For most people, birthdays are a day that’s either hugely celebrated with all of the things that the birthday person enjoys OR the opposite – spending the day trying to steer clear of any attention surrounding the event. Then there are those few, rare individuals whose birthday falls on important holidays like the 4th of July, Valentine’s Day, New Years Eve, etc. Unfortunately, I was born on Christmas Day which means that my birthday is often overlooked while everyone is so wrapped-up in the Christmas hullabaloo…
If you know me, you know that I am an over-the-top, talkative woman who loves the spotlight! I’m quick to be the first one to volunteer to try something new and I thoroughly enjoy speaking to large groups of people. I’m also not afraid to wear bold clothing that has people stopping to compliment me or ask where I purchased my outfit. So if you haven’t already guessed, I’m frequently labeled as “extra” – something I’m quite proud of. 😉 But my birthday falling on the most cherished holiday in America has often left me feeling overlooked and, quite frankly, not special.
In the past, I’ve thrown my own birthday parties at the beginning of December in order to beat the overbooking of holiday parties that arise the closer it gets to Christmas. While these parties have always been fun, in 2018 I decided that I wanted to do something a little more special for myself… Pinterest came to the rescue with an amazing idea – a birthday photo shoot! I mean, what better gift to give to myself than a reason to sew a new fancy outfit, get dressed up and have my photo taken?! 😉
My first birthday photo shoot took place in 2018 for my 25th birthday and it was a BLAST! The theme was “Never Growing Up” because I had one more year left under my parents insurance before the government kicked me off of it. I made the big, fluffy princess skirt without using a pattern, had my makeup done by a pro at Sephora and paid a friend-of-a-friend to take some photos of me. Click here to check out more photos.
In 2019, I decided to make the birthday photo shoot a yearly tradition and my second annual birthday photo shoot’s theme was “Time To Grow Up”. The thought behind this one was that I turned 26 and got kicked off my parent’s health insurance so it was time to be a “real adult” now. I used a McCall’s wedding dress pattern to create the ballgown that I wore in the shoot. It was my first time making something so extravagant – a challenge that I greatly enjoyed! I hired Protography Studios, a local studio in Houston, to take the photos for this shoot. Click here to see more photos.
For my most recent photo shoot, a new idea struck my mind in July and I decided to run with it.. The theme for my 27th birthday photo shoot was “It’s My Birthday and I’m Showing Up In My Birthday Suit!” This was the very first suit I’ve made, plus the very first outfit I’ve made with sleeves. I used a Simplicity pattern that I had bought on a spending spree in my younger days and tossed into a drawer where it’d been laying untouched for years. It fit on the first try and I didn’t have to rip out a single seam – for those of you who don’t sew, that is a HUGE accomplishment when trying a new, challenging pattern. My amazing boyfriend took my photos this year and has won himself the job of doing so from here on out. 😉 Click here to see the Instagram post with these photos.
If you’re interested in seeing what I create for my birthday photo shoot over the next couple of years, be sure to follow @whatisheybailsdoing on Instagram! I promise you won’t be disappointed. 😉
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