Don't Forget The Balance
Hello again my wonderful Boudie Babes!
I really want my weekly posts to have a good mix of fun, enlightening, engaging conversation, stories with purpose, as well as some informational stuff thrown in here and there. I know that my posts have been more informational than anything the last week or so but today I wanted to share an experience and a realization that I think we all need to be reminded of sometimes. I know that as women we all know that we need to take time for ourselves and create a good balance between work, love and LIFE. But how often to you catch yourself forgetting about balance? I know personally, I completely forgot about what it meant to have balance and it really impacted me. Although I wasn't aware of the impact (because it didn't bother me) I am now realizing how incredibly important it is to have a good balance in life.
This week was one my best friends birthday and she decided she wanted to celebrate at the lake house. I was super excited but unfortunately my boyfriend couldn't join me due to his work schedule. I was so bummed that I allowed it to affect the way I saw this upcoming trip. I found myself feeling like "ehhh do I really want to go" "how much fun can I really have" I was really subconsciously doing this (and saying it out loud sounds so silly) but that really made me re-evaluate how I was approaching life.
Now, just so you all know, I do go and have fun with my girl friends every now and then. I don't miss out on the big stuff (weddings, bachelorette parties, graduations, etc.) but those random Saturday nights out or those Sunday afternoon brunches, I put those on the back burner over the past few years. I got so comfortable with my boyfriend and I living in this little bubble, that other stuff didn't really matter to me anymore. It got to the point where when I was thinking about going out on a Saturday or going out for brunch on Sunday, I wanted to dot hat with him and only him. I convinced myself it was more fun and that I only wanted to experience all of these fun things with him because of the love that we shared. Somehow in the process I forgot to allow myself to remember the fun I had with my girls. I know this sounds crazy but I really believe that more than not, we find ourselves forgetting to leave our little bubble!
Don't get me wrong, I love my man more than anything, and I still want to experience all of the fun things with him. I will miss him the minute he drops me off at the airport for a trip (if he can't join me) and think about how I can wait to see him when I return. But I still need to remember to enjoy myself in the process. He always says "make sure you enjoy yourself" and I always swept it under the rug like "OK I'd enjoy myself more if you were there" but now I really understand that I do need to enjoy myself, and enjoy the process. After all, the process of life is what makes us who we are. I would be who I am today if I didn't live and enjoy my life up to this point.
OK, back to my story about the Lake house. I am so glad that I decided to put all those crazy thoughts aside and go on this little mini trip. It was SO MUCH FUN. And let's be realistic, if I would have stayed home I would have been alone (because he was working all weekend) probably take a couple naps, clean the apartment type of stuff. How does that even compare spending a weekend at the lake? It doesn't!
Am I happy to be heading back home tomorrow to snuggle up during Sunday night football with my man? Absolutely! Am I glad I took a day and a half and spent some time for me with my girl? Absolutely!
Moral of the story, you can love someone unconditionally, but always remember to love, take time, and enjoy YOURSELF!
If you have a woman in your life that you want featured on our blog, or if there is something you're interested in reading about shoot me an email @ Meghan@mirroredimages.net
-xoxo
Women Wednesday: Power
Hi Ladies!
I can't believe its already Wednesday, I feel like it was JUST Wednesday (of last week). It's certainly crazy how time flies. Anyway for today's Women Wednesday post I want to talk about something we all know and love: POWER. Unfortunately as much joy having power gives a single person, we don't always utilize it to our best ability. And dare I say, I believe there are some out there that don't believe they DESERVE the power.
Well, first of all, you're totally wrong, you and I deserve all the power just like the next he or she in line. Secondly, why? Why do you feel like you don't deserve it? Is it because there is a man in your life (personally or work related) that you think deserves it more? Is it because you don't think you're good enough to have all the power? Maybe it't because you're afraid of what will happen when you get the power. Well, I am here right now to tell you to throw all of that garbage in the trash because YOU ARE ENOUGH. There are so many different components of being powerful, and I bet you're already more powerful than you thought!
Did you know there are multiple types of power?
