Who inspired H&M's Winter 2010 Mannequins?

Frizzy, red Afros are infiltrating the retailer coined as H&M all over the country.  But who inspired this wily, unkempt look?  Our raving reporter Pansy Pumpernickel knocked on every door, and searched every corner for answers.  After numerous dead ends, she finally received legitimate confirmation from the company's own visual manager, Kiki McGee. 




P.P.  Kiki....May I call you Kiki?

K.M.  Certainly.

P.P.  After searching every niche and crevice in the universe, I must know.  Rather, the world must know.  Who inspired the kinky, ginger afros gracing the retail mecca known as H&M?

K.M. This is delicate information.  But, Ashley did.  Ashley Yazzie.  Her insane frizz was the inspiration for our winter 2010 mannequins.

P.P.  You don't say?  But her hair usually looks relatively tame!

K.M.  Tut, tut.  Then you've never seen Ashley right after she wakes up, or whilst enduring intense humidity, nor when she allows her locks to roam without product or constraints.  

P.P.  I must confess, I am completely shocked and dismayed.  

K.M.  And yet we at H&M embrace Mrs. Yazzie for her troll-like hair.  It reminds one of simpler, happier, and luckier times.  

P.P.  There you have it.  The mystery has been solved.  Ashley Yazzie's crazy coils inspire retailers and buyers alike to embrace their inner, and outer Afros. 

Creativity Tuesday on a Wednesday: What I'm reading.

Remember when I did the rave film review of THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY {here?}  Well, husband bought me the book that inspired the screenplay.  I started it three months ago, then promptly misplaced it in a suitcase for two months.  I recently unearthed it, and now I'm back to cherishing it.  It's a gentle read, with most chapters being two page vignettes.  I'm in awe that every painstaking word was constructed via his only means of communication; the blinking of his left eye.  If he can wright a book through such utterly desperate means, what can you and I achieve with our full faculties?  This book humbles me, and inspires. 




The following excerpt relates to the vivid, imaginary feasts Bauby creates in his mind, as he can no longer eat for himself.




"Now I cultivate the art of simmering memories.  You can sit down to a meal at any hour, with no fuss or ceremony.  If it's a restaurant, no need to call ahead.  If I do the cooking, it is always a success.  The boeuf bourguignon is tender, the boeuf en gelee translucent, the apricot pie possesses just the requisite tartness.  Depending on my  mood, I treat myself to a dozen snails, a plate of Alsatian sausage with sauerkraut, and a bottle of Gewurztraminer; or else I savor a simple soft boiled egg with fingers of toast and lightly salted butter.  What a banquet!  The yolk flows warmly over my palate and down my throat.  And indigestion is never a problem."

Muddy.

Nothing says Christmas Eve like an extremely muddy run through Griffith Park.

It came upon a midnight clear.

Christmas came to our home.  In the morning we binged on doughnuts, played Christmas records, and called our families in Arizona and New Mexico. Each member of the Yazzie family had exactly three gifts to open.  Soba received; a dog tag from our neighbor Fred, green and red raw hides, and snowman toys. Bryan received; a wool blanket, a work pack, and lessons for archery.  I received; a wool cardigan, a native print romper, and a beautiful silk frock. {loved!}  Side note:  I had several costume changes during Christmas. 

Being from the southwest, our family has a tradition of eating Mexican food for Christmas. This year I made rice, beans, corn, sauteed shrimp, guacamole and chips, and let Trader Joe's provide the enchiladas and tamales.  It was delicioso.  I love my little family.  Do you have any odd Christmas traditions?

Merry Grinchmas.

This little family wishes you the Merriest Christmas. We had such a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with friends and much cheer. Today was incredibly enriching spending time together, watching the Beavis and Butt-Head Christmas special, eating our traditional Mexican dinner, and opening presents. {Pictures to come!} Most of all, we are grateful for the birth of the Christ child. For His life, ministry, and atonement. Merry Christmas.  

Our Bunnie-Moon.

