You are Far Too Smart to be the Only Thing Standing in Your Way.

As humans we have made it this far on the planet because of our reasoning and critical thinking skills.  However we do have a tendency to just over think things.  My friend had a great saying for this…  I don’t recall the exact phrase he said, but it was something like Analysis Paralysis.  This means analyzing something so much that we don’t end up making any move.

I had a problem with doing this.  I am what you call an INTJ.  It’s one of the rarest forms of the 16 personalities and even more rare if you are a woman.  I also had to take a test to see what side of my brain I use a lot.  I use 51% left and 49% right.  Therefore I’m a pretty logical person.  I always look for the most logical answer… but sometimes that comes with the price of over examining every single angle to the point you don’t make a decision.  I can’t tell you how many times I used to say, “fuck it” and lay in bed to fall asleep.

Then there comes the other side of this (I told you I think with both side of my brain), the people who say fuck it and don’t do anything at all.  They know what they need to do but see that it requires “too much work” and don’t do anything at all. 

Both these extremes can be harmful to how you live your life.  Yes, it is important for you as a person to look at the whole situations and make a decision, but over analysis can stop you from making a decision.  Sometimes you just have to cannon ball into that pool and call it a day.

If you are just bumming around toying with the idea of doing something with your life you need to just do it. Why spend your life on what if analysis?  Attempt to make your goals happen. Don’t get discouraged if you fail 29 times.  All that matters is you getting back up 30.  If your friends are bummy I’m sorry dude then you probably should let them go.  Often, the people surrounding you will have an effect on how you are living your life.  Find people who motivate you and have them in your corner.  Once you change your view I will guarantee the air will be fresher.

Nothing can stop the right view and mindset from achieving its goal. 

Hotter than Hell, Dallas Boudoir

Jessica Rabbit has nothing on Mrs. B.  While I love the clients who come in with an open mind and like for me to plan everything I also appreciate when a client knows exactly want she wants.  This was Mrs. B.  She came in to our Dallas Boudoir studio with a definite idea in her mind.  Typically I tell clients to build a Pinterest to help streamline the ideas, style, hair, and makeup they really want from their session, but not B.  She came to me with all that information. LOVED IT!

The inspiration for her session steamed from a Vicotoria's Secrets holiday ad with Bank's Waiting Game playing in the background.  Check out the video below!

After this session I just fell in love with this song. 

Mrs. B wanted to go for a very classic bombshell look.  Therefore Jazzy, the makeup artist,  gave her a classic red lip and amazing face to draw focus to her beautiful eyes.  The hair game was ON POINT! *snaps* Dominique Dai from Mane Affair located in Mesquite, Texas is master when it  comes to hair.  Let me tell you something.  I did not know that one could do pin curls with someone with so much hair.  WOW!  I’m still floored… but I guess that’s because I can barely do my own hair… moving on. 

The day started with Jazzy and Dominique getting in super early to set up.  Not long after that Brian the owner and videographer from BKM Films came in and set up.  Watching a videographer work is just so amazing.  I really felt like I was on a movie set.  I really enjoyed seeing the work it takes to make a professional video and then the final product.

Mrs. B first look was a little black dress.  I’m not sure who made it, but for future post I will see if I can get the designers of the clothes for all you fashion junkies out there.  The shoes were Louboutins.  Her second and third outfits came from Victoria’s Secret.  The shoes from the second look (in the red piece) are from Betsy Johnson.  They are one of my best buys from 2014!  The necklace in the third look was by forever 21. Yes!  Another wonderful purchase made by Wonderland Boudoir! 

Mrs. B did not choose any of the productions. She actually chose to do her session al cart.  She booked a glam squad, 3 sets, a videographer, and wanted 75 digital photos.  

The first set was on the beautiful Colette couch that I actually purchased from Pier 1.  Another amazing buy in 2014! 

The second set was a simple white studio theme.  This is where she did a lot of floor and bed work.

