like the stars hold the moon

everyone thinks they have the best mom. and i'm not trying to brag, but if mine isn't the very best, she's damn close to the front of the pack.

toni, my mama, had that sister and i both before she was 26, and somehow knew what she was doing. she's pretty much self taught at everything, so of course, motherhood wouldn't be any different. a mom, business owner (way to go t), and great wife to boot...this lady's got it handled, and is great at everything she does. i feel like she knows how to tackle any problem, and even though i would have cringed to ask for help when i was a bratty teenager...now, i feel blessed beyond belief to have a mom that is always there, always helpful, and always thinking of me.

with my dad-the two made a life for sister and me. when things were tough, we didn't know it. when things were great, we absolutely knew it. and we were raised in a home where love was never hard to find.

i was just saying to amanda when i was in dc, that being a parent is such a crap shoot. how do you know your children will grow up to be kind, good, thoughtful, decent people? and how (the hell) did my parents pull it off? young, first timers, with a hope for a happy, healthy family...and somehow-it worked out.

mama had an awful lot to do with it. she was tough, but we always knew how much she loved her 'doll,' and her 'bug.'

she wasn't big on the 'be your kids friend' philosophy...but somehow, it ended up that way, anyway :)

happy mothers day, mom.

i can't wait to try and be the mom to my kids that you are to me...the very best.

now let's get our family brunch on.
xoxo ashleycolean

exactly might be a stretch...

...but yea, i guess you could say that. 

photo from we heart it

if i knew then what i know now...
xoxo ashleycolean

to the moon and back

today is sara's birthday. the love of my life, forever friend, and my little sister. she's 24 today. yea!

sara is everything i long to be. she is brilliant, determined, gorgeous and the most selfless person i have ever met. my amazement for 'all things sara' lent itself to some pretty nasty jealousy when we were kids. i was not the best 'big sister' then, and that makes me so terribly sad...that for even one moment i was not the very best person in the world to my sister. luckily, i grew up, grew out of jealousy, and grew into admiration.
it's funny to me how much two people can be so different and so alike simultaneously. we are two peas in a pod-just peas of different shades of green...


giving my new baby sister a 'sink bath' with great grandma jane in 1987


you've been my happiness for so many years sister...even before i was smart enough to realize it. nothing makes me happier than time with you-life is easy, and good when you're around. you teach me so much- sometimes i think it's silly you weren't the one born first.

happy birthday sister.  i hope this year brings to you all the happiness that you deserve. you are the most important person in my life-and i can't thank you enough for all the peace you bring to my life. i love you with all of my heart-to the moon and back.

birthdays rock!
xoxo 'sister' ashleycolean

beautimous, free people

i had a momentary lapse of good judgment this weekend and binged on some free people items. in my defense-one of the items is a total replica of the dress my mom wore in her 1980 senior pictures, so i am planning something totally fantastic with that!

this identical dress my mom wore is amazing and timeless

the other two items were just because they are adorable and i happened upon them. i guess this is what happens when you shop from bed on a saturday after too many cocktails on friday night.



this skirt was on crazy sale-$30 bucks?!




and these booties are simply amazing


lesson learned. i promise. don't i?

my gf tara got some great things too! i was in total cart envy when she sent me her list. she has such a great sense of style...i envy her look for sure. check out my faves of her stuff.
 

i mean, these suckers are just awesome

 

LOVE this top!

and this bad boy

hope you all had an amazing, beautimous weekend~

viva la maxi.
xoxo ashleycolean



lyle and maryjane

today is my great grandparents seventy-first wedding anniversary. seventy-one! and even though my grandpa passed away last year-only a couple of months after the seventy year mark-i feel like a love like theirs should be remembered.

i've never seen two people love each other so much.

i love you grandma and i hope you can remember the good times today. smile, and know that a love like yours is what girls like me hope to have one day.

happy anniversary mrs. lyle colean-and you grampa-we miss you-everyday.

ain't love grand.
xoxo ashleycolean

that had a little curl.

‘there once was a girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. when she was good she was very very good, and when she was bad she was horrid.’

it was pointed out to me last night that my blog title may lend itself to confusion about a girl from nantucket. this curly headed nursery rhyme is the reason for my title, and, I think, my orneriness.  

and not to toot my own horn but would you look at this kid-I mean, really.

toot toot.
xoxo ashleycolean