Issue 12 of Ashlee Craft / Assemblage Now Available!

Issue 12 - Ashlee Craft / Assemblage - Zines

Issue 12 of Ashlee Craft’s life-is-a-playground art & poetry zine, Ashlee Craft / Assemblage.

TABLE of CONTENTS

good riddance to you too 4 / wake up (my eyes are open) 5 / neon erasers 6 / like a butterfly 7 / that actually is a good question 8 / impressing, okay? 9 / drawn into a corner 10 / Standard’s story 11 / coffee beans 12 / peace, love, & fortified cereal 13 / ironing is rebellion 14 / am I genuine? 15 / rewritten personality 16 / R-E-S-P-E-C-T 17 / maybe that will be my specialty! (looking back) 18 / being gentle 19 / questioning is always good 20 / fighting for my chair 21 / floors & sleep 22 / how many of them will leave? 23 / deal with all problems as they arrive 24 / I heart learning 25 / tip for organizing your to-do list 26 / dear W. 27 / finally real again? 28 / I never felt that way (I thought I was supposed to) 29 / bye-bye 30 / confused by how we think living is supposed to feel 31 / changed me for the better 32 / good job 33 / a loner – you will not perish without them 34 / don’t gain the world & lose your soul 35 / 19:09 36 / to do soon 37 / fun 38 / an analysis of my desired personality, two years ago 39 / today will be a perfect day 40 / mistakes are okay 41 / a dream about saving the day 42 / obsessed with the aesthetics of everything 43 / exercise wall 44 / to have that control again 45 / be the dawn 46 / felt like a badass in the morning 47 / this time I am the Phoenix 48 / rainbow boas 49

Publish Date // June 26, 2016
Paperback 50 pages
Genre // Magazines

Kindle Edition
Paperback

Favorite Fashion Trends, June 2016

1. Bold Blue Eyeliner

Blue Eyeliner

 

When I watched Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom for the first time, I was immediately struck by how awesome the funky-vintage blue eye makeup that Suzy wears is. It’s a bold look which manages to look both modern & vintage at the same time. When I saw the ad for the Aqua XL teal eyeliner (featured above), I started thinking about how great the Moonrise-Kingdom type look would be if you used a wide teal eye pencil. Then, I read this great article about blue eyeliner looks from Refinery29, & it reinstated my desire to try something like this. I haven’t gotten around to purchasing a nice, saturated blue eyeliner or shadow yet, but I’m thinking about maybe trying the Color Tattoo eyeshadow in Tenacious Teal, because I own some gold Color Tattoo shadow & I’m very pleased with it.

2. Jumpsuits & Rompers

A Few of my Favorite Jumpsuits

 

When jumpsuits & rompers first started picking up in popularity, I found myself slightly intrigued with them. I would occasionally search Amazon for them, & I thought they were cool because ones with shorts bottoms would be like wearing a really cool, matching pair of shorts & a shirt in the summer, & wearing a pants-version could look like a hip, vintage 70’s type of disco look. Admittedly, I’m not totally crazy about the cuts of a lot of rompers I see, but I really love the above rompers/jumpsuits. Some features that I find appealing in jumpsuits are monochromatic colors, button-down-type shirt collars, interesting but relatively simple patterns, & glitter.

3. Enamel Pins

Groovy Enamel Pins
Enamel pins are one of my new favorite things. I am seriously so obsessed with them. All I want to do is look for them at local thrift stores & make my own enamel lapel pins (more should be announced about this soon!). I just bought my first enamel pin, this really really awesome one featuring sloths holding a surfboard while riding a bike. I can’t wait for it to arrive! Why do I love pins so much? The short answer is : they are another awesome avenue to express myself.
A few more reasons?
  • I love the DIY, punk aesthetic of pins
  • They allow you to say something about yourself + your opinions (to help you connect with like-minded people)
  • They are reasonably cheap, fun, & easy to collect (like stamps, another favorite collectible of mine.)
  • They are a fun, colorful way to add to any outfit

4. Watermelon Print Summer Things

Watermelon Themed Summer Clothes

 

I love watermelon print things because watermelons are pretty much the epitome of summer, & I love summer. Watermelons are such a bright, fun, funky print. It would be awesome to wear an outfit entirely made of watermelon themed items, & if you owned a lot of clothes with this print, you could keep a little piece of summer with you all year round, & a nice splash of color. Out of the items pictured above, I especially love both of the watermelon print shirts!
What are your favorite fashions right now? Let me know on Twitter!

my eyes are open

My Eyes are Open // Ashlee Craft / Assemblage, Issue 11

the real truth of the matter was bold like the business cards & the muffled sound & flashing cameras in the studios / when that type of gold lost its shine / I walked the false pathways many times before & saw the reflections on the other side of glass mirrors / hard work, & real integrity, he said, & I believed him, & loved the road-songs / I remembered the utter freedom of the time, & the way it felt driving towards the storm, & also away from the storm simultaneously

& the real falling-in-love happened, & the veil was stripped away, revealing the core of your own frequencies, sent out into the universe / I watched the facades fall away, & the clear-crystal water reflected my own face back, gently

10 Easy Ideas for Immersing Yourself in Nature

10 Easy Ideas for Immersing Yourself in Nature

In my busy life, sometimes I don’t end up spending as much time outside in nature as I’d like to, even though it’s something I really love doing. When this happens, I end up feeling a sense of disconnect that I can’t quite put my finger on. I feel like when we spend all our time in artificial environments, surrounded by florescent lights and air conditioning, we miss out on an important, deep-rooted need to be around nature. Here are some things you can do when you’d like to become more immersed in the natural world.

