11th Annual Ashland Indepent Film Festival - Tickets on Sale Now

The 11th annual Ashland Independent Film Festival has 94 documentary, feature and short films scheduled for the five day event this year. The Ashland Independent Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the diversity of human experience through the art of independent film, inspiring and educating audiences of all ages. Tickets are already on sale for this years showings and can be purchased at their online box office for shows from April 12th-16th.

Ethel   

This years films include "Ethel," a documentary about Ethel Kennedy by her daughter, Rory, "Your Sister's Sister," a delicate and funny rom-com by Lynn Shelton, and "Chasing Ice," a beautiful documentary about the warming of the polar ice caps.  There will be a conversation with documentarian Ondi Timoner and a celebration of the career of Director Julie Taymor, along with screenings of her films "Across the Universe" and "The Tempest."

Shakespeare High Documentary Trailer

Three screenings were added to the line up by popular request. The first was "Shakespeare High," a documentary following highly motivated students from very diverse backgrounds as they prepare for the 90th Annual Shakespeare Competition sponsored by the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California (DTASC).

The second added was "Detropia." This gorgeous verité documentary follows a blogger, a club owner, an auto union rep, an operatic impresario, and a band of illegal salvage scrappers. The inevitable question is whether this storied metropolis has the courage, creativity and grit to reinvent itself in the face of new realities.

 

The third added was "Kyle Kinser: Made in Makanda." In an isolated Illinois forest, Kyle Kinser, one of the last master woodworkers, wanders in search of fallen trees out of which he makes beautifully conceived minimalist furniture pieces. This tactile film celebrates the humanistic pleasures to be found in one-of-a-kind goods in a world of mass production. 
 
Stay informed on the happenings of the festival by visiting their blog and facebook page! We hope you get a chance to check out some of the films.

Until next time,

Lauren of Team Yala

Community Compost Pick Up Program Here in the Rogue Valley!

Have you ever wanted to compost, but don't have an appropriate backyard or composting system to break down your food scraps? We were delighted to learn about a service offered by a new business called Community Compost in our valley. They will pick up your compost on a weekly basis!

While some big cities have started offering this service along with their trash & recycling pick up, city wide programs are less common for smaller communities.

 (Photo provided by Community Composting)

We were delighted to find out about the service offered by Community Compost, not only does it help the environment but your trash bill as well! See the benefits of composting below...

Benefits of Composting:

• Compost enriches soils
• Compost helps cleanup (remediate) contaminated soil
• Compost helps prevent pollution
• Using compost offers economic benefits
• Composting reduce waste in the local landfill

Learn a little more about Community Compost's business:

Community Compost is a new, local small business, providing affordable pick-up of compostable food scraps from residential homes in the Rogue Valley.

(First Pick up! Photo provided by Community Composting)

Instead of unused food scraps accumulating in our land-fills, we collect them, and bring them to a local farm, where the materials are cultivated into re-usable compost, and eventually re-introduced to the soil.

By providing this service, Community Compost reduces your footprint on our local environment, and harnesses the energy of your food scraps for the nourishment of the soil on our local farms.  This energy helps grow the delicious foods produced and consumed here in the Rogue Valley.

Green house at Blue Fox Farm

Community Compost connects you to your local food source, so you can be an important part of the sustainable agricultural practices in our region.

- Community Compost

If you live in Ashland, Talent, Pheonix, Medford or Central Point, Oregon make sure to visit their website http://www.roguevalleycompost.com/ or give them a call: 541-301-3426

We look up to cities like San Francisco. Since 2009, San Francisco has had a mandatory compost separation and city wide compost pick up program. Guaranteed to reduce landfills in cost and quantity, reduce green house gas emissions, as well as all of the above mentioned benefits- everyone should compost!

Until next time,

Lauren of Team Yala

Make Room for our Stylish Spring Staples

Time for a little spring cleaning! Focus on the fun kind- the kind where you make room in your closet for new warm weather styles. We've selected a few of our most popular new styles to give you a heads up on what we're loving for spring and summer...

BambooDreams® Lela Top

The nautical stripe we all know and love is here to stay. Now offered in a sleek skinny stripe, we're sure you'll love the newest stripes we've added to our collection.

 BambooDreams® Maddy Tunic

This feminine scoop neck tunic is a perfect addition to anyone's tunic collection. Easily worn by it's self or over a classic tee like our Kalin Top the possibilities are endless.

Pom-Pom Scarf

Pom-Pom's are quickly becoming very popular. Our colorful options are perfect for adding some originality to your everyday scarf. These lightweight, very soft Pom-Pom's are the perfect touch for summer with color that will turn heads!



Happy Weekend!

