Improving Relationships Through Love Languages

Do you know your love language?  If so, I want to know....just take my little unscientific poll at the end of this blog post and let me know what your love language is.  This topic is simply fascinating to me...the idea that our relationships can be improved simply by approaching the people in our lives according to THEIR love language can be a positive change for relationships.

Knowing someone's love language is like tapping into a little secret that helps you connect better and enrich the relationship.  This is true for most relationships...even how you approach your children and friends.  It really helps especially if you are sharing your life together.  It's true...we tend to feel loved and cared for when our spouse approaches us according to our love language.  

I was recently reminded of this when a dear friend and her husband did an assessment to determine their "LOVE LANGUAGE".  What surprised me is that it was the first time my friend realized her love language is Words of Affirmation.  It was already obvious to me that was her love language because my husband and I did the Love Language assessment a few years ago in our church small group.

It really helped to discover my husband is "Acts of Service".  He feels loved when I "DO" little things for him like make him a cup of coffee.  Before the assessment I didn't realize just how much of an impact on our daily life and marriage it has.  Just the simple act of making him a cup of coffee helps him start the day feeling loved and supported.  And if I want him to feel super duper loved, then I'll make some breakfast for him.

How easy is that.

Thankfully he is not a gift person because I do not give nor receive gifts well at all.  My husband has it easy when it comes to Mother's Day, my birthday, Valentine's Day and Christmas.  I am absolutely not offended if he doesn't get me any gifts at all.  In fact, this past Mother's Day I gave him a gift... his favorite kind of cake and I took the kids off his hands for the entire day, so it was opposite day at our house.    

I attribute my "gift deficiency" to growing up poor.  We were so poor that on my sister's birthday...I believe it was her 16th birthday....my mom didn't have money to buy any birthday gifts but she wanted her to have presents to unwrap.  So my mother, bless her heart, went around the house and gathered items we already owned  to wrap up for my sister.  Imagine on your "Sweet 16" birthday unwrapping the family hairbrush or frying pan.  Gift giving is my weak point, but my husband and I try to make a point to give our kids at least one present that they already own at Christmas. 

It is a humbling reminder to appreciate the gifts and blessings that we already have.

My love language is TOUCH and QUALITY TIME.  Then again, Acts of Service must rank pretty high on my list too because my husband looks sexiest on the rare occasion when he cleans the kitchen after dinner.

Here is a link to find out what your own love language is:

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/

and please remember to tell me what your love language is either in a blog post or with this handy dandy submission form. 

Have a great day, xoxo, Sharon

  For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

Evans, Georgia Professional Headshots and a Whole Lot of Beautiful

For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

Just in case you did not know, Augusta Boudoir has a really awesome HEADSHOT package.  Yep.  

It's called the "DARE TO BE MICHELLE JAMES BEAUTIFUL" package.  It's for professional women who want an edgy non-traditional, non-studio headshot and not only does this headshot deal come with your very own rock star photographer, it also comes with hair and make-up by Michelle James Hair Productions in Surrey Center, 5 digital downloads, and a little keepsake book.

I cannot announce the ridiculous price on here because I'd have a thousand ladies lined up for headshots all at the same time.  

So just email me info@augustaboudoir.com  I will tell you the secret deal.  Oh and for some reason this is THE package to get if you're going to end up on the cover of a magazine.  Two clients have already come to me for this headshot package specifically because they were appearing on the cover of a magazine...more on that later....

And I recently had the great pleasure of photographing this lovely woman, and we had fun being silly for her headshots.  She is so beautiful and photogenic, it was easy to work with her.  I follow a specific strategy for the flow of the shoot so we can get some really nice shots.
  

 

When we do a Michelle James Beautiful package, there are up to 3 clothing changes, and the entire session is shot right there at Surrey Center.  Michelle James will give you a different "look" for your hair when you come back inside to change clothes.   

And because it's an Augusta Boudoir shoot, we'll definitely get in some shots with a slight hint of sexy, just for your special someone.  

One male client came to me for this package because he was appearing on the cover of a computer nerd publication.  He didn't look too nerdy after I got ahold of him.

Of course, if you absolutely need traditional in-studio head shots,  Augusta Boudoir has you covered also.  

I recently did some non-traditional head shots for a really nice lady who is about to be the new President of an international organization, and of course I have to keep all the details secret.  She's the VERY FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT of this organization by the way!!!

