Booger is my soul. I know that sounds dramatic, because she’s a cat, but she isn’t just any cat. I won’t go into details because I could spend days doing so, but just believe me!

Booger will be 18 this year and she has lived 18 amazing years. We rescued her not long after she was born, as a stray. She owns 1/4 of my heart and has forever changed my life. I know, dramatic!

Anyway, I ordered a pretty large print of her not too long ago and finally had a little time to hang it today. It rests perfectly above my desk. Feeling the urge to call me a crazy cat lady yet? Go ahead, I won’t be offended.

I will openly admit that not only have I just been shorting boudoir for a short period of time, but I hadn’t even heard of it that long ago.  When I did, I studied on it.  The techniques, the form, the technical aspects.  I read tips, studied poses and listened to stories.  Then I shot one.  THEN I had mine done (by the talented miss Heather Smith).  I figured the only way to really understand how these women feel in front of the camera was to put myself there as well.  Heather did a stunning job and I gave them to Andy for our anniversary, which of course he loved.

Along the way of learning and doing, though – shooting boudoir has become one of my most favorite things to shoot.  Being a female means a lot of different things to a lot of different women – but actually feeling like one and reveling in the fact that we are amazing species I think is important for every woman to take part in at least once in their life.  We are so hard on ourselves day in and day out – so tired and run down.  Sometimes, so taken advantage of, putting ourselves on the back burner to take care of children, sick parents or pets, starting our own businesses or even trying to keep the job we have in such a tough economy – that we lose touch with who we are.  That inside, we are still soft, gentle, beautiful and amazing ladies.  We are vulnerable every day, but we don’t always see a positive outcome from being in that position.  I love, more than anything, the look on my clients’ face when they see themselves vulnerable, relaxed and stunning and think “Wow, I am beautiful!”  I think it is SO important for women to feel beautiful and secure within themselves, and that is why I love doing boudoir photography.  It is classy, timeless, sensual, elegant, relaxing and needed.  It means a lot to me as a woman to help another woman gain self awareness and feel beautiful about themselves, especially in a world where women are often the ones that are so incredibly hard on each other.  This makes my job as a photographer worth every struggle that comes along.   If you are interested in talking about or scheduling a boudoir session for yourself, please contact me via the contact form at the bottom of the page.

This is a sneak peek of the boudoir shoot I had today.  A boudoir shoot with a women almost 40 years old, married, a mother of two, a freelancer and taking Tae Kwon Do to earn her black belt.  This was her moment – a moment I’m sure she would agree was much needed.

Yesterday, I promise to buckle down, do some work and things that NEEDED to get done.  Sure, it was a Saturday, and I had originally planned to have a few girls over for dinner, but I really needed to work.  I woke up early with a headache and too much on my to-do list, so I called off all plans and got to work.  First, to mow the lawn.  Mind you, since we live on 48 acres (shared with my Mom and little brother in a separate house), there’s a lot of lawn.  As I made my first round, I happened to look down right ahead of me and there it was.  Head barely above the height of the grass, a bright yellow beak.  A baby bird!  We looked all over for it’s nest, pretty sure the wind had swept it away the night before.  With no nest to be found, we perched it in the middle of a tree and I finished my mowing.  The Mom was flying overhead, landing in the tree above the baby and squawking to let us know – she’s got this.  Leave her baby alone!

So yesterday evening I decided to check on it.  Make sure it was still there, and alive.  With the birdie nowhere to be found anywhere around the tree, I found him (I’m not sure it’s a him, but to me, it is) half way down the yard, in the middle of a patch of bright sun light.  Crying.  It’s Mom now in a tree a bit closer.  I called my little brother out, told him to go digging for worms and we’d try to feed it.  Much to my surprise, it ate from us!  But!  In the midst of looking for worms, my brother turns over a patch of grass and finds…a nest of baby bunnies.  *palm face*.  I have stuff to get done!  I don’t have time to feed babies and worry about keeping them safe and away from the dogs!  I don’t want to be reliable if they don’t make it!  I wish I never would have found them and now I can’t stop worrying about them.  Spring is in full bloom and I am a huge animal lover – but nature makes me nervous.  I know nothing about birds and bunnies and the last thing I want to do is mess up the natural flow of how they work and have them be neglected and die because of me.  The pressure!

We left the nest of bunnies and will not be going back to them, as to trace the dogs their way.  This morning, Skittles had the baby bird in her mouth.  He wasn’t dead or even hurt, as though she was now taking her turn to take care of him.  Only, that’s not allowed.  She’s a dog and her instinct will have the bird for dinner.  So now?  Now this baby bird is in a cat carrier on the front porch being fed worms every hour.  I did get some work done that I needed to get done, but not without my mind wandering and going outside every hour or so to check on a baby bird.  I know in the end, whatever happens to it is up to mother nature, but now I feel slightly responsible, and this?  This is why I don’t have children.

Skittles watching very closely as we fed the baby bird.

Scooby doing the same, on the other side of us.

Do you ever go to a blog and see there are no updates and take it a little personally? You feel a little let down – since the anticipation had been growing ever since you sat down at your computer and started going through your favorite blog to read for the day. No update yet, so you get a little upset, sigh a little, and decide to just come back later. 10 minutes later you wonder to yourself. What if they have updated now? I have to hurry and check! Clickclickclick as fast as you can. And then nothing. No update. No update since yesterday. The nerve!

I know I feel like this on some blogs I read daily. I don’t REALLY get upset, but I do anxiously await some bloggers to update. I love to read the new happenings, see the new photos, hear about their learning experience, laugh with them and learn new things from them. Carla told me she also feels this way. The only thing that’s different? She feels this way about MY blog! When she confessed this, I wanted to hug her. I thought I was a weirdo for visiting blogs with huge hopes of an update and leaving mildly offended (not really) and disappointed (really) that nothing new is posted. It’s silly when you think about it, but it’s a simple pleasure. Like the anticipation to have a phone call returned you’ve been waiting on, or when you’re expecting a package or letter in the mail for days and you check, every day, hoping it’s there.

I was so flattered and a little embarrassed to know I had an admirer out there that really loved what I did to the point of anticipating my new posts. I get a lot of personal email and comments on my Facebook when I update, but I suppose since I don’t receive comments on my actual blog posts that often, I assume people are just drifting through. I do see in my stats that I have tons of visitors, even a lot of return visitors, but it’s just nice knowing someone likes and appreciates my hard work and gets excited at the thought of an update about my life or photos I’ve taken recently!

Carla hired me for a boudoir shoot (will post a few on Valentine’s Day) but when we finished up, I wanted to just snap some photos of her around her home. She’s such a funny and beautiful soul and I loved spending time with her and her furry children. She’s a huge animal lover just like I am and had the cutest and sweetest dogs I’ve ever seen. After getting to know her a little better and seeing the passion for animals and beauty in her life, I can say I feel honored that she’s my blog stalker, and a little less alone as I go through my world awaiting new blog updates on a daily basis! Carla – I’m sorry I have disappointed you, and – *cheers* – this post’s to you!

Aren’t I lucky to have such a cute blog stalker?!

I adore everything about this photo.

Work it!

This next one is blurry but there’s just something about it that I adore.

Meet Andie.   She is a foster from the Boston Terrier Rescue of NC (BTRNC), is blind and was not expected to live past last Spring after being diagnosed with cancer – but here she is!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this!

Andie and Leroy. Carla also has a Doberman and although VERY sweet, he was also VERY camera shy.

They love their mama.