I was born in Alabama on September 21st, and my mom named me Candy
because she thought it was a sweet name. That's honestly the only reason she's
ever been able to give. And believe me, I've asked many times. I only lived there
a short time before relocating to Florida, where I grew up on the Gulf Coast. With
its warm waters and perfect white sand, it was hard to keep me away from the
beach and out of the water. I've probably spent half my life in a bikini.

I was a cute little girl with long brown hair and big blue eyes, and I remember
people commenting that I should try modeling. My mom was a model, but I didn't
have much interest in doing anything except climbing trees. Then I got a little
older and turned into tall, skinny, lanky kid who spent two years missing my two
front teeth only to have them grow in and stick out. Thank you greatgrandma, for
the braces. My stepfather was a photographer who worked at a camera store, so I
spent a lot of time in front of the camera helping with different aspects of
photography workshops. For example: one time I rode my bike past him over and
over again so he could practice taking pictures of speed and movement. I
remember looking through all his photography books, and seeing the beautiful
pictures and wanting to be able to be that person in the photos someday.

But I was a shy little bookworm with a squeaky voice that didn’t like being in
front of crowds. I also tended to wear clothes two sizes too big, dressed like a
boy and sometimes had purple hair. Modeling was not exactly the obvious career
choice, and I drifted into writing and eventually decided to pursue journalism. I
excelled at school and took mostly honors courses and a ton of art classes. After
officially announcing I wanted be a beach bum after high school, a friend picked
me up and carried me out of class, depositing me in the office and demanding I
sign up for the SAT’s and get my act together. I couldn’t say no to that.

I spent a few years at community college trying to decide what direction to take.
It was then that I looked into modeling with a local agency. I wasted a lot of
money on photos and getting my portfolio together and then attending the Millie
Lewis Modeling Convention where all the agents were terribly rude and
uninterested in anything but the free vacation they were getting out of the deal. I
actually had an agent look directly at me in his open call line, and then tell his
assistant “I have nobody in my line, can you get me someone worth looking at?”
Another agent asked “And what do you think I can do for you hon?” When I asked
if he could just look through my book, he quickly flipped through, tossed it on the
table and said “You’re too commercial, next in line please.” Elite was the only
agency that offered some constructive criticism and put me on the right path. The
agent told me I was too curvy for fashion and should try swimwear modeling and
to check with their agency in Miami. This was when I was 5’9” and only 105 lbs. I
didn’t even think I looked good in a bikini at that point. The only highpoint of the
convention was winning a ribbon for “most photogenic.” Afterwards, the agency
that I had given so much money to got me one job- working for $10/hr as a
promo model for Cadillac. I reevaluated my whole approach to modeling and
decided to concentrate on school instead.

So I headed to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida and earn a degree in
magazine journalism. If I wasn't going to be in the magazines, I could at least
write for them. It was there that I got into the Internet and learning about
building websites. A little one page website with a few snapshots grew into the
website I have today. It was through research online, self promotion and building
my website that I was able to start modeling again on my own terms. I also
started doing more promo work in college working as a campus rep for Playboy.

After college I moved to San Francisco to write editorial content for websites. It
was an interesting time with the whole dot com business booming. After all that
went bust, the writing jobs dried up and everyone started offering “exposure”
instead of money.  That is when I looked into modeling again and started doing a
lot of promotional work. Pretty soon I got tired of the cold weather and decided to
move south to San Diego.  After searching in vain for a decent paying journalism
job, I went back to promo work and modeling full time. That led to my job as
market manager for brands like Guinness and Smirnoff, and soon I was the one
hiring and training the models. During that time, I also married my college
boyfriend and am still very happily married.

With the online modeling business growing every day, and so many young girls
trying to break into the business, I felt the need to get the word  out about the
scams that are so prevalent in the industry. I was hoping to save at least a few
other girls from blowing all their saving and going into debt while trying to pursue
their dreams in the wrong direction. I’ve been a member of allexperts.com for a
few years and have been giving advice to new models and their parents about
what is and isn’t legitimate when starting out. I had to learn the hard way! I also
started writing again and published an article in Supermodels Unlimited Magazine
on how to have a successful freelance modeling career.

So this is where I am today. I enjoy working on my website and all the
opportunities modeling has brought to me. I’ve gotten to travel, met some
interesting people, attend some great events and seen myself in print and on TV.
In my free time I still enjoy the beach, and have grown to love surfing since
moving to SD, although the resulting bruises are not very good for my job!

2006 UPDATE: A lot has happened since originally writing this bio. My husband
went to war for a year, which was very hard on both of us. When he came back,
we went to Hawaii to reconnect, surf and get married all over again. We decided
it would be best to move back to Florida so I can be closer to both our families if
he gets deployed again. We chose Jacksonville because is seemed like a growing
city and we had some college friends already there. We bought a house and
settled into life in the 'burbs. We got an Australian Shepherd and I traded in the
little Miata for a more responsible mini SUV. I had to get something to fit the
husband and the dog, and the Miata could barely hold me and my purse.
I tried doing the promotions here, but they just don't pay very well, so I am
pretty much retired from the liquor promo biz. I have a few agencies and
companies that I get steady modeling and tradeshow work from, and that keeps
me busy. Too busy sometimes because there is a lot of travel involved and I'd
rather be home with my family, cooking dinner, tending the garden or doing
something else surprisingly domestic.
I also started my own clothing/costume biz after years of making Halloween
costumes and selling them on eBay. It's called Three Muses Inspired Clothing. I
opened the website at www.ThreeMusesClothing.com.
Someday I hope to open a boutique and do Three Muses full time. Right now it is
growing slowly but surely. I figure I won't be modeling all my life so I'm busy
building something for whatever comes next.

2007 UPDATE: In mid-2006 I stopped modeling completely to concentrate on
getting my business off the ground. I couldn't keep up with the traveling and
running the business. Some of you may remember that I also briefly went
brunette, although that only lasted a few months. I just had to accept that I'm
blond no matter what color I was born with.
And once again, my husband went overseas, this time to Iraq. I'm really glad we
made the move to FL, since I have more family, friends and neighbors here that
make a great support system. And my two dogs and cats are constant company
making sure I am never lonely.
Three Muses is now my full-time job, and I also started a bikini company called
Bombshell Bikinis. Once I got the business established, I started modeling again,
but mostly just for my own line of costumes and swimwear. I've also been
spending time on the other side of the lens, taking photos of other models.
My next step is to work on opening that boutique I've been dreaming about!