Little Miss Valentine Pageant

These gifts have been sent to Morrison for The Little Miss Valentine Pageant. We donated gifts for all of the winners of the pageant. The pageant is on February 9th at Morrison School.

And while I'm on the subject of donations; I know many of you have seen and laughed at my "No Soliciting, Peddling or Begging..." sign on the door at the shop...if you haven't, you should, it covers all the bases. I don't want to scare away any of you, our customers, with that sign though; that isn't what it's there for.

I have it up there because a little over a year ago one of those door-to-door salesmen that tend to be attracted to shopping centers like we are located in came into the shop despite a sign on the door that said "no soliciting". After I asked him to leave because, besides the sign; He wasn't from McMinnville, he started out rude with a few of the things he said, our landlord has said that professional door-to-door salespeople are not welcome in the shopping center and he came into our business selling bags...we carry bags...conflict of interest.
After I pointed out the sign, he came back with an off-color (sexual) remark about the definition of "solicate" and that was not what he was doing...obviously "solicating" was what he was doing and I told him so...but he kept on and kept on and started walking towards me until finally Mom got the phone and started dialing the police and he left.
We did call the police after that and give them his description and just ask that they do a drive-through of the shopping center. I, being the English Major and lover of words that I am, then went through several stores in the shopping center searching for a dictionary. When I found one in the office at Stewart's Pharmacy, I waited for the guy in the parking lot, walked up to him and read him the definition of solicate; which, of course, was what he was doing. And then I made a new No Solicating sign...the one you see now, complete with definition!

Like I said before though; we don't want the sign to keep any of our good customers away from us. If you have any fundraisers, auctions, benefits, pageants, etc. etc. to collect for, feel free to come in and talk to us about it.
We very rarely are able to give monetary donations out, but we are usually more than happy to help out by donating something from our store.

More bows...

With all the pageants coming up, as well as the Father Daughter Dance, it's no wonder that our bows are practically flying off the rack!

Easter, too, is just around the corner...you saw the bows that we recieved before in an earlier post....and now we have gotten in some more....check out these cute headbands in pretty pastels.

And here is one more...in Warren County Pioneers Colors...

Arriving Daily...

Crocs are coming out of our ears, it would appear!

We've begun to get in our Spring shipments and as always with Crocs, they are already selling fast!

First off, we have the Islander. This is the first time we've ever gotten in this style...but it's been around for awhile. We've had so many requests for them, though, that I decided to finally break down and order them! They are unisex....so anyone can wear them! They look good with a pair of khakies, jeans, even shorts. They're nice enough to wear to church but comfortable and casual enough to wear to the lake, to school or to work. My dad is a biiig fan, so is Sheila Young down at WallPaper for Less!

The Cleo made its debut last Spring and even all through the Winter, we had people asking for them! Well, they are back...in the popular chocolate/cotton candy combination that everyone already loves, but this season there are a few new color combos; Khaki/Khaki and Khaki/Chocolate. Hurry and get some of these because I know that they'll go quickly! Only $29.99.

FINALLY! The Adult Mary Janes are back! I know you've all been waiting for this really popular style and I got in about 8 boxes FULL of them...come on in and get your size though....you know how it is with these shoes! The adult sizes are only $29.99. Also don't forget that we have the children's sizes in this style too...they are $24.99.

Come see the new color; Mango. I don't have a picture but I don't think a picture would do them justice....they're so pretty!

and we have them in Navy now! For all of you Preds fans...they'll look really cute with those new Predator Jibbitz!Another favorite from last Spring and Summer was the Patra. I have them right now in Khaki/Pearl, so come on in and see these, but I'm expecting another big shipment a little later of some more colors!
Yet another style that we couldn't keep last year was the Sassari. It is a really cute and trendy wedge and the best part is that, like all the other Crocs, it is super comfortable. I wore my black and white pair all day on the day of the Junior Miss Pageant last year....standing and walking around the whole day....and my feet did not start to hurt the least bit! Do you know how exciting it is to find a pair of heels that you can stand in all day without hurting?.....very exciting! Come, hurry, get some....these are already going fast!

