Gentlemen, Choose Your Weapon

This piece has been in the works for several weeks ... It took her a while to tell me what she (we) needed to say...

Will the gentlemen choose the key to unlock her heart

or

The scissors and rip the heart out of her chest? 

Her hands are dirty, representing the fact that she's not completely innocent in what the final decision will be.  

Her eyes are sewn shut since love really is, and maybe should be, blind

(...and as a shout out to Alice in Chains who's Man in the Box gave me my original inspiration.)

However, she is most blinded by the visions of sugarplums dancing in her head ... I was going to cut off that screw that attaches her head to the box, but love makes everyone a bit screwy .. so it stays!

She is lit from within by a flickering red light ... her red heart glowing, hoping the gentleman chooses the key, but the 000's off to the left represent how she can often under-estimate her own self worth .. causing the red light take on a more ominous, but not necessarily more obvious, meaning.   The hopeful/desperate/dreamy often prostitute their emotions, values, hopes or dreams in some way .. which probably leads to the selection of the scissors over the key every time

... and we're back to the dirty hands ..

Thanks to everyone who had a hand and/or voice in this piece.  

Thanks to Julia who provided both suggestions and inspiration.  May the men in your life always make the right choice.  

Thanks to Karen for her helpful suggestions and encouragement.

Thanks to my stumbling buddy Tony for not flinching and for turning a very uninspiring white tea light red for me!  However,  if I would have revealed where I was going, he might have had second thoughts about getting involved! 

And now ... another piece, along with some baggage, is being set free!!  Adios!