She originally was scheduled to just do a lifestyle fun shoot for the Dare to Be Michelle James Beautiful package, and she brought her dog.  But then she found out that she was going to become her organization's new president.  

Each incoming head of the organization appears on the cover of the industry's trade magazine, so when she came to me for the Michelle James Beautiful shoot, we included some non traditional headshots.   She needed the headshot for the cover of a magazine because when a new President comes in, they are introduced by appearing on the cover of the magazine.  Well guess what?

We got some great shots, but the magazine editors want a traditional in-studio headshot.  So no problem, I can accommodate that too!  The issue she is being introduced will come out in early 2013.  I'll be sure and keep you updated!!

In the meantime, give me a shout if you want an Augusta Boudoir headshot.

     xoxo, Sharon

Forever Yours Agnes - A Love Story

Nothing makes my heart warmer than older couples who are in love with each other and have been married for decades.   Whenever I come across couples like that, I want to know what their story is and what the secret is behind all those years of a happy marriage.

So when I heard about the story behind a really unique jewelry line called "Forever Yours Agnes", I was deeply moved.  It's a love story that spanned decades, but started with love letters written by Agnes to her future  husband while he was deployed in WWII.  She wrote to him daily, and he saved every letter she wrote.  They were married when he returned, and now their grown granddaughter is turning those love letters into works of wearable art.  I contacted the jewelry creator, Meghan Coomes, about featuring her in a blog post.

She takes parts of the hand written letters and creates jewelry. She says "The letter that stands out the most is the one from New Years Eve 1943; a copy of it is on my website. It was written so beautifully and truly encapsulates the love and longing my Grandma felt for him while they were apart".  Her favorite piece is this one...she calls it her "winged friend".

  

What I like the most is the still vivid impression of her hot pink lips that she pressed against the letters as she signed off "Forever Yours, Agnes".

What Meghan is doing to capture the words of her grandmother's letters really brings to life their love story, and it is a reminder that love is enduring even through hard times.   

Those older couples who are happily married after decades surely went through their ups and downs and they may have even been at the boiling point with each other at times!  But it is the thick and thin over the years that makes true love even stronger.  I want to be 80 years old and be deeply in love with my husband...not in spite of the ups and downs, but BECAUSE of the ups and downs that we share together. 

Even though this jewelry isn't really boudoir-ish (although those hot pink lips on the letters are pretty cool!!), many of my clients are military spouses whose husbands are deployed.  If you want to preserve your own love letters in this unique way, Meghan can help.  She can take your own letters and make custom jewelry just for you.  Wouldn't that be a special gift to pass onto your children!

To contact Meghan and see the options/pricing, visit the Forever Yours Agnes website:

www.foreveryoursagnes.com

photo by Meghan Coomes

For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

Bridal Boudoir Outdoors

For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

(On-location Hair/Make-up for this session was provided by Kayla at Michelle James Salon in Surrey Center)

When you have your bridal pictures done by Augusta Boudoir, beware because you may just end up loving your boudoir bridal pictures more than your regular bridals!!  It's just a risk you'll have to take.  

 Brides are so beautiful, and this is especially true when it comes to boudoir.  This particular bride and her groom love the outdoors, so an outdoor session was in order.  She said her groom loved the pictures, but does that really come as a surprise?  

 I love when clients come to me with a specific vision in mind...it makes my job easier in some ways and it also presents a good challenge as well.   In addition to her veil, this bride grabbed a great hat from her closet especially for a specific image she had in mind.  I think she pulled it off very well. Congratulations to this bride an her lucky groom!!   xoxo, Sharon

 Oh and by the way, when you two have kiddos, we can document the next phase of your lives through  The Birth Project.  Check it out:  www.thebirthproject.com

If you are a bride who wants to give your groom an extra special surprise gift on your wedding day, it's best to schedule your session at least 60 days in advance of the wedding date.   On your wedding day, coordinate with your wedding photographer and someone you trust to deliver the book to your groom before the ceremony begins.  Make sure your wedding photographer photographs your groom looking through the book in awe over what he is seeing.  Since you won't be there to see the look on his face, your photographer will be there to capture that moment for you....what a great bonus!!

Dare To Be Nice: It's a Challenge

I'm on a journey to become a better human being...a more lovely woman, and I invite you to join me. Sometimes when we are frustrated and when life seems to throw us for a loop, it's easy to become negative and to act ugly. I don't like acting ugly, and I want to act nice. We females can be so catty, and we are moody. Sometimes it's truly a challenge to be nice. I'm guilty of acting ugly and I don't want to leave this world with an ugly legacy.

