Remember That One Time..?

Back in May, I posted about a photo shoot for a Firefighters Wives calendar that I had recently participated in. I shared with you some of the "behind-the-scenes" pictures that my sister-in-law had taken as well as sharing some "nuggets" of information that I had learned from the shoot like "Jan Tana Hi-Def Glaze isn't only for figure competitions" and "Showin' your ass in public is always more fun when you have your crazy sister-in-law and husband with you". 

* if you missed the post, you can read here--> It Was For Charity

Well, I have another nugget of information to share with you.....

THE CALENDAR IS HERE!

I have been impatiently patiently waiting to see which of my photos was selected for the calendar, which month I am, and how everyone else's photos came out! When I saw on Facebook that pre-orders were officially being taken, I submitted mine....and waited....! Last week, I came home from work and there it sat. The envelope containing my calendar order!

My sister-in-law's reaction to my calendar picture :)

I'm very happy to announce that I am Mrs. July 2015...lol...and the picture that was chosen didn't make my parents cringe too much :)

Last week, I had the opportunity to promote the calendar on a local radio station with Justin (founder of Firefighters vs. Autism) and one of the firefighters that posed for the men's calendar. It was a lot of fun and of course, I was asked about working out and if I was flexing in my calendar picture. I made some remark about how hard it was to suck in my stomach, flex, take shallow breaths, and attempt to give the camera "the eye". The radio interview was a lot of fun and I'm really happy that my work schedule allowed me to participate!

Yes...he was just as gorgeous in person... *drool*

Being involved in this project from the photo shoot to now promoting the finished product has been amazing and incredibly humbling. This organization is made up of firefighters and families who have made it their mission to do what they can to educate others about the dangers of wandering & drowning that are highly common among those within the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The fact that Justin and Jason (photographer) felt that I could contribute in some way to this project & mission is still astounding to me!

I would love it if each of you considered purchasing a calendar, whether it's the Firefighters or the Firefighters' Wives version (but let's be honest....this is really the one you want...lol) or if the calendars aren't really your thing, you can always send in a donation!

And you don't even have to ask....yes....I'm willing to sign your calendars..... ;)

It Was For Charity!

A few months ago my friend Susie posted on my Facebook timeline that a particular charity was looking for firefighter wives to pose for a 2015 calendar. Before I could really think things through, I contacted the person who put out the call for models and told him that I would like to be considered if they still needed models. A short time later, he emailed me back and said they would love for me to be a part of the calendar.

WHAT THE...!?!?!

Pose for a calendar?!?! What was I thinking??!?!

I received a message from the photographer and we set up a time to meet & go over the "logistics".  Jason (the photographer) was super cool and we both seemed to have the same idea about the type of shoot we would do. It's funny to answer questions like "How much skin are you comfortable showing?"  and "Is this pose sexy or slutty to you?" but Jason wanted to ensure that I would be comfortable with every aspect of the shoot. We made a decision about the date of the shoot and off I went. I would be a liar if I said that I didn't second guess my decision every day occasionally but I kept telling myself "It's for charity!".

I've never shot for a calendar before so I wasn't really sure what to buy so I went on "shopping sprees" at H & M, Target, and Frederick's.

Posted this on Instagram and asked for opinions

COVER YOUR EYES!!!
I had to apologize to Crissy & buy her eyedrops after sending her pictures like this one!

My poor sister-in-law. I was constantly blowing up her phone with pictures of me trying on possible outfits (I use that term loosely! lol!). I am so not the "sexy" type so I definitely needed someone else's opinion about what a model would wear!

I also sent my purchases with Jason and he replied back with "You must love to shop!" to which I replied
"....umm...mmmayyyybbbeee....don't judge me!" He told me which outfit he liked the best but also told me to bring a couple of my favorites as well.

The day before the shoot, I was ridiculously nervous. What if I looked like a hot mess? What if all of my pictures looked like a pile of poo? What if? What if? What if? But I knew there was really nothing I could do at this point except park myself in the bed, rest, and get ready to get nekked in public!

We (Tom, my sister-in-law Crissy, and I) headed over to Jason's tattoo shop early Saturday morning so I could meet his wife Lexy, who would be doing my makeup. Jason also wanted to see my outfits in person and make any last changes to wardrobe, locations, etc.

Lexy was super friendly and cool and she made it easy for me to relax & let her do her thing (or was that the moonshine??). Before I knew it she was done and it was time to head downtown and start shooting.

Time to get naked!
*love Tom's face...lol...*

Not going to lie - my butt looks pretty awesome in this shot!
Yay squats & deadlifts! 

Reppin' my Iron Gals gear! 

Getting posing directions - I needed ALL the help I could get!

This may not make it into the calendar but
it's definitely one of my favorites!

I'm not going to go into every small detail about what happened during the shoot but there are a few things I would like to share:

• You still get hot & a little sweaty even when you're wearing a lace bra and thong
• Bicycle riders may have difficulty focusing on the road and may come close to crashing their bikes if they see a half-naked women laying on some rocks
• When the photographer tells you that you're shooting in a "low traffic area", double check that there isn't a Blues Festival taking place adjacent to said low traffic area
• Jan Tana Hi-Def Glaze isn't only for figure competitions
• Showin' your ass in public is always more fun when you have your crazy sister-in-law and husband with you
• Photo shoots can be summed up using two phrases and they are "I woke up like this!" and "Get naked! Remember, it's for charity!"

