Red Letter Day

Stef&Erin cocktail hat: manzanita necklace: Sophia Zuno collection dress: Forever 21 cardigan: Target shoes: Faded Glory

 I'm still learning how to use my camera, so every shoot for me is a learning experience.  John is a fantastic photographer, but I know he grows tired of me cracking up every time he tries to take a serious photo of me.  Today we were lucky enough to be joined by one of the most well-liked dogs in or family, Whitey.  Isn't he a doll?  He is the progeny of two of my dogs, Piddle and Chivo.  I think this makes him a chihuahua-dachshund-poodle mix.  Truly, it just makes him absolutely adorable.

Doing the shoot this morning, I was reminded of my elementary school days,  specifically when I was in Catholic school in the Bay Area.  I was a total nerd and outcast, basically because I had a large vocabulary and preferred reading to kickball.  Our school had no playground whatsoever, and the field on campus was not allowed to be used either.  Talk about fun! 

So, you either played kickball/dodge-ball/get hit by a ball (no thank you) or you lip-synched with the pretty girls on the blacktop.  One of the more popular brats was allowed to bring her boombox to school, so she often rocked NKOTB or The Little Mermaid soundtrack, whilst her followers mouthed the words with her, and they made up dances that took up the entire blacktop area to perform.  I'm sure you can imagine that my invite to this party got lost in the mail.

My "friends" and I, a group of girls consisting of the stereotypical bookworm (myself) as well as the obligatory "I-don't-smell-quite-right" girl, and the girl who already knew she wanted to be a boy, decided we were going to make our own fun.

There was a giant area of overgrown bushes by the student drop off, the kind of bushes where once you crawl in, not only are you invisible, you're also in some sort of leaf fort.  I'm sure the thing was chock full of bugs and possibly snakes, but myself and the genius brigade I was surrounded by, decided it would make an excellent fort, and subsequent escape from the constant mockery we received each day on the playground. 

We agreed that the next day we would each bring something to make the "fort" more comfortable.  I remember shoving an old blanket of mine so deep into my bag that it looked like I was packing for train-hopping by the time I left for school.  I had brought extra books, some chips, and of course, my blanket- all as amenities to provide for our new digs. 

I was so excited when the lunch bell rang, and even more thrilled when we all climbed into our new brushy home.  Each girl took turns unveiling what they had brought, mostly snacks and something to sit on, just like me.  But, Old Smelly had a different idea.  She looked at all of us, and with the most deadpan expression a third-grader can muster, she unveiled...a roll of toilet paper.  We all stared, a little shocked, a little concerned and maybe...a little grateful?  It was one of the stranger moments of my life, sitting there wondering, "Is she going to pee in here?!?" I didn't even want to think about the other option. 

Our occupation of the bushes was short lived.  As soon as the "cool kids" found out what we were doing, we were quickly scolded and removed from our clubhouse.  Several weeks later, I remember the landscapers weed-whacking the same bushes we used to hang out in.  As I peered out the window, I saw one of them reach deep into the bushes and produce the roll of toilet paper.  The look on his face was priceless.