Meet Annah Chakola Ramsey

 

This girl's got a swagger and attitude that's laid back and badass cool.  You admire her style and your boyfriend admires her gigantic, gorgeous eyes.  And get this, she's incredibly talented.  Jewelry you'll die for and a new luxury line of handbags designed and made on her last trip home to India.  How would I describe the feel of the line?  Rich ass bohemian gypsy.  Carefree, chic, elegant, inspired.  The fabrics and leather are so beautiful, you won't fling it on the ground at your next patio lunch date.  I got a peek at her new jewelry pieces, seemingly inspired by animals and nature, a running theme in her delicate necklaces and earrings.  Lucky enough to have been asked to the photoshoot for her new line, I took a few behind the scenes photos and asked Annah a few questions.                          ♥ Jaguar Paw                                     *the first 2 photos were taken by the uber talented Peter Roger Dolese.                     

Do you have a nickname?

I have a few! I grew up being called Annahmol.  "Mol" means daughter in my mother tongue.  Everyone back home has been calling me that since I was little and it stuck to this day. It's almost weird when I hear my family and friends in India calling me Annah.  In America, people think it translates to Animal!   Ha!  My mum called me "Kiki " for a long time and my dad called me"Bambi" after the cartoon bambi.  Once I got to the US, I realized that name is most common among strippers...  hmmm!!

Who are you?

I would like to think Im a 21st century bohemian...whatever that means.  I do what makes me happy in this moment. Sometimes its not always a good thing but thats me!

What inspires you?

Traveling and seeing traditional arts around the world inspire me to no end!

 What countries have you recently traveled to and which was your favorite? 

I traveled to India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Thailand. India is my fav because my family lives there and the energy of that country inspires me! I thoroughly enjoyed Thailand too. Im a bit of a foodie and thai food does crazy things to my palette so I can quite confidently say I ate my way through Thailand. Thai street food is quite possibly the best in the world...  hands down! All the other countries were beautiful in their own way too!

Did you always know you would design someday?
Ive always been designing- I think I started with greeting cards when I was a wee one.  I used to have my own logo at the back of each card that said "designs by AC milan" after my fav Italian soccer club!  I think my logo was a dove.  Dont ask me why!  Fashion design was what I wanted to do for the longest time and I had plans to go to school in Milan after high school but my father passed away and my path took me to America.  I initially started off doing what was "safe" and would help pay the bills" but I realized I was starting to feel numb inside and thats when I knew I needed to make a change and get back to the drawing board so to speak!

                                                   What is your best advice? (about anything!)

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
Nelson Mandela ...one of my favs!

Do you have a badass hangover cure you'd like to share? 

Pad kee mao, it's a Thai dish and funny enough its called "drunken noodles" in english.  It is heaven on a plate and gives me instant relief.  Oh, and some fresh juice!  Orange, carrot, whatever ..as long as its made right then.  I'll have it!

What can we expect from you next?

I initially started doing just jewelry as a hobby but I realize I love accessorizing and I dont want to limit myself. I have a new handbag collection out that I am very excited about. I traveled around Asia and found antique hand embroidered tribal fabric and built a collection based around that. Mixed with buttery soft leather to boot! I also got my hands on some amazing naturally dyed organic cotton fabric and I designed a wardrobe essential that should be ready in mid august. I would love to get into clothing more one day...where it all started!  I like the idea of coming full circle! 

                                                *Annah.   

Check out more of Annah at www.bohogypsy.com

                                                                       

whales are like goldfish.

Jack misses Uncle Herby.  He carried this old picture of us around and fed him smarties and whales.

The weekend went by fast, didn't it?  I played model on Saturday while the boys went to the lake.  I have an upcoming post on the designer so don't forget to come back and check it out-  hopefully later this week.  Behind the camera is where I usually stay-  posing makes me uncomfortable most of the time-  but we shot on a gorgeous location, had mimosas, and I got to catch up with my girls and make new friends.  Lots of photos of the whole experience to come!

