From W Magazine to Chrissy Teigen to Asking Yourself Those Questions

I love W magazine.  My Aunt Yvonne would send us (Love Joy & Faith) the magazine when we were just 10 years old.  Well, I was 10.  It was our first exposure to high fashion beyond Vogue.  (We loved Vogue too by the way. ) I have been getting back into being me and that includes reading W magazine.  While reading W's article Natural Beauty Chrissy Teigen Loves Contouring I became inspired.  I wanted to know how I would answer these questions.  I wanted to know if I could answer these questions.  Would I like my answers to these questions? Then I wondered how Joy, who is almost my twin (we are the same age for nearly 4 months out of the year) would answer.  Then I asked myself, "How would my answers affect my life?" Would I need or rather want to get rid of somethings? Would I be a little more focused because I discovered/remembered part of myself? The questions are not what you would consider life changing but for me it was.  

Asking Joy the same questions also taught me a few things about myself as well as my sister.  I know Joy remembers me interviewing her but she was very ill at the time.  I was concerned wouldn't have the same impact for her.  Oddly enough I discovered this morning it did but I doubt she realizes it fully yet.  Joy, began to clear away all the bullshit in her head and think about what she wanted.  She has begun to focus on high fashion again and what makes life fun for her.  She said she wasn't going to try to adapt herself to others.  I know, you may think high fashion isn't important, but imagine if it were something else.  We all at some point people please.  We all forget what gets us going.  We all forget what we did that day we felt supper confident.  

My sister and I want to be our best spiritually, physically and emotionally.  This week for some reason Joy and I both are declaring what we want.  The Chrissy Teigen interview made me say hey let's answer this for ourselves.  We start with Joy's "interview" first.  I don't want our answers side by side.  Yes, it is okay to notice our difference but for me this is not about comparison.  For me, this is just an opportunity to share what works for us.  It is also an opportunity to remember we know what works for us; because the last few years it has been too easy to forget.

Joy Yascone

Your look in three words: 

Joy: bohemian. Cultured. Town-N-Country

Five-minute routine: 

Joy: tinted moisturizer, bronzer, lip gloss, blush peach, peachy nude lipstick, sea salt spray (hair), curl definer

Never leave the house without: 

Joy: Lip Gloss

Beauty from the inside out: 

Joy: Energy of love

Exercise regime:

Joy: Urban walks five to ten miles

Cleanse or not: 

Joy: Yes I cleanse, probiotic heavy (kevita, yogurt), berries, hot water and lemon juice (Inate response )

Beauty essentials:

Joy: lip gloss, lip liner, lipstick, deep conditioner 

Skincare secret: 

Joy: No smoking, No drugs

Hair remedy: Tracey Cunningham is my hair remedy.

Joy: Biolage deep conditioner

In-tub must-read: 

Joy: astrology charts

Spa-cation at: 

Joy: Kholer in Wisconsin 

Fragrance of choice: 

Joy: Mariel by H20 or anything that smells of the sea

Best advice from mom: 

Joy: be true to you

Best advice from the pros: 

Joy: not about what size you wear it is about how you wear it

Beauty icons: 

Joy: Alyssa Milano, Tandy Newton, Angelina Jolie, Marilyn Monroe, Kerry Washington

Love Yascone

Your look in three words: 

Love: Princess. Tomboy. Standout. 

Five-minute routine: 

Love: exfoliate lips, moisturize face (with SPF) if necessary, Bare Minerals Golden Tan powder adding more to the eyes, tinted Mineral Veil, Black mascara, liquid blush, lipstick and lip gloss

Never leave the house without: 

Love: lip gloss and breath mints

Beauty from the inside out: 

Love: Laughing at yourself

Exercise regime: 

Love: Club dancing (preference), Spinning (recently) 

Cleanse or not: 

Love: Yes, I look at what my body needs and determine what kind of cleanse from there.

Beauty essentials:

Love: Facial Moisturizer, Lip Gloss

Skincare secret: 

Love: Sweat (no really, my face is healthier and looks better after a good sweat)

Hair remedy: 

Love: Kinky-Curly 

In-tub must-read: 

Love: I meditate/plan my life. I never read in the tub.

