JUST SAYING HELLO.....

I know this seems a little lame, yes, this is me at Villa Borghese in Rome, Italy a few years back. I had nothing noteworthy to post today and am out of town with my husband. I just wanted to say hello and thanks for reading this blog - you guys are the best.

I will be back with more soon, hope your week is going well!

STRAVINSKIJ BAR - ROME

Garden Courtyard of Hotel de Russie

I've had the joy of visiting Rome several times, so it was fun to take on this commission from a wonderful client in the fashion world. She wanted me to capture the Stravinskij Bar at Hotel de Russie near Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Italy. I actually stayed just down the street in a flat on there on Via del Babuino about 10 years ago and had a very memorable time. The Hotel de Russie is a very chic and historic hotel that has long been known as THE spot to stay in Rome, from as far back as when the "European Grand Tour" was in vogue for the jet set.  

Please let me know if there's a special place that you'd like me to capture in a custom painting - you can contact me here for details & pricing.

Have a GREAT Monday - I am packing and moving this week!!   Some sore muscles here...

ITALY REVISITED

A good friend that I've had for quite a few years recently returned from a trip to Italy with his cousin.  He was able to return to his grandfather's hometown and meet some of his relatives and cousins for the very first time. He is a very sharp and funny guy who remembers every detail and has a keen appreciation for things that your average tourist might miss. His account of the trip was intriguing - but his wit and humor, along with TONS of photos, made it all come alive.

This temple is actually a fairly recently excavated Greek edifice built just below the town his family hails from. He also found out that he is descended from these Greeks that settled there.....he had one fascinating revelation after another. Reminds me of that TV program "Who Do You Think You Are?"  Pretty cool!

He was thoughtful enough to capture this chair - he said he knew when he saw it that he needed to snap a photo of it for me!

 

He attended the New Year's Eve Mass at St. Peter's which wasn't exactly a low-key affair....

He even got close enough to get a great picture of the Pope in his distinctive ride.

He didn't forget the "Umbrella Pines" of Rome - I love these trees!  Seeing his photos made me want to go back again and now that I've found I have some family roots in Lucca, it would make another trip to Italy even more interesting. Andiamo!

DON'T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN!

Lounging in the sun? Better think twice - at least it looks like he's been using SPF 70 on his face. I guess he doesn't look too bad, considering he's been around since 1581.

This shot was taken from my balcony looking down into the street - you can spot him in the center (bottom)

See what the elements can do to your skin when you don't protect yourself? This photo is of an ancient statue in Rome, Italy. It was located directly across the street from a flat I stayed in on via de Babuino. We referred to him as "Mossy Guy", but he is known as "il babuino" or "the baboon" because of his less-than-attractive appearance. He's located on the corner of via del Babuino and via dei Greci and is just one of a multitude of fountains in the city. You can read more about him and his fascinating, uniquely Italian history here. I hope that you all have a fantastic weekend!

THE ETERNAL CITY

I was going through some of my travel photos from a few years ago and came across this view of microscopic me in front of the gates of the Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome. Great memories! Is there a trip that you have fond memories of?

FLASHBACKS FROM ROME

Photo- Josh Harwell
This photo of this vintage Fiat was taken by my brother Josh, who is an amazing photographer and graphics/web designer who just launched his own blog. While clicking through his photos, I found myself remembering some funny things about our family trip to Rome in 2000. It's amazing how photos have the ability to transport you back to the sites, smells, sounds and great memories.

Photo - Josh Harwell

Ok, this is one of those quirky things you never forget. Across from the apartment we stayed in, there was this tiny little fountain with this statue we dubbed "mossy guy" that was adjacent to the sidewalk and apparently quite a famous landmark in the neighborhood. I found a reference to him on the web, so you can see him in context. Hope you have better luck reading Italian than I did!

