Hi. I am a quirky composition of a woman. A self-declared “Jesus-loving old soul”, with a fun-loving spirit, open heart, and listening ear. Pair that with a mean talent for baking yummy pastries and desserts and you’ve got me…Gabrielle.

Baking is my passion. It’s been a lifelong dream to own my own bakery. Now, as an Executive Pastry Chef in the midst of making that dream come true, I have new dreams for myself and my furbabies. I want to open my own “rolling/traveling” bakery so I can travel and share delicious treats with the world.

Today, I am a testament to my younger self, to chase your dreams and follow your heart, but like many of us, it took me some time to get here. I never felt sexy or beautiful in
my own skin in my 20s. I have always been a member of the itty, bitty, titty committee it took me a while to embrace that. Being a woman it’s easy to be in constant comparison, allowing the negative images and self-talk to get into your mind and cause you to question if your looks, weight, and personality, are “good” enough. I did.

If I could sit down with myself, just a decade ago, as I stepped into the “real” world experiencing so many changes, I would have so much to say. I would warn her that comparison is the thief of joy, and watching others’ lives through filters will keep you from focusing on yourself and getting what you want out of your own journey. I would show her how beautiful she is inside and out and teach her to never allow anyone to take away that certainty. I would demonstrate the power of confidence and how good it looks when you are your own person.

I always wanted to do a boudoir shoot, but I allowed negative thoughts to make me self-conscious physically and I struggled with “looking sexy”. I would go back and forth about the shot and what it meant as a Christian woman, and it delayed me for years. Finally, at 30, I had enough, and I went on a hunt. Searching for the best of the best in my area I found Jenn and Mirrored Images. Her work spoke for itself, so it was a no-brainer to book my session. I realized that this would be an act of self-love, something I failed to experience my entire life. I was going to celebrate my life.

On the day of my shoot, I had come full circle. Remembering why I was drawn to the Mirrored Images of empowered women, looking and feeling their best. I found myself having an out-of-body experience becoming one of them. I felt like a giddy schoolgirl and I surprised myself with what my body could do under the team’s guidance. I wanted to remain in that moment and
experience it fully. Jenn delivered everything I was hoping for and so much more. I felt beautiful, but more importantly, I felt more confident and comfortable than I had all my life. As if I could take on the world. it changed my entire view of myself. I felt stronger in who I am and what I have to offer. It made me start to work on loving myself wholly. It started to heal me in ways I’d never imagined. Now, I have these photos to provide a little boost when I need to remind myself that I can do anything in this world if I let my light shine for the world to see.

I believe learning who you are at your core and loving HER for all that she is may be one of the most powerful things a woman can do for herself. Finding your confidence and realizing your worth outside of others’ opinions is a hard lesson in self-love, but it’s an eye-opening one. Now that I love myself, I can love others, and it is one of my favorite things about myself. I’ve learned from my past hurt and protect myself by choosing the company I keep. I am loyal to my friends and truly want them to share in the treasure of feeling wanted, seen, valued, loved, and happy in their lives.