Get Ready To Catch Baby Fever!!! Eliana Overload!

I'm absolutely obsessed with this photo of Eliana!!

Eliana is my favorite model. Period. I turn my camera on her every chance that I get, and I can tell that she gets annoyed with me. But I don't care. lol.

(This blog post serves no purpose other than me wanting an opportunity to obsess over my baby once again. Goodbye. )

Face Beatin' Beauty

Listen up people!

If you're into makeup, then I'm sure that you're familiar with a good old fashioned "face beating". Well I'd like to turn the spotlight on one of Atlanta's talented makeup artists ....who isn't a bad hairstylist either. ;)

Smashbox is a cosmetics line, born out of LA's famous Smashbox Studios. They offer a variety of beauty products ranging from lipsticks, all of the way down to makeup primers. And who better to do your makeup, than the manager of Smashbox counter in Nortdrtoms, located in Phipp's Plaza?

With 8 years of experience in the beauty industry, Lola is the one to go to for all of your beauty needs. Lola believes in enhancing natural beauty, not covering it up. So if you are in the Atlanta area, and you need to get beautified for any occasion, then you might want to check her out:)

For all inquiries, email: LolaMorgan.LB@gmail.com

Instagram: @Oooh_Lo_Lah

To vaccinate, or not to Vaccinate?

Vaccination shots have been given in America and other parts of the world for a very long time. They are given to babies. The first vaccination shot that is given to newborns is the hepatitis b vaccine (hepatitis b...which is spread through sex and needles). From then on, there are various different vaccinations that are given to children between the ages of two to six months. There have been many accusations that these vaccinations are actually more dangerous than they appear to be. 

Parents have been told for year that the accusations linking vaccination shots and disabilities such as autism, along with many others happen to be false. There have been claims that a child would be progressing normally up until the time that they have actually received their vaccination shots, and then, their progress has either slowed down, or they have noticed a tremendous difference in their children. These parents have reported that according to doctors, the changes in their children have absolutely nothing to do with the vaccination shots. “The original research began to be discredited as early as 1999, when two studies commissioned by the U.K. Department of Health found no evidence that immunizations were associated with autism. In 2001, a panel of 15 experts from the Institute of Medicine, which advises Congress, found no connection between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism”...The vaccinations have been said to not been perfect, but have stated in this article along with others, that there is in fact no definite link between vaccination shots and autism. This was back in 2004.

In August of 2013, an article surfaced, stating that the courts have quietly confirmed that the MMR vaccine, which happens to be the vaccination shot that is given to children in order to prevent measles, rubella and mumps, has in fact been proven to cause autism in children. There have been cases in which ended in parents being reimbursed for the suffering of their children. The cause is not really so much the vaccinations themselves, as much as it is the children having adverse reactions to these said vaccinations. “In a recently published ruling, part of which was censored from public view, a young boy was awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars after it was determined that the MMR vaccine led to a confirmed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)” (Breaking: Courts discreetly confirm MMR vaccine causes autism). This story has given parents the right to be skeptical when it comes to vaccinating their children. There has been research confirming that there is no link between vaccinations and autism, and there has been evidence linking the two together. The choice is your. To vaccinate, or not to vaccinate?

References:

http://www.naturalnews.com/041897_mmr_vaccines_autism_court_ruling.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130716-autism-vaccines-mccarthy-view-medicine-science/

Loving Without Attachment...

It always happens. We meet a person, date them, fall deeply in love, and then love them so much that we practically run them away. What do you think that is about? A lot of people ask themselves, "I loved them so much, why did they leave?" This does not only apply to people we are dating. It also applies to our loved ones. I hear parents say all of the time, "I loved her so much, I don't know why my child would grow up to be like this. I thought I raised her so well." I think that the answer is within your question. Many people confuse love with "possession" or "attachment" when none of the terms are relative. Sometimes, when we find ourselves loving a person, we develop this weird fear of losing them. That is where attachment comes into play. A lot of us don't know how to love without trying to possess. At the end of the day, that person is still going to be who they are, and it has absolutely nothing to do with you. 

Think about it like this: you approach a river to get some water. How are you going to go about obtaining this water? Are you going to grab the water, and clench it tightly with a closed fist? Or are you going to cup your hands together, and gently receive the water? I'm going to assume the latter. This is exactly how love works. When we try to possess it, it runs from us...but when we approach it gently, we draw it to us. My dad gave me that metaphor a long time ago, and I still apply it to my everyday life. 

Loving without attachment does not mean that you don't care about the person. It more so refers to that unconditional love that everyone deserves. Loving without attachment is simply loving a person, with absolutely no dependence on them for your happiness. If you can love that person regardless to what they do, then you are loving at person without attachment. You cannot love someone fully if your love comes with conditions. 

Loving without attachment takes work. In order to achieve this type of love, you must first learn to love yourself completely. When you truly love yourself, you don't depend on others for your happiness, because you know that true happiness comes from within. At that point, you will be happy even if your boyfriend decides not to text you today. You will be happy, even if your son doesn't invite you to his wedding. Not only will you be happy, but you will still love them the same. 

Detachment...

Cohabitation Before Marriage...Should You Do It?

I am soo excited to announce that I am officially a married woman!

