Being a woman can be rough. The media tells us how we should look, feel, and act. It affects women of all ages, shapes, and sizes. It has such a negative impact on how we deal with every day life. How we think about ourselves. Simply Lush Portrait Boutique was founded to help women recognize their true beauty and confidence. To help women understand, they are gorgeous NO MATTER WHAT.

A few months into the business, Build Me Up Beautiful was created. It started as a private Facebook group. It’s a friendly community of women who are there to help build one another up instead of tearing them down. Sharing photos, advice, stories, inspiration, and other resources that will serve to educate, entertain, encourage, and empower women. Now, with over 200 members in the group – monthly gatherings are hosted. Generally, about 10-15 women show up each month to hang out, take a break from life, and inspire one another or share how they’ve been feeling recently.

A couple of months ago, there was a body positivity project shared in the private group. Everyone went nuts! The original post began to go viral and received a lot of positive attention. We decided we wanted to spread the word of self-love in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We reached out to the original poster (JW Photography) for permission, of course. They were so happy we were so inspired and loved that we wanted to do something similar.

Working for Simply Lush Portrait Boutique and seeing how women feel about themselves every day – how I have felt about myself in the past – this project really spoke to me. With the body positivity movement becoming more popular – we wanted to contribute as much as we can. We are hoping for part two in early Spring!

We also raised over $100 to donate to our local Women’s Resource Center!

Thank you so much to these women who braved their insecurities and allowed me to capture these raw/intimate moments to share to the world. Nothing is photoshopped except minor manipulations to the signs being held so they are easier to read.

Help us spread body positivity!

Body shaming must end; no one is perfect.