Turtle is to Turkey as Traffic is to Holiday Shopper.

I hope your Thanksgiving was stuffed with turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and laughter!

Mine was. I learned that turtles enjoy turkey carcasses (gross!). Since Thanksgiving is a happy holiday, I did make an effort to wear some color instead of looking like I was going to a funeral, as per usual. Speaking of which...

Black Friday was yesterday, but since it's almost 2013, I bet most Black Friday-ers went shopping online. Why not? No traffic, no crowds, no long lines, AND most of the same sales you see in the store can be found online. Many stores even offer free shipping.

Here's why I love online shopping: my current favorite hair product, called Weather Girl Climate Neutralizing Complex with Pure Protein Blend, created by Blow, The New York Blow Dry Bar, is usually $22 for a 2oz. bottle, but it's on Amazon.com right now for $11.35. Check out the link over here!  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Where do YOU go for great holiday shopping finds?

If Not For Not-So-Honest Abe Lincoln...

It has been a long time since a movie has made me teary-eyed.

Lincoln made it perfectly clear that Abe wasn't as honest as we were all led to believe in our junior high American History classes. Without ruining the movie for you, all I will say is that he made some moral compromises, obviously trusting that the end would indeed justify the means.

As I sat in that theatre, thinking about each of the men who voted to pass the 13th Amendment and the personal struggles they overcame, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. If that bill hadn't passed, our country wouldn't be the same. I would never have met some of my closest childhood friends because we wouldn't have had the opportunity to go to school together. 

I thought about the obstacles that equality has yet to conquer in the present-day, mainly the issue of gay marriage. Friends have confided in me about how difficult it was to muster up the courage to come out to their loved ones. Some of them have since been accepted fully for who they are; others have been excommunicated from their families and churches. 

Regardless of the "Nature vs. Nurture" argument and its statistics, they are NOT numbers. They're REAL men and women who have the same needs and wants that I have - to be loved and accepted freely. 

Doesn't an adult who is in a loving, committed relationship with another adult have the same rights as I do? If they go to work, pay their taxes, vote, etc., why should the fact that their marriage is to an individual of the same-sex even matter?

I'd LOVE to hear YOUR thoughts, so share them in the comment box below. :) 

Paint It Black.

My hair color is BLACK now!  

As one of my besties reminded me this week, the second your hair color changes, so does your wardrobe. While I am used to wearing black from head to toe, I have come to realize that it's time to put some COLOR into my life. Otherwise, I am going to look like a black crayon. #NOTcool 

I always thought that black was the one hair color I would never be willing to try. I thought I couldn't pull it off... 

I think I was scared.

Which is part of why I did it.

Life is FULL of so many incredible opportunities, amazing people, and breathtaking adventures. Although my loved ones tell me that I have accomplished a lot in such a short amount of time, there are still SO many things I want to do with this ONE life I've been given! 

So, I don't have time to be afraid of things. I only have time to be bold, to be brave.

What about you?

What is it that's preventing you from fulfilling your dreams? What are you afraid of?

Whatever IT is, paint it black. And ROCK it. I triple-dog-dare you. ;)

"...Sign the wire with love."

My new favorite quote about love comes from Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises.

There is a depleting number attached to each one of us; the days, hours, minutes, and seconds that we have left here are already determined. With every new sunrise, we face new challenges and those challenges poke and prod at us, coaxing out our true character. While we cannot control our circumstances or the actions of others around us, we can control our reactions. Regret, hatred, and revenge are costly; by investing in negativity, you are robbing yourself of a return on your time. Ask yourself: how much time have you wasted by tearing someone else down in an attempt to build yourself up?

Professing love for someone who has never wronged you is as useful as hauling an empty trash bag around. The trash bag is pointless until you have something that belongs in the dumpster. In the context of Hemmingway's story, the meaning of "Sign the wire with love" stretches far beyond forgiveness - it's a reminder that love not only covers a multitude of sins, but blinks away the transgressions, regarding the sinner rather as a saint.

When my hair dyes, does it go to Sephora?

If you're bored with your summery-blonde balayage or ombre, try a few rich chocolate or caramel lowlights. This time of year, I recommend a color gloss for my clients to restore shine and add a hint of dimension to their highlights. 

My NEW favorite hair oil - Use sparingly, focusing first on your ends, working your way up to your mid-lengths. Avoid putting oil on your roots. It smells incredible! Order yours from the tab over here >>>

BodyRock.tv

If you know me, you know that I am constantly busy. I like to pack as many things into my day as possible, including a workout.

