The Girl Behind the Blog

I became a model for the beauty…and fell in love with the art.

I am primarily a high fashion runway model from the Twin Cities.  I have been modeling since I was a young teen, starting with swimwear and lingerie lines.  I was that one youngin’ that no one knew was underage!  Talk about long discussions with venue owners just to get me in some of the spots!  This is where I planted my modeling seed and saw some promising buds spring to life!  I had a small following of fans coming to my bimonthly shows and showing support!  Thanks to everyone who saw me take my first step (literally) onto the runway!  Nothing but love for my TC fans and fam!

I have lots of anatomical knowledge from a lifetime of playing every sport imaginable, and excelling greatly in those that I am passionate about.  I have been holding a basketball since it would fit in my little hands, and grew to love baseball, also.  However, my true passion is volleyball, which I continued to play at the college level and against D1 teams.  I attended Emory University, notorious for its pre-med program, where taking extensive health and nutrition classes are a requirement.  Furthermore, I have crossed the paths of countless models and actors, from legends like Morgan Freeman to those appearing in their first show/film.

After I moved to Atlanta and attended college, I chose to jump back into the industry of beauty and art without regrets!  I have been doing every kind of modeling in Atlanta, from hair shows to runway, to promotional and print work.  I have become an actress, as well, and have been featured in many TV shows and films.  For a partial actor’s resume, see my profile on www.exploretalent.com/ktred.  I have done a VERY large handful of music videos and expect to go international very shortly.  I am also skilled in hair and make-up and I have an intense creative eye.  I am able to assist with directing, styling, and coordinating almost any type of modeling event or video.  For a glimpse at a small collection of my modeling work, see my rough portfolio at www.modelmayhem.com/1025696.

I have strong beliefs and ethics, and am consistently fueled with inspiration, motivation, and passion.  I love to love and be happy =) and I can turn anyone into an optimist in a matter of moments!  I love to create art that inspires.  I strongly believe in energy; that you reap what you sow and the power of positive vibes should never be underestimated!  I like to send out the most inspiring texts to my closest friends, hoping they keep up all their hard work and dedication.  Teamwork and collaboration are extremely important in this industry because it is so easy to become disheartened.  Showing support is a requirement!  Anything more you would like to know that was not included in this overly brief synopsis, just ask!  Thank you to all my gorgeous readers =)

Some artists and actors I have previously worked with:

Morgan Freeman

Robert “Bobby” DeNiro

Kevin Kline

Michael Douglas

Romany Malco

Michael Ealy

50 Cent

Sean Paul

Arash

Tyler Perry

Chad Michael Murray

Gary Weeks

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s newly signed Fast Life

Lester Shaw aka L2

Oso Krispie from TLC

Timbaland’s newly signed Brasco

Diggy Simmons

Brea Murphy

Teyana Taylor

Damien Dante Wayans

Craig Wayans

Kevin Hart

Ice Cube

Gabrielle Union

Lisa Vidal

Agnes Bruckner

Jenna Dewan Tatum

Julia Ormond

Kellee Stewart

Shawty Lo

Youngest 1s

Tatyana Ali

……….And more of course!!

Beauty Pioneer: Pharaoh of the Nile

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator

In a time and world where men ruled and it was possible to get slaughtered just by irritating the wrong man, a woman of gold was born and brought to rule through her own seduction, wit, beauty, zeal, and charm.  At the time, all thrones were being handed to blood that flowed through men of the royal families.  However, the royal women of Egypt were of a different breed. 

Cleo IV had an extremely theatrical lifestyle, described as a “mistress of disguise and costume.”  She was known for her ornate and exquisite shows of splendor, many of which add to the myths we hear today.  She kept constant the mystique and illusion her entire reign over Egypt.  She strongly likened herself to the goddess Isis, and retained the nickname “New Isis” by her people.  Her appearance was so entrancing, like that of a siren, that her only possible relation could be supernatural.  When she was given the power of dominant rule at 18 and chased away by her own kin not long after, her comeback was so dramatic, it goes hand-in-hand with her depictions today.  She raised an entire army of mercenaries and returned to Alexandria a year later, snuck into her own palace, and was rolled out secretly in front of Julius Caesar, current ruler of the Roman Empire. 

“For she was a woman of surpassing beauty, and at the same time, when she was in the prime of her youth, she was most striking; she also possessed a most charming voice and knowledge of how to make herself agreeable to everyone.  Being brilliant to look upon and to listen to, with the power to subjugate everyone, even a love-sated man already past his prime, she thought that it would be in keeping with her role to meet Caesar, and she reposed in her beauty all her claims to the throne.”