Spa-cation at:  

Love: Kholer

Fragrance of choice: 

Love: Chanel Chance

Best advice from mom: 

Love: buy more than one if it is your favorite 

Best advice from the pros: 

Love: do not line my bottom eyelid 

Beauty icons: 

Love: Ava Gardner, Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Lopez, Lisa Bonet, Vanessa Williams, Pam Grier

Ask yourself these questions.  If any of it doesn't match up with what is really going on with you maybe you need to change things around.  Make your words, heart and actions matchup.

Command 2017 Because Resolutions Are No Longer Good Enough

After living through the year that SHOULD BE STRUCK from history, I will not depend on wishes, resolutions or "Good Thoughts" to get me what I want.  I mean resolutions are supposed to be "a firm decision to do or not do something" by definition! If you dare to look back at that GOD AWFUL YEAR that shall not be named you will realize it will take more than a resolution to get through the next four years.  That hateful year has set us all back.  I mean we are going to need more than a resolution to make this better.  It is not that I won't make wishes, set goals and have resolutions but I need something more than those things to improve my life and my family's life!  The results of last year's actions presumably will set us all back this year and the three years to come.  I am determined not to let that happen.  In fact, the whole country can go completely insane, but I am determined to make sure we thrive.  We can't afford any weak links not this year.

There are some "Must Do's" for the "4":

1. Will make more than we spend.
2. Will laugh more than we fight.
3. Will learn our bodies strengths (enhance) and weaknesses (improve).
4. Will expand our talents.
5. Will expand our knowledge.
6. Perfect health is a must.
7. Spiritual health is a must.
8. Building alliances is a must.
9. We must reach our physical goals because our very lives (not just quality of life) may depend on it.
10. Most of all we must learn the REAL VALUE of everything.  Remember the value of money fluctuates.

I know to many of  you I am speaking too generally but my grandmother taught me to speak in code and for my family this is specific enough.  By the time the Kentucky Derby rolls around everyone should be able to see if we are on track or not.  Phase I of 2017 is to wipe out every weakness I have.  Phase II of 2017 is for people to see that I really do live my life as art.  Phase III for My Royal Family 4 is to make sure our large family (aunts, uncles, cousins) are all strong links.  We are only as strong as our weakest.  Phase IV BEST CHRISTMAS EVER and assessing what needs to happen next.

Right now I am not worried about the body goals for two of the members of My Royal Family 4.  I am working out 5x a week these days.  One sister is in a ballroom dancing competition so she will be fine too.  Oddly it is the skinniest of the sisters and of course our mom who may need help getting it into gear.  They are both very serious but their focus is being pulled toward money.  I hate to say it but health, body image and money are going to be linked this year more than ever.  There is one thing I know about us, if one does well the others will catch up.  I guess this year I will be Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.   I will be in front guiding the sleigh during the snowstorm although they may not notice until we reach the end of Phase I, lol.  Phase I the focus is clearing away all the "stuff" and finding the doors we never even knew existed.  I want to smile while reaching all my goals.  I want to cast "doubt", "what if" (the bad ones) and "fear" aside for good. Phase I, is the most important because if only Phase I is completed I am still having a very good year.

That brings us to the command part of 2017! We will not lose anymore ground 2017 that is a command! Do you understand me? Tell 2017 what you expect of it.  Command it to behave the way you need it to and don't look back at that awful, star killing year we just had.

2017 my commands are as follows:

My body will be as I choose not as my negative emotions choose.  I will be healthier, hotter, and more physically powerful than my best self.  This extends to all members of my family as well.

I will enjoy myself, my life and all of my rights.  This is not negotiable!

2017 You will literally remove all racist and hateful people from my personal path.

My time will be spent making money and living life as art.

My family will be more protected than Fort Knox.

Only those who add light, fun, wisdom, opportunity, and true friendship can be brought into any of my family's circle.

Mend all of my family's misunderstandings, hurts and disagreements so we may help and enhance each other's lives and futures.

Anyone not in my family who has sought to harm anyone in my family or to wrongfully take from anyone in my family will be removed and bound from harming any of us again and 2017 must restore by 1000x what has been taken.  

I will work easy because life is easy when you work without fear.  I must change my mindset because hard work only gets you so far.  Creative work, now that gets you beyond your wildest dreams.  Most of all 2017 I will clown around because life needs a laugh or two.

Now more than ever it is important to have fun.

