as many of you know, autumn miller (a 2008 senior from edmond memorial) was selected as one of the 15 national senior portrait artist model winners this past year. we submitted autumn's senior portraits to compete against over 250 seniors across the US, and her comp card was selected by a spa fashion stylist as one of the winners. this past january, autumn traveled to tucson, arizona, to model at the ventana canyon resort for spa event 2008. she received the experience of a lifetime, along with images to create a one-in-a-million modeling portfolio. she also kicked off the annual fashion show that we bring to edmond each spring for high school senior fashions. below is autumn's journal - in her own words - of her experience at spa event...
JANUARY 18th... just finished 'packing' if that's what you want to call it. i'd consider it more of a move, considering i'm leaving maybe a sock and an old t-shirt behind. honestly, though, i brought way too much. i have no idea what i could possibly need, so why bring too little when its far more fun and quick just to take it all. i am surprised, though, at how long its taken me to get around to packing. usually i would have been packed at least 2 days ago. but enough with the packing, and onto other preparations for the trip! today i got a pedicure with mom. those poor ladies - we had no idea when they closed so we went in about 7:40 and asked if it was too late - they insisted it wasn't. two pedicures, two manicures, and an eyebrow waxing later, at 8:50, as we were leaving we asked them what time they closed and they said 'oh 7:30.' we felt TERRIBLE. but the best part about my friday would have to be group yoga at JANUARY 19th... we're on the plane. we just waited at our layover in denver before boarding the plane in oklahoma city LATER THAT NIGHT... mom and i were picked up at the airport and drived to the resort - loew's ventana canyon - WOW! we walked in and it is GORGEOUS! it has a rustic mountain cabin feel to it. we ate dinner in the lounge - not much of a 'dinner' per se, but the quesadillas were delicious. after walking around and asking about a spa treatment in the morning, we went up to our neatly unpacked beautiful room. there is a balcony with 2 chairs - perfect for the 'coffee time' tradition we have! the bathtub could comfortably fit 4 people. i told mom we should throw on our suits and invite jen over for a bubble bath (hee hee). but once we relaxed in the room for a few minutes jen came in from dinner and we met her in the lobby. she's hilarious! every time i am around her i don't have a choice but to be happy - i love it! she took us to the 'darkroom' as it's called - it's the hangoutfor all of the models and photographers. i kept seeing my face everywhere we went! funniest thing - i step into the darkroom and there is a HUGE banner of me hanging from the ceiling - RIGHT THERE! now that in itself is a huge confidence booster. i chatted with sara (lebovitz, the fashion stylist) in the spa boutique (where they were selling clothes from the fashion show) and convinced my mom to buy me a dress and a grey coverup. both of which we have to pick up tomorrow. after that i met with some photographers. one that just stood out in my mind was chris. he was really nice and was just comfortable to sit and talk with. once the meet and greet was done - oh gosh, not done yet. i forgot what a huge hit my mom was tonight. she was the 'fox' that everyone thought was my sister. i'm glad, though - i'm happy she still looks gorgeous. it gives me the confidence that i won't ever have a problem with aging! good genes, yes. okay, i have to get my beauty rest now... JANUARY 20th... this morning was AMAZING. mom woke up at 7:30 and called the spa here - we got in just in time. our massages started at 8:00. i donned my victoria's secret sweats and my uggs and was ready to go. my masseuse was named jill with the best swedish accent ever. i'd have to say that that massage was the best i've ever received. afterward, mom and i met in the lounge and went to the locker room. we sat in the steam room for maybe 10 minutes and felt completely relaxed and rejuvinated. i'd say i'm ready for the high stress to begin! i have to go downstairs for registration as soon as i'm out of my shower. then i have fittings for the fashion show at 4:00 and dinner at 8:30. after registration i'm dragging my mom back to the spa boutique to pick up my new clothes! i really have been thinking a lot about that blue shirt, too. i think i'd regret not getting it... LATER THAT NIGHT... fittings were earlier today. i am second in the lineup to go out on the runway. i got cute clothes to wear! after the fittings i went back to the room and changed into a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, then headed to dinner. i met up with mom and jen, and then stood forever in the fajita line - good freaking fajitas, though! after dinner we sat through a guest speaker for what seemed like days - exquisite pictures, but he talked too much. but it was fine because i got on jen's iPhone and got on facebook - i showed her winter formal pictures and pictures from new york JEN: what's your middle name? ME: elizabeth JEN: what's your brother's middle name? ME: wayne JEN: ...as in world? oh goodness.. HIL-LAIR. but after that we met up with dave, dan or david (i can't remember his name just yet) - he is a photographer that wanted to take me out on tuesday morning for a shoot up in the desert. we selected outfits that i'll be wearing. then i just walked around for a while. i got asked a very flattering question from a guy too - 'model?'