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BlahBlahBabble Picture Time

Let Your Beauty Shine…

There is nothing more incredibly beautiful than a strong, confident mother. I’m so glad I get to work with them, capturing their sexiness with my camera. Being a Hot Mama Boudoir Photographer might just be the best thing in the world, because I get to share with them how I see their beauty. Almost every woman comes in for a session as a gift for her sweetie, and leaves with an even bigger gift for herself, feeling fantastic. It is incredible to watch the transformation.

Every Mama is beautiful, both inside & out.

It breaks my heart a little bit when I hear people say that they just have to lose 5 more pounds, or even 50 more pounds. Why can’t we accept how beautiful we are, as we are? Why do we hide behind a mask? Myself included here – I do it too. Our view of perfection has become so skewed. Just looking back at movies or magazines from 20 years ago makes it obvious. We’re living in a plastic world when it comes to our perception of beauty.

It needs to stop.

Today, I’m going to take off the mask. I’m going to let my beauty shine for the world. I know I’m not physically perfect, but I’m still beautiful. I hope you’ll do the same!

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Amuse Me

Social Media Addiction: Are You at Risk?

“We’re just doing a few lines of Twitter!”

This totally cracked me up — but it is also a good reminder that sometimes, you need to turn it all off and take a break. As much as I love social media, the times I’ve chosen to be offline this year have been a good thing! At the end its addiction, its just healthier than drugs or alcohol, if you are addicted to alcohol, you should read what alcohol does to your body, because many people don’t understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will, learn more on http://fherehab.com/news/stone-sour-guitarist-opens-up-about-secret-xanax-addiction/. Drug addiction and substance abuse is becoming a big problem in the states, if you are addicted or know someone who needs help, please visit this article about pompano rehab center. I know people who have been alcoholics and after reading this article, they stop drinking. Most people prefer going to The Recovery Village, it´s where everybody goes to get rid of their addiction and come out a brand new person so they can start of a new life. When someone suffers from drug addiction the best way to help them is to take them to a rehab center, learn more about rehab programs on discoverynj.

Many people don´t know what to do once they are stuck in an addiction, that´s why The Recovery Village is the first place people prefer to go and get the help they need, because drugs aren´t going to help anybody improve in life. If that won’t help get past your addiction then go to Atlanta rehab center and they help you with treatment where they walk people through the entire process of addictino. Many people also find the alcohol detox in florida state center very helpful. As you probably already know many people suffer from addiction. Click here to check your Optum Health rehab insurance benefits covers rehab treatment.

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BlahBlahBabble

Community – Reverb10, Day 7…

Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

I felt like Community surrounded me in 2010. I made it a goal early in the year to be more active in my local community here in Houston, and thanks to the always awesome JR Cohen and his brilliant brainchild of Support Local, Grow Together, what seemed like countless opportunities opened up to me to mingle more. It was so wonderful the people I met thanks to the SLGT movement!

I’m so glad that Houston has an active and vibrant community on Twitter and Facebook as well. Somehow, without it all, I just wouldn’t feel as connected as I am, and I wouldn’t have met so many cool people!

In addition to all of that, I’ve gotten to watch the Fast Track Photographer group that we started in August of 2009 grow even more this year. We celebrated our one year birthday in August and we’ve had a whole bunch of great people come and share their knowledge with the group – specifically cool people that I met thanks to SLGT. Love it when things come full circle like that!

In 2011, I want to continue to spend even more time out and about. It is so easy for me to hole up at the house when I’m not working. I’m an introverted extrovert. Once I get out, I’m fine and have a great time, but sometimes I get so freaked out about going out and mingling. I’m working to get over it, and I’ve improved a lot from where I was at. Living 30+ minutes from the center of Houston doesn’t help though, because there are times I just don’t want to drive. I’ve learned this year to be better about stacking appointments to be on the same day as activities that evening so that I’m already out and don’t have the distance issue.

I also want to work on building up the Houston Fast Track Photographer community even more. There are so many great photographers here in Houston, and we all have so much to offer one another. The same goes for the SLGT community. I just see so many great opportunities, and I love connecting people with one another.

I can’t wait to see what 2011 holds!

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BlahBlahBabble Reverb10

Make – Reverb10, Day 6…

Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

I’m exempting photography from this. Not that it isn’t significant, but it is something I make all the time. So instead I’d rather talk about something else, my knitting!

I love to knit, but I don’t make enough time for it. That really needs to change, and I’m working on it. The last thing I made and completed was a sock. I finished the first of the pair while I was on the road in Mexico that I mentioned the other day, the crazy highway with all the curves, and I’ve been working on sock #2 to complete the pair. They are Trekking XXL yarn, a fantastic wool. I love Trekking!

There are SO many other things I want to make! While I was in London last month, Pixeldiva Ann gifted me with the most amazing bag full of awesome wool yarn from The Yarn Yard. Natalie, the owner of The Yarn Yard, took one dye and made one skein of everything she carried in that same color of dye. Absolutely fascinating to see how each individual type of yarn picked up the color differently. It is just stunning! It ranges from maroon to plum to nearly black, and as light as a dusty rose. Oh goodness. I love it so much! I’m planning out my projects for it, and every time I look at it it makes me smile & think of Ann & Karl, since it matches the color of Ann’s wedding dress. Just brilliant! Natalie was so wonderful to deliver this bag of delicious fiber to London and hand it off to me personally! After snuggling with it for a bit, I shared it with the other knitters too, and we all ooh’d and ahh’d over it.

Now begins the hard part – matching up the perfect project with each of the yarns. I’ve been researching on Ravelry (I’m Christine over there) and gathering up ideas. Have any suggestions? Most is lace to sock weight, and I have enough to make shawls or a pair of socks out of all of them. Or gloves, mittens, etc. – similar yardage options. What would you make if you had a lot of yummy yarn?

I need to make some photographs of that yarn as well – it is really too beautiful not to share! Hopefully this weekend!

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BlahBlahBabble Reverb10

Let Go – Reverb10 Day 5…

Ice skating.

Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

I actually started on this path a few years ago, but 2010 put me to the test on what seemed like a weekly basis and then some. I had to learn over and over again to let go of control. I can’t be in charge of everything. I have to release it because I can’t control it.

For example, Jason graduated from high school this year, but he is living at home while he goes to the local junior college. It is tempting to try to control everything he does, but I have to remind myself that if he had gone off to college this fall he wouldn’t have me watching over everything. I still set curfews for him, and I still check in on what he is doing with his classes, but I still try my best to let him be in control instead of me.

In my business, as things grow, I have to give up control to my team and let them carry things on. As a control freak, this? UGH. It was so hard at first. But I’m so thankful for Elaine and Brittany. I know I can trust them with anything. I know that that is going to make 2011 AWESOME!

It has been hard to learn to let go of the control, but I have had to learn how to do it. I can see how it is making my life better to have less stress and more joy. I can’t carry it all, and by letting go of control I’ve learned I don’t have to carry it all myself!

About the photo above: Mike drove me to my studio today for a boudoir session client who never showed up in the end. I didn’t want to make the trip there be a total loss, so we headed over to Discovery Green to see the Urban Harvest Market. I love going to the Farmer’s Market! As we walked up to the market, we watched the ice skaters on the rink. It isn’t that cold yet outside, I didn’t even have a coat on. We had a great time – it was so much fun to be there with Mike!