Go USA Hockey!!!

In honor of the Olympic hockey game that is starting in about an hour....Go USA! Reppin' the hawks players that are in SOCHI right now playing as USA players while I'm at work today! 

Hockey is my second love...modeling being my first of course ;) This years Olympic games have been a challenge for many reasons but the support this country is showing their athletes competing this year is still strong. Go USA and beat Canada! <3

This model will be cheering on the USA hockey team while at work today...you should too! Forever a PuckBunny

xoxo

#TBT

Throwing it back to when I was in my high school modeling days. This shoot was the first "high fashion" shoot I ever did. I absolutely loved the experience! I learned so much from the team I worked with, a lot of the tips I still use at shoots today.

In these photos the aim was to be high fashion and sexy...I had no idea how much red lipstick would help to create this look! 

The stylist was a blast to work with and she hit the idea the photographer had right on the nose. I learned a little trick too from the team: use olive oil and put it on your body, this is how they created the "shiney/club" look the team was looking for. 

Gotta love Throwback Thursdays! Practice makes perfect and it is crazy to see how far I have come since these high school shoots!

xoxo

#WCW

Women Crush Wednesday is the latest hashtag on social media. My women crush wednesday goes out to super model Cara Delevingne.

Cara is a model that I look up to because of her facial expressions and how different she looks in each of her campaigns. She is, what we like to call in the biz, a cameleon. Always changing her looks and never looking like herself. That is what makes a model a super model.

I strive to be like her and one day hope to work with her. Cara, I will model with you one day and it will be soon! Determination is key. Maybe she will share some of her model secrets :) 

xoxo

Internationally Stunned!!

**Published in Vanity Fair Magazine**

When at my hair appointment yesterday I was tagged in a photo from my stylist in Barbados. I didn't think anything of it but when I opened the image...BAM there is a full page spread of me in Vanity Fair.

It is moments like these that make me more motivated to keep doing what I am doing. This business is hard to break into but once you do...the sky is the limit.

The above photo was shot in Barbados by photographer Bob Kiss. Virgo Communications and their team booked me, styled me, and housed me for an entire week to get this project done. I loved being part of such an amazing team and loved being able to shoot at the GORGEOUS One Sandy Lane. If you haven't seen One Sandy Lane you should go look at their website because it is amazing.

Being flown to international countries as a model is the most amazing experience I have ever had and I am blessed to have had the experience and exposure this ad has now brought for me. Models....don't give up on your dreams because once the dream starts to become a reality....there is no feeling that is better!

xoxo

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

In honor of all the snow that is falling while I am stuck in DC, I figured a shot from my snow shoot this year would be appropriate.

 Shooting in the snow and in a swimsuit is one of the crazier things I have done on a shoot. These shots were taken in January and this was my first shoot in 2014.

 Models shoot in all types of weather conditions and no it is not always warm and sunny. The shoots do vary but photographers and clients do a great job to keep us warm when we are off set. They also try to get the shot as quickly as possible.

 It is best to be on your A-game when you are shooting in extreme weather conditions because the sooner they get their shot...the sooner you can get off set and in a warm set of clothes.

Brrr, that was a cold shoot in Chicago but it was a lot of fun. Tip: just think you are in a warm place...sometimes that helps :)

Modeling is not all glam. It can be a tough game to play in and the touch weather and stunts we sometimes have to perform are more difficult then people seem to think. Sometimes, stunts are photographed as looking easy...in the end they are far from. The shots that look cool...they are NEVER comfortable :)

xoxo

Pageant Weekend Comes to an End

Pageant Weekend is over! 

I had a great experience at the Miss Chicago/Windy City/ Gold Coast pageant this past weekend. It is always such an amazing experience and love the friends that I have made through this pageant. Our new Miss Windy City happens to be a new friend of mine...Top photo, left girl (yellow swimsuit). The Fab Four will reunite soon :)

Every time I step on the stage and do these pageants I grow so much and learn so much. Though this is only my second pageant, hearing from my directors that I have so much potential and that I am one step away from my own title is just as rewarding to me as actually winning. I will try again sometime soon and use the guidance of my directors to get me there. The pageant world has not seen its last with me and I will be sure to show Illinois what I am capable of. I am ready to use my modeling skills and my people skills to make a difference in the world. 

Love this girl more than anything. Getting to know a girl from my former agency was amazing!! And of course we had to take a picture with our little Pre-teen girls :) The one in the back row farthest to the left is the Miss Chicago Pre-teen this year :) They are too adorable!

Eat. Sleep. Pageant.

Pageants are something new to me but I am preparing for my second pageant ever this coming Sunday. I have been busy prepping for its this weekend so my posts may not be as consistent for the next week or so.

Why would a model do pageants? It is great exposure, especially for someone who has other goals in life then just being a model. I love what I do and networking with new photographers is another reason I decided to get involved in pageants.

Pageants are a great way to meet girls who have similar life ambitions as yourself and meet incredible people who want to make a difference. I am extremely excited to be running for Miss Chicago on Sunday and hope to bring something new to the pageant world if I win :)

xoxo