Put the Lime in the Coconut...

Well, after a rockin' holiday season, we packed up the kids, kenneled the dog, and headed for tropical breezes......Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo. Thought I'd share a few of the highlights, including a great personal tour courtesy of Omar, a veritable storehouse of history and information about the area. He took us to a few local villages (which was great for our kids to experience, and check out the hand rolled cigar the old gentleman made), a tile maker (Miguel, who let my son Patrick try his hand at the art), and a new archaeological dig that is uncovering a pyramid. We highly recommend Omar (Cell #01 (755) 115-45-61), who is as kind and fun to hang with as he is knowledgeable.
My son managed the challenge of climbing a coconut tree (you can see the moment of panic as he hugged the trunk), and in a classic sibling moment "helped" his sister get over the fear of big waves......ending, as usual, in tears. (Does this look familiar anyone??) But at the next beach she was diving into them without a second thought - so maybe there is something to the wild jungle code of brother vs sister.
And for anyone going down there this time of year, keep your eyes peeled for the baby sea turtles hatching - my daughter got to release one into the wild blue.
One of my favorite moments was at a catholic church in a village nearby, where the old man with the source candle lit the faithfuls' offerings, prayers promised to loved ones, sick ones, those in need. It is a lingering habit for me to light a candle when I am in a church while traveling, having been raised Catholic.
All in all, after spending a few days at a lovely hotel, followed by a few days in a very basic accomodation with a more communal feel, my recommendation is to definitely mix it up - but end it with the thick towels and room service! My self portrait with toes peeping out of the terrace hot tub pretty much sums it up....
I want to thank all my fabulous clients for the gift of spending time with them and their families, and hope you all are having a magical holiday season.
Hasta la Vista!

Big Hair, Foil Wrapped Please...

After shooting in my studio downtown the other evening, I was tipped off by a friend (thanks Ruby!) that the gals at Red Salon across the street were up to some avant garde fun for December's Artwalk. I dashed over to snap a few quick shots before the festivities got under way, and the lovely Shawn Wright was kind enough to let me in for a few minutes while they were still preparing. I thought their idea of holding up frames to present themselves as works of art (which they were!!) was too cool. That's what I call foil decked glam!