Dear Tooth Fairy

We got these in last week...a miniature pillow with a pocket for the tooth and a full-size pillow case with a note for the Tooth Fairy...very cute. Such a good idea for a little girl for a birthday...or a Valentine's Day gift, since it's coming up!

What will they come up with next?

Many of you have seen me wearing my sample Crocs cell phone case around and have expressed alot of interest in the product! Well, they're here! We have them in 8 different color combinations and they are only $19.99 each. They also fit most any phone size.

They have the holes, just like Crocs shoes, for your Jibbitz so that you can express your personality or just decorate it seasonally (see my Valentine's Jibbitz on mine?). Two other features of this great case are a plastic insert for business cards, credit cards or IDs and they each come with a handy little strap so that you can wear the cell phone case like a purse.

A great thing about the case for me especially is that, because the cases are made of the same material as Crocs (Croslite) which has a shock and impact absorbing quality to it. So...when I drop my phone (a bunch of times a day!) while it is in its case, I don't have to worry about my phone getting hurt! You just have to come in and see these...I know they'll go fast!
By the way, here are some new Jibbitz I got in just today. They are Valentines themed and look like candy hearts. They're so cute....just don't try to eat them!

Prayer Request

We just found out that one of our customers' little girls has been diagnosed with Leukemia and is in Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for immediate treatment.

Hopefully things will turn out well...I have read that small children have a much better chance with this disease since they respond alot better to the treatments...so my fingers are crossed and I'm saying a prayer every time throughout the day when I think of her.

I'm not going to say who it is online, to protect the family's privacy, since they JUST found out; though I'm sure that many of you have already heard and know who this family is.

Please everyone just say a little prayer though...

" Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view again." -Alex Tan

To learn more about Leukemia or to connect to resources...they're always looking for volunteers to help in the fight against cancer.

<http://americancancersociety.com/docroot/home/index.asp>

or

<http://vanderbiltchildrenshospital.com/>

or

<http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/>

Frozen Fountain

It's very cold outside. Earlier tonight Seth called and said to bundle up because we were going downtown to see the frozen fountain. You know me, I'm not a big fan of cold weather (under 75 degrees is cold for me)...but it really is so pretty; don't you think?

Here are some close-ups...
This is my favorite...Don't you love Seth's new Indiana Jones hat? Haha...

Two Good Things Today!

Well, first off, today was my Mary Jo's 22nd birthday. I woke up today thinking it was Friday...so I was a little slow on wishing her a Happy Birthday because it took her making a birthday comment during a text conversation for me to figure out the date! Anyway, Happy Birthday to Mary Jo, I need not brag any about her in this post...I've already done that in an earlier one!
Second, one of my other very good friends, Allison George texted me this morning to let me know that she and her boyfriend Michael Moore got engaged!
So congratulations to them...they are both so sweet! Just look at them....they both managed to get quite a catch!

A little indulgence...

These are not the best pictures of me. Sorry. Mom made me pose in the PJs and bed jacket last night right before I went to bed. But they're good for the purpose of showing the stuff off I suppose! This is a new line that mom ordered mainly because she wanted the stuff! But because of that, you benefit!

Above is me modeling the "Not Your Granny's Bed Jacket". You've seen those little old ladies (maybe even your Granny) wearing a bed jacket, basically a short version of a housecoat, to keep the chill off while around the house. Well, this company took the classic design and made it a little sportier and a little trendier. Especially in Winter, this is a great thing to have. It's made of microfiber fabric that is so soft and cuddly, you just want to keep it on all the time. I honestly don't think it has to be restricted to just wearing around the house; I think that it is a perfectly acceptable piece to wear when you're out in your lounge wear. The tag for the piece says it best, "One thing is for sure - the postman won't know, you won't care and most kids won't hide behind the bushes if Mom wears this smart little number to drop them off at school."

