… so many wonderful things are happening right now. I don’t have a photograph to post today, but I will tomorrow. That’s a funny statement. I have hundreds of photos I can post but none of them are on flickr, so I’ll spend some time on flickr tonight.

I’m going to try to blog again every day. Even if I can’t write a blog, I will post a pinhole photograph.

*I’ve started a new business. It’s amazing and built on passion, hobby and love. I’ll be rolling it out in the new few weeks. My product is nearly perfected, just a few more things need to be added and then it will be perfect! I’m very excited about it and the non-profit that is going with it! It’s a dream come true.

*I have become obsessed with this amazing artist: David Horovitz Just check it out! His ideas are amazing and I’m definitely participating in more than one of this projects. I’m mailing him a empty envelope tonight for sure. I would love to send him $30 to give a homeless man anything he wants for $30.

*How many colors can you name in 5 minutes? I named 35

*How many countries can you name in 5 minutes? I named 35, but could do way better if I could have looked at a map!

*Time has slipped by too quickly. Starting on Saturday I intend to have more time for myself.

Forgot to post these! Each year the paper publishes the most embellished holiday homes and I am a sucker for lights! I just love them! I forget the details of this home now, but there were lots of lights, lots of vintage Christmas items and many many many handmade wooden characters! This exposure was about 20 minutes and it was COLD! Yes, it does get cold in Phoenix. I kept running back to my car to get warm and then running to protect my camera when someone else drove up. This house was in North Phoenix… around Shea and 30th Street I believe…. somewhere up there…. maybe it was off Greenway… When I was a kid, Goofy was my personal favorite!

This week has not been very exciting. I’ve been at home sleeping off bronchitis and an ear infection… not as much fun as it sounds. Ear infections are for little kids. Seriously. Even the paperwork the doctor gave me said if the child is under 1 to breastfeed and if the child is over 1 to make sure they drink lots of water, kool-aid and eat Popsicles.

I have been drinking lots of water, but only because I have a goal of one gallon per day.

I have watched a few movies this week:
*Blades of Glory was pretty funny, not something I would normally choose myself, but I laughed out loud quite a few times…and laughing out loud lead to coughing fits. Ha.
*Connie and Carla was excellent! In fact I LOVED IT! I have this year long documentary I’m dying to start but won’t be able to do as long as I have a job. So the costumes in the show made me happy while I was leaving a indent in the couch.
*Sideways. That was a great movie. Great story, great scenery, almost made me want to love wine.
*I Robot was interesting. I wonder if that could really happen… and will we all have robots like that in the future? Will robots be serving us beer in bars and cooking for us?
*Pirates of the Carribbean Part Two. So so good! I am dying to see part three now. Does anyone who own it want to let me borrow it? I couldn’t believe two ended like it did. I can’t remember one, but I remember liking it… in fact it was the last movie I watched in the house I grew up in. That’s a strange thought to remember.

In August Gary and I will be headed to gorgeous Santa Barbara to watch the awesomeness that is Radiohead! All week long I checked their website, I followed the pre-sale ticket sales…. I knew I was going to get two tickets to see Radiohead, seriously one of the most incredible bands ever. I was ready, even called ahead to know what buttons to press to get in as soon as I could…. and the website was up on my laptop… ready for the buy button to be pressed. I WAS READY! and still wasn’t able to secure my tickets in the 30 seconds it took for it sell out. So I did what any fan would do, I spent $400 on two tickets from one of those sites. Santa Barbara bowl is pretty small so any seat would be a good seat. I’m happy with the section I bought. We’re right in the middle and not in the last section. Most of the tickets I was finding were on the sides and in the back…. I’ve heard that it overlooks the ocean…. so watching Radiohead and smelling the salty ocean air will be heavenly. Gary has never seen them so this is going to be a super treat for him!

