Almost Famous...

(screenshot I took after watching a clip of the infomercial on youtube.)

It seems that my physique is extremely recognizable. Well…my abdominal section is at least. For the last couple of weeks I've been getting messages from people who happen to be up at 3 am watching infomercials. And the really cool part is, they spotted me on their television! Over the summer I had filmed a series of workout videos for TapouT, and the infomercial for these new workout DVD's has now hit the airwaves. You don't see many close up shots of me in the infomercial portion, probably due to the fact that I was hired to do these videos, and the majority of the other people were participants in the program that transformed their bodies. So, there is a lot more focus on their success stories and the before/after pictures. I didn't participate in the 90 day program and according to my sister, they'd need a baby picture if they wanted to get my "before" body. The videos also feature professional MMA fighters…and obviously I'm not one of those. So, basically I was the gal with the ripped body that you're supposed to think got that body by doing the 12 DVD's that you can purchase. In all honesty, the workouts really and truly kicked my butt. I filmed more segments than anyone else because of course I could handle it--being the professional athlete and all--but by the end of the week standing was a real chore for me.

Let me know if you happen to catch the infomercial…and better yet, let me know if you happen to purchase the DVD's and tell me what you think of these workouts! They are legit and all you need is your living room and your DVD player. I don't promise an abdominal section like mine, but maybe close. :)

To find out a little bit more about these workouts you can check it out here: TapoutXT

Working Girl

After my season I usually take some time off to be a couch potato coupled with a professional twinkle eater--fried twinkles, preferably. This gives me ample time to get to the point where I'm so bored of being bored and can't stand to eat another sugar-ladened treat. At the end of this time I am itching to get training again. It's a cycle that has worked well for me for many, many years but this year I have decided to change it up a bit.

For the past week I have been striking with real MMA fighters. Not against them, of course--I'm not crazy--but on the same set as them while filming a crazy new workout video. It's been a real joy learning the difference between a crossover and an uppercut and I'm sure I've done enough pushups to last a lifetime. Thankfully, all the ab and core work was a piece of cake because of the steel abs I developed working out with the snazzy new gadget I helped promote on the infomercial I filmed the week prior. I kid… all that machine did was give me sore hip flexors and work my inner thighs. But it also gave me a paycheck, and for that I'm truly grateful. (and yes, this is the same infomercial I complained about NOT getting a few blogs down...turns out they came to their senses--or, they read my blog.)

These couple of jobs have filled my days with something to do besides channel surf, helped supplement my income during a time when I'm not able to compete, and kept me conscious of the dimple that I found on my thigh. Believe me, you become extremely body conscious when you have to be on set for 10 hours a day in short spandex shorts, a sports bra and a ton of bright lights poised to find any imperfection. I now firmly believe the camera really does add 10 pounds.

I'm also going to be starting a short internship this week that I will be sharing more about once I learn what I will actually be doing. All I know for now is that spandex is not appropriate attire, and that's a real bummer because it really is the only type of work clothes that I own. I am still crossing my fingers that they agree with me that 10am should be a good start time for the work day and that 3 meal breaks is normal, otherwise this might be a very grueling internship. I'm looking forward to the challenge though, and I am actually happy that I get to be a little productive this offseason.

spotted!...again.

Everyone knows how I love a good poster of myself. So it really tickles my fancy when blog readers take the time to snap a shot and send it my way. And because I get such a warm and fuzzy feeling, I assume you all do as well and that's why I choose to share. Actually, I don't really assume that, I just don't care enough to not post it. I am curious to see though if there can be something more clever this time around besides my "big teeth." Let's be creative here people.

Spotted!

I've never seen this poster before, nor did I know it existed. But here I am, live and in color, at your local liquor store. Well, maybe not your local liquor store, as this one was found in the hood somewhere in Los Angeles, but perhaps they made it out to the suburbs as well. As you can kind of see, I am riding a motorcycle and looking slightly uncomfortable while doing it, if you ask me. This is because there was no motorcycle, and being that I've never rode on one I guess I wasn't a natural. But on a positive note, I guess my stomach looks pretty good. (I threw that in there in hopes of garnering a few more narcissistic comments about myself.)

