I've been honoured to call this darling girl my friend for 10 amazing years, and every time we see each other, hugs, giggles and reminiscing abound. We talk with smiling faces, remembering countless Summer days spent together, sharing secrets, making memories. She taught me the meaning of true friendship, the magic of sharing happy moments and the fact that there is nothing more beautiful than a real smile. The day of our shoot, as I looked at her, all dressed up, gorgeous and glowing, I couldn't help but tear up.. My little Julianna, you're not a child anymore, and I am so proud of the amazing woman you are growing to be. I love you more than you could ever know.
"To me, beauty is so many things and it’s something I find really hard to define in just a few carefully chosen words or phrases. It’s a feeling. It’s the little things that make your day; a kind word, an action, a smile, a laugh. It’s something that you find in the ordinary that makes it special. It’s the lyrics, the melodies and the rhythms of your favourite song as they bind together to make something magical that tugs at the heart. Beauty is in the unexpected. It comes from within and shines through, even on the darkest of days. Beauty to me is all these things and so much more.
In the spirit of honesty, beautiful is something that I rarely feel, instead finding it in the people and things surrounding me. In the odd moment that I do, however, I’m helped along by my favourite dress, or my wonderful new shoes. Ultimately though, I feel most beautiful in the moments I share with my family and friends, talking and laughing as we share old memories and make new ones together.
I am most proud of my passion and commitment that drives me to keep doing what I love and find new things to love as well. I feel like I’m finally making the right decisions for myself and my life - dreaming big, but still living in the moment. Most of all I am proud of who I have become; a young woman with a head full of ideas and bounding excitement for everything that the future may bring.
My message about beauty and loving and accepting yourself for other women is that it’s always easier to find beauty in people and things other than yourself, and for this reason it’s so easy to get discouraged and begin to see yourself in a negative way. This is why my message is that everyone has something that makes them beautiful. Sometimes it takes a little push in the right direction to see it. But until then, the most you can do is accept yourself as you are, because your true beauty will always be there, even if you can’t see it.
I’ve never really been comfortable in front of the camera, so when it came to shoot day I was a bundle of nerves. Ulyana was calm and patient, always there with a friendly smile and an encouraging word. It was just what I needed to relax, and soon it just simply felt like old friends catching up once more. I felt very safe in the capable hands of both Ulyana and the talented Amanda, who worked wonders with my hair and make-up. Sure, I still felt a little awkward at times, but seeing what Ulyana was able to capture makes me now wonder why I did.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to properly thank Ulyana for the gift she has given me in this wonderful experience. She has helped me find something in myself that I never could see before, something that I thought I would never find, and for that I am forever grateful to my dear friend."