  

One New Year's Resolution Completed Thanks to CycleBar

I Agree With Solange I Don't Like Twist Outs But...

Love Yascone Twist Out
with Organix bamboo fiber-full

Yes, I said it I don't like twist outs.  I was so happy when Solange said she didn't like them either.  Usually when someone tells me I need to do a twist out it is someone really telling me they don't like my "grade" of hair.  Insulting me to my face in the guise of helping me out, yeah I see you.  I have never liked twist outs.  The look is just blah!  That said I did manage to do a twist out on myself that I don't hate and let's face it eventually there comes a day that I don't want wet hair.  This week I don't want wet hair.  Although it took two and a half days for my plaited hair to dry I think it turned out okay.  I think using a hair thickener, Organix OGX Bamboo Fiber-Full, helped a lot (although the smell is over powering).  I don't like the smell or the soy protein Ogx!  What I do like is the way it made my hair easy to play with and tangle-free. Okay I did a video talking about this so just watch that.  I also did some slice of life videos too so I included them as well.  Heck, there is no need to be bored in this day and age.

Love Yascone Twist Out
with Organix bamboo fiber-full

Love Yascone Twist Out
with Organix bamboo fiber-full

Love Yascone Twist Out
with Organix bamboo fiber-full

Love Yascone Twist Out
with Organix bamboo fiber-full

Love Yascone Twist Out
with Organix bamboo fiber-full

Harlan Kentucky Inspires Writers (A Writers Vacation)

Vela's Villa

Some great TV shows, movies and reality TV Shows are based in Harlan, Kentucky.  From Harlan County Wars to Justified to Walking Dead Harlan Kentucky has inspired many great stories.  This leads me to believe that any writer looking for inspiration should visit Harlan, Kentucky.  Harlan, Kentucky is a holler in the Appalachian Mountains.  That’s right coal country.  Go 20 min down one road and you are in Virginia.  You could also end up in West Virginia and of course Tennessee. I personally have spent quality time crossing all those state boarders in one day and going back home to Harlan.  Yes, I said home.  My mama owns Vela's Villa which is right in the heart of town in Harlan.  I can tell you one thing, in Harlan you will always come up with a great story.

Harlan Kentucky is a secret blessing to writers.  The town, its people, the surroundings, the past, present and future are all characters.  Harlan is the birthplace of stories and that well will never run dry.  Harlan is known for its grit, moonshine, ginseng, coal and law enforcement but there is so much more.  Harlan has a fairytale magic and old-fashioned horror story with in her.  Harlan is Mayberry one day and Carnivale that night.  In Harlan, especially at my mom’s place, Vela’s Villa, you can keep to yourself.  It is nice and quite there and you can make your own food.  Great for a writer who is really banging their story out and just needs to get away from all distractions.  But let’s say you need the energy and the mystic of the Appalachian Mountains and her people, you don’t need to go far.  Just walk right outside your door and you are in the heart of Harlan’s “downtown” while staring up at a peak of a mountain.  In other words you can mingle with the locals without driving your car and let me tell you they have stories.  Of course, you will have to sit a spell to get through one of those stories but all good stories take time.  Like I said before, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia are all touching each other.  If you do need to venture out and explore this is the place to start.  The mountains are beautiful but if you need to get to a city like Knoxville you are only an hour and a half away. 

Vela's Villa

Harlan is a culture unto itself.  There is folklore and curses and God.  There is genius and ignorance and sometimes all in the same person, lol.  It seems to me that Harlan is the place of ideas and creativity.  In fact that is all Harlan is mining these days.  The original owner of Vela’s Villa was a writer, owner of the bank and coal man.  Vela was his wife and my mother’s best friend/2^nd mom.  My husband was also a writer and when he passed he was in the middle of collaborating on a film script based in Harlan.  Vela's Villa loves writers for writers mine the mind.  If you need solitude come on over to our holler.  My mama will take care of you.  If need surroundings that inspire, come on over, my mama will take care of you.  There is nothing like the Appalachian Mountains in the world, for the Appalachian Mountains connects us all to the old world, in this country we call the New World.  If you are a writer you should come and stay with us at Vela's Villa.  We promise you will see the world with new eyes. Vela's Villa

Below is my husbands last poetry reading.  Like I said Vela's Villa is for writers.