Women of Distinction Spirit Awards Luncheon - Greater Chapter of NY, The LINKS, Inc. Honor Debra L Lee, CEO of BET, & Rhonda Mims, President of ING

Congrats on the award Ms. Debra! w/ LINKS honoree Debra L. Lee (CEO of BET )

w/ Gerri Warren-Merrick (President of The Greater New York Chapter, LINKS, Inc.) I know I am not the only one who thought Gerri and her team delivered such an inspiring and sister unity themed message.

Legendary designer Stephen Burrows gave an magnificant fashion show tonight. He was accompanied by one of the original Black supermodels

Congradulations! Rock on sisters, keep being the strong


YES. They are sisters. (L-R) Dr. Michelle Reed, Ashley NYC, Dana Reed

I just had to take a photos of these stylish and full of life hats! There's

First row - (L-R) - Shawn Pride, Mignon Epsy-Edwards, Lynn Ellis Taylor

Second row - (L-R) - Tracey Hughes, Dr. Michelle Reed

Nice for the guys to supprt the women empowerment causes!

"I Heart Central Park" Event Hosted by The Park's Greensward Circle

Central Park's frozen lake at night

To see a frozen lake under the stars, with trees hanging over, ducks strolling, and magnificent skyscrapers and city lights in the distance is such a lovely sight! Last night I went to the annual “I Heart Central Park Event”, which was held at The Gallery inside the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center at Central Park.

As a native Californian, who lived in Lake Forrest, California for many years, I grew up surrounded with a forest of trees, and a heartbeat away from the water. After relocating to Manhattan a year ago, it’s been Central Park that has been a substantial source of me keeping my spiritual sanity, in a concrete jungle where nature is hard to come by. I am so appreciative of everyone who supports or works at the Central Park Conservancy, because without this park, and the greenery, serenity and beauty is inspires, many New Yorkers would go mad! As human beings, we come from Mother Earth, she is a part of us, she rejuvenates us. And we must protect her!!

It was a nice affair, with wine catered by Naked Grape, and sushi (a California girl’s favorite!), and the yummiest desserts ever provided by Charbennel et Walker.

I met some of the friendly and dedicated people involved in planning the event or who work for the Conservancy:

Speaking at the Greensward Circle’s – “I Heart Central Park” – annual cocktail reception, Chairman Evan Uhlick remarked that:

“The Park is truly New York City’s most valuable physical asset and provides tremendous resources and outdoor enjoyment to millions of residents and visitors. The Greensward Circle is really a manifestation of NYC Young Professionals desire to support the Conservancy’s mission, interact at lively social events, and connect with a dynamic group of individuals committed to improving Central Park. Check us out at: www.centralparknyc.org/donate/membership/”

(L-R) Dawne Marie Grannum, Chairman of event Evan Uhlick, Central Park Conservancy's Rebecca Sullivan, Ashley NYC

Central Park Conservancy's Rochelle Hines

(L-R) [employees of Central Park Conservancy] Claire McClafferty, Abigail (Abby) Healy, Cheryl Bailes

cute little duckies

(L-R) Grant Lyons, Dawne Marie Grannum, Ashley NYC

Winter Antique Show's Young Collectors Night Benefiting East Side House Settlement

I had the most enjoyable time at the Winter Antique Show's Young Collector's Nightat the Park Amory, which benefited the East Side House Settlement. I saw the most loveliest pieces of furniture and artwork, and as usual in New York, everyone was dressed to impress! I ran into Nate Berkus who I had met years ago before he got his own talk show, I'm so proud of him! I saw some girl friends of mine, such as Dawne Marie, Shannon and Lisa. The thing I didn't like about the party is that it had to end :(

Elizabeth Meigher, who co-chaired the event, tells Ashley and New York:

"I always enjoy the annual Winter Antiques Show’s Young Collectors Night. It’s a fun evening and a great opportunity for the younger set to mix and mingle and familiarize themselves with all of the fantastic interior designers featured in the show. Most importantly, all of the proceeds benefit East Side House Settlement, a community resource in the South Bronx that enables families, children and students to lead more fulfilling lives."

Alexis Clark, Senior Editor for the magazine,Town & Country (one of my favorite magazines) was in attendance and tells Ashley And New York:

"The Young Collectors Night is a smart party. It's a chance for younger art enthusiasts to gain access to the world of antiques, as well as socialize and have a good time."

Cator Sparks tells us,

"It's always refreshing to see that people our age are interested in more than just contemporary design. There were so many treasures to take in it was an feast for the eyes!"

w/ Nate Berkus of "The Nate Berkus Show"

w/ Elizabeth Meigher, co-hair of the event

(L-R) Ashley NYC, Pat Harris of East Side House Settlement, Dawne Marie Grannum

(Far right) Alexis Clark (Senior Editor of Town & Country Magazine)

(L-R) Aisha Christian Royall, Ashley NYC, Dawne Marie Grannum, Shannon Hales

w/ East Side House Settlement staff and supporters

(Center) Cator Sparks

Lisa Yom (second from left), Clay Floren (far right)

I've always had a thing for happy rainbows :)

Chanel SoHo Store Opening! Coco Chanel was the original independent woman, love her!