I made the steps to start my new business. I had a lot of time to think this past week, you know, while sitting on the couch and all and a dream of mine has finally been put into action! I absolutely adore sending mail… or as I call it, sending love through the mail. I also really want my pinholes to be affordable without limiting my chances to pinhole fame and stardom… so behold my brilliant idea about 8 years in the making! I’ve started selling my pinholes in the form of colorful postcards! I made a bunch last week and sent them out… doing the preliminary research right now to see how they hold up in the mail. I have found sites that sell the few materials I need, am still looking for wholesale options.

But this idea isn’t complete without the non-profit that goes along with it. I want to get a group of people together that love sending postcards as much as I do and each month announce a new person in need of some love through the mail. I’m still figuring out the logistics but how much happier would that person be when they start receiving 100’s of postcards full of love and happiness in the mail! All that positive energy is sure to make them better faster!

I am going to price my postcards at $5 each. They are handmade and they are real pinhole photographs so I believe that is great price. I’m an avid card buyer and have been known to spend even more $$$ on cards, so I believe for this piece of postcard mail art the price is ideal.

I’m already picturing them in boutiques across the country! I’m already picturing numerous sales from my etsy store daily. It’s going to be amazing and perfect and a dream come true. I will be sure to let you know more when the details are in place. Today I am working on finishing the website and ordering the photos for my first batch of postcards!

Intentions:
Today I intend to make a lot of headway on my website.
Today I intend to order the prints for the postcards.
Today I intend to get rest so that I can go back to work tomorrow healthy and happy.

Instead of pinholes today I am posting two family photos from my parents trip last week.

This was my mom’s first trip to the glorious place that is Gelato Spot! I could eat gelato every single day! Personally I have a ritual. I always get a scoop of coconut on the bottom, I sample a few others and decide on a new flavor as my second top scoop. During this particular trip I had tiramisu. Which was good, but not as good as coconut, which is why coconut is on the bottom, so I can savor my favorite last. (Sabrina my sister, Me, Mom and Dad)

The first Thursday my family was here we had a bbq at my apartment. I do love the sunflare in this photograph. I stole these photos from my sister’s myspace. Can you believe that I did take any photographs of them? We were so busy the whole time and my pinholes actually take time to do, that I didn’t take one pinhole. For that I am sad. (Sabrina, Mom, Me and Dad) (both photos are missing my brother Maximilian)

I cannot believe it is Monday already. Hence the title of this blog. My weekend was had in a daze and I could only hope for a few more days off.

Friday started off wonderfully! Gary and were driving to Phoenix for the opening at the Herberger Theater, I had photographs in the exhibit and he said, “So, I woke up this morning and decided to become a vegetarian”. We were driving and I had to control my excitement so he wouldn’t crash little daisy! BUT! I was and am still thrilled to bits with that information!

We have been so in sync lately. It’s the most spectacular feeling. On Wednesday morning I woke up and decided the same thing, but I have been an on again, off again vegetarian since I was 10 years old. One of the main reasons I was not a vegetarian for so long was because of Gary. We are a couple that likes to eat together. We take such pleasure in delicious food. He always made fun of me and we’re not talking playful fun… we’re talking full on mean make fun. He would give all sorts of statistics on why we would should eat meat and so forth. Gary’s favorite food was bacon. Yes, bacon. He could eat bacon on and with anything. He could eat a whole pound of it in one sitting. He LOVED bacon.

Ever since we started reading The Ringing Cedars Series, our whole beings have shifted for the better. I know I keep saying that when I write about those books, but they truly are the most amazing books ever written. I know those books are the sole reason for his shift into vegetarianism.

I didn’t tell him on Wednesday that I had become vegetarian again. I didn’t tell anyone. I’m learning, that not everyone needs to know everything I am doing. It’s a nice lesson I’ve been learning. So when he told me this new information! I just couldn’t contain my happiness! On Saturday morning we went to the Mandala Tearoom for brunch to celebrate our first day of being vegetarian together! They were playing our favorite Radiohead album, In Rainbows, and Gary had the BLT and I had the blue corn pancakes with a side of tempeh bacon. He ate all my bacon… and then ordered a second dish… and ate all of that too. We split a playful piece of blueberry/raspberry cake and sipped on refreshing ginger iced tea. It was the perfect way to celebrate our turning vegetarian together!