The last set was the Moroccan set.  This whole set came from Pier 1 as well. Yes, Pier 1 has A LOT of great items there that you should check out and purchase. 

We had so much fun shooting with Mrs. B.  I loved how she came in with a plan and how she wanted it executed.

Without further ado please enjoy the photos!

I hope that you enjoyed this post  and all the photos series!  I’m going to TRY and do one every Friday.  While I do stay booked it’s really hard to tell because many of the ladies like to keep their photos private.  That is why I offer a 10% discount if you allow us to feature you on our blog and other social media accounts. 

If you like to book us for a session please check out our investment page HERE and then feel free to contact us HERE! 

In the comments below let me know which photos was your favorite and why!

7 Things you should do Before a Boudoir Session

Your boudoir session is booked but you still don’t know exactly how you should prep for the big day.  Today we have seven things that you should do before your boudoir session.  Following these seven rules will help you relax and get you ready for your important day.

1. GET A GOOD NIGHT’S REST

You want to look refreshed before your boudoir session.  Yes, you may have hired a hair and makeup artist, but being alert and well rested before you session is where you want to start.  When you are well rested you are also more relax which.  Being relaxed before your session is always a great idea. 

2. DRINK WATER

Yes, I know this is cliché, but the last thing you want is to look dehydrated in your photos.  The skin is your largest organ and it needs water to survive.  Do yourself a favor and make sure you are hydrating yourself very well a week before your session.  Drink a cup of water first thing in the morning and right before you head to bed. 

3. HAVE YOUR NAILS DONE

I know!  With all the planning, and purchasing the one thing that a lot of girls miss are the nails.  We use our hand everyday and take them for granted.  Even if you don’t like to get faux nails nor have they painted make sure you have them manicured and polished to least a natural color.  I am very hard on my hands so when I get a mani-pedi I always ask for the natural pink clear coat.  It’s typically the clear pink they use for French manicures. This version of clear makes your look more natural and healthy!

4. MAKE SURE YOU TRY ON YOUR OUTFITS BEFORE THE SESSION

I am a person who is 110% guilty of buying off the rack.  You know what ended up happening?   Over spending on at least 50% of my wardrobe that didn’t fit correctly.  What at waste of time and money.  Once I started trying on clothes I started saving A TON of money… and buyer’s remorse.  I say all this to say… try on the lingerie before you buy it.  Make sure it’s going to match your heels and it looks the way you want to on your body.  When lingerie is ill fitting you may not feel as confident so make sure it fits exactly the way you want it too. 

5. REMOVE THE TAGS FOR YOUR CLOTHES

I know!  It sounds like a no brainer, but you would not believe how many times I have had to photoshop tags out of photos.  Again, removing the small things like tags takes a little longer and really unnecessary work on the photo editors’ behalf.  We like to get everything right in camera to avoid any additional photoshop or airbrushing. 

6. HAVE YOUR WARDROBE READY AND PACKED

Again the last thing you want to do is rush the day of your session.  The day before (if not two days before) make sure you pack everything you are interested shooting in.  It’s better to have too many outfits than not enough.  When you pack a day or two early this gives you time to think about other things you may want to bring.  This all happens to us, when we gather our things in a hurry we tend to forget items.   The last thing you want to do is forget to bring that one important prop you needed for your photos. 

7. BRING PHYSICAL PHOTOS OF THE HAIR AND MAKEUP LOOK YOU WANT

I cannot express enough how important this is.  My dad used to say this John Lennon quote all the time, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.”  Hair and makeup artist are super busy during the week so while you may have emailed them the photos beforehand of what you are looking for I would also suggest you bring a copy of the photo with you and really discuss your needs  and make sure you are getting the look of what you want.  Now most artists cannot copy completely, but they will use the photo as inspiration for what you are looking for.

Doing these seven things before your boudoir session will help you in have a successful session that will cause you to relax and look amazing in your photos!

Leave a comment below with additional ideas of what a person should do before a boudoir session.

