Hold the Glamour

I am a full-figure model and working mother. I am a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend. I am a Leo. I am a first-generation Aussie and mother to two amazing little native New Yorkers. I believe that fashion is important—but so is real life. I believe that all women are beautiful and strong. I believe in working hard and loving harder. I believe in eating delicious food and drink with close friends, in breathing deep the air of new places, in laughing until you cry. I believe that when our bodies and minds are healthy and balanced, anything is possible.

Tag: Barbara Brickner

November 22, 2012

Radio City Rockettes and Magnolia Bakery

Since my last post I’ve been a very busy bee. I’ve traveled and worked in Milwaukee and Minneapolis for most of the week or so in-between. Time escapes me and before I know it, I’m in the here and now and it’s the eve before Thanksgiving. It’s probably the biggest public holiday in the U.S. of A and I am yet to get my head around hosting this traditional event. So here goes…

I did mange to squeeze some family time over the weekend however – I took Mila to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (The Rockettes in all their glory and precise splendor). It was amazing. We both loved it and it was our first time to the show for both of us. Mila and I both highly recommend it. We had orchestra seats and we saw it all before our eyes. It was fabulous.

NYC - Radio City Christmas Spectacular

NYC – Radio City Christmas Spectacular

The show was truly a spectacular and it was so precise and the dancers were in exact time. Mila, I and the hundreds who saw the show that session simply loved it. We were blown away.

Afterwards, we enjoyed the delicious Magnolia Bakery only blocks from where we were. Mila selected her six favourite cupcakes for her, Levi and our guests due later that day. What can I say other than yum and gone! A must on the New York City circuit. Remember the scenes in Sex and the City? If not, go back and revisit.

NYC - Rockettes Toy Soldier

NYC – Rockettes Toy Soldier routine

The Toy Soldier routine was simply amazing. It took minutes for all of the dancers to fall down gracefully and rhythmically. It was one of the best choreographed routines I’ve seen ever seen and coming from an ex-dancer that’s something! I was left speechless.

Before I know it, six loads of laundry later, whilst frantically packing for my work trip, I hop on a plane from JFK for an almost three-hour flight to work. Once I arrive, I’m then privileged to a wonderful catch-up with Barbara Bricker for a few days. Whilst we were working together, one of the many things we spoke about and discussed at length was Thanksgiving dinner. Barb helped me come up with my menu and traditional dinner fare for the holiday. I was most thankful and grateful. It is my first time hosting the entire event so it was important to get it right. A work in progress I must say as I emailed my darling husband Steve the shopping list.

Minneapolis - Barbara and I

Minneapolis – Barbara and I

Minneapolis -Beri Smithers and the gang

Minneapolis -Beri Smithers and the gang

After we finish our shoot, four of the six models were heading home to New York. We rushed to our cars and headed to the airport. As soon as I got in my car with Beri, I took off my make-up and called home. The picture below is me negotiating with my four and two-year olds to eat their wonderful dinner that our nanny Isabel had made for them. It’s a hard sell.

Beri, who was riding with me in the car starts laughing and takes the picture below. Her words to me were, ” From supermodel to super negotiator”. She is not wrong. Beri Smithers’ too is a supermodel and she was one of the first straight-sized models I ever met when I moved to New York. She is a rock star and I love her so.

Minneapolis - In the car on the way to the airport

Minneapolis – In the car on the way to the airport

I arrive home by midnight and am so tired my eyes are bloodshot. I cannot wait to get to sleep however, it takes me a very long time. I have Thanksgiving dinner to prepare and host and for that, I am geed up! My next installment will be me hosting me first ever Thanksgiving dinner… Success or failure to come!

Stay tuned.

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July 18, 2012

Women of the world

I arrived in Minneapolis 11.15pm local time (that’s 12.15am EST). I was picked up from the airport and taken to my hotel along with a straight-sized model Lana that I worked with earlier this year and with another client. We were busy sleeping on the plane so we caught-up once we were in the car and on our way.

Our hotel room was nice and clean. I unpacked, got my work bag ready and fell in to the big, comfortable bed by 12.30am local time. When the alarm sounded at 7am, I was pretty sure I hadn’t moved all night.

On the ground floor of the hotel, I meet the four other models I was working with over the next few days at Starbucks – a very necessary start to our day. I knew Lana already and my dear and stunning friend Barbara Brickner was the other full-figured model on the shoot. The other two lovely ladies were straight-sized.

Minneapolis - Our location shoot

Minneapolis – Our shoot on location

We hit it off right away, discussing family (husbands & children), work, travel, schooling, fashion and of course the juggling of it all. It was a common thread amongst all five of us and we had a lot in common. We didn’t stop talking, asking questions and sharing advice whilst the camera clicked away. It was so refreshing to be amongst women of the world who had come from all four corners and traveled it well both personally and professionally.

Minneapolis - Behind the scenes

Minneapolis – Behind the scenes

That evening, our client took us out for a delicious Japanese dinner. We all loved it and ended up in bed a little later than we had anticipated. See what happens when women get together and spontaneously have glamourous fun over dinner and a glass of wine?!  It was a great way to start the shoot and it gave us the opportunity to get to know each other, including the client and producer.

Minneapolis - The stunning Barbara Brickner laying one on me

Minneapolis – The stunning Barbara Brickner laying one on me!

One of the models had ‘googled’ me since it was my first time working with her, this client and the other four models. They other’s have been regularly working together over the last year or two. I thought it a little odd at first. I can’t say I’ve ‘googled’ another model prior to a shoot before – perhaps it has become more of a common thing these days. Well, she knew a bit about me before we started shooting anyway – it started the conversation rolling amongst the crew.

One of the questions that was asked of me was, what editorial was I most proud of or that I liked the most that I have done in my career. There were two that came to mind – one was the jet-setting feature I did in the Australian Cosmopolitan magazine about five years ago and the other was in the Australian Women’s Weekly. I must say, the women’s magazines in Australia really support curvy, beautiful women of all shapes, sizes and ages. This is wonderful, exciting and rewarding at the same time.

Wouldn’t it be fabulous and fantastic to have more editorials for women who are curvy and of all shapes, size, colour and age represented by more, if not all magazines around the world – a representation of WOMAN not just young, slim and pretty?

What are your thoughts?

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