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 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

Book review: ‘Unbearable Lightness’ by Portia de Rossi.

Another reason that I truly admire Ellen and Portia, is because they are hugely compassionate about sparing animals from our diets. Sure, you do not have to be a vegan to be healthy, but some people find it healing to practice compassion and advocate for an animal-free diet and lifestyle.  Ellen offers her tips on, “Why Go Vegan?”

Just for kicks–and laughs–I thought I’d include Ellen’s recent CoverGirl commercial where she jokingly asks, “Why do models always look so mad?” …Enjoy!

I was watching CBS WUSA Channel 9 News last night and saw a clip on the rise in popularity of “Laughter Clubs.” …after watching people laugh themselves to tears, I decided this is something that I must try!

Laughter truly is the best medicine! There’s nothing like a good belly-aching, tear jerking laugh that goes on for minutes. I have a girlfriend that makes me laugh so hard, that I always look forward to being around her…as a matter of fact, I think I’ll call her now!

Laughter and love! XoX

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

People often express how much they would love to eat a vegan diet, but they just don’t know how it would be possible to eat that way, everyday.

Does this sound like you?

I believe that making the decision to become a vegan–or even a vegetarian–is a completely personal decision. Whether the doctor has ordered you to eat a plant based diet, or your knowledge of commercial farming practices has swayed your cravings for any animal based products, we all have our reasons. So for all of us who are journeying towards the vegan lifestyle, or merely interested in finding out what it’s all about, I recommend that you take a look at two books that really changed my life:

The China Study

And

Skinny Bitch

If you’re interested in eating a vegan diet, or know someone who is, I have created a list of vegan alternatives for the animal based food products that we’ve all been accustomed to eating at one point in our lives.

Let me start by saying, every meat has an alternative. Take it from me, taco night is just as fun when you’re a vegan! Usually, a grocery store like Whole Foods, will offer almost everything you could possibly need to satisfy your cravings, in addition to satisfying your new lifestyle. For instance, instead of using hamburger meat in tacos, I use veggie protein crumbles (looks and tastes identical to hamburger meat). Think you’re gonna miss out on buffalo wings during football games this fall? Don’t worry…check in the freezer section, they’ve got alternatives for those wing cravings too! Chicken? Check. Steak? Check. Cheese? Check. You name it, there’s an alternative product!

So let’s cut to the meat of the subject! Here’s a quickie list of alternative products for those of you who are interested:

Cheese: Try Daiya cheese (cheddar and mozzerella–I SWEAR by this product!)

Milk: Soy Milk, Almond Milk, Rice Milk

Yogurt: Soy yogurt

Meat: Alternatives for all meat–check with your local grocer…try Whole Foods.

Eggs: Ener-G Egg Replacer

Boxed recipes (like cake, cookies, brownies): Alternatives for everything in the baking isle.

Chocolate: Look for dark chocolates and check ingredients–obviously, milk chocolate has…milk.

Butter: Earth Balance (I SWEAR by this product too!)

Artificial sweetener: Truvia (made from the Stevia plant)

Sour Cream/ cream cheese: The brand Tofutti makes great alternatives!

Gelatin: Animal-free gelatin alternatives–they taste exactly the same!

Ice cream: Soy ice creams, sorbets, and get this–you can even make your own delicious recipes! My boyfriend loves my vegan chocolate ice cream recipe…he said it’s like sex in his mouth–better than Coldstone!

Of course we’ve all heard that it’s a healthy way to nourish our bodies. Did you know that one vegan person can save over 100 animals a year just by sticking to their diet? A vegan lifestyle is exciting–your body will look amazing, you will feel amazing, and all while you’re doing a good thing for the animals…even if that isn’t your initial intention. Pretty cool.

And please make sure that if you’re considering a vegan lifestyle, you consult your doctor first. You will need to take a multivitamin, and you should take an additional B Vitamin (B12) supplement: I also take a Blue Green Algae supplement(at the request of my older brother) because I eat a gluten free and fairly “raw” (meaning uncooked) diet, which requires that I supplement certain amino acids to feel satiated and healthy enough for my hard workouts.

And remember, it’s about the journey–there is no failure if you’re trying. Don’t stress the mistakes!  As we become more knowledgeable about the topic, what to eat and what we like to eat, the less stressful it becomes–that’s the truth.

Good luck to all you vegan lifestyle seekers! A great big pat on the back to all you who are educating yourselves.

Hugs + kisses…and most importantly, stay happy and healthy!

XoX

I was at a bar with a guy I was interested in. I ordered two beers totaling up to a whopping $5. The bill came. I pulled out my money waiting for the guy to tell me that he insisted on paying. After all, it was just $5. He didn’t bite the bait so I paid for my drinks. Then came the tipping part. It was like the word tip didn’t even exist in the guy’s vocabulary. $2 tip for a $30 check.

