I loved doing a Boudoir photo shoot- and you will too...

Okay let me first get this out in the open. I am not a prude BUT I am not one that is going to show you my lady bits anytime soon. 

With that being out in the open. Let's move forward. 

This past year, I turned the Dirty Thirty. It was a great evening with wonderful friends and family. I am so blessed with the best people in my life. Unfortunately, I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. Everyone kept telling me that "Your 30's are great!" But I wasn't seeing that. I had just had my littlest love the year before and I still haven't lost the extra weight from the middle little love's joining our family. I should still "love" this time of my life right? Well, I wasn't feeling very loving to myself.


I  love each of my children and am so thankful for what my body has done for me, but I haven't loved my body for about 6 years or so. I had worked so incredibly hard before I got my married to my better half but insert marital bliss happened and out went my waistline.

Again, I am so thankful for what my body has given me. I am thankful for the thick thighs that carry me and my children all over the place and my stomach that has been stretched and cut to give life to three wonderful little beings. But I didn't like the way it looked. Soft and squishy and extra rolls where I didn't like. Like why the heck is the first place a person starts to lose weight isn't where you wish it'd be? Or when putting weight on, go where you want it to go?!?

Anyway, I digress.

You'd see a lot more in a swimming suit..
And that's not a pretty sight! 😂

I had been thinking of doing a boudoir photo shoot for awhile now. I was thinking I would love to see what my husband does when he looks at me (in the good ways at least). Again, I did not want to strip my clothes for anyone and take sexy photos. That's not me. Especially not in front of a stranger. Childbirth definitely took a lot of the grace of being naked in front of a stranger right out the door.

Then, the way social media magical things do, a photo popped up of a local photographer that actually does these type of photos. I was shocked (in a good way) because I knew this lady. I've known her for over 20+ years. She's taken my family photos and newborn photos before. She's absolutely amazing! I had no idea that she also took these type of photos. So, since I have no filter and knew that Valentine's Day is coming up, I asked her LOTS of questions. She was so sweet and accommodating for all my questions. My biggest question, "Can you hide fat rolls??!" She told me that she posed every women in a way that was flattering for any figure. Sold. Sold Sold. Sign me up and take my money. - She was very economical for everything involved and I would gladly pay her!
Let me tell you, she delivered.

Here are Five (yes 5) reasons why YOU should do this type of boudoir photo shoot at least once in your life:

So much makeup. Now that I see
the photos, I see why! 

1. It's NOT PORN. The word "Boudoir" actually comes from France and means a lady's private dressing room or bedroom according to www.bridebox.com. This doesn't mean pornography. Pornography means materials in sexually explicit subject matter. Again, the photo shoot I did was not pornographic in nature. It was sultry and honestly beautiful. These photos were created for myself and my husband. This photo shoot wasn't involving all my kids and husband in coordinating colors/outfits plus a location selection. Along with making sure everyone is happy and ready for pictures. Seriously, I love family photos but good golly. It is so stressful. This photoshoot wasn't. It was just for me! Yes, I did something for ME. Yes, it was stressful before I got there because I was overthinking on anything and everything. But, it was pretty amazing to have the attention and to have something be about me for me. Sorry, I am going on a tangent, but seriously women- do something for you! 
2. You get pampered: With doing something for me, I added the hair and makeup being done for me during my session. It was Ah-MA-ZING! I never get my hair and makeup done. Just for me. I felt so pretty! I had two amazing ladies having fun conversations while pampering me. That never happens. Never. Ever. I felt so empowered afterward. I got the makeup artist's contact information just to do it again someday (the make-up/hair part) because it never happens. Anyway, that should be a reason in and of itself, be pampered. 
3. You get out of your comfort zone.  I was extremely nervous. Even after getting my makeup and hair done. I felt amazing but hey, I was still going to be basically naked in front of a camera. I have lots of fat rolls and squishy parts. I am not a spring chicken anymore and after three kids, two of which breastfed, things are just not the same. Or heck even in the same spot. If you have had children, you feel me. This photoshoot was a great way to step out of my comfort zone and learn to embrace the imperfections. The photographer seriously taught me so much about how to pose/look/sit that I was so sore afterward. Victoria Secret Models- I salute. You deserve those wings! I felt so awkward but then I got the photos back and it made so much more sense of how/why I was told/positioned to sit/lay/move a certain way. It was so great to get out of my comfort zone. 
4. You get to be someone else for a few hours.  I'm a wife and mother. Again, I am so blessed to be both of these amazing titles. But come on. I am so much more than that and so are you. We are beautiful women who have kick butt bodies and are beautiful in our own ways. So heck yes. Step outside of your normal 9-5 suit wearing job and be someone else for a few hours. I got to wear lingerie that made me feel beautiful and that my husband would certainly approve of. Sorry, TMI but really? After a few years, lingerie is fun but it really just gets in the way/timeline. TMI? Probably. He'll probably roll his eyes over that comment, but it's true. Either way, trade in your sweat pants or suit pants for that sexy lingerie. 
5. See yourself in a different light.   I needed to remember that I am perfect just the way I am, now. Not only when I am 20, 30, 50 pounds lighter. Right NOW. Even though I'm entering a new decade. I am important now. Guess what? So are you! You are beautiful NOW. Take the time to appreciate who you are and how beautiful you and your body are. Get outside of your head and stop over-thinking it. Once you get your amazing photos back, you will see yourself and how gorgeous you are. Or at least that's what happened to me. 

If you would like the photographer's contact information, please message me. I will gladly share the heck out of it. She is an amazing lady who has a serious gift of helping women see their beauty through the lense of a camera. :) 

Super awkward but I seriously love this photo in B&W.

See what happens there? I actually LIKE myself. :) #JustDoIt.

Have you ever done a boudoir photo shoot? Tell me about your experiences below!