You can purchase these statement pieces for $125-175; a reasonable price point for a high end designer like Proenza Schouler. What else is there to love about these bold Spring beauties? They’re made of rope! That mean’s no leather! …I can definitely support that! Here’s the bracelet that caught my eye the first time…

After seeing all of the bracelets, I might be leaning more towards the thinner bracelets; I would try layering a few of them together. What do you guys think?

…If you are on a budget and feeling creative, you could visit your local hardware store and pick up the rope colors and caribeaner (the clasp) of your choice, and try making your own colorful rope bracelet!

Here’s a few teasers so you can see what I’ve been up to:

After I dropped Angela off at the airport, I made plans to go out with my girlfriends–whom I hadn’t had much time to see–and blow off some steam. In other words, we went to a wine bar in South Beach. The wine bar is called 555Bistro, maybe some of you have been there! It has a great vibe. We sat outside and the weather was beautiful; a little chilly for South Beach, but I was in a thin shirt and jeans–no complaints here! We drank a healthy amount of wine and as the heat lamps outside started to run out of gas, we started to freeze in the 60 degree weather. Whomp whomp whomp. That’s when we decided to head over to a local spot called, “the room.” It’s a cozy little watering hole.

We called it quits at an early morning hour, and I took a cab back home with the girls and a new neighbor I met earlier that day. I convinced my neighbor that I had to see the rooftop Club 50 on top of our building; so many people had boasted about to me, so I had to see what they we’re talking about. We took the elevator up to the 50th floor and I was sucked in immediately by the gorgeous infinity pools and Latin music. We called it a night soon after we arrived and before I shut my eyes, I made sure to put Club 50 on my, “top places to meet hot Latin men,” list. Oh yeh.

If you’re curious, I am including some pictures of my new apartment at the Viceroy, designed by renowned interior designer Kelly Wearstler. I am just so in love with the simplicity and the style. I feel so comfortable here, and I’m happy to call this home–for now!

I’ve been shooting video for you guys on my trip to Miami, and I am working on putting together a, “Model in Miami,” video series. I’m new to editing film, so be patient.

Hope you all are staying warm up north! Ta for now!

A lot of you have expressed your interest in modeling to me and I wanted to share an interview that www.plusmodels.com posted with my agent, Aida Brigman, at CLICK Model Management in NYC.

This interview addresses most of the questions that I had when I was going through the process of deciding whether or not I should pursue modeling as a career. Aida answers questions about tattoos, size, height, mistakes new models make, current state of the industry, and much more.

Click here for link to interview

You can find a similar interview on Plus Models with my other agent, Dorothy Combs, with Dorothy Combs Models in Miami.

Click here for link to interview

Here are some pictures of the recent models the site has featured:

If you’re interested, you can find my interview on Plus Size Models Unite here.

Thank you Angela and Elizabeth for your interminable contributions to the ‘plus’ modeling industry; you ladies rock.

Emily

I hope you were all able to ring in the New Year the way you had imagined you would, and that you’re starting to now make those resolutions a reality! One of my resolutions this year is to be an honest and compassionate friend to everyone.

I was able to ring in the New Year with a group of my amazing girlfriends at the Washington Redskins Masquerade Ball! It was my first masquerade that I’ve ever attended, and I was so excited to channel my inner Gossip Girl by wearing a fabulous mask to a ball.

Before the new year, I went to visit my Dad’s side of the family over Christmas in Florida, and it was certainly an eventful holiday. By chance, I  was able to meet Nigel Barker, his wife Chrissy and twin sister-in-law Kimmy in Fairhope, AL at the Grand Hotel. They were all very sweet and genuinely such kind people. Nigel and Chrissy wished me good luck with my modeling career, and Nigel pulled out a personal book he had in Chrissy’s bag, and signed it for me.

…posing with my little brothers in Grand Hotel lobby.

On the way back to our house in Florida, my family decided at the last minute that we wanted to take a quick trip to New Orleans. What a great idea!!!

The first thing we did when we got to New Orleans was, “house shop,” in the Garden district around Audubon Park, and then actually shop when we got to Magazine Street. I picked up this gorgeous top and scarf from the lovely boutique Pied Nu.