Nothing can Bring You Peace but Yourself

Ralph Emerson Waldo was a really wise person.  He said that, “Nothing  can bring you peace but yourself.”  That is still true today.

Too many times we look to other people or other things to find peace.  We attached ourselves to people who we think may be the answer we need to our own problems.  However, the answer can only be found inside of you.  I know it sounds so cliché but stick with me here for a second. 

We move around so much in this busy world that we hardly take a second to listen to our own inner thoughts.  A real phones off, TV off, computers closed approach.  We don’t sit still long enough to reflect on what we really need out of this world to make us happy.  If we don’t do that how are we expect to know if we are making the right decisions?  Sometimes we just need a cut the cord weekend. 

Cut the cord?  What if this, that or the other happens?  Well, it’s very true that really bad and unexpected things can happen if our phones are off, but we have to trust they won’t and make some personal time for ourselves.  We need to do this to have time to reflect on what we really need and how we plan on accomplishing those things.  Sometimes we can’t find peace because we are too involve in things that don’t give us time to think

We can’t find the solution in food, alcohol, pills, drugs, or other people.  Those answers… no matter how hard they can be at times, can only be found inside of us. 

In the comments below tell me how often you cut the cord to allow yourself to think?

Austin Boudoir, Lost in the Woods, Outdoor Boudoir

On my very first blog post after relaunching I had a reader ask where I like shooting the most.  I must confirm that I love shooting outside in natural light.  I really love shooting in the woods for some reason.  Ever since I was a little girl I was infatuated with the wood and climbing trees.  It was so freeing and fun and I enjoyed the alone time I got just being the woods.  Never once was I scared to be there alone.  I believe that love still carries on with me today. 

For this session Jazzy Baptiste and I traveled all the way to Austin, Texas to do a stylized boudoir session with the lovely Maren.  Maren is part of your Unites States military serving the US Navy.  She is also a mom and a wife.  What an amazing woman Maren is. 

Maren met us at my dear friend’s house and we traveled to the most southern part of Austin to host this session.   The photos in this series were shot in my little brother’s front yard.  Yes!  It feels like this fool lives on a nature preserve. His property is so gorgeous.  It’s the closest thing you are going to get to the perfect mix of city and country in a metropolitan area. 

Styling wise everything came from Victoria’s Secret.  The robe was embedded with Swarovski crystals.  The bra, panties, and garter were a soft teal color.  At the time of this session the nice attendant at Northpark Mall pulled everything from the back to help me piece together a perfect outfit.  Nothing had hit the floor yet and we were to first to have it.  He whispered that all the good stuff was in the back.  I really loved the fact that he took the time to help us pick out the items for this session.

Of course Jazzy did an incredible job for this makeup session.  Jazzy is a magician with the makeup brushes.  I love his high lighting and blending game.  He is the truth.  Jazzy also has his own blog out so PLEASE go check out his work and sub to his page. 

For the hair we did nothing to it.  We didn’t want it to be too stylized because we wanted to do a fresh out of the bed type of look.  It needed to be messy and unperfected to really go with the theme of the session. 

Maren is a natural who followed direction very well.  I have found that most women who have served in our armed forces have an uncanny appeal to the camera and have no problem really following direction to enhance the photos. 

We shoot in different parts of the front yard for about 45 minutes.  The scariest part was when we got close to the creek.  There was huge black snake!  We both screamed and ran way.  The snake went in the other direction in a frenzy as well.  Jazzy and my friend laughed at us as they saw Maren and I running back towards the house. 

Halfway through the session my niece (9 months at the time) and nephew (2 years) came out to say hi and give everyone hugs and kisses. 

Still thinking about that day really fills me with so much joy in my heart.  We had such a lovely time and I really feel as though the photos solidify that fact. 