Husband and I went to dinner with his parents on Friday.  It was nice to have a meal with them without the baby there for a change.  Real conversation instead of us all trying to entertain him!  I was going to wear the outfit above but decided to wear a casual black tunic-y type t-shirt and nude heels.   It's too hot outside to get too dressy.

This is a shot of me at the last show I played.  We opened for Dick Dale and I had a lot of drama happen that night so that's why I didn't post anything about it.  I'm very happy to say-  all is perfect now.  I can hopefully be anxiety attack free for a while.  The people I play with are my family and we fight and pull hair just like you do with your siblings when you're 6 years old.  Musicians are a very specific breed and we're hard to deal with sometimes.  We're a little vain, we love attention, we're a little wild, and frequently have tunnel vision.  We fall down a lot, help each other up and become stronger than ever.  Sandy, Timmy, Benny-  I love you guys.  (no, i'm not drunk, this is for real talk.)

I wrote a new little tune last week and recorded it in a hurry so I wouldn't forget it.
Click HERE for a listen.

Did you notice I finally got around to building an about me page on the blog?  I swear I'll get around to my Tracy Anderson post.  I know more than 12 of you read this because I've had a lot more emails about the method than 12!
cheers to Monday.
♥ jp

the get-a-long gang.

Yesterday evening, we had free passes to see Friends with Benefits but we couldn't find a sitter.  Not that I think it will be the best movie ever made but sometimes it's just nice to sit in air conditioning and watch something mindless.  Mila Kunis is Husband's super crush (duh) so I know why he wants to see it.  Anyway.  So we couldn't go, no big deal.  We took Baby Jack on a walk around the neighborhood.  We needed the walk after eating pasta from Victoria's.  I'm going to confess, it's 10am and I just finished eating a tiny bit of leftover spaghetti.  (don't look at me like that.)  My back is better today so it's hardcore workout time.

My brother, *Herby, and his wife, Hannah, moved to LA a few weeks ago.  Jack talks about them just about every day and it makes me sad.  I miss them.  And I miss Hannah's fruit tarts pretty bad too.  I'm not a big dessert person but the tarts she makes are insane.  I was forced to get her recipe and make one myself and it turned out delicious.  Not as good as Hannah's but she's got a magic touch that turns everything she cooks into extra delicious solid gold.  We've actually talked about starting a blog together, sharing recipes and food ideas from Oklahoma to LA.

*my brother's name isn't actually Herby.  It's William.  My parents named him Hulpahtah (means alligator) and we nicknamed him "Hub" and somehow my little brother turned that into "Herby" but then my brother changed his name from Hulpahtah to William.  So my brother, my mom and I call him Herby.

I couldn't get a good picture of Jack's fourth of July outfit but he looked really cute.  And cool.
Jack discovered my childhood Get-A-Long Gang and He-Man TV trays and he loves them.

I've had a lot of questions about Tracy Anderson lately so I'll probably post some answers soon.  Like, my crazy ass rant about how much I love her and how you should love her too.  

♥ jp

see the waves.

Husband insisted we buzz Jack's hair. I was against it but sometimes it's just better to let him do something harmless to see that I'm right 98% of the time. Jack has asked me for 2 days to put his hair back. He's still the most handsome boy in the world. Do I think my child is exceptionally good looking purely because he's my kid? It's possible but I doubt it. Strangers stop us in public and comment on how gorgeous he is. Other mothers have told me that they think their kids are cute but then they see Jack and are in awe of his cuteness. And then he speaks to them in that deep, booming voice of his and Jack has just won the Baby of Babies contest hands down. Don't tell him I said any of this, I don't want him to be spoiled and vain growing up.

I wish I had bought 2 of these shirts and maybe one in a different color. I wear it all the time. Favorite shirt. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. It's from the Gap.
Baby Jack and I spent the morning in Edmond visiting Grams. I read mail to her and brought her a cappuccino from Starbucks as usual. Jack ran around like a crazy person until I sat him down with a Handi-Snack- crackers with cheese dip- the one with the little red stick to spread the cheese? He was very impressed with this red stick and sat quietly dipping and eating for a few minutes. Jack likes pushing Grams' wheelchair to the dining hall and the residents like to see him run around the tables, squealing, laughing and yelling.

