Qantas | Hold the Glamour

October 5, 2013

What makes a fashion model, a model?

What does a ‘fashion model’ mean to you? What thoughts come to your head? How would you describe one and what separates one from another in your opinion? What age is too young and what age is too old? Please… talk to me!

This week I have had two beautiful yet interesting women called ‘models’ come to my attention in the news and for obvious reasons I was riveted. I wanted to know more.

The first was 85 year-old Daphne Selfe from the UK. The Today Show called her ‘the oldest working supermodel in the world’. I was intrigued. I watched as this beautiful and confident woman in her old age spoke about her life and career which has spanned over 60 years.

What a remarkable woman and talk about the career she has had — who can speak of that? She still looks amazing and makes an effort to look her best with her long greying hair. I simply love the lines on her lived-in face. What a fabulous story it tells and reveals. Like I said… I am intrigued.

http://www.models1.co.uk/details.aspx?modelid=1601&subID=7773&mainsubid=7773&sexid=2

The second woman I knew nothing about until two days ago was Nicole Trunfio. Not only is Nicole a sexy and beautiful Aussie chick — she is so hot right now and has been for ages. What a fabulous career she has had thus far. Nicole has this classic, curvy, sexy beauty that makes you feel appreciative of being a woman. OMG! I love her look.

http://www.nicoletrunfio.net

It really is incredible how many successful people there are in the world. There are so many that standout in the modeling/fashion industry, that I am still meeting so many of them along my amazing life and career journey. It is phenomenal and it still blows my mind.

Tomorrow, I’m hopping on a Qantas flight bound for New York. I have to get packing so stay tuned for more ‘fashion model fun’!

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February 20, 2013

Handy travel tips that make life easier

Since my last post, I’ve traveled out of New York a couple of times to Philly and Little Rock again. This time I got stuck in Little Rock, Arkansas. Funny how I can make it home during one of the biggest storms (Blizzard Nemo) in our area in a hundred years however, I can’t get home because of a thunderstorm.

On Monday early evening I was to fly out of Little Rock to New York, via Chicago. A thunderstorm delayed my outbound flight to Chicago and immediately it threatened my connection to New York. I had the choice to risk it and see what happens, end up in a hotel in Chicago or stay put in Little Rock. I decided to stay put.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to work yesterday however, it messed up my plans I had with Mila for the day as well as a bunch of errands I had to run and packing for my next trip.

Yesterday I woke up at 3.30am and caught a 6am flight out of Little Rock to Chicago where I connected for a flight to La Guardia. It was snowing when I arrived in Chicago. I arrived home around 1pm, approximately 14 hours after I was originally due to arrive. This is not the glamourous side to the business.

Little Rock, AK – My 6am sunrise from the plane

Chicago – It’s snowing when we land

You see I’m at JFK airport right now, awaiting my Qantas flight to Sydney, Australia. I start shooting for Ezibuy on Monday for a week and I’ve finally stopped still for what seems like the first time in days.

The endless preparation that goes on before I leave on big trips such as this one is incredible. The kids, house, me and business keep going on and on. Is it like this for all working mother’s? Is it like this for all people who travel a lot for their occupation? The constant juggling and planning never stops.

I wonder sometimes how I get it all done… I know my amazing husband has a lot to do with it. I am thankful and grateful for Steve who is my true partner in life and love. We are a team. I know I could not do this and have the life I/we have without him.

Anyway, I thought I’d share with you some travel tips that I have found to work for me whether I’m on the road for business or pleasure. If you have any ideas or tips you would like to share – please do so. I’m all ears.

Drink plenty of water before, during and after your trip
Eat lightly
Pack healthy snacks like carrots and nuts in case you get hungry
Pack an eye-mask and ear plugs so you can zone out the noise and light and hopefully fall sleep
Pack some reading material especially for take-off and landing (no electronics allowed in use at this time)
Sleep whenever you can
Check and double-check all flight details and your itinerary
Ensure you have all travel documents in one, safe and easy place to access
Pack a scarf and extra clothes like a cardigan so you can layer – it can get very cold on the plane
Wear comfortable clothes

I’m sure I’ll remember other things to add. Stay tuned for more glamourous travel and life moments.

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January 14, 2013

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?

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Link | September 14, 2012

Qantas interview

When I was in Australia this June, I was interviewed by Julie McCrossin from Up & Away with Qantas.

My interview is airing for the month of September so feel free to have a listen to some of my global travels and experiences.

Happy listening!

Qantas – inflight interview September 2012 (scroll down to Up & Away with Julie McCrossin)

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Tomorrow I return to New York where my family is eagerly awaiting my arrival. I cannot wait to see them and as always, am bursting to see their smiling faces – hugging and kissing them all over for hours. I have to make up for the time away from them.

September is my favourite month in New York. The coziness of fall is around the corner. It’s a romantic time that leads into winter and the holidays we celebrate at the end of every year.

School has started for the kids and the lazy, hot, humid days of summer are behind us. It’s back to life as we know it!

