I am in desperate need of eight full, red skirts for our bridesmaids and groomspeople. I want something like this, but in a rich blue-red. Also, I’d like to keep them under $70 or so. I’ve had people suggest David’s Bridal, but I’m not so into the shiny fabric in combination with the shirts I picked. Any alternate ideas for me? Email: maggeh at yahoo dot com. Thank you, thank you.

Update: Wow! Thanks for the help. The consensus seems to be that I should have the skirts made and/or dyed. I’ve been told that it’s difficult to dye fabric to a true red, but I’ll do a little more research. I think it may just be easier to find a seamstress. Thanks to everyone that wrote to me.

A well-dressed man proceeds down Market Street with one hand in his pocket and the other bent at the elbow, wrist and palm up. Tottering on his forearm is an obedient Chihuahua with the perpetually frightened look of his breed. The dog is baffled, not at all comfortable with the arrangement, and glances nervously at the ground as his front paws dance around on his perch. The man does not look at his pet or passersby, but removes his other hand from his pocket that he may check the time.

Last night we decided to honeymoon in Asia. This is why. The $699 All Asia Pass includes roundtrip airfare right out of San Francisco and twenty-one days of free travel between seventeen cities. SARS be damned, I’d be on a plane right now if I didn’t have some cake tastings and dress fittings to tend.

Meanwhile, Bridesmaid dresses are getting less offensive (and more expensive) all the time.

I’ve been craving art lately, our walls are big and bare. I went window shopping/daydreaming online, and found a few pieces by local artists whose work I’d like to see more regularly. Every morning when I make myself a cup of tea, for example.

Nate VanDyke’s “Beth“.

Tiffany Larsen was the art director of my college newspaper. She’s in Seattle now, but she’s still a Bay Area artist to me. I adore “Anchor.”

Catherine Ryan’s “Grandparents on the Couch“.

(You’ll have to scroll partway down the page to see some of these.) Diane Feissel’s self-portrait funny faces, which would look fantastic hung triptych style. Her angel (again with the scrolling, last one on the page), her girl in the window, and pair of feet (eighth and thirteenth ones down, respectively).

Kirstie Tweed’s photos are amazing, most especially “Diner Waitress,” which you can find by going to her site and clicking on Orange Girl. It’s in the top row, second over from the left. Many thanks to Andrea Scher for the tip. Speaking of which:

I love Andrea’s #1 and #10 paintings, which you can find by going to Superhero Designs and clicking on Paintings, Enter, hitting the blue button, then clicking View Work. (Whew!)

Camille Porter’s line drawings are so much fun. I especially like the last two in the top row, the girlfriends and the yearning girl. (Click on Line Drawings, then click to enlarge.)

Laura and I pass City Lights bookstore, which is hosting an apparently popular event.

Me: Who’s reading?

Laura: I think it’s Sam Shepard.

Me: What do you think, should I press my face to the window and do the blowfish thing?

Laura: Totally.

Me: Like, “Shep! What’s up Sheppppp!”

Laura: “Sammehh!” (Mimes banging on the window.)

Me: We should.

Laura: We totally should.

(We keep walking.)

Hours later we stop into Tosca for a couple of chocolate brandies. Sam Shepard is sitting in the booth next to ours. An hour or so later, he sits down at the bar facing us. Laura and I chat for a while longer, and then get up to leave. As we pass the bar, Mr. Shepard takes note.

Laura: Dude, Sam Shepard just checked us out.

Me: Yes, he did. Sam Shepard just gave us the up and down.

Laura: Ha!

Me: Awesome.

Laura: Damn.

Me: We should have bought him a drink.

Laura: I know! Why didn’t we?

Me: I don’t know. It would have been weird.

Laura: True. Damn.