My Bunnie wreaks of hotness. For our Bunnie-Moon this year we exchanged gifts in the morning. For the Seven year mark the traditional materials are copper and wool.  These are extremely difficult materials! And Bryan is so tough to impress when it comes to gifts. I scoured the earth for the perfect gift; online, e-bay, thrift stores, you name it. I couldn't find it. Then I visited an adorable store in Silverlake and found a copper necklace with an arrowhead-esque charm on it. I loved it.  But would my Bunnie be impressed? He was! He totally dug it. I was so excited that he was pleased. Isn't the necklace rad? Isn't my sweetheart dashing? He is the coolest guy I know. I'll be back to show you the BRILLIANT gift he gave me!  

What I Wore Wednesday: Purple Rain T-Shirt.

Yes, I occasionally wear a t-shirt.  Not often.  Usually not out of the house {like today.} But occasionally. It's a rare bread of woman that looks hot in a t-shirt. I'm just not that girl. It doesn't play up my assets. But, I'm in love with Prince, and PURPLE RAIN. He's iconic. He's the soundtrack of my childhood. He makes me want to wear leather and throw a wrench into the system.  

High School Cliques.

I recently discussed this phenomenon with some peers at work. Apparently my school had far more cliques than most high schools.  I thought I should jot down a few, so I can recall them when I'm an old lady.  Think about where you fit in.

1. Curbies:  Curbies sat where else, but the curb in front of school so they could smoke.  They could also be blended in with punks/skaters/musicians.  Think Nirvana.  Some of them were high, some of them pretended to be high.  They wore band shirts, baggy jeans and skate shoes; Vans/Airwalks/Chucks.


2. Marching Band Geeks:  They were an extremely dorky group of people.  They had to be at school to practice at 5am.  They didn't consort with non-band members.  A microcosm in this group was  the color guard.  They wanted to be in cheer, but couldn't make the cut.


3. Popular Kids:  The females never wore the same outfit twice.  Most of them were cheerleaders and dancers.  They were thin, beautiful, and wealthy.  Some of them smoked and did cocaine to curve their appetites.  The guys:  they were star athletes, classically handsome, drove nicer cars than the principal to school, bullies, slept around with freshmen girls.  Copied people's homework and cheated on tests.


4. Goths:  Think Marilyn Manson:  all black, eyeliner, pale make up, trench coats, chains, black lipstick, platform Hot Topic shoes.


5. Anime Club:  Usually composed of Asian kids and peppered with a few mute white kids that hid comic books in their text books during lectures.


6. Magic Kids:  Tragic breed of dork, they were out of shape, used inhalers, audible breathers, didn't date, and had a lunch table all to themselves to play their Magic games.  Their ring leader looked like a leprechaun.  


7. Drama Nerds:  These were the loud, obnoxious students trying to get attention.


8. Choir Kids:  They were ALWAYS singing, wearing choir t-shirts, and hanging up posters to promote their pops concerts.


9. GLASS club:  Gays Lesbians And Straight Supporters.  There were only three members.


10. Stomp/Black Union:  They were socially selective, listened to Rap and performed at pep rallies.


11. Harvard Bound:  Students constantly studying in the library and checking their class rank at the office.  They only fraternized with lesser GPA students to join clubs to look well rounded on their applications and resumes.


12. Jocks:  Mostly dumb as stumps, permanently wearing jerseys, spiking their hair, frosting the tips. 

New Things, and Roasted Cornish Game Hen

What with my new-ish job (math teacher at Scottsdale Prep Academy), I haven't been able to blog much, but we've had such a charmed life this last few months - I can't complain! A 2.5 week trip to Europe...



...some weekend trips (below is one of our many to California)...



...buying several pieces of furniture for our home (including the West Elm Andalusia rug that I ADORE!!)...





...and lastly (and most recently) acquiring a new dog, Ted.



Teddy is a rescued Wheaten, and we are IN LOVE WITH HIM! He is such a doll, and a total marshmallow; he loves to snuggle and most importantly, he love to play with our sweet Lucy!



