Today in Aces, please meet Jammie Chasteen!
Jammie's whirlwind story brought her to Seattle for a short while. We met at another blogger's shopping party at Banana Republic, and kept in touch over Twitter. It wasn't until the week before she made a big move to L.A. that we finally sat down together for something longer than a passing conversation. All it took was a little happy hour to know that she and I would have a long-lasting friendship. Now, she's at the top of my list for people I absolutely have to see every time I'm in the City of Angels!
I adore Jammie's resilience and good spirit. I respect and admire Jammie's ever-evolving relationship with God and how it shapes her life. Though I am not very religious myself, I am a big believer that you should always be nurturing your spiritual self. Your spirit and energy are huge driving factors in your life, and how you deal with what happens to you. Jammie's got the strength and persistence of a true hustler, and I'm a fan of hers for that. Long story short, Jammie's move to L.A. was a fresh start to her next decade, and I am grateful to be her friend throughout a year or so of successes and lessons learned.
Right now I have three in constant rotation:
- I'm obsessed with Maroon 5 after seeing them live.
- I listen to Hillsong United pretty much every morning.
- I'm a huge Frank Sinatra fan and love anyone in the jazz/easy listening/big band genre. Rain + wine + cooking + this playlist = perfection.
But generally, my music taste is all over the board and my playlist making skills are subpar. So I’m very thankful for Spotify and the fact that I can rely on playlists- not made by me.
Describe your style.
I'm a little New York and a lot L.A. Give me a maxi dress and some sandals or yoga pants, flip flops and a tank any day. That's the basis of my wardrobe, especially since moving to SoCal. My style is definitely a reflection of my personality. Although I can be the easy- going/soft-spoken type, I also have an adventurous side and an unexpected edge. Cue my love of all black everything, studded anything and the highest of heels.
When I travel I am so inspired by my surroundings and the locals. I love layering when I'm in Seattle, dressing to the nines in Paris (I say that like I’ve been more than once), buying colorful jewels and scarves at the marketplace in Israel, and my studded over the knee Stuart Weitzman boots go with everything I pack for New York. When in Rome...
Overall, I have fun dressing for the occasion. I don't take fashion too seriously and I almost always wear a bright pink lip. It's my “signature”. Or something like that?
Who inspires you?
My friends and family, I am surrounded by amazing people and I try to learn something from each one of them. My parents taught me the power of love. They've been married over 30 years and raised 7 kids. If they know how to do one thing in life, it's how to love. Side note: I just sang the Lil Wayne song while typing. Guilty. I digress… My siblings have taught me to laugh more, be me, and not take myself so seriously. My friends have pushed me to be better all around. Some setting examples of healthy living, some live so full of faith it just amazes me, some living their dreams and making things happen, others are such selfless humans who would give anything to anyone who needed it. My friends who take risks, my family who has taken me in when I needed to start over in life and everyone who lives life to the fullest. My best friend, Melissa, has lived out the definition of a true friend. I really don’t know if there’s anything much more inspiring than that. And you, Jess, are an inspiration to chase dreams, make your passion your work, and keep on hustlin baby.
What are you reading?
As with the playlists, my ADD brain cannot grasp the concept of reading A book! I've always got at least 5 on my iPad. A mix of learning and fun reads. Right now a few are: The Great Gatsby, Jesus Is ____., and Super Rich (for the second time). If you tell me that you are going through a hard time in life, chances are that I will recommend a book to you. I’m THAT girl. Got a problem, need advice, going on vacation? There’s a book for that!
I can't get enough of the TED talks. They really come in handy during my morning commute. L.A. traffic is much more bearable when listening to these passionate, positive and driven speakers. My most recent favorite was Aliza Licht, aka DKNY PR girl. She played a major part of my Twitter story and how I became a stylist.
What are you most excited about in the coming months?
I’m just REALLY excited for life in general. It’s been a roller coaster since turning 30 (see her 30 post here.) The past few years have been rough, yet character refining. You find out who you are in the valley and now that I’m closer to the mountaintop I’m ready to live life 100% authentically for the first time in a long time. I’ve accumulated the best group of friends and gotten closer to my family. Now I’m enjoying just doing life with every single one of them. Since moving to LA, everything has been an adventure and I never know what will happen next. One moment I’m styling for an editorial shoot and the next I’m riding to lunch in a helicopter, front row at a concert or just chatting over coffee with a celeb… no big deal. My new favorite saying is: Only In LA! I’m so thankful for everything happening and my heart is so full of love it could burst. I hope to get back into blogging and styling within the next few months, so that’s exciting too. But whatever happens happens and I’ll be here to make the best of it.
Thank you!
Read all of my Aces interviews here.
