Are you ready for this?  I know I am.  I’ve been sitting on these images, giddy with excitement, for a couple days.  I wanted to wait to post them until Valentine’s Day.  Traditionally a day where we celebrate our love for other people, I’m using today’s themes of appreciation, love, and care towards someone I usually overlook: myself.

I know it’s a little “rah rah ME!”, but like a lot of ladies, my creativity and thoughtfulness is usually directed outwards.  This year, I made my husband a card and a mix tape and we’re going out to dinner, AND he gets a print of one of the following photos.  Also, there’s an assortment of
valentines going out to friends and family today.  But this shoot?   It’s a valentine to me.

The goal behind this goal was to let me feel comfortable in my own skin, after a couple of body changes like roller derby, CrossFit, and a tattoo.  With the help of Jora, Juan, and Sandra, I got there.

Seeing my transformation to pin-up girl stopped the train tracks of my obsession with perfection, and let me to see myself in the cheeky, cheerful, gorgeous light that’s behind pin-up style.  With pin-up, there’s a perfect balance of glamour and humor.  Much like burlesque, it’s a female-driven medium that allows the artist to feel both elegant and sexy at the same time.

Once I got into hair, makeup, and wardrobe, I felt transformed.  Juan and Sandra are super collaborative, and it was so much fun bouncing ideas and poses around all afternoon.  I got to play.  And that’s rare, and treasured.

Best of all, I felt totally comfortable during the lingerie shots.  Those were kind of a surprise.  I hadn’t anticipated shooting in lingerie, but everyone along the way was encouraging it, and it felt like an organic progression of this idea.  And it’s kind of awesome that the set I picked is in red, given the holiday.  I look classic in these shots: glamorous, beautiful, composed.  I’m not used to that, and I love it.

These are the three looks we did, but there are several more photos in different poses.  I already have my eye on a couple I’d like to order past this set.

Thank you, so very much, Go Mighty and Olay.  You’ve made me so happy to be me.