SO also on Friday night, I went to my friend Ashley’s brother house for an intenders circle. It was incredible. The energy in the room that night was amazing. I met this fascinating woman, Tracy, she’s an interior decorator and she sells this amazing chocolate that is GOOD FOR YOU!!!! Just three pieces a day and you gain all these health benefits. She turned some into fondue and I dipped a strawberry into it! YUMMY!!!! Chocolate that is healthy for you! Sign me up! The back of her business card even has 22 reasons why you should consume Dark Chocolate… like I needed 22 reasons! ha! She said she noticed that her skin looks healthier after a month of eating the chocolate. Tracy is gorgeous to begin with, her hair reminds me of Marilyn Monroe and she definitely has great style!

The intender’s circle was an interesting thing for me. Now that I get how it works, next time will be even better for me. I wasn’t really sure what to say or do when it was my turn… but next time! Watch out! I have so much to be grateful for, and I only said three things on Friday night… I also said that I intended to read book three and four of the series over the weekend…. welllll that didn’t happen either… oh well. I did read some. I LOVED hearing what everyone was grateful for and what they were intending. I am already looking forward to the next circle on the 18th of April. If you’re interested in going, let me know and I’ll give you directions. You’ll be among incredible people and incredible energy. I love the feeling of non stop smiling, and this circle produced one of those evenings… well, the opening that started the evening also helped… and the fact that Gary told me he is now a vegetarian!!!!

Did anyone watch The Simpsons last night? It was so, so, so, so good! One of the best I’ve seen in a while! It was brilliant, only in the way The Simpson’s could be. I went to high school, graduated in 1998, and started college in the 90’s, so that episode brought back SO MANY MEMORIES! I loved the story line and the soundtrack of the episode and all the funny throwbacks. That is definitely an episode that I cannot wait to see again!

My Intentions:
Today I intend to mail 4 cards (birthday, thank you and hello)
Today I intend to enjoy myself at Uncle Ziggy’s Birthday Party
Today I intend to wish these allergies away with copious amounts of water
I intend to start a new project at a hidden gem I found in Old Town Scottsdale on Saturday morning.
I intend to finish Book Three of the Ringing Cedars
I intend to book 2-3 weddings a month
I intend to also book at least 4 other photography jobs a month
I intend to make a living as photographer with my other love, Gary!

On a gorgeous day in December we photographed the wedding of Yesenia and Rafael. They married in a beautiful Catholic Church in North Phoenix. Following the wedding we headed to one of our favorite locations, The Japanese Friendship Gardens for photographs and then to a very secluded spot on a curvy road near the Biltmore.

Their reception was was full of life with dancing, two bands, one a mariachi and the other playing Spanish music complete with a blaring horns section. It was the first time I had seen a money dance, and watching Rafael glide across the floor wearing clown sized Chuck Taylors was a wonderful sight to see.

This particular image is on the secluded spot on the greens near the Biltmore. I’ve been doing a lot more with having my subjects move very slowly. I really like the way those pinholes are turning out. I’m a little behind on pinholes, these are from December! Maybe tomorrow instead of one, I’ll post a few.

Have you heard of Yelp.com? I recently started reviewing some of my favorite places and as you all know, I definitely enjoy the local businesses of Phoenix. A funny turn of events started yesterday afternoon and are continuing right now. Someone started a thread all about me! I’m over being upset about it and now I just think it’s really funny! I’ve never been involved in any internet bashing! It’s kind of exciting, it’s definitely a first for me. If you want to read the thread, check it out here.

If you want to review four white walls photography, since many of you have had your photographs taken by myself or Gary, you can do so here.

