Wanna Be A Travel Writer? Or Talk To A Traveling Bra?

Viscape is social marketplace for travelers, owners, and real estate professionals to come together to network, exchange ideas, conduct business, meet and organize trips around vacation properties and second homes. (Viascape also listed MY BLOG as one of their Top Travel Blogs of 2008!)

Viscape University hosts a virtual seminar each week featuring experts in the fields of travel photography, travel writing, social media, vacation real estate, travel planning and so much more. And YOU can attend all of these seminars for FREE!

The next seminar (Monday, March 2nd @7:30pm EST) is: Travel Writing: Penning Your Way to a Career : Virtual Travel Writer Meet-up of the YEAR! ...and GUESS WHO has been invited to participate as a guest speaker!?

So if you are interested in learning more about becoming a Travel Writer by asking questions of REAL travel-writers...and about what I've learned from being the world's FIRST & ONLY Traveling Bra...then please sign up to attend this FREE VIRTUAL seminar ASAP!!! (It's a call-in seminar (using GoToMeeting) so if you RSVP, on the day of the call you will be sent the phone number and password to get into the call. It will start at 7:30 EST and runs for an hour. )

Here's the full scoop from Viscape:

Viscape University’s next big (and free!) event on March 2, 2009 at 7:30 PM EST and will bring together some of the top travel writers and bloggers to talk about their trials, tribulations, and successes in the travel writing and blogging industry!

Travel Writing: Penning Your Way to a Career (or, at least, a very adventurous new hobby!)

Don’t miss this must attend event for aspiring travel writers because it is going to be the largest and most informative virtual meet-up of travel writers ever!

Our expert panel of travel writers will cover topics like:

* How to Get Started – blogging and print

* Motivation: How to Get it and More Importantly, How to Keep it!

* The Ethics of the Pen (Yeah, that’s a Big One!)

* Make Yourself Stand Out in the Crowd (Tips, Tricks, and PR)

Expert panelists include:

*Debbie Dubrow, creator of Delicious Baby, has two kids of her own and one goal: making traveling fun for the whole family.

*Claire Walter, award winning author, may live in Colorado, but she's been jet-setting around the world for years and sharing her insights on her blog, Travel Babel, since 2006.

*Shannon Lake (aka Cajun Mama), writer for Traveling Mamas, hails from Southern Louisiana.
She seems to have tried it all as a musician, freelance writer, and seemingly full-time traveler.

*Shawn Bradford of Olga, the Traveling Bra helps you keep abreast of Olga's latest adventures. After a mini-midlife crisis, Olga grabbed her good friend Shawn, and they have been globetrotting and taking wild pictures ever since.

*Beth Blair (aka Desert Mama), another Traveling Mama, has worked as a flight attendant, trading in her winged label for travel writing, but now -- she only flies for pleasure!

Get your questions answered live and in person (well, virtually) by someone who’s literally been there and done that!

Please send your RSVP to RSVP@viscape.com so we can save you a seat! Space is limited and registration is on a first-come, first serve basis.

Viscape. Who Else? Live It. Love It. Share It.

It's Fat Tuesday in Mobile, Alabama ~ Do You Know Where Your Bra Is?

When my Mobile Chaperons aren't too drunk

recovering from hangovers

taking a nap....

they been busy taking THIS BRA out on the town and showing me why....

"Mardi Gras is Mo Betta in Mo-Bile!"

We've been drunk for days having a GREAT time too

because the parties and parades 'round here are ENDLESS..... In fact, The Bay City Brass Band paused during one of the parades
just to have their picture taken with ME!

Click on this player to listen to their music:

...& if that doesn't make you want to jump up and holler,

"Hey Mister, Throw Me Something"

...I don't know what will!

FOOD is also a big party of the Mardi Gras celebration... Alligator on a Stick?!?
OMG! I'd really just like a corn dog...please?

And....I even met me a real Pirate!

(And a couple of buxom Pirate beauties to boot!)

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

You'll never get to me treasure chest like that, ya scurvy bilge rat!

