Kimberly Jarman Photography

My mom is adorable. She’s the best mom in the entire world, from my very unbiased opinion, and she makes the holidays amazing every single year of our lives.  But….every Thanksgiving…she wears a shirt that is..not my favorite (she reads this, I’m treading carefully…).  It’s become a running joke that she wears this same shirt every Thanksgiving, but it’s not something I fully support.  While I’m all for tradition, should bad clothes ever be a tradition??!!  Let me describe this gem of a top:  (A) it’s denim.  Yeah, I said that, denim. As if that isn’t enough, it is (B) covered with decorative PATCHES of various fall scenes.  Yep, said that too.  Decorative. Patches. Of. Fall. Scenes.  I wish I was kidding, I don’t even know where she could have purchased this top, but man it’s something to behold.  Now, only my mother could wear this and look cute, but it makes me think about the getups people wear for the holidays.  Let’s discuss this people, because I would hate for you to be the person at your Christmas/Hanukkah/Thanksgiving table that everyone is laughing about on the ride home!

On the left, that’s my gorgeous Mama…in the shirt.  Yep, patches and all.

Festive vs. Costume–Know the Difference

A red sweater on Christmas is totally festive.  A pair of brown boots and tights on Thanksgiving is festive.  Something sparkly on New Year’s Eve is festive.  Candy cane striped tights and a Santa hat is a costume.  A shirt with a turkey appliqued on it is a costume.  Champagne and vomit all down the front of your New Year’s Eve dress is really just disgusting.  There is a difference!  I LOVE dressing up for holidays in inspired gear, and I LOVE the holidays more than most people (my tree’s been up for 3 weeks, no joke), but past the age of 6, overdoing the festivities by way of your clothing is not only inappropriate, it’s also just kind of weird.  There are simple questions you can ask yourself if you’re wavering on an article of clothing:  Would my 3-year-old niece and I be matching?  Would a Christmas elf wear this same thing?  Are people staring?  Am I jingling while I walk?   These should all be a resounding “No!” Dressing up is fun, dress-up is kinda creepy outside of a costume party.  Know the line. A pilgrim outfit is weird, OK?  It’s just weird.  Put it away….and by “put it away” I obviously mean “throw it in the Grand Canyon”.

Heidi B., JennyP, and Buddy the Elf:  guess which one of us is not in costume?  I vote for your holiday you copy me, not them, unless you’re (A) at a costume party like Heidi or (B) actually an elf like Buddy.

Remember The Occasion

Without naming names, I once went to visit a friend on Thanksgiving night, long after turkey time, and honestly couldn’t stop staring at her sister-in-law.  She was sitting there, maybe 32-ish, at the dinner table with her in-laws, in the teeny-tiniest-eensy-weensy orange mini-dress and TALL thigh high brown leather boots.  I mean, REALLY????  What was she going for-Thanksgiving Hooker?  Why on earth would “mini-dress” and “thigh-high” ever be words to describe an outfit worn to a family event???  She’s not the only one though, and it goes both ways.  I have a male friend that shows up to family events in skinny jeans that show ALL of his boxers because they’re so low-rise and flat-ironed hair down in his eyes with short sleeves showing off his masses of tattoos.  Again, REALLY??  Grandma doesn’t want to see that, and frankly neither do I! Is it so much to ask that on a holiday, everyone try to look appropriate?  I really don’t think so.

While we’re goofy as all get out, my family is pretty good with the holiday outfits’ appropriate level.

Remember How Old You Are

I never understand what goes on when an otherwise normally cute 30-something family member shows up in some frumpy, long, denim jumper with a Christmas broach on it.  Again, (say it with me) REALLY???  What is she going for-Youngest Christmas Grandma??  Or how about the lady I saw in the mall last year, probably about 45, in–no joke–bright green tights covered in jingle bells.  What is going on here people?  Simple rules to follow-decorative pins/broaches and jumpers are too old for anyone under 50.  Pom-poms on shoes, jingle bells on skirts, and santa hats are too young for anyone over 12. An entire fur-trimmed red velvety mini-dress is too young for anyone over 6, I don’t care how hot Britney Spears looks in it, it’s not right outside of a themed photo-shoot.

Plaid matching dresses, large broach, elf dress, and kicky beret?  All adorable….on babies and grandmas.

There is Still Fun in These Rules!

