4 posts tagged “glamour”

Apparently I'm also a RADIO PERSONALITY.

My dad called this morning, as I literally was stepping foot out the door to go to work, and he told me to head back inside to my computer.  I was supposed to listen to a local Philadelphia radio station, 610 WIP. 

Now, if you know my father and if you know the station, you know that this can't be good ...  I know the guys on the station for a long time, and I know that they love my father.  The guy who runs the show, Angelo, is best pals with my mom's hair stylist and salon owner.  We know the inside scoop.  If I'm being asked to listen to the program on an arbitrary Thursday, it's not good news.

But this was a surprise.  My father was not going mano-a-mano with Angelo and Al (who once harassed my father on the air for taking a "hot young thing" to a hockey game and who didn't realize that the HYT was his daughter).  Nope.  Instead, they were talking about a swimsuit model that they were planning to interview ... 

"Really?  A swimsuit model?  I wonder who it is?"

Then they started blabbing about the Rich Eisen story ...  For those of you who don't know, the story is pretty funny.  Anyhoo, apparently Angelo decided he shouldn't be left out of the email circle jerk, so he decided that he wanted bikini pictures of a swimsuit model with local ties to the Philadelphia area.  And that's where I come in.  (No nasty pun intended.)

I guess my folks decided it would be fun to plan this little interview.  They sent my mom's stylist Raymond into the studio this morning with a copy of May's Glamour magazine, and all morning they waited for an opportunity to get me on the air ...  Most of the interview was a debate about whether I'd actually send Angelo pictures of myself in a bikini (since the Glamour pic is a one-piece and since Rich Eisen received pics of a woman in a bikini), but they also asked how the photo shoot came up, when I'm doing another one ...  The usual stuff.  Oh, and they're trying to hook me up with some local single guys.  :)  Can't go wrong with a little extra (celebrity) help. 

I called my parents after the interview to chat with them and thank them for the extra publicity.  My dad could not get off the phone fast enough!  It was HIS turn to call the station and kibbitz with them about my interview ...  Nice!  The guys harassed my dad a little bit about some photos, and my dad dealt his usual "CEO-style attitude" back at 'em.  It was great entertainment at 8.30 AM.

So what started out as a random Thursday morning turned into a minor publicity campaign, radio interview, and entertainment hour.  The guys at 610 WIP are awesome -- Raymond (and his salon) rule -- and my folks are the coolest for getting me on the air.

All in all, not a bad morning. 

Who knew that a one-time email would STILL be workin' it for me?!!?

Well, for me it kinda is. 

I've been planning and prepping and waxing and painting and running and lifting and starving and waiting and emailing and scheduling and STARVING and working and not drinking and STARVING and ...  well, you get the idea.

And now it's over.  My big debut on live national TV is now officially over.  :(

The good news is that I had a TON of fun!  It was fun to see the parentals in the audience and have them cheer me on ...  It was great that the camera caught the wink I gave them ....  and it was SUPER that I got to take the swimsuit home with me this time.  Plus, the other 2 girls on the show were cool to chill with before the segment.  AND I got to see Corinne Bailey Rae sing live in the studio -- one of her bandmates shared a hair & makeup room with me prior to the show, too.  Good stuff.

The link for the "swimsuit intervention" is here:  http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3088110

I hope you guys were able to catch the segment!  Thanks for being so supportive ...  And here's to another chance like this in the near future.  You just never know.

I went home this past weekend to visit the family.  I stayed long enough to celebrate the first night of Passover with the 'rents, grandmama, my brother & his family, and some great family friends that we know forever.

I watched "Friday Night Lights" tonight.  I stayed on the couch long enough to realize that the show makes me nostalgic, even though I have no idea why.

Parallel? 

Sort of.

I love going home to see my family.  I have no real draw to the Phila area anymore, except for the family, and it usually feels familiar.  Comfortable.  Like Home.  But whoever said that you can always go home again, lied.  You can't.

My family is cool and we're rarely on a schedule.  The house doesn't change very much.  I still know the security code for the garage door.  I'm no longer in my old room (it's big enough to accommodate my brother, his wife, and the baby, so I gave it up).  And despite having gone to high school from that house, none of the old ghosts haunt me.  Not IN the house, anyway.

Nope.  Instead, I find them out and about.

