Our most treasured possessions link us to the people we love and to the people who love us. They remind us of where we have come from and the experiences that have shaped who we are. They remind us of our inspirations, our aspirations, our purpose.
In these photos, Cierra Mills shows us summer fashion from Belle Ever After Boutique in Ste. Genevieve, while sharing the stories of her tattoos that hold deep meaning for her.
Here’s to summertime, and to being both interiorly and exteriorly beautiful.
My tattoos are my memorable treasure. They are an incomplete roadmap to me; each one means something significant. My first one, which is on my left wrist, is the word LIVE. I first got this when I was in a dark part of my life, and it was a reminder to myself to live each day. Now the meaning has changed a little bit, because I’m not just living my life day by day, but I am really living my life to the fullest. The second is linework of an eye on my right ankle, meaning the eye to your soul. It is one of my more spiritual tattoos. My third tattoo is kind of a dedication to myself, incorporating my sun, moon and ascendant signs as well as a sun and moon. My fourth and favorite one is a butterfly on my right arm. It is one for my beautiful — inside and out — mom. The meaning behind a butterfly is all about growth and embracing change; she has one, and now I do as well. My tattoos are representations of the most important things to me; I am so lucky to be able to carry them with me through everything. Here’s to four and counting!
Cierra Mills poses at the Jackson City Swimming Pool in Jackson while wearing a romper from Belle Ever After Boutique in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. Photographs by Mia Pohlman.
