August is my birthday month and as a proud Lioness #LeoSeason, it made perfect sense for me to spend my special day frolicking on the beach in a leopard-printed bikini wearing waist chains from my accessories brand Lapo Lounge. In August 2020, when we were all stuck at home and forbidden from traveling, I found an escape by taking an hour-long bike ride to a nearby beach in NYC. This beach became a saving grace for me, my fiancé, and our dog during the height of the pandemic. We made it a weekly escape from being stuck in our apartment and working from home. This specific beach is a hipster’s paradise in NYC – calm, less crowded than any other beach, LGBTQ+ friendly and topless. 

I hadn’t been to a topless beach before much less think about going topless in any public space. But seeing other women of all shapes and sizes on the beach going topless and owning and loving their bodies inspired me to give it a try myself. I DID IT. I let the girls free and felt amazing. It was an empowering, no-judgment zone and I got no stares or weird advances. This was the genesis of me deciding that every year, I’d do a photoshoot topless or in my birthday suit. It’s a reminder to love and appreciate my body now, so that when I pull these out of the archives at 65, I’ll be proud that 30-year-old me loved herself unapologetically. I am really looking forward to keeping this tradition going and I hope this post inspires you to start your own birthday photo traditions as well.

Keep reading to see how I styled this look…