My new favorite thing.

I am knee deep in studying for finals and completing final projects.  This is why my previous post was on the Spring 2011 collection from Missoni.  That post was for one of my journalism classes and it gave me the opportunity to use a couple of tools that I wasn’t familiar with.

This semester I have been keeping this blog up with  Windows Live Writer which is a program that connects to my blogging account.  It is my new favorite thing because it makes it super easy for me to create fancy slide shows, link followers to websites, and keep an archive of all of my work all in one place.

I find it a lot more convenient and easier to use than the editor on Blogger.  If you guys invested in the new Windows 7 it should come with the software and its totally worth it! 

You can reap the benefits of my new favorite thing by viewing my “Mercy Mercy Missoni” slideshows.

Windows Live Writer Screen Capture

Windows Live Writer Screen Capture

Windows Live Writer Screen Capture

Mercy Mercy Missoni

By: Ashley Abbatelli
  

Spring 2011 Ready to Wear VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

“The Missoni woman loves the emotion of color and loves to express herself with it…”- Veronique Gabai-Pinsky Italian Fashion Watch

The Collection Overall
For this collection, this quote is an understatement to say the very least.  I know the emotion I was feeling and it reminded me of a camping trip I took with friends in high school which involved hallucinogenics.  

Talk about a bunch of trends all rolled into one. The familiar Missoni checked print was mixed with psychedelic geometrics and tribal prints.  And when I say geometrics I mean every shape you can think of intertwined; squares, triangles, and diamonds were all on top of each other in a tangled web of the world on acid.

Your veteran Missoni fan would have to look twice at this collection.  Though the silhouettes remain airy and easy to wear, the concept, colors, and theme were quite different than any Missoni Collection I have ever seen.

They left no stone unturned, no color ignored, and no accessory left behind.  I can’t help but wonder, if the entire collection speaks at this volume, what will their campaigns feature? 

Details

Detail Shots VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I couldn’t help but notice the cry out to consumers while viewing Spring 2011 from Missoni.  Rather than discuss the hidden message on the oversized caftans or the silk wrap mini-espadrille as their seasonal sandal, lets focus on the clear shopping bag carrying one of the actual handbags featured in this collection.

My takeaway was this- either Missoni wants to remind you that this is what it looks like when you actually make a purchase or they understand that when consumers now empty their pockets they protect their purchases from the plague.  Either way, I was perplexed and this was my favorite detail in the collection.

Beauty

Beauty Shots VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The clothing and accessories were definitely the stars of the show.  The makeup in this runway show did its job in not outshining the collection.  Simple yet heavy black eyeliner with nude lips accompanied untouched coifs covered by wide-brimmed hats.

In Conclusion
I felt as though this collection was a breath (from Margherita’s mouth) of fresh air for the fashion house.  The question for those of us familiar with the line is- Was it more of a gasp or a sigh of relief?

Sources used- http://www.style.com/, http://www.nymag.com/, fashion.telegraph.co.uk

GG Christmas!

 

How I love our Christmas Tree.  Trimmed in silver and gold.  Did I mention all of the ornaments were purchased for under $40?!!!  Thanks Dollar Tree!!!

A gift is a wish your heart makes.

The holiday season is upon us and I have begun to compile lists not only for the loved ones in my life but for myself!  For me, who I have to buy for changes a little every year.  In my immediate family , we pick names rather than buy everyone gifts because lets be real, times have changed and we aren’t the Kardashians.  I also have a new manboy in my life that I need to buy a gift for. A) Because I want to and B) Because I know he ordered my gift yesterday.  Last but not least, lets not forget my roommate and bestie.  I wanted to review the choices for all three of these loved ones in my life.  I want your opinions and it also helps me compartmentalize my thoughts.

I picked the older of my two younger brothers, Nick.  He and I have grown to be waaaay close over the last few years and I am super excited to have picked him.  Here are the options:

 Beer Kit from Mr. Beer (Perfect for the Chico Drop Out in him)

 

The Droid.  Sure it’s a little over budget but one of my goals in life is to be the best sister ever.

Tickets to see one of our favorite comedians, Daniel Tosh, live.  He’s the host of Tosh.0, one of our favorite shows to watch as a family (this is a gift for me as well).

I will be back later in the week to share ideas for the manboy and the bestie.  See you soon!

My final finals

Before                                After

As you know, I like to share as much as I can with all of you when it comes to a few different aspects of my life.  The next couple of weeks are finals weeks.  By final I mean final.  These finals are the final finals of my entire life.  I have a couple papers to write, a narrated slideshow to produce, and a marketing presentation to complete along with final exams.  I have a headache just typing all of this.

Because I have this idea in my head that all of my readers really care about all of this, I wanted to share with you one of the projects I am working on. 