Sorry for such a short blog.  I promise I will write a lengthy one with dreamy thoughts soon.

Oh Weddings! I love photographing them! One big, long, happy party! This is Yesenia and Rafael. They married in North Phoenix at a beautiful church after which we took them to the Japanese Friendship Gardens for a photo shoot. This was before we were kicked out. The part that gets me is that they let us pay to get in. CLEARLY she was a bride and he was a groom. While we were photographing them, the director of the park told us we had to pay $100 an hour or we had to leave. I had just spent ten minutes setting up the most perfect pinhole image and was not able to expose it. She escorted us out. HA! Oh the trouble photographers cause. I’m just not sure why they didn’t tell us that at the gate, before we paid to get in.

So my parents have left Arizona… without buying a house. At least they found an area of town they liked and have a pretty good idea what certain prices will get them. Those are important bits of information to know the answers to.

I took them to dinner last night at Two Hippies Magic Mushroom Burgers. It was pretty tasty. While we waited we had the potato skins. My family all had burgers and Gary and I had hot dogs. I haven’t had a hot dog in a LOOOONG time and it was delish! They apparently make their hot dogs and hamburgers there. I’m not really sure what that means, but it sounds good. I also split a root beer last night! yum! I don’t drink soda but occasionally a few times a year I will have a root beer. It was cheep and tasty, and was all hippied out inside, so I think I will definitely go back when I’m in the area.

THEN! We took my parents to The Gelato Spot. SO SO SO good!!! I always get a scoop of coconut, and something else, but coconut must always be on the bottom so I can savor it last. My other scoop last night was tiramisu, which was excellent, but definitely not in the same category as coconut. Coconut gelato is in a category by it self. Nothing, and I mean nothing could beat it!

My intentions:
Today I intend to answer a lot of emails.
Today I intend to work on my website.
Today I intend to get LOTS OF reviews on Yelp. If you would like to give me a review, here is your chance.
I intend to have a solo show at a well known gallery in 2008.
I intend to photograph 2-3 weddings a month.
I intend to make my most fabulous living from doing photography.

Have a super wonderful day!

This is one of my new favorite pinholes, Sleeping in Santa Monica at The Pacific Sands Motel. I love my sleeping series and this is a welcomed addition. I love the matchbook on the night stand, the way the lamp curves on the right hand side and the light on the curtains. I bet this pinhole photograph will look gorgeous 30×30. My sleeping series is an ongoing pinhole documentary of the places I find myself sleeping… hotels, living rooms, friends houses… It’s such a fun way to document my travels.

So my parents are in town. I’ve enjoyed spending time with them. They are house hunting so I spent the weekend looking a homes in Maricopa, Surprise, and Litchfield Park. We found a gorgeous house yesterday in Litchfield Park, it’s the only one with my vote so far. I’m pretty excited for their move to the Phoenix area, it will be nice to see them every few weeks instead of every few years.

Although the process of house hunting is fun because they are looking for one to buy, it’s also a very sad experience. So many of the houses are short sales or bank owned or foreclosures and you can tell that the families had to get out of there as soon as possible. Many of the houses were dirty and had items left behind from the frantic move. I find it a little sad that so many homes are for sale and in this condition. Can you image how happy the families were to purchase their own home and start creating memories and a life together. You don’t really image being kicked out a few years later. I think the state of our country is a sad one sometimes. It appears that getting ahead for some people is impossible.

I completely feel that your destiny is up to you and that you make your own happiness but not everyone follows that philosophy and when they purchase that home and think everything is going swell, they find themselves in a bad loan and then out on the streets. I think certain operations are too greedy and they should think less about themselves and more about others. If families could purchase their own home and afford to make the payments then everyone would be happy… but NOOOOO… someone had to be mean and greedy and sign them up for a bad loan that they knew would be impossible for them to keep up with in the upcoming years. So now everyone looses. The banks can’t sell the properties and the families are out of a home. Totally blows my mind.