Next we have THE CUTEST bunny slippers in the world! This is Mom modeling the "Flip Hop" slippers. These are so funny and they really are comfortable! I think they'll make a great gift; birthday (especially a spa party!), baby shower (for the new mom, obviously), wedding shower (wouldn't HIS and HERS bunny flip flops be so funny?) or for someone who is sick at home or in the hospital. Mother's Day is coming up too....this would be an easy gift for those of you confused about what to get for your mom/wife/sister/etc. And we can't forget Valentine's Day and Easter....We totally have your gift buying covered for the whole season!

Ok, I'm pretty crazy about this company too! Their stuff is soooo cute plus their product tags are so funny! Once again, they put it best so I'll just quote the tag directly. "How many times have you bought 'the great pair of shoes' THEN shopped for the perfect outfit to go with them? Uh Huh...that's what we thought. We're just like you. We brought you 'The Classic Bunny Slipper' and the 'Flip Hop'. That wasn't enough. We had to have the perfect outfit to go with them. It didn't exist. So we created 'In Your Dreams' jammies. Pair them up with the 'Not Your Granny's Bed Jacket' and you have the quintessential outfit for strolling to the mailbox, answering the door, driving the kids to school, enjoying your morning coffee, chasing the neighbor's dog that is in your garbage yet again, impressing your sister-in-law, looking good at the hotel fire drill, amazing your husband that you do have a coordinating ensemble...."


There is a CELL PHONE POCKET on these PJs, everyone! How hilarious is that? Perfect for that college student who wants to wear their PJs to class....right?

Their size chart is equally hilarious! Size 4-6 is 'svelte', 8-10 is 'girl next door', 12-14 is 'voluptuous' and 16-18 is 'rubenesque'. The creators of this company are real women, they believe in building up and not tearing down. And really, what does EXTRA LARGE mean? That is a drink size at the movies, not the size of a woman!

Finally, here is one more reason that we all should love them. The creators of the company are committed to having their company really make a difference in the world. They have become involved with the 'Gift of Adoption Fund', which awards grants to qualified adults, who otherwise might not have the financial resources to adopt a child. A full ten percent of all the proceeds from their products go to this great cause! Go <here> to read more!

Also, visit the Runaway Rabbit site on the links to the right to check out their other products so that you can let us know what else you'd like us to order from them!

Jibbitz and Butter

I just got in a new shipment of Jibbitz.

I've had several requests for 'Bama Jibbitz....and soccer season has begun. The two in the top right hand corner are a couple more of Disney's Cars that the Jibbitz company has added, Filmore the VW van and Red the firetruck. I got the Republican elephant and the Democrat donkey because the election season has begun. Hannah Montana is another new Jibbit that the company has recently added as well as many Pirates of the Caribbean Jibbitz (I just got the skull and crossbones for now). Tinkerbell was a Jibbit that is a popular one that I had to reorder. The crowns have been requested ALOT so I finally got them. The Predator logo was, of course, a special request from Seth...but I've had LOTS of interest in them and they go really well with the Predator Crocs that we have!

We also (finally!) got in the Crocsbutter. It is a really great product; for those of you who don't know about it, the butter is made to refresh the appearance of your Crocs. After you wash your Crocs, dry them off and rub them with this Crocsbutter sponge....really, it works, and the shoes look almost brand new!

Chalee's Art...

At the shop yesterday, we got a visit from Chalee. She is my favorite cousin, Jonathan Womack's daughter, also my cousin, but I like to call her my niece. She just feels more like a niece than a cousin. I'm crazy about that kid...she's two and hilarious! Anyway, she was here yesterday and we kept hearing the sounds coming from Roxie and Darla's remodeling and reconstruction. Chalee, being the creative soul that she is, decided that there were elephants next door making all of that noise....Biiiig elephants, she said! The sander does sound a little like an elephant trumpeting, I'll give her that!

