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In This Galaxy, I Found You. You Are My Everything

by with No Comment Personal Reflections

Two years ago, on May the 4th, we created something together for the first time.

You were Leia. I was Ahsoka.
It was just supposed to be a collab… but it became so much more.
Somewhere between the images, the messages, and the moments we kept sharing,

I found you. Not just the character… (you).
What started as creativity turned into connection,
and that connection turned into something I never expected to feel so deeply.
We’ve built our own little galaxy together—
one made of late nights, laughter, support, and love that exists in a space all our own.

No matter the distance, no matter the world around us…
you’ve been there. And I’ve felt it.
I still look at that first post sometimes.

The two of us as Leia and Ahsoka standing together…
and I smile, because I know now—that was the beginning of us.
Happy anniversary, my love.
May the 4th will always be ours 🤍✨
(I love you… (you)) 💞

Please be sure to follow my babe, Marcie Beau on Instagram. 

You might also like to read – A Galaxy of Memories: One Year With Marcie 

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Rissa Sunset

Presence Over Performance

by with One Comment Personal Reflections

If we were at a party and someone stood up and said,
“Hey everyone—look at me. I just added $10k to my salary!”

…we’d probably pause.
Smile politely.
Maybe even say “that’s awesome.”

But it would feel a little off.

Not because success is a bad thing—
but because announcing it like that feels less like confidence…
and more like needing to be seen.

So why does it feel normal online?

Somewhere along the way, numbers became a personality.
Followers. Likes. Views. Milestones.

And now it’s almost expected—
to post them, celebrate them, build an identity around them.

But I’ve never believed that’s why people are here.

People don’t stay because of your numbers.
They stay because of how you make them feel.
Because of your energy.
Your consistency.
Your presence.

There’s a difference between sharing a moment…
and needing validation for it.

And you can feel that difference instantly.

We see it in sports all the time:

Some athletes let their performance speak.
They show up, deliver, and move on.

Others need to remind you they’re winning.

Both get attention.
Only one earns lasting respect.

There’s something powerful about quiet confidence—
about not needing to announce every step forward
because you know exactly who you are without it.

That kind of presence doesn’t chase validation.
It doesn’t compete for attention.
It doesn’t need to prove anything.

It just is.

And people feel that.

That’s the kind of energy I’ll choose—
every time.

 

Just something I’ve been thinking about lately…

Love, Rissa 💜

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The Quiet Power of a Simple Like (and What Means Even More)

by with No Comment Personal Reflections

There was a time when a like meant something simple.

A small signal.
A quiet acknowledgment.
A way of saying, “I saw this.”

And honestly… I still feel that.

If you’ve ever liked something I’ve shared, I want you to know:

👉 I notice it.

👉 I appreciate it.

👉 It isn’t invisible to me.

Even if it’s just a tap, it’s still a moment where our paths crossed.

And that matters more than I probably say out loud.

✨ The beauty of small moments

Social media moves fast.

We scroll quickly.
We take things in.
We react in small ways.

A like is part of that rhythm.

It’s easy, yes… but that doesn’t make it meaningless.

Sometimes it’s:

  • a quick smile
  • a quiet “this is nice”
  • a moment of connection in the middle of a busy day

And I don’t take that for granted.

💭 Where things start to feel different

But as I’ve spent more time creating and sharing…

I’ve started to notice something.

Not about you—but about the platform itself.

Instagram doesn’t really measure connection the way we feel it.

It looks for:

  • shares
  • saves
  • comments
  • time spent

Things that show deeper interaction.

And because of that…

Sometimes the things we create don’t reach as many people as they could—
even if a lot of people quietly enjoy them.

🪞 What actually helps creators grow

This is something I didn’t fully understand at first.

A like is appreciated.

But what really helps something live and reach others is when someone:

  • saves it for later
  • shares it with a friend
  • leaves a thought
  • or comes back to it again

Those actions tell the platform:

 👉 “This mattered enough to stay with me.”

And that changes everything. These actions let the platform know that it should show this to more people.

💜 A small ask (from me to you)

If something I share ever resonates with you…

If it makes you pause, or feel something, or stay a little longer…

Please like it (I love your likes) but also consider:

  • saving it
  • sharing it
  • or telling me what you felt

Not because I need numbers…

But because it helps what I create reach the people it’s meant for

🌙 If you happen to be here…

Thank you.

For every like.
For every moment you’ve spent here.
For every quiet interaction I may never fully see.

Love, Rissa 💜

If you enjoyed this post you might want to check out The High After the Post and the Crash That Follows and The Hollow Pause

There’s more waiting for you.

