I would sit in front of my full length, gold trimmed, 80’s, tri-fold, closet doors (mirrored of course)  staring at myself for hours.   Call it vanity, call it indecisiveness, call it being a teen…ok now I am dating myself for sure…I found myself trying to figure out who I was. 

My mom yelling checking in on me, from the other room, 'Are you doing your hair AGAIN??  Why are you washing off your makeup?   Does it need to take you this long to get ready!?'  Well YESSS my 5 inch hair didn’t stand straight up on its own ya know…it took time.  It was ART!

Little did I realize this was all part of who God made me to be.  I am sure it was annoying and I am sure I took waaaaay too long to get dressed.  And trying new hair and makeup styles were challenging to understand, especially when my parents DID want to hang a school photo in the house and knew I may one day regret that huuuuuge, backcombed perm.

One day at a time, one phase at a time…I sit here 40 years old.  Having been a banker, a manager in an escrow office, immigrating to a new country, getting married, loving spicy food (ok that's a bonus tidbit) and now a mom of tweeners (gosh -I have now have other hair stories I can tell you)…I STILL love doing my hair, makeup and changing my outfit 3x a day…ok not everyday and somedays it may just be a variety of yoga pants!!  More importantly it has been such a treat to find such talented people in an ubiquitous field, that have shared their craft with me.  To see how they express their art and heck I love being a canvas! 

What once was an annoying habit has led me to seeing detail that others may not see.  And not in a critical  or comparing sort of way.  IN a way of embracing how different we all are.  Shapes, sizes, eye color, noses, birthmarks and let’s not forget personalities – YES these do come across in a photo! 

Being in front of the camera is such good perspective for me, to see what it's like on the other side!  To know ways I can make my clients more comfortable.  To study poses that work for different body types and get people to laugh and relax.  We don’t breathe enough, I mean we breathe but don’t BREATHE.  We rush through life forgetting to connect and enjoy.   

I am so grateful for those days of doing and RE-doing my wing eyeliner…and learning how to curl and crimp my hair…cause let me tell ya I am bringing sexy    I mean, crimping back…ok so it may look like you’re hair is fried but it adds a thickness that no ‘thickening’ shampoo could EVER do!

Those days of playing with different looks taught me to embrace my differences…and even though it may have taken me 40 years, I am sure I have  a lot to learn in my next 40 – yes I am only living till 80 cause  living to 100 seems daunting…just sayin’!

Cheers to dressing up, changing outfits, and having a hubs who is willing to endure and even have fun while doing it!  (And notice --HE too had an outfit change) :)

Thanks to ::

Timaree - Hair, Makeup and Personal Photos

Ryan Flynn Photography - Anniversary/ Couple Photos

Outfits::

Nordstrom - Free People, BP, Steve Madden, Nike

Zara - Leather coat

Laineemeg Bridal - Cream Tulle Skirt

Anthropologie - Hat

Floryday - Blue/White floral dress

Forever21 - Jewelry