Model Patriotism...The French Really Do Like Us ;)

Even though I pretty much summed up the last of my traveling days as a model in my last post...I can't help but add a few pictures from those last trips....and in looking for these pics I was reminded that Miami wasn't my last hurrah...it was Hong Kong! How could I forget that trip?! But that is a tale for another day. For now, I will share these images. =)

Upon finding out that the Twin Towers had been bombed my French roomie,Phillipe, pulled out his Harley Davidson t-shirt, American flag skullcap, leather jacket with the Ol Stars & Stripes patched onto one of the sleeves and this epic muscle T that reads "Try Burning This One Asshole!" and in support of the USA he wore these garments (or a combination of them) for the next several days. And they say that the French don't like us...for shame!

On my last day in Seoul, my roomies gave me a sweet farewell and promised to stay in touch. We did for a minute, but sadly lost touch and I haven't been able to find either of them on Facebook or any other form of social media. I won't forget the total gentlemanliness of Phillippe when I first arrived in Seoul. The apartment had been empty and I was jetlagged and starving. When he got home later that evening from castings he found me asleep on the couch, and woke me up offering me half of the dinner he had bought himself. It was my first time eating authentic Korean fare and it was amazing....Bulgogi and Bipimbap. A few days later he cooked dinner for our manager (whose apartment we lived in) and me. He'd work out with me to the ancient Buns of Steel tape we found and toured me around Itaewon which was the hip place to shop at the time and just a few walkable miles from the apartment. 100% nice guy. They really do exist. =)

On the morning of my departure...

The End of an Era...

I can't remember too much that happened after I left Seoul early due to what had happened back home in the States on Sept. 11th. I do recall that one of my last trips for work after that was back to Miami Beach. I ended up taking my then boyfriend (now husband) there with me and living in a Bohemian rental with one wall painted to look like a view from a window in Mykonos. Little Greek island theme. This little space was far from the madding South Beach crowd at the very start of Collins Ave. I could walk to Nikki Beach and what used to be Club Amnesia as well as to Big Pink....all were literally just a couple of blocks away. But it was quiet that far down....and I think I needed that at that time in my life. After the attack on the World Trade Center, work was not the same. Many European clients opted to not come to the States to shoot and instead of using Miami that season as a location, they went to Cape Town, the South of Spain and other places with similar climates...and less controversy. I ended up booking a handful of jobs, some lucrative, some not. I shot for Target, JCPenney and Casual Corner (who later would fly me back out to Miami and NYC for bookings when I was no longer living in Miami) and that always made for good and easy money. Booked a fashion show for an eclectic Argentinian designer whose name I no longer recall but I do remember having to wear a very large birdcage on my head that kept threatening to fall off of my head as I walked the runway. I booked that job because I was the only model in Miami that could fit the pants....lol. Funny the details one remembers! I also became the muse for a sweet and lovely as all get out Brazilian fashion designer named Fabio Cardozo who has moved on to become an amazing photographer....and I still have a pair of the jeans he made for me. =) I also ended up getting a job as a hostess for Shoji Sushi to make ends meet during what was one of Miami's driest work seasons in their history. It was the first time during my travels that I had to hold down a job other than modeling. It was an ego check, but I enjoyed the work. The crew at Shoji that season was a group of international delights. Funny, crazy, interesting, amazing people. We were all in some sort of existential crisis at the time yet trying to party our ways out of it....I got to go with them off of the island and see art exhibits in small, out of the way galleries that I otherwise would've never known about. We became family. None of my other model friends were in Miami that season....except for a few who flew in for a random booking here and there. Miami was a ghost town. Lindley and Jean-Paul, my bros, were there but they had new girlfriends and business ventures and life as we all knew it was starting to change. When the time came, my boyfriend and I packed our bags and our two cats and left Miami. For the first time that city did not let me leave with happy memories....it had become a sad and somewhat dark place. It is where my boyfriend hit rockbottom (although he celebrated his 11th birthday this past year which is AWESOME and my manager, Jimmy, at Shoji planted the sobriety seed in him), and it was one week after we left almost to the day that we got a call from one of the Shoji servers, Lina, letting me know that our good friend and busboy, Sunny, had had an alchohol related motorcycle accident and had been instantly killed. Sunny was just that...a ray of sun. I loved that kid. He was always full of life, jokes, a huge hug when things were going bad for me, and always had a way of sneaking out sushi to the rest of us. I still get chills when I think about how early he left us. They held a memorial in front of the restaurant for him the week after he passed away and I was there, via cellphone, for it. I remember my boyfriend and I crying so hard over Sunny's passing. When I think of Miami I try to remember the seasons before this one....when I still felt young, alive and free. My last season in Miami really taught me how fragile life is, how fragile we all are. It was a lesson that I must have needed and it was the end of an era.

