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: clients

December 6, 2013

Three castings, a dead body and sore feet

Two days ago my day started at 6.30am. I was out the door by 7.45am ready to catch a cab to the Port Authority on 42nd Street and 8th Ave, New York.

I boarded an 8.20am bus to a town in New Jersey called Rochelle for a casting at 9.30am. I was dressed up, hair and make-up were done and I wore a cute pair of heeled boots for maximum impact to impress my potential clients.

Minutes away from my first casting of the day, the bus I was on slowed down. I looked up and saw police cars everywhere as we crawled passed a crime scene.

I then saw a partially naked women’s body lying under a tree — DEAD! All but her legs from the thigh down were covered up by a white sheet. I stopped breathing. The reality of it all moved from my stomach to my throat. Insanity! I’ve lived in New York for almost 12 years, and never before had I seen a crime scene like this one.

I saw my client, tried on three outfits and had photos taken of me wearing their samples. I was there for an hour.

I waited 40 minutes for a bus to take me back to New York all the while wondering if I’d see the poor victim on my return (I didn’t).

Once in New York, I lost my weekly unlimited metro card (public trains & buses) on my way to my agency JAG in Chelsea… Great! I was still a little shaken at seeing the dead woman.

I picked up my composite cards, book and details for my next two castings. Next stop was Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Someone at casting #2 took a comp card and some digital shots of me in my own clothes. I rushed out the door on my way back to the city.

I hadn’t anticipated on walking so much in my cute heeled boots which were no longer feeling so cute. All I kept imagining was taking them off and soaking my feet for hours.

Casting #3 was in Tribeca, New York. I didn’t have a picture ID on me to be let into the building so the security guard gave me a hard time for a while before he let me up to the 12th floor of the building… Really? I just saw a dead woman.

I had literally traveled to two states and two boroughs in one day. Onward I went, walking the city that never sleeps and is never quiet in my boots and hot, throbbing feet — counting every step closer to home. What a day!

Later that night, I watched the news and saw the segment about the dead woman I had seen. It was horrible and very real unfortunately.

Have you ever seen a dead body from a crime scene before?

If so, what happened and when?

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April 4, 2012

So far this week

Self portrait - off to a casting in the city

Self-portrait – off to a casting in the city

My week starts off on Sunday night after returning from another two fourth birthday parties with water dripping from our skylight in our dining room (it was raining in New York all afternoon and evening). Not impressed at all, since the external repairs we completed last September. Not again I scream silently!

Monday morning I am calling the Condo Board or Body Corporate if you will, trying to get a roofer out A.S.A.P. to take a look at what we are dealing with all the time, trying to get ready for a casting in the city. A casting is like a meeting or appointment where you meet with the client or person booking you for the upcoming modeling job. We have many we need to attend. It’s a great way to meet new clients and refresh the memory of existing ones.

So, our nanny Mollie comes in to take care of Levi for a couple of hours whilst I get ready (hair & natural make-up a must), dash in to see the client, have some pictures taken of me after they have looked at my portfolio book. They take a composite card for their records then I dash back home in time to relieve Mollie and feed Levi his lunch. The two of us build a Lego barn afterwards so he can drive his matchbox cars in and out of… Levi’s favourite pastime.

After lunch, I clean and tidy up, put Levi down for his two-hour nap then go to work in our home office (filing, opening mail, sorting through receipts etc.) and make calls without interruption. This is a great chance for me to get ‘office work’ stuff done and it’s much easier when a child is napping.

Today the roofer and our super came to inspect the damage and probable cause of the leak. The quote is expected in the next day or two. The Condo Board meeting is on Thursday night so I’ll make sure to attend that (in place of Steve who’s on the board and not back with Mila until Friday) and see what the quote reveals.

This afternoon, I had a manicure and pedicure in preparation for work tomorrow. I have my  days or hours of ‘maintenance’ as I call it which includes hair colouring, hair cut every three months, waxing, manicures and pedicures. All the above has to be taken care of on a very regular basis. It’s my responsibility as a professional to take care of my business and believe me, it is work after a while.

It’s Tuesday night as I write my blog…. There’s never a dull moment in my world.

Stay tuned for the next glamourous post.

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