7/20/2012

What happened to the Bama Belles & More

sssss


Bama Belles was a docu-soup on TLC which I along with four other women starred in. The starring cast was; Amie Pollard, Jana Roberts, Melissa McLaney, Dakota Redding, and myself Val Tignini.




Bama Belles was really a great experience. Being out in the Alabama was something completely new for me as I never been to a "real" Southern  part of the country like Alabama. I loved getting to know the girls out there. I was super curious how the ladies thought about things, what they did for fun, how they dealt with their families & friends, and basically how they lived.

Even though I was down south, I am pretty sure that I wasn't submersed in the typical southern living since I was in a very "comfy" situation. Sure, the Belles were living in a small town, but they were educated and the upper middle-class people of their community. I had a pretty good situation out there, as I was driving a Mercedes Benz and living in a brand new 2 bedroom home that Amie's husband Ron just built to sell. Lucky me, Amie offered me to stay there as your typical good country hospitality.

Living in Alabama was fun since I got to see all sides of it, from square dancing, "cook-outs", "lawn mower racing" to hunting.  Yes, I went hunting, but it doesn't mean I was REALLY hunting. ;-) You have to watch to see what I mean by that.
The ladies and I have become close and we still keep connected. The Belles are still friends and hang out with each other from time to time, but a lot has changed for them and myself since we shot the show. In a matter of 6 months after the show aired my whole life had changed. I at the time was single but now I am engaged and having a baby girl (which I am due any minute)!  My fiance and I moved out of New York City to a country suburban part of the state in Westchester. We now live in a house vs. an apartment that has acreage of land overlooking the Hudson River. We call it our "baby house", because we both knew we would have a baby here. Speaking of babies, on the show Jana and her husband were having a hard time trying to have a baby, but now they have a beautiful baby boy! She happened to get pregnant right after the show was canceled. She and her husband are loving the family life and Jana is in great shape and is a hot Mamma after just months of having her son. Melissa, the former Mrs. Alabama, is still working with her husband selling the lake boats but also has her own career in medical sales. Her husband and son also keep her busy as well. Melissa has it all covered as she's a multi-facited woman as a hard working Mom and career woman. As for Amie, she got her wish too and is spending more time with her family, but still has a foot in the tv business. She's still in touch with tv producers to work on other reality tv. I'm excited to see what Amie will debut in next! Dakota no longer lives in Alabama and so she is working for the U.S Army while living it up and enjoying the single life!  All of our lives took a turn for the better in my eyes. We all had profound life changing "events" that shifted our lifestyles and priorities completely. You can check out the show info on TLC.com's website the Bama Bellles section, http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/bama-belles/.  I posted here the last episode of Bama Belles of which some of you might of not seen it. For some of you that don't know, TLC did cancel Bama Belles.  If you are interested in seeing the 1st and 2nd episode, please comment below.
Here last episode in three parts ...  

7/15/2012

ValSecrets' Goodbye's and Gratitude Email



 
Now that we have a new start it's okay to reminisce! Here is our so-long letter to all of  ValSecrets.com users.

April 11, 2012 | ValSecrets Newsletter
Dear ValSecrets Members,

I am reaching out to you today to let you know that ValSecrets.com is making a big change next month.

At this time, the website ValSecrets will no longer be a social network. The plan is to redesign the website, but with no hard plans as to when it will return.  We had a great three years and I couldn't be happier with how things turned out. We had an amazing run since 2009, just months after we launched we had; a webshow at UbaTV,  affiliated with luxury brands  from all over the world, sponsored many charities, and had the most talked about events in NYC. In 2010, the docu-soap Bama Belles on TLC which I starred in piloted and millions of people clicked on ValSecrets.com. In 2011-2012 we continued the mission to inspire, encourage, and empower people all over the world with our blogs, vlogs, and events.  ValSecrets always stood out of the crowd as it's mission was always unique compared to any mainstream website. I do feel some sadness letting the current website go, but I do look forward to what is to come for ValSecrets.com.
It's now time for a change and a big one.

Therefore, we highly recommend to go to your profile and save any blogs or photos now. ValSecrets will give members until April 30th, 2012 to retrieve any media (except for videos). 


I want to thank you personally for being part of the ValSecrets Neighborhood. This isn't the end, but a new beginning.

Please follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ValSecretsFan or Twitter @ValSecrets  for any updates of the company or website.

Peace & Love,

Valeria Tignini
CEO & Founder of ValSecrets