Last Sunday was Valentine's Day or as the world is coming to call it now, "Singles Awareness Day." Some of you may have noticed how Diary Queen was advertising a specialty blizzard taking notice of those many people that are single on Valentine's Day and according to recent studies, singles are outnumbering those that are in relationships and not just married.
I've always been a very independent individual and decided why wait for a man to do something for me when I could do it for myself. I use to my buy flowers for myself when I was in high school and I took myself out to dinner one year for Valentine's Day. This year I'm doing something special for myself that I've wanted to do for a couple years now ever since my friend told me about it, pin-up photos.
But this year was simple but still special in it's own way.
~Valentine's Day~
I am a lover of breakfast and sometimes the most simple things are the most special. I woke up that morning, unfortunately earlier than I would have liked to, and to my amazement got all my laundry done (including putting it away) before heading to church at 9am. I have two loads of laundry and I start my darks the night before so that always helps.
But first thing is first when I wake up in the morning, breakfast. I fixed myself some blueberry pancakes and I haven't had those in several months, along with some grits and egg whites. I can't tell you how just thinking that breakfast was extra special because of some simple blueberries. I always get to relax and enjoy my breakfast on the weekends, whereas during the week it's more of a time crunch to get out the door to head to the gym before work. I buy stone ground yellow grits so they are actually yellow and not the typical white grits you would see, and top them with some butter. I grew up putting butter on top of my grits and pancakes, which is allowed on the maintainer category of the Badass Body Diet.We also had a great sermon that morning which I will blog about later this week. And like my pastor pointed out, you think that Valentine's Day is a day to preach about Love and most people when automatically gravitate toward 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs (which most of us do). Love does not delight in the evil but rejoiced with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. but where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
But we talked about what we have learned from dealing with loss and this is something that I have come to know in my personal life and through many experiences.
Losing a loved one or anything can make you lose confidence in life, and I from a very young age have never really had confidence in myself as someone who has felt beautiful.
Pin Ups with Brandywine Photography
Wednesday night I headed home to Charlotte because making a little over 3 hour drive to Kings Mountain, NC was going to be a long drive, especially if I went there and back in the same day. After all I would have to drive back home after the shoot that day. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. I have always wanted to take pin-ups with Brandy (Brandywine Photography) ever since learning about her from a friend a couple years back, just never took the time to save the money to do it. Well, that time had come for me to finally do them when Brandy decided she was no longer going to be doing pin ups and focus on weddings, engagement photos and families as to spend time with her own family and be a mom. As I learned from her on Thursday, her kids are home schooled and it has been their choice. She is a lady to admire, not just off of her amazing work but for her I don't give a shit what other people think personality, and what she sees as beauty. When first arriving at her house you just notice how huge it is and her welcoming smile. She takes you down into the basement where she has racks of clothes hanging up for ladies to use for the different sets (bedroom, kitchen, library, etc.) and then a small room with a couch, a table set up for her makeup and hair supplies, and a hair dresser chair. It's just casual conversation from there talking about each others lives, my lack of makeup skills because I don't own any, funny things here and there and of course a little bit of business thrown in there too. O and the random thrown in conversation of
I chose the Lucille package, which was a 4 hour shoot, 2 indoor sets and 1 outdoor photo location. I asked to go outside first since we started around 3pm and I didn't want to be standing outside when it started to really cool off outside. So she took me a couple minutes away to the curve of a road that was across from a small lake or pond. I had gone out of my comfort zone and ended up in leopard print lingerie. It worked really well with our location because we were in some tall wheat colored grass, it could have been really tall weeds but it worked. But the funniest part about the whole thing is on the way there she told me there wasn't a lot of traffic around that area. As soon as we got out there a Jeep passed by and of course as anyone probably would, slowed down. Another car passed by later and did the same thing but I think the best part was when we turned around to leave an older guy (I can't say that he was a gentleman) had parked his moped on the small hill across the road and decided he wanted to watch. I was to busy focused on Brandy and she was to busy focused on me to even notice. Those things are silent! We both laughed about it and headed back to her house and did a couple more shots on the back balcony which I loved some of those too.