Speaking of happiness! I am SO HAPPY when I read The Ringing Cedars Series! I’m on book 3 right now and cannot wait to get home to read some more. Before I went to bed last night I read a chapter on ‘creating your own happiness’ and like I’ve said in other blog posts I truly believe in doing that. If you can’t make yourself happy, how can you expect anyone else to?

These books are so incredible I think everyone should read them. I feel so much happier and at peace while I am reading them and then definitely after. I also LOVE the way cedar smells. My cedar pendant, which I wear all the time now, smells divine! Periodically throughout the day, I’ll stop and just smell the pendant and a peaceful sensation overcomes my body. It’s a wonderful feeling.

I’ve been trying to do more meditating and more intending lately. I think at the end of each blog I will start intending.

Today I intend to answer all my email.
Today I intend to enjoy a wonderful dinner with my family at Olive and Ivy in Scottsdale.
Today I intend to get a lot of work done at work on the Iowa project.
I intend to make my living from photography.
I intend to show work in Germany this summer for their photography festival.
I intend to get a solo show at a prominent gallery in 2008.

Two fishermen on Venice Beach in California. There is so much about this photograph that I love. I love the shadow of the fisherman, the two men in the back that look like they are facing each other, the shadow in the foreground on the right that looks like it’s a projection of the woman in the background with her elbow on her head….

This will be a very quick post, short lunch break… to much work to do.

I have been featured twice this month in the press and I just want to brag and show-off!!
*This is from the Le Parisien! A French newspaper with a daily circulation of 350,000!
My pinholes are the four color photographs on the right hand side! The garden series! I’m so excited about this article! I still have no idea what it says, but it’s my first French exhibition write-up!

*This is on a blog. My photograph is the first one, the Pink Flamingo. They also show some photographs from the exhibit. The space looks beautiful! I wish I could fly to Paris for just one day to see the exhibition!

Happy Birthday Gary!!!! Today is Gary’s birthday, so I thought I’d post a few photos of him. Sometimes I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have found someone so right for me. All I ever dreamed of was someone who would make the perfect travel companion, someone I could take photos with, someone who loves to eat as much as I do, and someone who’s funny…. oh yes, and I always knew I would end up with someone tall, with dark wavy hair and green eyes (ding, ding, ding!!!!)

I got all that and more! I found a business partner, a handy man, a great chef, a hilarious comedian, someone who frames all my pieces… and one of my favorite qualities in a man, someone who likes to clean and do laundry!!! Because I truly dislike doing housework.

Gary at the pumpkin patch in Gilbert, Arizona

Gary and I at the Chinese Cultural Center

He’s so sweet, old ladies throw themselves at him (ha! but it’s adorable), he’s the perfect competitive partner for me, kicks my butt every single time at Scategories or as he likes to call it Scate’gary’ies but is my equal at Scrabble (our favorite board game). He finishes crossword puzzles in record time while I’m still contemplating the answer to one he filled in 20 minutes ago.

He always indulges my fanciful ideas, although not without complaint… BUT is always happy he listened to me in the end, because I’m way fun and life is never boring with me around.

Gary with his aliens on the Venice Beach boardwalk

Gary and I at Montezuma’s Castle

I love that he’s obsessed with aliens and 2012 and ufo’s… I love that he teaches me about those crazy ideas. I love that he believes I’m an alien and that’s the reason we’re together.

He’s very talented, takes beautiful photographs and very artistic portraits. He’s a writer and aspires to be a painter. His book will be finished one day and when you read it, you’ll laugh, cry and even be a little grossed out… One time he painted 5 walls in our photography gallery with HUGE pink aliens! They were amazing! We have photos documenting his alien installation, but I think only three people ever saw it.

