Scooters

Remember The Other Day?
When I was Saying How it Would be Totally Cool?




To Have One of These?





Another Thing That is Pretty Cool Is When Your Blog Is Read By Your Husband...


And On A Whim He Gets You One...




And Even Though You Know It is Kind of Sort of Mostly Impractical, It still Feels a little like being in the Movie La Dolce Vita...

Or Roman Holiday...Even Though, Clearly, You Do Not Look Like Audrey Hepburn...









But You Feel A Little Like Her Anyway... Just Because It's Totally Fun...You know, And Maybe, Just Maybe, There's Some Tiffany Boxes in Your Future After all...


Feeling Like Audrey Hepburn, Even Just for the Day, Is pretty Awesome...





And I Highly Recommend Getting A Scooter!

Andy & Pat

For those of you keeping up with the Shando blog, just thought I'd mention, there's a new entry - the entries so far have been few and far between. I'll try to keep it updated at least once a month. This one is kind of dear to my heart, so you may want to check it out. Shando's Blog

Rich

Most of the time I am completely content with many aspects of my life. Not every aspect mind you, but most. I like where I live, I love my family, the people I know from church, my daily routine is good - mostly, there is nothing to complain about. So 90% of the time I am happy with what I have, secure in my choices and desire little beyond my current material possessions. Every once in a while though I like to think about what sorts of choices I would make if I were a less responsible person and a wealthier citizen. When that 10% has the time to dream, these are some of the choices that version of me would make:

I would buy Diane Von Furstenberg Clothes, and that is all I would wear (this 10% version of me is thinner as well - you know because if we're dreaming, may as well be thin) so my clothes would look like this -









(retailing between $295-560 per dress)
While I am at it, I may as well have a Hermes Birkin Bag to go with my new wardrobe: (retails for approximately $55,000 for this diamond clasp version - $15,000 without diamonds)

In addition I may as well have some Christian Laboutin shoes:


(retailing between $800-1,000 per pair)

Maybe an Hermes Scarf or two (or three or four or five) would also be lovely:



(retail $345 each)

Or while I am at it, maybe an Hermes watch: (retail $1495.00)

And while I am at it, maybe some jewelry from Tiffany (plus, LOVE the little blue boxes they come in):(this one I can actually afford were I so inclined $195 - Frank Gehry Fish Ring)
(Paloma Picasso Sugar Stack Ring $4550)


My taste in cars is not crazy expensive, I'm not really a Mercedes or a BMW girl and I certainly wouldn't go the crazy route of a Rolls Royce or something equally silly. Realistically, if I didn't have to worry about the part where I have my kids in the car with me most of the time, it would be:


An Audi 424 (around $40,000) or
A Crossfire Convertible ($40,000) or


Saturn Skye ($26,000)

But really, I'd be content with a dorkier car, like the Toyota Prius

(I know, this seems an odd choice if fantasizing, but after I drove a hybrid in Utah for 10 days I am TOTALLY SOLD on hybrids - retail: $21,000)

But also, I could just go for a Vespa in the fantasy version of my life:
(retail, $5,500)

So in my fantasy life I might look like this:


And instead of being a bandana mom who looks like this: (this by the way, is not me but roughly represents the concept of how I might look on the days I opt for the bandana)

I could look more like this:

Roxanne Photos

Finally finished with the Roxanne Photos! I'll get a CD to her this week, Kirk's already started painting some of them - but here are all the best ones in a slideshow. Kirk also took photos of a guy named Aaron this week - in some of the same locations we took the Roxanne photos. I might share some of those in a slideshow later. These are all references for a show coming up in September at Brio Fine Arts in Scottsdale. After the show the paintings will go to the Art One Gallery. Kirk is a little nervous because this show is just for him, and there will not be any of the usual Thursday night traffic from the art walk patrons. So please consider coming to the show to support him in September.

Where 2007 took us...

The Rio
Originally uploaded by bandanamomaz.

Okay I got tagged for this on another blog - suppose to list everywhere we stayed overnight in 2007:

*San Diego, California
*Peurta Penasco, Mexico
*Salt Lake City, Utah
*Midvale, Utah
*Lehi, Utah
*Las Vegas, Nevada
*Sedona, Arizona
*Santa Fe, New Mexico
*Rexburg, Idaho
*West Yellowstone, Montana


Hmmm, none of those seem particularly exciting do they? Maybe we can do a better job in 2008!

I tag, Suzanne, Cindi, Cynthia, Shando and Heidi

Model

On Sunday Kirk and I took reference photos of Roxanne for his next series of paintings - actually he has multiple things in the works right now but he has thought about painting Roxanne for a long time and he had a lull while he was waiting to get photos of another model so he asked her, she was available, and it was a good way to spend the afternoon.  

Roxanne kept saying that she didn't really know how to model - and of

 course, she's aware that we've used models before who have modeled on a more regular basis, as a job - so she was a little nervous about that aspect of it I think.  

I think the images pretty much speak for themselves.  Roxanne was a very good model.

A million years ago I modeled for a couple of years. I made very little money - and often none, because sometimes the agency I worked for would get us jobs for the experience - sometimes working long hours but I have to say, I always thought it was a blast.

