Stacey Wins Saturday's Most Stylish Stylist Award

This girl has got it going on! Way to go, Stacey!

Kendra Turner: A piece of the city's heart

“The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart” (Metropolis, Lang, 1927)

    There has always been a great disparity between those who make decisions and those that are directly affected by the decisions made. A lot of this has to do with access to information and with communication. In Fritz Lang’s movie Metropolis made in 1927, he addresses “the head” as a group of people that exist literally above the laymen and make unrealistic decisions about “the hands’” livelihood. The final message of the film is that there must be an individual or a group of people that can act as a communication line between citizens and those in power. There are obvious contemporary parallels to that societal dynamic Lang was referring to in 1927. Things have only become more convoluted and bureaucratic over time. It is rare to find people passionate enough to, not only take the time, but enjoy communicating and empowering people to change their realities and impact the world we share. Kendra Turner is a true “heart” who has dedicated her life to demystifying the processes that exists to help people, but whose complexity deter people from changing their situation for the better.

     Turner has worked in local government, corporate business, non-profit, and has consulted with local neighborhoods and businesses on various community building processes. Turner explains, “I’ve had about 20 years of experience in customer service, communication, PR and marketing. Really, just relationship building. I’ve figured out how to make that kind of coalesce into being a consultant and doing things I really, really love, that I do well, and that also tend to scare a lot of people,” she adds, “It feels really good because I get to help people  deal with things that are stressful for them in a way that, not only addresses their solutions, but helps them build skills so they can do it on their own.” Turner is very adamant about not doing things for people, but with them in a way that will allow them to do the same thing on their own in the future.

    It wasn’t always obvious that Turner would end up working for the city. “I took seven years off between my sophomore and junior year of college and had a restaurant and wine consulting career. I sang in a jazz band and did all those things that you do when you are not in college and in your early 20s.” She eventually did return to school to complete her Undergrad, and then went on to get her Masters from WNC in Public Affairs. This is when she landed an internship working for the city. She recalls, “In that particular semester [that I had the internship], I had three jobs and a full course load, which was insane, I do not recommend that. I had a three year old and was planning my wedding too. It was insane.” Turner, however, was made to handle that type of lifestyle; she has always been heading in this direction even if it was not a direct path.

    Turner talks about her influences saying, “My father was an amazing non-profit leader for many years here and he ran MAHEC for about 16 years.” Turner goes on to explain that her father was the most influential person in her life and taught her the importance of recognizing the power in working for causes greater than yourself. Being a mother has also motivated Turner in a lot of ways. “The measure for me, really, is; what would my daughter think, how would she perceive this, what am I teaching her? As a woman, I’ve worked in a lot of places where women are necessarily the majority [construction and politics]. Oftentimes, I’m not only the only woman, but also the youngest person in the room and I like that I’m that person. I like that I’m there and can take those lessons I’ve learned (sometimes, the hard way) and talk to my daughter about why it is that way and how, sometimes, it’s harder for women.” Turner is also a member of a women’s executive group called Mastermind where she gets together with other motivated women like herself and talks about things they have done or created, as well as, future possibilities.

   One of the stories Turner told her group on a retreat they had with women from all over the country goes back to the days of her first internship, she says:

                I had this internship with the city and they noticed I had a way with some of the more passionate citizens who were really engaged and active in their neighborhoods. That was around the time that the Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods, the development community, city council and city staffing, to some degree, just had a lot of different opinions about how we should be growing. You know, everybody had the same goal, which was that they wanted to contribute something and they wanted to make this city a better place, but not much happened because everyone had a different idea of what a better place looked like and so there wasn’t much discourse or progress. Mostly, it was the same conversation over and over. Finally, and I’m not sure if they thought I could really do anything or if I was meant to be a speed bump for the angry mobs, but they made me the first neighborhood coordinator to act as a community service representative when it came to communities - all different types of communities: residential, merchant, business, and development. I was to be this conduit for two-way communication between the citizenry and neighborhoods and city staff and city council. They all felt different ways and, sometimes, I would come up with solutions, but I think the biggest value was having someone to communicate the message in a balanced, objective way and also to communicate with folks about the different processes they could access. This lead me to creating “Who To Call in City Hall,” which was was basically a brochure with all the different departments, and who to call for what, and how the development process works, and what the first steps are, and then where things will lead, how you can get involved, and what the various possibilities are.

