I left the glitz and glamor of life as a Playboy model for an abandoned farm
AN EX-PLAYBOY model has revealed she has ditched photoshoots and constant travel for gardening and landscaping.
Catjira, 31, who is known only by her first name, moved to Las Vegas in 2019, where she has maintained a high-profile schedule as a popular model and recording artist.
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But she was overwhelmed by the non-stop Playboy workload, which required frequent photo shoots, social media posts and appearances in feature shows.
As a result, the model decided she wanted a more relaxed pace of life and instead bought an abandoned farmhouse to renovate.
It all started when Catjira gave up everything three years ago and moved from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the soothing views of Nashville, Tennessee.
The move to an abandoned farm in the south was an attempt to find a more stripped-back life, away from the glitz and glamour.
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Instead of traveling between Las Vegas and Los Angeles for work, Catjira now spends her free time renovating the once barely habitable farmhouse in the countryside.
She explained: “I’ve been gardening most of my life, I just wanted to do it on a larger scale and not limit myself to a few potted plants on my patio.”
Catjira, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, continued: “I honestly have no idea what I’m doing. I had to hire help to fix the mold and roof issues before I could even move in.
“Once that was resolved, I focused on one room at a time and one outdoor project at a time.”
And that wasn’t easy, as the farm had been destroyed by tornadoes, causing structures to collapse and fences to be replaced.
Catjira added: “The vegetation was out of control; you couldn’t even walk through most of the grounds, all the outbuildings were about to collapse.”
Next This year, Catjira has big plans to focus on a collapsing horse stable, as she put it: “My big project of 2025 will be to restore my collapsing five-stall horse stable to its original state.
“It’s very important to me to try to preserve what is there, rather than tear it down and start all over again.”
I had to learn how to use almost every power tool, tractor equipment, carpentry and a lot about growing and landscaping
Catjira
It was the coronavirus pandemic that inspired Catjira to make such a dramatic change, and she has since been forced to learn many new skills.
She beamed: “I live extremely rural so hiring professional help from contractors is very limited – most people won’t travel that far.
“I had to learn to use almost everything current tools, tractor equipment, carpentry and lots about growing and landscaping.
Facts you didn’t know about the Playboy Mansion
Girlfriends versus playmates
Rumor has it that Hugh Hefner would have two to a dozen “girlfriends” with him at a time. These friends are not to be confused with Playmates. Each friend had her own room, but one ‘special lady’ was referred to as friend number one and stayed with Hef in his room. Each friend received a weekly bonus of $1,000 (£760).
Hef’s wild side
The Playboy mansion was home to a private zoo. It was one of the few private homes that actually had a zoo permit. Hefner was a fan of birds. Among his collection – many of which roamed the grounds – were peacocks, macaws, flamingos, toucans and ducks.
The Elvis legend
There was a secret room in the mansion called ‘The Elvis Room’. Legend has it that the king himself, Elvis Presley, had a small slumber party in the room with up to eight eager bunnies.
“In the first four months of moving here, I planted a large garden, only to have it completely washed away during a storm due to drainage issues. I’ve learned so many things the hard way.
“I think the biggest skills I’ve learned have been patience, and learning to research and study my properties to make sure the projects I’ve worked so hard on will actually work. That sometimes takes several seasons .”
Not only this, but the former model added: “I love growing and preserving food and I want to do something that is good for the environment.
“I grow native plants and am very close to becoming a certified wildlife habitat.
“I hope in the future however, to create a picturesque, memorable pumpkin patch. Some of my best memories were in pumpkin patches and I really enjoy creating something like this.”
