Surreal or Real, Vogue Italia

Two hours ago I was just going about my usual, domestic Saturday activities. Steve left me to sleep in while he and Aidan had fun at swimming lessons. We went to Aldi and bought milk. We did laundry, Steve mowed the lawn and I changed the sheets on all the beds. Aidan went down for a nap so I opened my laptop and got to work pinning some of my favourite curvy fashion blogs but I didn’t get to finish. I was interrupted. I caught a glimpse of one of my images from the Gisela Ramirez collection… on Vogue Italia newsfeed widget!!!

One click and all the air was sucked out of my body. There is was, clear as day, my photo on the Vogue Curvy section of the Vogue Italia website. My name wasn’t credited and I automatically went on the defensive. I called Gisela to let her know and thankfully she knew about it, she’d been interviewed months ago and hadn’t gotten conformation that it would be included in the magazine…

… that’s when my heart stopped beating. “Included in the magazine?” I stammered through the phone. Yep, there was a very big chance that once of the few photos she’d included with her interview would be published but there was no guarantee. My heart started up again and all the blood rushed to my head, I felt like I was going to be sick.

Gisela called Mag Nation in Newtown and they said they’d just received the shipment so she went to check it out and promised to call as soon as she saw the article, if my photo was in it she’d buy me a copy. I waited for what felt like years for her call but in reality it was only an hour or so.

“Bleep” went my phone…

“Bleep” it went again…

There is was in all it’s glory. Beautiful Delphina wearing Gisela’s iconic cropped tee. I called her and did what any grown professional woman would do… I screamed, squealed and giggled like a little girl. Gisela and her mother bought every issue they had in stock and will be kindly posting one out to me on Monday. I can’t even read Italian but it sure as hell makes me want to learn. I’m so proud of Gisela, I don’t think it’s really sunk in for her yet and I can’t imagine how Delphina must be feeling. If there is any time to get dressed up and drink Champagne… this is it!

sigh… I don’t even have the issue in my hands. There is a small part of my brain that’s trying to convince me that I’m dreaming, that it’s not really happening, that it’s all a fantasy. I don’t think my name is even mentioned but as awesome as that would have been, when it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter. My photo, a piece of my art, time and talent… is in Vogue Italia.

I die.