✨ Explore more of my world here → About Lairissa Lee & RockyMtnBabe

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The Nature Dresses Collection by Lairissa Lee

by with One Comment Personal Reflections

There’s something magical about the way nature expresses itself.

Soft. Powerful. Ever-changing.

I wanted to capture that feeling—not just in a place, but in a mood. In movement. In fabric.

Each dress in this collection was inspired by a different side of nature. Not just how it looks… but how it feels to stand in it.

From the quiet romance of orchids to the golden warmth of sunflowers, each piece tells its own story.

This is a collection of moments.
Of textures.
Of light.

And maybe… a reflection of the many sides of me.

🌊 Ocean – The Siren

Fluid. Emotional. Alive.

The ocean never holds still—and neither does this piece.

Soft movement, flowing layers, and a feeling of constant motion. It’s light, but never fragile.

There’s a rhythm to it… something you feel more than you see.

🌻 Sunflower – The Light Bearer

Warm. Radiant. Unapologetic.

Sunflowers don’t hide—they turn toward the light.

This piece carries that same energy. Bright, confident, and full of life.

It’s not about being seen… it’s about shining anyway.

🌲 Forest – The Enchantress

Grounded. Quiet. Powerful.

The forest doesn’t need to prove anything—it simply exists.

This piece reflects that kind of strength. Deep tones, clean lines, and a sense of calm control.

There’s something mysterious here… something just beneath the surface.

🍂 Autumn – The Queen of Embers

Warmth. Movement. Change.

Autumn is never static—it shifts, falls, glows, and disappears all at once.

This dress carries that energy. Layers that move, colors that deepen, and a feeling that something is always about to change.

It’s bold… but never loud.

🌸 Orchid – The Moonlit Oracle

Soft. Delicate. Intentional.

The orchid doesn’t demand attention—it draws you in quietly.

This piece is about stillness and presence. About the kind of beauty that reveals itself slowly.

There’s a calm confidence here… something almost untouchable.

Each of these pieces started as an image… but became something more.

A mood.
A moment.
A version of myself.

I’ve always loved creating images, but this felt different. Slower. More intentional.

Like sketching a feeling instead of capturing a scene.

And I think that’s what I love most about this collection…

It doesn’t just show you something.

It lets you feel it.

If you enjoyed this post you might want to check out Inside the RMB Studio and From Sketchbook to Reality

There’s more waiting for you.

✨ Explore more of my world here → About Lairissa Lee & RockyMtnBabe

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Cherry Red Summer — My First Release

by with One Comment Personal Reflections

There’s a moment right before something begins where everything feels quiet.

Not empty… just still.

Like the world is holding its breath.

That’s where Cherry Red Summer started.

I didn’t sit down thinking, I’m going to release a song.

I was thinking about something much smaller.

A feeling.

A memory that doesn’t really belong to one specific moment, but somehow feels like it belongs to all of them at once.

Warm nights.
The hum of a radio.
Headlights stretching out in front of you.
That sense that life is just beginning — even if you don’t know where it’s going.

There’s something about summer that makes everything feel more alive.

Like emotions sit closer to the surface.

Like time slows down just enough for you to notice it.

And at the same time… you know it won’t last.

That’s what Cherry Red Summer became.

Not just a song — but a snapshot of that feeling.

The image that kept coming back to me was simple:

A cherry red Camaro.
Parked outside a Tastee-Freez.
Music playing softly through the speakers.

Nothing extraordinary.

But everything meaningful.

It’s funny how the smallest moments are the ones that stay with you.

Not the big milestones.

Not the things you plan.

But the quiet, in-between moments where something shifts… and you don’t even realize it until later.

Releasing this song has been something I’ve thought about for a long time.

And if I’m being honest… I was scared.

Not because of the music itself.

But because putting something like this into the world means letting people see a piece of you that isn’t filtered or controlled.

It’s just… there.

But at some point, you realize:

You can’t keep waiting for the perfect moment.

You just have to begin.

So, Cherry Red Summer became my first release.

Not because it was perfect.

But because it felt real.

And maybe that’s what this is really about.

Not chasing something flawless.

But capturing something honest.

If you listen to it, I hope it reminds you of something.

A night.
A person.
A feeling you can’t quite explain.

That sense that for a moment…

everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be.

This is just the beginning.