1. Make an effort to go outside every day. Just like anything else important in your life, if you don’t make it a priority and set aside time to do it, you may not find the time to. Even if you only have as little as a few minutes a day to spend outside, it will make you feel so much better if you do. Make spending time outside a habit, and you’ll look forward to your special time to reconnect with nature each day.

2. Find a new favorite nature place. If you don’t already have a “happy place” outdoors, set out to find yours! Look for an unclaimed patch of sand among mangrove trees, a fallen tree in the middle of a forest clearing, a bench in your community garden, your own backyard, or anywhere else that speaks to you. Find a place that makes you feel grounded, centered, and connected, then visit it often.

3. Draw, sketch, photograph, or do a crayon rubbing of the various nature textures and patterns around you. Trunks of trees, unique flowers, interesting-shaped leaves, the outsides of buildings, and clouds are great things to document, and by doing so, you’ll become more mindful of the beautiful secrets of hidden details.

4. Go for a mindful hike. Hiking is always enjoyable, but to make it even better, try adding mindfulness into the mix. As you walk the pathways, really pay attention to the sound of birds chirping, wind rustling the leaves of trees and plants, and the sound of your breathing. Feel your feet making gentle impressions on the earth & the way your clothing moves with you. Look at the way sunlight dances on the trees, & notice the fresh clean way the forest smells. Doing this always makes me feel refreshed, and can serve as a type of walking meditation.

5. Photograph the best sunset. Remember how when you were a kid, everything was awesome? Capture that same spirit of being enthralled and excited about beautiful, everyday nature. Every sunset can be the “best”. The idea is to find a sunset or something else beautiful, & get really enthusiastic about how great it is, then document this so you can remember it and look back on it later.

Mossy Tree Stump - 10 Easy Ways to Immerse Yourself in Nature - ashleecraft.com

6. Learn a new outdoor skill. This takes a little more time than some of the other things on this list, but it’s a great way to connect with nature while challenging yourself and learning something new. Take up jogging, read up on how to pitch a tent and set up a campsite, plant a garden, or learn to kayak, dive, surf, ski, or rock climb.

7. Discover new things about your environment. Sit in nature with a notebook and pen, then list at least 10 things about your surroundings that you didn’t notice when you sat down. Get a magnifying glass or microscope and take a close-up look at leaves, stones, moss, or shells. For an opposite viewpoint, get a pair of binoculars and look at far-away things, like treetops, distant birds, shorelines, and mountains.

8. Learn to identify bird songs, plants, animal tracks, fish, birds, flowers, or seashells. Your local library is a great source for nature guides with pictures of these things, and there is a great joy in being able to identify things that you see. You can also find bird song identification apps for your smartphone or tablet, as well as video and audio examples of common bird songs on YouTube.

9. Eat a meal in your own backyard. I’ve always thought that food tastes better when you eat it out in nature, and by combining eating with being outside, you have more time each day to spend connecting with nature. If you don’t have a backyard or you want to go somewhere different, take some food to your favorite nature spot for a real picnic. For added enjoyment, bring some friends or family along with you to enjoy the meal.

10. Open your windows & let fresh air into your home. This is really simple, but I feel like it makes a huge difference in feeling better in general. Especially when you consider the EPA statistic that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outside air, it makes even more sense to freshen the air in your home. Doing so will make your house feel and smell better, and will bring a healthy part of the outdoors in. Fresh air has a purifying effect on the energy + vibes of your home, & when I feel the need for an energy detox & a fresh start, I open my windows.

Spending more time outside will give you knowledge and a greater appreciation for all the beauty of the natural world, as well as a sense of peace and connection. By making a conscious effort to immerse yourself in the natural world a little more, you’ll find the time you spend outside not only connects you more with the earth, but with yourself as well.

Owls (Wonderful Wildlife, #7) is Now Available!

Owls (Wonderful Wildlife, #7) by Ashlee CraftOwls are one of the most recognizable types of birds. They have brown feathers, large eyes, sharp beaks, talons (claws on their feet), and are known for making “hoot, hoot” sounds. Most owls are nocturnal, meaning that they are awake at night and asleep during the day, but some species of owls are awake during the day. In many cultures, owls symbolize learning and wisdom. August 4th is celebrated as Owl Appreciation Day. Learn all about owls in this educational book.

Publish Date // June 3, 2016
Paperback 27 Pages
Genre // Juvenile Non-Fiction – Birds
Age Range // 7+

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