So, get this. I've been telling myself for ages that Kristen and I once did this awesome lifestyle shoot just to test things out. But it turns out, I thought it was all just a crazy fever dream that never actually happened. Fast forward nearly a year, and I'm knee-deep in my backup drive when - BAM - I stumble upon the photos.

 

As I looked through them, memories flooded back of Kristen and I discussing my vision for the shoot. It all started with that feeling you get when you wake up on your birthday and just feel like, "well, this is it. I might as well put on some makeup and fake a smile, 'cause things aren't getting much better." Does that ever happen to you, or am I just weird? Haha.

 

Anyway, I remember how rough some of my past birthdays were, like when I turned 21 and 30. It felt like life was over as I knew it. But even though I was feeling low, I still got up, did my hair and makeup, and sat on the couch thinking I should've booked a trip to the beach or something.

 

That's why I wanted to recreate the "dark side of birthdays" with this shoot. You know, that stuff no one really talks about - the shadows that come with aging, and how we don't celebrate ourselves enough. So we got up, baked a cake, and just hung out doing whatever we wanted.

 

The truth is, not everyone loves birthdays, and that's totally okay. It doesn't mean you can't celebrate in your own way.