I am still pinching myself. I was a runway model in Milan Fashion Week last month!!! 

30 women in total represented three clothing designers trying to break into the international market. . . . more about that in a minute.

I would be lying if I said I never thought about being a model, especially when playing dress up in my mom's old dresses as a child. So, when this opportunity came about, I could not resist! 

My Italian 2-week excursion started with a laid-back trip to Florence and the Tuscany countryside with one of my Dutch "Sister Cousins" in her caravan. We woke up to breathtaking views (see photos above), and we created our own off-the-beaten-path adventures, like stumbling on the vineyards that used to be owned by Mona Lisa and her family!

And, yes, I did a few typical touristy things too - who can resist trying to push the leaning Tower of Pisa? :) 

Then I was off to a six-day retreat near Lake Como, which started in a resort where we spent part of the time practicing our posture and runway walk, working on our mindset, and eventually getting hair and makeup done for the big day.

30 women participated in this "give back" retreat, representing three "underprivileged" designers from the Philippines who normally would not have been able to break into the international fashion market. Women who had already proven themselves locally. Two of them are single moms all of them regularly give back to their community.

My group's amazing designer was Amandah, founder of Penaflorida Atelier. You can see her collection for the show above (and her Instagram sizzle reel here), which was Chanel-inspired with a Philippine flair. (In the center, to the left of me in the photo above, is Dang Bricca, who founded the non-profit House of Zora to help underprivileged fashion designers around the world. We were the debuting show!)

It was exciting to put myself out there! Yes, very intimidating, but so worth it. . . It is important to challenge ourselves once in a while. More about that in my next blog post. :)

Love and Blessings - Sharon

PS - I got pretty sick after getting back from the show excitement, lack of sleep afterwards, and a long flight back (with too much EMF exposure). But something else was going on with me too. Something emotional. Find out what in this Instagram post.

I will be back next month with my standard newsletter and latest blog article!!! Stay tuned!