They play so well together, it's such a blessing to us. What with Lucy taking up less of our time (thanks Ted!!), I've been able to be more domestic. Though I always feel like I'm not domestic enough (How DO those women hand make every meal/cake/card/gift and then have a perfectly organized and clean home, and perfect kids and they look perfect b/c they have enough time to go to the gym in their perfect life?!?! They must go to bed EXHAUSTED every night! Worth it? I don't know...), I have been improving. Yesterday evening I tried, successfully, to roast 2 Cornish Game Hens. It was an interesting recipe, and b/c I am not as awesome as the aforementioned super-women, I was out of a few ingredients and had to substitute. However, the meal looked and tasted fantastic!



The game hens did not brown the way I would have preferred, but not bad for a first try! I served them with a spinach cranberry salad and a wild rice blend. I roasted the hens (stuffed with lemon, garlic and rosemary, of course - and rubbed with olive oil salt and pepper) for about an hour (until internal temp reached 165, the standard temp for whole poultry) and then used the runoff to make a light gravy. It was uber-simple and easy to do. I found that one hen feeds us quite well for 1 meal, and we shall have delicious leftovers for tonight!

I am hoping to try some amazing new recipes after Christmas (including the green curry masterpiece pictured below!!).


Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the blogging, but we shall see. I have 3 or 4 weddings to attend in the near future (here I come, crafty, hand-made gifts... NOT!), as well as about 1 billion evaluations of students to complete. However, I think I need to make more time for this, it's such an amazing de-stresser. Meanwhile, if I could wear any outfit I wanted to the weddings this season, it would have to be this amazing ensemble:

The Chanel earrings and Valentino clutch are just TOO amazing (read: TOO EXPENSIVE!!), and you can't have a wedding without a dance to classic Dean Martin tunes. Ahhhh, outfit bliss!

And as if this post didn't have enough seemingly random photos for you, here's another...



This is our Christmas tree this year. It had an adorable little snowman skirt, but Lucy and Ted thought it was their "play-mat" so we had to pull it up. Not bad for a cheap-o tree! And we had such a fun time decorating it! (Thanks for your help, Tovah!)

Until I have the chance to blog again, I'll leave you with a few Europe photos...

On the beach in Alicante, Spain:


Nice, France; with the Mediterranean in the background:


And the whole crew in front of Buckingham Palace!


Until next time, Ciao!!

Culture Club: LACMA.

Last night Rachel and I went to LACMA to enjoy priceless works of art.  I thoroughly enjoyed re-visiting the LACMA museum.  There's a special vibrancy about her collection.  Rachel gave me some great insight on different forms of art, and perspective.  Afterwards we visited Luna Cafe for a very cute dinner.  I had such an eventful long weekend; two parties, a romantic anniversary dinner at Craft, dinner with friends, playing with kids at church, and much in terms of cookie consumption.  

Seven Years.

I remember the night before our wedding.  My mom and I went to go drop something off for him.  He was packing his suitcase for our honeymoon.  He looked exhausted, but devilishly handsome. His suit and tie were hanging at the ready for the following morning.  I was in utter anticipation and excitement for morning's light.  Because when you love someone since you were 15, you want to bound to that person forever.  After seven years of marriage Bryan remains the most fascinating, talented, and most striking man that I've ever known. And he belongs to me.  I am wildly fortunate.

So Rentable: PERSUASION.

I'm in full Jane Austen mode.  I'm finally getting around to reading the books for the first time.  {I know, why haven't I read them yet?!} To inspire cracking open another book, I rented PERSUASION. What I love about British films is that it's not about being tragically gorgeous, it's about the characterization and acting chops.  No one was classically attractive in this movie, and I loved it all the more. Grab a cup of tea, put on your Snuggie, and watch Anne get her groove back with Captain Wentworth.  Image found {here.}

Graffiti: Spotted on Los Feliz Power Box.

My Best Friend: Pg. 56 of O Magazine.

How many people can say that their best friend is in a current running ad for Bank of America, in Oprah's magazine?  I can.  Amber Ford, you are my best friend, and I love you.  You look so freaking adorable.

Rude, crude, and lewd desert gifts.

Growing up in Arizona I've seen every desert tchotchke, from any given four corners gift shop. After my weekend jaunt to Phoenix, I've found that the desert has reached an all time low.  I found this 'keepsake' at a truck stop near Blythe.  It took me a few seconds to register the strategic placement of the cacti.  So gross, and yet....so humorous.

