Does anybody else feel as though the weeks are flying by faster and the to do list isn't getting any shorter? I can't believe it's Saturday. I certainly can't believe that I am blogging while psyching myself up to help my mom pack and get her to the airport on time. I'm so proud of my working mommy who is off to Ireland to have her business meeting on ... wait for it ... The Oceana Marina Cruise ship!!
I think the build up to her leaving and me swapping out my brother as babysitter for boyfriend as babysitter has left me feeling a little frazzled. Oh, did I mention that I've never actually lived with anyone before so one entire week is my extent of the most committed I've ever been ... ahhh, now you know why I'm freaking out, right?
In that case, you won't be surprised that today's blog has nothing to do with today and everything to do with Thursday ...
I have so much 'project body' news, but that's all happening tomorrow. In the meantime, it seems that I won't be hiding behind the laptop and blogging from a distance when it comes to 'project body' and thanks to some very supportive people, I agreed to have a photo shoot a month to track the process of my journey with my body. Does that sound like fun? It might to a person who hasn't shied away from the camera for half her life and who is still trying to adjust to the fact that everyone is watching a process of weight loss and attitude adjustment that are both very visible on camera.
While still adjusting to that, I remember distinctly feeling more comfortable behind the laptop and didn't think the day would ever come when the very thing that kept me safe is the very thing that is throwing me out into the world for everyone to see.
Both of my burning issues collided on Thursday and although both totally freaked me out, I felt the circumstances give me a nudge in the right direction.
Me with no make-up? You can search every corner of the earth and you won't find a picture as raw as the one you are looking at now.
Considering photo shoots are scheduled for once a month and will be published online and in the print copy of Curvy SA magazine.
I have the amazing support of my 'project me' partner, Khanyisa from Karisa Wellness Centre who is also my newly anointed make up artist. I can hear my mom sigh with relief as she reads this sentence because my mother will always be one of the best make-up artists I will ever know, but the poor woman retired from make up well over a decade ago. Yet, she has never missed saying 'yes' to any make up I have ever needed to be done. With all the events of late and the camera hanging around wherever I go ... she's been on make up duty a little too often. My amazing mom has now officially passed the torch to my amazing therapist and make up artist ... Khanyi!!
If you think this is all a bit much, then stand in line. But the truth is, girls wear make-up and I happen to love my make up. I love my eyeliner and my glossy lips. There might be a false confidence in make up, but until you have covered your face with a foundation that hides those little blemishes and highlight those cheekbones, you just ain't never gonna understand.
I did't understand until Thursday and the welcome of Ofra Cosmetics on board as my official make-up range for all the 'project body' photo shoots.
Khanyi from Karisa Wellness Spa totally lost in the array of Ofra make up
My best friend will vouch for the amount of foundation I apply to my skin. He always tells me that I try hide any natural beauty that I have and by the time I'm done with base and powder, you can't even see a freckle. Ofra, as a make up range, doesn't allow for anything but natural beauty to radiate and believe it or not, I kinda freaked out a little at how subtle the cover actually was.
To make matters even more interesting, Khanyi is young and daring. That means my face becomes her canvas and she is in full control of taking me right out of my comfort zone. You think she didn't grab the opportunity and whip me right away from my standard earthy colours and into a sea of Ofra blue that admittedly did bring out my eyes.
I'm the first to admit that I don't like being taken out of my safe space and just the change of an eye colour has the potential to do that. So if you think that's gonna throw me then you have to imagine my surprise when I was invited to the Joburg Theatre to see Gilan Gork, AKA, The Mentalist for his mind baffling show.
My dearest friend, Jared Orlin, who is slowly becoming a mentor who is guiding me into the big wide world, basically threw me to the lions and plonked me in the front row. YES ... the front row!!!!
Tell me to have my own little show and put me in front of the crowd and I will be fine, but while Gilan was literally tapping into people's minds all around me all I was doing was begging not to be noticed and not to be picked. That's something I need to work on because I could feel a pang of jealous as someone stood on stage and Gilan bent a fork in her hand. With my theories on how our minds work, I was totally swept away be every mind boggling thing Gilan did. I totally believe that we all have the power to do and achieve anything ... interesting statement on a day when I couldn't manifest a Kylie ticket!
OMG ... I'm on a thousand words!!!
Okay, one more sentence ...
Gilan said something that I will never forget and that is very similar to my thoughts and I want to share it with you while I thanks Ofra Cosmetics for supporting 'project body' and making the photo shoots feel a whole lot more fun and me a whole lot more confident ...
I always say: "Imagination is the reality of the soul" and Gilan said: "Your imagination is the preview to your life!" ... that's pretty powerful don't you think?
Me in blue ... bravely, I might do it for a photo shoot