We sat down to color and she asked me to draw her an elephant, and then another, and another. She told me that they were the daddy elephant, the mommy elephant and the Chalee elephant. She also drew her own elephant in the lower right hand corner that she said was the sister elephant (Chalee's mommy is having a new baby in July....Chalee is obsessed with sisters now). She wanted to give this drawing to Seth and had me to write out his name and his parents' names so she could "copy" them. She also let me label everything else while she was drawing it...so that I would be able to tell Seth about it later! It was so cute, so detailed and had such a cute story behind it that I just wanted to share it with all of you!

Lots and Lots of Boxes to Unpack!

As you know, Mom and Dad went to the Market in Atlanta this past weekend. They did lots of ordering and I promised some details about and maybe pictures of what they ordered there. I can do you one better! Several of our companies are really getting on the ball this season and we have already received a bunch of stuff!

So here are a few of those things:


With the lack of a good Christian bookstore in town these days, we have had a ton of requests to get some Bible and Christian themed merchandise. Well, mom has found a really great book company that has just those sort of books and we are really excited to have them! In the two days that they've been here at the shop, we have already sold several! The kids are really into these cute books and the parents love them because of the great messages!




We've always had the lacy, decorative keepsake "Baby's First Bible". Now we have these great Bibles that the kids can actually get a lot of use out of. The "Baby's First Bible" pictured is a normal-sized Bible that would be great for a toddler to begin learning to read their Bible and to pay attention during the sermon at Church. Likewise with the little "Holy Bible" pictured...perfect for little hands, no sharp edges and cute illustrations, but still containing a full-sized Bible! In addition to the regular Bibles, we also have a couple of Devotional Bibles tailored to a kid's way of thinking. And I know that it shouldn't make a difference, but look how pretty they are! The kids will be very attracted to these because, what girl isn't a princess? and what boy isn't a manly, mighty warrior?

I am a big Veggie Tales fan. As a kid, I LOVED watching their videos because they were hilarious and I loved the way they told the Bible stories! I have the excuse of my two-year-old cousin, Chalee, to watch Veggie Tales now, as an adult, and they are still hilarious...I still completely love them! And now, they are coming out with a Movie that is in theaters right now! The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything was a really funny "Silly Song with Larry" so I'm sure the movie will be just as funny! Now we have the books with the same theme...you know how big pirates are right now!

On to a different company but we will stick with the pirate theme for a moment. Anne Vance, are you listening? We got in some really cute party invitations with a pirate theme because we know there will be a ton of pirate parties this year!

And these sticker books have been sooo popular with the kids. We have always carried one or two, but Mom went a little crazy at Market and got a BUNCH of different themed sets! These make great quiet toys for church or in the car. They are a really great way to keep a child entertained at the hospital or the funeral home when the child is required to be at one of these places...the possibilities are endless! Pirates, of course.

Calico Critters are huge with the girls...all the way from age 2 till at the very least, 9; if not older! They're just so cute and tiny...and now they can play with the Calico Critter sticker sets.

And horses, too, are huge with the kids right now! Come see all the other themes of sticker sets...and really cute themed stationary sets by the same company (not pictured).

With so many new babies being born here in McMinnville, there are also a lot of little boys and girls becoming big sisters and big brothers! These color/activity books are so cute for these older siblings to prepare them for the baby's arrival and to make them realize how important they are to the new baby. These books give them confidence and maybe will make them forget being jealous of the little stranger in their house!

I'll be posting more of the new stuff as it comes in....just keep checking back!

The Malindi is Here!

We just got in our shipment of the Malindi by Crocs! I wore them around all day at the shop on Thursday and I really like them.
They are a bit of a fancier take on the usual ballet flat...and they look so cute with the flower Jibbitz in them...the tear drop shaped holes are a little trickier to keep the Jibbitz in...but they stayed in for me all day.

