Encourage Beauty Campaign: Recap

I sure have loved participating in the Encourage Beauty Campaign this week! I'm normally not a selfie taker and honestly as a photographer, I feel more comfortable behind the camera lens. This week has been wonderful as I've seen other women take part and show off their inner beauty. I was thinking back over women who have made a positive influence in my life in regards to beauty. There are so many girls who look to celebrities for their standard of beauty and I'm grateful for my mother, my aunts and my mother's best friends who demonstrated their own style with grace, modesty and spunk.

Here's a look into the photos that I used in the campaign this week on Instagram:

Monday | Makes Me Feel Girly: Wearing dresses! I enjoy feeling feminine and classy.
Tuesday | Always Gets a Compliment: So thankful that my beautiful sister was in town for the weekend! I absolutely love her to pieces and am so thankful for her heart! My smile. I enjoy smiling and love to see smiles on others as well.
Wednesday | Boldy Rockin' My Favorite Color: I love these two women, my mother and sister sure do make life better! The combination of our personalities is lovely and I adore that we each rocked bold colors this past weekend.
Thursday | Fresh Face & Simply Styled: My favorite outfits have become comfy patterned tshirts, paired with gold studs and the Stella & Dot blessed necklace my mother just gave me. I've embraced letting my natural curly hair do its' thing and normally don't leave the house with out my chubby lipstick.
Friday | Celebrating My Best Feature: My husband always compliments my hair no matter if it is straight, curled, scrunched or in a messy ponytail. I'm thankful to enjoy my natural color and the fact that I can wear it in a variety of ways.

Did you join in on the challenge this week? Show me your pics! Feel free to share the image below with a friend as a reminder to encourage the beauty that you see in others. I hope that you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
                                                                          

Returning Home After Life Overseas: Part 1

It's been three months since Drew and I returned home from China and coming home has been a whirlwind full of visits with our families and friends, job searching and adjusting back to American culture. Typically the first question we are asked to answer is, "So, How was China?". My first reaction is usually an overwhelming feeling of panic as I try to compact a year of our living there into, "It was great! Difficult but very rewarding". It's been hard to find the words to fully convey to someone who truly cares and desires to hear about your life, but honestly will not be able to truly connect to what we went through, unless they experienced it for themselves. Don't get be wrong, I want to share my heart with others about what we went through, to tell the stories of the young women we were living life with, it's just that a lot of what we saw and heard was full of pain. So much of what we witnessed in living there was packed with controversy, topics that will never make headline news because of serious political and dangerous implications but topics that regardless of these implications need someone to act upon them. There is so much background information that we learned about the country, the people and the culture that to try and tell stories quickly is nearly impossible. I know that it will take time for the Lord to help me process through it, for now it's good for me to talk to my husband, who thankfully gets it and journal my heart out. 

We have enjoyed our time living with my parents and we are so thankful to be blessed by their love and generosity. This adjustment period has been alright overall but there are times when something will hit you unexpectedly and you will have a "hard America" day. I was talking to a friend this week about how many things I took for granted that are common place in America. Everything is so easy here. Daily tasks (praise Him for clothes dryers), the ability to speak to (pretty much) everyone you meet in English, driving around and not having to use public transportation, a variety of food choices, having indoor plumbing with a Western style toilet (if you've never experienced a "squatty potty", you're not missing much), the ability to shop in a store that will offer the ingredients you are looking for, central heating and air and the easy access to friends and family. As grateful as we are to be back and be surrounded by so much comfort, we feel guilty. We know that it's from the enemy and are actively fighting against it but it's tough. In China, we grew accustomed to a new town, new people, seeing poverty (I don't know if you can ever really adjust to it but it becomes a bit more a part of what you encounter day in and day out) and even in the joy we did experience, what we went through was difficult. Life changing. And we know that we won't ever do life the same way that we used to. We are trying to take each day as it comes and be patient for what is ahead.