Dude, I’m not trying to take the fun out of holiday dressing.  Here are things I love, love, LOVE to see on people around this time of year:  frilly Christmas aprons, flashes of red and green, fun tights (in doses and moderation), Christmas sweaters, holiday ties, holiday cuff links, wacky holiday socks that peek out of serious pants when you sit down, Christmas dresses (as long as this doesn’t mean “covered in reindeer”), bits of sparkle, red lipstick, fall colors, a Christmas broach on grandmas, holiday earrings, a candy cane in a front pocket, and anything that looks like a little bit of holiday spilled over into your closet.  These things are fun and make me super smiley when I see them!

All fun, all holiday, none weird.  (Ps–How AMAZING is that apron????? I want!)

So go get dressed up!  And Mom, I do kind of love your Thanksgiving shirt, because as wrong as it is, it looks like home and holidays to me.  Thanks for making each and every holiday traditional, special, and exactly where I want to be each year.  I love you, denim top and all! 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

xoxoxo

I had a rude awakening recently, and it’s made me look hard in the mirror and ask myself, “At what point, Jennifer, did you stop trying to look exceptionally cute…ever?” I know I’m not alone in this!

Here’s what happened:  I had dinner with a very dear, loved, bestie best friend I hadn’t seen in almost a year, Nicole.  Let me tell you about Nicole for a moment, so you get the full idea of what happened to me while eating with her.  Nicole is a Disney princess.  I’m not joking, I have gone on out of town trips with her and she WAKES up looking like the most beautiful girl in the world.  Truly! She’s a Phoenix Suns dancer, and just one of the most naturally gorgeous women I’ve ever seen in real life, up close.  With no makeup, air-dried hair and sweats on–she’s prettier than 98% of the population. Aside from all that annoying natural perfection, she is always primped up a bit.  Always.  Her eyeliner is on, her outfit is adorable, and her hair is just so.  So, back to the story, we met up for a birthday dinner last weekend (our birthdays are two days apart) and when she walked up–and heads were literally snapping from turning to look at her–I realized that I USED to be like her!  Back when we hung out all the time and she practically lived with me and we slumber partied every night, I always had on the cutest outfits and my hair was pretty spectacular, I won’t lie.

Somehow, though, in the last year or so, because I’m SO busy and SO tired–I toss on jeans and a tank daily, never EVER wash my hair (gross, but so true…I tell myself updos and headbands hide a week’s worth of…yeah, ew), and throw on makeup as I drive down the freeway to work.  I hadn’t noticed how far I’d gone off the frumpy deep end until I saw and Nicole and thought, “Whoah, where did I go?????”  So.  I’ve shaken off that slump and taking a vow to actually get up early enough to check myself out and do some little things that used to be standard for me!  I know I’m not alone, ladies, holidays are coming, you have kids, you have work, you have less and less sleep–but that doesn’t mean we should all toss in the towel on being pretty!  It’s our right, as women, to look softer, prettier, sweeter, and more fetching than the other half of the population.  It’s powerful!  Shakira said a great thing in an interview once that has always resonated with me, “Women in my country want all the same things US women want, but we know there is power in being different than a man, we know that our sexuality is a strength, not a liability.”   So, here are the little things I’m bringing back to my routine, because for me (and I bet for you too), when I feel like I look good, I feel good.

My very beautiful friend, Nicole.  Good thing she’s so funny and fun, or we’d never last this long, with her looking like this and all. No makeup, all made up–she’s just lovely!

Nightly Beauty Rituals

I used to use my teeth whitening trays every month to keep my teeth brighter.  I hadn’t done this in MONTHS until last week, and now I made a point to go get bleach and bring it back.  I also started slathering myself in body butter before bed, as well as painting my nails.  I don’t have time to do this during the crazy, hectic day, but at night, I can do this stuff before bed. Take a long bath and slough off the dead skin, do a deep conditioning on your hair, use a face mask, or just get to bed an hour earlier so you get that youth elixir–sleep!  I know you’re putting the kids to bed and getting the laundry done and working late and all those other things–but you can take a few moments for some self-beauty treatments.  You’ll be thankful in the morning.

“There’s no such thing as natural beauty,” Trudie- Steel Magnolias 🙂

Plan Outfits

I know that not everyone is as clothes obsessed as I am, (which is probably a good thing for the world as there are things like war and hunger to focus on) but you know, you know that when you’re in a cute outfit, you feel great! I don’t have time to do a fashion show every morning before work, so I plan my clothes out at night–it’s just what works for me.  I also took a day recently to really go through my clothes and take note of what I need to get and what things I’ve not worn in some time.  Before I go to sleep, I head into my closet and decide on an entire outfit-shoes, watch, jacket-all of it.  I feel so much better the next day when I am wearing it, and it wasn’t just something I threw on in my exhausted, sleepy haze and headed out the door.