I completed a photo shoot focused on the simplicity of the white t-shirt.  the shoot was titled “Undressed”.  The picture above was my favorite out of 15 shots I took that evening.  Naturally I ran into obstacles like the flash not working, and the lighting being horrible in my apartment.  Therefore, I had to utilize photo editing software.

The image is targeted to the reader of a fashion magazine that focuses on women’s contemporary and junior clothing and accessories lines.  I am sure you are all familiar with Nylon Magazine.  The increased contrast and changes I made to the color to me, made the picture more unique and consistent with the research I did on past Nylon photo-shoots.  What do you guys think of my before and after?

Happy 50th Anniversary Grammy and Pops! Sad night for me and my Honda:(

This Friday was a celebration for my Grammy and Pops.  They have been married for 50 years now!  We had the most amazing dinner at The Grill in San Jose.

I took the liberty of ordering a variety of cupcakes from The best bakery in the Bay Area as well as an arrangement of flowers for the table. Grammy was floored and we all had an amazing time.

However, the night ended with this:

I was rear ended by a woman while turning left at an intersection.  My car spun around like a spinning top until I faced oncoming traffic.  Thank god for the guy in aforementioned posts.  He used to be a mechanic and was able to temporarily reattach my bumper so that I would be able to drive to and from work until I hear back from my insurance as well as the other driver.

Over the last few days my back been super sore but I am so lucky.  Considering the weather, this accident (my first ever) could have been a lot worse.

Being my first accident, I was a little shaken up and froze when it came to questions for the other driver, the driver at fault in this situation.

For future reference, I researched importance questions to ask and things to cover if ever get into another accident (knock on wood).

1. Check to see if you or any passengers with you were injured in the automobile accident. Do not hesitate to call “911” for medical help if anyone needs medical attention.  If anyone is unconscious, it is best not to move them unless absolutely necessary as moving them could make their injuries worse.  If you must move injured people, make sure to keep their head and neck supported the entire time.

2. Safely get out of the way of traffic. If your car does not work, turn on your warning lights or open your hood to warn other drivers in the area.  Your safety is most important.

3. Call the police if the auto accident involves damage, injury or death.

4. Obtain information from the all other drivers and witnesses involved in the car accident, including:

• Name
• Address
• City
• Telephone Numbers
• Email
• Insurance Company
• Policy Number
• Coverage Limits

5. Obtain police officers information:

• Name
• Badge Number
• City

6. Write down the car accident information:

• Date
• Time
• Other car description:
• Make
• Model
• Year
• Color
• State
• Car License Plate Number

7. Take pictures of everything involved in the car accident, as long as it can be done safely.  These pictures should include each car driver, each automobile in the car accident showing any property damage, skid marks, any other damage to property, as well as the location of the automobile accident.  The more pictures the better.  When in doubt, take pictures.  It is a good idea to keep a disposable camera in your glove compartment or trunk.  If there are no other cameras available, then you should use a cell phone camera.  Pictures may help your automobile insurance company determine how much you should be paid for your injuries.

8. Schedule an appointment with your doctor. Sometimes there are injuries right after an accident takes place, but many people who are injured do not realize it right after an accident.  Therefore, it is always wise to see your doctor to make sure that you are ok.

9. Before speaking to the insurance company, make sure to consult an experienced auto accident attorney. Many times the insurance companies will try to settle for less than you deserve, especially when injuries are involved. It is a great idea to find out all of your options with a FREE telephone or office consultation from Former Insurance Company Automobile Accident Attorney Michael Pines to discuss your legal rights.

I’m Only Happy When It Rains

Good and bad things happen when you work in retail.  The worst is when a customer/looky lou comes in right at closing with no regard for your personal life and time.

The best is when an item gets returned due to damage, the vendor credits your account, and finally the vendor tells you to destroy the shoe which means free shoes for you!

This month situations like this have occurred more frequently than in past months.  One gal at the store I work for received brand new TOMS because one single grommet was missing.  I don’t really have an explanation for this but hey, I’ll take it. 

Take a look at the cuties I received from Chooka.  How much are we loving the Herringbone???  Thanks customer that cared about a single tiny pen mark on the bottom of this shoe!

 

My new freebies

The TOMS Deanne received

My best friend’s back am I gonna be in trouble?

Friends come in and out of our lives a lot during adulthood.  Due to the social media phenomenon, it is now easy as pie to locate an old bff, call an old bff, bbm an old bff, text an old bff, and ultimately hang out with an old bff and rekindle any bffness that may be left.

I met Nicole in 6th grade when I was forced to transfer elementary schools.  I was torn from all of my elementary school friends and thrown into a scary new place where no one knew me and no one care to know me.  Nicole seemed to appear instantly.  She befriended me, introduced me to people, and in turn school became less excruciating every day.

Nicole and I did everything together up until our Junior year in high school.  To make a long story short and to be incredibly blunt;  I screwed her over in a major way and she punched me in the face for it.  Literally.