Modeling isn't as easy as it looks. (though to be fair it sure beats the heck out of being a maid, which I've also done a summer or two) .  When I was young, I was heavily influenced by Diane Lane and Phoebe Cates in a 17 magazine photo shoot.

 And Janice Dickinson seemed really fabulous back in the early 80s, before she became the mess she is today.  
I don't know why some of these photographs influenced me so much.  But it made me think it would be really fun to be a model.  Actually, it was really fun to be a model.  But somewhere while I was doing it I realized that I could never be a 'real' model.  I was at a fitting for a runway show for Jay Jacobs.  At the time, Jay Jacobs had all the coolest 80s clothes.  There were two other girls getting fitted with me.  The stylist took one look at me and said "oh, interesting, I'm going to have to go back and re-think what we were going to have you wear...I didn't realize we were going to get any models who are a real size."  I was a size 7.  A 9 on a "bloated" day.  The other two girls were a 3 and a 5.  Also there was the realization that I was too short.  The other girls were both 5 foot 9.  I was 5 foot 5.  I still modeled a few times after that, but honestly, it sort of ruined the whole fantasy of it, knowing that I could never be a 'real' model because I was a 'real' size (oh and the irony of how much I'd love to be that 'real' size now...and how much I hated my size at the time).  My favorite type of modeling though was having photos taken.  

Roxanne was worried that all the other photos that have been taken of her were done as candids and that she wasn't really "modeling". But good models need a couple of things, 1. a brain and 2. awareness. Roxanne had both, which is why her photos turned out so well. When you understand where you fit in relation to the frame and when you are curious enough to be thinking about what you're doing the entire time - analyzing it and moving and thinking, then you get good shots. (and it doesn't hurt to be cute or gorgeous or at least interesting)

We've taken photos of Hollie and Hillary and they are both gorgeous as well.
I promised Roxanne copies of the photos so I'm slowly wading through all of them. Kirk has already been picking some of his favorite and thinking about canvas and panel sizes for paintings. I'll post a little slideshow of Roxanne's photos when I'm all finished sorting through everything and picking out all the best ones.

Marshmallow Trees Trail

Marshmallow Trees Trail
Originally uploaded by bandanamomaz.

We're back from our snowmobiling trip - time to face laundry and spring cleaning (in Arizona January is spring to me and the time of year when I feel like clearing out all the stuff that's accumulated) and getting the business running again and paperwork and errands and a million little things that got neglected during the holidays. Yikes.
But first I thought I'd post one of the many photos taken on our trip. This particular trail and day were simply stunning. Cold but BEAUTIFUL. I'm changing the slide show to all of our winter trip photos too, enjoy.

And now for your moment of zen...

Dance, Dance, Dance

When I was a kid the one thing I loved more than anything in the world was dancing. I took ballet and then tap and jazz. Ultimately, I liked jazz the most. Later I did more drill team-type routines, which were loosely based on jazz routines but a bit more about precision. I never was disciplined enough to become a really good dancer though. And frankly, I don't think my mom was willing to put in the kind of time it requires - because honestly, without a lot of time driving a kid all around to the best dance instructors, you never get really good. When I was in college, I desperately wished I was good enough to join the modern dance troupe at the college level.


But I knew I was not quite up to par for that. Lately, it's been really fun to watch Jordan loving dance class as well. We started her out in Ballet and tap when she was young but this year she started Hip Hop and she's found a new love. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. I wish hip hop were around when I was young! But for now, I'm content to just watch her. Sometimes while I am sitting and waiting for Jordan at dance class I never even crack open my book - because watching dance, even little kids just learning how to dance, is always really entertaining.

Ira Glass & More Favorites

Ira Glass
Originally uploaded by Stephanie Asher.

A few days ago Suzanne had a blog on favorite things - I posted a comment that had a lot of favorites there, which is copied below - but I totally forgot a whole lot of favorites that I couldn't think of in the few minutes it takes to make a comment on someone's blog.

One BIG favorite I forgot is Ira Glass, of This American Life. First of all, I love, love, love, NPR. I listen to it almost all day, almost every day. And my favorite day for NPR listening is Saturday, when we get great shows like "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and "Car Talk" but my favorite, favorite, favorite NPR show is This American Life. If you don't listen to it already, please go to their website "Thislife.org" and download a free podcast, or listen to it on stream. Most days, while I am working from home, I have it on in the background, listening to one of the archived shows.

Anyway, tonight we went to Scottsdale and saw Ira in person. It was really great. He's awesome. We loved it!

As to other favorites:

I love music from the late 70s and early 80s, it makes me happy. (click on the link on the sidebar so you can hear it and be happy too!)

I love sunsets, and summer and sunshine (but not when it gets too much above 110).

I love eating out, road trips, and staying in nice hotels.

I love music and I love discovering new musicians who are interesting and quirky.

I love art and museums.

I love dogs and kids (most of them, most of the time).

I love laughing - maybe more than anything in the world.

I love quiet.

I love swimming pools and palm trees and a diet coke with lots of ice.

I love sticky rice with mangos and coconut milk.

I love Converse.

I love Project Runway, ANTM, Top Chef, and Flipping Out.

I love John Cusack.

I love a good political debate as long as everybody plays nice.

I love a hot bath.