Thanks to Greg Brown (again!) for this grrrrrrreat photo!

Cami Top for the Full Bust

The camisole is everywhere on the market today, however oftentimes it is a poorly fitting choice for the full bust figure. Invariably there is never enough a) strap to conceal the bra straps, b) cleavage coverage, or c) volume in the bustline, creating the horizontal pull that signals too small.

Panache Lingerie manufactures a cami top with their molded t-shirt bra built into the top. The cami top is one of Panache's best sellers, and their Porcelain molded t-shirt bra is the number one selling molded cup bra for the well-endowed woman.

Bravissimo, the wonderful UK store, offers many "strappy tops" under their Ovation brand; Panache private labels that brand for them. In the states one can find the cami top at Lions Lair Designs. Many ladies camoflauge their large chests by layering knits upon knits (think tank top, then t-shirt, then sweater/jacket, etc.). The relatively new Yummie Tummie product is a viable layering option, but again, there is not enough volume for the full cups. I tried on the XL Yummie Tummie, and my (small in comparison to others more blessed than I) FFs overflowed the allotted area. If you like to layer and want something to go over the mid-section, the best fitting choice is the Panache Cami Top. Let me know what you think?!

Hmmm...What Do YOU See?

My blog-mistress snapped these shots with her camera phone today...

I think she misses me.

Wacoal Luxe: Femme Fatale Plunge Bra

Wacoal Luxe: Femme Fatale Plunge Bra
Simple, sexy, elegant. This is the little black bra you can’t live without. Side push-up and low plunge front deliver serious drama.

• Stretch nylon
• Sexy, underwire plunge bra
• Demi cups provide comfortable support
• Side push-up pads create dramatic cleavage
• Straps adjust in back
• Appliqué design on front straps
• 3 column, 2 row hook and eye back closure
  

Content:
Body : 68% Nylon, 32% Spandex.
Cup Lining: 100% Polyester.
Lining: 100% Nylon.

Country of Origin: Made in Dominican Republic

Hanging With The Veet In Mobile, Alabama

Any ol' time you're in Mobile, Alabama

the place to meet for a drink, hear great music, and have a REAL GOOD TIME

is Veets Bar and Grill! Especially when it's Mardi Gras time!

And especially if you're a big o'l bodacious black bra

and your Chaperon hooks you up with with the owner of this fine establishment!

Yep, that ME rubbin' shoulders with THE Veet!

Hangin' with Veet (and his bodacious daughter, Gina) was a special treat!

(And I've got my straps crossed these pictures will find their way onto his wall of fame!)

Veets is also THE place in Mobile for national artists to visit and jam in...and their bandstand is home to one of Mobile's finest house bands, Doug Previto (who coincidentally looks a lot like Veet!) & The Family Jewels.

In fact, that's them you're listening to right now!

"Got To Get It Worked On" perfomed by Doug Previto & the Family Jewels

I just couldn't resist hopping up on stage and shakin' mah thang with the band

and my Chaperon's bosom buddy, AE!

THEN it was time to shuffle outside and watch The Mobile Mystics

Mardi Gras Parade!

Woo-hoooo!

My Chaperon held me high so I could check out the parade while her photographer pal, Gregory Brown snapped this AWESOME photo! (Which has now pretty much just become my latest all time favorite picture of ME!)

Please visit Now Back To Me and read my Chaperon's version of this story!

Thank Ya'll!

Mellow Yellow/Music Monday

I LOVE this photo,

taken when I visited JafaBrit's Knit Knot Tree in Yellow Springs, Ohio...

It's so bright and cheery and just makes me wanna

Laugh and Be Happy!

Trunk Show at Loretta's Intimates

Last Saturday Bratique Helene had a trunk show at Loretta's Intimates of Plano, this generationally owned family boutique also has another store in Flower Mound TX. To say the trunk show was a success would be an understatement, as Audrey the manager (and third generation) said, "your shirts were flying out the door".

Loretta's is an excellent place to go if looking for lingerie, and they fit all sizes. In fact I have purchased two out of my last three bras from their store. Their website is a breeze to navigate and their shipping is quick and free. The staff at the Plano store - Audrey, Sarah, Katie and Monica, are helpful, kind and knowledgeable too.