Next was the purple lingerie set, which was by far my favorite considering one of my favorite colors is purple. How could I have not have chosen that when it was one of my options? We did several photos with this piece and even did one with a pose I had seen her post previously with another client at her old studio and completely fell in love with it. I can't tell you how excited I was when we did that one. And Brandy is a butt person and I'm not going to lie my back and my butt are probably my favorite features about myself. Well my butt anyway after these photos! I also wanted to do a military themed pin-up because I love being around the military so much. It's one of the main reasons I haven't left where I am.
I can say I would definitely do another military themed one but a different set because I've wanted to dress up in the military costume for so long I honestly can't believe I didn't do it this time. We used a flag this time (as you can see I'm hoping for a future appointment with her). Then we moved into the library. She took advantage of my years of gymnastics with this one, and we got some shots that some might be seen more artsy but one photo that I absolutely love because it's so different.
This, almost, year has been an up and down roller coaster for me mentally and physically. I wanted to do this shoot for me. I have always loved the pin-up style but wanted to find myself again and to feel beautiful, sexy, confident in myself. I have always struggled with this a lot most of my life, but especially lately. It was time to do something for myself and to try and find that confidence in myself again. I look at these pictures now and see a completely different person. I only once thought about what I was wearing during the shoot but felt completely comfortable in my own skin for once in my life around someone else and in lingerie. I have honestly always felt embarrassed putting on lingerie and I have some in my closet that has never been worn because I am too embarrassed and self-conscious of what I look like to wear it for someone. I can't explain how it feels to be care free for even just one day when wearing things like that. It is definitely a battle within yourself of not feeling beautiful. Yes, I have people tell me I am. I just say thank you and brush it off. But this day I didn't have any worries about what I looked like and I thank Brandy for that. I felt beautiful, confident, sexy, and so many other things.
Trying to keep track of your nutrition while traveling can be difficult. This a when you really need to plan ahead. That day because I was leaving out of Charlotte and it was only a 50min drive to Kings Mountain I was able to eat lunch at the house, but for some I know when traveling this isn't possible. That's when those tuna pouches tend to come in handy. Or if you pack containers and a cooler then an quick tuna or chicken salad is possible. That night since my shoot finished at 6pm I just packed a protein shake, chocolate peanut butter from ETB Fit (), half of a banana and 1tbsp of peanut butter and it was back home I headed. So when you know you're going to be traveling for a while (couple hours) pack some easy portable foods like small bags of carrots, tuna/chicken pouches, apple sauce, fruits, etc.
Baby J
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| All the sweets |
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| "Dirt" |
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| Gift bags |
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| Smoked wings. My brother loves his smoker! |
After the party I took my grandma home and then decided to take a nap. Normally I only nap for an hour so I didn't set my alarm. Well, apparently I was more tired than I thought because I slept for about 2.5-3 hours. I slept passed dinner so I just ate my night time snack and binged or a couple hours on Netflix and back off to bed I went. Being an introvert being around that many people can mentally exhaust you on top of a workout.
This week I have so far on my menu (dinner):
Paleomg's "Almost 5 ingredient Pizza Spaghetti Pie"
Baked/Grilled Chicken
Salad
Meal Replacement Shake
**If you are interested in having any photos taken for an event I highly recommend Brandywine Photography and have provided her link below to her site for contact. You will not regret hiring her and if thinking about it, please book well in advance; she gets booked very quickly!
~God Bless
"Training strength and endurance mentally, physically, and spiritually."
I know that some people could be offended by the seemingly mild risqué photos that I have posted and these days we are judged all to quickly for doing something like this or showing off our bodies in this way. But it's not really that much different from showing them off in workout attire. I ask that you please read this below by Pastor Francis Anfuso
Naked
"Ever heard this statement? Since Adam and Eve were naked, obviously there’s nothing wrong with nakedness. In Genesis 2:25, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither of them felt any shame. Shame has been defined as a negative emotion that combines feelings of dishonor, unworthiness, and embarrassment. Adam and Eve’s nakedness was far more than nudity. They were totally open and exposed before God and one another. Before the fall, they were naked, but didn’t see it as sinful. They were exposed, but not exploited! They were naked, but not immoral! They were unclothed, but not unprotected! They were undressed, but not uncovered! They were bare, but didn’t use one another! If you want to get back to the Garden! Live an honest, open and transparent life in the presence of God!"
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