Christmas gifts

December 1^st is a perfect time to start a list of unique gift ideas.  What’s different about these gifts, however, is that it will help your mind think out of the box – mainly because these presents can’t fit into a box.  I’ll be updating this list quite frequently, and actually would love some ideas to add to it if you so desire. Just email me at the address listed below.

Ok, so, time to get started.  The first outside the box gift idea is très magnifique!  Just like the Jelly of the Month club from “Christmas Vacation”, this is the gift that will keep on giving.  (PLUS there is a special Dayton Most Metro discount for our reader – see details at the end of the article)

Blush Boudoir truly is just the coolest place around.  Set in the oldest home/building in Dayton, Blush is the place that women go to get pictures taken so their men drool over the final results. I know, sounds risqué and intimidating, doesn’t it?  The risqué part is wonderful.  The intimidating part not so much.  Trust me, I was a little leery myself, so I went to talk to owner Tracy Malott in person.

First of all, Tracy is a model worthy photographer who has an eye for – and a gift with – the camera.  Not only does the camera love her from the picture end, but it also loves her from the lens end as well.  Let me just tell you that the minute you walk into Blush, you will feel à l’aise (translation: at ease.  I loved it there so much I can’t stop speaking French.  And I don’t even know French.)

Tracy greeted me at the door with a hug and a chocolate covered candy cane.  Ok, really?  What’s not to love?  She is so dang sweet (and has the most luscious eye-lashes) that I fell into immediate girly admiration.

Tracy started out as a wedding photographer, and changed over to boudoir when she realized that she really had a gift for it.   Let me share our conversation…

KK: So, Tracy – why did you switch from shooting weddings to taking pics of women in scantily clad clothing?

TM: Honestly?  I realized I could truly change lives.  This entire experience has the ability to make every woman that comes here feel confident and sexy.

KK: Well, just walking in here and seeing all the beds, the claw shaped bathtub with the crystal chandelier above it and all the romantic surroundings, I was ready to just jump in and get started!  But that’s not how it works, is it?  Because truly, I’d be a little hesitant.  I mean, these women are baring more than just skin, aren’t they?

TM: Yes! In the end, this isn’t about pictures.  It is about making all the women feel beautiful.  It’s about helping them see themselves the way their partners and spouses see them – sexy and pretty.

KK:  I love it.  How wonderful.  I’ll bet you get a lot of thank you notes from the guys.  So, what is a typical session like?

TM: Well, first off, I kind of hang out with them and make them comfortable.  I offer them a glass of wine…

KK: Or three?  I think I’d need three…

TM: You’d be surprised.  Because once we start talking, going over ideas and outfits, the women start getting relaxed.  And then we do the make-up and hair.  That alone is enough to make anyone feel special.  My make-up artist, Michelle Richardson, is amazing.  The women are always delighted when they look in the mirror.  And while all of this is going on, we just engage in girl talk.  It’s a fun time!  By the time the hair and makeup girls leave, and it’s just the two of us, they aren’t so nervous.  I coach them through it every step of the way. We laugh, drink wine, and the time just flies.

KK: This isn’t just about photos, is it?  There’s something magical going on.  I mean some of these pictures rival the calendars in a mechanics garage (and I say that with awe).  But not all of these women – in fact most of them – are not the typical “model type” women, are they?

TM: No, in fact far from it.  This isn’t about that.  I’ve had so many women struggling with weight issues, breast cancer, age, and more – and these pictures truly changed the way they thought about themselves.  Not to mention it enriched their relationships.

KK: So they come in nervous and a little wary – and leave as…

TM: Leave as friends.  And self-confident women.

KK: If you weren’t doing this (which I know it’s your passion and calling), what would you be doing?

TM: I’d love to mentor other photographers, and teach them to do what I do.

Ok, so here is my opinion.  You can’t teach someone compassion, zest for life, patience and love – and that is what Tracy at Blush Boudoir exudes. My booking will be after the first of the year.  I tried to tell her that I’d like to wait until I lost 20 pounds and she laughed.  “All the more reason to do it now”, she said.  “You’d be surprised at the final outcome – you will love the pictures and how you look in them – I promise!”

I’m convinced, and I hope you are too. There are several packages and pictures on her website.  This is an amazing gift that will benefit all. So, guys if you are reading this, I highly suggest buying a package for your woman.  It will make her feel like the sexy and loving woman you know her to be.  And girls – make your man go gaga by surprising him with loving, sexy and incredible photographs of the woman he loves best.

It’s out of the box – and outta the ballpark – a true homerun gift.  Check out www.BlushBoudoir.com or  the Blush Boudoir Facebook Page for portfolio pictures and package information.  And while you are there, read the testimonials.  They tell the trust story. Trust me on this one. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

If you  have special and unique gift ideas you’d like to see focused here, please email Karen at [email protected] or leave a comment below.

Dayton Most Metro / Blush Boudoir Discount

Blush Boudoir is offering a $50 Discount off of any Simply Blush, Ooh La La or Premiere Package booked by December 31, 2012 to our readers – just email Tracy at [email protected] and mention this article!

Karen Kelly & Tracy Malott

View all of our “Gifts Outside The Box” articles here:

• Gifts Outside the Box – Blush Boudoir
• Gifts Outside The Box – Lindy and Co.