Kim

Let me tell you about this inspiring queen! I first started following Kim when I saw her incredible maternity images taken by Erin Elizabeth (Love your work Erin!). She caught my attention because the stunner was carrying 5 babies in that beautiful belly! FIVE! Her story was out of this world! Head over to her Instagram surprisedbyfive or blog Surprised By Five as she's on an incredible journey. This queen is a mumma to 8 children!

So you could imagine my excitement when Kim approached me, (me! This little fish!) to help her self love journey and push some comfort zones! I'm so so honoured for that. It took us a while to get here, life just gets away from us (especially when you have 8 children to give all your love and attention to!) however timing is everything. Somehow the universe times things for us the way we need it to, whether we are ready or not.

Knowing Kim's journey we needed to make sure she was comfortable and pampered, she's got 5 toddlers on her hands, she deserves it! So we all teamed up with Siobhan from Makeup Art & Direction to set vibes off with a glowing tan and glam makeup. When Kim mentioned she had spoiled herself at Honey Birdette I just knew we were going to create magic! Then came the day and we had the best time ever. It's incredibly nerve-racking going into a Boudoir photoshoot, you are at the mercy of your photographer to make you feel comfortable and safe whilst in a high state of vulnerability. Kim was coming to us after enduring pregnancy with quintuplets. Mothering 5 newborns into toddlers while still raising her 3 eldest children, media, weight loss journey, a marriage breakdown and low self esteem over her "mum bod". Understandable after carrying 8 children and the type of bullshit the media spits out, internet trolls and personal incidents within the home. Becoming a mum changes everything. It changes us in a way that is kind of brutal yet equally empowering. It takes your sanity to another universe and you celebrate the times you get a full night's sleep. You lose yourself. The changes and severity for each of us is different, however nonetheless we are not who we were.

However, as with all things life there is balance, Ying and Yang. With all that mothers go through, the reward is equally reflected with the love and joy motherhood brings. Then within that journey we are shaping into a newer version of ourselves. This is not an easy journey to say the least. Fudge me this journey is hard work! I can't even imagine the tenfold that Kim is going through. So our mission was simple. Help Kim feel like the boss queen she is! She needed a reminder that her beautiful body is hers. It gave her so much life and joy that flat tummy's will never be able to give. It's given her a life experience and journey that not many others can say they have too. Her body is still a sensual and desirable form of art but has now proven it can handle anything. It deserves to be held, loved and admired. No one can take that away.

SO needless to say, we had fun saying "F*ck You* to standards. The self love journey is hard, but if we band together and normalise ALL body shapes, have compassion for ourselves and each other, we just might break the cycle and finally live.