It was here that she captivated Caesar for life, taking ownership of his heart and protection for the rest of his life.  Her son, Cessarion, was declared sole heir to his throne until disputed and claimed by Caesar’s other son and general.

This general, Mark Antony, fell in love with Cleopatra VI, as well.  She snared his heart when she arrived on the shores of Tarsus with the robes of Isis billowing in the ocean breeze.  It was rumored by many that she was a sorcerous, and cast spells and held men under her control.  After she stole Mark Antony from his wife and lover, he then rejected them in public in order to be with her and wage war on Rome.  They were then defeated and became the last and richest independent state to fall to the Roman Empire.

The queen did everything she could to keep her country prosperous, happy, and sovereign.  She fought bravely for it like no man would.  She used everything she was given in order to remain in power.  Many describe her as able to appear likeable to anyone, with a “sweetness in the tones of her voice” and intelligent wisdom in her words of counsel.  She was ethnically Greek, as was the majority of the people in Alexandria, who descended from Alexander the Great’s general Ptolemy I.  Those who sat on the throne before always chose to “isolate” themselves from the remainder of Egypt.  However, Cleopatra had portraits depicting her as traditionally Egyptian made for her Egyptian audience.  She knew multiple languages, unheard of by her predecessors.  She had all of the tools to be the greatness she was, and she used them.

Appears in hieroglyphs as:             

The great Lady of perfection, excellent in counsel

The great one, sacred image of her father

The goddess Cleopatra who is beloved by her father

Business Cards or Stone Tablets?

With people carrying with them an accumulating amount of technology on a daily basis, it is no wonder why the business card attracts the occasional peculiar look.  Is there perhaps a neo-perspective developing in terms of these tried and true slips of convenience?  It may be wise to reevaluate your business circle to determine if they will indeed benefit your growth or inhibit it.  Today, business cards are becoming increasingly outdated by the minute.  But an artist would be unwise to discard the basic pencil, no matter how obsolete the remainder of the world may view it.

There are some that do not believe in the concept of business cards in the least.  This past weekend, I was approached during a music video by a magazine representative.  When I made a comment about passing my business card to the rep before wrap, he replied, “I don’t do business cards; might as well just throw it in the trash ‘cause you’re just going to do the same after you save my number.”  I had previously received this response, so it did not catch me by surprise.  However, when it came time to wrap, the representative again pulled me to the side and asked for my information another time.  I was ill-prepared for such a personal exchange that I had completely forgotten to reapproach him myself.

It is never harmful to carry some with you at all times, however be ready to drop the idea at a moment’s notice and instead save your contact information directly to their cell phone.  Keep in mind that your card should be personable as well as professional, representative, and memorable.  There is nothing worse than someone looking to contact you and not remembering your card, or not remembering who gave them a particular card.  Below is an image of my own business card that I had to compose at the last minute without any templates, so I utilized a promotional deal using basic Vista print.  My card is bright and fashionable, and has ALL of my information on it.  My number is on one half, with all professional information on the other.  It is extremely effortless (and incredibly memorable) to merely tear my card in half and exclusively provide either my number or professional information.  Always ready to leave an impression!

With the risk of being on the frontier of any movement, it may be wise to adopt this new attitude towards business cards in order to appear more personable and available.  This can show the business world a number of things: they will be working DIRECTLY with you, you do not carry pieces of paper to give to just ANYBODY, you are genuinely interested in maintaining a relationship, you do not procrastinate, and if you are saving THEM, not just their information, amoungst other business partnerships (big and little, same league!).  Also, eliminating the card eliminates the possibility of losing their info, so you may let a good connection slip!  Furthermore, being the one to propose the paperless exchange can make an impression of its own.

Just be flexible and feel free to take a glance at my quick assemble below.  Keep in mind that each should design their card to be personable as well as professional, representative, and memorable.  It should fit your style, job, and be visibly modern and pleasant.  You may want to personalize yours a bit more with a picture or something related to your field.  However, you may also want to use a simple, basic template that will work just as well.

Oh, Marilyn!

“Do I Look happy?  I should – for I was a child nobody wanted.  A lonely girl with a dream – who awakened to find that dream come true.  I am Marilyn Monroe.  Read my Cinderella story.”

