Testimonials


See what our past clients have to say about what the Jewel Boudoir Experience has done for them!

Heather’s Story

This experience was exactly what I needed. My friend, Christy had won a free photo shoot from the VIP Group and gifted it to me.

In May 2021 I was diagnosed with Stage 2, HER2+ Triple + Breast cancer. I’ve always struggled to feel good in my skin. I never put myself first once I had my children, it was always about them. That’s what a mother does, right!? Sometimes we lose track of what WE need for ourselves. I know once I was diagnosed I started to think about all of those things I could’ve been doing differently for ME.

It really hit home for me when I was diagnosed. I knew there were so many unknowns that were about to happen over the upcoming 12 months. Will I lose all my hair? Am I going to win this battle? How am I going to look and feel?

I thank God for Christy for gifting this to me. It gave me strength to have confidence walking around in my own skin and not worrying about what others think. I am not as worried about the little things, and focused more on getting myself healthy and conquering this battle! I don’t think anyone will ever know how much this experience has changed me.

Thank you Julie, for making me feel comfortable and being so uplifting. I walked in pretty nervous, but before I knew it I was walking around like we had known each other for years. I have a newfound confidence in myself and for that I will never be able to thank you enough.

To top it all off, the pictures are amazing!!

Christy’s Story

I booked my first boudoir photo shoot with Julie after my very brave, friend posted on Facebook that she had ventured out and had one done. She had all good things to say about her boudoir session; how it made her feel, how comfortable it was and the importance of self care. I realized this was exactly what I needed.

I have struggled with taking care of myself and appreciating who I am for years. It’s always been “after I lose this weight,” “after I take care of this job or kids,” or “too tired and busy to stop and do me for a bit.”

My expectations of myself have always been too high and my self image too low. I believed I couldn’t really be beautiful on the outside unless I looked a certain way and that was never going to happen. My husband is a great guy but the quiet type; you know those ones, right, ladies? I absolutely know he loves me and thinks am beautiful but his words are few. I need that; women need more sometimes!

So, after booking the shoot and getting some advice from my friend and Julie, I began some additional self care routines. They were small steps; so small that my family didn’t even notice, but I DID! Self care, even the basics, made a huge difference in how I felt.

I walked into my photo shoot feeling nervous and thinking that she is going to have her work cut out for her to get good photographs; let alone beautiful ones!

Then, just like that, I was comfortable! I felt great. The photo shoot was full of laughter and fun. I took my first look at the preview pictures and was stunned at how BEAUTIFUL I was without editing; yes, even without editing. Beautiful!

Sometimes in life we must realize how truly generous we are as women and Julie captured that!

I am extremely excited to gift this to my husband and plan my next boudoir session.

Thank you, Julie!

Christy

Lindsay’s Story

I just want to start off and say I’ve been through hell and back as a child. I was physically abused by my older sibling in my early childhood years. At age 16 I fell for my first bad boy. Things quickly turned and he kidnapped me, held a knife to my throat, and made me get into my own truck to take me away. Luckily, I had personalized license plates that saved my life! State troopers pulled us over before anything happened.

At 18 I was sexually abused shortly after I met my husband, who was also emotionally, mentally, and physically abusive. I lived that life for a long 12 years before leaving him. The last assault from him about killed me, and that is when I knew it was time to say enough is enough!!

I was torn down from my past. When someone would call me beautiful or compliment me, I would get mad or laugh because I have never seen my beauty; my past had stolen that from me. All I could see was this broken beat-up girl inside of me.

When I walked into Julie’s studio, I felt this calmness rush over me. I felt safe and I knew I could be myself. After our photoshoot I looked at my pictures I was blown away that I was looking at myself! I could not believe that was me and for the first time in 32 years I saw my beauty and my strength! I went to a friend’s house after the photoshoot, she could not believe how amazing I looked, and when she said, “You are drop dead gorgeous,” I smiled at her and said “I can finally see that I am.”