First you have formal power. This consists of coercive, reward and legitimate power.
- Coercive is basically when someone is utilizing their power in a threatening way (mostly in the workplace). Have you ever had a boss that told you if you don't do X you will be replaced? That's coercive power.
- Reward is exactly what it sounds like "If you meet your goals this month you will be given a raise."
- Legitimate power comes when someone has an actual position of power within an organization. These people are legitimately in charge.
Secondly, you have personal power which consists of expert and referent.
- Expert exists when an individual has experience, skills or knowledge. The more you know about a specific subject or matter, the more powerful you becoming when engaging with others about that subject!
- Referent comes with being trusted and respected. Think about that, simply being a trusted and respected human being brings power into your life.
Power can be implemented in so many forms and so many aspects of life. Work, relationships, family, personal, and the list goes on! If you're ever having a down day and just need to feel a little more powerful, think of these 5 different forms of power. And really think about how you can implement one of these into your every day lives. Maybe that't simply reading up on a subject that you're really passionate about and sharing that information with family and friends. And if none of these make sense in your life... make your own kind of powerful!
--xoxo
Sexy Saturday: Benefits to Having an Orgasm
Hi Ladies!
So I don't think that I need to convince any of you to bump up your sex drive. It's natural to most of us to feel the urge every now and then (or every day, no judgement here.) And why not? It fun. and not to mention, it feels pretty amazing. But I'm here to give you an even better reason to get busy more often than not: having an orgasm will help to improve your health. Yes, you read that correctly.
When you have an orgasm your brain releases oxytocin, aka the pleasure hormone. In addition, up to 30 different parts of the brain are activated, including those responsible for emotion, touch, joy, satisfaction and memory.
I have listed 11 ways (that I found on Huffington Post) having an orgasm can make your life that much better!
- Orgasms relieve stress
- An orgasm could make your significant other less likely to cheat
- The female orgasm could make men focus better
- Orgasms could help with insomnia
- A man’s orgasm could (maybe) make a woman less depressed
- Orgasms help alleviate pain
- They could help men get over their colds faster
- Steady orgasms could help you live longer
- Orgasms will also stimulate your brain
- Orgasms could keep you looking young
- They just get better as you age
So basically, if you're stressed, can't sleep, sick or just want to stay looking young forever.... have an orgasm!
xoxo Meghan
Women Wednesday: Love Yourself
Some may refer to Wednesdays as “Hump Day” because of that silly commercial with the camel. Although that is a GREAT commercial and I too often say “Hump Day” BUT I want Wednesdays to start to have more meaning. From now on, we’re going to refer to it as Women Wednesday! This is OUR day (as every day should be, but you get what I’m saying), we made it halfway through the work week, halfway through the school week, and we are halfway to the weekend. For all you ladies who work on the weekends, you’re even more amazing!
I think sometimes its swept under the rug how amazing woman really are and you often forget to simply Love Yourself. We fall into these thoughts and images of what society makes us think we’re supposed to look or act like. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we are subconsciously comparing ourselves to everyone around us. I once had an older woman tell me “I don’t think I’m beautiful, when I think of a beautiful person, I think of someone that looks like you.” My initial thought was “wow, thank you” but then I really thought about what she said. She thinks I’M BEAUTIFUL, she thinks I’m MORE beautiful than her.” And at the same time, I’m sitting here thinking “I hope I look like you at 50.”
We all look at a magazine, or at a TV show and wish we could look like that model or that actress. We spend so much time appreciating others beauty, we often forget to appreciate ourselves for the strong, beautiful, capable women that we are. If we really step back and think about it, how amazing would this world be if we all looked the same or had the same personalities? I’ll answer that for you, extremely boring.
Aesthetically, we struggle with getting older, our body changing, our wrinkles becoming more prominent, and gravity taking hold of parts we didn’t even know existed. But mentally we need to learn to appreciate all these things. The fact that with saggy skin, cellulite or sun spots, comes experiences, and confidence. As we continue to live our lives, those small problems seem to slowly disappear. We will eventually learn to look at the sun spots and say, “I’ve lived your life in the sun, I’ve raised a child, I’ve traveled, I’ve swum in the ocean.” Those sun spots slowly become an analogy for “I lived my life!”
