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: Europe

Juggling work, travel and family life

I cannot believe how busy I have been these last few months with work, travel and family life. It really is a juggle most of the time as a working mother and a struggle some of the time coordinating all the sectors of my life and career, let alone my husband’s.

My time has been split between the US, Europe and Australia of late. My body has been in so many planes and times zones — I sometimes wake up and am not sure where I am.

My latest shoot in Sydney, Australia for Ezibuy provided some fun and happy behind-the-scene shots I’d like to share with you. Please see below…

Sydney - Behind-the-scenes of the recent High Summer Ezibuy shoot

Behind-the-scenes of the recent high summer Ezibuy shoot

Sydney - did someone say something funny?

Did someone say something funny?

At Mondo Studio Sydney shooting Ezibuy

At Mondo Studio, Sydney shooting for Ezibuy

Checking the monitor --wearing a maxi dress

Checking the monitor — wearing a maxi dress

A multi-coloured maxi dress ready for high summer

A multi-coloured maxi dress ready for high summer fun

A hot pink number on the monitor

A hot pink number on the monitor

Happy days shooting the cover try for High Summer in studio

Happy days shooting the cover try for the catalogue in studio

Juli Balla and Craig Beaglehole on hand to make sure all is in order

Juli Balla and Craig Beaglehole on hand to make sure all is in order

The amazing photographer, Juli Balla and I -- in-between a cover try or two

The amazing photographer, Juli Balla and I — in-between a cover try or two

Our Rosebay location house

Our Rosebay location house

In Sydney city on some amazing balcony

In Sydney city on some amazing balcony

How do you make it work with family, life & career?

What strategies help your family survive and cope with all the juggling?

Be well till next time.

L.
xoxo

And the winner is Melbourne — the world’s most livable city!

For the fourth year in a row, Melbourne wins the honour and title of the world’s most livable city. Congratulations Melbourne!

For the past 20 years I have been a frequent traveler and visitor to Melbourne not only for work but for pleasure as well.

My husband was born in Melbourne so we have always seen the family and had great friends to visit.

Melbourne has fashion, food, sport and a fabulous cosmopolitan lifestyle to offer. I simply love it and feel very comfortable in it.

I can certainly see and notice the difference in growth, development and expansion Melbourne has gone though as I’ve recently started working in the city again.

So can someone tell me — what then is with the attitude of some of the cab drivers of the world’s most livable city?

Just the other day, the cab driver who picked me up from my hotel was not impressed I wasn’t travelling far enough than the $10 fare I was going to pay him. He hissed and fussed. I wasn’t happy.

One of the models I work with in Melbourne refuses to use the regular taxi service companies for the same reason and books all her transport through Uber.

What do you think of the Melbourne cab drivers?

Is there another city in the world that has a bad rap for its cab drivers?

What do you think of Uber and similar transport services? Are you a convert? If so, why?

Is Melbourne really the most livable city in your opinion and why?

Now with that out of my system, I’m hopping on a plane heading to Europe. See you at fashion week Melbourne!

Be well.

L.
xoxo

Not another snow storm in NYC!

Yesterday I returned to New York after being on the road traveling and working in rainy San Francisco and cloudy Europe this last week or so. I feel so lucky I made it back to the Big Apple in time.

Today is another story — up to 9.5 inches of snow, sleet and ice has accumulated in Central Park since midnight. The sixth snow storm pounds the area for the season and late tonight the experts are predicting an additional 2-4 inches — really?

NYC - the snow keeps coming

NYC – the snow keeps coming

New York City has almost doubled its average in snow totals this winter and it’s not over yet. The average accumulations in Central Park are approximately 25 inches and as of yesterday the city has had 45.5 inches of snow dumped since December.

This winter is going down as one of the top 10 worst in history. Weather like this affects so many people and businesses nationally.

Some 50,000 flights have been cancelled or rescheduled this year alone due to winter weather snow storms, not to forget mass transportation — buses, trains and the NYC subway are also affected today. It’s incredible.

NYC - snow totals 9.5 inches today

NYC – snow totals 9.5 inches today

For someone who travels around the world for my business and career relying on trains, planes, airports and schedules to be on time and operating, it can be crippling, frustrating, stressful and dangerous to say the least.

I just managed to escape being stranded this time as I’ve fortunately done so many other times (delays are-a-plenty). Thousands today aren’t so lucky — I truly feel for them.

It’s cold, you don’t have a bed to sleep in, the hotels are all booked out, your competing with others simply to get home, stranded for days in most cases and there are no answers and solutions to help you make sense of Mother Nature.

This harsh winter has simply been brutal — New Yorker’s are over it and for the 3300 flight cancellations simply today, spring can’t come soon enough. Bring on the sunshine and above freezing temperatures. New York is ready for it.

Have you been stranded at an airport or city due to weather cancellations before? If so, do tell.

What’s the worst story you’ve heard?

What did you do to make it through?

Extremes of anything are dangerous

In the morning, I leave Sydney for New York. I’m flying with Qantas (my airline of choice), so I am looking forward to making my journey safely and comfortably home to the Big Apple. I cannot wait to see my precious family even though it’ll be for less than 24 hours.

Within 24 hours of touching down at JFK, I’m stepping on another plane heading to the middle of America for work on my next shoot. Catch-up family time is going to have to wait until the weekend (when I think I’m going to be home).

It has been a hot and fiery summer in Australia with fires burning out of control. Homes have been lost and certainly the lives of the innocent. It is headline news night after night – so sad and tragic to watch and listen to.

Global warming is out of control and we can see, notice and personally experience the impact of what it is doing everywhere in the world, whether in the Northern or Southern Hemispheres.

I know of someone who returned from Germany the other day and he describes his three weeks in Europe as freezing. New York up until recently has been freezing.

The weather patterns around the world seem to be out-of-control. Extremes of weather are dangerous. Extremes of anything are dangerous.

What are we going to do about it?

What are you doing about it?

What suggestions do you have to improve the way of the world?