Jean Harlow.  She was Marilyn’s Marilyn: her inspiration, and the stimulation of her passion for the cinema.  Harlow was the idol of the time and she awed everyone surrounding Monroe.   So Marilyn set her sights early on.  She got married very young so as not to return to foster care, however her spouse enlisted with the war efforts and she divorced him upon his return.  During this time, she was considering having children and becoming a housewife.  Instead, she signed with Blue Book Modeling Agency and bleached her hair blonde.  She began experimenting with countless names, none of which she liked.   A short list of her aliases and married names can be found below.

After being discovered by Twentieth Century-Fox, she started developing the look that would later be known as trademark and adopted the name Marilyn Monroe.  She mainly played as an extra, having only silent background roles.  She then signed with Columbia and her overbite was corrected.  She returned to modeling after acting roles became scarce.

For the only time in her life, Marilyn posed nude for pay.  The release was signed “Mona Monroe” and these pictures later resurfaced; scandal was not far behind.  However, Monroe handled the situation with grace and class, explaining her need as a struggling actress to pay her rent.  She signed again with 20^th Century-Fox for seven more years after being discovered once more.  She then had a slight bump removed from her nose and started making appearances at the Academy Awards (presenter) and magazine covers (in GTech wear supporting women’s rights to enroll and multiple magazines covering her life story in a sympathetic light).  She started dating famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio and overall became very popular in the limelight.  Hugh Hefner used a picture of her in the previously mentioned extremely low-cut dress on Playboys first cover, with a picture inside from her earlier nude shoot in 1949.  (Although Hefner had never met the young starlet, he has reserved the crypt next to Monroe's as his resting place, attributing his magazine's success to its first issue).

Marilyn was one that took risks.  She wore controversial clothing: skintight with plunging necklines.  She posed for nude photos at the beginning of her career.  She bleached her hair in a second and revolutionized the “dumb blonde” persona.  She was a risk-taker that knew the odds before she played the game.  She conquered the industry in a way that granted her a ridiculous amount of power.  For example, when discussing her third (and final) contract with 20^th Century-Fox, she was able to on her terms after Seven Year Itch.  She demanded the right to reject any script, director, or co-star, as well as investments and shares to newly founded Marilyn Monroe Production Company.

Ms. Marilyn Monroe died so young, at the age of 36.  She was just reaching the peak of her career, or at least the highest it had been yet.  She had multiple films lined up, with a 10-year contract overseas.  All deals were again negotiated on her terms; she had become very powerful.  The world lost one of its brightest shining stars.  Monroe never stopped standing up for unity and kinship throughout the diversity in America, and even begged an interviewer to include a closing quote telling her of belief in brotherhood between all people.

After her death, Marilyn Monroe continues to influence the entertainment industry to this day, as many would love to fall into her footsteps and conquer the world as she did.  But it did not come easy to her, and she knew nothing but a life of struggle and loneliness.  Largely unknown, Marilyn (born Norma Jeane) was raised in multiple foster homes, with a mentally ill mother continuously reappearing and trying to kidnap her.  She was harassed and assaulted in multiple familiar homes, and was finally declared a ward of the state and married young so as to not be sent back to foster care.  She conquered more obstacles in her early years than most people come across in a lifetime.  And throughout the remainder of her years, she refused to give up on the entertainment industry.  She sat through bad years along with the good ones, and she never stopped putting her all into her roles.

Monroe is highly regarded as one of America’s most popular sex icons.  She is considered the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute, as well as first in Sexiest Women of All Time.  Her image is still widely distributed (via posters, clothing, make-up, jewelry, collectibles, calendars, Instagram, film, inspirational quotes, etc.) and her look is largely emulated (Anna Nicole, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Michelle Williams, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Kidman, Rachel McAdams, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Taylor Swift, Katherine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Kelly Osbourne, Lady Gaga, Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively, etc.).  As far as the world is concerned, there is only one true Marilyn Monroe.  This is further proved with every new sexy, fiery, seductive actress that surfaces but never surpasses this Pioneer of Beauty.

Some names and aliases used by Ms. Monroe:

Norma Jeane Mortenson (she never knew her father but was born under his misspelled name)

Norma Jeane Baker (her mother immediately changed Marilyn's legal name to match her own)

Norma Jeane Dougherty (name change after first marriage)

Norma Jeane DiMaggio (name change after second marriage)

Norma Jeane Monroe (she followed Harlow's lead in taking her mother's maiden name Monroe)

Norma Monroe

Jeane Monroe (several varieties using "Monroe" were tried &trashed before she was satisfied)

Marilyn Monroe (the name Marilyn was suggested due to her resemblance to Marilyn Miller)

Mona Monroe (she used this name on the release form when shooting the nude series)

Marilyn Monroe Miller (name change after third/final marriage)