For the next week the LA LA LYSSA blog will be under construction. Due to a lack of insight and interesting topics and sheer boredom from my own thoughts, I will be doing a little re-vamping of both myself and my blog.
-ACM
P.S. I need to find my fashion self again so be looking forward to more stylish posts.
The queen of Ashard Richley has been dubbed one of the most prestigious of honors for the Dallas Ft. Worth area. Several months ago D Magazine (one of the most popular magazine in the state) named our very own Ashley Burghardt to the top 20 most beautiful women in Dallas. Then it was up to her loyal followers to vote her to the top. The top 20 were chosen by a panel of tough Dallas and D Magazine judges and they announced that the top 10 would be chosen by us, the readers and followers of these lovely women!
Calling on all faithful Dallasites and Ashley Burghardt adorers, we voted our fair lady all the way to the top.
I first well in love with her handbags and now everyone can fall in love with her. The designer, business owner and fashionista embodies (at only 23 years-old) and encompasses all things women, all things fashion and all things southern beauty. I couldn’t be happier she was dubbed this honor, not only for her growing company and personal success but because she whole-heartedly deserves it. She has the work ethic of Don Draper and charisma of Joan.
I just wanted to extend my congratulations to Ashley and her fans! See behind the scenes videos and pictures here!
I have recently collided head-on with the topics above; in no particular order of course. All the above however I am extremely passionate about in one way or another.
L.O.V.E. Where do I begin? In one month I have been a part of two or the most amazing relationships. Although the two are 30 years apart they are the most influential and exemplified relationships I have been a part of in my life. One, being my parents, who celebrated their 30th this November. 30 years!!! Can you imagine?
The other; is the wedding of a girl I can only describe as one of my soul sisters. We went to Ole Miss together and I saw her with this same guy-the good and the bad- for four years. In college, at least for me, you don’t take relationships that seriously. I was too worried about the next Friday night or how we would smuggle $8 vodka into the dorms to notice the relationship that was blossoming around me. I don’t want to drag on about how they are so special and mean so much to me because we all feel that way about our friends getting married or siblings or cousins but I do want to recognize that we must all find the true examples of love in our lives. This special couple overcame college rumors, long-distance, demanding schedules and meeting some crazy in-laws all before the immature age of 20. They didn’t just overcome it they did it with ease and grace and absolutely zero doubt that anything in the world could tear them apart. I thank them not only for the open bar at the wedding and reuniting all of our old friends but for so carelessly being perfect and influencing so many around them in ways they never knew.
And another shout out to an amazing anniversary this month is Melissa and Brock. You both are the light of so many lives and you will continue to be forever.
Flipping the switch, let’s talk Heisman. I will be short and to the point. Cam Newton definitely did it. I understand he is an amazing athlete. BUT with the Heisman award comes dignity, loyalty and honor. Newton portrays not one of those traits, except an amazing and accurate arm and arrogance. If I were part of the Heisman club I would never vote for Cam Newton, with the risk of being embarrassed again after Reggie Bush, and the unknown if the allegations are indeed true, I wouldn’t risk it. No one wants to talk about it because Newton is SOOOO good and it would just be SOOOO sad but the bottom line is there are plenty of other candidates that are loyal to one team, work their ass off and perform every weekend under the same amount of lights and they do it with honesty.
Returning from my soapbox, I leave you with my fashion excitement for the day! GOOGLE BOUTIQUES!!! I had been hearing buzz about it for months now and it debuted today. Go to www.boutiques.com and check it out. You can create your own profile and it is literally shopping at its best.
This week has been a breakthrough. Not a total breakthrough but like a nomination for a breakthrough, it is at least on the track of a great breakthrough week in the life a la Alyssa in LA.
It started on Sunday where we FINALLY got our cable and internet package set up. The set up only took four and half hours and they only screwed it up a little by giving us the spanish tier and a spotty basic cable tier that didn’t get TBS. TBS!!! It’s October in baseball season and you’re going to cut off TBS for no GD reason!!! Come on!! Needless to say, Time Warner lived up to their ultimate “worst customer service ever” award with me and my roommates. Just to give their PR department a little more to worry about I will continue by saying this was their third time to “set up” the cable but this time they actually showed up and blamed the first two attempts on us (such a BP oil spill move).