So, every so often....possibly every week if we're super lucky....I'll be posting a new Dare To Be Nice challenge for myself and I'd love for you to take the challenge with me. I'd LOVE to hear your personal triumphs with the Dare To Be Nice challenges as well, so please share your personal Dare To Be Nice story in the comments section each time I post a challenge.

There is power in numbers, so please take this challenge with me so we can be stronger together. I am daring myself and daring you to be nice with me. It's my "Dare To Be Nice" challenge. Pretty easy, right?

Today this desire to start this Dare To Be Nice challenge grew inside me more than ever before.

I had to pick something up from a business in Columbia County and witnessed some really bad public behavior. A lady was acting like a jerk towards the store owner because of something incredibly ridiculous and so minor.

The big problem that she threw a fit about was that the wrappers weren't fancy enough on the items she was buying, and the store owner didn't have anything to upgrade her to. She was ugly to the owner and she threw a tantrum that would rival my two year old daughter's behavior when she hasn't had a nap.

There are children somewhere in the world who did not get to eat one morsel of food today and who are literally starving to death and this lady today was a jerk because of un-fancy wrappers. We are spoiled beyond belief, but we don't have the right to act like spoiled brats when things don't perfectly go our way.

I wanted to tell her to just be nice.

I wanted to just let her know we should thank God that we have the luxury of living in a nation where her biggest concern of the entire day was a stupid wrapper. Compared to other countries, we live like kings, queens and princesses. Let's have a little bit of flexibility....let's have compassion....let's be nice.

So challenge you...and I am doing this too....in the next 72 hours let's Dare To Be Nice when something minor isn't going our way. Let's be aware of our negative emotions. When we feel the urge to act on our frustrations (i.e. to act ugly), let's instead just let it go and be nice to others around us. I'd love to hear about what it is that YOU do to be nice in the next 72 hours when you really feel like being ugly instead.

For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

Exciting News for the Best Week of the Year in Augusta

For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com



I just want you to know this is my favorite week of the entire year!! It's the time when thousands of adoring golf fans visit Augusta and the entire mood of the town changes to excitement. Lots of celebrities are also in town, and my week began by hanging out with one of those celebrities. I had the fortune of helping another photographer on a big shoot for a belt buckle ad at a beautiful mansion.

One of the models was on a TV show that we all know and love. You know I'm a confidentiality freak, so I'll keep details like his name and pictures of him top secret (I know, bummer). But it was definitely an exciting start to an exciting week.

Another big thing happening this week is that I am transitioning between studios. Augusta Boudoir has grown right out of the space available on the 2nd level of Mimi's Boutique. I am sad and happy about that all at the same time. Mimi's has been so good to Augusta Boudoir and I adore them and will miss having a home there. They need the space too, so it's a win-win. Mimi's opened its SECOND LOCATION TODAY!!! They are located directly across from Augusta National, right beside Elegant Bridals.

Augusta Boudoir will soon be relocating to another studio location that will be able to accommodate our boudoir needs for a little while longer.

My dream is to grow so big that we need to move into a large warehouse to transform into a wonderful boudoir studio with lots of different sets. That's my goal to reach for next year...hopefully it will become reality.

All the contracts are in place for the Augusta Boudoir Spokesmodels and we're not wasting any more time. They're getting fittings from Mimi's and I have started working on putting together the vision for our shoots.

So many of my clients come to me because they know I respect confidentiality and they want their images to be private. The two main reasons that my clients want their images to remain private are because of either their employment or because they are in the public eye and have a high profile position in the community. I don't get to post my boudoir pictures too often, but I promise I really do take pictures! haha!! That is one reason also why I needed spokesmodels....to have permission to post images!

Thank you to my many friends and clients who have supported Augusta Boudoir. It really is an honor to serve so many beautiful women in the CSRA.

Have a great week of watching the golf tournament. xoxo, Sharon

Wedding Second Shooting - Georgia Boudoir Photographer

It's the start of wedding season, and Augusta Boudoir is jumping into action.

I am so happy to share with you that I've found a new love that really gets my heart pumping!! Jennifer D. Miller is totally to blame for this spark of energy that is making me tackle a new challenge.

Yep, it's her fault that I am second shooting weddings this year!


