What is it about you?

 I know it is good to be honestly confident, but humble.  By living that way, we can better empathize with others, yet have the belief in ourselves to get the job and get the job done right.  With all that  humility stuff out of the way, let's share that special something that about you that attracts others.  My only rule is that your answer is something about your physical appearance, you also have to share something intrinsic about you that makes you so damn attractive.

Gabbi - 063013 - SideB

So, what makes others hot for you?

I will say for myself, physically, it is my height (6'4").  Personality wise, it is a mixture of my dry sense of humor and and my quiet nature that lends itself to being a good listener. 

Now it is your turn.  What is it about you?

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Mischief ...

As obviously liberal and progressive people - both in our art and our lives - we embrace the delicious variety that makes life rich.   We adore love, sensuality, and happiness in all it's varied faces, forms, and combinations.   It's impossible to let today pass without sending a huge high-five to the Supreme Court of the United States for a step in the right direction.   To all of our LGBT and supportive straight friends we say congratulations and we celebrate with you!  Our nation is slowly stepping out of the shadows of bigotry and we stand together as we march forward into the light!

We take no credit for the image below, which reached us through so many Facebook shares that it's original source has been lost ... but it beautifully captures our mood today!

Celebrating Love - 062613 

The Great Outdoors

Believe it or not, I wasn't always a big city girl.   Once upon a time in Montana I was a simple country girl oblivious to the luxuries of penthouse suites in 5 star hotels, 8 course meals that last into the wee hours of the morning, and shopping that requires a dedicated team to carry all the bags.   Don't get me wrong - we had 3 tv stations, so I knew that such things could be imagined, I just thought they were like Mars - you know it's there, but you can't GET there from here!  For the most part, I've traded my naivete and small town/small mind perspective in for a much more worldly and infinite potential view.   Roughing it is no longer camping in places where you eat what you can kill or carry ... it's when I can't get in for my pedicure on Thursday!

But one thing that I still carry with me is a love for sunshine on my skin.   I don't need to hit the backwoods ... but I do love to step away from the zoo of city life and take a slow deep breath of clear crisp air.   The world is at once much larger and much more manageable when the skyline is trees and the blocks are fields.   Troubles come into sharper focus when the world expands to something infinitely larger than one's flatscreen or the four walls of an office.   And dreams always expand to fill the space we move through ... the sky isn't the limit anymore when you get away from the bright lights and see how many stars actually grace the heavens!

Au Naturel - 062513 - Miz B

Don't get me wrong ... I don't expect to trade in my Starbucks for a garden plot until I'm about 112.   I thrive in the hustle and bustle, and I NEED the action and noise and people - the energy of city life.   But even the most driven among us can benefit from a pause - a chance to just BE instead of the continual DO that defines us.   Go find a road less travelled ... take an hour to get lost someplace with no cell reception (push past the panic - it will pass!) ... take off your clothes and let the grass tickle your toes, the sun kiss your skin, and the breeze tease your senses.  Ok, ok, so even out there I tend to leave my stilettos on - but you get my point!   

Sunday Stroll - 062513 - Image Courtesy of YM Fotowerke

Barbs

A woman's dress should be like a barbed-wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view. - Sophia Loren

Jolene - 062313 - SideB

I have a few scars on my hands, arms, and back from being around barbed wire while growing up.  It is tough stuff to manipulate, to pull tight, to stretch, or to pass through.  All the time, the angry little barbs will reach out and rip into your clothes and flesh to remind you to stay on your side.

Even though it is rough stuff, barbed wire has a beauty to it.  The slow long twist of the long wires that stretches from post to post for miles, interrupted in short, regular intervals with the devious pretzel knot of something akin to a twisted, two-sharpened points nail that gives it half its name.

I think many women are like barbed wire - elegant, graceful in their unique way, and should always be both respected and not trifled with or crossed.  Men tend to be more like the fence posts.  We are WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get).  We give one dimensional height in the y axis as singular and two-dimensional length for miles on the X axis, as a group.   It is the barbed wire though that connects all the posts, one by one.  Barbed wire is used to keep things both out and in at the same time.  

The next time you see a sultry beauty, remember those barbs and respect them.  They cut both ways.

Fae Decay - 062313 - SideB

I feel the same watching him come or go.

Art is the concrete representation of our most subtle feelings. - Agnes Martin

I always wonder when I edit photos what the model was thinking during the captured moments.  Sometimes it is obvious.  Other times, I think she is being Mona Lisa, sharing a deeper, more subtle moment that can't be summarized easily with one sentence.

Krysta Kaos - 06xx13 = SideB

I find Krysta's emotions are different between the two versions of this same photo.   They make me wonder what is the truth in this image and what is being discerned out of it from the different treatments.

Krysta Kaos - 06xx13 = SideB

What emotions do you feel from these?  Any preferences between the two?

You slut. I honor you.

Moon Marie - 061713 - SideB

"Jane, you ignorant slut", was the first time I heard that term for a woman.  It was on Saturday Night Live during a debate segment called Point/Counterpoint  with Jane Curtain and Dan Aykroyd.  She would make her argument and then he would start his argument off with that line.  I had to ask my parents what slut meant and, like bitch, they said it was a derogatory term for a woman with no more details than that.

