Living the Dream

In more ways than I can count, our life here is an adventure, unpredictable even at times. Thankfully, Baxter and I both thrive in this kind of environment, and have learned to appreciate and enjoy the random as well as the ridiculous.

This past week I had one of those experiences, that was not entirely random, but on some levels, pretty ridiculous. A good friend of mine and I went shopping, and while out and about she suggested we stop by to see her photographer husband who was doing a shoot nearby. This particular friend is tons of fun, and thrives on spontaneity. So we stop by this little make up shop where her husband is photographing this lovely young lady for an advertisement for the shop, when my friend suggests to the owner/make up artist that she practice on me - clearly, because I am a foreigner.

So next thing I know, not only am in the chair with all kinds of lotions, powders, and potions being applied to my face . . . but the owner asked if we could take some pictures of me! Now, you have to know, it is Baxter and I's not so secret ambition to be featured on advertisements here in our city. There is a brand of potato chips that has this red-headed American child dressed as an angel on their package (makes sense, right?), which led us to decide we could have no greater ambition for not only our future children but for ourselves as well.  If you are one of about 30 foreigners in a town of about half a million and you cause a stir most of the time anyways, why not go big? Billboards, sides of buses - we can only dream.

What I thought was going to be a few fun pictures of the local white girl, turned into a full on 3 hour photo shoot with three different "looks". Daytime, nighttime, and what Baxter and I named the alien/peacock look. It was actually tons of fun, and was a boost that I needed on that particular day. Below are some of the pictures, and yes, I have decided to include some of my personal favorites that understandably won't be used for the advertisements. But the last two she WILL be using, which is so funny to me. First stop, make up store wall . . . next stop - BILLBOARDS!!

I get a kick out of this one, because clearly, the pose is awkward. They painted my nails to match this wrap thingy I'm wearing that incidentally, you  can't see.

  

The oh-so-classic and yet entirely ridiculous, hide behind the leaf pose. 

Natural, right?

And these are the two that will be displayed in her shop. I decided to overlook some of the airbrushing, during which my cheeks were made to look a tad fuller, and a mole on my nose was cropped out. No hard feelings as long as it lands me at most a bus, and at least a bag of potato chips. Livin' the dream my friends!