Until next time,
Lauren

Meet Three French Hens in Bellingham, WA

Yala sales partner, Three French Hens, has carried Yala product since 2009. This beautiful boutique is located in the heart of Bellingham's Historic Fairhaven District, only one and a half hours north of Seattle.

A favorite 'Boutique for Chicks' since 1999, the shop appeals to moms and daughters alike. Inside you will find beautiful lingerie, jewelry, unique gifts, home decor items and that perfect stylish-yet-comfortable outfit.

Inside Three French Hens

"Yala bamboo clothing continues to be our "bread and butter" at Three French Hens. It's so crazy popular, we order it in every Friday. There are pieces for every age, size, and style. Why do people like it so much? Well, besides being SO SOFT and COZY, it is washable, doesn't wrinkle, and 'breathes'. Imagine packing a carry on for a 3-week vacation! Come by and try it on - you'll love it!" says owner, Bonnie Donaghy.

 Three French Hens with Yala's Circle Top

But best of all, the Three French Hens is a unique shopping experience. You and your friends will love visiting this store as well as the other charming shops and restaurants in nearby Fairhaven Village.

If you are in the neighborhood, be sure to stop in and check out what they have, including a large selection of Yala's New Spring/Summer 2012 Collection...

New Kalin Top and Maddy Tunic in Mushroom

 

New Lela Top in and Chloe Skirt in Riviera

Until next time,

Lauren of Team Yala

Happy St. Patrick's Day - 15% off Coupon Code to go Yala Style

Use Coupon Code LUCKY15 for 
15% OFF Everything Through the Weekend!

When I was in middle school, my friend who was an exchange student from Sweden, asked me, "What is St. Patrick's Day celebrating?" I replied, "I don't know, but you have to wear green or everyone gets to pinch you." She stared back at me in disbelief, as if I had just made up a completely random answer. Needless to say, I was not brought up going to Church, and had no idea that the holiday originated from the celebration of St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

 St. Patrick's Day Yala Style with our New Kalin Short Sleeve Top in Fern

According to Wikipedia, I was not too far off from the American celebration of the holiday... "St. Patrick's Day, although not a legal holiday anywhere in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognized and celebrated throughout the country. It is primarily celebrated as a celebration of Irish and Irish American culture; celebrations include prominent displays of the color green, feasting, copious consumption of alcohol, religious observances, and numerous parades." (Wikipedia source)

 St. Patty Style with our New Pom Pom Scarf in Lime and BambooDreams Journey Top in Jade

To prepare you for the holiday we have gathered a collection of Yala in different shades of green and provided you with some outfit inspiration for the weekend. Be it a cami, wrap, pashbu or bandeau add a touch of green for the big day and you'll be safe from pinchers!

Cami Top and Sophie Wrap in New Color Fern

 

Circle Top in New Color Fern

Journey Top and Bradshaw Dress in Jade

Whisper Lace Bandeau and Tessa Tank Top in Jade

Green accents to keep you safe for the holiday...

Frayed Pashbu® in Appletini and Tie Dyed Pashbu® in Grass

 Lightweight PashBu® in Ivy and Wide Knit Scarf in Jade/Beach Glass

Happy St. Patty's Day from all of us at Yala!

Until next time,

Lauren of Team Yala

Swaddling your Baby in Yala's Bamboo Dreams® Knit Baby Blanket

As most mothers have learned, swaddling your newborn is the art of snugly wrapping your baby in a blanket for warmth and security. These days, you probably won't leave the hospital without a little lesson in this technique. With several expecting mothers in the Yala office, we decided to share a favorite gift to give a newborn from Yala: The Bamboo Dreams® Knit Baby Blanket.

 

Swaddling your newborn can keep your baby from being disturbed by his or her own startle reflex, and keep them toasty warm for the first few days of life until their internal thermostat kicks in. Check out this video by Baby Center on How to Swaddle Your Baby.

Jade/Beach Glass                                     Pacific/Moon

 Raspberry/Peach

Your precious bundle deserves to be bundled up in the best. Create a snug cocoon for your baby in our Knit Baby Blanket made of the softest Viscose from Bamboo. So snugly you’ll want two for when one is in the wash. Yala's Bamboo Dreams Knit Baby Blanket comes in four super soft colors: Jade/Beach Glass, Pacific/Moon, Raspberry/Peach, and Natural.

After your baby has outgrown swaddling, they make a perfect special blankie for warmth, comfort and cozy snuggling!


Until next time,

Lauren of Team Yala

Every Chocolate Lover's Dream: Chocolate Makers Dinner Review

There are some things in life one simply cannot resist. Chocolate is one of those things for my boyfriend, Justin. If a chocolate bar is opened he will finish the whole thing, and still want more. Not a milk chocolate generic brand, but organic 70% dark chocolate - the spendy kind. So when the Ashland Chocolate Festival approached this year I knew it was the perfect opportunity for a surprise treat. 