I digress. Long story short- I got to see the best thing on TV this entire year….. the Texas Rangers beating the Evan Longoria and David Prices and the Rays in St. Pete’s to go on the 2nd round of playoffs!! They are only three wins away from the World Series! THE WORLD SERIES. THE RANGERS. I knew Nolan Ryan was a better choice than Mark Cuban! That’s one fabulous event making this week tick by oh so nicely.
On another note. This is my last week at my temp assignment. I was really just getting used it and liking it more and more but reality is, I was a temp. A little sad because I liked these people, we were all getting a little more social but the up-side is now I can move on to something more for my benefit. I am going on my second of three interviews this week and couldn’t feel better about it! The process is getting easier. Who would have really thought trying to sell yourself (professionally I mean, not sexually ha) would be so traumatic. It’s like dating and you’re trying to tell someone you will be committed to them but in the back of your mind you want to see what they got for you first! I think its a pretty spot on metaphor if you really think about it.
So….. things are good. Ready for the cold. Ready for scarves and fur and leather and boots. Not ready for sinus pain but I’ll take it only if I can be in an oversized cable-knit and OTK’s. So ready for responsibility, jobs and tasks. Ready for learning experiences and not getting any sleep because I am too busy. SOOOO Ready for one of my best friend’s weddings in Oregon. Ready for our Ole Miss reunion post-grad.
Just Ready. Ready and willing.
Here is a recent life update for all concerned about my financial independence, journey across America and overall well-being after joining this insane state of Angels (or devils for those who look down upon my actual choice of a west coast lifestyle).
I am currently temping (a subject we will get to later) at Wildcard AV. It is a trailer house, they specialize in action and suspense movies like the recent trailer for The Town and Wallstreet. They also did some Avatar stuff, X-men, 2012 and yada yada. They are such cool people and all work extremely hard. They obviously lack a normal social control that others outside the digital world tend to grasp more than the editors, producers and graphic artists that embody LA.
On having a job: As a temp I am just doing the reception desk which literally leaves me both bored to tears and only thinking more and more about when that first full-time job will come. Speaking of the first full-time job, a subject in which my roommates are exhausted of and have tapped into almost all of their resources for, I am still on the lookout. Sometimes I wonder if I am being unrealistic and other times blaming it on the times.
On moving to LA: So far so good is about all I can say. The trivial changes that I am getting used to are simply parking (or lack their of and how expensive it can be), eating out too much (no one here cooks or cares to), laundry (even my Oxford , MS apartment had a free washer and dryer). These aren’t complaints just normal city-living tasks that come with the territory.
Although only going on my fourth week here, I haven’t noticed much of a cultural change, with the exception of manners. It is isn’t that people are flat out bitches it is just that they don’t care. They don’t care about you or me or where you came from or what your story is, everyone here has a story and one is luckier than the next. Overall; people are nice, whether it is from a genuine place or not I don’t really care. I think the state decree goes a little something like ‘Fake it ’til you make it’. On the other hand; all the friends of my friends I have met are abnormally helpful. They have all asked for my resume and are following up with me. The conversation always goes the same and ends with an exchange of email addresses and a promising smile.
On interviews: The career advisor at Ole Miss wasn’t kidding when she said “practice makes perfect” and “role play” and “practice practice practice” before you interview. I have been on about three interviews since I have been here and they have gotten easier each time. The first time I couldn’t have even answered what my major or GPA was because I was trying to keep my hands from shaking and my mind from wandering. Now I can calmly tell you or anyone else why I want this job and what I can bring to the company. I can’t say I have mastered it at all- I still cringe at the ‘tell me about yourself’ question- so simple yet soooooooo complex.
Long story short- I have a lot of subjects, a lot of titles in my life but not a lot of material, not a lot of content. I guess that is kind of how life works. You know what you want in life and you fill in the blank lines as you go. A sense of writing your own history book and being able to discard or hyperbolize any part you want-tailoring exactly how you want your life read aloud.