Please, we’re not asking for you to make the headlines, just to be a nice date that does the right thing.

So what was the first thing that went through my mind? …I didn’t care how gorgeous the guy was, his charming smile would never make me forget how offended I felt. So it took one character slip up on his part for me to make an all-too-easy decision…he was completely off my radar. Adios my friend!

Check out this clipping in the article from The Sun about bad tippers:

Don’t you see guys? The tip says a lot about you. Bad tip? …You don’t really care about the random person who’s been serving you all night. That must mean that the attention we’re getting from you is completely staged until you get what you want from us. And as my boldest girlfriend would tell you outright… Sh*t ain’t happening.

So here’s my advice, especially for you gentleman that are concerned over how to secure the best women. Know your etiquette. Pay for the meal and then smile while you generously tip your server. That way you don’t have to invest your time trying to find another woman. Keep it simple. Keep the woman. There’s something so sexy about seeing your man’s sensitive side when he shows that he genuinely cares about people…especially if that person is a complete stranger! Who knew that a caring personality, especially in the restaurant,  could convince your woman that you’re the next Clark Kent!

Now go save your woman! Pick up the bill and tell her to save her money for the pair of heels she’s been dying to buy. If that doesn’t work on her, then she’s simply not into men…And that’s a whole different story.

Hugs + Kisses!

XoX

Courtesy of Cory Topel

And even if you’re one of the lucky women who are absolutely and positively sure that your man is being exclusive and honest, I still recommend keeping this bad boy around the house for protection.

Here’s my advice: make sure your man sees you store it away neatly, as if you were planning on using it (for some of us, again), this way he knows that you’re preserving it for a, “Just-in-case I do something wrong,” moment.

How it works: When your man crosses you, cheats on you, lies to you, or simply forgets to bring home the groceries he promised before he left for work, you pin this bad boy up above the front door for the entire neighborhood to see. Okay, I know it sounds totally Desperate Housewives, but think about it, what man really wants to come home with the entire neighborhood gossiping about what he did to get put in the dog house?

Who ever knew keeping the Tiger Wood’s syndrome at bay was that easy.

Muchos besos! XoX

You get the point. Asking yourself those questions can sometimes feel like stepping on the scale and facing that diet-breaking brownie sundae that you ate the night before; you want so badly to avoid knowing the truth….”You mean, we have to wait three months to buy this dress??? (Cue mascara running down perfectly made up face). I can’t (sob sob) just put it on my credit card?”

Girlfriend, amidst the fake nails, fake hair, and fake tata’s, we could use some reality. Really.

So, instead of getting caught in a sticky situation, why not plan for what we can afford, instead of react to what we did afford. Or even better, why not let this free and secure website do it all for us? www.mint.com.

Mint.com

This website is like a fun babysitter watching over us in our most impulsive and vulnerable states. Like, hello, we all know, shopping alone is like eating in front of the TV; when no one’s watching, we want more, more, more! Well now, we won’t ever have to shop alone! Which if you think about it, is a great thing. A free babysitter that helps you budget for that dress you’re dying to have? A shopper’s nirvana. We all like to hear, “Yes! You can buy it!”…even if we do have to wait a while for that to happen.

Now, I don’t own a credit card, but I would sure know how to use one if I did. So remember, I’m not an expert on budgeting–by any means–but I am a woman that almost always finds a way to get something that I really want…even if I have to wait. The exact reason why I love this site so much!

In my particular case, there are several things that I am saving up for this year; things that are larger ticket items, one-time purchases, etc. It only takes ten minutes to enter all the personal information into Mint.com’s website and before you know it, you’re able to review all of your spending habits. The website even breaks down your personal budgets, just for you, based on your past spending: Shopping, Groceries, Gas, Medical, Pets, Spa, etc. I promise you, I really detest the words, “finance,” and, “budgeting,” but mint.com has semi-brainwashed me with their colorful pie charts and spending buttons.

If you haven’t made your New Year’s resolution yet, now’s the perfect time! Embrace the personal budget. Buy that dress! After all, it’s free and fun. Give it a shot.

Happy New Year! …To your health, wealth, and happiness. xoxo

Disregard the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. Ignore the social opportunities. Stay focused on the moment you’re in.

“Emily, smile for the cameras! Over here, look over here!!”…Click!SnapSnapSnap! Click!

My mind began to churn with thoughts as I began to self-talk my way through the flashing lights, the gobs of press hovering the stage, the handshakes, hugs, and pats on the back.

