J. Crew in Greece (alternately titled "Gingers scare me")

How insanely lovely are these images from J. Crew's Spring 2009 catalog? I know they're old hat now since they've been around for a season or so, but I just happened upon them again and was reminded of how ethereal and pretty they are. I mean, put basically anything by the seaside of the Greek Isles and it's bound to be picturesque, but the pastels and styling here are to die for.

Also, I'm just going to say it - and don't kill me. Wait: before I put it out there, I need to lead off with the information that two of my best friend are natural redheads. So what I'm going to say is that gingers (redheads with pale skin and often freckles) freak me out. Big time. It's possibly because I am somewhat akin to a ginger - I do have my fair share of freckles (though I am in no way a ginger!) - but something about redheads really give me the heebie-jeebies. Maybe I am equating gingers as a whole too closely with the kid from Problem Child:

In an attempt not to sound like a total prig, I can tell you that a recent podcast of How Stuff Works stated that redheads have a lower pain tolerance than others and require more anesthesia. They also went on to say that being a redhead is actually a genetic mutation of the MC1R gene. So I am not just a jerk - I am scientifically backed up here. :) (I keed, I keed, of course I don't really hate gingers, I'm just mildly weirded out.)

However, this is not meant to be a redhead-bashing post (and I'm working on loving my redheaded co-population). And, the (very long-winded) reason I even got on this subject is to say that the redheaded model that J. Crew used in the Greece photo shoot (above in the yellow dress) is so lovely that I may very well change my mind about gingers altogether. Or at least in this one case (and for my two redhead friends of course) for now. I did a bunch of searching and couldn't figure out who this model is, but if anyone knows, let me know. I want to send her an email to thank her for helping me with redhead-aversion therapy. Hopefully I'll come 'round soon enough.

If you are a redhead/ginger, please don't send me hate mail. I am sure you are very beautiful (or handsome). Please feel free to comment, though, and make me feel stupid for being a jerk on this topic.