Although most of the women who came to the event were wearing unstructured knit tops, it was encouraging that their bustlines were nice and uplifted. We fit women from their 20's through their 60's that day, the working single women to the grandmothers, because everyone wants to feel their best in a structured, woven article of clothing (when was the last time you left the house in knit pants and felt put together?). Regrettably I forgot my camera, so didn't take any before and after pictures. It was a blessing to meet the women, and have the opportunity to get their feedback, which was positive, on our clothing line.

The fit of the line was right on for our target market. At first the women who came to us were incredulous and skeptical, as in "you'll never get a shirt to fit my bustline" (this especially was the sentiment of the R's - really endowed's), but once they had the shirt on it turned to pleasant surprise and astonishment, "OMG, it looks awesome". From the dressing room we heard women exclaim, "GASP, I have a waist", and "WOW, look at my back, you can see that its shapely", etc. etc.

A big thank you to both the great staff at Loretta's and the beautiful women who participated in the trunk show!

It Was "Take Your Bra To Work Day" In Mobile, Alabama

1st stop: The Office

I always heard things moved a bit slow in The South...

....but this is ridiculous!

I. need. coffee.

2nd stop: The break room

YAY COOKIES! But where's the coffee?!?

I need a pick-me-up!!!

Whoa! This'll do!

3rd stop: FIGHTER JET!!!!

Coffee Shmoffee!

...now I feel the need for speeeeeeeeeeeed!

*Thank you to my Mobile Chaperon for taking me with her to work today!

Who Ya Calling Cuppycake Gumdrop Snoogums-Boogums?!

My four fantastic male Chaperons, that's who!

Daddy Papersurfer

RennyBA

Reverend Pete

Speedcat Hollydale

The Cuppycake Song

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Ulga, the Traveling Trashiest Bra?!?

OH. MY. GAWD!!!

As much as I HATE airing dirty laundry in public....

this requires an explanation!

You see, my distant cousin and evil nemesis, Helga, the Wandering Corset and I have a bit of history together...but we've long since buried the hatchet...so I was SHOCKED to learn that Helga's twisted half-sister, a sleazy piece of cheap opportunistic lingerie name Ulga actually thought that she could show up and TAKE MY PLACE at the Orisis Mardi Gras Ball! I have been rendered SPEECHLESS by this shocking news...so PLEASE click here to read (the hilarious story) about this IMPOSTOR over at my Mobile, Alabama Chaperon's brand new blog, Now Back to Me!

And then come back and click here to read the exciting conclusion!

(RIP Ulga!)

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

...but DANG IT!

I was havin' so much fun hangin' with The Rev in Memphis, Tennessee that I missed the BIG Mardi Gras Ball in Mobile, Alabama! But not to to worry...my Mobile Chaperon and I are together now...and she's set me up with a nice cozy bed, fuzzy robe, and a grrrrreat book!

And I've been giving her tips on blogging 'cuz guess what?...she's a brand new blogger!...in fact, her only post (so far) is about ME! She writes: "....there is a little bit of Olga in all of us. The desire to go new places and learn new things. I know for this girl, life gets in the way of the ability to drop everything and see the world, therefore I live vicariously through Olga."

Yeah, as far as I'm concerned...she's totally on the right track!

So stay tuned....more shall be revealed!

I've Been Thinkin' 'Bout You (Mellow Yellow/Music Monday)

This is for my Blogging Buddy, Drowsey Monkey,

who THINKS she's lost her blogging mojo...

but I think she just needs a little more Al in her life!

(Click the picture to read the original post about Big Al's!)

Picture Perfect

This is a picture of our family with my in-laws celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I really like this picture and let me tell you why: the WRAP shirt!!! It covers the chest, unlike this picture, where we had to photoshop out the cleavage (husband says I'm reaping all my judgments on my mom for always having cleavage showing when I was growing up). And more than that, I am more than happy with the silhouette of my body in this picture. The wrap shirt fits the bustline and flatters the waistline. I was encouraged to see the shirt photograph so well.