Oh for Shame....

A year ago I hopped on here to let the world know that Peacocks on Leashes was being brought back to life. ONE. YEAR. AGO. And then nothing....complete and utter silence. For shame. I am so embarrassed....really. Life happens, and I got caught up in the roller coaster ride that is motherhood and modeling in Los Angeles. One month ago I decided to go into semi-retirement from the Industry (meaning direct bookings only...and shoots with artists that I respect) and what a relief that has been. No more spending ungodly amounts of time and gas on driving around this great city for a quick snap-snap of polaroids. I found that between being a real mom, as in REALLY there for my kids and all of their school activities, taking care of my house (because yes, I really do clean and do the laundry...and cook), being new mom to our wonder Poodle, and trying to fit in some self-care (like CrossFit), all of the running around to maybe, just maybe book a job or two was getting to me. I realized that while I enjoy the random booking and the money that comes along with it, I was no longer the same girl I was "back in the day". My passion was no longer in getting to my next location/market/season...I have kids to pick up from school by 3pm. I needed to move on and get back to my first love...writing. Not to mention, the longer I've been away from this blog the more faded my memories of my model-gypsy years are becoming, and I really don't want to forget all of the moments and stories that made me feel so alive...the rockstar years. Some of my best friendships were forged during that time...and while I'm not 100% sure that I even know where my old travel journals and boxes of pictures are after our last move....I can certainly pick-axe my way through the chambers of my subconscious and drag out some good stuff until this blog finally comes to an end. There. I did it. I've returned.....and it won't be another year before my next post comes around. ;)

Bringing Peacocks Back to Life...FINALLY!

I know you have all but given up on this blog....it's been lying dormant a la True Blood for far too long. I have promised to resuscitate it over and over again....but still nothing, nada, zip, zilch.....and here's why. For a moment I lost my inspiration....was going through difficult times with one of my kids' health having to homeschool and then pack up and move out of state. Rough? Beyond. Blogging became non important to me...being a good mom was the only thing that mattered....but here's the good news....I am back in LA, my kids are doing A LOT better, I am working again...MODEL MOM YES!!!....and I want to bring the Peacocks back to life!! So please check in next month (July 2012) and I will be continuing my saga of life on the road as a model....and eventually start filling you in on to the minute posts of life as a model and mom in Los Angeles....should be fun! ;) Love and peace to y'all! =)

Less Days at the Office

Guest post from: Mohamed Simon

Whoever said that working from home was easy was certainly right! My company is based out of Beverly Hills, and the traffic around here is horrible. California has such a problem with commuting because of all of the people who live here. Because of this, a lot of state legislation is asking companies to let their employees work from home. At first, this was met with a lot of grumbling, but only by the bosses! Most of us were sitting around hoping that this would work out for us. My company ended up finding a great internet deal (check out clear wireless internet Beverly Hills), and then everyone was told that they were to come in three days a week and work from home the other two. This has actually increased productivity, and saved the company on bill payments! It looks like the government has done something right for once! I’m certainly enjoying not having to sit in traffic every single day- and I’m enjoying even more the days that I can sleep in and eat a good breakfast!

Dogs

Guest post written by Rolf Tate

We recently logged onto http://www.satellitestarinternet.com/hughes-net/mississippi/g/greenville/ and decided to get satellite internet. I have really enjoyed using it because I am trying to find exactly what type of new puppy to get my kids. I have said “NO” to a dog for years, just because I knew that I would be the one who would be taking care of the pup. I think that it is finally time that my kids had a dog. I had a dog growing up that I absolutely loved. We we lost her, I really had a hard time, I think that it part of the reason that I didn’t want to get a dog too. I have decided on a smaller breed, but I don’t want a “yappy” dog . I want a dog that can run and play with the kids, but is also comfortable relaxing in the house. I really like beagles for their size and playfulness, but a lot of them are baaaaddd and do a lot of howling. Another dog that I am considering getting the kids is a Boykin Spaniel. I think that they are so pretty. I really like their size too. I have heard that they are bad puppies. I still need to do some more research.

Getting Ready for Studying Abroad in Paris

Guest post written by Ellen Black

I'm not really sure what made me fall in love with the idea, but since I was a little girl I thought that it would be a really great opportunity to go to Paris. I've read all kinds of books, seen all kinds of movies about it and have even taken French in school with the hope of going to France one day and putting it to good use. Well, I'm so excited that next semester I'm actually going to go study abroad there!

I've looked through all kinds of websites about what to go and visit in France. While I was looking through some of those sites about a week ago, I ran across some information on internet packages. After I looked through them I found some more information here and switched over my apartment service to it.

I'm a little worried because I haven't met any of the people I'll be living with in Paris, but I'm supposed to meet them soon. I'm sure that they'll be as adventurous as I am in playing tourist and exploring the city.