A good friend shared some truth with me as we were deciding whether we were going to remain in China or move back to the US. I've gone back to this truth so often as we have been home and I'm so grateful for her wisdom. She told me that what we were doing in China was difficult and it's okay to both admit and acknowledge that fact. She told me that the Lord chose us to carry out what He desired during our time there and to feel cherished to be the ones to fulfill the task. She told me that whatever we decided and wherever we are living that there would be open doors to minister to others and serve Him wholeheartedly. I am so grateful for our time there, my heart wants to burst when I think of the girls we were serving and how much I miss doing life with them daily. I fell in love with their culture, their language, their smiles and their hearts. I feel like a little part of my family has gone away on a trip except I won't be able to contact them.

At the same I'm so ready to live in our own home, start pouring my heart into new women and start over here. I feel like the Lord constantly has us in a new waiting period but I think that it's honestly the best place to be. Rushing His timing, you can miss something: a blessing, an opportunity, a warning, that you may need in the next phase that He has awaiting you. I read this little tidbit just the other day, referring to Moses and his disobedience that led to forty years in the wilderness, He thought it would bring relief, but it made the burden on the Israelites almost unbearable. That's what happens when we try to make things go faster, we usually slow things down. When we try to make things easier, we usually make them harder. Don't try to manufacture your own miracles. Don't try to answer your own prayers. Don't try to do God's job for Him. Stay humble. Stay patient. Stay focused. (40 Days of Prayer by North Point Ministries). And so as my heart is trying to heal from leaving "our girls", I'm trying to be patient for what He has been brewing in my heart. Ever feel the same way? Have some wisdom to share? I'd love to hear all about it.
                                                                                                   

Encourage Beauty Campaign

What is beauty? It's such a complex question that can have a myriad of answers. I think that it is safe to say that every woman has struggled with this question or still struggles with it on a daily basis. As women we are what the Lord had in mind for a perfect counterpart to a rugged, studly man. Because we are in essence the apple of the Lord's eye, it makes the enemy jealous. Of course the enemy doesn't want us to believe in ourselves, feel secure in our identity or feel gorgeous everyday. And so he weaves his lies and when we believe them, we are left feeling inadequate, purposeless, insecure, fat and ugly. It also doesn't help that in this day and age, we can compare our lives with practically anyone on the planet. The world of Pinterest (which I do love and can be oh so helpful), projects the lives of "picture perfect" bloggers and celebrities as the norm. BUT we as women who love the Lord, have to remember that we are the object of our heavenly Father's affection. We need to believe that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and that each of us has a unique purpose for the kingdom. We need to recognize that we are worthy of God's love and embrace our role in the kingdom as His princesses. I have been blessed with a husband who tells me that I'm beautiful but I can't rely on his comments or actions to completely fulfill my self esteem. It is a daily fight to ignore the enemy's lies and focus on who the Lord says I am.

I am so thankful for other women who feel that same way that I do and are passionate about encouraging other women to embrace their own beauty. I'm so excited to see what the Lord has done through the life of my friend Anna, the lovely lady from In Honor of Design. She has teamed up with a group of women and created the Encourage Beauty Campaign. For five days on Instagram, the challenge is to post a picture a day following the daily prompt provided. I am joining in this week and would love for you to join me! Check out their website: deanstreetsociety.com/encourage or simply follow the calendar below. I hope that this campaign will make your heart happy, help to focus on the Father's love for you and puts a smile on your face as you join in each day!
                                                                                                    

She Prospers Photography: Baby Juliet- Hospital Visit

You may remember Tyler and Jordan from their maternity shoot a few weeks ago. Their precious baby girl, Juliet, has arrived and she is a beauty! She was so alert when I went to visit her and her baby blue eyes just melted my heart. She loves her hands and has created her own pacifier with her fingers. I couldn't be happier for these precious friends and cannot wait to spend more time with their darling little one. Congrats friends! P.S. Tyler your a rock star!

                                                                              

                                                                                     

Weekend Birthday Celebration: Atlanta

This weekend my lovely husband surprised me with a few days of fun in downtown Atlanta. My birthday is actually next weekend (woo hoo!) but my sister is coming into town and my grandmother is turning 90 years old. As fun as birthdays are, mine has always had an extra dose of fun! I was born on my mom's birthday and her mom's birthday is only four days after ours. It's just amazing to me that we have three generations of women with birthdays packed in the same weekend. So we decided to celebrate early and Drew did not disappoint.