Each one of us should take a step back today and say, “I am beautiful.” Don’t forget to be YOU and be your own kind of Beautiful.
That's What She Said | Boudoir Client Interview
I absolutely adore Kellie. She is a boudoir client from a couple of weeks ago and has been a HUGE advocate for our company and stands completely behind our main purpose: empowering women. She came to our grand opening party last month and has sent several ladies our way.
Kellie is 44, a wife, a mom of 3, and works a full time job. She contacted me about her boudoir, but she had NEVER thought of doing a session until she came across our web site. She's recently lost weight and is the same size she was 10 years ago, her thought was "I should have it done before I get much older." This session was for her, although she has a hubby -- he isn't into lingerie or make up but now that shes popped her boudoir cherry I know she'll be back for more!
She responded to our post-session interview and said the following:
What made you choose Mirrored Images? "Her website looked amazing."
Were you nervous at all? "Not really nervous, more anxious. I worried that I would wear something that wasn't flattering or that my pictures wouldn't be as beautiful as the other women and I would be disappointed."
Was the response you received from the pictures what you wanted/expected? "It was SO much better than I imagined! "
What was your favorite part of the experience? "The whole thing! I've never had my make up professionally done and I've never even had a glamour shoot before!"
What would you say to other women who are contemplating doing a boudoir session? "Do it! Don't even worry about the cost, I spent the same on my daughters senior pictures. I had an amazing 2 hour session and oh man was it amazing! It was so much more fun than I had imagined! She sent me a sneak peek and I'll tell you, I'm extremely impressed with her talent! I mean, I knew she was good, but my pictures are really really amazing!! IF you haven't booked a session, DO IT! You will not be disappointed in the least!"
Do you feel more confident and sexy now? "Yes, I want more!"
"Do It For Yourself" | Boudoir client love
Meghan came into our studio super bubbly, so when I found out that she was actually nervous I was shocked! She is such a positive energy to be around & she just makes me smile! When Staci finished her hair & make up she dubbed her look "Wonder Woman" and it was SO fitting because not only did she look like her, but she totally embraced the new fabulous look and her images conveyed so much confidence and sexy appeal. M-E-O-W! Here's what she had to say:
"I have been wanting to do a Boudoir shoot for quite some time but couldn't find the courage to do it. An opportunity presented itself with Mirrored Images and I just thought "Why Not". I will admit though, I was nervous!... Should I wait? Should I lose weight first? Should I tone myself up? Literally up until the last minute driving to the studio I was internally FREAKING out. I am naturally just a happy go lucky person, so that helped a little bit, but when I got to the studio it was incredibly private, both Staci and Jen made me feel super comfortable and I just let all of the nervousness go. During the shoot Jen helped me through every step, and posed me from my fingers to my toes, she referred to me as a natural a few times-- i'm not sure if she was being nice or what because i have NEVER done anything like this before -- not even any type of glamour shots -- nonetheless it was super comforting!! I got to the point I was so comfortable and relaxed that I didn't want it to end! I wanted to keep changing outfits and keep going! Once the shoot was over I felt FABULOUS, I had completely forgotten that I did this shoot for my boyfriend and instead I felt POWERFUL and SEXY all for myself. Jen is so amazing she had a sneak peak of my pictures to me just hours after my shoot! My boyfriends reaction was just the cherry on top, even though I only showed him a few photos -- I'm patiently waiting for my photo album to show him the rest, and i'm more than excited for the reaction. Honestly, if you have every even had a thought of doing Boudoir, DO IT, and do it with Mirrored Images!! Don't talk yourself down because you think you need to lose weight (i didn't), because of the nerves (they will go away), because you live to far (I live in Smyrna and the drive was SO WORTH THE OUTCOME), or because you don't have a man -- do it for yourself!!"
