Subtitle: The post below is long. Snag a snack. Settle in. Bookmark for later when you have time. Amazingly this is the edited version. For that you may thank me later.
First, I want to thank you.
I wouldn’t have had the opportunity I did last week if you (the royal. the misfit’y) hadn’t voted.
I keep thanking–but that’s the magnitude of my gratitude.
ONWARD. To the awkward zone.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
And, while Id love to uber-ramble about every.single.detail (email me if you want ‘em. I’m way too eager to share), I shall attempt to reign it in through the utilization of bullets.
We shall see if I succeed.
I was super nervous. For some reason this surprised some people in my life. Would I be nervous about getting up in front of a huge group of people and speaking?
Hell no. Was I nervous about prancing around (yes, there was prancage) & having my picture taken?
HELL YES. Case & point: there was no Tornado in the hotel room to wake me Tuesday morning & I was up at the CRACK. Before the crack. (OK I didn’t sleep.)
The other women are amazing. It’s a crapshoot (technical term) when you toss 6 unique & strong personalities together for two long days of what *could* have been spotlight vying. There was nary a moment of vying and SO much encouragement, support, sharing, talking and laughing. LOTS of laughing. (That’s all I’m allowed to say about the other women right now. A detailed announcement/PR profiles are coming from Fila this week.)
I liked how the make-up looked! And yet, true to my misfit self, I didn’t ask for tips & tricks. Many of you emailed saying how AMAZING it would be to get inside secrets from a real make-up artist. I think my lack o’curiousity/asking was partially the fact I was terrified (the first day) & partially the fact she & I chatted about so many other interesting topics and yes partially the fact I plan not to wear make up again until Im super famous and can bring her along with me to all my fancypants events.
I am an awkward spastic gazelle. (and yes. It made my day when one of you remarked on Facebook that the fact may be true–but I was *your* awkward spastic gazelle.) I’m not sure what I anticipated the shoot would be like. I think I thought we’d be told to strike a pose, the photographer would snap, and then we’d be instructed to strike another. More like my bodybuilding days. (I know. I did used to watch
A.N.T.M. I should have known better). To prevent giving myself awkwardness-flashbacks (please to think
ELAINE BENIS) I shall simply say It was no surprised to ME when music was played & I was told to dance in front of 30 people the whole *shebang* was not this misfit’s forte. Which brings me to:
The photographer, David Drebin, was fantastic. He’s famous. He’s big time. He’s shot some serious celebrities. He’s done shoots all over the world. He both put us all immediately at ease and did NOT make us feel as though we were…not model’y enough. (by WE I may mean me & my awkward spastic dancing). At the end of the first day, when we shot more of a lifestyle picture (oooh I tease)
I felt comfortable & confident in front of the camera and it was mostly
David’s doing.
FILA ROCKS. I cannot say this enough. The entire time all they seemed to care about was we were *enjoying* the experience & there was nothing we needed. I may not be a model (ahh spastic dancing. you curse me) yet for two days I felt bad-ass, special, fancy, & important.
Less than what transpired (hair/make-up/shooting in *freezing temps* in little clothing while pretending to be warm just like real models)
it was the intangibles. The overall vibe of APPRECIATION (!) the crew had for us & value they placed on our thoughts/time. I’ve blogged for 10 years. Ive worked with many brands. This isn’t always the case.
The clothing ROCKS. You may think this is a given. You may also wonder if Id be candid. It’s not and I would. (From the moment we arrived Fila encouraged us to be brutally honest in our thoughts, tweets, facebook updates etc.)
I LOVE my bootcut pants. I wasn’t sure Id like the shorts or the tops as much. Ive now seen & worn the entire line and I adore it. (Except for
the skort. I can’t wait to see the skort.) I spent two *long* days wearing nothing but Fila Body Toning System. I still want to wear it now. That, in my opinion, is all that needs to be said.
I play favorites. Many of you asked me to come up with something I didn’t like about the line & for me it’s all about color. I love the fit of all the items yet, for some odd reason, I never wear blue (interestingly they never offered me a blue top either). I own nothing blue (this seemed to shock & horrify a few of you). That said, as a misfit who has spent far too much time outside her comfort zone lately, I think I shall pass on starting the blue-wearing now.
(that was long, huh? I ramble because I love.)
What happens next and where will the images be used? I’m not sure.
Some pictures will be in national magazines (Shape, Fitness Magazine, OK! Magazine).
Some will be used on the Fila e-commerce site.
Some will be sprinkled around the FilaToning facebook page..
We filmed interviews, too, and word is those will be used for television.
What do I know for sure?
Precisely what I was thinking in the (click-to-make-bigger) photograph below.
I’m 2 months shy of 42.
I’m a short, tattooed, always-disheveled, writer & tomboy-mama.
I never imagined Id have the experience I did last week (*thanks to your votes*) and for that, no matter what happens during my reign next, I am grateful.
View the original article here
this is all I want for her
Only my eyes matter.
although not ‘sans-skull’ grown-up yet!
Anyway, the real reason I’m here is announce my Blog To Book called 
