The Enchanting Adventures of Renard Roux

Well since I recently dyed my hair pink I figured I needed to be out letting the last bit of Summer dazzle off of my lovely pink tresses, so I hit the park a lot with Stacy, Amanda and our pack of dogs. I swear, we all got the pick of the litters because all our canine companions are great! Renard and Chevalier and I have grown a lot closer these last couple of weeks because it's just been us living together in the big house. You can tell we love to cuddle!


I'm no meteorologist, but I'm assuming the days of Summer are gone now, and the recent rain showers have been supporting that theory! Stacy, Laura, Amanda and I took shelter from the cold weather at a local Japanese restaurant and did a whole bunch of sake bombs (and walked responsibly).


However, a few sake bombs weren't going to satisfy us on our day off so we walked to the local market and picked up some plum wine, Brut champagne and a peach to create Plum Peach Perfections! It's actually a very sweet drink and sneaks up on you so make sure you're not planning on...moving...much.


The girls and I decided to have a nice sit down dinner last night so I threw on my apron, filled up my bags with ingredients and platters and whisked myself away to their condo to do some heavy duty pasta cooking. On the menu was chicken and sage sausage pasta in a rose sauce, plums with chevre and cracked pepper and an heirloom tomato mascarpone salad. My mom also happened to entrust four delicious cupcakes from Mrs. Delish's bakery in my care so I brought those over as well. Let me brag about my cooking skills here-- the meal was fantastic. Nothing makes food taste better than good friends, jazz music and griping about men!


I think that covers the last three days pretty well, but there's never enough time or room to blog when you're always adventuring. Hope you're all having a lovely time enjoying the last days of Summer!

Au revoir,

While Amanda and I were in the process of dying my head our group got into a heated discussion about whether or not something like hair can define who you are as a person. I mostly agree, but I also agree that there is some silliness to that statement. Of course hair can't really define you, not the inside you that really counts. But hair is just like clothing or body art of piercings-- they are ways of expressing yourself so that people can get an idea of who you are at a glance. It's sort of like judging a book by its cover or stereotyping, but the reality is when you're walking past a crowd of people the ones with similar clothing or tattoos as you are the ones you're going to want to befriend first.


So why did I choose pink hair and what about myself is it expressing so eagerly? Simple: I want to be noticed. It's not like I want all the attention in the world, but I don't want to fade into the background either. It's my way of saying "look, I'm here, and you can't ignore me." People in my small town will remember me when they see me on my walks with Renard. My professors will definitely learn my name on the first day and people will want to get to know me simply to ask about why my hair is pink. It's like the ultimate conversation starter and ender. My head is pink, now you know, and now you want to know me.


We all do outrageous things from time to time so that we can gain some attention whether it be acting on a dumb dare, dressing garishly or being loud. We all crave the limelight, but for this year I'm focused on the pinklight!

Au Revoir,

Against my better judgement and my fear of being found in the real world, I'm going to open up and introduce myself properly (because most of the people reading this know me anyway).

My name is Aja Reichenbach and I'm flourishing in beautiful Ashland, Oregon. I'm currently an English major at the local university. My current job as a creative assistant for an international fashion boutique allows me to merge my three loves or writing, designer clothing and my paycheck.

If I'm not studying or working then I am with Renard on an adventure! I tend to do half my adventuring at home whether it's through reading, writing or my art. There are also my culinary adventures that I'm eagerly looking forward to showing y'all.

In addition to all this junk I am an epicure of fine foods, art and men. I like to model with my friends in our amateur photo shoots (I'm an admitted cam whore. Also, I don't really smoke; they're prop cigs). I also enjoy sleeping and listening to good music (which is not mainstream rap or auto-tunes. Good music takes hard work). Blogging has become a new item on my repertoire, but so far I like it too.

Essentially I am one-part adventurer, one-part egotist, one-part pet owner and one-part vodka. I hope you enjoyed our introduction and it's lovely to meet you!

Au Revoir,

Well, the blog is called The Enchanting Adventures of Renard Roux, so I guess y'all should be introduced to Renard properly! Renard is a St. Bernard and Akita mix (probably with Retriever and Border Collie in there somewhere too) that I rescued from the San Jose Animal Shelter on July 28th, 2008. I originally saw him online, but didn't think much of him, so when I met him in person with Zambi, Momo and Lin, I was smitten. He was six months old, ultra chill and not as fat as he is now.

We had a tenuous relationship in the beginning. He was on the streets for a while and a lot of things around the house and in my world (cars, stairs, sliding glass doors, wood floors etc) made him uneasy. I wasn't the best owner either as I was still attached to my other dog and got Renard simply to fill that void (whoops, don't follow in my footsteps!). After a view months, however, we really hit it off and as more time passed the more we grew to trust and understand one another. He learned to respect my study time and I learned how to play games his way. Soon an unbreakable relationship was forged!

Today Renard and I are inseparable. We do everything together, and yes I mean eat, sleep, shower and...more. Not only is Renard my most valued companion, but he's also damn good looking so he's kind of my favorite "accessory". Hence why this soon-to-be fashion blog is named in his honor-- he's the one really calling the shots in Ashland's fashion scene! Hopefully in the next few weeks you'll see the kind of fashion Renard likes straight from the streets of Ashland as well as our daily outfits. Stick around to learn more about Renard and I, our food, our fashion and our lives!

Au Revoir!

I'm Aja Reichenbach and as of now I am twenty-two years old and living in Ashland, Oregon with my beautiful mutt and partner in crime, Renard Roux. I'm currently an English major and Renard is my full-fledged sidekick who keeps the peace amongst the other animals while I'm away at school. We like to cook together (me because I enjoy cooking. Renard because he likes getting free food) and we do a lot of looking fly together too. Hopefully you'll stick around and see the world through our eyes one tasty morsel and pair of Jeffrey Campbells at a time.

Au revoir!