This month I had the pleasure of working with a Mother and Daughter for my Everyday Beauty Project. I have known Trista since I was little because she worked for my Dad. Trista has always been such a hard working Mother! Always willing to do whatever it takes to give her children what they need. She is incredibly giving and caring for everyone around her. Trista has two biological children, four step children, and has adopted one. Being the total introvert that I am, I didn't know her children at at all before this year where I have to get to know Jadzia better over this last year as she danced with my sister's dance group.
When I first saw Jadzia, there was no question who her mother was! She looks exactly like Trista! Such beautiful women! Their dark eyes and high cheekbones are amazing! So this was incredibly exciting for me to be able to play with makeup on their gorgeous features!
A few months into the dance season I learned that Jadzia had enlisted with the Army! WOW!! This was so surprising to me! Inspiring! So I took the opportunity to ask if they would be willing to do the project. I thought, "How often do we have such beautiful little soldier in this town!"
I asked Jadzia why she wanted to join the Army. She said, "I don't really know! I was at school and there was a job fair. There was an Army recruiter there. As soon as I saw their desk it was like a light went off! I walked straight over and asked if I could enlist! They said I would need a parents signature. So I went home and talked with my parents and it all just happened from there!"
I asked Trista how she felt about Jadzia joining the Army. "With two for my kids graduating this year. Having one going off to the Army is a sad and happy time in life, but at the same time I'm feeling like I'm losing part of me with her going to be gone for four years and me not being there when she needs me to hold her hand if she is hurt or just being there when she need me to. I'm proud of her for making one the biggest decision of her life."
While I was preparing for this shoot and looking for inspiration, I used Google to look up different key words that I thought would help me..."Patriotic Women", "Army Women", "Strong Women"... What I found was nothing but women in skimpy bikinis or less and wrapped in flags. How Sad! I wanted to make this a classy shoot showcasing the feelings of the process. The mother looking onto her daughter who stands strong on her own. The Grandfather watching down on them.
This is what I think of when I hear of a Patriotic woman! Someone who loves her country, who stands strong and is willing to fight for everything she loves! We do not need to be in swimsuits to make a statement! The above photo shows Jadzia wearing an American Flag vest holding onto an American Flag. The setting is a Veterans Memorial, she stands looking up to the women who have served in the past. The mother sits praying at home, worried and proud all at he same time. Trista's Dad served in the National Guard. The Flag in the case at the bottom of the statue is the one that draped his casket. The ghost photo is her Father in uniform. I know he is looking down on them and very proud of the sacrifices they are about to embark.
This shoot was incredibly hard to pull off! The wind was INSANE!! It was also freezing cold so we did the photoshoot a little earlier in the day than I usually prefer! But these two were CHAMPS!! Share their story with your friends and leave some love for them in the comments :-)