Pink Lipstick and Green Duct Tape- a lesson on inner beauty

Day 346
"Pink Lipstick"

(A flash back to my 365 project done in 2010/2011)

   That's where this whole thing started- with pink lipstick. As I was getting ready I grabbed the tube full of waxy beautification and thought once I applied it, "Does this make me look cheap?" Which lead me to my next thought of what my mom always use to tell me, "It's all in how you present yourself."
   As I grew up I understood this and really tried to live by it. I tried to present myself as what I really was. I didn't act like a stupid blonde girl, bc I wasn't stupid. I didn't drink to fit in, because maybe I didn't want to fit in there. Then as I got older that phrase started to slightly bother me, bc I started to look at it a different way.
   If I tried to act classy, did that automatically make me a 'better' person? Or what if one day I decided to take everything completely unserious? Would that make people think I was immature and unfocused? Bc if that's what they thought- it wasn't true. So if they thought that, too bad for them, which, in my moms defense, was another thing she also lived by, "It doesn't matter what people think." 
   Some days I think, who cares how I present myself!? I am who I am inside. I know who I am! "It's all in how I present myself." What- am I like a package? A Christmas gift? Do you pick the one with the beautiful flowing ribbon, or do you settle for the one shoved in the plastic grocery bag? You have no idea what's inside!
   Yet- other days, I do realize, my packaging does count. At quick glance people get a sense of me, who I am, and where I fit into in this life. I express myself through my clothes, my hair, the music I listen to, and the art I create. 
   I think there's a fine line between caring what people think of you and caring what people assume of you- and that's probably what my mom meant all along. 
   So, at the end of the day, if they assume I'm cheap bc of my pink lipstick, let them, bc they are of no use to me then. And if they think I'm weird for packaging myself up in green tape to prove a point, then even better, bc I would never want to be labeled as normal anyways!

Port Huron, Michigan Artistic Body Photographer

embracing your inner skinny girl

It's the holidays. EVERYONE wants to take your photo, they want a family photo, they want the WHOLE family in the photo. You can't get out of it. And you don't want to be in front of the camera because you never look good, right?
I'm not assuming this about you, it's just what I'm told by you over, and over, and over again. 
"I look bad, I look old, I have 3 chins, I'm too fat."
Lies. 
I'm sorry, but even the littlest of girls have an inner fat girl. Even the youngest among us have creases and skin that moves. We're human. That's how bodies work. I'm pretty petite and I'll tell you what, catch me when I'm not looking and I can sprout jowls, 2 chins, and all kinds of neck rolls. 
Don't believe me? Let me show you. 

And while you look at all my imperfections see how I teach YOU how to avoid it all!

You don't need awesome light, and you don't need to lose 20 pounds. You just need to be aware of your body! Every session I do I spend time to make sure every pose my beautiful ladies get into flatters them, because I'm not relying on photoshop to turn them in to someone they aren't. I just need to help them move their body in a way that says, "I'm confident, I look good, watch me work."
The following photos were taken with my cell phone in my bathroom. Nothing fancy. 
They were NOT edited (only background stuff was removed.) The quality is below average because I want to show you what REAL life looks like, and what SIMPLE tricks can be done to make a HUGE difference in real life without a professional posing you. I have my girls tell me all the time when looking at their final photos- "Oh my gosh- photoshop does wonders!" No... NO! This is YOUR body, just like it is EVERY DAY, just being demanded by me to look it's best for you.
Now it's your turn to demand it.

When we're comfortable we tend to sink in to our own bodies. Our shoulders curl in, our chins drop, and our necks relax. Yay for several chins and a sleepy looking face. 
Now- roll your shoulders back, make your neck tall, and pop that chin out. You look more vibrant, younger, and better posture will give you better confidence. Try it!

Oh- you're comfortable? Good for you and YAY for neck rolls!
Now- elongate the neck and stick your chin down. Good. Instant slimming. 

Hey, what's down there? Are you reading, are you just sitting? Are you comfortable? Good, because everyone else is wondering- Jesus, with those jowls did you fall asleep and not wake up for 10 years!? Make that neck long and pop that chin! Instant facelift! Hold your head high- literally and figuratively! It looks good on you!

Know your body, be confident, and hold your head high. 

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Want to see more tips and tricks on how to slim down your whole body? Check out my body transformation story and how I changed my appearance almost instantly!

