An Amazing and Inspiring Story

This past Christmas, we decided to do our very first boudoir giveaway. We had an overwhelming response with over 100 entries and choosing was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make! With the help of my amazing team, and lots of prayer… we decided to bless Natasha with the boudoir shoot. Natasha had no idea she was even entered. Her sister and 3 of her friends all entered her without her knowledge. They each gave me different reasons they were submitting her and why she deserved it. I could not help but be completely touched at how many people wanted her to win!! After learning more and more about Natasha, I felt I could connect with her and relate to her in so many ways. After we surprised Natasha with the prize, I asked her to write her life story in her words. I could not wait to get to know this amazing young woman more. After reading the story below, I knew in my heart without a doubt that we had given the right woman the prize. I am so deeply touched by Natasha’s resolve to be the best woman she can be and that even though she has had an extremely difficult life, she still strives to live her dreams every single day. She is truly a woman who deserved to do a boudoir shoot… she even told us she has never won anything her entire life and I was SO happy we were able to give her this amazing experience.

Be sure to read her story… I know you will be inspired as was I.

I was born in Bakersfield, California September 26, 1986. Because of the lifestyle my mother was living while she was pregnant with me I was born extremely early at a whole 4 lbs. The doctors said I wouldn’t make it out of the hospital alive with all the major health issues that comes with being a premature baby..and later  in life I was diagnosed with a mitral valve prolapse.  At the age of three my parents divorced and my mother and my younger brother moved to Louisiana. My older sister and I stayed to live with my father in Arizona until they could work out custody issues. Months later my mother, grandmother, and my uncle all set out on a mission to find us. Through social services they located where he had us camping out…a small apartment in the middle of California. They taped their license plate and then watched as my father went to work and then broke into the apartment (where 2 women were doing drugs off the coffee table) and demanded they give us to them… they did…. and my dad never came after us. They drove over state lines, checked into a hotel, and cleaned us up. That’s how we ended up in New Iberia, Louisiana! My mother became deep into the church and religion. Church was our lives and so was her new boyfriend. My mom re-married soon after. My mother stayed married to him until I was 13 years old. Those years were something you would watch in a movie. I can’t even put into words the abuse this man inflicted on our family. Every kind of abuse you could and couldn’t imagine. My whole child hood I lived in fear, It was complete terror.  After many years of my mother being terrified for her life she got enough courage to leave him. The divorce was finalized in 2000 and within months my mother pulled me and my brother out of our schools and moved us to Lafayette to live with her new boyfriend (My older sister @ 16 yrs old moved in with some friends). I remember sitting in my bedroom and thinking how I would never be so dependent on anyone like my mother was always so dependent on the idea of a fairy tale life with a man. When she met her new boyfriend she completely lost control of her life..it was almost like after all the years of “holding it together” just blew up in front of her..and our relationship suffered. A year later her boyfriend ended up kicking us out because he and I really couldn’t get along. We moved back to New Iberia and moved in with my grandparents…6 months later on October 23, 2001 my mother was killed in a car accident. My grandparents became parent figures, which I appreciate dearly. I met my real father about 5 months later but he really never tried to stay a part of our lives. I haven’t spoken to him since I was 19.

At 15, a freshman in high school, and suffering the lost of my mother I really went through a dark year of feeling sorry for myself and angry at God. But entering my sophomore year I really began to look at life differently. Everything I had been through…all the obstacles became motivation for me to be a strong woman. I really wanted to make things happen for myself and I began to look at all the things God has blessed me with… there were so many people who had been through things far worse than I. At 16 I started working 2 jobs so I wouldn’t have to ask my grandparents for money. At 17 my grandparents saw how independent I could be…and they started allowing me to pay for all my expenses. Once I moved to Baton Rouge for school my grandparents and cut me off financially.  I began working job after job to save money to go to school. For years I was working 50-70 hours a week just to survive. I saved every dollar for school and put my self through BRCC and then transferred to LSU. Through my journey in Baton Rouge, I met some lifetime friends, came into my own, and met my future husband (who is such a cutie!)

I was never really exposed to true love, so as you can imagine, I didn’t believe in that deep pure love…or that it could ever happen to me. I met and started dating Dave in 2006 and I can really say he has completely changed my life. Our relationship isn’t a fairy tale but a real relationship filled with respect, friendship, and love. I have never met someone so genuine and caring. I really believe God sent him to me as a gift. Since he proposed to me in August of 2009 we have been saving for our wedding in June.(yay!)  I can say my life hasn’t been easy and I have worked so hard for everything I have but I feel so lucky to have someone like Dave in my life. The life we have created together allows me to completely disconnect from all the hard times and focus on what’s important. My memories of child hood are nothing of picture perfect but it really has made me realize that I can go through anything and be OK. I really believe God doesn’t put you through more than you can handle…which is almost flattering considering everything I have been through. We recently relocated to the Houston area for a job transfer and I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life. I miss my mother dearly and I know she would be proud of the woman I am today…as am I

*I want to first thank you Courtney for allowing me to do these pictures for Dave, which without your generous gift wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you to my beautiful sister Nichole and my amazing friends Hannah, Danielle, and Michelle for entering me into this contest..it means so much to me that you would take time to do something so nice for me..I love you all.

When Natasha came in for her shoot, she started out a little shy… but I absolutely LOVE that we were able to bring out her inner Vixen and show her what a beautiful woman she is not only on the inside, but the out.

Thank you N for being such an inspiring woman with a beautiful heart. No matter what comes your way or happens in life, never lose that beautiful soul and spirit you possess. Thank you for allowing me to share your story and photos. xoxo

Hair/Makeup by Courtney Davis of Kiki’s Consulting. Thank you Courtney for donating your time and talents to helping N feel beautiful!! We couldn’t have done it without you!!!

Absolutely loved this outfit from Elle MacPherson Intimates. SO PRETTY.

Are those shoes to DIE FOR or what!??!

For N’s third outfit, she brought some accessories to give a more “Indian” feel. She is part Cherokee so I thought it was not only fitting but EXTREMELY cute and creative!!! Even the shoes were perfect.

LOVE: