Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time!

It wasn't until I entered the limelight.

I don't recall having a typical celebrity crush growing up. In elementary school I was nick named the "Pepsi Girl." I still have no idea what that even means. I'd prefer a can of coke~a~cola, given the choice. My first boyfriend ever was Robbie V.C. Fifth grade heart throb-b-b. Lead in the school play 'Grease'. The kid could really kick it on stage, so you can just imagine how all of my peers would swoon over him. I guess that's when the trouble started...

Pre-occupied with my own real life dramas growing up... Sure, I had posters of Debbie Gibson and Tiffany splattered all over my walls and would belt out the lyrics to their songs on my 80's karaoke disco machine... But come nightfall, I'd be jumping onto the roof of our outdoor patio; which was conveniently built right underneath my bedroom window and then scaling the backyard fence. We didn't have cell phones back then. Just a time and a place. Sometimes it was the sand quarry where the crazy fellas from 8th grade would jump off into newly excavated giant ditches filled with rain water, gravel and who knows what else. Never minding the "DO NOT ENTER" OR "DANGER" signs of the construction site... It's a wonder no one ever (really) got injured. Sometimes we just meet up in dull parking lots, closed beaches or parks but there was never a boring moment. I guess you could call me a bit of a troublemaker growing up. But it was just good old fashioned fun. We would play games like truth or dare, hide-and-seek and spin the bottle. Just silly stuff for shytes 'n giggles.

When the weather got chilly, I remember hanging out in Susie's basement almost every weekend. She was my best mate and just as rebellious as me. Her parents were the coolest. They would turn a blind eye realizing it was better to have all of us safe and indoors rather than causing mischief in the streets of our subdivisions. I still laugh to this day whenever I think of my 7 Minutes in Heaven locked in Susie's closet with my high school crush. Yeah... he was THE MAN! Absolutely nothing happened. (Giggle) But no one else needed to know. It was our secret. And he took me out for ice cream several times after that for being such a good secret keeper! :)

And then I entered the limelight.

19 years old and busy night clubs. I worked my way up from bottle service to party hostess in no time. Owner's from the biggest night clubs in Toronto's Entertainment District would hire me to hire other girls to dress up according to the club's theme night. I was getting paid to party. It was AWESOME! I've been almost everything from a Star Wars Jedi to (a very risqué) Santa's Lil' Helper!

I remember rolling into one event where the other promo models didn't show up... Here I was dolled up in a bright green snake skin bikini with a big yellow plush toy snake to resemble Britney Spears's iconic 2001 VMA performance.

And that's when I met George. The ICEMAN. Toronto's most infamous night club promoter. "If you want to meet celebrities you should try to get in with the ICEMAN..." is exactly what I was told. So I made it a point to be in (a mind blowing) costume and on time. Especially since it was the Britney Spears After Party (and I was her #Uno fan-O!) But the event... nor he... was at all what I was expecting... (No bueno...)