Gary and I on a plane going to Chicago

Our shadows on the beach boardwalk in San Diego

He has a wonderful family that loves him very much and he gets along great with mine too! He’s super athletic, and is my personal trainer when I tell him I want to work out. He’s super fun to go bike riding and hiking with… and he did the miraculous, encouraged me to go running with him for about two months straight. We even had matching nike shoes with ipods…

Gary at the Chinese Cultural Center

Gary in the desert pretending to be a cowboy for me

I could go on and on and on and on and on about how fabulous he is, but I’ve ran out of photos to post.

Happy Birthday Gary! Here’s to 44 more incredible years! I love you!

These are the mermaids I found walking along Venice Beach in January. Yes, I am still posting photos from January. These sweet girls were sitting there, watching everyone pass them by. I started to pinhole them and the mermaids father came over to talk to us (Gary was there too) and it turns out that she really is a mermaid! The girl on the left, her name is Sirena, which means mermaid in Spanish. Her father also told me that she has grown up on the beach and he took last summer off to teach her how to surf. How sweet is that!

This blog will be my thoughts on my current and past work, as well as what is to come… I am actively showing work. I have work in an exhibit in France right now and on April 4th, I’ll have work at the Herberger Theater in Phoenix, and in June, I am co-curating and will be exhibiting in an exhibit at The Trunk Space in Phoenix. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the photography installation Gary and I are doing at The Icehouse in May for fashion designer Kristin Dinnis.

I am ready to have a WOW, solo show exhibit. I’m ready for the art critics of Phoenix to glorify me with their words. I am ready to take that next big step and show in well known galleries. I’m ready to leap into my next career as Pinhole Photographer. I am a pinhole photographer and I have been for quite some time, but I finally feel ready to make my living from my passion.

I’ve been working on my other website since January, picking the new photos, pouring through negatives, flickr albums, cd’s of hi-res files…. looking for the best images, the images that will get me hired and noticed… and the funny thing was the majority of my work is portraiture. I never considered myself a portrait photographer until just recently.

In fact when I was in undergrad at good ol’ Columbia College Chicago I absolutely despised taking portraits. I would argue with my professors; I would be a smart-alec and say my image was an abstract portrait. I was a photojournalism major and I did enjoy photographing people, which is very different to me than photographing a portrait of a person.

I really like to think of my work as pinhole documentary. It has a element of fine art due to the non-traditional format, but I take my pinhole camera with me and I document what I see. Although, you could argue that all photographers are documentary photographers to some extent…

When I picked up my first pinhole camera after I graduated from college, I had no idea that such beautiful portraits could be made. I originally bought the camera because after I had seen the Andreas Gursky exhibit at the ASU Art Museum I had a dream. My dream was of large prints like his, but they were of sunsets. Not the whole sunset, just the very middle of the image, printed HUGE. I actually tried to do it, but it didn’t translate as smoothly as I had hoped.

I can’t remember my first pinhole portrait but I know I was living in NYC when the thought occurred to me. I also tried to pinhole as many friends as possible before I left, but was only truly happy with the portrait of Max Midroit, one of the most incredible piano players in the world. That link leads you to his flickr page, definitely check it out, he finds the funniest scenes in NYC.

I still consider this pinhole one of my best. We were in a practice room at NYC, where he was getting his PhD in Piano playing! I’m sure there is more technical term for that, but how amazing is that, dedicating your whole life to your greatest passion!

Oh! Now that I think about it, this pinhole of Gary in the desert was before the one of Max (above):

This may have been my first official pinhole portrait. I was visiting him one summer while I was living in NYC and before our shoot we drove all over Phoenix looking for a cowboy hat. I had no idea how hard it would be to find a simple prop, apparently in Phoenix they take their cowboy hats pretty seriously and I wasn’t about to dish out that kind of money for a prop. This pinhole of Gary is still one of my favorites today. I did this one without a tripod. I started using a tripod to do pinhole photos about 3 years ago.

I would say the majority of my pinholes are now with a tripod or a make-shift tripod, meaning anything that will work to keep my camera still in the location that I want it to be. I’ve even used my head as a tripod, but I still get a little blur that way.

