Photos by: Kat Harris

Have you ever met somebody, and instantly you knew you were going to be friends? Last fall I was incredibly blessed to cross paths with Miss Sara 'Tutti' de Monte. Sara is my soul sister. We've danced together, sang together, cried together, snuggled, and I am a continuously challenged to be a more grounded and whole person with the girl in my life. She lights up the entire New York City with her smile, beautiful soul, and her genuine love for people.

Sara has a passion for women knowing their beauty + one of the ways she expresses that is through her Boudoir Photography....it seemed only fitting then for this installment of Beauty Is that we did a little Boudoir session of our own.If you don't know Sara or her work, find her, follow her, and there's a big chance that you'll fall in love with her.

I love you, Tutti, more than you know. I'm so grateful for your presence in my life + so excited for your journey to unfold!

XO,

Kat

Embracing Your Light

Through the years as life unfolded, bringing lessons in the form of anecdotes, I slowly discovered my North Star - the light that shines so bright in my heart that it’s impossible to ignore - it’s my personal message of love and truth. It’s the reason I’m here: I want women across the world to know their value, feel appreciated + spread a message of self-love.

I’ve been blessed with an insatiable curiosity + desire to connect that makes me talk to strangers on the subway, ask way too many questions to people I’ve just met and spend hours talking to my friends about things you probably wouldn’t spend four minutes on. These are all blessings passed onto me from my darling mother, who hasn’t met a stranger in her life and has taught me that everyone has a story (it always starts like this, with a smile of course, “Where are YOU from?”)

Indirectly, I’ve become passionate about boudoir photography because of her and the women in my life. Femininity, sexiness, intimacy and beauty are all related in that however you feel about one of those is probably exactly how you feel about all the other things. Is that a fair statement?

Growing up in Puerto Rico, where there’s a tangible passion for women + everything that involves being a woman, gave me a solid base of understanding a healthy relationship with your femininity. This, along with the interactions I witnessed between my father and mother, aunts and uncles, grandmother and grandfather, taught me this: women are beautiful! Their beauty should be celebrated, not only by those around them but it should especially be embraced by women themselves.

“Women are beautiful” -Tutti del Monte

Once a woman is empowered by her own value, there’s a sudden light that follows her. It’s magnetic and liberating! I’m certain you know exactly what I mean. So what does this have to do with embracing my light? Well, I’ll tell you.

My light, my purpose in life is to spread this message to women, because I want to live in a world where we lift each other up, learn from each other and celebrate each other. Wouldn’t you?

Through boudoir photography, I’m able to connect with women on a deeper-yet-natural level, on a level we should interact with each other regardless of whether there’s a camera present or not. I’ve witnessed women seeing their true beauty for the first time, because they’ve finally been given permission to. Wait, what? Yes, you are beautiful. YOU are beautiful. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Going through this wildly fun experience is just one way of unleashing your femininity + inner vixen. When you willingly put yourself in this light, magic shines through. I'm a firm believer that letting go of insecurities, doubts and what-ifs will give room for light, love and lots and lots of beauty - the natural kind!

I’ll leave you with this thought: There’s a light inside of you. What’s its splendor revealing? Discover it. Embrace it. Unleash it. Once discovered, embraced + unleashed, beauty will surround your journey.

With love,

Tutti