This is me all poofy-headed on the balcony of our apartment on Via Babuino before the advent of the flattening iron. There was a Greek Orthodox Monastery and Church across the street (note beautiful church in background). My dad had secured a place online in a great neighborhood and close to everything. Small problem when we arrived - the surly agent who rented us the apartment had lied a little in his description of the place. You should've seen us trying to get our luggage up to the place in the elevator, one bag at a time! I wish I had my mom on video trying to ask the non English-speaking landlady for a washcloth. Hilarious. Well, we certainly learned the name for it-"asciugamani" I think it was. I am probably spelling it incorrectly, but Italians don't use them. Well, we survived with insufficent toweling and our hair was dry after using our blowdryer for about an hour on half-power. Word to the wise - never bring US appliances and try to use them with adaptors. If you don't blow a fuse (like I did) you will only get a dribble of electricity. Why am I telling you this? My readers are all savvy people who are smart enough to stay in hotels and not try to live an authentic experience in a flat.

The bones of the apartment were gorgeous, but the furniture looked like something that had been hastily snatched from the Goodwill for the American chumps. My sister and I slept on this sleeper sofa that wreaked of vomit and had very hard buttons sewn onto the mattress. I tried to sleep between them, but inevitably ended up with one boring a hole into my hip bone. The linens were like 20 thread count and the blanket was one of those woolen numbers people spread out for a tailgate party. Prickly. My sister spiked my water bottle with Italian beer from the fridge (thanks, Sis) and by the end of the week, I had almost figured out how to do a load of laundry in the womb-sized washer. I had at least learned not to hang my underwear on the outside line too near the eaves. Pigeons like to leave surprises on clean laundry. They think it's funny. My jeans took about 3 days to dry, but had soaked up so much pollution by then that it smelled like I had never washed them! LOL. We had a terrific time and I came home thanking God for a full size washer and dryer. Yes, we Americans are spoiled. But it's always a good thing to go outside our own world and experience the good and the bad about the way other people live. Just don't forget your camera!

THANK YOU, MOM!

Mom and I at the beach. I have a look like,"Hey mom, I think you forgot my sunglasses!" Note the Kewpie doll hairdo.

My mom and I have always been close. As I sifted through our family photos, I couldn't help but notice that, most of the time, one of us was either draped around her neck or sitting on her! Here, I found mom to be a comfortable little perch.

On vacation. My brother, Jeremy, and I in our "Weather Tamer" windbreakers with Mom.

See what I mean? Poor thing! 3 little scaliwags hanging on Mom. How did she manage to still look so put together?

I still remember this photo op. It was hot and we were disgruntled....... Dad was probably saying,"Now, come ON! Smile!"

Mom minus anyone on her neck. Or lap. Or shoulder. Notice how much more relaxed she looks here?
Gardens of the Villa Borghese - Rome 2000.

You know, you've gotta admit it, there's only one person in life that you can claim you were never apart from for even 1 second for the space of 9 whole months. Think about it, how many people can stand that much togetherness with someone, no matter how much they love them? When you stop to consider it, Motherhood is nothing short of a miracle for a myriad of reasons. When I think about all that my mother has given, sacrificed and endured because of her love and commitment to me, it could make me want to just break down and cry. She went through physical pain in birth, getting up with me in the night when I was thirsty or sick, when I'd wet the bed or had a nightmare, and we're just talking my preschool years!

She has been there for me in my best moments, when I was exhilarated and on top of the world. But she has also been there for me through some of life's deepest disappointments and betrayals, things I felt sure I would never recover from. She has been there for me when no one else cared. When others who had pledged their undying support or love proved to be untrue or disappointments of gargantuan proportions. She has always had my best interests at heart and I have never had to wonder, even for a second, what kind of a self-serving angle or lie she was cooking up to take advantage of me. Her motives were always pure and unquestionable, because my success or joy was inextricably linked to her's, because of her love.

I firmly believe in what some people would term "karma" or what I call the law of sowing and reaping. Whatever you sow into the lives of others, either good or bad, it WILL reproduce in your life to a multiplied extent. It's inescapable and just the way things work. If that is true, and I believe it to be, then my mother is in store for a whole lot of wonderful things. Now, I am well aware not every child has such a friend, patroness, companion, nurse, teacher, comforter. But I DO. If I had nothing else in life, having a mom like mine would be enough to convince me that I was one of the most blessed people on the face of the earth. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thanks for making me feel so loved and giving me such a powerful reason to want to be even half the mother you've been to me to my own child one day!