Chanel opened up a new boutique in SoHo during Fashion Week. It was a very intimate party, and I have never seen so much fashionistas crammed into such a small space before!

People who know me know that I am a closeted hippy to a degree, and I used to not be into fashion at all. A lot of California NATIVES are jeans and T-shirts girls, no makeup. I do like the expressive part of dressing up, but I’m not a label groupie, but if I like what the actual designer stands for, then that’s a different story. What I mean is that I like Chanel for different reasons then other girls may like the brand. I don’t like Chanel for pretentious and superficial reasons. I like what the real woman, Coco Chanel, symbolized. Like Chanel, I was an orphan who had a very challenging upbringing, yet never gave up on love. I too have been let down so many times by family and society, which has inspired me to have this strong drive to make it on my own terms, no matter how hard or long it takes. Like Chanel, I own myself, no one owns me. In a time when most women felt the need to be dependent, Chanel was a pioneer who defined what it meant to be a career woman. Chanel also believed in true love, and ignored the bitter hearts around her who told her to settle. So when I wear Chanel, it’s not because I feel self worth comes from how much one’s outfit costs, but because Chanel makes me want to follow my dreams no matter how many times I hear "no", and because I know one day I am going to buy my OWN house with the profits from my OWN company. (Though I love Chanel, I will never, ever wear fur)

Gossip Girl's Blake Lively

model Shalom Harlow

Paula Patton and Robin Thicke are one of the cutest Hollywood married couples!!!!!

Ashley and model/actress Molly Simms strike a pose!

So Sad, Sarah Silverman's Show's Cancelled :(

I am so bummed to hear that funny girl Sarah Silverman's show has now been cancelled. After 3 seasons, Comedy Central has said goodbye. In the male dominated world of comedy, Silverman broke through and entertained millions. Though I will miss her show, I'm sure she will find other opportunities.

I first met Sarah a few years ago at Clive Davis' Pre Grammy Celebration at The Beverly Hills Hilton. At the time I was involved in entertainment public relations, and became friendly with numerous celebrities. Actresses Nia Long and Sana Lathan (love them both!) had invited me to sit at their table for dinner. Sarah and her then boyfriend Jimmy Fallen were sitting at the same table! I would see and chat with her at other events after that too. My friend Hannah invited me to a LAGLC gala in which Hannah was receiving an award. I was happy to see Sarah was donating to that charity, and she performed stand up. She had the whole crowd laughing out of our seats!

Her character is witty, spunky and tells it how it is- she doesn't sugar coat.

I have never been a fan of how unfair the comedy world is to female comedians. My theory is that the men who run the comedy circuits don’t like to hear smart women bust their chops, so they keep the women representation to a minimum. Anyways, Sarah is an authentic talent, and she will blessed with other projects I'm sure.

Dear Los Angeles, the answer is NO!

Dear Los Angeles, I need you to understand that I am not Ariel the little mermaid - I will never give up my voice like she did for the man, and for the palace. I will never give up my fins and my community to live inside your establishment. For years you have tried every trick in the book to make me sign a bogus contract, and I hope that you finally realize that I am not going to be owned like a piece of property. I would rather be homeless on the streets, and I’ve been there, then to live in a castle where I have no freedom. And just because I am a woman with no financial security, and an artist and activist who needs resources to push forward her goals, don’t expect me to go in some cage while you leech off my energy and try to exploit my message. I do not need your assistance, though I do want it. It would be nice to work together, but not at the expense of losing my artistic freedom, and my status as an independent woman. Los Angeles, you have a way of mistreating women who you desire, and I will not put up with your abuse. I knew all along I would have to leave you. Since I was a teenager people told me my heart would not be fully appreciated there, but I didn’t leave. What I learned is that in fact my heart was appreciated there, but greedy and sad forces wanted to put my light in a glass cabinet. I am a human being, not a trophy. I am a writer, not a model. I am ambitious in giving love, not in receiving false riches. I do not believe you when you tell me I have to be a good little girl, shut up, and let this moral less institution mold me to what they think will be most profitable. What you see as profitable, and what I see as rewarding, is as different as gloomy grey and bright yellow. All I physically need are four walls, a roof, and a window to look out. To be honest, I am surprised that I did not take you up on your offer to be produced; most of my girl friends would have jumped at the opportunities. My feelings were confused, and my mind told me it was the logical thing to do. But it was something in my gut that saved me. A voice inside told me to say no to temptation. My mother told me to move smart, not fast. Even when you misled me, and manipulated my feelings, it must have been a guardian angel that protected me from letting you devour me. At my most hopeless point in my stay in LA, it was the grace of God, of Mother Life, that led me to new friends in LA, and that would be the activist communities, the people who were taking action for human being equality, uplifting feminine as strong, when you tried to tell me it was weak. These friends de-brainwashed me, and reminded me that everything I felt as a innocent child was the real truth. After I became engaged in so many movements contrary to your big Hollywood machine’s priorities, my hope came back to me. My dreams became resurrected, but this time, I again believed as when I was a child that they would come true. There is no going back to behaving like your victim LA. There are good parts of you, but I will not let you bully, seduce and scare me into being a prisoner on Mt Olympus, with its brutish rulers who think they are gods. You continually threaten to “blacklist” me in the entertainment industry me if I refuse to be your slave, and you should know your fear tactics no longer work on me. Where there are good intentions, there is a way. Where there is love, there are healthy options. There are people in the industry who have not sold their soul- and they will protect me from disgruntled people who have. The only authority I acknowledge is love, light and laughter.