Marriage is such a beautiful thing, but it is also a thing that a lot of people play with. So many people have their speculations regarding why I got married, or why I didn't broadcast it to the world before my wedding day. The reality of it all is that my husband and I have been knowing each other for 10 years. They have been 10 wonderful years, but it has been 10 years...so we got married on our 10th year anniversary. We've grown so much together throughout the years, and I'm proud to say that I married my best friend.

A lot of people wonder whether or not it is a good idea to cohabitate before marriage. Many people will say that you shouldn't live together before you get married, or you're going to hell....and blah blah blah...you know how it goes. I really don't care about what people have to say about my decisions, because at the end of the day, they're MY decisions. My decisions have led me to have certain views on things, and cohabitation is one of them.

The traditional way to do things would be to date, get married, move in together, and start a family. I decided to do things a little differently. My husband and I moved in together, and then got married...and I wouldn't have done a thing differently.

I'm just going to be honest with you, it took a while for me to get used to living with my husband, because I had been stuck in my ways my entire life. But so had he. He always had to have everything nice and organized....and it drove me crazy, lol. Like..just let me live in peace when I want to leave my curling irons in the sink, or leave the house without making my bed. But I can only imagine how he felt. :/

When trying to decide on whether or not you should move in together before marriage, you should make the decision that is best for you.

If we would have waited until marriage to move in together, our current bliss would probably be replaced with arguments. They say that you never really know a person until you live with them...and I have to agree with them. Although we've connected on a deep level over the past 10 years, not enough connecting could prepare me for what it would be like to live with him

Now, living together is like having a slumber party with my best friend...every...single...night.

And I wouldn't change a thing:)

Too "Fashion" For Commercial? When They Try To Put You In A Box..(a random fashion post)

Hey guys!

This has really been on my mind for the past few days, so I'm happy to finally post it. Some of you can relate, most of you can't...but here goes...

I was reading an article recently, and in the article, the author stated that modeling agencies will come up with plenty of excuses to reject you. They will even say things such as, "You are too editorial", which translates to "you are just too ugly, sorry". As much as I wanted to root for the person writing this article, I had to sadly disagree with them. Maybe they're wrong....or are they?

One of the most important things that you can do in your modeling career is find a management team that believes in you. So what does this say about the models that are being told that they are "too editorial", yet, they're already signed? The statement kind of contradicts itself, due to the simple fact that I don't think that an agent will sign a model if they find her to be ugly. It makes no sense.

I have personally been told that I am "too high fashion" at nearly every commercial agency that I've been signed with. I've still been signed, but the commercial jobs definitely weren't coming my way. I was excepting of it, and I had gotten to a place where I was okay with it.

Until one day....

Working with many agents, you pretty much get used to the things they may say. Making the decision to take my talents to Miami seemed to be an easy decision for me, at first. The agent that I'm working with decided that it would be a good idea to market me in more of a commercial way, because I was "too fashion" for a market that specializes in Macy's and swimwear. He certainly can't think I'm "too ugly"...now can he?

So now, here I am, doing only commercial/lifestyle shoots. My agents are happy, and I'm chuckling, because I'm sure that everyone doubted whether or not a six ft tall, size two girl, can actually be relatable on a "girl-next-door" level. But...here I am. I knew that I was doing something right when my mom called me to tell me, "I love your new work. You look sooo commercial now". lol

Do Think Your Baby Has What it Takes?

Hey Guys!

So, I have completely lost count of the amount of times I get asked, "I really want to get my child into modeling. What do I do?"

Not only have I been modeling for some years now, but my daughter Eliana recently started working with her first modeling agency as well. As most of you guys probably know, if you want to have a successful modeling career, you have to have a good agency behind you. I'm finally posting step by step tools to get your adorable child's foot in the door, and on his or her way to a successful modeling career.

1) Take some digitals.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to have professional pictures to become a model. To get noticed by an agency, all you need are simple snapshots (as pictured above). Who knew? A small digital camera will do the job. Agencies just want to see what your baby looks like. That's it. So take the photos and send them in. Just the original photos. No filters, no photoshop, or none of those ridiculous skin softening apps that are becoming very popular. *side eye* Just the pictures.

2) Google modeling agencies in your town.
If you want to get your baby into modeling, my advice would be to start close to home. The reason is simple. Most parents do not have time to fly all around the world with their child, and that's okay. If you get a local agent, then the majority of your child's jobs will be local.

3) Make sure that the agency you choose is reputable.
If they ask you for money up front, then it is a scam. Many companies prey on naive parents, desperate to make their child a star. Be extremely careful. A legit agency will take any fees, such as photography and website fees, out of your child's first paycheck. If you don't make money, then they don't make money.

4) Be prepared for rejection.
Many people are surprised to learn that the majority of a model's career is spent being told "no". I've approached dozens of agencies before I found the right one for Eliana. And many of them told me that "She just isn't what we're looking for right now, but please resubmit in 6 weeks". That does not mean that your child is ugly. Agencies choose their models according to what their clients are asking for at that particular time. If they say "no" then it could simply mean that they may not have enough work for your child at the time. They could have too many "curly haired" models on their roster at the time, and not enough work to satisfy them. You never know. So don't take it personally.

Those are the four steps to get the ball rolling in your child's modeling career. Feel free to contact me with any questions.  Thank you for visiting my blog, and I wish you the best of luck! :)