I love this sheer linen top by Erica Tanov for of the beautiful fabric and details…and for the fact that it’s made in America.

I love the scarf by Epice because of the arrangement of beautiful colors; I love orange, pink and teal together.

After some much needed retail therapy, we checked in to the stunning Waldorf Astoria hotel and I could not believe how beautifully decorated the lobby was for the holidays…breathtaking!

Later that night, I walked around Royal Street with my family and my little brother Corey helped me pick out my mask for my NYE masquerade ball…This is the mask we decided on!

After a wonderful dinner at NOLA’s famous restaurant Muriel’s, we were ready to get back to the hotel to rest up before the early morning ahead of us. Before our quick two-day trip to the the Big Easy came to an end, we had to experience Cafe du Monde, a bakery that is wildly famous for their beignets and cafe au lait. Sadly, the only vegan options on the menu were water and coffee, but I was perfectly content just being the designated photographer that morning.

…It was a day away, and I had the perfect mask, and the perfect story to go with it. My first masquerade ball. I showed up to the Washington Redskin’s Masquerade Ball wearing my elaborate mask which I had toted all the way back from New Orleans. For my outfit, I chose to wear a purple and white Oscar de la Renta shirt dress and a pair of Dolce & Gabbana jewel encrusted heels. To show off my figure, I wrapped my dress with a black patent leather Prada belt, and wore diamond hoop earrings. I also opted to bring my small black studded Be&D purse.

The masquerade was an absolute ball! Here are some pictures from the event.

I hope you all have equally wonderful New Year’s stories! I will always remember the holidays and NYE of 2010.

…On to the next decade! Wishing you all happiness and health this year.

Love, Emily

]]> http://mlestyle.com/haute-holidays-nye-masquerade/feed/ 0 http://mlestyle.com/madison-plus-fresh-face/ http://mlestyle.com/madison-plus-fresh-face/#comments Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:42:48 +0000 MLEstyle http://mlestyle.com/?p=597 Read the Rest...]]>

I recently was featured on the Madison Plus website as their new Fresh Face. I really am honored to be a part of a such a beautiful movement; where models can be themselves–happy and healthy. Madison Plus is based out of New York City and offers a common ground for the fashionable, modern, and average/plus-sized woman. I really appreciate website’s like Madison Plus because the site doesn’t define or label you by your size or shape, but rather offers a common ground for all women of all sizes.

http://madisonplus.com/mp-insider/mp-fresh-face-emily-nolan-nyc/

Another website/ blog I really love is www.plussizemodelsunite.com (PSMU). I have had the pleasure of becoming close friends with the website’s co-founder, Angela Jones, (who looks like a hybrid of Cindy Crawford and Martina McBride) and I refer to their site and Facebook page almost daily. I love to read their model’s interviews from around the world and see what they’re up to, as well as meet interesting people who believe in coming together and uniting as healthy individuals; PSMU is about defying all of the labels and definitions that the media has indicated that everyone should live by.

http://plussizemodelsunite.com/

This holiday, I’m grateful for many things, like the opportunity to live out my dream as a professional model, and stand-up for all the young women who aspire to do the same. Most of all, I’m grateful that a ‘home’ has been built for women, like myself, through wonderful people like the women at Madison Plus, Plus Size Models Unite, my agencies–Click +, Dorothy Combs, and The Campbell Agency– my beautiful fellow model friends (all of which have absolutely tormented my older brother and close guy friends), and my dear family who has supported me and allowed me to blossom as I am.

Straight or curvy...either way, embrace it and have fun sister!

As I was growing up, I listened to the Dixie Chicks religiously. To this day, I can sing every song they’ve ever released, and with each word, I can vividly remember the emotions, sense of empowerment, and the feeling that I’d get that, knowing that there were other women out there, that were going to be there, for me. For each other.

…Just like my modeling community and the wonderful people who have shaped my life and created so many opportunities for so many more beautiful women in the future.

