Coco Chanel- The Jungle of Dresses

Gabrielle "Coco" Bonheur Chanel . Born 1883- Died 1971

  “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”
― Coco Chanel, French Fashion Designer and Founder of the Chanel Brand.

 I have never been to a place filled with so much culture and uniqueness. Maybe it is because I don’t get out often, or because I am not familiar with different lifestyles. But I had the most interesting weekend of my life! Some places you never forget, and I will never forget Azteca Bridal.

This weekend, my step-mother, my sisters, a tag-a-long, and I went to the valley for a couple reasons. Reason one was to watch the girls’ basketball team play Winslow in the Final Four game. And the second was to look for a first communion/confirmation dress. First communion and confirmation are celebrations of the Catholic church of a person commuting into the Catholic religion. My sisters, Gwyneth and MaKenzi, are both making that journey and, due to this, they need a white dress. Dress shopping with Gwyneth is hard enough. She cannot find a dress that is absolutely perfect. From past experiences, she has cried in the dressing rooms from not having it fit. It would fit her in one area, but not the other. MaKenzi on the other hand is very proportionate, so hers would be easier.

          After the tough loss the night before, we all headed to Azteca. Melicia (my step-mom) and her mom, Francis, described the bridal salon as a loud, excited, outgoing, and passionate. Basically Azteca is the Mexican version of My Big, Fat Greek Wedding. They said the women there will be loud and obnoxious. I did not expect this to be completely true because they sounded as if they were over exaggerating. They did not. 

          I walked and was completely amazed. They had big, gaudy Quinceanera dresses, huge, white wedding dresses, and snazzy, striped suits for the men. I could not believe how many dresses there were. I am not exaggerating when I say this: They had two floors and six rooms with racks and racks of dresses. They had dresses every style, size, and every color of the rainbow. Approximately 3,200 dresses in that store were what I would think and maybe more! There were so many women in the store. There was a huge wedding party and another army of woman, trying to decide on a dress for a fifteen year old's birthday party. All the dresses were a bright, fluorescent color that you could see from a mile away. Of course I could not resist trying on one of the dresses! I tried on a gigantic blue one with ruffles for miles. It fit so well, but where would I wear this? And why would I go to prom looking like a blue whale? 

          Gwyneth picked out two dresses that she thought would be acceptable for church and in the budget. If it fits we have to buy it. No questions asked. Finding a dress for my sister is literally like finding a needle in a haystack. But then, amazing happened. The first dress she tried on, it fit and looked incredible. She looked so beautiful and it fit everything! The dress was modern and fashionable. But best of all, Gwyn was gleaming. She was so cheerful and confident. That is what made the dress look beautiful. Confidence is the best accessory to an outfit, and my sister wore it beautifully.

          In that Mexican dress village, we not only found a dress for Gwyneth, but found a dress she will be confident in, walking down the aisle of the church. Whatever makes you feel beautiful, keep it around you. Shine as bright as possible, and never let anyone keep you down. 

My version of the quote: "If you wear something that is not your style it will make you feel ridiculous. Wearing something you love will make you feel beautiful. Be beautiful." 

Audrey Hepburn- Basketball Manager Blues

Audrey Hepburn- Born 1929- Died 1993

“Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering - because you can't take it in all at once.”

-Audrey Hepburn

Memories are for life. They are beautiful flowers that never lose their smell or never wilt. When you are feeling down you can revisit that flower and reminisce in its essence. I will always remember the moment of my sister, Gwyneth’s birth. I will always remember the first time I rode a horse, and, best of all, I will always remember when the Holbrook boys basketball team won the state championship!

I was a sophomore in high school when I got the idea to manager the boys’ basketball team. I went to see Coach Mendoza one day and my future for the next couple months was set. The team consisted of Jalen Jackson, Kory Koerperich, Illacian Johnson, Joey Aguilera, and Torrian Epps. At the time I did not know anything about them. They were just a couple of older guys that I was too afraid to talk to.

