Stitch Fix Review
If you are like me and have given seconds to google a new product, watch a pet video or explore a travel destination, your social feeds become flooded with sponsored ads enticing you to make your slight interest a purchase reality. Normally, I scroll past. I don’t have time to fill out another from or remember another login.
Thankfully, over the past few months I’ve started to learn the value in slowing down a bit. So, with my eyes half open one morning I SLOWLY scrolled by an ad I normally ignore for STITCH FIX. Stitch Fix offers curated clothing selected by a stylist and sent to your home. Sounds great right. Well, normally NO. Don’t get me wrong, I hate lines and actively avoid brick and mortar stores when at all possible for fashion purchases. Online shopping is my go-to, but turning over my style choices to someone I don’t know? I wasn’t sold.
There are many of these companies out there now, so selecting one is a daunting task. However, there is so much athleisure a woman can wear and there comes a time to face the music, or rather my closet and the realization I was missing a few pieces for the Fall season. I looked at the $20 styling fee required and in the words of Park and Recreation, I thought “Treat Yo’Self” and I did.
EASE: Thanks to the power of Facebook, I bypassed the added memory required for another login; closed my eyes while paying the styling fee and completed a series of small questionnaires about my sizing, budget and personal style. I went about my day and truthfully, I didn’t think much of it. Until the box arrived.
STYLE: I expected a few items to either fit poorly or not fit my personal style so I prepared myself. I opened the box to find a selection of blouses, a sweater I LOVED, a shade of denim I didn’t own and a colored denim jacket I didn’t know I needed until I got it and NOW I must have it. The color selections were in season. The choices were smart and things I couldn’t find myself. The jacket and sweater were transitional and considerate of my state’s weather.
FIT: The items all fit. PURRFECTLY and this is hard. I am a pear shape, but just so. I have a short torso, wide hips, smaller waist and broad shoulders. I love luxe items, but I live on a budget. I will normally purchase more affordable denim, etc., but find myself needing to replace them yearly because of normal wear/tear. Yet I never do and my wardrobe suffers. Enter Stitch Fix, or rather Stitch FIT! When the questionnaire asked about my waist size, preferred fit and the profile of my tummy, yes, it asked that I was a bit offended, but when I tried on the clothes, I got it. The jeans fit me perfectly without a belt, but wear loose enough for all day comfort. The sweater was fitted, but flattering. The jacket zipped! [applause]. The blouses were basics and items I had in my wardrobe, so though they fit well they will be returned.
PRICING: I set the parameters for the costs for the stylist to choose, and each piece came within range. However, I compared the costs of each piece via Stitch Fix with online vendors and they were comparable, if not less. The quality of each made me more accepting of the slightly higher price tag per item than I am used to shopping at local chain stores. Also, when I consider I most likely will not need to replace these items next fall, that is worth the added cents. So with a few clicks the jeans, jacket and sweater are now mine to keep for under $200.
As I place the items I didn't select in the mail for return I am already planning on debuting my new additions during our holiday visits. Surprisingly I do not have buyers remorse secure in the knowledge that I will not have to unbutton my jeans when it’s all done. In the meantime I can’t wait to see what my next box has in store for Winter.
Ready to see for yourself? Use this link and get $25 off your first order.
Selfish Isn't a Bad Word
To be a woman in today's world you need to be a three-ring circus act. A juggler for your daily responsibilities, a contortionist for your evening show, and if you are a mom, you can add on an entire tent to your troupe.
Women are expected to be nurturers, kind, and open, the heart of the family, and strong support for our children and our spouses. From a child, we are taught to make ourselves smaller. Cross your legs/ankles, keep your posture tight [don't slouch], speak when spoken to….and the list goes on. We are taught to build friendships early on by sharing, exchanging, and bonding and we build ourselves around these relationships.
Eventually, you wake up one day and you realize between the kid's schedules, your spouse, your job, and your friends/family social obligations you don't have a moment to yourself. During these past months with Covid-19 and everyone being home, I am sure these responsibilities have only multiplied. I know you are sitting here reading this blog while [figuratively] spinning plates on your head, but I ask you to STOP for a minute and ask yourself...
"What have I done for me lately?"
[think about it; I'll wait].
See the problem with that question is that though we don't like to admit it, it sparks the feeling that in some way SELF-CARE is SELFISH. I am here to tell you it's not!
Board a plane and the flight attendant will tell you that in an emergency you must put your mask on before you help another. But why do you have to wait until an emergency to put yourself first? I think the difference between selfish and self-care is just a matter of how you balance it. If you don't believe me, just watch a man.