Slut or slattern is a term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous. The term is generally pejorative and most often applied to women as an insult, sexual slur or offensive term of disparagement, meaning "dirty or slovenly". However, in recent times there have been attempts to "reclaim" the word, while some individuals embrace the title as a source of pride. Wikipedia

One of my last posts before my break* I wrote about my evolving definition of the word bitch.  Like bitch, my definition of slut is also evolving.  I've used it as a pejorative a time or two in my life toward women.  Once in college, I heard overheard a woman in the cafeteria refer to guy as a boy slut.  I kind of wanted to be one of those.

What is the difference between a slut and bitch?   A slut will sleep with anybody.  A bitch will sleep with anybody except you. - source unknown.

Over the years since, many words have lost their power for me, especially insults.  I've either been the one that personifies the insults or have close friends that have as well.  I realized that being an asshole, slut, bitch, dick, cunt, etc., is part of the human condition and I've been all of those a time or two.  My goal though is not to be them all the time and to learn from the times I was one.

The term slut is similar to bitch for me. In my evolving view, both are terms that are going from being derogatory to positives. As I mentioned in my bitch post, "I now view the word bitch as an honorific. As Tina (Fey) says, 'Bitches get stuff done!' I respect the bitches I know. They have power, they have agency, and they deserve respect. "  I also respect the sluts I know.

In my definition I acknowledge that sluts have sex.  I also define a slut as someone who enjoys, craves, initiates, owns, explores, and celebrates their sexuality.  Yes, sluts have sex, maybe even lots of it.  Why is that bad?  If she were a man, he would be a stud and would be admired with a wink.  

In ways, I prefer the term slut to stud.  Stud usually refers to horses and breeding.  While the stud horse may get a lot of sex from multiple females, it is to procreate.  For most human studs, procreation is not the purpose.  Human studs are sluts due to the lack of breeding as the purpose.

In the past few years, the term slut shaming has entered our lexicon.

Slut shaming (also hyphenated, as slut-shaming) is defined as the act of making a woman feel guilty or inferior for engaging in certain sexual behaviors that deviate from traditional or orthodox gender expectations, dressing in sexually provocative ways, for requiring access to birth control, or even for being raped or sexually assaulted. - Wikipedia 

This makes me sick.  We hyper-sexualize and objectify women in our culture and then slut shame them?  What a double standard!   On top of that, the argument that wardrobe, behaviors and wanting birth control makes a woman a slut and that makes her being harassed, raped, assaulted, and even executed in some cultures is so unfounded and false that the debate over it is not worth the time it takes to write about it here.

To all the sluts out there (without even inferring gender), be proud of it.  Own your sexuality.  Own the word.  By owning it, it takes the power out of your opponents arguments.  Don't  let the slut shame assholes get you down.  As George Herbert said, "Living well is the best revenge."  For a slut, that living well includes enjoying all the great sex that the naysayers are missing or hiding in their sad closets.

*NOTE:  Thank you to Miz B for taking care of our blog and making it sizzle while I was away.  She is an amazing gem. 

Shadowscapes

Chill air puckers flesh

Starlight shimmers skin

Breastscape - 061513 - Miz B

Moonglow slides her curves

Shadows tease her grooves

Starscape - 061513 - Miz B

Light and dark on skin

Dark and light within

Touch Me

What is it about a man's hands?   You can tell a lot about a man by his hands, both by how they look and how they are used ... what he does for a living, how well he keeps himself up, and how safe you are in his care.   I love feeling tiny and delicate in the grasp of strong hands ... rough, clean, gentle hands give me shivers, no doubt about it!   

Touch, like so many other basics, seems to be a lost art these days.   Everyone is in such a hurry to jump directly to intercourse, that the erotic discoveries of touch have all but disappeared!  Newsflash people ... if you take the scenic route on the way to penetration, you will not only have more fun - you'll have better sex in the end!  

Whether you are a man or a woman, your hands are tantalizing tools ... able to convey more than any other body part.   They can caress, stroke, tickle, squeeze, massage, hold, tug, tease, penetrate, spread, spank, and twist.   They can do all of the above playfully, roughly, delicately, lovingly, or brutally.   Best of all, they can do all these things while you kiss, hug, talk, lick, and fuck.   Touch can be isolated or it can complement other senses.  It can surprise, comfort, overwhelm, or calm.   It can be the difference between mechanical "tab A in slot B" sex and an intense sensual connection.  

Touch Me - 061213 - Miz B

I vividly remember my shock and delight when an unexpected touch technique turned convenient sex into a mind-altering experience.  After a doggie-style induced orgasm, I was happy just to find my partner savvy enough to pause a moment a let me catch my breath.  But while waiting for the stars to clear my vision,  panting in the pillows, I realized that his hands - so fiercely gripping my hips a moment before - were now gliding up my spine, thumbs pressing and probing the center groove, fingers massaging up my sides.  His hot palms engulfed my shoulders - not for purchase in his thrusts, merely to surround me and soothe the tension from my still quivering frame.   It was so unexpected, so selfless, and so sensual ... his hands relaxed me so completely, his touch captivated me so suprisingly.  When I began to arch to his touch with renewed passion, our joining had changed completely.   Were we suddenly more than a wild night of spontaneous chemistry?  No - never saw him again.   I never knew his name, but I absolutely remember every detail about him.   He is not just another ghost in the shadows of memory ... he changed me, taught me, and truly touched me.   His hands are in my Hall of Fame and his touch echoes thru my encounters till this day - my hands pay it forward and perhaps yours can too!   