Enjoy!

Picture of the Week: Me in US Weekly

It's not a full page...and it doesn't even say my name...BUT I still think it's very cool to see my likeness on the pages of one of my all time favorite magazines. I admit, not the most stimulating reading material but everybody is allowed a guilty pleasure! Not only that, in the picture it compares my look in Ralph Lauren attire to the outfit worn by the winner of Project Runway a few weeks ago when they had to create a look for opening ceremonies. So it's really a double whammy--in my favorite magazine being compared to an outfit on one of my favorite T.V. shows! Holla. I am not sure if this particular issue is still on newsstands as I bought it a couple days ago (It's the one with Jennifer Love Hewitt on the cover being skinny), but if you happen to walk by one pick it up and turn to page 14. Otherwise...I have it for you here! (albeit slightly blurry and hard to see).


p.s. I would be remiss without mentioning the incredible WR that happened last night in the men's 200 meters. I have three letters for that...OMG. I would say more but it's late and I have to be up at 5am EASTERN TIME to tape a segment for Rachael Ray. I don't think it's live so I will probably write more about that later on when I figure out when it's being aired...and perhaps more about that 19.30 which was absolutely out of this world. But for now I'm just leaving you with another picture of ME, being the self-absorbed individual that I am.

My own "beautiful" list.

Today I spent another wonderful afternoon at Border’s. I know what you’re thinking…”wow Brianna, you must be extremely bored to hang out bookstores. You poor thing, stuck out there in Tucson with nothing to do.” Well that’s not entirely true. I’ve been hanging out at bookstores for years now. It’s one of my favorite nerdy pastimes and I can spend hours reading magazines I don’t have to pay for and browsing through books I have no intention of buying, all with a lovely cup of overpriced coffee by my side and if I’m lucky, a nice warm brownie. Anyway…today as I was browsing I came across a few “hot” lists. You know the one’s I’m referring to, People’s 100 most beautiful and Maxim’s Hot 100, who make an attempt at telling us who we should all aspire to look like. There is only one problem though… the lists make no sense. It really has to do with who has a movie coming out and who is most popular at the moment because no way am I buying that Rumer Willis has that many votes cast to land her a spot. No offense. (Actually, that is totally offensive to both her and her parents…sorry.) So as I’m turning page after page, and exclaiming to myself, Are you kidding me?! Her?! What are they thinking?!…I decided to come up with a list of my own. I find that most of the people on the lists are the same people you see at the mall, just with a stylist, makeup artist, and a fabulous haircut. Even this year’s top spot in People, Kate Hudson—she’s cute, don’t get me wrong, but in a girl next door sort of way. Which is FINE, but the most beautiful person should not be my next door neighbor. And Marisa Miller, #1 on Maxim’s list—well she just looks like Barbie. Barbie’s cool, but there are way too many girl’s with long blonde hair and nice bodies and they all start to look the same after a while. For my list, I really have no criteria and my tastes are pretty broad. Yes, you have to be famous enough so that I can think of your name and google a picture of you, but that’s about it. All I tried to do was think of women who would make me stare if I was in the same room with them. And they can’t just be “celebrity gorgeous”, meaning they look so hot because they have a team of people dedicated to making them so, but the kind of people you could see first thing in the morning and still be slightly envious of. Of course we are all quite content with the looks the good Lord blessed us with and this is all in good fun and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, blah, blah, blah.

HONORABLE MENTION:
These people might not make me stare but they are attractive enough as celebrities that I thought they should at least get a shout out.




*Mila Kunis: Before last week, I’ve never even thought twice about this girl. I think she was on that 70’s show or something, but who ever watched that? But last week I went to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall, (hilarious…check it out) and I kept thinking to myself, wow that girl is beautiful. I couldn’t even pinpoint who she was til after the movie. So due to the fact that she existed and I never noticed until now, she only gets a mention.



*Jessica Alba: I think Jess is a tad overrated. She’s pretty but she doesn’t WOW me.