Turner was able to clearly see that Asheville citizens were driven to make changes, but getting lost in the process of how to make those changes. Her current work now deals with the same kind of processes from a development aspect. She has partnered with designers, marketing professionals, and others from various backgrounds to create a business that allows individuals to access everything they need under one roof.

In February, Turner started a company with a business partner called Real Property Consultants, LLC. She is also on the board of directors at Asheville City Greenworks, she was the campaign manager for Terry Bellamy in 2011, and is a community volunteer. Her main focus will always be and has always been on enriching the community. “People will sink a lot of money into something that ends up not working and they end up devaluing the property and then they will have a building no one can use. It will stay vacant and it won’t contribute to the tax base or create jobs or contribute to creating an active community,” Turner explains. Thus, she has made it her business to ensure that the development processes she is involved in, activate and engage the local community for the better.

Alopecia Areata and My Mom

   Alopecia areata is a skin disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, preventing new hair growth and resulting in bald patches on the scalp. In most cases, people recover in a year, but sometimes the bald patches remained for longer periods of time.

          A common natural remedy for alopecia areata is to make a mixture of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood essential oils in a carrier oil, like jojoba, and massage the scalp with this mixture daily to stimulate hair growth.

          This issue is particularly close to my heart because immediately following my mother’s remission from breast cancer, she was diagnosed with alopecia areata. Imagine losing all your hair due to radiation, then have it finally grow back again, and then have it fall out all over again in patches. Amazingly, she didn’t let it devastate her and took it in stride. I remember, she incorporated the essential oil regimen into her routine and eventually the bald spots went away, but we never discussed the emotional aspect of it all.

        My mother is a strong, lighthearted woman. She is often mischievous and likes to not take life too seriously. Although she can worry about her children something fierce, she never dwells too long on the negative. A true Michael Franti fan, she loves to enjoy life and terrorize her children with practical jokes. The only makeup I’ve ever seen my mother wear is lipstick for pictures, special events, and visiting family. She despises perfume and any synthetic ingredients, only using sandalwood and egyptian musk essential oils. Her favorite item of clothing is a dress that reminds me of an oversized cotton bag. She finds it incredibly comfortable and has replicated the exact pattern a few times in different colors, so I could finally stop hassling her about wearing the exact same dress too often.  So you see, she is not wrapped up in vanity, but for anyone anywhere, having your appearance drastically change is transformative in so many ways. In her own words:

Well, at the time, I didn’t know you could get steroid shots from a dermatologist. I used an herbal oil mixture of lavender, cedar, and rosemary in a jojoba base. I shaved my head and massaged the oil mixture into my scalp three times a day. The experience taught me to love scarves. Haha. Seriously though, to be grateful for my life. It could be a lot worse. It taught me to look within and tap into the LOVE that is always there, the compassion, the joy, and to focus on that. To share that as there is always someone who needs that.

My mother has a big, open heart. The best thing for her to do during that time was to take care of her body by nourishing it with healthy food and to do relaxing things like deep breathing and yoga.

       Here’s my favorite recent picture of my mom at a Michael Franti concert:

Free Haircuts For Daft Punk! #moogfest #daftpunk

Dear Daft Punk Members,

       We want to cut/style/trim your hair! We are big fans, but we'll totally be cool about it! #moogfest #daftpunk 

Emily Rexford Rocks Another Color Correction!

Let's Talk About Lua P.

I am reluctant to flock to anyone who is famous for the way that they look only. However, I started to follow Lua P. in 2013 and I have to admit, this girl has it going on.