I want to say thank you to my best friend Kim for allowing me use her house to get us all ready and to crash for the weekend.  She is such a great host and one of the best friends anyone could ask for in this lifetime.  She is so unselfish and I loving being around her.  I want to say thank you to my little brother for letting us use his front yard as our playground.  It’s so amazing what you can do in your own front yard.  Of course I have to thank Jazzy because he always brings the sessions to life with his wizardry!  Maren, words cannot express the amount of gratitude I have for taking time out of your day to help us with beautiful project.  Thank you Maren for your service.

Without further ado please enjoy the photos!

I do come to Austin often because my family does live there.  If you want to book a boudoir session in Austin, Texas (or anywhere in the world) please contact me HERE!  Check out our investment page to see the different packages we offer and how each one will benefit you HERE!

Please let me know which photo was your favorite and why in the comments below.

6 Things you Shouldn’t do before a Boudoir Shoot

There are hundreds of list of things you SHOULD do before a boudoir session, but what about the things you shouldn't do?  I have a list of 6 things you shouldn't be before a boudoir session and why it's important for you to avoid them at all cost.

1. DON’T TAN BEFORE A BOUDOIR SESSION

  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not tan a day before the session.  If you must tan do it about a week or more before your boudoir session.  Why shouldn't you tan before a boudoir session?  Because the orange skin will make it more than difficult to do any post work on your body, and you may actually clash with the settings.  Also if you decide to spray tan before our session some of the tan may get on our white flooring and stain the carpet and furniture.  If you really must tan then please so at least 5-7 days before your scheduled boudoir session.  Honestly, the most natural skin tone looks best in boudoir photos.

2. PARTYING HARD THE NIGHT BEFORE, YOU CAN’T PHOTOSHOP HUNGOVER

There is nothing worse than a severely hung over person at a photoshoot.  There are a lot of things we can fix in post, but hungover isn’t one of them.  Do yourself a favor and do not drink the night before a boudoir session.  Just remember that you paid good money for an awesome session so do everything you can to help optimize that!  To make sure you get your best results don’t drink at least 7 days before your session.  This will help alleviate the potential of bloating and breakouts. 

3. DO NOT GET A HAIRCUT BEFORE A BOUDOIR SESSION

Please do not get a haircut before your boudoir session.  I know firsthand how a bad haircut will make you feel insecure.  Recently I went to get my hair “trimmed” at a local salon a day before a major bridal show.  The stylist was new and ended up cutting EIGHT INCHES OF HAIR OFF!  Count that… ONETWOTHREEFOURFIVESIXSEVEN…EIGHT!!!!  All I could think about that entire day is how stupid my hair looked.  Alas, it’s just hair and it will grow back, but do you really want to have a bad haircut a day before a major shoot? 

4. DO NOT GET WAXED A DAY BEFORE YOUR SHOOT

Skin can be easily irritated.  Your skin may normally look great the day after a good waxing… but it only takes that one time to just not heal the way it normally does.  Please do not get a wax more than 2-3 days before your session.  Give your body time to heal just in case the unthinkable happens.

5. DO NOT TAKE SHOTS BEFORE YOUR BOUDOIR SESSION

Yes, this seriously has happened to me before… like twice.  At Wonderland Boudoir we offer mimosas prior to your shoot and an assortment of wine, but I have had clients bring in hard liquor and just go to town. Yeah, after that second time I don’t allow outside drinks in.  Just like we can’t Photoshop hungover we also can’t Photoshop drunk. 

6. TRY TO AVOID SODIUM BEFORE YOUR BOUDOIR SESSION

Yes, I know this is super hard to do considering the age we live in.  Everything is fast food this, microwave that, just add water here.   Even I was addicted to Ramen (post college) for awhile.   However,  about 5-7 days before a session cut out as much sodium as possible.  Sodium helps to retain water which, in turn, makes you look bloated before your session.  The last thing any woman wants is to be bloated before a major shoot.

I really hope these 6 suggestions of things you shouldn’t do before your boudoir session will help you ladies prepare for your next boudoir session!  It’s really important to be very well rested and take care of your body before, during, and after a boudoir session!

In the comments below can you think of any other things one should avoid before a boudoir session?

