Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Elisa Project gets a heaping dose of ESTEEM

Rudy Gatlin worked the crowd, while Miss Texas USA Ali Nugent was the epitome of style and grace
Photos courtesy of Joseph Brewster Photography and Design

The 3d annual ESTEEM Fashion Show held at at Saks Fifth Avenue this past Saturday was a celebration of positive body image and self-esteem. Local Dallas celebrities joined girls and women, boys and men, of all ages and sizes, to embrace healthy, balanced lifestyles and self-acceptance to raise funds for The Elisa Project. By helping to increase awareness about eating disorders and the importance of positive body image, ESTEEM encourages people to love themselves while striving to be healthy.

2013 Esteem fashion show participants
Photo courtesy of Joseph Brewster Photography and Design

This year's emcee was KTXD's Debbie Denmon from The Texas Daily and participating celebrities included Steve Kemble, LeeAnne Locken, Scott Murray, WFAA's Amy Vanderoef from Good Morning Texas, KHKS's Kellie Rasberry from The Kidd Kraddick Show with her step-daughter Kamryn Pooladsanj, Rudy Gatlin from The Gatlin Brothers, Miss Texas USA 2013 Ali Nugent,   HGTV's Hilari Younger, Jill Rowlett, Yvonne Crum, Steve Blevins, Chandler Browning, Cassie Legg, Jackson, Blake Stephenson and daughter Cate Stephenson, Anne and Zoe Besser, Alvin Wade and granddaughters - Lauren and Hannah Alban, Janee' Harrell, Nancy Gopez, Sarah Elizabeth Baumert and Carla Ferrer Russo.  Oh, and then there was me.

Spotted from the runway were media mavens Lisa Petty of DFW Style Daily and Caroline Tillery of GrandLuxe Magazine.  The always stunning Cathy Williamson of She Reigns rain wear sat front and center to cheer me on, as well as fashion blogger Heather Letteri and Daren Martin

Overheard backstage:


Steve Kemble with Ali Nugent
Steve Kemble was plotting all morning to distract Ali Nugent and steal her Miss Texas USA tiara. He really wanted to wear that crown....

Janee Harrell was giddy about taking her crew on the road to tape her 20th high school reunion for The Janee Show (shown on Family Net, Sundays at 5PM). Get ready Wichita Falls!

Rudy Gatlin, Jill Rowlett and Yvonne Crum were reliving the glory days about wild parties at "4519 Rawlins" and marveling that they were all still here to tell the tales. And I thought the 80's were wild... I got nothin' on this crew!

Rudy Gatlin and Cynthia Smoot
Hilari Younger has an HGTV holiday special in the works and a top secret project that will debut in 2013. Can't WAIT to tell you all about that as soon as I get the green light to spill the beans!

Kellie Rasberry and LeeAnne Locken were swapping tales and tips about botox and fillers. I learned a lot about "plumping" and where to inject fillers for the most youthful results.

A big thank you to Anne Besser of The Elisa Project and Rhonda Sargent Chambers from RCS Productions for asking me to participate in such a fun and informative event.

For more information about the Elisa Project and their work to prevent treating disorders and promote a healthy body image, visit http://www.theelisaproject.org/