Always be camera-ready (or don't leave your house a hot mess)

I was once watching an interview of J.Lo -- I think on The Today Show. Anyway, the interviewer asked her why it was that she never ended up in the magazines looking cringe-worthy and awful. She said her grandmother told her years ago that she should always leave the house presentably because you never know who you might meet. I imagine that her grandmother was probably speaking to J.Lo about possibly meeting a man in the market or some such thing, and not so much to meeting the paparazzi. Similarly, there was no leaving pheebee's mom's household looking crazy. For pheebee's mom, it was just general principle. My auntie, she always equated how you look with how you feel. So, you look good = you feel good.

No matter the reason, it's been instilled and re-affirmed to me that one cannot leave the house looking a hot mess! That, dear friends, is the first level of awesome. But, to take it to the next level, when leaving the house, you should always be camera-ready*. The biggest compliment you can get on an "off" day is that you look put together. You should look as though you left the house that way, on purpose and without trying. Does this mean you should always dress up in your Sunday finest? Of course not. The point is, you should never look like you just rolled out of bed.

Part 2 of always being camera-ready is to always be ready to have your picture taken. Know your angles, poses, etc. Nothing is more tiresome than always chasing after the cameraman asking him or her to re-take the pictures they are taking for the birthday boy (who isn't you). Honestly? Just be ready with your coy smile, head tilt, and slimming pose. Cameras are everywhere, and posting is far too simple. It's not like you should be surprised when your picture is taken. So, be prepared. That way you don't need to run and check the playback -- you already know you look good ;). (For examples of this, check out KIA. Homegirl was born to be chased by the media. :}



*"Camera-ready is a phrase I hi-jacked from my old job at Hooters. (Yes, I was a Hooters girl...pause for reaction). It is exactly how it sounds, always be ready to have your picture taken. You never know what will end up on Facebook :}.