William Rast after party/ Justin Timberlake performance!

(L-R) Ashley NYC, Ryan Phillippe, Michelle Travis

Happy Valentines Day- be patient, you and your soulmate will unite!

Happy Valentines Day belated! People are always using the term -hope"less" romantic-, and maybe that's how they feel. But I always identify as a hopeFULL romantic- meaning that I'm not jaded into not believing that there is that special someone in the world for me. Though other people's misery may like company, I have faith that my soul mate and I are bound to unite soon enough. What I tell my friends who identify as "hopeless" romantics-, is to stop speaking into the universe that they will not find true love. But the main thing I stress to my girlfriends is that YOU MUST LOVE YOURSELF FIRST BEFORE TRUE LOVE WILL COME TO YOU FROM SOMEONE ELSE. I was not always so hopeful though. There was a time that I was pressured from society into thinking I "needed" someone else to complete me, or to "save me". Now I know I am complete on my own, and when I do meet my special someone, he will also be complete on his own, and together we will live and love side by side, but not "need" each other. "Needing" is not a healthy thing. An emotionally healthy and aware person does not want to be the "reason" their mate is happy, they want their mate to be "independently happy", and for their union to just be an "additional happiness". Ladies- you can't wait to be saved by some knight in shining armor, you must be that knight to yourself (and yes, women are knights too!). Be patient when it comes to love, and just trust that when it's time, it will happen. And don't block yourself off from your soul mate by settling for a substitute "almost love" just because you are scared that your soul mate got lost on his way to find you. Marrying someone just for security, with no love, could be like a slow death of the spirit to some. Its not worth it! Trust me- I have given into my fears before and even convinced myself I was meant to be with someone- only to find out it was a spell meant to enslave me. Breaking away from falsehoods is the most liberating thing ever. Don't be a victim of the brainwashing of fairy tales! Just like Beyonce told Oprah "Have your own life before you marry!". I do believe in laws of attractions- so just know that true love does exist! Be kind too yourself, and take time to care for YOU too! Be your own Valentine- everyday! You are worth it! Coming to New York was the best thing for me. For a decade the city of LA told me true love did not exist- and that women are nothing but objects- and that superficial external security was all that mattered. It hurt to my feelings- but I always kept my faith and knew Mother Life had a plan for me. Even when the media attacked the divine feminine- and sought to destroy the harmonious union of yin and yang energy- I just kept reading my books that told me that love was more powerful then fear- and that I did not have to sign any bogus contract that my heart did not want to! Happy Valentines Day, big bear hugs,and unconditional love always, Ashley

"New Music Seminar" event!

Two days after the Grammys in LA, the "New Music Seminar" conference happened in Hollywood. "Some music conferences are for insiders and others are filled with wannabe’s. The New Music Seminar was created by and for music’s revolutionaries." says author Martin Atkins. As the music industry rapidly changes, this conference is vital in educating music professionals in how to keep up with the changing times.

The night before the event an opening night party was held at the famous Key Club on the Sunset strip, where there was also a concert. "Semi Precious Weapons" (based out of NYC) was one of the bands who performed. I had never heard of them before, but I can see they are going to be big stars! They are opening up for Lady Gaga's concert, and in fact, Lady Gaga used to open up for them 5 years ago before she was known. Justin Tranter is the lead singer, and is very over the top and fun, as his band is uber glam-rock. He threw out a T shirt into the crowd and I was lucky enough to jump up like a basketball player and catch it! The shirt had one of the bands popular song titles, "I cant pay my rent, but I'm fucking gorgeous!" That's so struggling artist! :) I was happy to meet American Idol's Adam Lambert at the concert, he's such a rock glam guy like Justin Tranter .

The next day was the day long seminar at the Henry Fonda Theatre. Music execs, artists, experts, etc flew in from all around the world to speak on panels, and learn from the workshops, and it was a very educational and inspirational event. There was also a $25,000 new artist competition, where 3 bands competed, and the audience voted for the winner. The event ended with a cocktail networking reception.

The event keynote speaker was music industry success Tom Silverman (CEO & founder of Tommy Boy records, and one of the founders of the conference). He said, ""Context trumps content every time. People search for meaning."

For more information about this event, which is held multiple times annually in different states around the country, please visit http://www.newmusicseminar.biz

Photos: Top- (American Idols Adam Lambert, Ashley) - Middle photo (Semi Precious Weapon's Justin Tranter)- Bottom photo (some of the organizers and the lead singers of the bands from contest)