They come in black and cotton candy like in the pictures above. They also come in light orange (mango), a melon color (pulse), turquoise and silver. The sizes start at a women's size 4 and go up to a women's size 11. They seem to be running a little big though, so some of you size 12 women might be able to find a pair also.

They are only $29.99 and will be great for the spring and summer! Call or come in soon! Don't be the last woman in Warren County to have a pair (or 6)! We are running a deal if you do feel the need to get multiple pairs. When you buy two pair, we will give you a third pair at 15% off...just mention that you visit the website!

Snow Princess Pageant Update

Please pass the word along about this...

The application deadline for the Snow Princess Pageant has been extended to January 28th! We know that there are a lot of people out there interested in the pageant that just haven't gotten around to picking up or sending in their applications!

We will also be holding a parent meeting for those of you who might have questions about the pageant or if anyone has a last minute application to turn in! The meeting will be held at 5:30 on the 28th at the Administration building on Locust Street in the Magnolia Room.

Let me just say again how great I think this pageant is; I really think that this is a good pageant to get your little girl started in the pageant circuit!
This pageant is all about celebrating the individual beauty of each little girl.
Of course there are the regular pageant winners, but unlike a lot of pageants, every single girl gets a tiara! We really want them to have fun, to feel beautiful and to really know how unique they really are!

Another First Day of School...

Hello Kitty might love school...Ashley does not.

I know I post stuff all the time on here that has absolutely nothing really to do with the store. But I figure, I AM the namesake for the store and all, so anything to do with my life is still connected to the store even if it's an indirect connection.
Plus that's what Ashley's Attic is all about; coming in, talking about life, hearing a little gossip, giving and receiving a little advice, catching up, etc. etc. etc. It's so much more than just a place to shop. People that come in are welcomed with open arms and if you spend any extended amount of time with us you are considered family. If you are a regular, you know what I mean. If you aren't a regular or if you've never visited the shop, you really should spend some (or more) time with us!
Besides, if you could care less about the 'slice of life' parts of this site, you can just skip them....that's the great thing about a blog. Right?

So.....that was a long walk for a short drink of water...
All I wanted to say was that tomorrow (today actually...it's already 1:30am) is the first day of my second-to-last semester (i hope!) at MTSU. Then I'm done! Come December of this year, we will be celebrating like crazy! So, keep me in your prayers and thoughts this week and this semester and this whole year...pray that my classes go well, my teachers don't hate me and the drive to Murfreesboro on school days is not too bad.

Thanks everyone for listening (mentally listening, reading, actually). Happy Monday!

A Great Idea!

Many of you might have already thought of or already knew about this idea...since I just found out about it though, I thought I'd share it with those of you who, like me, hadn't thought of it.

On the Kid's Alice by Crocs, there are little holes at the top to put a little girl's favorite Jibbitz in.

A customer was in a little earlier today and showed me another way to decorate the shoes using that hole. She got a tiny baby bow off the rack and put IT in the hole of a pair of the Alices!

Duh Ashley....they were right under my nose and the thought never crossed my mind! This is a great idea for those of you with baby girls who have bows that already match a certain outfit or as a way to use little bitty bows that your little girl has outgrown!

So, thank you Jennifer for that idea!

If anybody else out there that reads this blog has a great idea for Crocs...or anything else we have in our store, let me know. I love finding new uses for stuff I already have lying around!

A Crocs Sale!

I know that Winter really just began, but I've decided to go ahead and do some stock reduction since it's the new year. I have a big table FULL of several different styles of Crocs all on sale.

The Georgies (all purple) are $24.99, the kid's Mary Janes are $15.00, the adult Mary Janes are $20.00, the kid's and adult Alices are $20.00 and all of the remaining Mammoths (the ones with fleece-y lining) are $25.00!

These (especially the very popular Mammoths) are some good deals. It's a good time to stock up before the Spring shipments of Crocs start arriving and everything is full price.

Time for Market...