Ruthie’s Story

My story... I am your grandmother, your mother, or your friend. Just an ordinary woman who has raised a mixed family of his, mine and ours into productive adults with families of their own. Grandmother of 6, a Grandmother of 14 and a Mother of 6. We all still enjoy together times camping or boating at Rathbun Lake in the Summers and concerts and Fairs whenever. Demo Derby is a long enjoyed excitement. I began to notice as my age number got bigger that there were certain stereotypes of the members of my Hippie generation now sometimes disparagingly called Boomers. I took a serious fall at work the winter of 2009 resulting in 2 surgeries. I could no longer work for a while and walked with a cane. My inner Diva took a big dive but resolute to regain what I had lost. For my 67th birthday I gave myself a best gift in that direction. I booked a photo shoot at Jewel Boudoir. Something I wanted and needed for ME. One great decision to get dolled up and feel my best self and let the inner woman come out to play once again. I enjoy sharing positive posts in our group many that have helped me along. Your body may age but your soul is at its prime. I love seeing all the beautiful women that are realizing a magic fire of life within and sharing that strength. Thank you for helping me on my journey.

Mary’s Story

I have never had much self-esteem. I have always had weight issues, but I finally got tired of playing Sad Sally and did something about it. A friend had told me what she was doing, so with self doubt, I went ahead and tried it. First week I did lose some, but being doubtful I thought it was just water weight. I continued my journey. Fast forward to today, I am not at goal but am smaller than when I started.

Julie had put an offer on her page to take boudoir pictures, hair and makeup done along with it. I jumped in with both feet. Was very nervous about it, but Julie really makes you feel like you are special and at ease. I had such a fun time! She is very passionate about what she does! Very professional. I had such a fun time doing a shoot, that I booked another shoot. So if you are having any doubts about doing this, don’t! You are beautiful in your own way no matter your size. You have people that love you for who you are. Julie takes very tasteful pictures. So with this said do something for you, to make you feel like a star for a day!

Ann’s Story

I like to start by saying I stumbled across Julie by accident one night. I was trying to be funny and sent kind of an awkward joke as to why I wanted to do the photo shoot. I wanted to do it for a boyfriend that seemed to not have interest in a physical relationship. It destroyed my self-esteem and I had never had anybody make me feel that way before. What I didn’t realize though it was him that was sick, I thought there was something wrong with me. I thought that if I could do a sexy photo shoot maybe he would see that I was just as sexy as what he incessantly liked to watch on the computer. I even considered having plastic surgery and coloring my hair to look like them. Julie’s ad came into my life at just the right time. When Julie reached out to me to see if I was still interested, I had broken things off with my then boyfriend. She then asked me for a real answer. I then decided I wanted to do these photos for myself and no one else. I was comfortable, but in so much pain my heart was breaking. I went through every pose and I thought these are gonna look terrible, everyone will notice the pain in my eyes, but I had so much fun. Time just flew by! I think we took longer than what she’d actually intended, but I had a great time. When she showed me the photos I couldn’t believe that was really me. I left feeling really good about myself. I met an old time friend in town after the shoot and I’ve known this gentleman for 7 years; he’s 8 years older than me. The minute I walked in his jaw dropped. He kept telling me how absolutely beautiful I was and that he has never ever seen anybody like me. It was then that I realized I am just fine. I am normal. That relationship nearly killed me literally. I lost so much myself, But Julie helped me regain so much of it. I do have the ability to say no and to set my limits after all I have my tambourine picture hanging in my bedroom I wake up looking at it each morning to remember just how beautiful I am, curves and all, but I was able to rise above all that garbage and I can breathe. Some day I’ll find somebody that I will love again. And I’m OK if I never do find a partner. I have so many friends my family and my little granddaughters that love me and that’s the best kind of love in the world.

Susie’s Story

Some might say that a person who survives cancer is a Survivor, but I like to think of myself as a Thriver – thriving is way better than just surviving!

My cancer story:
At the age of 41 I couldn’t take the negativity and abuse that my then husband was putting me through. When the abuse got physical, I filed for divorce. I think that saved my life in many ways. He was not happy unless I was apologizing in tears for whatever I did that wasn’t good enough. It was emotionally exhausting. I knew my health insurance would change because of the divorce, so I went and got a physical (first one in years). I was not doing regular breast self-exams. Thank God, I got that physical. They found a small lump on my right breast, a mammogram and ultrasound followed. Based on its shape and size, they did not think it was cancer. They decided to do bi-annual mammograms and ultrasounds to see if it changed. After 18 months, it started to grow.