We started our adventure at Victory Sandwich Bar down in Decatur and it was amazing. Drew had their brunch special and I had a ham and pimento cheese sandwich. You have to try their Jack and Coke slushies on tap if you ever visit.

The next stop was to check in at the bed and breakfast that Drew found for us. I did not even know that a bed and breakfast even existed in downtown Atlanta but Drew found one! Let me just tell you....it is a glorious place to stay. Stonehurst Place is a house originally built in the late 1800's and one of the owner's children lived in the house and rented it out until she passed away. She had an incredible art collection and it stayed with the house after it was sold to the current owner. Every inch of this house has a unique story and Drew and I loved learning all about it.

I'm a sucker for big bathrooms and our room had a huge bathtub with a view of the city to boot. Almost every room had an original fireplace and each of them were intricately designed. In one of their hallways they have a wall filled with magazine covers from Flair, a magazine that only made it for a year in the 1950's due to it's lavishness. The house is filled with books of all kinds and as I was browsing through I came across an original Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Loisette Bertholle. One of my favorite movies is Julie and Julia and cooking through a cookbook and blogging about it is definitely on my bucket list.

Drew found a delightful restaurant called White Oak Kitchen, they put a modern twist on Southern favorites. We shared the rock shrimp beignets with white barbecue sauce and I would go back again just for these little beauties. We also loved their brisket with Coca Cola barbecue sauce and their cheesy garlic grits. Our friendly waiter just happened to know we were celebrating my birthday and brought us a banana's foster bread pudding. I'm getting hungry just thinking about that meal.

The next morning Stonehurst fixed us a yummy breakfast and Drew told me that the rest of the day was up to me. We window-shopped for the better part of the morning, grabbed coffee and did a little dreaming together and also visited Anthropologie. Drew helped me pick out a new perfume called Kensington Garden and I have loved wearing it this week. We ended our celebration with a trip to Jeni's Ice cream shop (a post devoted just to this delightful company will be happening soon) and it was the perfect way to finish the day. What are your little indulgences? What are your favorite places to go in Atlanta? We are always up for trying new things and new places!

Drew you know my heart so well, spoil me to pieces and make me feel so special. I'm so happy that we are on this adventure together and I can't wait to see what the Lord will bring our way this year! I love you same!

                                                                                         
Click the links in my post or below to find out more information:
1. Victory Sandwich Bar//
2. Stonehurst Place Bed & Breakfast//
3. White Oak Kitchen//
4. Anthropologie//
5. Jeni's Splendid Ice creams//

Story Behind the Photo: Honduras

Happy Monday! Drew and I just got back from our weekend getaway in Atlanta and I can't wait to recap the festivities that my hubby surprised me with. I am so excited about the new series I am beginning, Story Behind the Photo. One of the best parts about being a photographer is the story that you can convey in a single photograph. Even better is hearing the details behind that photograph. I have enjoyed reminiscing as I have looked back over these photos and I can't wait to share each one with you.

Back in the Summer of 2009, I had the incredible opportunity to join a medical mission team's trip to Honduras and Nicaragua. I had some nursing assistant experience and knew a bit of Spanish and was itching to love on some people overseas. It was an eventful trip to say the least but it had the Lord's hand all over it! Just hours after we landed, the President of Honduras evacuated the country as the people were threatening to overthrow the government. We left the same area just as the military arrived and we so happy to arrive safely at the ministry house that afternoon.

Of all the people that we met over the course of that week, I will always remember this man...

The pastor had told us that the village we would be traveling to that day, rarely receives medical attention and often wait years to receive care. We drove for hours on steep, curvy roads without guardrails, driving past beautiful lush mountains and small slum villages. When we arrived, a line had already formed at the church and later that day, a few of us decided to do some exploring a few streets down. As we walked down the dusty dirt road, a few children greeted us and a few adults tried to explain that there was someone who needed help.

They led us to a small mud hut at the end of the road before the fields that they were farming. We called inside the house but no one answered. Just as we started to walk away, a small frail looking man stepped out of his home. We could tell right away that he was having trouble walking and that one of his legs had a festering wound.We started to ask him questions and found out that he had diabetes and that due to poor circulation in his legs, he had gotten an infection a few weeks ago. We said that we would return and brought one of the doctors inside his small home. We carefully washed and bandaged his wounds and prayed that the Lord would heal him.

