Donna Abma | Women Of Excellence

 Another shoutout for an amazing woman! Donna is the director of Stepping Stones, a program that supports pregnant or parenting young women and their families, through the Central Alberta Youth Unlimited in Lacombe. She provides them with connections to social support, domestic abuse support, career advice, mental and physical health care, and even spiritual well-being. She has also organized many sessions on basic living skills such as budgeting and parenting. She provides this without judgment or hesitation and always goes above and beyond. She is very compassionate, loving and always encouraging. Donna is living and breathing definition of girl power and believes in women helping women. Donna works hard to elevate a generation of younger women who need the guidance of their elders.

Tammy | Genuine Portrait Series

 Hey Friends, it's been a little while since I posted a Genuine Portrait Series session here!!  But it just so happens to be Volerra's second birthday this week (hooray)!!  So, I thought there was probably no better time to share some photos of the incredible lady then now.Meet Tammy.  Tammy hand-makes gorgeous jewellery which is as easy on the eyes as it is on the soul .  Her attention to design and love of nature is evident in every single piece.  You should really just do your lovely free-spirit a favor and head over to her website (or instagram feed).  I'm serious, just looking at her jewelry will leave you with that good sorta feeling.  You know the kind I'm talking about?  Hard to miss, but hard to describe.  I asked Tammy if she wouldn't mind sharing a little bit more about herself and Volerra, so without further ado, here she is:

"Working from home as a graphic designer full time while still managing a house, two small children, battling anxiety and hardly sleeping - my days were getting stressful. Apart from healing myself holistically, I delved into ways to bring peace and calm to my everyday by adopting minimalism, and decorating in ways that were very soft and inspired joy.

Gemstone jewelry came next. I had been making jewelry all my life, starting out with glass and wood beads and through my hunt for peace I progressed into gemstone beads.  I started making bracelets I could wear everyday that would help me with my stress and anxiety. With so many women out there wanting peace, and also self-confidence, love, healing, and gratitude - I began carefully selecting stones and botanicals to share my pieces with others in hopes that it could help other women on there journeys.

I want to create pieces that not only do good, but also in styles and hues suitable for any occasion and all outfits. I want women to wear these frequently so that they can gain the most benefits from them. I now offer gemstone bracelets, bracelet sets, naturally shed deer antler necklaces, beach jewelry and I have even taken the leap into making children's gemstone jewelry.

Perhaps starting a second business isn't everyone's idea of how to manage stress, but I have always found joy in making things quietly. I pour loving thoughts into each piece and find the act of creating things with intention so rewarding."

It is always such a joy to have such a kind, creative soul in front of my camera!  And am so grateful that our paths have crossed.  I CANNOT wait to see what's in store for you, Tammy, and Volerra in your third year <3

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Karlee Prins | Genuine Portait Series

 Hi Friends!!  I am so excited to share another set of images from Genuine Portrait Series! I would like you to meet Karlee Prins.  Karlee is one of those women who light up the room with her kindness and confidence.  She is a HARD-working Mama of 4 who left her psychiatric nursing career to become an entrepreneur and she is absolutely crushing it, if I do say so myself!!  If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook you probably already know, but Karlee is also the talented Make-up artist for all of my Boudoir Marathons!!  I am honestly so glad to have her on our team.  If Karlee had a superpower, it would probably be making others feel absolutely amazing!!I asked Karlee if she wouldn't mind sharing a little about herself, so here she is!"When a women is deemed to be confident its perceived that she must be conceited, or self-centered! Our society in general has made a confident women seen this way! And because of this, we choose to dim our lights, to make others feel more comfortable.Let me tell you what gaining more confidence has done for me....I used to be the type that would walk into a room and feel like people were judging me, were talking about me, or didn't want me to be around me. In fact I felt nervous and would stutter more. I used to look in the mirror and feel that without makeup, I wasn't beautiful. I used to feel that my dress size reflected me as a person, and that I had to fit a certain mould to be beautiful. You see I, like so many women, cared more what others thought than what I believed or thought of myself. It wasn't until I began on my journey with Younique that I realized you can walk into a room full of women you have never met, and not feel like you're being judged. And in fact, leave that room with life long friendships. I realized that pouring more into myself through personal development and surrounding myself with women who are constantly lifting you up, has been the biggest contributor to me finally realizing I'm worthy. I'm enough. I can walk into a room now and not care if people are judging or talking about me. Why? Cause I'm confident in who I am and know I can't control what other people's perceptions are! It doesn't bother me like it used to. It has made me love myself more, and genuinely have a sense of peace inside me. And that sense of peace is like no other! Can you honestly say you're happy? I can!So the next time you see a confident women, instead of being intimidated by her, be inspired. Be inspired to find yourself enough that you can truly say you are content with who you are and who you were created to be! My goal is to help as many women as possible know how amazing they are, how WORTHY they are, despite their looks or pant size! My goal is for my kids to know they can literally do anything they put their minds to, to follow what their hearts are telling them, and to NEVER dim their light to make someone else feel more comfortable! We each have a path, and we each have many gifts and talents! My hope is that you can be confident enough to realize your own, to embrace who you are, and let you light shine so bright the world will have to wear sunglasses!Be Confident. Be You! Cause you're amazing! And my gosh girl, you are so so WORTH IT!!" If you guys want to chat more with this fantastic chick, find her on Facebook!  You can also check out her website, www.youniquebykarlee.com.  Thanks so much for hanging out guys!!  Have a great week!!!Warmly,Karmen