I recently went to a women's event and had the pleasure of meeting some amazing business women in my area.  I had a table with my work and business cards displayed and as you can imagine, it was quite the conversation starter.  During a few of these conversations, I actually had to check my emotions.  I am very passionate about my work, about what I do and why, and about the responses I get from clients.  I could talk for hours about my work.  If you haven't read my Mission Statement and Why I Do What I Do section, I highly recommend it to get a sense of my passion for photographing women and giving them this whole experience.

I want every woman I meet to spend a few hours in front of my camera, not just because I love what I do but because I love giving them something they don't get enough of.  Time for themselves.  A day to feel pampered.  A day to forget about the outside world and focus on themselves.  A few short hours to find that beautiful woman that lives inside her.  The one who gives so much she rarely has anything left to give to herself.  The one who takes on the weight of the world so her family doesn't have to.  The one who sacrifices what she wants to do so her children can do more of what they want to do.  We all do it and there is nothing wrong with that but we need a mental health day sometimes to just do something for ourselves.

I said this multiple times that night and it is so true, "She comes in thinking she is getting a gift for her man but she leaves with a gift to herself".  I would say 95% of the women who book a session come in thinking they are going to give their sweetie a great gift for their birthday, anniversary or Valentine's but when it is all said and done they realize it was them who got the gift.  A few hours of pampering.  A few hours of dressing up in something silky and sexy.  A few hours out of the house.  An afternoon of seeing their true beauty reflected back to them in images that don't lie.  A boost in their self-esteem and confidence.

That right there is why I love my job so much!  That is why I get so emotional when I talk about it.  Her reaction to her beauty that shines out, her realization that she is still that beautiful woman she thought she lost when she became a business woman or mother or wife, her confidence in who she is now.  She is me, she is you, she is every woman I meet on a daily basis.  We all have something that we carry around with us that has made us forget that we are still important and beautiful and deserving.  So tell yourself that you are doing this as a gift for him but leave knowing it was all for you.

Don't forget, you only have to take a day away from the job or the kids.  Your viewing/ordering session happens just 60 minutes after we finish with your session.  You are in at 9 and done by 3.  You can go home, check on the kids, wait for hubby to come home and head out for an evening of dinner and romance since you will be all dolled up already.  Or extend that girl's day and have hubby take care of the kids while you stay out, call up your girlfriends and have a fun evening of drinks and laughter.  I would be willing to bet you turn more than a few heads, which is just another awesome side effect of giving yourself this gift that brings out your inner beauty and boosts your confidence.

I hope you decide to do something special for yourself.  Even if you decide a photo shoot isn't it, I hope you take a day to do something special for you.  The bonus of doing a photo shoot; you now have a gift for that special someone too!  Another bonus?  Crossing a boudoir session off your bucket list ;)  Shoot me an email via the contact page or give me a ring (336.309.3506) and I would be more than happy to talk about a session or even more about what I do and why.

♥xoxo♥
Kay

I made it!  Two weeks down, two to go!  I am feeling great and I am looking forward to the next two weeks.  I have had no problem sticking to my new way of eating.  I am officially grain free, dairy free, sugar free & soy free.  I have no cravings for any of that.  My only dilemma is when I am not home and I need to grab something to eat.  If I don't take it with me, it is not the easiest thing to find something fast.

I have yet to see the scale move any great amount but I am finding that my clothes are fitting a lot different.  Whenever I have lost weight in the past I have noticed that I lose weight from head down and feet up.  In other words, my mid-section is the last place I lose weight.  I don't know if this is "normal" but it seems to be the way my body works.  I know I have more energy than I did before and I can tell that I am doing something right because I am getting definition in my arms and legs.

We learned some new moves this past week and I must say, I was not a fan of most of them.  Monday I was feeling great when I got to the gym.  I had lots of energy for a Monday morning...at 6:30!  Then I walked in and saw the board.  3 rounds...okay that's not new...no running or rowing...OK, even better...40 double unders...hmmm, what are those?...30 front squats...what the what?...20 ring dips...I can only imagine.  

We go through our warm up and Jay is asking how our weekend was and how we are feeling.  The 3 of us are in good spirits as we head over to hear all about our WOD.  Today is a partner workout.  Everything is listed as a total, so we each do half the numbers on the board.  Double unders = jump rope.  If you can't do a double under you need to do three times the amount of singles, which means 60 for each of us.  Front squats are basically squats holding the bar in the rack position, 15 each.  Then we get to the ring dips.  Are you freaking kidding me?  Jay demonstrates...I contemplate walking out right there.  It is basically a push-up on the rings without the rings moving away from you.  All of that energy I had when I walked in, that good mood I was in, out the door.  Laura and I team up.  We start with the jump rope at the same time.  We can't move to the bar until we are both finished with the rope.  First round of rope and bar are pretty easy.  The rings, not so much.  We decide to break it up and do 5 at a time, so we each go twice before we move back to the rope.  Round 2 was a little harder since we are racing the clock and we don't have much time to rest.  We actually did better with the rings since we have figured out how to do them by now.  The last round we were basically just cheering each other on to get through.  We finished strong and we were happy with our time.  I still have bruises on my arms from those rings.  I never want to see them again...but I know I will.

Wednesday I was cautious walking in.  I did not want to look at that board.  My arms were hurting and I had developed a pain in my left shin from the jump rope.  To my surprise it actually didn't look that bad.  And then Jay explained it to us.  10! reps of push press and knees-to-elbows.  10! means you start with 10 reps the first time and then you do one less each round until you get to 1.  Push press was pretty easy.  OK maybe easy isn't the right word but compared to what was coming, it was a piece of cake.  Basically you hold the bar in rack position do a quick dip down with your legs and as you stand back up you raise the bar over your head.  Then Jay explained knees-to-elbows.  You hang from the pull-up bar and do a reverse crunch basically.  How about no?  A. I cannot reach the pull-up bar and B. My hands and wrists cannot handle that.  Of course, Jay wouldn't take no for an answer.  He allowed us to stand on a box to reach the bar and he gave us chalk for our hands so we wouldn't slip.  Even in typing this it doesn't seem that bad but let me just say by the time you are half done you are wishing it was over.  The lesser the reps, the less time to rest.  Oh and on my second round, when I was supposed to do 9 each, I actually did 10 push press because I forgot.  So I had a bit of a bonus for the day.  I learned that the easier the board looks the harder the workout will be.

Friday we had Maleah coaching us again.  She had us start with a lovely run.  I am already regretting getting up.  We get back inside and she explains our lovely WOD.  First exercise is call sumo deadlift high pass.  Basically stand with your legs apart like a sumo wrestler, deadlift a kettlebell and then bring it up past your chest with your elbows pointing up.  The second exercise...burpees!  I just knew they were coming sooner or later.  If you have never seen or done burpees, Google it.  So we have to do 6 rounds of each exercise.  Each round is 30 seconds of each exercise, as many as we can do total between the two.  Then we rest for 1 minute and start the next round.  Compared to the burpees, the rings were a walk in the park and the knees-to-elbows were a breeze.  I officially have my new least favorite workout ever.  But I made it through and I was officially half done with bootcamp.

I am sure the next two weeks will be hard and I will find another exercise that I like even less than burpees but I know it will all be worth it in the end.  My family is eating better.  I am feeling better.  I can't wait to look better!  I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey.  Until next week, stay strong :)

♥xoxo♥
Kay

Hello Beautiful!  Another week has flown by.  I hope you saw last week's post about the Name Your Own Price special for September.  Also, if you are interested I am posting about my new fitness journey and the first two posts are up about that.  This week I want to introduce you to my stylist Alaina.  It has been about 4 months now since we started working together and I am finally getting around to sharing her.

If you have been a follower on Facebook for a while, you probably saw numerous posts about needing a stylist since I first decided to focus on women.  When I really started looking for a studio I knew I wanted to find someone who could come to the studio and allow for the whole experience of a session.  I thought I had found someone but unfortunately, it didn't work out.  I was in a bit of a bind since had 2 days before my first in-studio session.  I remembered a friend mentioning the salon they used here in Statesville so I phoned her up and asked for the name.  I drove down to Shear Perfection and spoke with Missy, the owner.  She told she didn't do makeup but that she had a couple of girls who worked there who did.  I spoke to them, told them what I was looking for, and asked if either were available on the day of my session.  Alaina was available and assured me she would be there.  

After that first session, I knew that I had found the perfect stylist to compliment the experience I wanted to provide for my clients.  Alaina is the epitome of "Southern Belle".  She is sweet and kind, she can put anyone at ease, and she knows all about applying the perfect makeup and hair style for every session.  She listens to what clients want but she is not afraid to let them know if something doesn't work or if a little change would look better.  I couldn't ask for a more perfect fit.

I finally had the pleasure of photographing Alaina in the studio last week.  She brought some amazing clothes with her and we just had a really fun time doing a glamour session.  I posted a couple of her images last week on Facebook because I just couldn't wait to show them off.  Those photos received so many likes and comments, my phone was blowing up!  As you can see from her photos below, her beauty and grace just shine.

It is such a pleasure working with this lady and I am looking forward to many more sessions together.  When you come in for your session, be sure and congratulate her on her recent engagement as well!  Her boyfriend of 5 years recently proposed to her on their annual Myrtle Beach trip and they are now planning their wedding for next year.

If you are looking for a stylist in the Statesville area be sure to call Alaina at Shear Perfection.  She also does spray tanning and makeup application for those special events.

Give me a call and set up your date to come in for a session with me and meet Alaina.  Mention this blog post when booking and get $50.00 off the regular session fee.  Until next week...

♥xoxo♥
Kay

Welcome back Beautiful!  I made it!  My first week of Iron Tribe 101 is in the past and I am looking forward to next week.  Okay, maybe looking forward to is a bit of a stretch after these first 3 classes but I am ready to say, bring it on!

Monday morning when I arrived at Iron Tribe I was the first one there.  I met Jay, the trainer who would be working with us.  A few minutes before class started the other 2 ladies who would be taking the class arrived as well.  Cherie was there and she and Jay gave us a little history on themselves and asked us to do the same.  Basically, why we were there and what we wanted to get out of it.  After that it was onto the warm up and Jay showing us the moves we would be working on that day.  Let me just say this, I DO NOT RUN!  Even when I was working out 3 times a day, running was not part of my routine.  Walking briskly, yes.  Running, no.  Well, the first thing we have to do is run 200 meters.  It doesn't sound like a lot, but for a non-runner, it might as well be a mile.  Not only do I have to run 200 meters,  but I have to run it twice.  What?  Oh, no way!  I think I should leave now.

So Jay goes through the three moves for the day; squats, kettlebell swings and situps.  Easy enough right?  Sure, if you are doing 1 of each!  We are doing a run, then we do a set number of each move, followed by another lesser number of each move, followed by another round of these same moves, again in a lower number and last but not least, run again.  For someone who is way overweight and hasn't done any real exercise in a very long time, this was like walking over a bed of hot coals...or swallowing them as it felt like my lungs were on fire and I couldn't breathe!  I will be completely honest, I wanted to give up and go home.  I will be fat for the rest of my life if it means I do not have to run ever again.  Then, I thought about my daughter.  I thought about how she loves to play outside.  I thought about her future...without her mother.  I cried.  I pushed through.  I clawed my way through that workout.  I ran that last 200 meters, even though I thought about throwing up the whole way.  I collapsed on the floor when I was done and all I wanted to do was close my eyes and cry because I hated who I have become.  I hated myself in that moment for ever letting me get to this point.  I cannot blame this on anyone but me and I accept that.

I realized that I needed to find something to eat before my workout that would help me make it through but not make me feel sick.  I am not a morning person, so I am not getting up earlier than I have to in order to cook something.  I needed to find something convenient, Paleo and fast.  I left that morning knowing I did this to myself, knowing I needed to figure out how to make it easier so early in the morning and knowing that I was coming back.

Wednesday morning I was feeling much better.  I had two slices of turkey bacon and some apple slices on my way in.  I was so ready for this workout...until I saw the board.  RUNNING again!  This time I would run 200 meters three times.  Are you kidding me?  OK, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.  After all the other 2 exercises for the day are upper body.  Once again, we started with a warm up and Jay explaining the exercises we would be doing.  Vertical press and push-ups.  Doesn't sound so bad.  Three rounds of running, 21 presses and 12 push-ups.  Just shoot me now.  There is no way I can do 1 push-up, never mind 36.  No turning back now, just get it done and go home and cry.  I made it through all three rounds...the easiest part?  Running.  Who knew!  Thursday was not a good day.  My arms were VERY sore.  I just kept telling myself, it will be fine.  Friday will be lower body again and your arms will have plenty of time to rest.  Oh how wrong I was.

Friday morning I was still pretty sore but I was so proud of myself for making it to the end of the week without quitting.  I was feeling good food-wise.  Making great choices, eating good and feeling good too.  As I walk through the door, I immediately look at the board to see what I would be doing that morning and I almost turned right around.  Row 200 meters, 15 dead lifts and 10 squats...times 3.  I am so screwed!  My arms cannot take this today.  Not only that, but I was dead lifting 55 pounds!  This is a joke right?  Nope, no joke.  After a lovely stretch, which felt pretty good but just reinforced the fact that my arms hurt, we got started.  The first round wasn't too bad, the second round actually felt pretty good, but by the third round my arms were done.  The only thing that got me through it was knowing it was the last round.  Apparently, these are muscles I have not used in quite a while.  My triceps were burning.  My shoulders were feeling it too.  I was not going to get much done that afternoon, maybe not all weekend.  I was so glad I had the next 2 days off to rest.

