Featured Betty of the Month… Miss June…Tawnie Trouble

June 10th, 2010 | By

MEET FEATURED BETTY OF THE MONTH….MISS JUNE…TAWNIE TROUBLE  

From growing up at car shows, and having a father who always had a hot rod to work on and spare parts in the garage, to owning her own Crown Vic and becoming a successful PinUp model…Tawnie Trouble has the Hot Rod/ Rockabilly scene in her blood! For her, it’s not a scene, its a lifestyle and she lives it to the fullest! Tawnie is one of my good friends and my partner in crime! Together we run The Vicious Bettys PinUp Dolls! Its been a lot of hard work, frustration and tears…yet with a shot of whiskey in one hand and our red lipstick in the other…its been a blast all at the same time! I don’t know what I would do without this doll so hands down, she has to be the first model featured on the site! So get to know more about my good friend, and kick ass model….Miss Tawnie Trouble!   

 MV: What is it about Pin Up modeling that made you say, “I want to do that!”?
   

TT: Probably the shoes, any excuse I have to put on some sky-high-heels I’ll take!  

MV: Who are your influences?
   

TT: Kay O’Hara, Asia Devinyl, Miss Rockwell DeVil, Bettie Page, Marilyn…there’s a long list of beauties out there that are very inspiring to me. I don’t have one favorite; they are all Classy, talented women that I’m sure a lot of us look up to.   

MV: Who is your dad….and how did he play a part in you getting involved in the rockabilly/ hotrod culture?
   

TT: My dad is one of the coolest guys I know. He’s sometimes known at Ivan the Terrible and he’s definitely a legend in his generation of hot rodders. As far back as I can remember there was a garage full of hot rod pieces and empty Budweiser cans, paint on the driveway and angry neighbors in the morning when my dad would fire up the hot rod getting ready to hit the freeway. My dad worked as a mechanic for 25+ years and he definitely took those skills home with him. His friends and eventually my older brother’s friends would be at my dad’s house daily asking him for help, usually on body work. There wasn’t another guy in our area code that could smooth out a piece of metal like my dad could. He unfortunately has retired from the hot rod scene…for now… My brothers and I grew up going to car shows and swap meets, we were some of the folks that arrived rain or shine at 6:00am and stayed until the show was over. Hot rods and old rock n roll have been normal in my house, it’s not a scene to me it’s how we live.   

MV: Tell me about your dream car?
   

TT: My dream car just happens to be sitting in my garage right now, a 1954 Crown Vic. As of right now it has no engine, no transmission and the interior is shot but ALL of the original chrome is there, the original radio is in the trunk, the door panels are in almost perfect condition and the steering wheel looks brand new. I can’t wait to get her running!   

MV: You have some killer ink! What are some of your favorites, and what spots were the most painful?
   

TT: My favorite ones would have to be my Jesus under my left arm, the daisy on my right elbow and the pin-up on the back of my right leg. I have so many I forget about them sometimes… The most painful one was the Geisha on my ribs, I have about 15 hours invested in it and it was 15 hours of pure pain! But you know what they say, if tattoos didn’t hurt even pussies would have em   

MV: Speaking of your tattoos…I hear that somebody close to your home (and heart) is responsible for most of yours?
   

TT: Yes, Gabe L. Monte has done most of the tattoos I have. He really is an incredible artist and he’s super talented, anything he puts his mind to he can do. Lucky for me Gabe and Ivan the Terrible will be helping me with my car so I have no doubt that it will be cherry when we are finished.   

Aside from being my artist Gabe is also my hero, my best friend and the love of my life. Hopefully we’ll be driving the ’54 to SoCal for our wedding this year…  

MV: What are some of your future goals, and some of your biggest accomplishments since you started modeling?  

 TT: I would have to say my biggest accomplishment would be the friends that I have made along the way; they are all beautiful on the inside AND out. I really couldn’t have hoped for a better circle of friends. As for my goals I hope to continue to have a good time and meet new people. I’m not in to modeling in hope of striking it rich; I do what I do because I like it.  

MV: You walked in the Pin Ups for Pups fashion show, and made it into their 2010 calendar. What was it like working for such a great company with an awesome purpose?
   

TT: I really had a great time working with Sondra from Pin-Ups for Pups. She is super sweet and her mission in life touches my heart. There are so many helpless animals out there that are mistreated by their owners, it just makes me sick.   

( Photo Above: Fashion show for PinUps For Pups…guest starring Spider the Dog!)  

Pin-Ups for Pups raise awareness and they rescue animals from being euthanized simply because somebody decided they didn’t want them anymore. Dogs have souls and they hurt like we hurt. I just don’t know how somebody could look their pet in the face and see the loyalty they have for you and the love they have in their hearts and not be affected by that.   

I am very happy that there are folks like Sondra out there that are making a difference in the lives of animals.    

( Photo Above: Marilee Caruso Photography…Check out this photo of Tawnie Trouble in the 2010 PinUps for Pups calendar!)  

MV: You yourself have two adorable rescue pups, the one and only Spider, and the oh so  energetic Lucky…too cute! What’s the best thing about having your two pups with you every day?
   

TT: My dogs are always happy to see me! I can have the worst day at work and when I get home they are so excited that I’m there it makes me forget how awful my day was. They are cute and funny and they know it, I just don’t know what I would do without my dogs! The funniest thing they do is when I let them pick their own cookies out of the box of Milk bones they sometimes take 2 real fast and then run like their ass is on fire.   

MV: If you could shoot anywhere in the world where would it be?
   

TT: That is a tough question…the beaches in Mexico, a ranch in Texas, an old bar in Germany, anywhere is Spain… I would pretty much go anywhere for a photo shoot!  

MV: What would we find on your ipod right now?
  

TT: Buddy Holly, Bad Religion, Texas Tornados, Beastie Boys, Billie Holiday, NOFX, Dean Martin, The Rhythm Shakers, The Smut Peddlers, Rancid, The Jim Rowdy Show, The Misfits, Poison, Ice Cube, NWA, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, DJ Quick, Calexico… the list goes on…I have never limited myself with music, food, people, not with anything.  

MV: What projects are you currently involved in?
   

TT: Right now I am involved in hosting the pin-up contest at Midnight Mass, which is in Roseville, CA July 31. Also I am involved in helping out with a show in Dixon, CA on July 4. And I’m in the middle of planning my wedding!!! I have a busy, busy year ahead of me!  

MV: How can our readers get in touch with you and see more of your work?
  

  TT: I can be found at www.myspace.com/misstawnietrouble, www.theviciousbettys.com, www.pinuplifestyle.com/misstawnietrouble. And I can be reached at misstawnietrouble@hotmail.com. I am the girl taking entries for the Mass pin-up contest so anybody interested in entering send a picture of yourself to my email!  

Photography By: Marilee Caruso, Think Tunk Productions, California Redwoods Photography, Devils Daughter Photography, LegG Photography