Men, single or married will make time for themselves. Whether it's a boy’s night, sports, going to the gym, or just hanging out in the backyard, they make the time. They don't apologize for it, they prioritize it. They make room for themselves.
Ladies, you must make room for yourself. You need to take up more space. Whether that means you pencil in some time into your daily, weekly, or monthly schedule, or you simply steal a few minutes here and there. YOU need to be a priority for YOU. Don't sit around waiting for someone to give you permission. You are the star of this show, not a supporting character. Self-care and self-love aren't selfish, they're just smart. Treat yourself accordingly and everyone else will benefit.
For many of us that have taken the plunge and scheduled a session with Mirrored Images, the initial poses are a bit strange, but it's the exploration of self that is awkward. Placing your hands on your hips, popping your booty, or simply connecting with Jenn behind the camera feels foreign when you have trained yourself to be small. But that must stop. The year is coming to an end and the holidays are approaching. Before you delve head first into everyone and everything else, I challenge you to take some ME time, because there's only one YOU so take care of her.
-Marissa
Body Dysmorphia Disorder
To the Me I See…
You could stand to lose some weight, those 5pds have been around 5 years too long.
If only you were taller/thinner, this outfit would look better
If you looked like the woman on TV/mags you’d have a man by now
If only your wave would end with your hand and not extend up your arm. You need to wear a jacket.
This was my inner dialogue while dealing with BDD.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (or BDD) is an anxiety disorder that nearly ruined my life and continues to affect millions of women like me daily. Many people experience moments of insecurity and moments of vanity. It’s hard being a regular person living in a world in which we are bombarded with images where everything is photoshopped or enhanced in the pursuit of perfection. For most, they can make the distinction between what they see in the mirror and what’s real and these moments pass.
It’s not the same for someone with BDD.
I’ve cancelled on friends because I looked or felt too fat for everything in my closet. If I went out, I would go out and spend the entire evening obsessing about my outfit, hair or skin. Readjusting and picking at myself. When I was home, I would spend hours researching plastic surgeons with hopes one could “fix me”. I hated shopping in stores, always afraid to come out into the main dressing room for fear someone would see. Oh, and summer! Summer would give me anxiety because I didn’t look like “others” in swimwear, so I would hide all season.
It took me years to realize that the me I see when I look into the mirror doesn’t have to be a destination, it’s a journey. It tells the story of me. Every scar, every bump, every wrinkle is me. It’s a trial, a triumph, a struggle, a victory that I got through. I learned I needed to embrace this woman and give her the love and forgiveness that I would give one of my girlfriends if she were to speak about herself the way I thought internally. I decided to love myself and do the work to change. I’m still on the journey every day, but I’m much further along and I got there through lifestyle changes and therapy.
Speaking with a therapist who truly understood BDD and realized that my thoughts were more than just vanity, they’d become the soundtrack of my life. Being validated rather than reprimanded or reassured, was a major turning point for me. My therapist helped me make changes to my lifestyle and challenged me to make decisions that would make me uncomfortable but stimulate growth.
Eventually...I decided to wear the bikini, NOW, and not 5pds from now. I chose to be kind to myself at every stage and every weight rather than delaying the love for a day not promised. I realized tags were sewn on the inside for a reason, it’s no one’s business, but your own. I decided to put my money where my mouth is and schedule a boudoir session, for no one else but ME.
And...yes, Jenn and her team made me feel like a queen for the day, but I felt empowered by the decision to even be there. When the images came through for my review, I really looked at them, every inch, every curve, every wrinkle. I am now at a point in my life that when I see those images up on my wall, I will finally see ME.
I want that for you too. If you are still unhappy with the she you see and would like to speak with someone who understands there are some great options out there. Let’s take the journey together.
-Marissa
24 must have Amazon finds!
When I opened the studio 3 years ago I had no lingerie, no shoes, no accessories. Over the years I've collected items for client sessions because, let's be real, lingerie shopping can be a daunting task. I tell our clients not to spend money on lingerie, jewelry or shoes unless they plan to wear it again... and most won't so they come relying solely on what we have to offer. I can tell you 100% of the time we have something for every client.
Originally I was getting our items from Victoria's Secret, Yandy, Hips & Curves, Fredericks of Hollywood, and other big name brands.. but with as many times as we wash the garments it didn't matter the quality so the price tag wasn't worth paying anymore. I get almost all of our stuff from Amazon now and many of our clients bring goodies from Amazon too. So, I put together a list of Amazon must haves and you can click on the images for a link to the product.
Jewelry
Lingerie
. 