As I type this, it is Saturday.  My arms are still hurting pretty bad.  I actually feel like they need to be stretched out but all the stretching isn't helping.  I really want to go ride my horse this weekend but there is no way my saddle is going to make it on my horse.  I probably wouldn't even be able to brush him, never mind get on him.  I really hope Monday never gets here.  I really hope this is all worth it.  Stay tuned to find out how I fare in week 2.  And if you happen to have a spare arm or two I could borrow, I would greatly appreciate it.

♥xoxo♥
Kay

Read part 1 here.

Hello Beautiful!  You may be wondering why there is a fitness post on a photography blog.  Since I am in the business of photographing women, I thought I would share how I decided to change my life and get healthy.  My goal is to do a boudoir session of my own once I have reached my weight/size goal.  This will keep me accountable.

First, a little back story.  I have had my ups and downs in weight since my teen years but never to the extent I am at now.  When I moved to NC at the beginning of 2008 I changed my lifestyle completely and began eating better and exercising every day.  In 3 months I lost close to 20 pounds, was in the best shape of my life and felt amazing.  I loved working out every day and I loved my body for the first time in forever.  However, it only took 1 single event to make it all go away.  The day I found out my beloved horse was dead was the day I stopped caring about my health and working out and eating healthy.  I returned back to the old habits of eating out, drinking Coca-Cola and sitting around being depressed.  About 3 months later I found out I was pregnant and even though I told myself I was going to eat right and do some exercise, I used it as an excuse to continue eating and sitting around.  Needless to say I gained it all back and then some.  Fast forward to now and I am the heaviest I have ever been and miserable.  I can't keep up with my very active almost 5-year-old.  I get winded very quickly when I try to do anything more than walking for a few minutes.  Up until a few weeks ago, I was still drinking Coke every day.  While I had changed what we were eating, I didn't stick to healthy foods 100%.  In the car, let's get fast food.  Going out to dinner, let's have dessert.  Walking past the bakery section at the grocery store, let's just pick up a package of muffins.  It was very easy to say yes, even though I knew I needed to say no.  Especially when you are busy and on the go a lot.

Everything changed when I attended an event a few weeks back.  There was a raffle and all vendors were entered.  I won.  I won 12 classes to Iron Tribe in Huntersville.  Hmmm, do I accept it?  I live in Statesville.  Not exactly neighbors.  I need this.  All things that went through my head in the seconds it took me to walk up and get my prize.  I spoke to the representative that was there that night.  I told her my back story.  I told her I wanted to lose the weight so bad that I was willing to drive all the way down there 3 times a week to work out and get healthy again.  What the hell was I thinking?  There is no way I am going to go.  I am the queen of excuses.  I NEED THIS!  All things that went through my head in the seconds it took me to walk back to my table.

I met with Cherie at Iron Tribe 2 weeks ago to chat about classes, what was expected, the "diet" and to watch a little of a regular class.  Oh crap!  What am I getting myself into?  The "diet" is actually not really a diet in the way most people use the term.  It is a lifestyle change.  A conscious effort to eat healthy foods.  They follow the Paleo diet.  If you are not familiar Google it.  Basically no grains, no beans, no soy, no dairy, no sugar, lots of lean meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and lots of good healthy fats.  No calorie counting!  In actuality I was almost eating this way anyway...almost.  I was gluten free but eating processed gluten free food.  The only dairy I eat is cheese, but lots of it.  I also happen to have a weakness for sugar, although I had switched to mostly honey and coconut sugar but if a cupcake presented itself to me, I wouldn't turn it down.

During our meeting, Cherie gave me a book all about the Paleo diet and how to transition into it a little slower than just jumping in all at once.  I started in last Monday by cutting out all carbs and sugar.  At least for now I can still have cheese!  I will be honest, even though I didn't think I was eating that many carbs, I had a rough few days.  I'm not sure if it was the crazy weather we were having or just the change in what I was eating but I had the worst headaches.  I was pretty tired too.  There is such a thing called the Paleo flu.  It's not contagious or anything, but it mimics actually having the flu.  I am pretty sure I had a few symptoms.  I made it through the whole week though without caving...until Sunday.  We usually eat out on Sunday night.  Instead of making a healthy choice, we ended up with Chinese food. Not good.  I was starting my workout the next day.  I did not sleep well at all and I know it is because of what I ate. 

Monday morning I got up at 5:15 and got ready to head out.  I knew I would need to eat something before working out so early so I grabbed a Paleo pumpkin muffin I had made earlier in the week.  Breakfast on the go.  I arrived a few minutes early.  I was nervous.  I drank a lot of water, thinking it would be good to make sure I was hydrated, especially after my horrible dinner the night before.  I had no idea what I was in store for.

Stay tuned for part 2 later in the week and find out how my first week at Iron Tribe actually went.

♥xoxo♥
Kay