“I’ve seen ‘em rise, and I’ve seen ‘em fall. Some get nothin’, and Lord some get it all. Some just run while others crawl away. So hold my hand baby don’t let go, I’ve got some front money and I’ve got a next show, and I’m gonna need you down this yellow brick road.” – Dixie Chicks

For all the women who choose to be you, all the women who have united to help create a healthier community and lifestyle, and for all of the young women who are full of hopes and dreams, we are here–I am here–to hold your hand as you walk down your yellow brick road. And what an exciting road that will be!

Happy holidays!!! And may your new year be full of much success and happiness! BIG hugs and kisses.

Warm holiday wishes,

xxEmily

It is certainly an exhausting battle that much of the modeling industry is fighting now, advocating that healthy and happy models are what we want our children to grow up idolizing, and how we want our end consumers viewing our respected designer’s clothing lines (that would be us, the one’s standing in line at the store waiting to fork out a pretty penny for those size 10 and 12 dresses–whatever fits your curves). With the full support from the industry’s pioneers, happy and healthy models are on the cutting edge of defining what’s to come for–at least–the next ten years.

Growing up, my Grandma jokingly taught me that, “If you can’t look skinny, look rich.” …The bigger the jeans, the bigger the pockets!

Certainly top designers like Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, and Karl Lagerfeld have been in the good company of beautiful curvy woman like Emme, Rachel Ray, Raquel Welsh, Tyra Banks, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Hendricks, Oprah, Beyonce, and even Martha Stewart…and hello, most of their pocket books have topped Forbes’ lists year after year. If it were up to me, I’d use models that looked like those women. As a consumer, I interpret the advertisements that use real beautiful women in them as, “we’re healthy and happy women, and you can be too! We’re rich (however you want to define that), happy and healthy!” …and that message is definitely more certain than any fortune cookie.

(As a side, I opened a fortune cookie after dinner last night, and it revealed that, “You will have good luch.” ….oh boy…!)

The reality of it all is, people want to see curves. People want to see reality. Let’s give it to them.

So, I say, let’s all have our cake and eat it too!

Check out some of the beautiful woman who are pioneering this movement:

]]> http://mlestyle.com/haute-and-healthy-women/feed/ 5 http://mlestyle.com/wilhelmina-curves-for-change/ http://mlestyle.com/wilhelmina-curves-for-change/#comments Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:17:26 +0000 MLEstyle http://mlestyle.com/?p=564 Read the Rest...]]> I was so excited when I found out about Wilhelmina’s “Curves for Change” initiative! Curves for Change is bringing attention to the modeling industry’s bad reputation for using models that are dangerously thin, and promoting the new push for healthy-sized women in the industry. Truly fantastic!

I looked at my schedule to see if I’d be able to make it to the 5k run/walk in NYC this November 20, and it looks like I’m free! Well, not anymore; I’ll be signing up for my first 5k ever!

For the most part, I do my running on a treadmill, but on November 20th, you’ll catch me running outside, in honor of every healthy woman out there! What a beautiful thing!

XoX, Emily

And what about FILA? …Hmmmm…never has been a brand I was too crazy about until I saw these tight black spandex shorts in Nordstrom the other day. I had to get them! So I scooped up a very cute Juicy Couture bright blue workout tank to pair with the spandex, and I threw in the matching Juicy sweatshirt (yoga-style) for the winter workouts–I love planning ahead!

So today is the big day. Another outfit debut for the gym. I put my new Nike sports bra (highlighter yellow) on, my Juicy Couture tank top, and my tight black spandex shorts by, ohhhh who makes them again? …oh that’s right, Fila!

As I was getting dressed for the gym, I noticed writing on the inside of my new spandex shorts that said, “Made in USA”. Which made me wonder…needless to say, I was curious enough to strip off my Juicy Couture tank top and twist my Nike sports bra around to find that one label that said, “Made in Vietnam,” and the other, “Made in China.”

Hey…why don’t you try it on? Wearing a true American brand feels great!

(YOUR FACE HERE)

God bless the American that made these tight black spandex shorts! A big shout out to the people at Fila who made the decision to manufacture their apparel in this great country!

Off to gym! Kisses!

Healthy + Happy…XoX