*Jessica Biel: This is your typical girl next door if you happen to live in a city where your neighbors date Justin Timberlake. She’s a little on the plain side but she does have a certain freshness about her and I remember staring at the pictures from this photo shoot for quite some time.




*Sofia Vergara: I think it helps your ‘hotness’ factor when you have an accent. But I suppose even if she was mute she’d still be hot.



*Rihanna: Before she cut her hair I considered her to be just another cookie cutter R&B singer. Pretty, great skin, long hair, good body…they all look so much alike you have trouble remembering who’s who. But then she cut her hair and she separated herself and made you take notice. And now I think she’s edgy and unique.


TOP TEN GORGEOUS WOMEN IMHO:



10. Charlize Theron: Typically I’m not that hype about blondes. But maybe because Charlize is from South Africa and not your typical American blonde, she transcends the Barbie look just a little. She’s stunning…except in those couple of movies…all the time.



9. Beyonce: I’m not a hater. Everybody always wants to say Beyonce is not that pretty and she’s overrated and blah blah blah but that is only because you are always looking at her. The girl is beautiful. Only reason she isn’t ranked higher is because she is a little extra most of the time with all the hair, makeup, clothes, etc. She’s a glam girl and I think that helps her beauty.



8. Nicole Sherzinger: You only know who the Pussycat Dolls are because of her. And if they are performing I’d only stare at her, so I guess that makes her pretty attractive.



7. Megan Fox: The reason Angelina Jolie is not on the list is because Megan is a prettier version of her, I think.



6. Eva Mendez: Definitely the best Eva out there.



5. Stacey Dash: When Clueless came out, I wanted to be Stacey. And when I am 42 years old, I’d STILL like to look like Stacey. I just wouldn’t pose for King magazine…but hey, I’m not knocking her.



4. Adriana Lima: Supposedly Brazil doesn’t make ugly women. And if they do, what a shame if you happen to be one of the ones blessed with a great personality and had to walk around looking at girls like this all the time. I’m kidding…I’d totally take the personality. Anyway, Adriana is my favorite Angel.



3. K.D. Aubert: I’m guessing she’s a model. I know she’s been in a few movies like Friday after Next but when I looked (stared) at her pictures on myspace, I could not find one where she didn’t look stunning. Which means it’s impossible for her not to be gorgeous all the time. Ughh.



2. Aishwarya Rai: Perhaps if I knew how to spell her name she could move up to the top spot but all I know about her is that she is beautiful and she does those movies in India. I don’t know, she almost doesn’t seem real.







1. Halle Berry: the G.O.A.T. In terms of pure beauty, I don’t think anyone really surpasses Halle. She might not be the “hottest” but she is downright gorgeous All. The. Time.



So what do you think? Anyone you disagree with or think I am totally nuts for not mentioning? Again, this is just my silly little opinion because beauty is always in the eye of the beholder and it's only skin deep so don't get too deep with it. And can anybody say TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS!!!

Polo Ralph Lauren

As I mentioned earlier, I had put off writing about this experience until I could include pictures. Well it turns out I could have just googled myself and found plenty of pictures already on the web! A quick search produced stories on nydailynews.com and the Daily Herald, among a plethora of other news sites and blogs. But because I’m sure you’d rather hear the rundown from my perspective, complete with a few of my “behind the scenes” photos, I will give it to you now.

Polo Ralph Lauren was chosen as the designer responsible for outfitting all of the Olympians this summer in Beijing. This includes both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as 22 days of lounge wear to relax in around the village. In order to reveal these designs to the public and the media, Ralph Lauren chose a few Olympic hopefuls as their models. Well I just happened to be one of those athletes. In all, there were four of us. U.S. Olympic team boxer Deontay Wilder, Giuseppe Lanzone, a member of the U.S. Rowing Team, archery athlete Joy Farhenkrog, and myself. Word on the street was that we were hand chosen by Ralph himself, but of course that could just be a big, fat rumor. The only reason I even get slightly excited about the thought of Mr. Lauren giving my picture a big thumbs up is because the photographer told us that Ralphie called him personally the night before to ask him to be the man behind the lens. He almost thought it was a prank and was a bit surprised himself. So I figured if the man handpicks his photographer, perhaps he picked us as well. I’m honored either way.