Cut the tags out- knowing your self worth as a woman and not a number

A couple days ago I stumbled across this post on my facebook newsfeed, which I quickly shared to my personal page. 

Found on facebook- original source unknown

I paired it with my thoughts that were similar to "this is really stupid for a lot of reasons." Mostly because I felt as though this chart was completely unrealistic on every level. 

I got A LOT of feedback. 

Things like-

"And what the hell were they thinking when they added ZERO as a size? Are we supposed to aim for invisibility?!"

" ...Even at a size 12 I never had the flat tummy that this image shows. But, I also know my worth and it has nothing to do with my pants size nor the number on the scale. ...I've struggled with my body image for years until I realized I was more than just a body. I'm witty, well read, an amazing cook/baker and driven woman which is something a number on a label or scale is never going to say."

and lastly-

"Cut the tags out..."

And then it hit me.  We, as a society, as women, as individuals need to cut the tags out. 

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So I ask you- When you're no longer a number, what are you?
I want you ALL to answer that question in the comments below for me. 
Because you owe it to yourself to know, to maybe brag a little, be proud, and most importantly, let other women know you're living outside the number society has pinned on you, and they can too. 

Who are you when you cut the tags out?

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I'll start...

When I cut the tags out I'm left with being an artist. I frequently live my life dirty. Paint, dirt, dust, grease, sawdust...  I'm an explorer, a writer, a builder, and a damn hard worker. I will keep up with the boys. I will drink beer with the boys. I will shop with the girls but I refuse to get my nails done because they will end up destroyed at soon as I get home. I have a farmer's tan and yes I own a baby tractor. My closet consists mostly of super cheap clothes because I don't understand name brands. My hairdresser informed me that my husband and I have the same haircut, and I'm ok with that, because my hubby is super hot, so maybe that makes me super hot too. I have no clue how to be sexy, it makes me uncomfortable and giggly. I'm confident because my mom taught me to be proud of who I am and urged me to be different. And that had nothing to do with tags. Cut them out. 

And as I said before in The Revolution about societies standards on women ...

Fuck your beauty standards

Port Huron, Michigan Photographer specializing in the beauty of women- ajbc photography

The Pillow and The Pond- Fine Art + Short Film by Port Huron, MI Photographer- ajbc photography

I've been told, "Go to The Pond, that is where you'll find your dreams." 
Dreams full of color, and dreams full of life, where everything has meaning. 

I never dream in color so it's hard to imagine where this journey might take me. 
What will I see and how will I feel? I can't imagine the awakening. 

So I set out on a path full of ferns and full of fantasy. 
But that trip is stopped short when I see a pillow longing for me. 

It tells me, "Don't go to the Pond, stay here with me.
Rest your head on my pure white sheet."
All those things you travel to see, 
You can see them here with me."

I close my eyes and know where I'll go. To the dreamland that's never exciting. 
For everything I've ever found there was meaningless, but maybe, just maybe, it's been hiding.

My mind goes blank and I feel like I'm spinning. The earth shifts from green to gold. 
And I can't help but wonder if I'm dreaming. This goes against everything I've been told.

"Go to The Pond,' they said. But what about The Pillow?
These ups and these downs. I can feel it now. 
My body has been planted on the ground. 

Don't open your eyes. You know not where you are. 
And surely this isn't right. 
You've tossed and turned, and the sky has reversed.
Is it morning or is it night?

Something is cool, was there mud under The Pillow?
I crack my eyes and can not believe what I see in my palm. 
For behold, I'm at The Pond.

The colors. The life. The meaning I am feeling. 
There's no way I am dreaming. 

I can feel the water on my face. 
I absolutely know I am 100% present in this place. 

But wait, I'm feeling so dizzy, I better sit down. 

I'll rest upon the water, watch my hands release smoke. 

But right before I float, I get an overwhelming feeling that I may choke. 
Or drown. Or never resurface to feel my feet upon the ground. 
I inhale and exhale and soon I can see.

The Pillow that I so trusted, he tricked me. 

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Watch The Pillow and The Pond short film (with your volume up or it's NOT the same):

Uploaded by Autumn Carufel on 2015-07-23.

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I consider this more "Dark Beauty," which I adore! Check out the first time Taylor and I ever shot together when she modeled for me at my first dark beauty shoot ever!

The Pillow and The pond Inspired me to create "Floating Through the Veil" for Halloween.

And exactly 1 year later we shot "The Burning Shack Short Film and Burning Shack Trailer together!

Check out the full beauty gallery here!

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