On Friday Mom and Dad will be heading out for a weekend in Atlanta at the big January Gift Market. If some of you don't know about The Market, it's where we go to order alot of the stuff that we carry here at the shop. We also go to see the trends that will be hot in the seasons to come and get ideas for promotions, products and decorations. It's alot to take in in just a weekend but we usually have alot of fun.
It's yet to be determined if I will head down to meet them later in the weekend but I'm sure if I don't go, they will still take lots of pictures for me to post on here.
With this trip to Market, we are planning to get more lines for our baby section, hopefully find a few more jewelry lines and bulk up our girl and boy toy lines more....same old, same old really for us...
We are definately making sure that we continue to suprise and delight customers with our unique gifts. We have our niche in the 'specialty children's gifts' market in this town because of our gift lines and service that you really can't find anywhere else, and we intend to always be that to you all!
If you have any ideas for what you would like to see here, something that you've seen out of town or in a magazine, let us know. We are always interested in what you have to say and what you like to buy. This is a great time to let us know about stuff like that because at The Market we can actually check the stuff out in person. If it is possible for us to get something that you're interested in, we'll try our best!

The Snow Princess Pageants

As most of you know, I am a member of McMinnville's Junior Auxiliary Club. Next month we will be holding our annual Snow Princess Pageants at the McMinnville Civic Center. It will be on Saturday, February 9 at 5pm.

These are a couple of great pageants and all of the proceeds from them go back into our organization so that we can provide different services to the families in our community with a special emphasis on the Children of Warren County.

The Little Miss Snow Princess is for girls, ages 5-7 and the Miss Snow Princess Pageant is for girls, ages 8-10. We are only accepting the first 50 girls entered in each pageant so that the pageant won't go on all night!

I have applications here at the store and they are going fast!

I am also in charge of getting the prizes and programs together for the pageants, so if any of you readers know anyone or you yourself would be interested in either: donating something to the prize baskets (there are 14 in all!),

or advertising in the program, just let me know...email me or call the shop! Anything at all would help us out...because every penny that doesn't come out of the pageant budget goes towards our service projects!

The prices for advertising are $25 for a half-page ad and $50 for a full page ad...a full page ad also comes with 2 reserved tickets to the pageant and is a great option for family members or sponsors interested in a "good luck" ad for their contestant!

Bows and Headbands and Bow-Holders - Oh My!

We are done with Christmas...and now Spring is already showing itself in a lot of the stuff we're getting in every day.

Just recently we got in a big shipment from one of our main hair bow companies. Inside the boxes were a rainbow of bows, headbands and bow holders...they are so bright and cute. I'm so glad that hair bows are back in style...these kind of make me wish I were still little enough to wear them! Here are a few pictures.

Polka dots are still huge...they came back on the scene in McMinnville last year sometime. So cute and fun, yet still simple enough to go with anything.

Of course, for those of you who don't go for the HUGE bows, we have some daintier versions. And don't you know? - Chocolate is the new black!

Bow-holders are a great way to get organized and to use your little one's bows as decoration too!

Princess and horse themes are everywhere, so these bow-holders will go perfectly with whatever they are into.

The picture really doesn't do these headbands justice...they are BRIGHT and so cute in person. You'll just have to come and see them!

We have actually had bigger girls coming in and buying these for themselves, so I know these are gonna be a hit! They give the illusion of just a simple ribbon wrapped around like a headband and tied underneath the hair. They look so cute and don't slip like a the plain ribbon would.

Finally....for the Birthday Girl or just one who likes cake! This is my FAVORITE style and pattern from the new group! It goes really well with the Adorable Originals' Birthday Girl tees that we carry, but it will also go with whatever you want it to!

I'm really excited about the stuff coming in daily. Spring is my favorite time of year so I'm so glad to see the bright colors beginning to pop up everywhere in the store. Come on in, check out the Spring shipments and let us help you get rid of the Winter blahs!