The shoot took place in New York at the Ralph Lauren studio. It was an all day affair as these things usually are. They wanted to get a bunch of different combinations of athletes as well as all the different looks they have created. The clothes are great…definitely preppy, as you would guess anything Ralph Lauren to be. I saw myself heading out to play cricket or having afternoon tea. Lots of white…lots of crispness, just a very refined look. Even my hair and make-up was very subdued. I came to the shoot with just mascara on and the makeup artist informed me I was wearing too much of it. Definitely my most understated look that I've ever done. I guess "fabulousness" is not the look they were going for. I figured I would include this picture of Giuseppe just to show you that sometimes what you see in magazines is not always the perfection you think it is. I guess our "athlete" bodies might have been a little larger than the sample sizes they brought? I'm not sure...either way I thought this picture of the back of his shirt was hilarious.




The pictures will be used in press kits and press releases as well as the cover of Hamptons Magazine. It will be the August issue I believe. Of course I will tell all my friends and family members who have subscriptions to the mag to definitely save me a copy. I probably won’t make it out to the Hamptons this summer, since I plan on being busy in China and all. In all seriousness though, it really was a great opportunity and a tremendous honor. I've done my fair share of being an athlete posing as a model this year and these are experiences that don't arise that often for most people. Imagine the difficulty I'd have trying to book a print ad for Ralph Lauren on my own? They'd be like, come back when you grow 5 inches and lose 20 pounds. And it's not like I'm a superstar in my sport, I'm just a girl with a goal trying to make it a reality. And to be honest, taking pictures has made it that much easier to obtain my goal from a monetary standpoint and I am extremely grateful for that as well.

The benefits of having FABULOUS friends

In any relationship there will be certain instances in which one person benefits more than the other.

I take pictures from time to time, and sometimes they are even professional, published ones. Unless you have been living under a rock I’m sure you are aware of that fact. This past weekend I posed in front of the camera and the person on the other side of the lens was none other than my best friend. She is a professional wedding photographer but from time to time she takes a break from capturing people’s undying love for each other and snaps away out of the goodness of her heart. Actually, the goodness of her heart is only available if you are lucky to be one of the most important people in her life for the past 14 years, otherwise it will probably cost you a pretty penny. :) That’s why I am most definitely the beneficiary this time around. I pose for pictures. She takes them. But I’m sure it’s obvious to everyone who holds the upper hand here. What she does with a camera is nothing short of amazing and I don’t say this simply because I love her more than Godiva’s chocolate covered strawberries. One look at her work will show you that my opinion is not biased but the God’s honest truth. If I didn’t need her standing next to me, I wouldn't want anybody else to shoot my own wedding. Yeah, I know. Worry about finding a husband first. Those pesky little details always get in the way of important matters.



**There are a few more on her blog posting and I will be adding my favorites ones from the shoot to my website shortly.

Odd Jobs

Earlier this week I shot a Nike print ad up in Los Angeles. They needed a few sprinters and I could always use some extra cash. But before I said yes, I almost said no. For starters, it’s Nike. I’m not a huge fan of Nike because they aren’t a huge fan of mine. And while I suppose it’s not entirely personal because Nike is this huge global company that sponsors some of the biggest athletes in the entire universe and does not need to bat a stray eyelash over little ol’ me, I still am slightly bitter that the biggest sponsor of Track and Field athletes has decided on more than one occasion that I’m not worthy of the swoosh. And that’s fine and all if I sucked more than any of the other athletes that they currently have—but I don’t. So yea, if you could all personally write letters to the Nike people telling them what a great addition I would be to their brand, I would totally appreciate it.