I think the perfect pinhole images are a mix of subtle blur and crisp objects. I think when you have blur on blur, the effect can appear messy. I like to think that my pinhole camera captures the energy from within and the blur is your energy. Too much energy, is just too much energy.

I used to think ‘who would want to buy a portrait of someone they do not know’? BUT now when I look at my pinhole portraits I can definitely see someone adding it to their art collection, regardless if they know the person or not. They are just beautiful pieces of art and will add character to any home.

I was eating breakfast on Sunday morning at that new restaurant I just blogged about, Over Easy, reading the Fashion Magazine from the New York Times and they dedicated a whole section to this portrait photographer. His portraits were wonderful. It was at the very moment that a CFL-bulb turned on in my head and I thought, my portraits could totally be in that magazine. Maybe not today, but I am definitely heading in that direction. It was also at that moment that I really thought I could pull off an exhibit of my pinhole portraits.

On Saturday Marilyn Szabo told me we needed to do an exhibit together. I was ecstatic and all for it and even thought, I’ve been wanting to exhibit my pinhole portraits and this would be the perfect opportunity, but it wasn’t until Sunday, while I was flipping the pages of that magazine that I realized… YES, I CAN EXHIBIT AND SELL MY PINHOLE PORTRAITS!

…it’s funny sometimes how life turns out… I never wanted to do portraits… but when the thought crossed my mind in NYC, I told my idea to someone, who told me, it can’t be done, that pinhole cameras are not for portraits… which obviously led me to prove that person wrong (even though I can’t for the life of me remember who told me that, I just remember fuming because I don’t like it when people tell me I can’t do what I want to do)… to this… LOVING pinhole portraits… and picturing them eventually in a museum.

I had more thoughts, but I’ll have to save them for another day, my lunch break is over at work and I must get back to researching recycling coordinators for each city in Texas. Fun. Fun.

This is the Gold Man from the boardwalk of Venice Beach. He was an wonderful performance artist. Sanding perfectly still until money is dropped into his bucket, then out-of-this-world dance moves begin. I could definitely learn a thing or two from hanging out and watching him perform all day. I think performance artists making a living doing something like this is a beautiful thing indeed. How liberating to spend your whole day being creative and making money!

This weekend was Phoenix Artlink’s Art Detour 2008, the 20th Anniversary of the event. I had a delightful time and just want to highlight the best moments.

*Friday night I wore my new pocadot dress and red hat to the last show of the Dietrichs. The dress is gorgeous! When I twirl, the dress twirls with me… it really is the reason I bought it. ha! The last show was great! They played all my favorites and THEN announced some great news, they are forming a new band. The Dietrichs played together for ten years and since they are now a four-some a changing of the name and a new sound was required. The sneak peak of the new song was great, I felt like it was a mix of The Dietrichs and Hot Bot (a side project they did last year). Insta-fave new band, The Westwoods

*After the show we walked to The Firehouse and Gary bought me a toy from Synthetic Compound and it’s the cutest ever! Her name is Ciao Ciao and she’s pink, a toy more appropriate was never made! I want the whole family, so I will be back for Adios and Skeleterino the Cat! It’s the perfect toy to brighten up my office!

*On Saturday after a delicious breakfast from Matt’s Big Breakfast we biked all over Phoenix! We covered about 12 miles from 1pm to 6pm and saw everything we wanted to see. Biking is definitely the way to see downtown Phoenix. It’s a great little city but the hot spots are spread out and driving is not nearly as fun as biking!

*The Icehouse had a marvelous show as always. It was our first time on floors two and three. The third floor has some neat performance pieces. On our way down we paused and opened the door on the second floor. We peered in and Gary closed the door, but I said “Hey there was people in there, let’s go in”. He said “No there wasn’t” and I said “Yes there was”. So he opened it again and it was pitch black. The first time he opened it I saw a light and two people walking! I saw two ghosts this weekend, how rad is that!