However, I do not have an hour to spend on the treadmill or elliptical. And honestly, the results just aren't worth that hour, in my opinion.

But 12 minutes? I can do that!

Check this out:
BodyRock TV

It's basically "burst" training, with four different mini-workouts, where you go for 50 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, repeat twice, and move on to the next. The results are killer!

The website and Facebook page for BodyRock are great tools. There are a lot of other "bodyrockers" who post their scores, before and after pictures, recipes, etc., to track their progress and motivate others.

Did I mention that BodyRock is free? 12 minutes a day AND free... I can't think of any excuses!

Rope.

Never has my name sounded so sweet
As it was on the lips of a fourteen-year-old boy
Trapped inside a man's bloody body.
When the medication wore off and the doctors came
He stood to his feet and screamed with swollen lips
Defending himself from the torment he'd endured.

When they let him down
I will stand up for him.
Wrap my arms around his frail body,
And weep with him
For the things he was never born with...
For the things they took from him...
Their sins will haunt them to their graves.
The ropes around their necks will not loosen.

Have mercy on us, Creator of Love,
When we leave this rock we've wrecked.

Never have I wished my feet to fly
As the day I saw a three-year-old princess
Smashed against the unforgiving concrete.
When the cars stopped and the people emerged
She stood armor-less and screamed with cracked lips
Begging for safety from the one whose womb held her.

When they throw her down,
I will stand up for her.
Wrap my arms around her screaming, fragile body
And weep for her
For the things she was never born with...
For the things they took from her...
Their sins will haunt them to their graves.
The ropes around their necks will not loosen.

Have mercy on us, Creator of Love,
When we leave this rock we've wrecked.

I am like my brothers and sisters
Defenseless and screaming...
And these ropes will not loosen.

Have mercy on us, Creator of Love,
For we have not yet left
This rock we've wrecked.

Cheryl Cole, Katy Perry, and Revlon's NEW Just Bitten KISSable Balmstain

This little gem is perfect for those of us who have been DYING 

for a lipstain that won't DRY OUT our lips! 

You can find Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balmstain for $9ish

at any drugstore or beauty store.

I'm not saying that this is what Katy Perry was wearing when 

she planted one on Cheryl Cole's cheek, but I'm also not saying

that it wasn't.

And hey, none of us are shocked that Katy likes kissing girls.

It's all a publicity stunt to get the word out about Cheryl's new

album coming out on June 18th.

Happy Friday! 

June 2012 Trends: Asymmetrical Skirts, Brow Liner, and L-L-L-Lipstick

Oh June 2012 summer trends, how we love thee.


Asymmetrical skirts...

(source: thefashionpolice.net)

Heavily lined brows and lipstick that pops...

(source: Leighton Meester
 at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards)

Viva La Summer 2012.

>>>>>Check out a few of my summer faves so far, such as hair chalk, perfume,
Regina Spektor's NEW album, Metric's Synthetica, and MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Roller Coasters, Zombies, and Bath Salts

A quote I read recently has given me a lot of perspective on life:
"You've never been as old as you are right now
 and you will never be this young again."

What to do with this?

Life is such a roller coaster.
It's scary sometimes.
You get to the top just to see that there's a steep drop in front of you.
You're wondering if the people around you are using bath salts
and if the zombie apocalypse really has begun... I digress.
But life is also thrilling, breathtaking... and fun.
And unless they're right about reincarnation,
we only get to do this thing once.

So, I don't know about you, but I'm going to throw my hands up
and enjoy the ride.

I might even build a few roller coasters of my own one of these days.

And don't worry, I don't use bath salts for anything except baths.

"You've never been as old as you are RIGHT NOW
and you will NEVER be this young AGAIN."

Chalk Your Locks or Not?

Post navigationhairbyash.com

We love change: new shoes, new nail polish, new hair colors…
but how do you feel about the latest hair trend – hair chalking?

Last Summer, the big trend was feathers.
All ages flocked to salons for the brightly colored chicken feathers.
We loved how such a temporary change made a fun statement.
The latest pre-Summer trend of 2012 is hair chalking,
using soft pastel chalks to color strands of hair.
For BRUNETTES and DARKER, it can be done by sectioning off
damp hair and rubbing the chalk over the ends, OR wet chalk can be
applied to strands of dry hair.
For BLONDES and RED-HEADS, it is recommended
that you DO NOT WET the chalk or your hair
as this can cause your hair to stain.
If you choose to do so, be forewarned that the “temporary” color
could last a week or two, possibly longer.
The trend works especially well on ombre; color pigment shows up
much brighter on pre-lightened hair.
But again, if your hair is pre-lightened,
avoid using water as the chalk could stain your hair.