After the photo shoot, the three us of grabbed something to eat and then headed to my in-laws house. Of course, we toasted to the shoot - waking up like this - my upcoming competition - the sun shining - and anything else you can think of. It's how we do!

Once I have been given the word that the calendars are for sale, I will definitely share that information you guys. Please save your allowance so you can buy one - it's for a great cause!

Thank you to Justin for feeling like I was worthy, not only of being in the calendar but part of this incredible project. Thank you to Jason for dealing with all of my ridiculousness, making me feel like I could actually take a great picture, and just being an awesome guy. Thank you to Susie for thinking of me when you saw the call for models (even if I still think you're crazy...lol!). A H-U-G-E thank you to Crissy for dealing with my texts, helping me keep my sanity, and supporting me like you always do. Thank you to my family for not judging me for being naked...AGAIN :)

And last but not least, much love & thanks to my mister for last minute snack shopping, slapping on my glaze, helping me put on the turnouts, and making me feel like I was going to be the hottest wife in the calendar!

And I'll leave you with a photo that is more my style....more the every day Tenecia if you will....just a nerdy, goofy, muscley librarian ;)

The Rest of the Story....

Picking up where we left off.... :)

Tom and I sat at Red Robin, dissecting the pictures he had taken and analyzing what had taken place when my class took the stage. Now let me tell you that I absolutely hate to go out in public after prejudging. I hate it because I'm stinky, sticky, black as tar (thank you, Pro Tan) but my hatred went away after receiving a text from The Boss saying I could have a burger (no bun!) and a Diet Coke   #thankyousweetbabyjesus

We decided to stop picking things apart, enjoy our food, and head back to the hotel because Saturday was going to be a busy busy day! I was scheduled to shoot with the most AMAZING photographer - Ana from Urban Chick Foto!

Ana and I met on siouxcountry back in 2010 and I shot with her for the first time later that year (you can see those photos here). Now, by no means do I claim to be a model. In fact, I'm the complete opposite of one but Ana has a way of making you feel like a million bucks when she's pointing her camera at you.

We decided that we would do the shoot at the show's venue and it proved to be the perfect place! It's so much fun to watch Ana at work. The three of us would be walking and chatting when she would stop and say "This spot is perfect" and the posing would begin!

Tom hates to have his picture taken but I was able to convince him to strike a pose with me for a couple of pictures. I told him we needed concrete proof that we know how to dress like grown-ups and that we do, in fact, own clothes other than gym clothes!  *if you would like to see the rest of the pictures from the shoot, please visit Ana's blog!

Once the photo shoot was over, Tom and I headed back to the hotel to eat and rest. The "resting" only lasted about 45 minutes as we were bored with the food we brought with us and the hotel room!

I still dream about this salad!!

We went for a stroll and took that time as an opportunity to check in with The Princess who was staying with her grandparents. The Urban Picnic was calling our name and we gave each other a high-five for deciding to take a chance on the restaurant. I highly recommend it if you're ever in Mesa! Once we filled our bellies, it was time to head back to the hotel and put my feet until the athlete's meeting.

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I have always said that shows are a bunch of hurry up & wait and this show was no different. Each competitor is introduced individually and those competing in divisions that require a routine (fitness, physique, and bodybuilding) each perform a 60 second routine.

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To pass the time backstage, I chatted with some of the other competitors (everyone is a bit more relaxed and friendly at finals versus prejuding), listened to my music, and just tried to be still. At the show's intermission, the names of those who placed in the top 5 of their class were posted downstairs (the dressing rooms for the female athletes were upstairs). I hid in a bathroom stall freshened up my makeup and finally got the guts to walk downstairs to see what the verdict was. As I was heading to the posting, a girl from my class walked past me, smiled, and congratulated me on making top 5! I had just enough time to run back up the stairs, send a text to Tom & The Boss saying "Top 5, baby", and touch up my glaze before the show's expediter was asking Figure Class D to line up.

As we stood backstage, I looked at the other girls of the top 5 and knew I had accomplished what I had set out to do. Fifth place was announced and it wasn't my number that was called. I breathed a small sigh of relief and kept smiling. Fourth place was announced and the show's MC asked number 77 to step forward. Yes....number #77...me. "Damn it!", I thought, "One spot away!"

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Tom and I met in the lobby and I could tell by looking at him that he was disappointed with how things turned out. I dropped my face and tried really hard not to cry. I was so upset that once again, I had let him and The Boss down.

Thank you, Thirsty Lion!

We decided not to stay for the rest of the show and hit up a restaurant that the woman sitting next to him at the show had recommended. The Thirsty Lion was just what we needed. It had tvs...music...beer...fried food...and more beer!

I wasn't as sad and pouty on Sunday as I thought I would be. It could be due to the mini-exploration trip we took, or the pancakes, or the hashbrowns, or the biscuits and gravy - it's hard to say :)

Mural we found while exploring!

I will admit that it does sting a little bit to have placed fourth at a show I was certain I was going to place higher at. Then I remember what it felt like to place dead last at the shows I competed in two years ago and suddenly, fourth place really isn't that bad.