Spend some more time doing this!

Keep Your Hair/Nail/Skin Appointments

I know we’re all scarping up pennies for Christmas, and we’re all financially strained, but I firmly believe, FIRMLY believe that things like hair color and Retin-A prescriptions shouldn’t be cut out.  You can cut out other things.  I bring my lunch all week and sometimes I’ll stay home all weekend to conserve gas–because those things can be cut back on, but my hair appointment is happening.  It’s not every day, it’s every 6-9 weeks and I keep aside a little bit of each paycheck to make sure I have hair money.  I know what I feel like if I hate my hair, and it isn’t good!  I’m also a freak about my eyebrows and I have ONE waxer (she’s a genius, it’s honestly like I’m getting plastic surgery or something after I’ve seen her) and it’s $30 every two weeks.  This might be silly to some people, but it makes me feel better, so I’ll skip out on cocktail hour Fridays or eat at home on the weekend so that I can like my face.  That’s me.  For my mom, she needs a pedicure the way I need the eyebrow attention.  She just needs it, and when she gets one, she bounces a bit more in her step.  Don’t get rid of these luxuries.  Maybe you have to see a less expensive stylist, or in between major colors you do touch-ups at home, or maybe you do your own pedicures at home so that you can get your facial next month.  Whatever it is, don’t give it up.  There HAS to be something else you can pass on, to keep these little things that mean you feel better and more confident.

You know this sign makes your heart speed up, as it does mine.

Buy Something Pretty

I don’t care if it’s a $5 hair flower from Target, or a new dress at Nordstrom.  It’s a new season, get something new and pretty.  I am headed to the east coast in a couple weeks so I have to go get some winter clothes, and I’m making a concerted effort to pick pretty things.  Girlie, cute, pretty things.  It’s cold outside and Christmas is coming…for some reason to me, this means I need to look extra pretty.  Call me crazy or shallow, but I know we all operate the same, even the men reading this (do men read this?), when you look better, you feel better.  It’s scientific.  I know it is.

You don’t have to get all Becky Bloomwood on it, but I am giving you persmission to go get ONE or TWO pretty things.  Or ten….I mean who am I to boss you around?

Good luck pretty ladies, let’s un-frump.  I’m telling you, Nicole looked that good at dinner.  Good enough to inspire an entire blog post, and a revamping of my slump status.  No more frump-slump for me!  Proof point:  I’m wearing a pink-and-purple striped mini dress, long gray cardigan, and knee-high brown boots today, with CLEAN hair.  Major strides have been taken. Love to you all!

xoxoxox

{posted by kb}

A couple weekends ago we spent the most beautiful day hanging out with Sean, Jennifer, and their two daughters, Lizzie and Katie at Desert Highlands Golf Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was one of the first weddings of the season that had perfect weather… the kind that makes you want to kick off your shoes, let the grass tickle your feet, and twirl around with your eyes closed. That’s just what the girls did, well at least the kick off your shoes part… Jennifer and her girls walked the long “aisle” toward Sean, grass between their cute little toes, grinning from ear to ear, as he smiled and gushed right on back. This family of four made their official commitment to each other surrounded by their favorite people and loved ones on a lush green fairway in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. The ceremony couldn’t have been sweeter and our whole team wiped away tears as we watched Jennifer’s emotions trickle down her cheek. I think/hope these images reflect how soft and pretty the day felt… Thank you, S+J for picking us to be a part of it. And thank you Mary Jordan and Jen Jacobs for backing me up and capturing some of my very favorite images. As I looked through your galleries I was floored by your creativity and impeccable timing. Go team! =)…

Also, many thanks to all the vendors that made this day picture perfect…

Venue: Desert Highlands Country Club
Florist: Brady’s Floral
Musicians: Sweetwater Strings
Makeup: Gina Schroeder

**KB specializes in weddings, maternity, newborns, and portraits. She is an associate photographer for Kimberly Jarman Photography and her work will leave you speechless. Her style is very casual and relaxed. You will be so glad you hired her for your wedding as you will always cherish the pictures she captured for your wedding. **

Ok, back in August we did our Boudoir Bonanza and it was AMAZING!  We had no idea that our little 2-day lingerie fest at the Hotel Valley Ho was going to spiral into 18 photo shoots (we booked 8…the other 10 just sort of..happened?), over 14,000 pictures (no joke!), and an experience in women celebrating their bodies and beauty the way it did!  It honestly felt like some kind of crazy girl-power exploration into loving ourselves and seeing our beauty through someone else’s eyes.  While every single one of the gorgeous women attending started out by being very VERY nervous of our flaws, areas of concern, and just general anxiety over our looks, every person ended up seeing a whole new side of their own looks, and feeling a bit empowered!  Also, we hear that the recipients of these photos (husbands, boyfriends, lucky people!) have had NO complaints on the result!