Creativity Tuesday: Gothic Gift Tags.

This year my Holiday wrapping aesthetic was inspired by my favorite director Tim Burton.  A black and white theme has taken precedence over that of red and green motifs. I made personalized luggage tags tied with a snippet of black ribbon.  Another cool tag alternative would be my U.O. price tag book marks {here.}  And lastly, I also found another great free, printable tag option via My Paper Crane {here.}

DIY Wall Paper.

Last week I was washed over with a fit of inspiration.  I plucked impressionist prints out of an old book that husband purchased for me.  I removed my polaroid wall as seen {here.}  And lined the dreamlike images in rows and columns, taping them to the wall with masking tape.  I'm in love.  It truly adds warmth and panache to our space.  More photos to come.  

What I Wore Wednesday: Black and White.

Bryan broke our tripod. I'm currently using one of his guitar cases in it's stead, and balancing my camera on it vertically. It has not been a fun adjustment. Hence my recent photos being cooky and irregular. Today's Outfit ingredients:

1. Husband's cozy gingham shirt


2. Vintage pencil skirt:  $5.00 Salvation Army


3. Red in the Face Belt:  $1.99 Goodwill


4. Clock Watcher Earrings:  Borrowed from Kira


5. Black Soul Flats:  $115.00 KCNY


6. Mini Saddle Bag:  $9.99 Ecote

Birthday Wishes.

Last night we celebrated Rachel's Birthday.  I'm so glad I have a friend like the Rach in my life.  She's pretty darn fantastic.  I hope her Birthday wish comes true.  P.S.  Aren't my earrings drool worthy?!  My friend Kira and I did a temporary jewelry swap, and it has changed my life.  

Creativity Tuesday: DIY Seasonal Art.

Today I changed out my seasonal art frames.  See my fall display {here.}  For December I went for a graphing paper background.  I hot glued the Hades out of the backs of two pinecones.  With my fridge finally updated, my Christmas decor has been made complete.  I'm utterly giddy.  

On Goals, Hurdles, and Resolutions.

I want to share something with you that was recently shared with me. As many of you know I am extremely goal oriented.  I always have yearly goals and personal bench marks that I hold myself accountable for.  It's always rough when I have hurdles that inevitably pop up. When I fall of the wagon, I usually fall hard.  This is usually due to having too many goals at once.  Moreover, the perfectionist in me doesn't know where to start.  I've recently learned how to work on my goals bit by bit without feeling overwhelmed.  If fact, quite the contrary.  

My friend Sandy is a Yogi.  She recently went on a retreat that was all about obtaining goals and realizing dreams.  The counsel she was given was to do things one at a time.  Let's take getting into shape for example.  I fell off the wagon health wise in June when I went on vacation.  I knew I wanted to get back in shape.  I should run three times a week, improve my tone, take vitamins, and eat healthier.  The old Ashley would try to do all of that in one week.  Well guess what? That's too much change for one person, in one little week.  I would have inevitably crashed, felt bad about myself for failing, then gone back to my lazy ways.  

What Sandy counseled me to do was to add one healthy habit to my life in one calendar month.  Big Goal:  Get in shape.  Small Goal:  Run once per week, four times monthly.  This way I would sustain a healthy habit in my life, feel good about accomplishing my goal, then move forward adding another layer.  That's exactly what I did.  Three months ago I accomplished my monthly goal of running/weight training once per week. Then last month I added two days exercise, then one day of no sweets.  Then December I have added three days exercise, and two days no sweets. I cannot tell you how revolutionary this has been for me.  I feel great about what I've accomplished and slowly added to my routine.  

Professionally I've only been working on three goals; improving in film class, working on my website, and researching agencies that would be an appropriate fit for me.  Yes I have numerous goals that I want to work on for my career.  But how about I work on doing less better?  Once I get my submissions sent out, and my website up then I'll work on the next phase.  This has really helped me feel like I have more control in my life.  It's given me permission to focus on smaller bites of the big picture.  I feel like I have consistent follow through, which feels fantastic.  I hope this inspires you while working on your goals, hurdles, and resolutions.  Let me know if these ideas help you out in the future.  Or if you have more ideas to share with me.   XO, Ashley