have you ever wanted to get yourself or your precious offspring into modeling?  now, i am not talking about walking the catwalks in milan or being the next face of estee lauder, what i am talking about is finding reputable representation amongst all the potential scams out there.  these days, you don’t just have to be a perfect size 6 to be a model - legitimate agencies around the world are always looking for commercial, catalog, and print models of all ages, shapes, and ethnic backgrounds – you just need to know where to look, and of course, do your part to help them discover you!

judy goss, fellow fashionista and modern mama, has over twenty years in the modeling industry as a model, casting director, agent, and magazine editor – and she is also the mother of four-year old twin girls. judy recently launched her own book, Break Into Modeling for Under $20, in which shares her own unique four-step process of breaking into the modeling industry.

check out judy’s interview HERE and learn all about her four ‘P’ process that can be applied to anyone looking to break into the business, whether your 50 years old or 5 years old!

good luck in your search – and my personal advice to you is – the most important thing that you should possess when entering this highly-competitive industry, or just for everyday living is - SELF CONFIDENCE! …and if anyone is searching for a sleep-deprived model with bags under her eyes and a little extra junk in her trunk – let me know!

ps: here is a tip from the modern mama – this year, when trying to capture your precious offspring for your annual holiday photo (i know way to well – it’s like herding rabid cats), set your camera on the fast-action sports mode, and instead of telling them to say ‘cheese’, have them say ‘turkey’ instead and as soon as they get to ‘key’ flash away like there is no tomorrow…because there probably isn’t when it comes to kids and holiday photos.

…ok, now that you are back from looking at yourself in the mirror saying ‘turkey’ – when they say ‘cheese’, you end up with no eyes and all teeth – but when they say ‘tur-KEY’, you end up with a nice natural smile…and who can’t help but laugh when saying turkey?!

now that the weather is getting a little cooler, it is time to pack up our summer wardrobe and welcome in the fashions of fall.  here are the modern mama’s must have pieces when it comes to fall.  all are casual, yet chic – and can be just as appropriate for the playground or the office.  and, best of all – they are all ‘sin forgiving’ if you know what i mean!

must have #1 (see blouse under swing coat)

the ruffle-bottom or elastic bottom blouse – these are a definite must have, especially if your flat abs from pre-baby days are a distant memory and a thousand sit-ups a day is no were in your near future.  this look instantly slims and elongates your waistline…and who couldn’t use that?!

must have #2
the sweater coat or swing coat – call it what you want, i just call it salvation – or perhaps SALIVATION – since i literally drool over the sweater coat look.  not only does it give you a sleek, long profile, but it also conceals the upper-arm giggle – not to mention unloads some of the junk in your trunk.  get one in black, then get a few more with bold prints in your signature colors. read more

since my last post was on my favorite item of clothing – denim, i wanted to do a sort-of part II, especially since a reader inquired as to what are some faves when it comes to denim…  i personally like boot cut denims.  my favorite pair are my ‘joey twisted seams’ by true religion, although my billabong boot cuts and kitson’s fitted flares do get heavy rotation!

since the name of this post is on baby fat, i have to mention the queen of Baby Phat, ms. kimora lee simmons – did you know she has 500+ pairs of denims?!  holy cow that is a lot!  and although she is the definition of fabulous-ity (just ask her) and is a true modern mama at heart, it is still even un-comprehensible for me to grasp that she can wear one pair of denims every day of the year and not repeat (not to mention have to do laundry, although i am willing to bet she doesn’t ‘do laundry’!) i have 14 pairs of denims (1 white, 1 black, and the other 12 various shades of denim blue).  - and shamelessly i have to admit, my collection ranges in various sizes depending on if i am working out, it’s the holidays, or…well you get the bloated picture.  i am curious to know what the average amount of denims other modern mama’s have?  how many do you have?

now i know i am getting way off subject (as always!), and haven’t even addressed the question in the title - when is baby fat just FAT - so here goes. read more

let me just start off by saying, ‘fear the mjs’.  no, i am not talking about michael jackson or michael jordan, but now that i think about it, you probably should fear them, too – what i am talking about is the ‘mom jeans’.  never heard of the term ‘mom jeans’?!  then you probably have a pair or two in your closet – in fact, you may even be wearing a pair now.

check out these two FUNNY videos on the dreaded mom jeans.  for those of you at work and are in a cubicle environment, i recommend you wait until you are at home to watch them because (1) you need to have sound and (2) you will laugh your pants off…but, then again, if you are wearing mom jeans, that’s a good thing….

here are the modern mama’s rules when it comes to jeans:

1. first of all, don’t call them jeans.  they are called denims. it is kind of like referring to soda as       ‘pop’…you are just outdating yourself and appearing a little old school – but not in a good way.
2. if you have ANY denims purchased before the new millennium, or in reality, before the last presidential election – get rid of them.
3. unless you are a celebrity/rockstar, you should not own any colored denims (one white pair for summer and one black pair for winter are ok, but they’d better be jet black and dressy, not acid washed and 80’s)
4. each pair should sit 1-4” BELOW your belly button and not taper down from your knee (unless they are ‘skinny denims’ that you pair with some ballet flats or boots).
5. your denims should NOT however, sit below your hip bones – unless you are under 25 and have abs of steel…then feel free to flaunt away and the rest of us will just despise you
6. the hem should sit ¼ of an inch above the ground.  this is sometimes hard to pull off with different shoe heights, but if you can fully see your shoes when standing up - then hopefully you are at a clam bake diggin’ for clams and waiting for the next tide to roll in.
7. buy denims by the fit, not by the size on the tag.  the old 501 days from the 80’s are gone so your waistline isn’t advertised on the outside tag.  this comment goes for clothes in general since there is no universal standard to clothes.  denims fit better and look better when they are slightly ‘too big’ and drape nicely on your curves – rather than all eyes focused on your zipper screaming for air and just waiting to bust out at the seams.
8. don’t wear denims with pleats.
9. don’t wear denims with pleats. (sorry, i had to put this one twice, just in case anyone missed it the first time!
10. and, since i started off with michael jackson, i might as well end with him – if you wear mom jeans - never never never wear exposed white socks with your tapered leg mom jeans – you will just end up looking like the king of pop with everyone within range of your fashion foul wanting you to ‘beat it’.

finally, the ONLY thing worse than a mom wearing mom jeans is a female who is NOT a mom and still wears them…and for the record – i don’t cook, but at least i clean – and i wouldn’t be caught dead in a pair of mom jeans!

ps. want more mama fashion tips?!  be on the look-out for my upcoming post on “two-word phrases that should never be uttered or found in your closet!”