Naughty
Shoes
I am not an affiliate for Amazon, I do not have any financial gain for items suggested above.
This is just a small selection of suggestions, our clients receive a detailed welcome guide with information on how to prepare, where to shop, what to buy, and what to expect on the day of your shoot.
Self Growth
In the three years that our studio has been open we've had hundreds of beautiful clients come through our doors; most walk in nervous, unsure, anxious, and with no experience of being in front of a camera. Our goal is to provide each client with a life changing experience that will allow them to walk out of our building with their head held higher than when they walked in. It's crazy to think that 3 short hours can make that much of an impact on someones life, it's even more crazy to think that WE can make that much of an impact on someones life. It's definitely not something I take lightly, it's my passion and my mission.
Being a boudoir photographer and having a safe & judgement free space for other women to express theirselves allows me the ability to heal and grow as well. When we opened our doors I ran a model call with the purpose being to get clients in the studio so I could test out the new sets and studio. Briana was one of those clients in 2017 and I recently had the privilege of photographing her again. During the image reveal her husband kept saying how different of a vibe this recent session was from the first, so curiosity got ahold of me and I went back to Briana's first session and HOT DAYUM yes it is SO different! This gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own growth as an artist, but the most interesting part was how much the different styles over the years are a direct reflection of me and where I was in life at the time.
What started out as my desire to have a creative space, with the hope to be able to book enough work just to cover the overhead has turned into so much more. The last 8 months have been challenging; many of our followers know my husband was diagnosed with cancer in September 2019. The studio generated the income to get us through a very difficult time and without it, without our clients, I'm not sure what our situation would be like. I am forever grateful for all of our clients who chose us to tell their story, for our repeat clients who continue to choose us, and for those who are awaiting their sessions.
So, for fun - here are a few images from Briana's 2017 session and 2020 session.
Show Off Your Sexy
Is your house missing something? Is your wall decor dated and/or impersonal? We're all guilty of "it"... buying a placeholder to put on the wall so it didn't look bare and telling yourself when you find something better you'll update it. But, 5 years later it's still there and you may not even realize it's still there because it doesn't speak to you.
It's time that you hang something beautiful in its place. It's time for you to look at the art every day and feel proud. It's time for you to see yourself as a piece of art.
FACT: many of our clients purchase wall art that is "anonymous" to put above their bed or in their bathroom. It's similar to pieces you would find at an art gallery and no one would ever know it was you.
Other clients have chosen to embrace their experience with us and display an image where you can identify them.
There is no right or wrong answer, the truth is that every time you look at the image YOU will remember your experience, YOU will feel powerful, beautiful, and proud. In the end, that's all that matters.
. 
Watercolor Art | New product!
I love exploring new products and it's been a hot minute since we've added something to our A La Carte menu. Recently one of our clients posted on her instagram a watercolor painting she did and I loved (LOVED LOVED LOVEDDDD) it! I immediately contacted her and asked her to take an image from her session and create a watercoloring of it because I was interested in offering it to clients. Well, NAILED IT! She's incredible, talented and what makes it even better is that she is on the same female empowerment train as we are. As a second sample she recreated one of the images from her moms second boudoir session with us - check these out!
Local artist, Elizabeth Brumley with the painting from her session she recreated.
The woman behind the art: I am a mother, veteran, and artist. After 5 years in the U.S. Army I returned to school and am now majoring in Graphic Communications at Kennesaw State University with a projected graduation of spring 2021. I have been serious about creating art since childhood and now I have found that I enjoy creating art that gives my audience an emotional reaction and strongly promotes female empowerment and body positivity. I like to work in many different mediums and experiment with different styles.
I am naturally a bit of a nudist, and even model for my art school, but that doesn't mean I like my body, which is why I am coming to you to do this. I tend to prefer to create art focused on sex positive feminism, and it's my focus on that in combination with my own feelings about my body that has made all of my friends encourage me to do this as well. -Elizabeth
18x24 watercolor
Original image from session
18x24 watercolor
Original image from session
If you are a new or existing client you could own one of these incredible pieces of art. Check out Elizabeths instagram for more of what she creates.
Doggy Style | CoVid 2020
Giving doggy style a new meaning
Before I get into the pictures, let me put a few disclaimers out there.
1: These images are in no way meant to "mock" or diss our clients. I had a fun idea and thought it would get an extra giggle out of viewers to post pictures of our clients doing the same poses. They are side by side for that reason, and that reason alone.
2: CoVid is serious, take it seriously. I'm not poking fun at the virus.