I want you too to experience how great it feels to wear this shirt. From now until Valentine's Day we are offering a 20% discount on all orders placed by Saturday, February 14 (midnight CST), this includes pieces that aren't in stock yet, like the wrap shirt in baby pink and the shirtwaist dress. Simply put VAL20% in the comment section on the checkout page during the order process. The discount will show on your credit card, not your Bratique Helene receipt.

Like a client who called saying, "I'm thinking a little structure (in her shirt) is what my body needs to look its best", we want you to feel both comfortable and confident so you can enjoy yourself on this special occasion. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!

You Don't Have To Shave Your Legs...

But you do have to click on my blog-mistress's legs to read this post!

Jump in the Water

It is the beginning of February, definitely still in the middle of winter. However, one can tell the days are lengthening and the scent of swimsuit season is in the air! The upcoming swimsuit season has the lingerie industry all a dither, understandably, its fun to talk about the latest and greatest. This season gives me the opportunity to sing of Lions Lair Designs' praises. They are the premier destination for swimwear that fits the full bust woman. The staff at Lions Lair have several things going for them: A) they know the full bust, B) they know swim - they are located on the Floriday Keys, and C) they have excellent customer service.

Bikini:
I hands down recommend Fantasie's classic full cup bikini top. It gives a great shape and excellent support. Fantasie and Freya have been making bra sized swim separates for years - previously the brand name was Footprints. The bikini tops come in a range of cuts - balcony, triangle, bandeau, padded, etc. As hopefully you know by now I am a stickler for support and shape, thus I stick with the full cup for my bikini tops. Plus I think it gives a little retro shape and I just love that.

On the tankini - which is an American phenom - Lions Lair again stocks several brands to choose from. Surprisingly, Tara Grinna gives better support in their tankini. I say surprisingly because they are not a lingerie manufacturer, but strickly a swimwear manufacturer. The frame of the tankini cup isn't quite as on-target as the Fantasie/Freya bikini, but it is a great option for more belly coverage (read four large babies).
One piece solutions abound as well, particularly Panache and Anita.

I sound like a broken record even to myself, but, when looking for a swimsuit look for the same things you need in a bra: seaming, coverage, a snug back band, adjustable straps, etc.

I implore the beautiful full bust women reading this blog to realize that she needs a swimsuit with an underwire in it. Do you wear a soft-cup halter bra to work during the day? I laugh at the thought . . . but wearing a soft-cup halter swimsuit gives one the same look; S-A-G-G-Y. The structure-less swimsuit is best left to the person who will be in the water the entire time they are in their swimsuit, they will need the buoyancy to hold up their bustline. For the rest of us, please enjoy the benefits of hardware so you are both comfortable and confident in your swimsuit.

Hey ya'll! I'm Going (to) Mobile!

Most people associate Mardi Gras with the New Orleans, Louisiana...but did you know that the original Mardi Gras celebration was held in Mobile, Alabama in 1703? Sho'nuf! And this year...guess who's been invited to be The Belle of the Mardi Gras Ball? Woo-hoo!!!....looks like those dancin' lessons The Rev gave me are gonna come in quite handy!

Check it out! Here I am hanging around outside the Carnival Museum back in October 2007 when I visited Mobile with my very first blogger-Chaperon, Stealth! (This time I hope to get up close and personal with those clowns.)

(Click to turn music on or off...but stay tuned now, ya'll hear? )

Ta-Ta (for now) Memphis!

On our last night together...

The Rev took me outside...

looked up towards the heavens...

and said a little prayer....

"Dear God....

Olga's leaving tomorrow...so please

let it snow in Memphis one more time before she goes!?

Amen."

Double-D THANK YOU Rev (and The Colonel) for an absolutely
FANTASTIC adventure!

I shall carry my Memphis memories with me forever and ever! Fo' Sho'!

PLEASE VISIT THE REV'S BLOG (click here!) FOR A GREAT VIDEO RECAP OF OUR ADVENTURES!