Recap! // The 2015 Tacoma Boudoir Marathon

I am so thrilled to finally be sharing the results of my first boudoir marathon, hosted right here in Tacoma, WA at the Hotel Murano! I had such an amazing time meeting these ladies and getting to know each one of them. There was so much care and planning that went into each and every session, and I love that everyone who participated had so much fun with it!

This marathon was an absolute blast for me to put together. One of my favorite things about boudoir is the pampering aspect of each session. I absolutely loved setting up the whole day as an event, not just a series of photo sessions.

Megan Bourque Cosmetology did an amazing job on hair & makeup!

Feel free to scroll through the gallery below to see some of the gorgeous portraits from this marathon! (Keep in mind that this is a boudoir marathon! These are sexy images!)

A huge thank you to the ladies who participated in this event (especially knowing that it was a modeling event--you brave women!). I am so excited for the upcoming Tulsa Boudoir Marathon (there's one spot left!), and may or may not have one more Seattle-Tacoma boudoir marathon in the works before our move later this year! ;)

xoxo
Emily

Mothers: Tell your daughter you're pretty.

My one-year-old daughter is in that stage where she attempts to repeat everything I say. The other day, I was thumbing through a catalog and she heard me exclaim, "Ooh, pretty!" She grinned and repeated—“Ooh, pri-iy!" It just tickles me to death to hear her repeat words back to me with such clarity and conviction, so I couldn't help but encourage her over the next few days. "Bug, can you tell the doggy she's pretty?" "Gee! Gee pri-iy!"

In our culture, we put a whole lot of emphasis on pretty. Because of this, as mothers, we want our daughters to feel pretty. When my little bug gets out of the bathtub and sees herself in the mirror, I always catch myself saying, "Who is that pretty girl? It's you! You're such a pretty girl, Liv!" Until recently, the impact of those words never really occurred to me. I just felt that I was encouraging my daughter because, after all, don't we all want to feel and believe that we're pretty?

My sweet little Liv. She's very "pri-iy!"

This morning, an interesting TED Talk came across my news feed. It was titled, "Why thinking you're ugly is bad for you." Bad for you? I thought. Well it's not a good thing, but is it really bad for you?

In the 12 minute lecture, Meaghan Ramsey discusses how feeling ugly negatively effects all of us, right down to test scores and job placement. The truth of it is, because our culture puts so much emphasis and effort into aesthetics, when we feel ugly, we feel less valuable, and so we don't perform as well. As I watched the video, I thought about my little girl. Of course I want to change the world; of course I want pretty to mean less, or at least something different. But for the next twenty years, as she's growing up and she's impressionable to her peers and how they see her, what can I do to prove to her that she's worthy—or, in modern words, "pretty?"

All of my parenting books tell me that my daughter is a sponge. That she will observe the world around her and what she absorbs will form her personality. And, above all, she will mimic how my husband and I live our lives and see and treat ourselves. So, if I don't think I'm pretty, will my little girl believe me when I say she's pretty?

"Mom, stop it, you're embarrassing me with all this talk about how pretty I am."

One thing I love about working with mothers on boudoir sessions is that giving them a confidence boost, showing them how incredibly beautiful they are, will spill over into their everyday lives. When I was growing up, I never heard my mother compliment herself. She would always agonize over being fat, wrinkly, or some other aspect of herself that she hated. And so, though I was always thin and "pretty," like most girls, I still nit-picked at myself. I still hated my tummy and my crooked teeth and when I looked in the mirror, those were the first things I saw. I have to wonder—if my mother had told me she was beautiful, would I have had a different idea of beauty?

Food for thought, ladies. Happy Monday! Do something awesome this week!

Bou-whaaat? // Tulsa Oklahoma Boudoir Marathon

If you follow my Facebook page or subscribe to my newsletter, you’ve probably heard the news by now: I’m coming to Tulsa for a boudoir marathon!

Many of you are right there sharing my excitement that there will be a boudoir marathon in Oklahoma this spring, but a few have asked in the same breath—“I’m excited, but what exactly is boudoir?”

In short, a boudoir session is a day of... diva. You get to sit back and relax while you are treated to an hour of pampering by the hair and makeup artist, then when you are all dolled up and feeling like a million bucks, you get to jump in front of the camera and have that feeling documented so you can keep it and show it off forever! First, let me show you a short video of my last boudoir marathon so you can get an idea of just how glamorous and fun these events are:

Here are a few questions I have been hearing a lot of—and, of course, their answers!

What do I have to wear for a boudoir session?

Nothing.

I'm just kidding... but really! You don't have to wear any certain thing. You can choose to go the traditional lingerie route, or maybe a loose fitting sweater with boyshorts, or a little black (or white!) dress. I fully encourage you to get creative with it! What you wear is entirely up to you, but it should be something that makes you feel comfortable and pretty or sexy or beautiful--whatever look it is that you want to achieve. We will go over wardrobe during your session planning meeting and pick out some great options for you to bring that are tailored to your style.

What can I expect the day of the marathon?

First of all, you get to show up to your session comfortable--no makeup, no tight clothes, no worries! Feel free to get to the (beautiful private downtown Tulsa) location a little early, snack on some gourmet treats and enjoy a glass of wine while you wait for your turn with our fabulous stylists.

The stylists will already have a pretty good idea of what look you're going for after I report back to them from our session planning meeting, so you don't have to worry about making too many decisions the day of your session! Just sit back and enjoy while somebody else does all of the primping for you.

Once you're all dolled up, we'll go through your outfit selections and have a look at the location to pick out what we want to shoot. Then, we have some fun! During your private photo session, we'll blast your favorite music and I'll direct you into poses that show off your favorite features and minimize the things you're not so crazy about.

Once your session is over, you don't have to run! You're welcome to hang back and relax with the other girls while they get ready, too! One of the best things about participating in a boudoir marathon is the "girls day" vibe. You'll not only get a gorgeous private photo session, but you'll get to enjoy some time to just hang out and chat with other fabulous women throughout the day.

What if I want something other than what's offered in the package?

I have many fine art quality prints and products available in addition to the products that come with your package! You will receive a full product list during your session planning meeting and I will show you samples of everything that is available so you can get an idea of what you might be interested in. About a week after your session, we will meet back up and I will unveil the finished images for you to select your package items. At this time, you will also have the option to add on anything else you might want.

Do you have more questions for me? Head over to the Facebook event and post them on the wall, or you can contact me directly! I can't wait to see you at the marathon, Tulsa! (If you haven't booked your session yet, you can snag your spot at this link.)

xoxo
Emily