Overconsumption.

It’s damaging. It fills our minds and our lives, but it is rarely filling. We over consume nearly EVERYthing in our lives. We over consume media, apps on our phone, makeup tutorials (especially for boudoir!!!), relationship tips, Pinterest boards of perfect houses, cheese dip, wine, shoe sales, and mommy blogs.

I had a conversation with a girlfriend in Atlanta today about how she had recently spent 30 minutes reading through non-toxic non-baby killing sunscreen reviews in the beauty aisle of Target (because that is the type of thing we should be reading) She nearly gave herself a public panic attack in front of other stressed-out Target moms as she read through horror story after horror story of moms and babies having allergic reactions/growing additional appendages because of sunscreen. *Please note that I understand some sunscreen is literal poison. Please do not comment with your links to scientific research, this is a boudoir blog. :)

She’d taken overconsumption to the point of having a mid-morning-mini-episode and questioning her abilities to be a mom to her two twin girls.

Overconsumption leads us into criticizing ourselves for not having the ‘perfect’ outfit that we just saw 80,000 Instagram bloggers post. Replace the word ‘outfit’ with body, hair, skin, makeup, boyfriend, marriage, smiling french bulldog, etc. and you begin to see the problem.

Every day brings me into contact with women that have over consumed an ‘ideal’ at some point in their lives. I hear it in the form of statements like:

“I hope you airbrush!!!! I’m going to need it!!”

or

“I don’t look like those other boudoir women, so you’re really going to have to work your magic.”

or

“I’m just not a ’sexy’ person.”

or

“I’m probably older than anyone you’ve ever photographed for a boudoir session.”

None of these statements are particularly terrible, and I can honestly relate to each and every one of them. My cellulite is starting to form on my thighs like a little baby mountain range on the moon, my nose has some weird-ass bump on the bridge that NO ONE on either side of my family has, my sexiness isn’t a trait that comes naturally, and I’ve already started to photograph women 10+ younger than myself.

I understand these feelings and these statements, but I also know that they come from the fact that I spend hours a day on Instagram, BravoTV, and random internet sites. I read magazines and listen to music. It is so exhausting to avoid overconsumption. We really cannot participate in our lives and the lives of others without some form of it. However, I think that we can be more selective as to what we believe about that we consume.

Be kind to yourself. 

Know that everything is out there to sell to you and to make you feel as if your life and your beauty and YOU are not enough. You are enough. You are your OWN person. Consume those posts, articles, Pinterest boards, and conversations that lift you up and allow you to thrive.

Love you, mean it.

Jeni’s Ice cream has probably gotten the fare share of most of my paychecks since I discovered the creamy deliciousness 3 years ago. That delicious dairy goodness is right next in line to Target, a place in which I’ll just kindly nod when they ask me if I’ve spent an amount equal to a small Honda over the course of my life. You know where else I love to frequent? Movie theaters. Hellooooooooo AMC!!! I don’t care how bad the movie is (sorry 'Hunger Games part 24'), thank you for providing me with a few hours of solitary confinement mixed with unlimited popcorn and Diet Coke (and an adult juice box that I picked up at Publix). 

All of these places give me the tingles inside when I visit them.

Do you know why? It’s because I always have an incredible experience. They don’t judge me for sweatpants and dirty hair. They welcome me and make me feel super ridiculously special and pretty when I visit; yes, even AMC movie theaters (especially now that they have a bar and recliners… like, were you reading my diary?!!). 

I know that as humans we only voluntarily re-visit places of business if this places have given us a positive experience and joy. Sure, we go to the DMV repeatedly but I doubt we are going there for pleasure. In fact, if your experience at the DMV looks anything like this (http://www.mrctv.org/videos/broad-city-2016-dmv) then I’m nearly 100% positive you’d never go back. 

That anecdote aside… when a client revisits me for a second (or third!) boudoir session, I am absolutely beyond completely flattered. For some reason you have decided that you’d like to spend another 4 hours of your life being half-naked for a boudoir session. You’ve decided that your current life is not complete without another visit in lingerie, a second set of incredible images, my super-dope playlists, and a parking experience in midtown Atlanta. Maybe you’re using this as an excuse to get out of your house. Maybe you’re realllyyyyyy craving the Vortex next door and just using a boudoir photoshoot as a cover. I don’t care, but thanks for making me a component. 

In 2016 I’ve been able to see quite a few repeat boudoir clients. While I’ll work on their reasons later, I just want to say ‘thank you!!!!’ to those that have come again and ‘What are you waiting for?!!!’ to those that haven’t. Too often I hear that clients leave my studio with visions of lingerie, nudity, and red lips in their heads. What better way to make your visions come true then to come see me again?? 

See? I’m so convincing. Just like Target convinces you that you need those cute little elephant candle holders and also an entirely new set of bluetooth speakers… along with that bulk jar of Monster trail mix.