Hi y'all,

The new Swimsuit Edition of Sports Illustrated is hitting newsstands as I type this, and my girl Beyonce is workin the cover. She is the FIRST celebrity to ever be on the front of the swimsuit issue. In the past this historical cover would be reserved for Supermodels like Cheryl Tiegs, Christie Brinkley, Paulina Porizkova, Elle Macpherson, Rachel Hunter and Heidi Klum. They have all made the cover -- and for some of them it really sent their career into the next stratosphere, making them truly SUPER-models. So you go Beyonce, you just made history.

Ten tears ago, this very month of February, I made the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition. I was the first African-American model to ever land the cover of that magazine. As we celebrate Black History Month this February, I can't help but be proud of what I accomplished a decade ago.

There are incredible black men and women who have achieved greatness in their field of work -- and every single one of them have opened the door and paved the way for people of color to follow in their footsteps.

That cover definitely turned me from a successful model into a Supermodel.

So, now 10 years have passed -- and I wanted to commemorate the cover in a special way. To do this I decided to return to the Bahamas, where I shot the cover. Some people thought I was crazy going all the way to the Bahamas again and told me I should do it on the beach in Malibu, CA. That it would be the same. That a beach is a beach is a beach. But y’all are smart cookies. You’d know I was on PCH in Malibu posing on the beach of some celebs mansion. And I would know the difference too so I had to do it right. So I hired the same photographer, Mr. Russell James, and wore the EXACT same swimsuit. I kept that dang thing for 10 years. Can you believe it?! Who keeps an item of clothing for that long??? But little did I know how handy it would be 10 years later.

Now since it was 10 years later, and I was 10 years older of course, the suit didn’t fit. I slipped that thing on and I looked like a stripper. My boobs were spilling out the sides of the top and the bottoms were digging into the sides of my hips. I looked like I needed a pole.

But before I even re-tried the swimsuit on, I was ready to hire a trainer, cut carbs, cut sugar, all of the above to fit into that swimsuit.

And then I realized, I'm proud to be 10 years older. I'm proud that my body has changed and become curvier. In accepting who I am and what I truly look like, I decided to embrace myself -- and just add a little fabric to that decade-old bikini! Yeah I’m 161 pounds, about twenty pounds heavier than when I shot the S.I. cover 10 years ago, but SO WHAT!

So I did the re-shoot at 161 pounds -- and I'm really happy with the results. Ten years ago, I had a landmark moment. And I've been having a good time reflecting on what I have accomplished since that time.

What were you doing 10 years ago? Do you have an event in your life that you like to look back on? I encourage you to revisit that milestone moment in your life, whether it happened 10, 7, 3, or even ONE year ago. Write me and tell what it is.

This redo of my S.I. cover show airs this Monday, February 19, so tune in and write me letting me know your thoughts.
Love,