Holiday Boudoir Sessions | Gainesville Boudoir
Eeeeeeeek! Two awesome things happened: I conned Staci (my make up artist) into allowing me to do a quicky photo sesh on her to promote some of the holiday boudoir sessions sets & we got some fabulous photo's of ourselves for an upcoming magazine article that will highlight our company! To see the images for the Gainesville Boudoir Photographer article, check it!
I am obsessed with Staci's new hair color and that color against the red silk sheets, o-m-geeeeee! I chose to do Staci's session a little "darker" and I'm so happy that I did. "Light and fluffy" boudoir isn't for everyone and my space is so versatile that I can provide both!
We still have space in the November 1 mini session day - as well as holiday packages available for October and November sessions.
Boudoir x 2 | Atlanta Boudoir Photographer
Miss A came to me about her boudoir session, which was the first with me but it was actually her second boudoir experience. Her first was a few years ago, it was with another Atlanta boudoir photographer, and the style was romantic. I saw her images from the first session, she absolutely killed it. She knew what she wanted with this session and my style was what she was in the market for.
Immediately after our session she said, "I wanted to tell you how much fun I had and what a great experience it was. You're really professional and I appreciate your artistic eye. I cannot wait for the sneak peak and reveal!" Following the sneak peak her response was even better. "That cannot be me! I can only imagine what the rest look like. I am blown away by what you can do with a camera!"
Miss A and her hubby came to the studio about a week after the peak and viewed the gallery together. His jaw dropped on a few of them, I wish I caught it on video! Together they chose over 50 images to go in an album and hubs has one of the images as his background of his phone.
Make up and hair by Staci Gibbs.
Boudoir Studio Grand Opening | Gainesville Georgia
Happy Sunday, ya'll! We are still recovering from the boudoir studio grand opening event, which was on Friday night at the new boudoir studio in Gainesville Georgia. We had over 30 ladies attend the celebration and had some incredible vendors participate as well. The girls were treated to a live make up lesson by Cotton Rouge & Co lady boss Katie Cotton, then had the opportunity to get mini make overs of their own. Unfortunately my local make up gal, Staci Gibbs, was sick and unable to attend but she's really looking forward to meeting (and glamming) the ladies for their upcoming sessions! I was able to speak to the group and explain what boudoir is and what it means to me then show a live mini boudoir demonstration to those that were interested in seeing. I had so many girls approach me after saying how informative it was and that their view on boudoir has completely changed -- for the better!
The delicious small bites and beautiful centerpieces were created by Donna, who runs "Adoornables" in Cumming, GA. She is a crafty and creative lady, and her specialty is creating beautiful holiday decor for doors, mailboxes, mantles, etc. Please check her facebook page for more!
We used Christa O'Briens studio for our seating area, to make sure everyone had plenty of room. Her space is adjoining to ours and has the same floors, windows and walls that we do -- which made it a perfect location for us to use! The live demo was done in our studio and guests got to peak at our studio lingerie collection that is ALWAYS growing. We just added additional pieces for the holiday sessions coming up, o-m-geeeeeee they're perfect!!
A few honorable mentions before we get to the pictures:
Make up demo and mini makeovers: Cotton Rouge & Co
Cupcakes: Acuna's Custom Cakes
Photobooth: Selfie Socials
Food & Table Decor: Adoornables
Thanks to the additional vendors that gave my girls some awesome promotions:
Lanier Bridal (Wedding Planning website)
Norsk Studios: Tattoos & Piercings
Masterpiece Mixers: Paint & Party
Staci Gibbs: Freestyle makeup artist
Breast Cancer Awareness | Mirrored Images Boudoir
See our Pinterest board for a better idea of the looks we're planning. Participants will be offered three options: mesh body suit with rhinestones, pasties with rhinestones, or body paint/glitter with rhinestones... and I am SO proud to say the brave women we have on board so far have ALL chosen body paint/glitter -- how incredible are they?!
There are NO FEE'S for participants. We must be able to verify that you truly are a survivor or current fighter of breast cancer. We want to provide a day of fun and celebration to these women, a day they will remember and cherish for many years. Help us celebrate YOU.