Cherishing Yourself

Do you find it easiest to focus on the needs of others? You are likely in tune with your children, your friends, your spouse. You tend to be a likeable person. You're quite adaptable. When you start to become irritable or snappy, you feel out of character and uncomfortable.

Women are geared to excel and flourish in relationship. But when we overlook our own needs and desires, we may find resentment and stinginess creeping in. Our levels of joy diminish. Our giving comes out of an increasingly shallow pool. And if left long enough, our body or soul will finally scream at us or we will find ourselves screaming at the ones we love. But with regular time to care for ourselves and recharge (wellness strategies), we won't get so desperate.

Do you know what feeds you? Do you know what you love? Do you know what drains you? Two simple ways you can get more in touch with yourself are:

• Morning pages/stream-of-consciousness writing - Start with a blank sheet of looseleaf or a notebook of similar size and write whatever comes into your mind for three pages. Don't stop to think, process, or censor. Simply put down on paper whatever enters your mind. You do not have to "be" a writer. You just write. First thing in the morning is ideal, or whenever you really feel off-centred, need to make a decision, or whatever. There is something about committing our thoughts to paper that make them more concrete.


• Collage - With back-to-school-sales everywhere, now is the time to pick up one of those coil-bound Hilroy scrap books. Take your magazine stash or ask a library for some old ones, pick a topic or theme, and rip out images that you are drawn to. Put them into an envelope or ziploc bag and when you have time and enough images, glue them into your scrapbook. You may choose a theme of interior decorating (things you love) and find your style emerge. You may just pull random images and find a theme emerge. If you are grieving something or have unprocessed emotions, collage can be a powerful tool as well.

If these ideas sound good on paper, but you have no idea how to actually incorporate them into your life, here a few more tips:

• For collage, pick one evening for "me-time" and start.
• For morning pages, go out and find a nice journal or simply buy some 20-cent looseleaf at Superstore, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and just do it. (Hint: finding a pen you love using really helps!)
• But the important thing is to decide to do something that's good for you and then do it!

Another way to cherish yourself is to find things that help you feel beautiful. One way I recommend (of course), is to book a consultation with Rodney at our studio. You'll have a chance to get to know one another, talk about what an Eve Session might look like for you, and look at some albums of women much like you, who have chosen to do something special. It takes a little time and a little courage, but it's so worth it! Call 221-8413 or see our website for online contact.

One other thing: our fall promotion (Sep. 1 to Thanksgiving) is here.

1. Every outdoor session booked will also include in-studio time free of charge. Outdoor sessions are $300 plus GST. It's a beautiful time of year, so don't miss it!


2. Every person who orders a regular-sized album (starting at $495) will receive a free itsy-bitsy album (value $159) for free. You will love how easily they tuck into a pocket or purse.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will "Join In" or find us on Facebook (see sidebar), so we can stay in touch!

Saying Goodbye to Summer

A Meditative Walk at the Beach on an August evening

As summer comes to a close, I begin to anticipate the coming of autumn. It's one of my favorite seasons. Maybe it's because I'm a bit of a homebody and love the feeling of nesting, making hearty soups and stews, and using my oven again. Maybe it's because I love the changing colours, the falling leaves, the warmth and aroma of a fire when the air is a bit nippy, and the feel of jeans and a sweater.

Even though the earth is moving into a season of decay and dormancy, I always feel like it's a time of new beginnings. Perhaps that's largely due to the school calendar (I was a perpetual student for 25 years). Perhaps there really is something in the air that causes me to think of new visions and goals. Certainly, as I look forward to fall, the concern for my children's growth and wellbeing factor into how I want to shape my time and their lives.

What are your aspirations as we approach a new season? What have been the roadblocks in the past? What resources and skills do you possess to bring your ideals into reality? What small steps can you take to move in that direction (thanks, Alfa Life Coaching for these reflective tools). We'd love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment here or email Sonya or Studio at EveStudios.ca (just avoiding spam here by writing it out...please change to email format).

Check back soon for our fall promotion. Until then, remember that you have until the 31st to make use of our crazy summer promotion where studio sessions are $50 and outdoor sessions are $75 (a savings of $150-$225).

Seeing is Believing...

As women, we can go through life, gaining wisdom and experience, growing softer and stronger, taking care of those closest to us, becoming more of who we're meant to be, and still be blind to how beautiful we are. Perhaps it's due in part to the fact that, as we grow older, that beauty looks a lot different from that rather narrow category of beauty "out there", but still it's our beauty. So many people around us see it: in the way we smile, the way we love and laugh, the way we bring out the best in people, or whatever it is that makes us uniquely us. We may even have a partner who adores us and the way we look, but still we have our doubts. Here is the story of one woman who, shortly after turning 50, came into our studio.

Gale, 50

Business owner

I was in your studio in April, and did a photo shoot with the idea that I wanted a gift for my husband for our 30th anniversary. Another motivator for me was my husband was always telling me how beautiful I was, and I wanted to be able to see what he was seeing. Having turned 50, I think I was needing a bit more assurance.

The trip to the studio was a bit nerve racking, as I really didn't know what to expect, and this was something very "out of the norm" for me to be doing. Rodney made me feel very comfortable very quickly, and spent time getting to know and understand me. The day was a very special one for me, and one that I will never forget. Reviewing the photos was a wonderful experience. The private slide show really made me focus on the images that were taken, and see myself in a new light.

I am very happy with the end result, and am so glad that I made the decision to visit the studio. My husband was also very happy with his gift. He keeps my album on his dresser, and changes the page every couple of days -- my portrait on the wall greets him each day, and he has commented time and again how special it made him feel to have such a personal gift. Whenever I glance to the photos, I always leave with a smile and a little more bounce in my step.

All in the all, this was a fantastic experience, and I would highly recommend a session at your studio to women of all ages, shapes and sizes, not just for someone else, but most importantly, for themselves. I came away with a new sense of confidence in myself, and here months later, the experience continues to have a positive effect.

If you even think you would like to experience what we do at Eve Studios, I encourage you to give Rodney a call at 221-8413. Today. Or fill out the contact form on our website, http://www.evestudios.ca/