I thought I’d share with you some quotes and emails we received after the shoot, as it’s made us so happy to see the excitement and gratitude we’ve received upon doing this shoot.  Of all we’ve done at the studio, for some reason getting everyone in their underwear somehow had the biggest effect on us all! Kim Jarman, Kim Bee, Mary Jordan, and Christa Scott worked their cute booties off shooting all these beautiful women.  Makeup artist extraordinaire Sara San Marco, hair stylists Camille Keilman and Danielle Murray worked their magic on each woman, and I posed/clothed/organized everyone, and somehow, we made all 18 photo shoots into something spectacular!!  I’m still SUPER proud of the hard work we all put in, especially when I look at these pictures! (Including my own, one shot that Christa took is my blog banner pic now—look up top here, where I’m putting on that lipstick!  I LOOOOOVE it!!)

Quotes from our lovely Boudoir Ladies!

“I have to say, the Boudoir photo shoot exceeded my expectations in every way. First of all, let’s be honest — for some of us hanging out in your undies in front of strangers could have been a very nerve-wracking experience. But it was actually quite the opposite, it was a ton of fun. Jenny had everything organized and seamless from beginning to end. The hair & makeup team were amazing and made me look & feel like a total pin-up girl. The photographers Kim & Kim made me feel so comfortable and gave such great direction, which helped a lot in trying to get the sexiest shots possible. The shot locations, poses, and lighting they dreamed up were very creative, and just what I had in mind. And the proof pictures I recently got back were unbelievable! I never dreamed they would turn out so incredible. I had a hard time narrowing it down to the final choices. Thanks for such a memorable experience. 🙂 “—T.H.

“I just wanted to say that I cannot be happier with this whole Boudoir experience from start to finish!  You girls are a class act and I’m not surprised by any means but it just makes me feel like I’ve not only come away with beautiful images but super amazing friends!!!!! 😉  I booked myself for this type of shoot solely for my husband and to give him an amazing gift for our 10 year anniversary but what I didn’t realize is that I cannot get over how beautiful I feel inside and out by looking at my pictures, I’m a little embarrassed to say but I just “cannot stop looking at them”!!!!!! 😉  Thank you again to you ALL from the bottom of my heart for making me feel like I “still have it”, even at 37!!!!!!  Much, Much Love!!!!!!! ;-)”—J.H.

“I had such an amazing time working with the women of Kimberly Jarman Photography. I always wanted to do a boudoir shoot but never had the time to coordinate hair, makeup, venue, and a photographer I felt comfortable with.  I was so excited when I read that Kim was doing the hard part for us and packaging it all together.  The photographers were so encouraging and made me feel beautiful.  The shots turned out great, I can’t wait to give my husband the photo calendar they produced for me. Thanks KJ & Co.”–C.K.

“The Boudoir experience for me was absolutely amazing.
I have wanted to do a Boudoir shoot for my husband for a very long time. I never ended up getting around to it and then we were expecting our first child. At that point I didn’t think I would ever do it!! I was 8 months postpartum when Kim posted the news of the Boudoir shoot. I decided to muster up the courage and do it!!!! AND OH MY GOODNESS! I am so completely ecstatic that I did. It was exactly what I needed! Kim and KB made me feel like complete super model. It was comfortable, fun and a total confidence booster.
Thank you Kimberly Jarman Photography for reminding me that I am still a sexy woman even after having a baby and being a tired sleep deprived momma!!! It was exactly what my heart needed and I know my husband has thoroughly enjoyed both the pictures AND the confidence boost! 😉 “–B.S.

“At first I was really hesitant and nervous about doing the boudior. I had never done any type of photoshoot before this besides my wedding pictures (unless you count Senior pictures in High school!). I was worried about not liking the photos and being to uncomfortable. I can honestly say that I am SO glad I took the opportunity to do this. It was such a blast, the girls made me feel great in front of the camera and the pictures turned out amazing. I would do this again in a heartbeat!”–C.M.

I love these women!!!  I wish I could put their GORGEOUS pictures up, but they’re private 🙂

Thank you ladies, you make us love our jobs even more!