Bottles, Babies, and Garter Belts

Let's face it.  There is nothing glamorous about being a mother.  I suppose if you have a nanny and scheduled cocktail hour maybe it's possible, but for the rest of us it's a life of runny noses, potty training, and play dates.  When you have a child, suddenly you are no longer labeled as a lady, you are now a mom.  This is something that I have struggled with since giving birth to my daughter 19 months ago.  As a mom you carry a diaper bag instead of a purse, you refrain from any jewelry that can be pulled on, and your morning routine becomes a 5 minute shower and tinted moisturizer.

After I realized that the above was my new normal, I decided to make it my mission to find new ways to stay true to myself and still be a mom.  I may not fit in with the PTA or Mommy and Me groups, but I'm happy!

First things first.  When it comes to your home, remember that you do not have to paint everything pastel and put teddy bears in every room.  Babies are stimulated by bright colors and bold patterns so there is no reason to force butter yellow on them.  My daughter successfully survived a 1950s crib with cowboys and girls on it, and her walls are covered with fine art that is stimulating and fun to look at.  In my opinion you don't create a tranquil environment with paint colors, you do so with your actions and temperament.  Your surroundings are constantly affecting your mood and how you feel about yourself.  If you are in an environment that you are proud of and like, than it's seems only reasonable that you will be more comfortable.  My home decor is not exactly child friendly by definition.  I have glass top tables from the 60s and lamps with the original cords from the 50s.  But I never once changed a thing in my home.  Instead, I have made it child friendly by teaching my daughter how to act around these items.  My home is part of who I am as a person, and I was just not ready to trade in my "danger" items for padded foot stools and puffy couches.

Enough about my home.  One of the hardest things I had to do was trade in my purse collection for a diaper bag.  If I had $250 - $500 to spend on one this would have been much easier.  But I had $100 and found that I was going to have to accept my new accessory and deal with it.  I settled on a somewhat generic bag that was decorated with lime green circles, and it wasn't too bad.  But then I found a bag that made much more sense.  I found the Lux de Ville Atomic Collection.  Not only was this bag my style, but it was under $100 and had plenty of room for everything I needed to carry.  This purchase also made me look at motherhood differently.  I didn't have to buy maternity clothes, diaper bags, and mom jeans.  I could wear wiggle dresses, push up bras, and even garter belts if I wanted.  I was suddenly a mom, but nothing else had changed.

Photo: Roy Varga

Since becoming a mother I have embraced pinup photography, burlesque, and having a glass of wine before bed.  I always knew that I wanted to try pinup modeling, but it wasn't until I had a child that I got the guts to do it.  Suddenly I was living a life where makeup and heels were not part of my daily routine, and pinup gave me a reason to need them again.  It also gave me proof that I still had it.  I may have gained some weight, some stretch marks, and some wrinkles, but I could still get dolled up and feel sexy.  And on the plus side I happily moved up to a DD cup after having a baby!

Whether you are a mother or not, the lesson here is to embrace yourself and do things your own way.  My house is the way I like it, I am raising my daughter according to my own rules, and I'm embracing my interests and my curves.  I may not look like Elizabeth Taylor every day, but I do make time for dancing in my living room and practicing pinup poses in the bathroom mirror.  I take my daughter to swimming lessons in my bombshell swimming suit, and I am proud to wear my red lipstick in family photos.  Now if I could just find a 1959 Chevy wagon!!


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