Rock and Roll and High Fashion

Music is in our kids' blood, really in their souls.  Both kids are named after songs that Tom and I love - Bella after a Jimi Hendrix riff and Scarlett after a Grateful Dead jam.  And, no Zarcone girl can hear music without shimmying the shoulders or shanking the rump.  As many of you know, our living room is the permanent home of a disco ball (and we love to bust out the crazy flashing lights for a dance party).    

Today, we ventured into the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch.  Now, I generally try to avoid Americanized chain restaurants when traveling, but the restaurant was right beside us when my people were about to get terminal from hunger.  As a survival tactic, I took them in.  As soon as the girls heard (and felt) the pulsating music, their eyes got as huge as saucers and they were smiling from ear to ear.  They ate so slowly because they were transfixed on the gigantic movie screen that was playing an eclectic mix of music videos.  The girls loved wondering around and looking at all of the memorabilia.  Bella almost lost her mind because they had some items from Jimi Hendrix.  Scarlett loved getting behind the drum kit on the stage.  Her drum teacher, Rick, would have been VERY proud.

Nothing goes with rock and roll like high fashion.  What did you expect, sex and drugs - I am with my kids people!!!!!!  After swimming upstream through all of the weekend tourists, we made our way to the Gucci Museum.  And, I think I created a monster.  So some day down the road when Bella is asking for Gucci instead of Abercrombie and Fitch (which I will NEVER let her wear anyway), I will really only have myself to blame.  

I knew the girls would love the museum.  I could have stayed in the section on luggage and handbags all afternoon.  I am a firm believer that a girl should only buy high quality handbags.  I may now have to step up my game from lowly Coach to forever fabulous Gucci!  Bella was all about the scarves and casual dresses - she saw a dress from the 1970s about which she is still dreaming.  I am sure my mom owned thirty dresses very similar (but much less expensive) to this one - and with any luck there is still one hanging around in her closet.  Scarlett is all about the glitz and glamour, so she was very taken by the formal gowns.  This little girl is going to have high expectations for her prom gown!

After we went to the museum, Bella insisted that we head to the Gucci store (which again required swimming through tourists to reach).  While I wanted to snuggle up, pet and sniff the handbags, Bella was all business about getting to the clothing section.  I dodged a bullet because they didn't have a "kids" section in this particular store.  But, Bella was trying to convince me to let her try on anything in a ladies extra-small.  I wasn't sure how seriously Gucci took the "don't touch and please ask if you want to look at anything" philosophy that is a shopping gospel in Italy.  Every time Bella instinctively reached out to touch the clothes, I about karate chopped off her hand.  After the trauma of almost having her limbs lopped off by me, I seriously think Bella floated down the stairs of the store.  She was on cloud nine and drunk from exposure to the finer things in life.  

So tonight as the girls lay down their heads on their pillows, instead of counting sheep Scarlett will be dreaming of playing her drums on the Hard Rock stage and Bella will be modeling all of Gucci's finest fashions from past to present.