My other hang-up occurred when I found out that the series of ads they were doing were for certain featured athletes that they are currently sponsoring. I had known they were just looking for some sprinters in the background but I didn’t realize that there would be A certain sprinter in the foreground. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I just wasn’t keen on the idea of being a lane-filler for a competitor of mine. What does that look like if I’m an extra for someone in their own ad that I’m trying to beat when it’s time for the Trials?! I likened it to being the batboy for the team that just released you. Or not making the band but being asked if you’d like to be a backup singer. Something like that.

So I called the casting director and told her I needed to know who the featured athlete was in the print ad because it could be a conflict of interest. I don’t believe she really understood where I was coming from but it turned out the particular athlete specializes in a slightly longer sprint than what my specialty is. So…no harm, no foul. Besides, this particular ad is only being shown in Asia, so aside from the fact that I just told all of you, nobody will even know about it. At the end of the day it’s money in my pocket and the most amazing homemade carrot cake I’ve ever tasted. I don’t know why it’s so easy for me to always revert back to something food related, but I’m telling you this cake was that good. And guess what? In some unconnected, irrelevant way, Nike is still paying me whether they want to or not. Ha!

Yes, they're real!

LOL...no, not those! In fact, parts of this picture are very much not in any way a real representation of my body. But who am I to complain??!! The one question I have received more than any other after my debut as a Bud girl though, is if those are really my abs. I must assume that those of you who pose that question don't know me. And what people love to ask after viewing is how they can get their stomach like mine. The simple answer is...you can't. I'm 99% sure that the majority of the population will not be able to replicate this in their local 24 hour fitness. If you are still dead set on giving it a shot though, my most helpful advice is the following...

*Become a track athlete: The reason you see so many hard bodies when you watch a track meet is not by accident. The way we train and what we do in training creates very defined bodies. We tend to have very low body fat percentage and so much of what we do builds our core and most events call for a very strong core. This does not necessarily mean we spend hours upon hours doing actual crunches. I've tried that 8 minute ab video. No thanks. Of course, the things we do in our training serves a specific purpose and looking good in our sports bras is only an added benefit.

*Watch what you eat: I won't say too much about this because I eat what I want and for the most part it doesn't make a difference in my body since I work out so much. But I will say that there are probably tons of people with rock hard abs underneath a few layers. You've got to remove the layers!

*Have good genetics: Unfortunately this one is something you won't really be able to improve on your own. I had a six pack when I was 9 years old. Literally. I don't know why and I don't know how...but some of you out there wouldn't need digital enhancement to the top of your bathing suit so call it EVEN!

I have arrived!

…Well, on newsstands at least. As you have probably gathered, I have been anxiously awaiting seeing myself in print and last night I finally did. My Budweiser ad that was debuting in Sports Ilustrated is finally here and I am so excited! Now before you go shaking your head and muttering under your breath about my decision to be a “Bud Girl”, let me explain how very different this is than wearing me hot shorts and passing out free samples at the local bar. Budweiser is a sponsor for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and they decided to do an ad campaign using Olympians (and hopefuls in my case) and partnered with the SI swimsuit issue as their biggest sponsor for this year’s issue.

Budweiser ties in with premiere parties at more than 100 on-premise locations across the country where it will hand out issues. Ads will feature an Olympic theme with a swimsuit gallery of Olympic athletes Amanda Beard, Heather Mitts and Brianna Glenn. Anheuser-Busch is also a primary party sponsor of SI’s launch party in New York. (You can read the whole article here but this was the only section that mentioned my name!)

I consider it to be a great honor to be a part of this and hopefully I hold my own against the likes of Marisa Miller and Bar Refaeli. I realize it’s only 2 ads in the magazine and I am not one of the featured models who got to go on location in the Virgin Islands or anything, but I did shoot for 3 days in Hollywood…and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. Shoot, even that’s not true. I didn’t even stay in a hotel since I lived 15 minutes away from the studio but they did give me car service every day!

