Ashlee Simpson recently adopted the cutest French bulldog puppy. The little dog was named Alabama, or Bam Bam for short. You have probably seen the pictures of the very photogenic little fellow. Bam Bam will make a great playmate for her son, Bronx.

Ashlee enjoyed the company of Hemingway, an English bulldog, which belonged to Pete Wentz before their marriage. Hemingway was not the most well behaved dog, which worried them before the birth of their son. The couple enlisted the help of Cesar Millan, also known as the Dog Whisperer. Their encounter was filmed for Millan’s TV show, and the world was able to watch the new family bond with their dog and prepare him for the arrival of Bronx. The program helped show a very personal side of Ashlee and helped her attract even more fans. Read the rest of this entry »

When my niece was a good deal younger, she fell in love with Jessica Simpson, most especially because of Jessica’s younger sister, Ashlee. My niece is the second daughter in her family and I know she often felt she lived a bit in her older sister’s shadow. Ashlee Simpson was a great role model for her then, as they were close in age, and my niece could definitely relate to the shier, quieter Ashlee more so than Ashlee’s sister, Jessica.

Now that my niece has hit the ripe old age of 28, we recently chatted a bit about her old high school crushes and idols and Ashlee Simpson’s name was brought up. I was surprised that my niece continued to follow Ashlee’s life, but she has said it has been completely inspirational to her at many points throughout high school, college and presently.

As most know, Ashlee Simpson suffered more than her share of personal and professional embarrassments over the years, but both my niece and I admire the fact that not only does she come back, Ashlee also readily admits when she has made a mistake. Her music, always so different from her sister Jessica’s pop hits, was always more to my liking. Both her music and performing skills have definitely improved over time and I think much of the critics’ problems in the first place were due to the fact that Ashlee is not Jessica. If you go to see Ashlee perform, you should expect to hear music with a definite rock background and far edgier than Jessica has ever done.

As Ashlee has bounced back time and time again, she has shown many young women a realness that most idols don’t. I think my niece has been better off through her own life admiring and learning from a celebrity who has shown that she isn’t perfect, but does live her life honestly, without hiding and without excuses.