Muscle spasms in my right shoulder blade. Finally watched Inception and it's filtered into my dreams. I saw an owl in a tree in the middle of the day yesterday which is a bad sign. Saw my grandpa last night while I was sleeping. I've thought about picking up my guitar but haven't this week. I saw 3 baby kittens running around my back porch at night- GO AWAY, CUTE KITTENS, I CAN'T KEEP YOU!

♥ jp

very pinteresting.

Are you on Pinterest? I am. You can follow my internet wandering here.

Wedding stuff, hair stuff, fashion stuff, house stuff. General daydreaming. Whatever.

♥ jp

jack, tracy, bear, & jake

It's funny the little people that come along and change your life. You don't want to go out and get drunk and party and instead you are excited to take them to get yogurt or a snowcone and watch Tangled while snuggling on the couch on a sweltering afternoon. You choose your restaurant destinations based on how well behaved the kid's been all day and what he wants to eat. When he gets sick, you'll drop any plans you might have been looking forward to just to hold him while he's sleeping and to take his temperature every 10 mins like a crazy person. He gets excited about a roly poly on the porch or when lightening bugs cruise the backyard at twilight and that is amazing.

I did something bad to my back 2 days ago while lifting Jack into his car seat. I thought surely I would feel better by today but it still hurts and I can't turn my head to the right without excruciating pain shooting down my back. I used to go to a chiropractor when this happened but it only made it worse so now I'm trying the tough-it-out/buck-up-cowboy method. It hurts to sit, stand or exist right now so I definitely haven't been working out. Fitness is something I look forward to, believe it or not.

I know I preach the Tracy Anderson Method, blah blah blah, but I swear it's changed my body and my mind. If I were more disciplined with the diet part of the program, I would be at my ideal size but is it worth it to give up mexican food and the occasional cheetos? For real- it's just in our (female) nature to be hard on ourselves for eating at that Mazzio's lunch buffet. But why? Life is short, people. Time flies by. Blah blah blah. That shit is true- and if you want to eat a donut or have a strawberry custard with caramel and bananas every so often, do it. I do and I try not to worry about it. I don't suggest eating like an asshole at every meal, but I think a few times a week is fine. Every few weeks, I actually follow the TAM diet for a little bit and by the weekend I'm back to where I was before Taco Bell and a few beers. My advice- quit stressing, eat the damn cupcake, and Tracy Anderson's Metamorphosis is the best $80ish bucks you'll ever spend on yourself.

Oh. Did anyone else watch Bear Grylls and Jake Gyllenhaal in Men vs Wild? Bear made a Brokeback joke when they dug out a snow cave to snuggle in together and they crossed a freezing river, shirtless. They pulled themselves across a ravine on a rope. A helicopter lowered 2 ropes and they held on and flew back to civilization. Hot men in the wilderness doing manly things? Yes, please. I have a total crush on that episode. Husband should be on that show.
Shorts are all I've been wearing lately. Why not have gold ones? I won't bore you with weather forecasts but this 108 degrees stuff sucks. Until it cools off, Jack and I will pretend the couch is a boat and go fishing, have dance parties or practice our somersaults on the living room floor. His 2 day a week baby school starts up again next week so he'll have fun seeing his friends again. This week is our week, me and him, fun all day.



I'll try to do this more- I go through phases. Why do people even blog? Like, what is that anyway? I like to share my daydreaming with people I guess. All 10 of you.

have a lovely day. ♥ jp

babies and upholstery

from Apartment Therapy

We just had our 3 year anniversary yesterday and looking back on that time is very strange. Not in a bad way, just not conventional i guess. I've basically only known him as my husband and a father because we met and 2 months later were married and pregnant. I feel so fortunate to have such a great man in my life and such a great little boy but sometimes feel like we missed out on doing a lot of things couples do before any of that comes along. Not that it's important now, but it would have been fun and nice to have those memories together.

