DIY Pom Pom Keychain

Surely, you have seen the brightly colored pom pom trend floating around on social media, not to mention in real life. If not, I am thoroughly surprised and wonder if you live under a metaphoric rock. It seems to be everywhere; on shoes, clothing, key chains, purses, etc. Cute, brightly colored balls of fluff, sign me up! So, I decided to make my own key chains to give as gifts to my friends, and lets be honest- to myself. These will also make great stocking stuffers in different "winter" colors. You can find all of the supplies needed at Michaels or your local craft store. I linked everything I used at the bottom of this post, including the video tutorial I learned from on youtube :)

Knitting Loom Pom Pom Maker / Yarn / Clasps / Tutorial Video

Gotta Blast, God Bless!
-ash 

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Jean Dress with Pops of Pink

While driving through downtown, I admired this mural as it was being painted and promised to come back to view it in all of its glory. Well, what a work of art! I'm always amazed at all of the art to be found in my city. There will be future mural finding adventures with my awesome photographer and brother- that's for sure!

The color combination of blue and pink has always had a sweet spot in my heart. Actually, I just got a pair of sneakers in those colors that I posted on my Instagram (@theashleyciaccia). Maybe its because they resemble my favorite candy, cotton candy, or perhaps just because bright colors have the ability to make my outlook more positive. What are your favorite color combinations?

DRESS: similar and under $30 / WEDGES: I'm loving these comfortable ones / BAG: similar 

SUNGLASSES: fossil, similar here / HAT: asos

God Bless, Gotta Blast!

-ash

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Vibrant Summer Maxi Dress

Happy Ash Wednesday, and hope you're having a great week so far. I utterly adore this maxi, especially for in the heat of the summer. Today, I styled this vibrant maxi-dress with some darling accessories. Normally, I wouldn't go for something with such a busy pattern or so many shades. After trying it on, I found it to be perfect for so many occasions and you're sure to stand out. You could wear something like this for a day in the city, date night, church, or a summer picnic.

Similar Maxi Dresses that I like: Pink / Tropical / Blush / Tie-Dye / Favorite!

God Bless, Gotta Blast!

-ash

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"Amish Dress" + Pink heels

I hope that you all had a wonderful memorial day week/weekend. It is super sad that it's already come to an end, because I loved every school-free moment. For me, the time off consisted of so many of my favorite things; fireworks, family, double dates, ice-cream, a beach day, naps, and a concert. Oh, to be on vacation forever, how sweet that would be. David (hubby) and I went to a concert on Wednesday to see one of my favorite bands, mewithoutYou.

 I wore this fun dress that I refer to as my "Amish dress", haha. I can't help but call it that because of the simple design and style of it. My dad actually used to live with an Amish family and I loved that they made their own clothes! You'll never guess where I got this neat piece....Goodwill. Yep, it was probably over five years ago, but I used to shop at thrift stores more and found many good items. I love that it elongated my short frame and makes me feel dressed up but still casual. Obviously, I changed my shoes into some comfortable moccasins before going into the concert. 

Have you found any pieces for a steal from thrift stores? Do Share them with me!

Thanks for stopping by!

-ash

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5 Tips to throw a Beautiful Bash!

Happy hump day, Blog Family! You've made it halfway through another week and can you believe it, May is almost over. This month there were so many celebrations and parties, some of which were for my college graduation, and some of which I hosted for birthdays. One of my favorite things to do is to give gifts to those I love and to have people over our home. I put together a cozy birthday party for my friend Shannon (all pink, everything!), and it got me thinking about what makes a celebration special. I'm sharing my top 5 tips on how to throw a memorable bash for those you cherish!

1.  Guest List- Decide how many people you can comfortably accommodate. You want to invite people that will enjoy this special time with the celebrated person or event. Also keep in mind what said person would appreciate. For myself, the more the merrier! But for someone like my husband, less is more ;)

2. Decor- Pick a color scheme of approximately 3 colors, and stick to it.  For this party I chose Pink, White, and Gold. Shannon absolutely loved it and appreciated all of the small and big details. Decorations don't have to break your bank, try to use items you already have and maybe purchase one centerpiece item that the person will love. In this case, it was the numbered balloons and they were such a fun touch! For the cake decor I used sprinkles and a heart shaped cookie cutter that I already had. Get creative!

3. Edibles- In my opinion, homemade is always the better choice if you have the energy and skill. If not, don't worry, surely they will appreciate any goodies you provide. For this party I made a white box cake with homemade raspberry buttercream frosting. The frosting is really the party maker, which is why I spent more time on it (Thank God for the Kitchen Aide). I also had ice cream in her two favorite flavors available.  

4. Planning & Preparation- Prepare as much as possible in the weeks or months leading up to the party, depending on size and what needs to be done. I baked the cake Thursday, decorated on Friday and put the finishing touches out right before the party on Saturday. This way you aren't feeling stressed during the event and can really enjoy it. I plan to do this same type of prep for my husband's birthday next month because it's only two days after my wisdom teeth removal surgery (wahhh :( ) so I want to have everything ready in case I'm not feeling up to par yet. 

5. Gifts- Thoughtful gifts encompassing who that person is. I remember last year for my birthday, my sister and Shannon got me a cart full of baking supplies. It's a dear hobby of mine and I truly loved that they spent such time and care picking out those gifts. A lovely gift idea is to give a meaningful card or something you have crafted just for them.

I hope that this post is helpful for you 
& thanks so much for dropping in!
-ash

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