Stop Waiting. Start Choosing Yourself + Food For Thought + Book Recommendation | 2.6.25
SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE :-)
Hello Beautiful,
If you’ve been following me for a while or reading my blogs, you know one thing for sure: I’m not someone who waits around for someone else to give me what I want. I believe in going out and getting it myself. But let’s be real: February comes with a lot of talk about being gifted things. Chocolates, flowers, romantic gestures, it’s everywhere.
And while there’s nothing wrong with receiving love from others, I want to remind you of something even more important: You don’t have to wait for someone else to celebrate you. You can do that for yourself, starting now.
Real love, the kind that lasts, starts with you. It’s not about grand gestures or waiting for the “right” moment. It’s in the choices you make every day.
Wearing what makes YOU feel good, just because you want to.
Buying yourself the flowers, the perfume, the art, the things that bring you joy.
Taking yourself out to a restaurant, a concert, or a solo getaway without waiting for company.
Speaking to yourself with kindness instead of criticism.
Refusing to shrink, to dim, to make yourself smaller for someone else’s comfort.
Self-love isn’t just about caring for yourself; it’s about taking ownership of your happiness. It’s about recognizing that you don’t have to wait for someone else to celebrate you, to tell you you’re beautiful, to make you feel wanted. You can do that for yourself, right now.
This is why boudoir photography isn’t about seduction or performance. It’s about seeing yourself as YOU want to be seen. It’s about stepping into your own power, capturing a version of yourself that is fully present, fully confident, fully yours. A reminder that you are enough, not when someone says so, but because you decide you are.
So, this Valentine’s Day, don’t sit around hoping for love to arrive. Go out and get what you want. Buy yourself the thing you’ve been eyeing. Take the trip. Book the session. Wear the outfit. Take up space.
Because when you stop waiting and start choosing yourself, you don’t just receive love, you become it.
And if you want a tangible reminder of that, you know where to find me.
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INSPIRATION
Food For Thought
My family moved to New Hope, PA, before COVID-19; I found myself craving genuine connections with other women. I wanted to build friendships and find a sense of community, but it wasn’t easy. Life’s daily demands, work, family, and everything in between made it difficult to carve out time for new relationships.
Over the years, I met plenty of women I genuinely liked, women I wanted to get to know better. But finding the time for one-on-one coffee dates, lunches, or dinners with each of them seemed impossible. Friendships take time, and time is something we all struggle to manage.
At some point, I realized I had a growing mental list of women I admired, women who radiated good energy, who I felt a connection with, even in brief interactions. And then it hit me: instead of trying (and failing) to meet with each of them individually, why not bring them all together? Surely, I wasn’t the only one longing for more meaningful friendships.
So, I decided to reach out. I sent messages to every woman on my list, inviting them to a casual, no-pressure meet-up at a local bar last Friday. Below is the text I sent…
“Hi there, not sure if you’re around. I’m getting a few ladies together on Friday, 1/31, at 7 pm. We can meet for drinks at The Logan Inn. Something low-key. Let me know if you’re free :)”
I figured a few would be able to come, but to my surprise, over 20 women came! And it was incredible!
That night, conversations flowed effortlessly. Some of the women had known each other for years but hadn’t had the chance to reconnect. Others met for the first time and immediately clicked. A few reached out afterward, asking for contact information of someone they had met that night. It was clear: we all needed this.
I’m sharing this because if you’re someone who longs for deeper friendships but struggles to find the time, consider trying what I did. Gather the women in your life, the ones you’ve wanted to know better, and invite them to something simple and low-key. You never know what might come of it. Maybe it’s just a fun evening, or maybe it becomes the start of a stronger, more connected community. Either way, it’s worth it.
Because we all need connection. And sometimes, we just have to create the space for it to happen.
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WHAT I’M READING
Book Recommendation
Lately, I’ve been deep in a perimenopausal/menopausal education kick, soaking up everything I can about this phase of life that no one really prepares us for. It’s like this secret club you don’t even know you’ve joined until you’re in it: hot flashes, shifting moods, and the realization that this isn’t just a moment, but a whole new chapter.
I just finished reading “Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause” by Naomi Watts, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Watts doesn’t sugarcoat anything, she dives into the realities of menopause with honesty, humor, and a refreshing sense of empowerment. It’s not just about symptoms or hormone changes; it’s about reclaiming this phase of life, shifting the narrative from something to endure to something to embrace.
The last chapter, in particular, stuck with me. Maybe it’s because it felt like a culmination of everything I’ve been trying to piece together: what this stage of life means, how we navigate it, and, most importantly, how we stop treating it like some unspoken shadow we’re supposed to just deal with quietly.
I don’t know if I’ll ever stop learning about this topic (or talking about it), but I do know this: The more we educate ourselves and each other, the less isolating it all feels. So, if you’re in the same boat or even just starting to wonder what this next phase looks like, I’d definitely recommend giving this book a read.
XX, AMY
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