Take the Pledge: Shop Small

After a day filled with family, friends, football, and shameless carbo-loading we all tend toward the tradition that is Black Friday. I have gone out late with friends in the past few years to get a few small gifts and experience (for some reason) the rush of super early morning shopping. However, I have to say that I don't get the excitement. 

One day that has gotten me excited in recent years is Small Business Saturday. I am a massive fangirl of my hometown of Carlisle, PA and love to walk the streets and slip into the Revolution/Civil War-era buildings that boast some of the cutest businesses around. There are several stores that I practically live at when I venture downtown:

• Miss Ruth's Time Bomb: Every time I step through the doors of Miss Ruth's I make a beeline to the back end of the store which boasts a large assortment of vintage clothing—I've seen some straight up 1930s garb! I have never gone in and not tried anything on before I've left. You can also get your fix of vintage hats, shoes, and dining wares!

• The Clothes Vine: This is where I go to dream. It is a bit pricier than the Time Bomb, but the clothing is just so beautiful and you can tell that they've curated some quality product. The style here is very eclectic, which I love. 

• Marjorie's Gems: I only just recently discovered this wonderful little store on one of the last First Friday outings of the summer. I don't typically shop jewelry, mostly because I don't wear it very often. But Marjorie's carries some of the most interesting pieces I have come across—and they're so well priced! Their $5 wall is a place I like to call home.

Small businesses really are our economy's backbone. Did you know that they make up about 54% of all sales in the U.S.? Yes, we love our super stores and larger chains for the ease and convenience they provided, but can we truly speak to the quality of some of these items. I always struggle with clothing from larger stores because you can tell from just the touch: this is not going to last. Small business provide care and quality. Sometimes the price tag might read higher, but you get what you pay for after all. Each of the businesses I've detailed in this post and even more that I haven't truly care about the products and services they provide their customers. Every time I walk into the Castlerigg Wine Shop on Carlisle's main street, the owner engages me instantly and ensures that I know where the wines come from (shoutout to the wineries we apparently have in Pennsylvania) and what is particularly popular. 

These businesses are important in our economy, yes, but also in our culture. They know us. They connect with us in ways that larger brands cannot achieve.

Fundera, a company aimed at helping small businesses on the financial end, is campaigning this year to bring out even more customers. This is certainly a movement that hits close to home and one that I can get behind. I pledge to continue to support local business and shop small on November 26. Will you?

<3 Ashley

So what do you say? Shop small with me this weekend? What local businesses do you love?

Surf vs. Turf

image via

The internal argument for me used to be: to shop or not to shop? Now that I understand myself and know that the perpetual answer is to shop, a new question has presented itself: shop online or in-person?

While getting out of the house and walking a distance greater than that of my bedroom to the kitchen would be the healthy and logical answer the world of online shopping can seem so much more alluring at times. It can be more convenient, you can take as much time as you need without the sales associate breathing down your throat, no waiting in lines, and sometimes it can be easier to spot the deals. Do I sound like an anti-social millennial yet?

Sounds like online shopping wins. But, hang on! What if you are like me and your sizing is by no means consistent? I'm looking at you jeans! There are several situations like this where it's just easier to go to the store and spend some time trying everything on since there really is no telling if the item in your online shopping cart is actually going to fit the way that you are expecting it to. Then you have to return it if it doesn't and that takes even more time on top of the 5-7 business days you spent waiting for the item initially.

When I shop I prefer to do it in-person if I can. That way I don't have to play the waiting game and don't have to pay for shipping. If no store has what I am looking for, only then will I turn over my attention and my card to my good friend, Amazon.

<3 Ashley

So what about you? Do you surf the web for your fashion finds or do you prefer to see the options right in front of you?

Black Friday Haul

Okay, so it's not the most impressive Black Friday haul but hey, I have to stay on budget since I'm still in school. I was on the hunt for things I actually needed (some was more want) and came out with most of it. A pair of solid black ballet flats still evade me--maybe I will see what Cyber Monday has in store on that front.

After losing plans to shop starting at midnight--sick friends canceling last minute!--I did manage to step out for shopping this morning with my mother. We hit the mall first and made our way to JCPenney. Honestly, out of all the stores we went in today, JCP definitely had the best deals (especially for what I was looking for.)

My roommate and I are actively trying to bring turtlenecks back--please feel free to hop on the bandwagon--so a few of those were on the top of my list. I managed to find two that I liked from St. John's Bay. The one pictured above is a nice cream color and the other is black and white stripes.

I was also on a crusade to find new jeans that fit. Denim-wise I did not find a single pair that fit me right..that's a rant for another day. We went to TJ Maxx and I dug up a pair of patterned active leggings from Head and a pair of DKNY skinny khaki pants.

My treasures are few this year, but I definitely anticipate getting use out of them!

<3 Ashley

Did you step out for Black Friday? What does your haul look like?