatus! I had an AMAZING time in San Francisco and Sonoma and can't wait to share the details of my trip with you!

But for now let me talk about hair. Do you ever feel like you are in a hair frump? I am. Its my own fault for getting my hair cut at the MALL. I just get so impatient and do dumb things. I miss the red but it was way too tricky to get right and way too drying. 

This is what I think I look like. BAHAHAHAHA. But my layers are too short, so operation grow out layers is underway. Now about color.... 

Typically in the fall I just wash in brown so I don't have to deal with highlights all year. Well my most recent brown has all washed out and I'm left with 2" roots and some random blonde. 

Brown perfection. Is this length too weird? Too in-between?

Scrolling through Day Old News I saw this image and it made me want to go all brown again....how gorgeous is this chick?

Hilary Rhoda

 That is pretty much my natural color. She is not as pale as me but do you like the brown?

And then there is always Kate....here she is super dark

and here she is brightened up a bit.

And totally out of left field but can we talk about the Olsen twins? Why is this okay to dress like this? That looks like a Gap boyfriend sweater over her mom's prom dress. WTF. I love that dlisted alternates between calling them muppets and gollum.

And then let's discuss Uggs. I have never owned a pair. Last year I bought a fake pair from Old Navy and I will admit they are SUPER warm. Since I work from home I would wear them all day (with socks) and on this 27 degree morning I'm kind of wishing I still had them. (I tossed after the season..they were pretty gross). Should I buy these?

Old Navy Girls Sueded Faux Fur Lined Boots $24.94. 

What size would I be in girls? I'm a 5.5-6.

That is all for now, more tomorrow!

xoxo

Frumpy Headed K

I See Dead People.

On this Halloween Day I thought I might share with you my experience with a Ghost.

Did you spit out your coffee? I'm being 100% serious. I met a ghost and her name was Helen. 

The original Helen story in Asheville is the one below. But we have heard others about a Helen on our mountain that is looking for the woman her husband left her for. I'm not sure if they are the same Helen or if there are two ghosts named Helen (seriously?!) but either way I met one of them.

Here is the well known story in Asheville about Helen's bridge near Beaucatcher Mountain.

One night Zealandia Castle caught fire, a woman named Helen lost her only child, a daughter. Helen was so distraught she hung herself from the small stone bridge near Zealandia Castle. Since that night it has been said if you go to the bridge late at night, turn off your car, and call Helen's name she will appear to you, a sad glowing figure. Helen is supposed to wander the mountain in a long gown, asking those she meets if they have seen her daughter. If you are "lucky" enough to see her you may as well settle in. Those who have seen Helen, find that their car won't start when they try to leave. 

There has been much paranormal activity associated with the bridge, apparitions, orbs, etc. Be warned, there is more present than the spirit of Helen. People have described seeing monstrous dark things coming out of the woods. They have described being slapped, hit, and scratched. If you do visit, be respectful, do not try to invoke or provoke anything up there. People have reported all kinds of other strange things going on around Helen’s Bridge. There were many Indian burials found in this area in the late 1940's and people say after the graves were disturbed the paranormal activity at the bridge and around it shot up. 

And here is mine:

We moved to Asheville in 1983 from New Orleans. My Grandparents had two small cottages on Mount Royal and that is where we stayed until we bought the house directly up the mountain path. I don't know what time of year it was but I came out of my bedroom and walked down the hallway to the bathroom and looked to my right out into the open two story Living Room. There was a lady there just floating in the room. 

To try to help you picture this it wasn't a bloody or creepy image, much like the image above but more human-like. She was there but not completely....apologies for being a nerd but she was similar to moaning myrtle in Harry Potter. 

I went upstairs to my parents' room and told them there was a "lady" downstairs. Since I was 3 they figured I was making things up and told me to go back to sleep.

A few nights later it happened again and I went back upstairs in the middle of the night and told my Dad "The rude lady is back downstairs and she won't leave". Dad got up and saw nothing and tucked me back in bed.

Several mornings later he was walking our dog Momus around the mountain and stopped to talk to a neighbor. He mentioned that I had seen a ghost and was being silly and the neighbor corrected him saying that in fact her name is Helen and she visits anyone that moves onto the mountain.

FOR REAL.

It gets creepier....

Supposedly the woman Helen's husband left her for had dark hair and was named Donna. We have two family friends that meet this description and BOTH OF THEM have had the same nightmare of a woman pressing down on their chest when staying in those cottages I spoke of earlier.

BOTH OF THEM. 

So....who wants to come visit?! The story is better if I've been boozing and I tell it to you AFTER you have spent the night with us. Right Elie??

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I see Dead People. 

Links about Helen's Bridge:

http://www.zealandiacastle.com/festiva-zealandia-helens-bridge.php

http://www.ashevillelist.com/helens_mountain.htm

Weekend Recap

I cannot believe October is almost over. This is my absolute favorite time of the year and I have no idea how it went by so fast! November is filled with lots of travel and December is pretty much dedicated to Christmas and then its boring old January. Slow down time!!!!!

We ate at Block & Grinder for the first time this weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday and it was killer!

My Steak..GONE. 

I have one picture to recap my weekend. That's not entirely true..I have over 300 but one picture can sum up my behavior over the past few days....

Tipsy Sweater...pretty sure I need this.

Yep. Way too much fun on Saturday. If I drunk dialed you, drunk texted you, drunk Snapchatted you I apologize! Apparently M was on my side of the bed soI dumped water on him and came downstairs and started to go through my phone spreading the inebriation all over the US.

The hysterical (to M) part of this story is that I had to be at Church at 8:30 Sunday morning to volunteer in the Nursery. Yep. 8:30am, wicked hangover, F in tow..playing with 2 year olds. But I did it and I survived. (barely)

We all know the only way to cure a hangover is the hair of the dog or endless Mimosas at a Baby Shower followed by a bottle of rosé on the deck. I blew up my Instagram with pictures from yesterday afternoon but it was just so nice to be outside! We stayed out there from 1:30 until 8:30 and would have stayed longer but it got chilly. And there was no way we were going to finish Season 3 of the Walking Dead on the deck in the dark. 

Now we just need to figure out how to permanently rig a TV/fireplace combo out there. Here are some pretty amazing outdoor spaces for watching sports.....

xoxo