Casually strolling past a mountain of empty beer cases from last night's College Bash, through a dimly lit unfinished basement tunnel, the doorman led me up a few steel stair cases. Perforated metal and 6" stilettos don't go very well together and I fumbled. Suddenly I was getting swooped up in delicious chocolate bulging muscles. " I wouldn't want 'ya ta fall ma'am." Slick. An intoxicating laughter swept over me and I hadn't even had a drink yet. Storming through the office door he plopped me down in front of The ICEMAN. Who didn't look at all impressed. And not because of my oh-so grand entrance. He had obviously seen it done before. Nope... he was stressed. Not sure if Britney was coming to his After Party; although, I'm pretty sure he was well aware that another club had out bid him at the last minute, he tactfully didn't ruin my hopes, or anyone of the party goers hopes to meet the Princess of Pop. Grimly he stated that the other girls hadn't shown up and thank you for coming but he didn't know if it would work with just one promo model to entertain the crowd, who he knew were starting to get impatient and annoyed that the Britney Spears concert had ended well over an hour ago and the pop icon was still a no show. Handing me an envelope with my night's pay he blankly stated that I was welcome to stay for the party but it wasn't turning out as he had planned. Could he get me a drink? I was stunned. Disappointed. Unbuttoning my long detective looking overcoat - the type you see ultra-slinky, sexy women wear to the door of their lover's hotel rooms in scandalous Femme Fatal French films, before seductively removing it by sliding out the tightly wrapped waist belt to reveal nothing but racy lingerie beneath, "...but I didn't bring anything else to wear..." I squeamishly replied, "... and I've been working on my costume for over a week." Bursting out into a nervous kind of laughter I could feel my cheeks flush with a ting of embarrassment; which is not a feeling I was used to... clearly. "Ok well it's up to you honey... It's Brant Street... stuck-up, posh, spoiled rich kids already in a frenzy about apparently being lied to and upset that they aren't partying with the one and only Miss Spears. They are either gonna love you or hate you!" Grabbing my giant stuffed albino Burmese python with gusto I turned to him with a sly smile, "Let's Rock 'N Roll!"

After winning over his huffy crowd - on my own might I add - who loved my 'I'm A Slave' quirky dance and clumsy strut across the bar... And after taking a million and one pictures with my toy snake and feeding my python shots of expensive vodka - George and I were inseparable. Quite enamored with the way I was able to uplift and appease what could have easily turned into a revolt on his hands, we hosted the biggest parties in the city together. He bought me a camera so that I could capture the party goers pictures with the world renown DJ's and celebrities he hired. In that Gatsby year, I partied with an amazing number of celebs from Vanilla Ice to J Lo and Puff Daddy! I was even invited to visit the Playboy Mansion and hiked up to the top of Mount Lee and partied in the "O-O's" of the American landmark known as the glamorous Hollywood sign... but that's a different story!

Then I met her... again. But something was different this time. We had hosted several parties together in the past, and I had seen her grace the covers of Playboy, Maxim and Sports Illustrated magazines, just to name a few (and numerous times) but something about her charm struck me and stuck with me. My celebrity crush was not something that happened in an instant... It was kind of a collection of little things that happened over time until you realize that yes, you are completely infatuated by a collection of a few moments here and a few moments there that end up getting all mashed together in your mind's eye to being the equivalent of your true 7 Minutes In Heaven.

My very first moment of intrigue for Khloe Terae was at a Bunny Party (surprise... surprise...), which was the after-party to the Vanity Fair all day event that we had hosted earlier. We were all dressed up like sexy little bunnies (except for George, of course!) Her fans were trying to bombard us with round after round. It was in this moment that my celebrity crush seed for Khloe was officially planted. That happens in an instant. Like that one liner in a movie performed so well that it actually moves you and the actor has just snuck his way into your feels...

But the seed was actually tossed at the Vanity Fair exhibition a few hours earlier. Her people were trying to move her to a different venue because her time at our booth was up. She literally protested at how disappointed the fans who had lined up for over an hour for a picture and an autograph were going to be. "It's not your fault you have so many fans suga'! We have a schedule to keep!" Her manager pleaded as he pointed to his watch. She made George grab the megaphone to announce that she could only stay at our booth for 5 more minutes and everyone else should line up at the next venue. Smart. Her big & bright doe eyes filled with genuine concern for her adoring fans and her sweet pouty lips were actually pouting. Yep. She got into my feels.

That was the celebrity crush seed getting tossed but you don't think much of it. It was solidly planted and smacked and packed into my subconscious mind (and heart) at the Bunny Party later that evening... when I caught Khloe flinging a shot of vodka over her shoulder, fooling everyone else in the party 'CHEERS!', but me. Our eyes met and she flashed me a grand and glamorous smile and a big wink. It was our secret. Maybe that was my quirky little thing... secrets. Little secrets... silly secrets... like the one I shared with Brian in high school during our game of 7 Minutes In Heaven.