*Outside of The Icehouse these two artists were sitting in a hut they built out of mortar and bottles… wine bottles, beer bottles, liquor bottles, plain bottles, colorful bottles… The top of the hut was a kaleidescope with crystals hanging into the space. It was beautiful! Inside they had a device that measured energy! When Gary and I walked closer the device was getting brighter and louder! They were amazed and said it was the first time that had happened. Gary said, it was me because I am an alien. So now he has confirmation… his thoughts are accurate. I am an alien! I went to pinhole the piece on Sunday and she was not there, but I will contact them to photograph them both inside the hut they built.

*Stopped at the new Chez Nous on Grand Ave to do a little day drinking! Well, actually we stepped back into the 1970’s, split a Heineken and relaxed in their black leather round booths, while groovy tunes piped through the speakers. I especially loved the flocked wall paper. I think this is not the first time I have mentioned flocked wall paper on this blog. I LOVE IT! Fuzzy velvet paisley designs blanketing the wall, how could you not love it.

*Dropped into The Braggs Pie Factory to see the mutilated pinata show. My favorite pinata’s were by Beatrice Moore, one of the most incredible local artists I know. She’s also an art’s advocate and makes amazing things happen in our lovely city. I was immediately drawn to two of the pieces and both tags had her name on them! She is one of the most colorful people I know. I hope my color stays with me throughout my life like it did with her!

*Behind that show was a wonderful photography exhibit by Marilyn Szabo. All black and white images, she also had a corner photo booth set up. Gary and I smashed into the corner, me with my jellybean helmet and he with his red baseball hat and she photographed us. It was fun. WE are usually the ones setting up photo booths, so it was neat to see someone else doing it as well.

*Next great stop was Perihelion Arts, run by Amy Young and others. I thought it was one of the better exhibits we had seen. The pieces by Shag were colorful and wonderful, bold and graphic and would have looked perfect in any corner of my apartment. BUT the best pieces in the space were by Suzanne Falk, by far my favorite local artist. I am always speechless when I look at her pieces. How can one person be so talented. Her photorealism paintings will be hanging in all the major art museums in a few years.

*Between talking to Amy and then heading over to The Trunk Space to check out their Kite Show, Gary had wandered off. About 30 minutes or more had passed and I was patiently waiting for him to walk into the gallery so we could have our obligatory black and white photo booth photo taken. When he finally strolled in, he had a story to tell and some explaining to do… turns out Mr. Millard, was biking behind an abandoned motel and was arrested. He was in hand cuffs and had his rights read to him and his license scanned. Lucky for him the cop believed that he was only riding his bike and not buying crack or meth like he first thought and let him go. The crazy part of the story is that we used that hotel as a photo shoot location for Jessica and Jonathan’s engagement photos a few weeks earlier.

*Saturday night we spent with Sandra and her friends. It was her 28th birthday and we played Catch Phrase and got to know new people. Sandra is amazing and so kind. Instead of gifts she wanted us to bring items for kits an eagle scout friend of hers is putting together for homeless youth of Phoenix. So I bought $60 worth of items to help with the project. I hope he is successful in putting together 1000 kits and that he brightens the life of others in doing so.

*Sunday morning we tried out Over Easy, a new breakfast place on 40th and Indian School. It was pretty good. I had french toast and read the fashion section of the New York Times on a retro boomerang print counter top! The restaurant is in an old Taco Bell. Gary says it was one of the first taco bells, when they were still walk up taco stands.

*The best part of Sunday was going to Hollywood _______ I forget the name of the vintage store… it’s on Montecito and 7th Avenue by Melrose Pharmacy. It was my first time in there and I totally scored two gorgeous vintage hats and a pair of red earrings to go with one of the hats! I was in there for at least an hour! Every inch of the space was covered with marvelous finds! I was in vintage heaven! I will be a regular customer indeed!