Now... meet Yuri. Yuri is my husbands service dog and he comes to the studio with me often, especially with the crappy weather lately. Today we had two clients scheduled and due to the Corona Virus both are rescheduled but I woke up ready to shoot - so why not? Yuri and I had a lot of fun creating these images and knocked them out in 10 min's or so. I'm hopeful you all can get a giggle or two out of this set as well (no mal's were injured in the making of them & he was appropriately compensated for his time ;) ). Now, onto some boudoir: doggy style.
Me: Cut your eyes back like you're looking at your booty.
Clients:
Me: Look down.
Clients:
Me: Eyes at me, breathe through your mouth.
Clients:
Me: Look back over your shoulder and pop your booty out.
Clients:
Me: Sit there and look pretty.
Clients:
Me: Take some clothing off and lay on the bed.
Clients:
Me: Stand on this coffee table, my teenager put it together... I swear it's good.
Clients:
Me: Now lay down, it may wobble a bit.. but you got this!
Clients:
Me: Pop your booty and look over your shoulder
Clients:
Me: Look out the window and pop your hips back.
Clients:
Yuri is an 18 month old Belgian Malinois and while he is the sweetest boy and incredibly smart, my final disclaimer is that unless you are familiar with the breed please do not purchase a Mal. They require extensive training & constant stimulation, movement, and observation.
Stay safe, stay in doors, enjoy this time and come up with fun new things to do to occupy your time.
xoxo, Jenn
I feel more free | Boudoir Client
Interview with Miss B
What made you choose Mirrored Images Boudoir? Loved the images I saw on the website! Loved Jenn’s bio and felt her personality would make this all ok.
Was there a reason you wanted to book a session? I am finally at peace with my body image and wanted to celebrate overcoming the negative thoughts I have had about my body for most of my life. I wanted to do something brave and unexpected. Also, as an anniversary gift to my husband.
Were you nervous? I felt more nervous after booking my session than I did during the actual session. But Jenn has a gift with helping put people at ease and I trusted her completely.
Was the response you received on the images what you hoped for? I have only shared with a couple of close friends so far (just one photo) and they were floored! The response was better than I expected and it made me feel great in more ways than one. I am dying to show them to my hubby but making myself wait until our anniversary.
What was your favorite part of the experience? Realizing during the session that I felt completely confident.
Do you still feel like your self-esteem is boosted from the session? I do! I keep looking at my photos and I just feel more powerful somehow.
What would you say to women who are thinking about a session but haven't pulled the trigger yet? That the makeup and photo goddesses are on your side and want you to look great. Trust that. In the end it is you who gets to choose the final product so if any of the photos don’t agree with you, toss them out. It will make you feel strong and sexy! I feel like it changed me. I just feel more confident now.
Final thoughts? My husband has loved me and my body through a lot. My body had been abused as a girl and I have felt uncomfortable in it for a very long time. He thought I was beautiful when I was young and physically strong, when I was depressed and overweight, and now when I am older and all of the things are rearranging. He will be blown away by these photos. But I will love them most because they are proof I have overcome.
Jamie K | Atlanta Makeup Artist
I have been wanting to write this post for over a month - but life got in the way. I'd love to introduce you ladies to Jamie Kimbrough, one of Atlanta's premier makeup artists. She has joined the Mirrored Image Boudoir team and we've been working together for the last few months. Her work has been featured on national television shows, commercial ads, media campaigns, top national & international publications (Vogue Italia, Playboy Magazine). She's been in the biz for over a decade and brings a ton of experience in fashion and editorial photoshoots, runway film, television, music videos, and weddings. In addition to being our lead makeup artist, she also remains on set to be YOUR personal assistant. She is there to make sure your makeup, hair and wardrobe stays on point for the shoot - which means I don't spend the time doing that and you get more pictures to choose from!
Jamie and I recently got to hang out with 35+ ladies of Peachtree Park Women's Club for an event called "Put Your Best Self Forward." Meredith Pope, Mrs. Georgia 2019, was Jamie's model for the makeup demo and it was so much fun getting to hear her story and learn more about what she advocates for. Here are a few behind the scene shots from the event.
Jamie and I have something reallllllly cool planned for the upcoming months. Once we complete the mission, you'll get to see the final products and we'll be offering a very unique session to clients. Eeeekkkk!! So, little hint: it has to do with reenacting your fav music video. Yassssss girl, it's time to channel your inner Beyonce, Britney Spears, Kesha, Meghan Trainor and bring it to life!
If you aren't on our mailing list, you're missing out on a great promotion we're running. So, go sign up to receive our free boudoir guide and you'll be added to our newsletter list.
xoxo, Jenn