The best part is that when you’re over it, the chalk simply washes out,
so you can start with a new color each day.
Or, you can just chalk your hair for special occasions,
like going out with the girls.
(Be sure to avoid wearing white or light colors that the chalk could stain!)

If you choose to partake in this new trend,
keep in mind how drying chalk can be.
Remember how your hands felt after using sidewalk chalk?!
Follow up your shampoo with a deep moisturizing conditioner
to rehydrate those chalked locks!
>>>Try Bumble & Bumble's Creme de Coco (see tabs on the right)>>>>>>>

23 Candles.

23 candles (from The Sun and the Moon)

light me up, baby
or should i say angel?
cause it’s so hard to tell
through the smoke, as i exhale
ah, it looks like you polished your halo today
so walk right up, go ahead, judge away
but just so you know
this cigarette is all i have
to remind me of the way
you laugh,
you run,
you smell,
you numb,
but it’s in
my hand,
my tongue,
my heart,
my lungs,
so you are not to blame
like i said, go ahead, judge away
but just so you know
this isn’t a habit
i’m not an addict
but you’re disgusted enough
at the sight of me
to announce you just quit
that very instant
coincidentally
light me up, baby
twenty-three candles extinguished
just for one wish
one wish only
to cover everything i could possibly need
in the next three hundred sixty four days
so i better make this count
as tight as i can, i’ll shut my eyes
and imagine that smile i’ve memorized
countless times
aimed in my direction, just once more
because then i’d know for sure
you were actually glad that i was born
light me up, baby

The Sun and the Moon.

the sun and the moon (from The Sun and the Moon)

If I was born with the sun’s fire in my blood—
If you grew up in the craters of the moon—
Would we become lovers in passing?
Or rivals, fighting over the horizon?
Attraction:
fatal.
Interaction:
inevitable.
Those impressions of imperfections
Stark against this sun’s reflection
Visible even to the naked eye
Are etched across your surface
Not mine.
But I will claim the blame
Each time
Just to hear you say my name:
“Sunshine.”
These phases require patience
Twenty nine days
Twelve hours
Fourty four minutes
Two point nine seconds
Of watching the darkness consume you
Until once again, you are new.
But you are not the moon.
And I am not the sun.
This distance between us
Requires a unit of measurement
Far more complex
Than that offered by metrics.

Lose-Lose.

lose - lose (from The Sun and the Moon)

Insomnia clung to me while the sly sun slept,
I thought I’d suffocate from his warm breath.
I tossed and I turned; he matched my shape,
My pores sprang beads of sweat
Powerless to fight the fire on my skin.
“I don’t share my bed,” I said, “I am not a whore.”
He wouldn’t budge, so I had to use force.
I pushed and I shoved; he lost his grip,
Fell between the floorboards, with my name on his lips…
These eyelids grew heavy, this mind willed him back
And suddenly I could feel him, watching me through the slats.
Insomnia wanted me.
I wanted Slumber.
But he never came
To claim me.

Backwards and Forewords.

Backwards and Forewords (from The Sun and the Moon)

By now, I know better than to judge a book by its cover, but I often wish that people came with forewords. A letter or introduction from a close friend, a family member, a coworker, or even their mailman to serve as a precursor before we become even vague acquaintances would be beneficial.
Imagine a world where all of us had forewords…
No one would roll their eyes at the woman who is afraid of airplanes because we would know her father died in a plane crash when she was nine years old.
We would all understand that the cranky old man who gets upset about his coffee is really devastated because his wife is dying of lung cancer and he feels like he’s losing his reason to wake up in the morning.
Instead of gossiping about the girl who gets drunk at parties and sleeps around, we would wrap our arms around her and whisper in her ear that she is worth so much more than sex.
But we don’t come with forewords. We are jumbled up chapters, with the tear-stained, dog-eared pages we re-read to torture ourselves. We’re backwards, presenting our stories in reverse; we’re here now, but no one has any clue where we’ve come from.
I haven’t read your foreword.
And you haven’t read mine.
But I promise I’ll remember that you have one.
Can you do the same for me?