"Don't threaten me with a good time!" She barked in a cutesy Barbie voice back to the club owner, who had personally delivered a few pre-party bottles of bubbly complete with lit sparklers to her booth. Jolting over in an attempt to capture the moment she completely ignored my camera-in-hand and shoved a giant nacho chip dripping in hot Mexican sauce and sour cream directly into my mouth screaming, "Aren't these the BEST nachos you've ever had?!" And oh my God they were hot as hell! Just like her! Completing my surprise devour with a tall glass of unexpected sparkling champagne I ended up toasting with her Malibu Barbie Crew before she left my hands free long enough to grab some fantastic shots. No introductions were exchanged. I was instantly welcomed as part of the crew. Her delicate finger quickly caressing my lower lip after plunging an unexpected fiery nacho into my mouth was the sexiest thing I've ever experienced. Was it the impulsiveness of it all? Was it the act of being fed by a beautiful woman? Whatever just happened - it was hot and fun and I liked it! And then with champagne glasses raised, the Malibu Barbie Crew started bopping to the Electric Pop Dance Beats the DJ was spinning; which ironically, was Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl...." and I liked it! Oh how the mind wanders...

One of the reasons I took the offer to host a week long Playboy Golf Tournament in L.A; well, besides the obvious of course, "THAT'S THE INVITE OF A LIFETIME!" was for the chance that maybe I would meet more hot and fun Malibu Barbie girls like Khloe. But that didn't end up happening. Instead, I surprised myself (and my girlfriends) by actually being the "party starter." The women seemed a little hard to crack out of their shells and all of the men seemingly trying to be ballers, while I was literally there just to have fun. Not only did I embrace the spirit of the Malibu Barbie Crew but I even started to defend them; which I've recently read in an article is an actual stage you go through when you have a real celebrity crush.

It was during our hike up Mount Lee; during the middle of that sweltering week, in an attempt to detoxify (which is a really bad idea! It seemed like a brilliant idea while we were all still a little day drunk, but I seriously do not recommend it!) The girls who I had invited to go with me, my mates, were fun and great looking gals, but I could tell they were getting a little weary of the whole Playmate adventure. When they started stating things like; "Oh I heard that in order for Khloe to stay so slim she actually cut out one of her ribs!" And "Yeah and when she's not shooting she just wears a corset all day on the tightest fitting!" Of course I piped up with a HELL NO! She just exercises and eats right! Maybe she's just born with it! Maybe it's Maybelline!!! ...Before plummeting into an exhausted and dehydrated face plant half way up the mountain. Brilliant.

Although I've never entered her site as a V.I.P. Member, I continued to follow Khloe's career on all of her social channels. You might think that's weird since she is my celebrity crush and all. And even being the hostess at the Vanity Fair Event - I've actually never really even seen a porn... or whatever it is that Playboy's Cyber Girl of the year does online... (I really have no clue...) And although I am a bit bi-curious... I've only ever kissed - I stand corrected - been kissed by a girl, who wasn't Khloe... but she did taste like Cherry Chap Stick! I knew the girls at the events mostly by seeing them in the magazines or from what George would tell me in advance.

I love photographing women and I think that a woman's body is like art. I love to make them feel and look even lovelier when possible! I love to create images that look like how the woman wishes or sees herself in her mind's eye. Hiding an unsightly stretch mark or pimple is really none of anyone else's business. It's between me and whatever my client wishes. It really is quite innocent. I am now creating High End Magazine Quality Images and known as a Celebrity Photographer. Some people would argue that it's wrong to Photoshop your images. My argument back to them is "... well do you wear make-up? So what's the difference? To me it is art and it makes people happy!"

My blooming career is many thanks to George and Khloe! Years later I came across a post that Khloe made about photographers and models meeting in Mexico for a week. The models would compete for the cover of Playboy, complementing a centerfold spread and the photographer's would have a chance to get published! So naturally, off I jet!