Though I sadly can't recall his name, his face full of humble gratitude is forever etched in my mind. His pockets overflowing with extra bandages and medical supplies. His weathered skin from years of working in a small field. And the view that kept me glancing back at him as he stood in front of his mud shack, waving his hat goodbye as we walked away.

                                                                              

For Your Reading Pleasure...

I have always been a bookworm. Every Summer as a kid, I had the opportunity to read whatever I wanted and I looked forward to trips to the library with my mom and sister. When I was working as a teacher, I usually read the material ahead of time that my class would be reading and although they were classics, I didn't have the time to read anything on top of my classroom stack. While we were overseas, our entertainment options were limited and my Kindle became a source of encouragement and relaxtion.I like to read a little bit of everything and I would love to hear what has been on your Summer list! 

 Bridge to Haven: by Francine Rivers- Let's be honest, everything by this woman is amazing. I started back in college with Redeeming Love (apparently they are making a movie?!) and have been hooked ever since. This story takes place in a small town in California and follows a young girl, as she finds herself carried off to Hollywood. It's such a fantastic story full of redemption and grace.

 

Cold Tangerines: by Shauna Niequist- I love reading Shauna's blog but hadn't ever read any of her books before. This book is about finding joy in the daily grind of life and it was a wonderfully refreshing read. If you are looking for encouragement and somthing to stir your soul, I would highly recommend reading it. I cannot wait to read her other books: Bittersweet and Bread and Wine. 

The Engagements: by J. Courtney Sullivan- This story takes you back in time and weaves between the lives of four different couples who all eventually use the same engagement ring. It's lightly based on a true story and a wonderful read (I wouldn't mind at all if they made this one into a movie). I love the way that Sullivan wrote this book and look forward to reading Maine as well.

The One & Only: by Emily Giffin- I've also read everybook that Emily has written and although I don't always agree with the moral decisions that all of her characters make, I still enjoy reading her books. This story takes place in Dallas, Texas and reminded me of my short time living there. It's a great book to read lying on a beach or by a pool.





Kisses From Katie: by Katie Davis- I am currently reading this book and have even though it has been out on the shelves for awhile now, I've wanted to wait on this one. In the first few pages I felt like I could relate a great deal to what Katie's life is like and how I desire to live my own. I am excited to continue to see what the Lord shows me through this biography, about a girl who left the comforts of America to live in Uganda with the fourteen girls that she has adopted.

                                                                             

*all photos derived from google search.

She Prospers Photography: Happy Belly Food Truck

Last week I had the privilege of photographing some of the crew behind the Happy Belly food truck company. I'm such a sucker for food trucks and especially ones who serve "farm to truck" delicious treats like Happy Belly. All of their meat is cooked on a Big Green Egg and let me tell you it is fantastic! I had never had a brussel sprout in my life and now I am a believer (and the sweet chili sauce they slather on top of them is to die for!). I was honored to meet the people behind the truck and I hope that you have the chance to find their truck around the Atlanta area. Check out more of the story behind how they got started here.Thank you Happy Belly for serving healthy alternatives that taste wonderful and truly do make your belly happy.
                                                                                                

Warby Parker: New Glasses, New Look

It makes my heart smile when I find out about companies who give back. When I returned back to the States, I needed to replace my glasses and I found out about Warby Parker from a sweet friend of mine. Not only do they have cute frames but they also have precious sunglasses. Whether you purchase a pair of glasses or sunglasses, Warby Parker will give a pair of glasses to a person in need. They have already given 1 million pairs of glasses to people in countries around the globe. They also take a portion of their monthly glasses sold and donate it to their non profit partners.

As if they couldn't be more awesome, they offer a free home try-on program where you can check out five different pairs of glasses for five days. I decided to take them up on their nifty idea and I loved having the time for my indecisive self to make a decision on a pair of glasses.

I decided on the Sims frames and I cannot wait until they arrive on my doorstep. These frames make my blind self very happy to wear my glasses out and about!I loved the convenience of the home try-on program and would definitely encourage you to check them out!

Happy Weekend Everyone!