You Deserve To Prioritize Yourself| oceanside, california boudoir photographer

Self love has become a total “buzz word” and in turn, has lost a lot of its meaning. But what’s important to remember, is that prioritizing yourself is not selfish and it shouldn’t be a “trend”. It is an act of selflessness that we should all be practicing over and over and over again. It’s like that cliche saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” And hey.- it’s true. You really can’t. Trust me, I have tried really hard many times in my life.

And if you’re an empath, like me, it can feel even more difficult to step back and put yourself first. But what we have got to understand is that putting ourselves first doesn’t mean we care less about others or are neglecting anyone. Putting ourselves first can look like saying “ no”, setting boundaries, having difficult conversations, asking for what we need, doing what we need.

Booking a boudoir session also falls within prioritizing yourself. It’s okay to spend money on yourself & invest in an experience that will enrich your life. It’s okay to self sooth and heal by investing in yourself. I know it can feel like such a selfish act when you need to prioritize and care for your family, your children, your partner, etc. But remember - you cannot love on and be there for anyone else if you’re not loving on and showing up for yourself.

I am so excited to share this babe’s gallery and to share more about her experience from her perspective and her own words. Working with Abby was a dream. When I say that Abby was legit the sweetest human ever, I mean it. Capturing her essence and her personality and her beauty was an honor! I pinch myself everyday that this is what I get to do for a living. So here’s what Abby has to say!

“I chose to invest in a boudoir session because a friend of mine had done one, and she raved about how confident and sexy she felt during and after her session, and recommended I do one as well. I had always struggled with confidence and feeling beautiful/feminine, so I thought I would give it a go.”

“I started doing some research of local boudoir photographers near me, just to see what they were about. A lot of them seemed pretty superficial as if they were just about having pictures. Then I found Carrie Anne Kelly Studios on Yelp and began reading through all the (very many) reviews. It seemed like every review I read was more positive than the last. The reviews talked about the amazing experience they had with Carrie Anne and how confident they felt both during their session and after. I found her Instagram, and decided to look through her photos, and I fell in love with her message of body positivity and her transparency. As I looked through her Instagram page, I felt like I already knew her, and I knew right then and there I had to do this session with her!”

“I was extremely nervous leading up to the session and I had worried I’d made a mistake. I never like pictures of myself, so why was I spending all this money on pictures of me? And not only that, why was I spending money on pictures of me exposed?? It was so far outside my comfort zone. I had never worn lingerie before, and I have always been self conscious of my body. Why in the heck was I going to let a stranger see me basically naked and allow her to take photos of me when I’m most vulnerable? I definitely had to get out of my head for this and just trust the process.

Carrie Anne was emailing me all the time throughout the whole process, which really helped me because I felt like I really knew her when I went in to the studio for my appointment. She sent me so much information and I felt like I went in knowing what to expect. Kat was amazing too because I had never worn lingerie before, and her style guide made the process a whole lot less intimidating! I even had fun lingerie shopping, and I hate shopping so that says a lot.

I think I was mostly nervous about the whole thing in general! Getting outside my comfort zone and having this intimate experience with myself was a lot to wrap my head around. I was worried I would look bad in the photos and then this was all for nothing. I was worried that I’d look super awkward or feel super awkward. Mostly I was worried that I wouldn’t feel like I got anything out of it. That was obviously not the case!”

“During the session, I felt like a queen. I felt so confident and so beautiful. And above all else, I felt so comfortable! I got my makeup done, which was the first time I’d ever had that experience, and we were all laughing and joking the whole time. Then after Christina had me looking like a queen, Carrie Anne helped me lay out my outfits on the bed and talk through the whole process. We talked about the outfits I chose and my reason for being here. I really felt like I had known her for years when I walked through her studio door! She guided me through every position and hyped me up the whole time. It was honestly one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in a really long time.

I felt like a whole new person. I came home wearing the same shorts and t-shirt I left in, and my boyfriend just stared at me when I walked through the door. He could barely even say anything. He said I was radiating and I looked absolutely beautiful. I said it was just because I had my makeup done, but he said it was more than that. Not only did I feel confident and beautiful, I looked it too. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed. I spent the next hour or so telling him all about my experience and how amazing it was. And of course I called my best friend on my car ride home and cried on the phone to her because there was absolutely no way that that was me in the studio just now being photographed in my underwear! I feel like my soul had been uplifted by the experience.”

“I would hands down invest in this experience again, no doubt about it. It is hard giving that much money to an experience that you’re unsure about it, but the money was worth every penny because not only do I have gorgeous images to look at when I have one of those days, but I also have the memories of feeling like a confident, beautiful woman having fun in my underwear!

I have been raving about my experience to any woman who will listen! I would have never done this if my friend hadn’t told me about her experience, so let this be your sign to do yourself the biggest favor and book your session! Do the damn thing!!”