I made a promise to myself years ago when first starting Pierogi Picnic: I would only use real men and women for photo shoots. What the heck does that mean? I was tired of seeing towering and emaciated, uber airbrushed images of people in ads and photos. So I decided I would change the name of the game – at least in my own little corner of the apparel universe. I vowed that I would only use everyday people in my pics. People who are beautiful inside and out, who don’t ‘pose’ professionally and who come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And I continue in that tradition today!

I recently put out a call via my Facebook for friends to attend a “Modeling Party” in the hopes of diversifying my pictures further. A variety of familiar faces filled our apartment for a fun-filled night of photos, snacking and laughing. At our get-together I had the privilege of reuniting with an old high school friend. Simone and I were both in our school’s Orchesis troop and shared the stage in many a theater production. It was great seeing her and having a chance to reconnect!

Simone works as a registered nurse in an emergency room at a local hospital. She has a passion for helping people of all creeds and kinds. She writes, “It’s great knowing that I’ve touched someone’s life in a way. That feeling doesn’t happen everyday, but when an instance comes up, it makes it that much more special.”

Compassionate, spunky and outgoing – Simone doesn’t limit her off-time to R&R. She’s an avid writer and pens poetry – and has even had two of her creations published! When I asked her to choose a vegetable that best described her she answered, “I would be a cherry tomato because I’m small and sweet. Made me giggle too.”