2017, was by no means perfect yet it was still good to me and good for me. I am hopeful for more growth in this coming year, and will try to have patience with myself for the process of it all. F. Scott Fitzgerald says it nicely: "For what it's worth...it's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change to stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or worst of it. I hope you can make the best of it, I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a different life you're proud of, and if you're not,  I hope you have the courage to start all over again." 

Here are a few of my goals this year that will hopefully inspire you too:

+ I want to create more. More creative writing and stylized photoshoots.

+ I want to give more. More of my time, energy, and resources.

+ I want to take more risks- diving head first into dreams and goals that have been burning in my heart. 

+ I want love myself intentionally. That means digging to the unmanaged hurts that have been neglected for too long, and getting to the root of the problem. 

+ I want to capture moments just for me.

Cheers to 2018! I'm looking forward to seeing how you grow too. 

Happy weekends, friends! I put together this rad shoot with my husband and had the hardest time narrowing down photos, so I hope that you enjoy looking through all of these. I have a pretty jumbled random brain and figured I would share some casual thoughts with everyone. Here I go: 

I have been pondering the concept of community for a few months now. I firmly believe that it's important to run along side people who build you up and are in the same stage of life as you are currently. For years, growing up and even when I first moved to Colorado, I would constantly pray for friends. Great friends. Friends that were of quality and people I could do life with. As time went on, I did actually gain some authentic friendships. But as seasons changed, so did my community. In the past, I have taken people leaving so personally. I've been offended, felt betrayed, and even cried asking God why. Let me point out, this was my own process and they were not in the wrong, but for years these types of changes hurt me. It wasn't until a few months ago, when I was processing it all in my car (which means I was probably talking to myself like a mad woman) did I realize where it was all stemming from. I was believing a lie. I said it out loud in my car and it shocked and disgusted me all at once: I believed that if I was a better leader, my community would have stayed. How heavy is that? It is a lie filled with guilt and shame, but I felt so free that I could finally identify the root cause. 

My encouragement to you is to find the root cause for why it is that things hurt you. When our physical bodies are in pain, the pain is pointing to where the problem lies. My hand won't hurt if my I stubbed my toe. I don't think we should dwell in our pain, but perhaps we could use it to identity where we need to be mending. It is in our best interest to be whole, healthy people. So currently, I am working on dispelling the lies that try to live in my head. From now on, I won't let them, because I am no longer a victim to those lies. 

Watches are a lost art. There used to be something significant about having a watch and even passing it down to a loved family member. The elegance has been lost with the fast pace of technology and "smart watches," but Jord Watches has done something spectacular with their wood watches. They have created a product that is appealing to a variety of people with a variety of styles. I am sporting the Frankie watch style.  It's made of  100% natural, hand-finished woods which is treated to be splash-proof! The Frankie has an oversized masculine feel that is cool accessory to any outfit. I've gotten several compliments when I've worn this wood watch out. I'm obsessed. Check out some of the other Women's Wooden Watches HERE. Also, for you gift-giving-gals, there are more unique watches to choose from your guy, too! You can see all the Jord Men's Watches HERE. 

Want one for yourself? I've partnered up with Jord Watches to giveaway $100 code to go towards any of their watches! Once you enter you are given a consolation code worth $25, which will be given out on September 24.  So in a way it's like everyone is a winner! Just click on the link HERE. What are you waiting for!?