Shello Fishes! So, I wanted to tell you guys about my most recent mermaid adventure! So I'm a "part-time" member of the Nashville Mermaid Pod, and I saw that they were planning a group swim for March 13, 2021. I thought, "Oh, perfect!" The 13th is my late mother's birthday, and I had some time off of work I needed to use up, so I thought it sounded like a nice little weekend trip. To make the most of it, I also booked a session with Abbey and Ben with CreateWell Underwater. (I mean have you SEEN their work?!)
Covid being covid, the group swim was canceled, no worries, and I decided to keep my booking. Since it was also my mother's birthday, I decided I wanted to do a little something in her memory as well.
Yellow roses were her favorite flowers! Every year on her birthday, I buy myself a few yellow roses. I usually put one out to sea- or whatever body of water I can find, and I keep a couple for myself to have around the house. She was definitely a lover of the ocean, especially the beach. So I created an arrangement of silk yellow roses and other little floral fillers, and took it with me down to Nashville.
So, how was the shoot? It was so fun Fishes! And also pretty challenging! I may have my SSI Mermaid certification, but I do not yet have any freediving training, and am still working hard on my buoyancy control. (I'm definitely a floater!) The stuff I shoot myself, I'm usually pretty deep or midlevel under the water. For those epic reflection shots, you need to be pretty close to the surface, that was a struggle for me, but I did "ok". Also sinking straight in shallow water took quite a few tries! I knew I struggled in these areas going into it, and was looking to learn as much as I was looking to get some awesome shots. I for sure got both! I learned a lot, and have some stuff I will continue to practice on. It was a truly valuable experience! It's also great having Abbey ( @MermaidVlogs on Instagram and YouTube) who knows the mermaid struggle, and is great at helping guide and instruct!
As for the location, it was a little tricky to find, but not too bad. It is located in Lebanon, TN, which is about 1/2 hr outside of downtown Nashville. They have a little private pool that they rent out. The water is warm and super clear! And the pool surfaces are a nice clean white, which is really nice! Not super deep, maybe 8-9 ft, and it's indoors! Which is definitely a perk in the cold months or rainy weather! Oh, and the shower to clean off with- had the most amazing water pressure EVER!!
What did I wear? Well, my Mertailor silicone Spellbound with the Seawhip fluke of course! She's a little big on me (which is another story), so I also wear a silicone gap wrap (at least until she can be sized down). I paired that with my Finfolk Productions Coral Coast Te Fiti silicone top. My makeup is mostly Emily Alexandra Cosmetics (shameless plug- use code "Em25" for 25% off your order https://emilyalexandracosmetics.com/)
The images are so gorgeous! I love them so much! And I even have a couple dedicated to my mother, or course! I plan on posting those on my socials around Mother's Day. So check out the images, and go book your own shoot with Ben and Abbey at https://createwellllc.mypixieset.com/underwater/
So what's next?? Well, while I was in Nashville, my husband Chad and I also visited Selfie Scene- so I have tons of pictures from that! Some have already been posted to my socials, but I have sooo many more! I've also got a tail at the seamstress which I will hopefully have back soon. This weekend I'll be joining Mermaid Straw and the Northern Indiana MerPod for a beach clean up! And in June, I'll be taking a special mermaid trip down to Florida! So keep checking the blog for more Joliet Mermaid fun!