. he was sam's son up here to help work - he was nice! i hope i see him around more - he was fun to talk to. i then met back up with mom and jen and talked for a while. then headed upstairs to get everything i needed for the show together. after realizing i needed a strapless bra, i ran back down to the darkroom and stole the one jen was wearing. :-) it fit, so that makes me feel good! she's so sweet for that. haha, it's odd, actually, thinking how that jen will be reading this to post on the site... well, jen...i think you're very sweet...and, remember that one night i stole your bra?? JANUARY 21st... oh how my feet are killing me! i've been wearing heels ALL day! it began at 7:40 - i showered and was in the model suite by 8:10 in my bare face and grunge hair. but i got my hair done and went through my outfits with sara. hmmm... then i had to scramble to get my makeup put on. i did it myself and i kinda like it that way. :-) i headed down to the pool area in my cute little yellow dress, and i got to meet pam and gary then after a bunch of waiting , and wheeling all the clothes downstairs, the fashion show began. i tried so hard not to just be straight-faced the entire time. you know, i won't even be modest - i freakin' worked it! courtney and i, oh and aaron, were the only ones that actually had a personality. it was so fun!!!! i hope i get a video (jen's note - she did!). but it was so funny when i had to walk with a boy - poor david - i was walking with him and i told him i was going to put my hand in his back pocket on the way back. funny funny funny. i also did a spin (on the runway) with big jake. he's fun. and tall. 6'5". after the show courtney and i went back onstage because we got to hand out all the awards. :-) i felt so cool! after the show all the teens went to club spa (the dance). we danced to hips don't lie, some song i can't remember, low, soldja boy, and the electric slide. aaron was hilarious. the black boy can dance - surprised? then the models hit the hot tub. actually, courtney and i went to her room to change into suits and then went to the hot tub. everyone is so funny. jake showed up late, right as some of the people were going to bed, so i stayed up and chatted with him, and then antonia and aaron came down too. jake was so funny. he told me a story of being on the runway and when he reached for courtney's hand to do a twirl she didn't see it for a second, and then grabbed his hand after a second and did the turn. um... yeah... courtney was ME, because i didn't know that jake was planning on doing that! he got us mixed up...goofball. so anyway, now i'm back to the room, and after a much needed shower i'm heading to bed... JANUARY 22nd... wow what a long day! i had to pry myself out of bed this morning to go take pictures in front of a cactus... needless to say i wasn't excited about it at first, but in the end i think the pictures turned out awesome! it taught me an important lesson about the modeling business. whether your shoots are at the crack of dawn, in the heat of the day, or even at night. whether you want to go or not. YOU HAVE TO... and not only do you have to go, you have to give every shot your best. after the cactus shoot i got to go and take pictures with my mom :-) it was really fun and i'm so glad she came with me. after that i ran upstairs to the model suite to make sure my outfit hadn't changed. i look like something the 80's spit out.. but i absolutely love it. i'm going to have one heck of a portfolio becuase it's not something i would normally wear. it's purple skinny jeans, a black and white striped shirt with gold studs, a black vinyl jacket, and big black pumps. i decided not to wait in line for hair and makeup becuse i had gotten mine done the day before. i just exaggerated my eyes, huge crazy smokey eyes, and exaggerated the hair, a huge poof with not only a red streak but a purple one too. i looked so different. after getting my outfit, hair, and makeup approved by sara, i hopped on a bus out to the pima air museum for my last photo shoot. on the bus i met my photographer, dave (junion), he was a funny/kinda crazy man who kept throwing wadded up bills at me for no reason.. when i tried to give them back he made a huge scene exclaiming "oh no, DRIVER! this young girl is trying to give me money, no autumn, i wont take money from you!" he was hilarious. i was so shocked though when i finally counted it all, it totaled to almost a hundred dollars. not bad pay for something that should've been free. haha. when we finally got there, though, i understood why i was paid, he had me crawling all over the plane. first in front of it, then under it, next on top of the wing, and finally actually inside of it! it was kinda scary at first but in the end it was really fun and definately something i will never forget. when we were all done with that we got back on the bus and headed back to the hotel, where i quickchanged back into normal clothes and ran next door to go eat dinner with all the models. we went to this amazing resturant with the best cheeseburgers ever. after dinner i went back to the darkroom at the hotel and got to spend time with all the photographers and models after that all the models decided to go jump in the hot tub - they are some of the most awesome people! i'm so glad i got to come here and make such amazing new friends! before turning in for the night we all exchanged facebook names, so we could stay in touch after we all went home. later on, mom met me at the hot tub with my "name" canvas. that was such a surprise because i didnt think i would get to take home any of the pictures they had put up of me. thank you spa!! JANUARY 23rd... oh my goodness, I hate early mornings. mom and i had to wake up at six o'clock to finish packing. once we finished getting ready and everything, we had just enough time to get down to the lobby for our shuttle to the airport. i rode the shuttle with alex, jake and dakota. so we all got our last chat in and all our goodbyes in before flying out. mom and i went through security a lot "cleaner" this time, i left all my liquids at the hotel room. :-) the flight was a lot better this time. we just flew from tucson thanks for the experience of a LIFETIME!!