Khloe was the only model I knew there. But she wasn't going to be easy to get to and I knew that... and she probably wouldn't even remember me but that's ok because everyone there was fun and friendly and eager to work! I (naturally) had no problem making a lot of new friends when I started networking and didn't bother trying to look for Khloe. Well, that's a bit of a white lie... of course I asked about her... but was told that having been last year's "BIG WINNER"... she's kind of a big deal and has probably made pre-arrangements with photographers months in advance and will probably be shooting off the resort in remote locations. Oh well, ok... so I would see her in the bikini competitions and be there to cheer her on anyways. Like she said, "... us Toronto gals gotta stick together!" BIG Wink.

Celebrity crushes, like any other crush need to be nurtured in order to grow. If it's a movie star crush, you would know exactly when their next movie is being released. Grab your popcorn to watch it and fall in love all over again. Or a music singer releasing a new mushy love song that gets you in your feels... again. They evoke emotion; whether intentionally, or not.

Otherwise, as I quickly discovered, there were many women there competing for the role as my muse. And I almost got swept away! After seeing some of my work I literally had the most beautiful women (in the WORLD!) lining up at my hotel door at sunrise... after having been out and partying all night and their make-up was a mess with smeared mascara and such. Word quickly spread that I was one of few photographers on location who could fix it all afterwards with some editing and a little bit of magic! I spent entire days going on exciting excursions with the most fascinating women, swimming in the ocean with exotic fish'ies and enjoying luxurious dinners and intimate girl talks!

But then she swooped in...

Completely out of the blue. She saw me walking across the hotel lobby and called me over. "Hey doll! Do you wanna shoot? I literally have like a whole 7 minutes..." BIG Smile.

And would you believe that in those mere 7 minutes I captured the most amazing pictures of the entire trip! She walked me into the empty hotel discothèque called Kinky's (of all the names LOL!) And she introduced me to her cousin April Eve. April had flown all the way from Amsterdam and Khloe was absolutely thrilled to be here with her! And my pictures don't lie! And after being part of this wildly spontaneous, playful, candid and absolutely adorable 7 Minutes In Heaven ... how could I not fall head over heels all over again?

A few weeks later, magic happened! An aspiring Playboy Photographer was published! The article reads: "Caught on camera! This is what really happens when girls get together! Kittenish Khloe Terae instigates a playful pillow fight with unsuspecting and cute cousin April Eve! The photos above capture Khloe teasing her sweet cousin during this photo shoot with PIN-ME-UP Studios photographer, Valentina Chastain - to the point where April Eve will not take her eyes off her mischievous cousin for even a second!

In the moments right before the coquettish attack, April Eve finally relaxes back into her sultry character; however, our sprightly lil' Khloe is unable to contain her laughter and surprises April with a fluffy BAM! NEVER BEFORE SEEN PHOTOS (of an actual) SUPER MODEL PILLOW FIGHT between these two feisty cousins! "

Upon returning to my room later that evening I was pleasantly surprised with an elegant invite accompanied by the most savory and delectable chocolate truffles: Miss Khloe Terae requests the pleasure of your company...

You can live vicariously through Khloe (as I do!) by following her on Instagram @Khloe as she travels all over the world taking exotic photos for the world's most popular magazines, while riding on majestic elephants in crystal bikinis in Africa, advocating for Autism and other charitable causes that she is passionate about, or practicing yoga on the most exclusive, serene and beautiful beaches in Europe. She has been one of the wildest & sweetest, most surprising & fun, witty & charming, down-to-earth, inspiring and kindest celebrities I have encountered in my career thus far. WARNING: She will get into your feels! BIG Wink!

Find all the pictures I took that dreamy week, plus more pictures of Khloe (including the ones from her 21st Birthday BASH!) and well, my entire portfolio at www.PIN-ME-UP.com. I'll even re-post the photos I took during my trip to the Playboy Mansion and my (insane!) hike up to the Hollywood sign on my IG @pimmeup_studios just for you! I can't wait to connect with you! BIG Smile!