 

Ashland Springs Hotel

 

I carefully looked over the list of festival events being held that weekend, and my eye kept coming back to the Chocolate Makers Dinner held at the Ashland Springs Hotel. It looked absolutely amazing, each course containing a hint of chocolate: white chocolate, coco nib, chocolate chipotle, dark chocolate, oh my! Being that Justin is also an excellent cook, I decided this was the event for us. Now I just needed an outfit...

Lauren in Yala's Athena Tunic, Whisper Lace Bandeau, Full Length Leggings and Cashmere Scarf 

Athena Tunic

 Whisper Lace Bandeau, Full Length Leggings and Cashmere Scarf 

Lucky for me, when you are in need of outfit inspiration, Yala always comes to the rescue. I picked out Yala's Athena Tunic in black, added a Whisper Lace Bandeau also in black for a little extra coverage and paired with Full Length Leggings, again in black. With all that black, I needed a little color. Yala's Cashmere Scarf in Sorbet added the perfect touch for the evening.

 

Justin was appropriately surprised and excited as we entered the Ashland Springs Hotel and headed up to the ballroom. The tables were set beautifully, and the room was packed with people and chocolate martinis!

 

Needless to say the meal topped my lists of bests, there was only a hint of chocolate in each dish, never overpowering the rich tastes of the food. Justin was of course in heaven... Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the menu!

First Course

Oregon Waldorf Salad with White Chocolate, Apples, Pears, Walnuts, 

Orange Supremes, and Red Huckleberries

Second Course

 Coco Nib-Vanilla Marinated Cold Smoked Diver Scallop 

with Crisp Prosciutto and Micro Greens

Main Course

Chocolate Chipotle Braised Novy Ranch Grass-Fed Boneless Beef Short Rib, with Smoked Onion-Sharp Cheddar Mashed Potatoes and Creole Roasted Rutabagas

Dessert

Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart with Three Pepper-Hazelnut 

Cookie Crust and Candied Orange Coulis

Justin and Lauren

Until next time,

Lauren of Team Yala 

Enter to Win Yala's Spring Break Giveaway Kit - Valued Over $200...

Click here to enter!

Valued over $200

Kit includes the following items...

Bamboo Dreams® Tie Dyed Pashbu®

Warm summer days, tropical breezes and your Tie Dyed Pashbu®. At least that is the mood you will be in when you wrap yourself in these fun scarves. Tie it around your neck, wrap it around your shoulders or take it to the beach and wear it as a sarong. Made of our soft 100% Viscose from Bamboo. The Tie Dyed scarf will make you smile.

 

DreamSacks Original Opening DreamSack® 

Adventure awaits – so keep a DreamSack® on hand to make adventure more comfortable. The Original Opening DreamSack® acts as a sleeping bag liner, or as an extra layer of sheeting in a bed. 100% silk feels cool when it’s warm, and adds an extra layer of warmth when it’s cool. 6 oz. Built-in pocket covers your pillow. Folds up into a small bag for convenient traveling. An excellent gift for the hiker, camper or climber in the family. Side opening with Velcro tab closures.

 Bamboo Dreams® Beach Towel

Enjoy your time in nature with your own natural towel made from 70% viscose from bamboo and 30% organic cotton. Koi fish swimming among water lilies in cheerful colors. Perfect for beach, spa, pool, picnics, napping, or just to snuggle. 

 Organic Cotton Mandala Tote

Our Mandala Tote is this season’s must-have accessory – funky and functional, you will use it over and over whether you’re going to the beach, the gym, the grocery store or work. Made of 100% organic cotton, the Mandala Tote is also durable, with four pockets on the outside, and another pocket inside. In two brightly colored designs, your only problem will be deciding which one.

 Organic Cotton Mandala Clutch

The Mandala Clutch, made from 100% organic cotton, is cute and convenient for all those bottom of the bag "losables": keys, coins, pens, sunglasses and mints. Keep yourself organized and your essentials one zip away. A beautiful mandala is embroidered on the front. 

 Mala Bead Necklace

Traditional Indian necklace made from hand turned copper wire and small glass beads. May be wrapped as a bracelet.  Black, Blue, Green, Red.  Magnetic closure.  37" long. Jewelry from nomadic gypsies:
These Indian women spend a good part of the year traveling away from their children to sell handmade traditional jewelry at religious festivals. By supporting their craft, we help them spend more time at home with their families. A portion of the sales is used to build a school for their children. Enjoy the peace and reassurance these beads provide.

We hope you think big when you tell us your dream vacation! Best of luck to all : )

Until next time,

Lauren of Team Yala