Nope, I'm still not a wedding photographer and I am not going to become a wedding photographer anytime soon...that's just not in the cards. But I am striving to be the absolute best second shooter photographer for weddings Augusta has to offer! But not just any best second shooter...I want to be a storybook second shooter who really conveys the meaning and emotion of the day.

Hey, it's good to be the best at second sometimes!!

So here are some images from a recent wedding....I traveled to Missouri for an absolutely delightful trip with Jennifer D. Miller Photography as a second shooter for a lovely and very historical wedding. It took place at the oldest courthouse West of the Mississippi River and it was the very first wedding ever held in that little courthouse. Jenny and I really put our heart and soul into shooting this wedding. These books have sat on the courthouse shelves for 134 years.

How often do we get to come face to face with something that old which is not in a museum?



Jenny of Jennifer D. Miller Photography is a true master at telling a story, and it is an absolute honor to be entrusted with helping fulfill her vision and meeting her high expectations. She is great at capturing the big picture, but with all the frenzy and fast pace of the big day, it's impossible for a wedding photographer to single highhandedly capture the big picture along with all the little behind the scenes details that unfold as the wedding day progresses.

The details help really fill in the blanks of the big picture story. If you are planning a storybook wedding, it is a MUST to hire a storybook wedding photographer to bring the day to life in a way that will forever be archived in your own family's history.

You've put your heart and soul into planning your wedding, but memories of the day will fade with time. Photographs that your children, grand children and great grand children can hold in their hands 134 years from now will help them experience the emotion and meaning of your storybook wedding too.

That's why it is essential that wedding photographers have second (and sometimes third) shooters to help tell the story of the day. It's a day that can never be repeated, and all the emotion and essence of that one single day will never happen like that again.

So, while Jenny was with the bride photographing her getting ready for the 2:30 pm wedding, my job was to be with the groom and his crew to tell the story of his wedding day too....those little moments that the bride would never get to see otherwise. And keeping with the historic feel of the event, this groom did not rely on his smart phone to keep him on track...he simply pulled out his pocket watch.

Aaahhhhh, the wedding details are so well thought out and so meaningful....it is my job as second shooter to bring to life the meaning behind all those small thoughtful details!! And my personal style is simple and clean.



If you know me, you know I am super secret and really don't like to put information about people on the internet and I'm very cautious with the images I put on my boudoir blog as well. I mean, it IS a boudoir blog afterall!!!

So, I'm not putting images of the wedding party or guests on my blog....which means we get to fast forward the story a little bit....still capturing the historic simplicity of the day....even the rings are simple.




After the wedding, me made a pit stop to a plot of land where the bride and groom are building their home. They're standing where their future home will one day be filled with baby giggles and the pitter patter of little feet.

And then we drove down a long dirt road and up the driveway to a mansion where Mark Twain once stayed. The family moved into the mansion for the wedding weekend and everyone enjoyed an elegant dinner after the wedding to celebrate a historic new beginning for this very sweet couple.




And the storybook wedding wouldn't be totally complete without one detail from the reception that is very special....the Grolsch keg!! This keg was shipped to the wedding full of beer straight from the Netherlands. The groom moved here from the Netherlands to marry his bride, and his entire family flew to the United States for the wedding. Having a keg shipped full of his favorite beer is one of those details that HAS to be document in a photograph to believe!!



And I will leave you by sharing a little project I've started especially for wedding photographers who hire me...

I am a PPA member. If you are a wedding photographer looking for someone dedicated to helping you tell a very special wedding story, there is bonus for hiring me. You are going to be too consumed with the big picture to do this yourself, so count on me to deliver this one last WOW memory for your bride.

I am now offering wedding letter art as signature Augusta Boudoir service to wedding photographers when I second shoot. Here is a letter art sample I created pretending that Jenny Miller is the bride...I don't want to tell you the bride's real name because I'm such a privacy freak, but Jenny gave me permission to use her name since you know it anyway. haha!

Every image was shot with something meaningful directly using a combination of images from wedding, the location where her groom proposed to her, and the city. This is such a cool thing to display and each letter has a story all by itself. The "M" is from the courthouse where they were married...the "i" is from where they had the rehearsal dinner, the first "L" is from the courthouse where they were married, the second "L" is from a building, the "E" is from a door at the reception hall and the "r" is a rock formation from the "Lovers Leap" location where he proposed to her. Awwwwwww!!!!



For a consultation
or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com