This week I did something I haven't done in years. I painted (and actually finished) a painting. And although I'm sure I'll look back and realize how poor of a job I did, today when I look at it I'm actually really, really proud of it.             And beyond that, I simply loved how...

Forgiving Myself ...a deeply personal brain dump... Two little words hit me this week. Forgive yourself.             And I realized quickly just how much I actually hold over my head. I always assume that when things don't go right, it entirely has something to do with my actions. I caused it, it's my fault. And even more...

Listening: Sunrise by Norah Jones  Making: lots and lots of to do lists (and lists in general too) Welcoming: my favorite months of the year (which begins with September and ends with December) Drinking: lots of water, which I'm pretty happy about Watching: currently all the Fast and Furious films which has me in all...

            Happy long weekend loves! Today I wanted to chat with you about one of my favorite pastimes which is hammocking. Although I have fond memories of chilling in a net hammock at my grandparents' house as a kid, it wasn't until college that I totally fell for hammocking. I mean there wasn't a sunny day on campus where...

            Don't mind me, over here jumping up and down for joy that it is finally September. I feel as if I finally find myself again when September hits and I find that spark I've been searching for all through the hot and humid summer months (I am not a summer person, if you can't tell). Anyways, today I felt...

            I am a big time essential oil enthusiast. Not only do they smell heavenly and have so many ways to utilize them, they also have so many benefits, too. The last few weeks I've been using a new blend I decided to throw together one day, it instantly blew me away how much I loved it so I decided to do some deeper research...

            If I accomplish anything in this life, it's to see all the beauty and diversity that God's created in the world. For as long as I can remember I've been struck by the travel bug. I honestly can't remember being happier than I was the first time I left everything familiar and discovered the full, undying extent of...

1. ARE MY ACTIONS GUIDED BY LOVE OR FEAR?                  Although I pray and pray that I'll be guided by love, I'm absolutely a slave to fear. Most of it stems from my anxiety and my overwhelming fear of failure and disappointing others. I have good days where my actions are guided by love and...

            Today I wanted to share with you something near and dear to my heart. As someone who struggles with anxiety and has definitely been through seasons where I've let it get the best of me, I've always found that God's grace was the constant to pull me out.             Jesus led this perfect...

Listening: to this playlist full of worship songs Making: stone wrapped hemp pendants Welcoming: the last weeks of summer, happily Eating: garlic hummus and pita crackers Drinking: lots and lots of La Croix Watching: Criminal Minds Reading: Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist  Wishing: desperately...

             Last week I went to the Tennessee Aquarium, and looking into the salt water tanks and watching the schools of fish, the sharks sea turtles, and stingrays swim by, I overheard a conversation between a father and his son. The father was describing how (certain types of) sharks had to keep swimming in order...

            Hello friends! Today I wanted to talk about morning rituals. I'm a total morning person, but I only truly love mornings when I feel energized and I have the opportunity to be productive. Morning rituals for me are all about finding positive energy to ignite the day, setting intentions so I can better seek out my goals,...

           Ever since I was a child, dreaming of my the home I'd have someday, I always wanted to fill it with books and plants. I can't think of any two things that are better for the soul. Maybe it's the day dreamer and the hippie in me. Maybe it's because I always remember those two things about the home I grew up in.   ...

            Something I have been really trying to do lately is to be more conscientious of how I spend my time. I only really got thinking about it when I was prompted to change my way of thinking. Instead of using the excuse that I simply did not have time to do something, I needed to be honest with myself: I simply...

Dear Photography,             Who would have thought that you would become my nearest and dearest companion. That I would take you everywhere with me. On every adventure, big and small, everyday of my life. You watched me grow up. You were there for me when I didn't even know that photography could be something more than...

            Today, I want to encourage you to grab a pen, sit down with a notebook and begin writing a list (you will soon learn that I am a huge fan of lists). I want you to write down a list of all the things you would rather be than pretty. We spend so much time obsessing over how we look. And while there's nothing...

TRAVELING             I think the happiest I've ever been was the summer I went to Córdoba, Spain. I've never felt so alive as I did flying over the Atlantic, walking through the cobbled streets of a European city, and trying the new foods and traditions. It was the first time I got to fulfill my wanderlust in a way I hadn't...

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior - Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United -             One of the biggest ways I worship and connect...

          I am a firm believer that self-love is one of the most important steps towards becoming the best version of yourself. To love your soul, mind, and body, the parts you like just as much as the parts you don't. Self love is an ongoing practice. It's not something you wake up with and suddenly have for the rest of...