I knew that everyone in my hometown (of a certain age) is nosy.  I knew that they (of a certain age) like to compare notes and brag to one another about their families.  You'd think that being in a NATIONALLY CIRCULATED MAGAZINE and on a LIVE, NATIONALLY TELEVISED MORNING NEWS PROGRAM would be enough...  but no.  I was wrong.  It's not enough. 

Want to know why?

Because I am not married!

Yep.  You heard me.  I'm not married.

So what?  So tar-and-feather me.  I am 31 years old and not married.  I didn't realize it was a crime.

Forget the fact that I went through the Honors Program at a nationally ranked public university for my undergrad education.  Forget that I lived in Madrid one summer, unaccompanied, and studied at an international university, in classes that were conducted completely in Spanish (which is not my native language).  Forget that I landed one of the most coveted positions (in consulting) after graduating.  Forget that I went to a top-tier business school for my MBA and on scholarship my first year.  Forget that I've traveled pretty extensively and distantly, especially considering my youthful age.  Forget that my career has been nothing but one success after another, with both large companies and small.

I'm smart and attractive and ambitious and hard-working and dedicated and loyal and caring and generous and giving and friendly.  And I'm going to be in Glamour magazine.  And on Good Morning America.

None of that matters ...  apparently ...  because I'm not married.  Because I don't have a ring on my finger and a husband on my arm and a baby in a stroller.  Because I'm 31 and I'm not saddled with the kind of responsibility that some of my old high schools friends are.  Because some of them never left our hometown.

I am nothing without those things.

I don't believe that my parents drink the punch.  They want me to be happy -- they want me to find companionship to complement my happiness -- they want me to marry when I find Him and it feels Right.  They don't get into the one-up-man-ship that so often characterizes the casual chitchat of running into a neighbor.  But when I go home, and I run into folks who went to high school with me, I can't help but feel ... bad.  It's dumb, but it happens.  I feel like less of an adult when I'm in my hometown and I see what others have done.  I'm proud of who I am and I don't question my life when I'm at home in Miami, but what do I have to show for it all?

And why do I give a flying hoot what those Nobodies think anyway?!? 

When I was watching "Friday Night Lights," I realized how different the show is from my own high school experience.  We didn't have much of a football team, and our teachers weren't quite so friendly in the halls, and most of the students were not nearly as good-looking as the kids on TV.

But the show isn't so different, really, from high school.  The kids have so much optimism ...  feel the flush of first love with such passion ... navigate the waters of male-female friendships with absolute uncertainty.  The discomfort, the struggles, the tears, the parent drama -- it's all so familiar.  And it reminds me, so poignantly, where I am in my life.  Or, more importantly, where I'm not.

Parallel.  Sort of.

I thought that wisdom comes with age ....  Yeah, I'm still waiting for that.

UPDATE:  Quit being brats, you guys. 

FIne - I'll give you the whole story.

***************

Once upon a time, I wrote about my ab-fab day.  And it was most definitely AB FAB.  With the exception of the timing, nothing could have ruined my mood.  What fun!

And then the wait began.  I had no idea what the decision would be, but I was excited about the possibilities. 

And then I forgot about it all.  Strange how that happens, isn't it?  So excited one day.  So completely forgetful the next.

Oh well.  In the meantime, they were discussing and deciding.  And then ...

And THEN ...

AND THEN ...

And then they decided!  Yes, they decided.

It's been officially confirmed that I will be appearing in Glamour magazine in May!  I can hardly believe how damn exciting it is, truthfully.  I almost didn't believe it when Ashley, one of the fashion writers from Glamour called me to get quotes from me to go with the photos.  That was my clue that I was IN...  Not just "in," but IN.  So friggin' cool.

Since last Wednesday, I've heard from Glamour half a dozen times.  First, for the quotes.  Then, for my weight.  Today, again, for the spelling of my full name.  And for my weight.  Again.  Silly writers.  I guess I get it, but it's enough already.  I just want to see the photos already!

When Ashley called, she said that I am going to LOVE the pics.  I hope so.  It's too late to change my mind.

I just hope that America likes them too.  I know Glamour does. 

And no, I don't have word yet on Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx.  I'm guessing that they won't decide until later this month.  After all, this issue of the magazine comes out mid-April, which means that the xxxxxxx of XXX would be around the same time.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I love being a model.