The Team Picture

Throughout the season, I traveled to every game and attended every practice. I was dedicated and I watched every single second that they played. My job as the manager was to record the games, carry around their gear, and make sure the boys were taken care of. I think Janecia, Sharon, and I did a good job because the boys made it to the state tournament as the number one seed. And, we made it to the state championship game against Fountain Hills Falcons.

The most memorable moment of the game was not the win. That is my second most fond memory, but the number one is the feeling of walking into the Glendale Arena. As soon as we walked into the gym, I was astonished at the red. The entire arena was covered with red t-shirts and everyone wearing them stood up and cheered. It was clear that we were going to win and we were supported. I’ll admit the win, the parade, and the endless banquets were fun, but the feeling of walking into the stadium can never be duplicated.

As the Holbrook Lady Roadrunners make their journey to the arena in the valley, I give them all the luck and prayer I can offer. Tomorrow they are going to need to believe they can achieve the possible and play together. I will never walk into the Glendale Arena as an employee of the Holbrook boys’ basketball team. Hopefully I will be down there next weekend as a spectator! Good luck ladies and enjoy the memories that you’re going to make because they are for life.

My version of the quote: It’s not until later when you realize how special a memory is to you. Hold on to it.

Mother Teresa- Simplicity of a Smile

Mother Teresa: Born 1910- Died 1997

We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.
— Mother Teresa, Saint of the Catholic Church

       

It’s the simple things in life that make me happy. A simple smile can mean a lot to someone. They might remedy a horrible day or cure a broken heart, sickness, or indifference.

          During my junior year in high school, I lived with my mother for a good six months. My mother lives on the Navajo Reservation but only twenty-five minutes out of town. Every day, I would get up at 5:30, in the morning, and have to be ready by 6:45 a.m. My grandpa would drive to my aunt’s house, to my house, and to my other aunt’s house to carpool all of us to the bus stop about two miles away.

          The first day of doing this, I hated it. I had to wake up an hour early and have a long bus ride to school. Of course I was being over dramatic. One day, we had to change buses because our bus driver quit. It was odd getting on a different bus. There were so many new people.

One morning, after all my younger cousins got on the bus, I was walking up the steps. There was a little boy in the front seat. He watched me walk down the aisle and sit next to one of my friends. For some odd reason, he kept staring at me. I did not know what to say or do. My friend said, “Oh…why is Michael staring at you?”

I asked, “Who is Michael?”

“Oh he’s this special ed kid that lost his parents when he was five. Everyone on the bus knows him, and everyone is nice to him,” she explained.

          That got me thinking about so much! He was just staring at me for no apparent reason, but this boy did not have a clue who I was. Every day for a month the boy did this. It was like a daily routine, and I fell in the rut! I never talked to him because I did not know how he was going to react. I always wondered if he secretly hated me or wanted to tell me something.

          After school, I was running late for the bus pickup. I had to run back to my locker and grab an important paper. Just as the bus was about to depart, I ran outside to catch it. When I finally boarded, there were no seats, that I could see, that were available for occupation . My friend was sitting by someone who was already asleep, and the only seat that was open was Michael’s.

          I sat down, and I wondered if he was going to talk to me. He stared at me for awhile but then he quickly dodged my gaze and stared out the window. I decided I would make the first move.

          “Hi, Michael! My name is Auburn. How are you?” I ask cheerfully.

          “Mmm,” was all he said.

I thought he was going to be cool, I thought to myself. Another five miles floats by and I said, “So how was your day?”

          Again he went, “Mmm.”

I start getting worried why he will not talk to me. Well I guess it’ll be a quiet ride home.

          I was almost home, and right before my stop, Michael turns to me and says, “Thanks for sitting with me today. You are really pretty.” Then he grins. I walk off the bus feeling like a rainy day just burst into sunshine. I was floored! He surprised me with such a simple sentence that I will remember forever.

          Sometimes someone just needs a friend, a person to be there for them, or just sit next to them on a bus.  What I realized just by that one day, sitting next to Michael is a gesture so simple, but it can change an entire outlook on something. That smile Michael gave me was a token of friendship, and I took it.

My version of the quote: Small acts of kindness can mean so much.