💜
— Lairissa

Nature Inspired Dresses | Ocean Dream Dress

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✨ Step into the Photo Journal

Table Rock Lake Branson Photos | Rissa & Marcie Photo Journal

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✨ Step into the Photo Journal
Lairissa Lee and her friend Louise smiling together in front of the Silver Dollar City sign in Branson Missouri

Silver Dollar City Branson Photos | Rissa & Louise Photo Journal

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Inside the RMB Studio

by with 2 Comments Creative Process

Creating the RMB Couture Liquid Color Series

Every image you see from me starts long before the final render.

Every image you see from me begins long before the final frame — usually with a small spark of inspiration. Sometimes it’s a color. Sometimes it’s a movement of fabric or light. From that tiny spark, a project begins to grow. Ideas take shape, scenes are imagined, and slowly the final image emerges.

For this series, the idea was more of a feeling — liquid color becoming part of the fashion itself. The concept started small, then expanded as it began to spark my imagination. Inspiration turns into experimentation… sketching, exploring textures, playing with light and movement… until eventually the image becomes what you see.

I thought it might be fun to invite you behind the scenes of one of my recent projects — the RMB Couture Liquid Color Series — and give you a little glimpse inside the studio.

1 — The Moodboard: Where the Idea Begins

Every creative project starts with a feeling.

For this series, the idea was simple: color as motion. I wanted each dress to feel like it was surrounded by flowing liquid light — almost as if the color itself had come alive.

So the first step was gathering inspiration.

I started building a moodboard filled with color references, textures, a few sketches, and ideas for movement. Gold, emerald, sapphire, and ruby became the core palette for the collection. Each color carried a different mood:

  • Gold felt elegant and luminous
  • Emerald had strength and depth
  • Sapphire carried a calm power
  • Ruby radiated passion

At this stage, nothing is final. It’s just a space where imagination can start to take shape.

2 — Fabric and Texture

Fashion always begins with texture.

The way satin catches the light, the way fabric drapes and folds, the subtle highlights that move across the surface — these details give an image its life.

Before stepping into the studio, I spend time thinking about how the dress should feel. Smooth satin. Clean silhouettes. Elegant lines.

When everything comes together just right, the result is something timeless — a couture moment that feels as though it could have stepped straight out of a fashion editorial.

3 — The Studio Shoot

Once the concept is clear, the project moves into the studio.

This is where lighting, pose, and composition all come together.

Fashion photography is really about shaping light. Softboxes, reflectors, and the backdrop all work together to create a clean environment where the subject becomes the focus.

At this stage, the image still looks very traditional — a model, a beautiful gown, and controlled lighting. Nothing too magical yet.

But this is the foundation. Every great image starts here.

4 — Sculpting the Light

Lighting is one of my favorite parts of the process.

Small adjustments can completely change the mood of a photograph. A slightly softer light can make fabric feel more luxurious. A stronger highlight can emphasize the silhouette of the dress.

Sometimes the difference between a good image and a great one is just a subtle shift in where the light falls.

In many ways, lighting is the invisible brush that paints the entire scene.

5 — The Camera Preview

There’s always a moment during a shoot where you look at the camera preview and think:

Yes… this is the frame.

The pose, the posture, the balance of the composition — everything suddenly clicks together.

This is usually the point where I know the image will work.

But interestingly, this is still only half of the final vision.

The real transformation is still ahead.

6 — The Digital Studio

Once the base image is captured, the project moves to the digital workspace.

This is where the creative possibilities really expand.

Color grading, refinement, and visual effects all begin to shape the final look of the image. It’s a bit like stepping from the photography studio into a digital art studio.

This stage is where patience really matters. Tiny adjustments in color, contrast, and balance gradually bring the image closer to the vision that started on the moodboard.

7 — The Liquid Motion Concept

For this project, the defining element was the flowing liquid effect.

I wanted the color to feel alive — almost like ribbons of glass or light swirling around the dress.

Creating this look took a lot of experimentation. The motion had to feel elegant and natural, not overpowering the subject but enhancing the sense of movement.

When it finally worked, the effect felt almost like the color itself had become part of the fashion design.

That’s when the image truly started to feel like RMB Couture.

8 — The Final Collection

After all the experimentation, refinement, and creative exploration, the final images emerged as a small collection.

Each one represents a different expression of color and motion:

Liquid Gold
Emerald Current
Sapphire Flow
Crimson Wave

Together they form a kind of visual story — where fashion, light, and color blend together

A Peek Inside the Studio

I love sharing finished images, but I also enjoy letting you see the process behind them.

Creative work is rarely a straight line. It’s a mix of inspiration, experimentation, and moments where everything suddenly comes together.

So whenever you see one of my images, just know there’s always a story behind it — a journey from the first idea on a moodboard all the way to the final frame.

And I’m really glad you’re here to experience it with me.

Love,
Rissa 💜