SLC March 2013: Adult Version

Song:

Imagine Dragons’ Radioactive

Scripture:

Doctrine and Covenants 45:70

And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

Picture and Stories:

So we went to Utah to see if we could hang there.  Could the minions and I possibly build a new life in that freaky state?  I have never lived in Utah and never even considered it as a place I might consider to consider. 

But then I got into some Law Schools out there.  There and in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City. 

I thought when I applied to law school I would be magically guided into exactly where to go and what to do.  Fortunately or unfortunately I now have far too many doors open and I have no idea which one to walk through.  It’s the paradox of choice.  I’m paralyzed. 

The U of U was having an open house and it was around Spring Break time for my kids, so Salt Lake City became the first location scouted.

Being a Californian I have been conditioned to be skeptical about Utah.  Everybody says that they love it and how great it is for families and how Salt Lake City is way different than the weirdness I always experience in Provo. 

So without much pressure from my friends and family (I wish they would pressure me more … actually I wish they would just make these decisions for me altogether) I went with an open mind.  Here are our adult exploits.

Activity 1:  NIYA Model Management.  My BFF Dead Body friend Niya started a boutique modeling agency in SLC last year.  It’s taken off!  She has a shared studio office in downtown SLC.  I’ve been doing some of the internal communications from home and helping style photo shoots, so it was great to actually be IN the office and working with all the people I’ve talked to via email etc.  While there we interviewed for a new intern (we still haven’t filled that position, so if you know someone who is a social media whiz kid, tell them to email me lenore.management@gmail.com), we helped a photographer who was in town from Beijing with a photo shoot she’d scheduled, did open calls on Friday for new potential models, and basically attempted to talk Niya off many panic ledges.  She’s a machine and she does way too much.  I’m the Gayle to her Oprah.  We were stacking up meetings three per night, it was kind of extreme.

Niya permanently glued to her Mac. 

 

Activity 2:  Jory’s for comfort food.  It’s good to have a friend who is a real live foodie chef.  He’s food obsessed and loves cooking for other people.  Such a gem.

Activity 3:  Visiting with Niya’s brother Steve.  His lovely daughters watched the kids while we ate very exotic BBQ in Draper. 

 

 

Activity 3:  We had a mixer for all the photographers, makeup artists, advertising people, models, and everybody else we’ve been working with at the agency.  It was like hanging out with giants.  I’m 5’6” so I never feel short, but when I’m around this group I feel like a total runt.  Most of them were head and shoulders taller than me.  I think this may have been a secret ploy by Niya to get me to come work with her in Utah… and maybe it’s working.  She wants me to ramp up and run the men’s division.  Not that hard of a sell…  (Major thank you to cousin Anna and fam for letting my minions sleep over.  It was their highlight seeing their “Utah cousins”.)

Activity 4:  Niya got a text from the lead singer of Imagine Dragons saying that they’d left comp’d tickets at Will Call for three of us.  Yeah, that’s kind of a rockstar perk of being in the fashion industry.  Free tickets to a sold out show?  Yes, thank you!

While at Imagine Dragons I ran into my friend Paul Duane who was shooting the show.  Shooting the show … and us.  It was like having our own personal photographer. www.paulduane.net  Unfortunately I am not photogenic.  He went through most of my pics and my discomfort is obvious.  I was raised to think that getting your picture taken was silly and embarrassing and thus I am severely camera shy and awkward.  That’s why most of my pictures of myself are pulling faces or taken by a child.  I hate pictures of myself, but blogging kind of requires them.

Niya said I have to participate in photos for press.  Flattering, but still I cannot vogue to save my life.

A Paul Duane shot of the Imagine Dragons dude.  Apparently he is my second cousin, which is totally irrelevant.  His mom is my mom’s close friend and cousin, so pretty much that means I am famous.  Ha.

 

This tyrannosaur came with us.  Dville roots run deep.  Once a Danvillian always family.

This shot is pretty much an accurate representation of style I love right now.

Activity 5:  Seeing old friends.  Bobb (actually Robb, but that name is too cool for this nerd) is one of my oldest friends with whom I traveled to Spain a hundred years ago.  He was part of the Brett/Devin/Alex gang in LA ten years ago.  Also met lots of new friends who feel like old friends already.

I can’t help it, I adore this picture.  This was 10 years ago in Barcelona.  Bobb, Alex (holy abs, Al) Brett, me Dev.  You guys all love it when I blog about you.

Activity 6:  The Revolv magazine launch party.  Somehow we got on the SLC circuit of where-it’s-at parties.  Where are the young interesting people hanging out in Salt Lake?  Here.  It’s hipster, yep, in every sense of the word.  Please don’t tell them I have multiple degrees, children, a minivan, health insurance, and I don’t drink (let alone drink Pabst Blue Ribbon).  I’m a poser hipster.  Is that worse?  Perhaps.  But to their credit, these are some of the most creative people I’ve met in a long time so I enjoy these see and be seen parties with all their ironic facial hair.

 

The great Paul Duane up to his lady-legs.  He rocks nylons and heels and he’s okay with that.

Activity 7:  Visit Gogol Gardens and find a lovely rock arch that would serve nicely as a wedding canopy.  Have my new FRIEND (yeah, DB, you hate that.  What are you going to do about it?) perform a faux equality ceremony.  (No, we are not that way.  We are nice, righteous LDS women just having a laugh).

 

And that is how Niya got me to see Salt Lake City in a new light.  We did a lot of totally fun activities that I don’t have access to in my current location.  There are people my age-ish and who have similar family situations.  I liked the people.  There was plenty to do.  I’m officially considering moving to Salt Lake City in the summer.