So what do I think of the pictures??? Well the back cover that features myself, Heather Mitts (soccer), and Lovie Jung (softball) is actually quite flattering in my opinion. I was chosen to do the more backside shot because supposedly I had the best derriere but I think the best part of this shot is my legs. They look 10 miles long…as they should as high as those heels were that I was forced to wear. As for the picture inside the magazine…I’m conflicted. Originally, I think they were going to use a whole other shot (the one shown below which is NOT in the magazine) and I did like that one. However, Amanda Beard(swimming) and I shot the exact same poses and I guess they decided to use her laying down pose and my standing one which I had not laid eyes on before last night. But I don’t love it. I’m not sure if it’s because I saw the other one first and liked it better or because it’s just not that great of a shot of me. Mostly, I just think my face looks a little severe and kind of blah. But I know I am my worst critic and when it’s all said and done I still am beyond stoked that it’s ME in SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT EDITION.

If you were ever wondering how much a person is airbrushed once they are in print, I am here to tell you they pretty much just give you the body they want you to have. I suppose my “track legs” were a bit too big and muscular so they slimmed them down. Supposedly boobs are a big part of swimsuit modeling so they gave me a nice rack. (you know I was happy about that!) And last night at dinner the Anheuser-Busch executives were commenting that obviously that couldn’t be my real stomach and I concurred. I told them I was pretty sure it was airbrushed a bit…to make it look LESS defined. They couldn’t believe it.

So if you haven’t got your copy yet, stop and pick one up…or just go to Borders and look at it for free. For my friends and family to cheap to buy one (read: Brittany!), I should be getting a box of them that I will gladly autograph and send to you. :)

It pays to be a Supermodel

(at least more than a track athlete!)

I will be spending the next couple of days in the Big Apple courtesy of Anheuser-Busch and Sports Illustrated. I did a modeling job over the summer that I will be sharing more about when it debuts in the next week or so, and because of that, I get to pretend I am the next Giselle for the next 72 hours. I get to fly first class, stay in an ultra swanky New York hotel, limo service…the whole nine. All this just to attend a launch party for the magazine. The crazy thing is, I am a teeny-weeny goldfish in this proverbial pond and I still get the red-carpet treatment. It makes me question why I give all my blood, sweat, and tears to a profession that forces me to take the cheapest flights I can find with 9 hour layovers in Uzbekistan, arrive at the airport only to find out nobody has remembered to pick me up, and share a room with Olga, the non-speaking Russian. In fact, I am leaving New York on Wednesday to head across the pond-- in coach of course-- to run a race on Saturday in Birmingham, England. My life on the catwalk will be short-lived. I plan on enjoying my life as a wannabe supermodel but given the fact that I’m not having any more growth spurts and my only curves come from the weight-room, I doubt I’ll be changing professions any time soon. It’s ok though…I’m quite content with where I deposit my blood, sweat, and tears.

Do you feel me?!

Today I had my picture taken. I do that from time to time, in case you haven’t noticed. I hate for people to get bored looking at the same pictures over and over and that’s what my stats tell me some of you are doing, so I do my best to keep it fresh. Besides that, I’ve really been wanting to make use of the great landscape that Tucson has to offer while I am out here. Cacti and rocks can make for a dynamic backdrop. Who knew?!

So this photographer had contacted me last week letting me know he was going to be in town for a photography convention of some sort and would love the opportunity to get me in front of his camera. Tucson is teeming with high-caliber model types so of course I was flattered. Basically, I really don’t have much of anything happening on Wednesdays, so we decided to meet up and make use of the amazing landscape at one of Tucson’s premiere resorts, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. Seriously, I never knew such posh accommodations existed out here and the grounds are beautiful. Cactus, brush, and rocks galore, plus a waterfall to boot!

So there I am, posing for the camera. chin down…drop your left shoulder…hand on your hip…spread your fingers slightly…smile…not to big…turn the right knee in…no, your other right…. Believe me, it’s all great fun. I really begin to light up when people walk by because having an audience makes me feel special. And then when it’s time to strip to the bikini the real fun starts.

Hey, nice looking tourists from South Dakota. This is totally natural for me to be standing precariously on this rock half-naked with a cactus poking me in my side and pretend you aren’t staring at me right now.”