Look at the Mirror, That’s your Competition

One thing I really like about myself is the fact that I don’t see other people’s success as a grade of where I am at in life.  We are all on different paths in this world  I can’t compare myself to Beyonce.  Why?  Because I’m not Beyonce. 

While I am super proud of Queen B’s accomplishments in this life I do not see her as competition because we are running in two completely different races. 

There is one person I am in completion with every week, and that’s me.  I had a friend put me in my place one day by telling me, “Don’t put hurdles in front of yourself before you get started.”  He confirmed that I was someone really special in this world, but if I kept making excuses for why I couldn’t do something I would never understand or see the gifts I was supposed to give to the world.

He was right.  The only one stopping me from accomplishing my goals was me.  Why?  Because I constantly made excuses.  The main excuses I had:

1.)    I don’t have enough time!

2.)    I can’t afford the best equipment!

3.)    I don’t know how to use that *insert software here*

4.)    I just need to get all these things right first before I do this…

5.)    I’m scared of failing

This was all bullshit. 

1.)    Of course I didn’t have enough time.  I had to be real with myself.  I wasn’t prioritizing what was important.  Partying, going out with friends, and spending all my money on fashion and events was not making me more money.   This had to stop.  If my friend didn’t understand my refocus then I had to question how good of friends we actually are.

2.)    I couldn’t afford the best equipment.  Of course I couldn’t!  I was spending my money on useless frivolous things that weren’t making me any money.   I had to curb my spending habit and make major changes in my life.   For example, instead of going out for wild parties and buying drinks my friend and I started movie night.  We kept it local and chilled. My fashion game had to come to a hault.  I had this ridiculous notion of not wearing the same outfit within the same 30 days.  Okay I am NOT some trust fund baby where I could keep buying clothes.  Now not only do I wear the same clothes in the same month I may even wear it twice I a week (don’t judge everyone is doing it)!  Hey black pants are black pants!  This helped me save so much money that I was able to purchase my laptop and first pro camera and lens. 

3.)    I blamed why I couldn’t do something because of my lack of knowledge.  Hey IT’S CALLED YOUTUBE!!!  We live in the information age! Nowadays computers are really affordable and most of us have data plans that allow us to watch YouTube no matter where we are.  Use YouTube as a platform to get you started… and once you get more immersed and you learn all you can from YouTube then buy subscriptions to places like Lynda.com or invest in workshops that you believe are going to elevate your skill.

4.)    I need to do this, that, and the other before I can get started:  *BEEP* ME! That was the lamest excuse I was giving myself.  I was not obligated to follow some set standard of rules that I magically made up and placed on myself.  For my first site under Urban Jungle Photography I told myself that I needed to have the PERFECT photography session before people would come.  No.  I didn’t. I had enough photography in my arsenal, but I had this stupid idea in my head EVERYTHING had to be perfect.  Then one day I heard someone say, “Sometimes you need to just jump and an then adjust after you completed it.  That’s what I did, and it was the best decision I ever made. Within a month of that site launching I was asked to start shooting models for magazines. Stop following stupid rules that mean nothing.

5.)    I’m scared I will fail.  Lets be honest. There is a very good chance that you just may fail.  However, not getting it right the first time doesn’t mean you’re an idiot. It means that you need to do something differently.  Even Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, and Steve Jobs helped create Apple!  Did this mean Steve jobs was a failure?  No.  In fact he came back more humble, bigger, and better.  We need failure in order to be better.  Failure is an identifier of what we need to do differently in order to achieve our goals. If anyone makes you feel bad for failing then you need to 86 them from your life.

You are your own competition. 

You are the only person standing in your way to greatness.  You can accomplish all your goals if you take the steps needed to debunk you excuses.  The best thing I did was take a day off work to write down everything that was “stopping” me  from achieving my goals and then calling myself out on it. 

Once I did that it changed my life.

Do something to change yours. 

Look in the mirror, that’s your only opponent.

In the comments below tell me how you got over you excuses to achieve your goals.