So what I wanted (my titles)- LA. A JOB. A FUTURE. A PATH. Now the contents to fill those voids (or chapters for metaphorical sake) are yet to be discovered and lets hope not DOA.
I will begin by apologizing for not writing for some time now. Needless to say I have been very overwhelmed due to the fact that I am picking up and moving myself across the country in two days. The anticipation going into the these last couple days at home, post-grad, post-internship, post-white due to Labor Day; are indeed stressful but equally intriguing.
This brings me what I have been thinking about lately which is this new, untitled track to the soundtrack of my life. I have packed many many times, for vacations, for business trips, for competitions, for college and now for………well, to be determined I guess. But for the most part I am a great packer, I pack light, I pack essential. Through each stage of packing whether its moving into a dorm before Freshman year or to a new city with new friends and a new life, there is an intense process of editing. Through each round you pack and unpack your clothes and personal items you edit things out and add new ones in. What always remains in your suitcase? What once had value to you that you mindlessly leave out of the list this round of packing?
For me there are many garments that have had permanent spots on my nicest hangers that are always the first to be packed, however many, many things have been tossed through four years of packing. This round is different. This time I am packing for a life I have no idea about. It is a completely unwritten chapter of my life, it holds no boundaries, no expectations, no true path of self-discovery just blank slates to carved by unidentified people and adventure.
I have spent this week saying bye to friends, asking for good luck and praying to St. Michael (apparently the saint you pray to for jobs). Although this step in my life seems like all the other times I have left home, it is wildly different. It isn’t final or seclusive but open and exciting.
So I take this time to thank each and every one in my life and embarking on this journey with me. You are all the only reassurance I need that I will be taken care of and loved whether you are with my physically or not. XOXO
-ACM
I know it been a while: I apologize. Here is my two-week quickie status update of things that peaked my interests or threw me a curveball.
So I just got done working the most boring job in the world but the up side is that I catch up on all the books I have wanted to read and couldn’t because I was “too busy.” I have to suggest these novels to you all. Sugar Daddy, Blue-Eyed Devil, Smooth Talking Stranger and basically anything by Lisa Kleypas. They were by no means life altering or intrinsically motivating but they were fantastic romantic and exciting reads. Simply great and entertaining stories that are based in our native Texas and pay tribute to both the cowboy and the big cities. Kleypas is entertaining. If you are looking for an uplifting, “and they lived happily ever after” kind of novel pick up any of these and your lovey dovey void will be filled.
So to go along with this insanely boring job I also decided to go on somewhat of a diet. Although I hate diets and I never stick to them I did discover a wonderfully yummy breakfast dish. It is delicious, nutritious, organic and low-and-behold even gluten-free. It is so easy:
Ingredients: Fresh Berries ( I used blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), Skim Greek Yogurt, Honey, Kashi Flaxseed Cereal
Instructions: Layer 1-Berries, Layer 2-mix the yogurt and honey (to taste), Layer 3- granola and ENJOY! You can either mix it all up and or eat it layer by layer but it is delish and under 200 calories. ANNNNNDDD…..I was full, which never happens to this bottomless pit of a stomach.
My last two updates are fashion finds.
PLEASE Google or style.com Fenton Fallon for J. Crew jewelry. They are amazing and for a “statement” piece, fairly affordable. Here is a preview:
L.O.V.E the feminine vs. the hardware, amazing!!! Visit a J. Crew to fall for these jewels.
In other trainwreck news: Courtney Love has launched a blog to try to reinvent her image. Basically she is posted what she wear everyday and asking her readers and other bloggers what they think. WHOA WHOA first of all why would you ask internet rats what they think of your outfits, when your own Google search images are scenes at clubs, snorting coke, and smeared red lipstick. My only advice is to try another medium of which you want people’s opinions.
Stay happy. Be fashionably curious and courages. Love the ones you’re with.
-ACM
La La Lyssa Feed
S.S.S.