    She has such a good sense of her shape and what to wear that brings out her curves without making her seem clunky or overdone. Her makeup is reminiscent of classic 1950's pin-up without any hint of gaudiness. Not to mention, her hair is so phenomenal I don't even know where to begin. This girl knows how make herself look GOOD, it is not surprising that she has many followers who look to her for style inspiration. Here are some videos on how she does her makeup:

You can find more of Lua P. on  le-happy.com

Client Feature: Stevie Carnation

We love our amazing clients and we love hearing about their awesome lives. Stevie Carnation is one of our favorites! She is a bright and determined woman devoted to her life as a PhD student in Physical Anthropology from Stony Brook University. She is currently in Europe for her studies. We got to talk to her right as she departed:

Describe to us exactly what you will be doing in Europe?

 While in Europe I will be visiting museums and universities to study their primate collections (which include fossils as well as bones from animals that exist today).  I'm usually given a desk or small workspace and I photograph, measure, and make observations about the bones and fossils.  The data I collect can vary from measuring the length of a certain tooth, to noting the presence or absence of a muscle insertion point on a foot bone, to drawing the different ways in which the bones in the nasal region articulate with one another.  The purpose of my research is to reconstruct the family tree of a group of monkeys called the colobines, with the aim of determining more accurate placement for their fossil relatives. 

How did you get into this field of study? Was it something you had thought about for a long time or did it sort of happen suddenly?

 I had always been good at math and science in school, and after reading "The Hot Zone" in 9th grade, I had decided to become an virologist (one of those people in the bubble suits who works with Ebola).  I worked towards this in college, but after spending a summer working in a DNA lab, I decided I didn't like being cooped up inside and wanted to do science out in the open.  Since I had always loved primates and evolution, I decided to focus on anthropology.  I picked up a minor, got an internship at the Smithsonian, and started doing research on graduate programs in the field.  So I suppose I've always wanted to be a scientist, but it took be awhile to figure out what my focus should be.  

What are your future goals?

 I've been doing a lot of goal-setting lately, so I don't really know where to begin.  Lofty long term: Change the world with science, go to space.  Realistic long term: Get a job that enables me to inspire the next generation of scientists (whether that's teaching, museum education, becoming the female Bill Nye the Science Guy), contribute significantly to primate (or general animal) conservation efforts, travel the world, and settle somewhere that allows me daily opportunities to interact with nature.  Short-term: Finish my PhD, run a marathon in the next two years (I've got two halves under my belt), complete a 30 day Bikram Yoga challenge, learn Mandarin.

What brought you to Adorn?

  I actually did a lot of research to find a salon when I moved here a year and a half ago.  To be honest I just got a really good vibe from Adorn's website.  I was drawn to the overall design and liked your use of organic and local products.  And those positive vibes were only reinforced the first time I walked into the salon, met Amy, and was offered some herbal tea!

(Amy Grove)

Do you have any advice for people with similar interests as you?

 First I would say that's it never too late to develop a new hobby, passion, or even career.  At a fossil dig in Kenya, I met a man who was an airline pilot for 25 years and decided to get a degree in anthropology in his 50s.  Second, if you're interested in something, just start reading about it, even if it's wikipedia.  The advantage that we have in this day and age is that you can become relatively proficient in most subjects just by reading books and articles online.  If you're unsure where to start, contact a professor at a local university who teaches a related subject.  They'd probably be happy to point you to some introductory resources.  And for anthropology specifically, look into field schools.  These usually last 6-8 weeks over the summer and give you hands on experience digging up fossils, observing native cultures, or studying how primates behave in the wild.  You learn a TON in a short period of time and they give you an idea of the physical challenges you'll face if you become a practicing anthropologist. 

What are you most proud of?

 I'm most proud of my commitment to my education.  I am a first generation college graduate, and growing up in a single parent household, I had to bust my ass in high school (while working part-time) to get good enough grades to not only get into a good school, but to get a scholarship to go there.  For some reason I decided early on in college that I would go to grad school even though I only knew a handful of people who had ever attended. So once again I was keeping my grades up, going to a work-study job, and interning to gain valuable experience in my field. Even now, I work part-time at Teach For America (even remotely while I'm in Europe) so I can fund these research trips and continue working on my PhD.  Though it's definitely been challenging to work to put myself through school (and know that I'll still be paying off tuition well into my 50s), I know it's going to pay off in the end. Plus I've been able to go to some amazing places along the way.

Thanks so much, Stevie! We look forward to seeing you when you come back across the pond!