Freeze! This was a Wounded Warriors services ceremony…

I sat down and my thoughts ran wild, “Okay, just breathe Emily. Remember why you’re here. You were brought here to help the wounded veterans. The heavy coin from Admiral Mullens and the Newman’s Own award belongs to them. The one’s that sacrificed their lives for your freedom. Take this moment in. Take this all in. Embrace your emotions. Show the little girl sitting next to you that she too can be a strong woman. She is watching…”

And the little girl (about 5 years old) in her favorite pink dress and white tights, holding several different colored crayons in her hand, looked over at me and braved a hugely innocent gapped-tooth smile. She smiled. She beamed. She reminded me of my role, the reason why I was at the award ceremony.

During that moment, while I was sitting down reciprocating the little girl’s smile, I reached for my Grandfather’s over sized hand to my left as my Grandmother clasped my right hand. And I quietly began to pray in my head, “Oh God, please give me the strength to provide for the people that need. For all my life, shall I always remember that I am a servant, an honest friend, and an example. And for all my life, shall I remember that I can provide love to the lonely, honesty to the fooled, trust to the cheated, and comfort to the uncomfortable. And always remind me, that when I find myself in need, I too can seek shelter in the providers. And please protect this little girl sitting next to me; the one that’s brave enough to smile back. The little girl that’s grinning through the huge amount of suffering and pain, more pain than most of us will ever experience or understand in our lifetime. Please protect her and allow her to heal.”

I let go of my Grandparent’s hands, one large and tough and the other soft and comforting. My mind went back to the thought of the sweetest little girl, sitting in the chair next to me. And as the hosts on stage continued deeper and deeper into their speeches, they kindly bought me some time to think. Time to wonder about that little girl’s life: What will she need? What can I do to help her heal? How can I provide for such an innocent child?

Needless to say, my wondering thoughts allowed me to avoid the, “I’m sooo bored” glazed-over eyes look, while successfully dodging any chance of having to politely hide any of the, “oh my gosh, when will this be over?” yawns.

I knew why that little girl was at the Wounded Warriors ceremony, did she? Did the little girl know why she was there? Was she old enough to understand?

As I realized that there were more speeches ahead of me, from the most powerful man in the military, who was decorated with more ribbons and bows that a little girl playing dress-up, followed by a speech from the President of Newman’s Own, a close lifelong friend of Paul Newman (may he R.I.P), I jumped back into my own thoughts. I’m sure that in their speeches they said some very important things like, “we’re here today to honor the organizations that support our wounded veterans…” And maybe they said, “the individuals being awarded today are chosen amongst the most rigorous and competitive application process of over 100 Wounded Warrior organizations…”

But as I’ve never been good at sitting and listening to someone give a long speech (I think it’s a generational thing!), the wheels in my mind started to turn again, keeping me company during such an emotional event for me, personally.

The heart wrenching pain I felt, the things I took for granted, the responsibilities we have to take care of one another. My mind was thrown back into the sympathetic thoughts about this sweet little girl next to me. And my self-talk continued, “It’s your responsibility to show this little girl how to be strong. Show her how to accept the tears and disappointments in her future. How to stay wide-eyed and aware of her surroundings. If it takes a community to raise a child, it is your responsibility to teach this young girl how to be a fighter… Because her Daddy can’t. He’s not here to see her first date. To wipe her tears after her first broken heart. He won’t be here to give her signals from the third base line at her first softball game. And everyday, that little girl should wake up and be reminded that even though he can’t physically be there for her, her Daddy will always be there, sitting in the best seat in the house. Right there, sitting in the front row to watch the story of her life unfold before him.

Although she might not see him, he will still be there. She may not have the luxury of running into his arms after she aces her lead role in the fifth grade play. And she will never be lifted up by his chiseled military forearms and swung across the kitchen floor when she receives her acceptance letter into her dream school. And she will have to live through the moment when the love of her life, gets down on one knee and asks her to spend the rest of her life with him, knowing that her Daddy can’t walk her down the aisle. Shall she always be comforted in knowing that her Daddy will always be in the front row. He will never miss a game. He will never miss any of her first experiences. He will never miss a moment.

“Little girl, remember forever that your Daddy will never miss the most important moments of your life. He’ll be there to see you pick out your first homecoming dress. And he’ll be smiling down on you, as you live out every woman’s dream of picking out her diamond wedding ring from the shimmering display cases at Tiffany’s. Remember my precious little girl, that your Daddy will always be in the front row. Whether you can see him or not.”

And for my entire life, as I keep my blessings in my back pocket, and as I remember the importance of being a servant to the people in this great world, I will forever remind her and all of the children alike, everyday, that Daddy is an American Hero.”

Your Daddy is a Hero little girl. Never forget, that your Daddy will always be an American Hero.

To view the Beck PRIDE Center Press Release: http://bit.ly/BeckPRIDE