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July 3, 2012

Noosa, Qantas & ‘Mornings’

We arrived in Noosa, Queensland to finish the Sara by Ezibuy shoot after a mere one-and-a-half hour flight. We settled in to our accommodation, bought some breakfast foods for our mornings, unpacked and got to bed by 9pm for our very early start the next day. The weather was fine the first day however, the remainder of the trip was a wash-out. It actually rained when the forecast made no mention of bad, grey, cool and wet weather. It was not good.

The Australian Brushturkey could not have been more unaffected by the weather or our shoot schedule. They were roaming freely, staring at me with my pin curls in the van waiting for the crew to set up on the beach.

Noosa – Australian Brushturkey

Noosa – did someone say we were ready to start shooting?

Our last day we were huddled in a tent on the beach, trying to stay warm and dry. Thank goodness I have learnt to take my very warm Ugg boots and coat with me whenever I shoot on location. Once bitten, twice shy as they say? No one likes being cold – or do you?

Noosa – The Sara crew and I waiting it out on the beach for the rain to stop and the blue skies to appear

Once back in Sydney, whilst the crew continued the shoot in studio, I had a day of media booked through my agent Harry M. Miller. My first interview was with Qantas’ – Up & Away with Julie McCrossin. The interview will air in September on the Qantas inflight entertainment radio channel. I’ll most likely get to hear myself on radio as I’ll be returning to Australia in September. How bizarre indeed!

Sydney – ‘Mornings’ TV program on channel 9

Next up, I appeared on the channel 9 morning television program called appropriately, ‘Mornings’ with hosts Sonia Kruger & David Campbell. It was my first time on this particular show and meeting both Sonia and David. They were as friendly and lovely as they appear on air. We spoke about my life as a full-figure model, travels and what life is like being away from home and my family.

Sydney – My appearance on ‘Mornings’ on channel 9

Sydney – With hosts Sonia Kruger & David Campbell

And finally on my Sydney agenda was my last studio day for Sara. The crew and I went at it hard and fast all day long. It was a 12-hour day finishing at 7pm. Needless to say, my 5.30am start was finally catching up with me. I drove to my parent’s home with my family all waiting to have a delicious meal cooked by my amazing mother – it was time to say farewell to this Australian trip.

Sydney – Abby Valdez and I working hard and fast on our final day of the Sara shoot

Did I mention, how much I missed my husband and two kids? I was so ready to go home to New York and see their beautiful, smiling faces – waiting for me on the street as my car pulled up to our apartment building. It will remain as one of my favourite snapshots of my memory to date. I was ready to inhale them all.

What are some of your favourite memory snapshots?

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June 15, 2012

From New York to Sydney

I started this post in New York on Monday just prior to being picked up and taken to JFK airport. I had a plane to catch… I was on my way to Sydney, Australia to shoot for Sara, Ezibuy and due to ‘technical difficulties’ was unable to complete my post. So here we go, take two!

SoHo – Cutler Salon on West Broadway

This morning I had my highlights done and I feel so much better. It had been a while. I went to Cutler Soho this time on West Broadway and had the wonderful Ben Stewart take care of me and my roots. I was in his chair by 9am and had to be… I had an international flight to catch. Ben highlighted one side of my hair then the other. His assistant Jen rinsed one side then the other. It is a process and the colour takes time to develop. Ben can’t rush the process even though he knows I’m watching the clock constantly. I drive him crazy I’m sure.

SoHo – the very talented Ben Stewart highlighting my hair at Cutler Salon

It’s a mad dash home. I’m packed and ready to go so I shower, change and try to spend as much time with Steve and the kids as possible before Luis picks me up and drives me to JFK airport, Terminal 7. I’m flying with Qantas on QF108 from New York to Sydney, via Los Angeles. My journey to my parent’s place door-to-door is approximately 27 hours. It is very long indeed. I try to see it this way… I have something to look forward to at each end of my trip. When traveling to Australia I have my mum, sister, family and friends to see and returning home to New York I have Steve, Mila and Levi to rush home to.

It is certainly an adjustment being away from my sweet angels for almost two-and-a-half-weeks. It is an adjustment for us all in fact. We speak, email &/or text everyday and there’s a constant flow of pictures between my family in New York and me in Australia. We miss each other terribly.

So I leave on Monday night, am in transit on Tuesday and arrive in to Sydney on Wednesday. My first day is spent getting waxed, having a mani/pedi and catching up with family for an early dinner. My lights are out by 9.30pm. It is the deepest and sweetest of sleeps. I’m awake by 3am and drift off again by 5am. Don’t you love jet lag? What tricks do you have? Any tips to share?

My second day in the Land of Oz, I go and visit an aunt and uncle in the morning and after returning to mum’s for lunch I finally get to unpack and go through mail that has accumulated over the last three months since I was here last. Calls and emails take up most of my afternoon in the office before retiring by 9pm… Ready for my 6am start and day one of my Sara shoot in a studio in Sydney.

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Tag: Qantas

Link | September 14, 2012