We then took a sabbatical until we found each other’s email address through a mutual friend and realized that even though we went through a lot of bad times together, there was an everlasting bond between us.  As though we were extended family and no matter what one of did, we would always love each other.

This brings me to today.  Every year Nicole and I have what we call “catch up sessions”.  We meet for dinner or drinks and fill each other in on everything that has happened since the last time we met.

We just had one of these “catch up sessions” last week and it was fantastic!  Every time we meet up it feels like no time has passed.  I also feel as though as we get older, our friendship makes more and more sense.

The best part about friendship and our “catch up session” this year was that a few days after dinner, she informed me that she had tickets to Usher and she wanted me to go!

So lets recap- Nicole and I met in 6th grade and we were inseparable until I screwed her over in junior year of high school.  After a much needed sabbatical, we continue to be friends as though nothing had changed and tomorrow night we are seeing one of my all time favorite performers.  What a whirlwind!

A little something I am working on…

 

IMG00013-20101105-1005.jpg

Doesn't my new purchase make you smile? I know I'm smiling!  Only $98 at She She Shoes in Los Gatos.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

We have so much in common!

Out of all of the blogs out there, it is challenging to narrow down what your favorites are and what blogs are even worth reading.  Blogs cover everything from celebrity sightings, to sports, to reality T.V.  How do you decide which ones to follow?  How do you know that you can count on the blogger to keep you interested?

I figure, if you’ve stumbled on my blog, it was either through a search or it was recommended by a friend.  In any case, I love you for it and it is my mission to always keep you interested.

We obviously have a lot in common.  We obviously both love the same things and share the same overall opinion on life and the weird things that happen on a day to day basis.  If that wasn't the case, you wouldn’t be here.

I want to keep you coming back to visit me.  Not to mention, I will need your help when it comes to future purchases, recipes, and more than anything, I may need your advice when it comes to well….life.

The point is, though this blog has a few main highlighted topics, its more about being real and exchanging with each other.  Its about being candid, silly, and never being ashamed of who you are and what you’re interested in.

P.S.  I never filled you all in on what I brought for “The Guy”  I ended up picking up sandwiches from Zanottos which he preceded to devour in almost two bites.  I’d say it went very well and I can’t wait to keep you posted on the Japanese restaurant he is taking me to this Saturday.  Eek!

Date Number 4 or 5?

Bringing “The Guy” dinner tonight for our 4th or 5th date.  It needs to be something light so I don’t feel like Ms. Piggy while at his place.  I’ll be posting a pic of what I decided to go with later on tonight.  Why is this decision so difficult?  Oh yeah! He’s a very picky eater and I’m an extreme foodie.  Match made in heaven.

Why does it feel like Christmas now that Tory Burch has landed?

Tory Burch handbags landed this week at She She Shoes (where I work) and for some reason, just being near that logo makes me feel as though Christmas has arrived.  Yes so far, we have only received a handful of bags and wallets.  But, there is so much more to come!  I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally own a pair of T.B. flats. Pictures of my first pair will be posted THE DAY they are place on my feet.  Can’t wait!  I’m thinking silver to start…

My new obsession.

Two shouts outs today. One to She She Shoes in Los Gatos, CA. They have blessed me with this new statement necklace that I will be wearing all year round. The second goes to Kenneth Jay Lane for designing this piece. It is beautiful beyond words and has the ability to liven up almost every outfit in my closet. Yum!

Here's who made it- http://www.kennethjaylane.net/
Here's where you can order it- http://www.shesheshoestore.com/

Heaven.

This is why Halloween is my favorite holiday next to Thanksgiving.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Hello. My name is Ash.

Hi there! The point of this blog is that I love so many things, I need to share them with well...everyone. The name of this blog should explain what you will be able to find here on the daily. Yummy things can be found here, all the time. By yummy, I mean anything that is so delightful, you need to share it. I'll be sharing with all of you everything I consider just plain wonderful. Think shoes, food, clothing, makeup, music, and just plain funny, frustrating, and weird things that happen to me almost every day.

So let's talk about how this blog got started. When I was younger, well younger than I am now (26) I wanted to be a professional chef. I've had a major love affair with food since I was a little girl. I was all lined up to attend culinary school when I got a job at Nordstrom, in designer apparel. Oops. Turns out I cheated on food with fashion and fell in love with both.

I decided to attend not one but two fashion schools. In the process, I continued to bake, cook, and watch my beloved Food Network whenever I had spare time. My affairs with both food and fashion have continued into my adult life. I have a serious passion for both and I always will.

Hence, the creation of this blog. Not only do I want share with others my discoveries in both the food and fashion world, but I hope that loyal followers will also be interested in my random funny stories based on the day to day nothingness that occurs in my and everyone else’s lives.

Welcome to Yummy Things!