In the meantime, divorce was finalized, got a promotion at work, and met a wonderful man. I became healthier and stronger than ever in this new life of independence and joy. All of the medical providers I saw said they were pretty sure it was not cancer even though it had grown; it didn’t look like it, didn’t have cancer characteristics, and I shouldn’t worry, they said, so I did not worry. Even after surgery when it was removed and sent off for biopsy, the surgeon said he was pretty sure it was not cancer. Two weeks later, I got the phone call at work that it was cancer and I needed to get back in right away for another surgery. Wow! My happy world turned upside down with that phone call. I was 42 and my son was 11. Would I live? Would I need chemo? Would I need a mastectomy? Lose my hair? All of the things that made me feel like a woman were at risk – my life was at risk. I felt broken. I felt broken for quite a while after that and sometimes that feeling resurfaces.

I look back and thank God that I got divorced and we caught the cancer early. It was stage 1A, it had not spread, they only removed 2 lymph nodes. I did not need chemo and I did not need a double mastectomy I needed only a lumpectomy, radiation, then medication for 5 years. I finished the medication, tamoxifen, last spring. That medication was well known for horrible side effects. I was blessed to have very few. I feel like I had the “easiest” breast cancer ever! That’s one way to look at it, huh? I was stressed, believe me. When I worried, I prayed. “Let go, Let God” – became my mantra. I even got a tattoo a year after my diagnosis with a pink ribbon intertwined with a cross that says “Let your faith be bigger than your fear.” My faith kept me sane and keeps me from feeling broken.

I was not attending church before all of this. I didn’t go to church growing up. I had been saved as a teenager at a church youth event I went to with a friend. But I didn’t have a relationship with God. I had discovered worship music because of a Life 107.1 window sticker. I love music – usually angry rock music but I found worship music maybe 10 years ago. I still love both. As I lay on that radiation table 5 days a week, 15 minutes a session, for 7 weeks, looking up at the cross on the ceiling that changed colors, I would pray and listen to worship music in my head. It gave me peace and appreciation for the blessings of my life. I visualized the cancer leaving my body and being strong and whole again. That is what exactly happened too! I am now going on 6 years cancer free.

Since then, I’ve gotten married to that same wonderful man I mentioned earlier, changed careers (less stressful now), became a CrossFit junkie, and I have done a few CrossFit competitions (not a winner but at least I try). More importantly, I’ve found a church family and was baptized last summer. I am by no means an angel or pure, I’ve done many, many sinful things, but I know I am forgiven. When my father passed away unexpectedly a few weeks after I was baptized, I was heartbroken BUT I trusted that he was with God. I dream of my father often – in one dream, he said to me “You’ve been blessed with such faith.” At my dad’s funeral, I saw his body in the casket and thought “that’s not him, it’s just the vessel.” Like I said, my faith kept and keeps me sane. This life is short, eternity is forever.

I include this because it is a huge part of who I am now. My attitude is one of gratitude for all that God has given me. If I don’t appreciate the good, why would he bless me with more good? I love all that life has thrown at me, the good and the bad. I learn from the bad. It gives me perspective. I am a work in progress spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally. I think we all are. That is the beauty of life – the growth and joy we get to experience if we are open to it.

My photo session with Julie was amazing, empowering, joyful, and it helped me to see myself through a different lens. Normally I see myself as goofy, not much makeup, not perfect, not like I look in those photos. The photo session made my “vessel” look beautiful Now I see a glimpse of what someone else may see in me. I feel like the angel I appear to be in that photo – amazing! I don’t feel my age at all, but I will turn 50 this year. I call it level 50, not 50 years old. Level 50 sounds way more bad ass! When I was young, I thought 50 was old, weak, and certainly not glamorous. My image of aging has been redefined by this photo session and by recognizing how I am thriving in this life! I hope to do another session some day – maybe when I’m Level 60!

Whatever your age, your appearance, your background, there is joy to be found all around you! Just open your eyes to your blessings, open your heart to know God, and surround yourself with those who will lift you up and bring joy to your life. Getting to know Julie has been a joy. Thank you Julie for an amazing experience!!!