Jack was in Alabama all of last week and I missed him like crazy. The first few days would have been fun except I had a fight with my mom and my little brother and on top of that, I had a summer cold that really sucked. I was just a little sad but I wrote and recorded a new song and lounged around the house with allergy meds and cough drops. Thursday and Friday, Husband played golf and I REALLY started to miss my chicken. I get lonely when he's gone, he's my little buddy. Saturday, we stayed at the Waterford in OKC like we did last year. Hung out at the pool, had a couple of cocktails. There's always a wedding party staying there on the weekend of our anniversary as it is a very popular wedding weekend. The hotel bar by the end of the night was insane and funny. I'll post pics of this stuff later. For now, I have a question.

Is it time for another baby? We talk about it all the time and Husband was ready weeks ago. Some days I wake up and really want to be pregnant again. Is that weird? I think it's weird but I'm sure it's some biological trick. I would like to be pregnant in the winter like I was with Jack so I need to make this decision pretty soon. They say every pregnancy is different so maybe the next time I'll be all glow-y without morning sickness or food aversions and I won't retain water like a MF.

If I get pregnant, what will I do about playing music? I played until I was about 7 months last time but it was really hard. Then I didn't start playing again until a while after having Jack. So many decisions. When is the right time, guys? Do I want to be pregnant and chasing after a 2 year old? Do we have room in our house for another baby? The answer is no- we don't! We have an extra room but if it's another nursery, where do my guitars and computer go? Where do the guests stay? Would we every have guests again? Will Husband and I ever have a night out again? How much weight will I gain and how long will it take for me to work it off? Can we afford another baby? All of this sounds like a nightmare however, I want another baby to love like crazy. Jack would be a really good big brother. He's very caring and helpful and he always asks when we get to have a baby. (i wonder who taught him that!)

above & below from DecorPad

I wouldn't care if we had a boy or girl as long as we have a happy and healthy baby. I wonder if it would look like Jack? Will it be harder the second time or easier? Am I crazy? If I get pregnant again, can I talk Husband into not staring at facebook and golf websites on his phone while driving us around? Yes, people, he does this and I've started to take his phone away unless he gets a work call. It scares the shit out of me, especially when my chicken is in the car. Dear Husband, QUIT IT, it's irresponsible.

Originally, we had agreed to have another baby a year or so after Jack was born so they'd be close in age. Husband had promised we'd have a real wedding the summer after Jack was born and that didn't happen. So then, I made a deal with him- we'd talk about having a baby after he kept his promise. At that rate, Jack would be an only child and that's not what I want.
We've gotten new stainless appliances and now we just need to find an affordable and cool stainless stove. In my dreams it's an industrial gas stove but anything stainless would definitely be awesome. I'd also like to replace our ugly cabinets with white exposed shelving and rip out the totally 70's backsplash and matching countertops and use something simple. Our kitchen is small and I have pretty dishes.

Dude. I just remembered that we bought lottery tickets on Saturday- which is Husband's lucky day. (the day he survived a horrible car accident- probably facebooking and driving- 3 years ago and last year we went on that crazy car chase and chased down our own truck and the guy who broke into our house.) We figured, what the hell- maybe we'll get lucky. The drawing is tonight, I think. Wish us luck. Wish my kitchen luck.

I'm about to paint our bedroom a dark gray/blackish color. I finished a new painting to go above the bed and I'm on the lookout for neato matching bedside lamps. If it were totally up to me, I'd go more in the direction of the room below. Pink, gold, vintage and fabulous.
I am getting something really cool reupholstered and I'm thinking pink but possibly black. Like the color of pink in the first picture posted if I can find the material.
1. Baby or no baby?

2. nevermind number 2.

3. Gray or pink room?

4. Pink or black upholstery?

5. Luck?

6. One more luck?

thanks. ♥ jp