Touch Me II - 061213 - Miz B

Erotic Interludes ... The Grand Opening

We hit the city with just enough time to drop our bags in the suite and enjoy a relaxed dinner - melt in your mouth filet, buttery crab, a crisp local Riesling.

Life is good, the night is young, and we laugh our way back to the hotel to get dressed for the spotlight.


Smoking little black dress:  check.
Crisp pressed dress shirt:  check.
Sky high stilettos:  check.
Rolex:  check.
Jewelry, hair, makeup:  check.
Fresh edge:  check.
All systems go for the hot new club grand opening gig.

It all starts with a zipper.   With the best of intentions, we are putting on the ritz, focused on the red carpet night ahead ... the cab has been called, the bottles are on ice waiting for us in the VIP.   But that damn zipper ... 

Strong fingers tug while soft lips murmur against the back of my neck.  Dizzied by his cologne, I lean back into powerful arms.  Pressed to powerful chest, breath catching in my throat ... where were we going again?   No no no ... the zipper ... you were helping me with my zipper.   

And back to the zipper he goes, and it slides slowly with that delicious sound ... but down instead of up.  The perfect dress pools on the floor ... thick fingers tangle in perfect curls ... hungry mouths smear crimson lipstick  ... and minutes dissolve into steamy hours.   From the couch to the balcony, the bed to the shower ... our hearts drop the beat, the city is our flashing lights, and our cocktails are licked from each other's skin.   We celebrate a grand opening indeed ... with a guest list of two.   As dawn breaks over the cityscape, the night music fades, revelry slips into contentment ... and we curl together in pillowy linens, savoring the best party we never attended.

Make It Rain - 060713 - Miz B

Chemistry - I Know It When I See It!

Chemistry.   That "je ne sais quoi."  The "It Factor."   Ask me to define it and you will get a ramble with a side order of babble ... I can't tell you exactly where it comes from, but I absolutely know it when I see it!    In life and in erotic art, genuine chemistry is not just the ideal, but the whole point.   Anyone can take off their clothes and go through the motions ... we've likely all had shoots (and sex!) with all the sizzle of a day at the laundromat.   But oh, when everything clicks on all cylinders, we become greater than the sum of our parts!  

When "you" and "I" truly mix and react into a whole new "we," there's no telling what we'll create.   Sometimes it's a quiet and vibrant reaction, a kaleidoscopic swirl of light and color.   Sometimes it's a violent explosion of heat and sound, at once awe-inspiring and slightly dangerous in its intensity.  And every once in a while, it's a result so foreign that it can't quite be classified, but it lingers in your cells and begs for replication ... lightning in a bottle, inexplicable and visceral and {could it be?} spiritual.

Chemistry - 060413 - Miz B

One of the most amazing things about people is that we react with others in infinite combinations.   The human sexual experiment is so uncontrollable ... impossible to replicate person to person, moment to moment.   Results are constantly shifting and evolving.   Each result alters us, so that we bring a very different input to each new reaction.   I can't tell you what will happen when we combust together ... whether it is the first time or the 100th ... I can only tell you that I live for the thrill of finding out.   
Kudos again to Renard Yearby for another awesome pairing of image and poetry!   

Mmmmm You Know What a Girl Likes to Hear!!

There is a dark twisted vein that runs from the base of my neck, down my back, thru my heart, and into my loins ... and for some reason this site stimulates it!  ~Rob

Well, color me tickled pink!   Comments like that definitely fuel my drive to expand the reach of shadowsexposed ... more contributors, more readers, more amazing erotic art!   Obviously, *I* love what I do ... but there is always something so exciting and rewarding about finding a connection with like minds.   Passions shared are passions fed!   Thanks, Rob, for allowing us to pulse thru that delicious twisted vein of yours! :-)

Asia Unleashed - 060213 - Miz B

I'm also loving all the feedback for our models ... and encourage you to leave more comments for them on the photos that light your fire!  It is always exciting for one's work to be featured and fun to see the feedback ... I try to pass on the "fanmail"  that hits my inbox, but sometimes I can't keep up with everything, so commenting here is a better way to show your appreciation!   We're very lucky to have an articulate, artistic, and intelligent readership, so I will forgo my usual pleas that everyone keep their comments classy! ;-)

Step Into My Parlor - 060213 - Miz B

"The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything." ~Nietzsche

Spotlight on Asia - 060213 - Miz B

Mmm mmm mmm ... have I mentioned that I love my job?!   Enjoy these exclusive images of the lovely Asia!   I suspect that she'll be dancing through the shadows in our dreams ... what a delicious way to start our week!