But honestly, I didn’t really mind that I was outside in a bikini in 50 degree weather, walking barefoot on sharp rocks and getting pricked by cactus left and right while being the afternoon’s surprise entertainment. But then a drop fell. And then many more.

”Don’t worry, the rain will make it interesting. We will get some great shots!

But inside I’m seething. Not because I’m freezing cold and don’t have any clothes on. Not because I stubbed my toe. Not because I am embarrassed. Because I just straightened my hair. UGHHH!

(This post is for black women and their sympathizers.)

add or not: A Debate

So I have a few pictures from a photo shoot that I recently did and I am debating on whether or not I should add them to my website. Please note: I am not just asking whether or not you think it's a good picture. I will tell you upfront that I personally think I look pretty darn hot, but perhaps more in a Maxim/FHM sort of way (not that there is necessarily anything wrong with that per say). I realize that I have a lot of non-track related pictures up already and I am ok with that because I think it's important to show different facets of yourself and it also doubles as my modeling website, even though my opportunity to do any modeling in Tucson is probably slim to none. But this picture does push the envelope more than my other ones that I currently have up so I've been hesitant on adding them. My website is still very new so I'm not quite sure yet who the audience is or what exactly they are expecting when they visit. So please vote, but keep in mind the reason for my hesitations and not just on whether or not you dig it. If you'd like to go the extra mile, leave a comment to explain your vote.

I'm official!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my new WEBSITE!!!



For the past couple of weeks I have been working hard to put this together and make it something I could be proud of. For someone who is somewhat computer illiterate and knows nothing about that sort of thing, a lot of it was self-taught. Although I did work off a template, I learned a lot about making a visually appealing site that I hope you enjoy. This website would not have been possible without my beautiful best friend, Jasmine. Not only did she give me this website for $0, she is wholly responsible for the front page looking as professional as it does. My first attempts were nothing short of laughable but these are the perks of having a best friend who is photoshop savvy. Please take a second to stop by, look at 2,343,000 pictures of me (80% of which you have probably already seen if you are a myspace friend), read all about me, and let me know what you think. I am open to suggestions on how to improve it.

CLICK HERE FOR MY WEBSITE

Give me Fierce!

From time to time I do photo shoots. Sometimes they are for my own portfolio and when I get really lucky, somebody pays me. Well today, I was taking some pictures for my own benefit. Hopefully there will be some nice additions to my (under construction) website, or they will be used to entice companies to offer some exciting new endorsements, or maybe just have some cool pictures…because you can never have to many of those! Whatever the case, I woke up entirely too early this morning to make love to the camera and pray to God that it loved me back.

I used to think modeling was super easy. I mean, honestly, what is so hard about taking a picture and making it look good? When I first began to watch America’s Next Top Model I would think it was so ridiculous how the girls just couldn’t “get it” sometimes. Heeeellllooo….Jay said “give me fierce” and you are giving him the exact same boring look with nothing behind the eyes! My goodness, models must really be stupid. Well it turns out that’s not entirely true.

Taking good pictures is a lot harder then it looks. This is from someone who loves taking pictures mind you. I’m not camera shy—not in the least bit. But there is a huge difference in posing for your friend’s digital camera during a girls night out and looking hot/sexy/fierce/sad/beautiful/soft/fashiony/or whatever the particular photographer wants. There is so much effort put in to looking effortless and what you think you are giving the camera rarely shows up on film. It’s the weirdest thing. Suffice to say, it’s not that easy.

There are times, like today, when I take pictures out in public instead of in a studio. This adds a whole other dimension to things because all of your love making is on display for every Tom, Dick, and Harry walking by. This can be a tad bit embarrassing. People stare. I would too if I were them. Who is this girl and why is she prancing around and changing up her facial expressions like she has a mild case of turrets? You block it out as much as you can but taking pictures in the middle of UCLA campus can be a bit daunting.

I now have a much higher respect and understanding for the ladies on my favorite Wednesday night T.V. show. So when you watch the show tonight, keep all this in mind. Fierce ain’t as easy as it looks!