through my lens 5.31.12

After taking a look at the poll results, I realize many of you are hoping for more personal stories from me. While I intend to share those in writing, I also thought it could be fun to add a new post series where I share snapshots from the past week (or so). Through this, you can sneak a peak into my personal life, as shown through the lens of my iPhone camera. The following are from my trip to San Diego for my friends' wedding. Enjoy!

Karen and Greg's cat, Taxi. He thinks he's a dog.

Green smoothie. My latest food obsession.

Elizabeth and James wedges, thrifted.

Friends since middle school, besties for life.

"Pizza Ocean Beach," sans meat and cheese.

Sipping, writing and reading in my favorite San Diego spot.

Pre-flight soy misto. A favorite.

What have been some highlights from your week?

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10 thoughts for june.

Back in January, I posted 10 thoughts from Whole Living Magazine that captured some of my own thoughts on life at the time. Now, I give you their 10 thoughts for the upcoming month of June, as well as my personal takes on the ones that relate most to my life right now:

#3 Think about the places or environments that bring out the best in you. Now figure out a way to visit them more often. Ever since we moved to Austin, I've become more and more aware of the places that make me feel like myself. Though I don't love feeling out of place in a new city, I love the way discomfort aides us in discovering what we love most. My places? They involve salty air, cool breezes, the sound of the ocean, the bustle of a coffee shop, and (most of all) the presence of Brian, around whom I always feel safe and like myself.

#4 Dwelling on small joys is more rewarding than obsessing over little annoyances. In the same way discomfort has shown me the environments that make me feel like me, it has also brought on a new set of eyes. I'm constantly tempted to complain about what's not going right, but have learned that keeping track of the little things that brighten my life helps me cope when I feel sad or out of place.

#6 When we look after our health today, tomorrow starts to look much brighter. (And more fun!) A few weeks ago while Brian and I were out walking Maggie, we started talking about the value of developing an enjoyable exercise routine while we're still young and in good health. This thought definitely speaks to the benefit of that! It's easy for us to feel invincible in our teens and twenties, but in time our bodies conditions are magnified. One thing is for sure: those of us who care for our bodies through nutritious eating and exercise will find aging much more pleasant than those who pretend it doesn't matter.

#8 Those tiny changes we make in our personal worlds can be stepping-stones to big changes we make in the wider world. We may not be able to solve all of the world's problems on our own, but we can create change through our personal actions. In my life, this means practicing what I preach by pursuing real beauty. That means less time in the mirror and more time cultivating those special character qualities that make women radiant.

Do any of these thoughts speak to your life right now? How so?

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true beauty: mary seng.

Mary Seng is one of those women who leaves you feeling encouraged and at peace. A nurse by profession and a fashion blogger on the side, she is radiant with kindness and love. She is quick to encourage and always smiling. Stylish and pretty as she is on the outside, her beauty is truly what radiates from her soul—an honest and eager heart for Christ.

What is your greatest passion in life? How do you live it out?

Mark 10:45 says “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." As a little girl God made it very clear His will for me was to directly serve others in some shape or form. Over the past 8 years God has worked in powerful ways to reveal my place in His kingdom would be carried out through serving the sick.

About a year and half ago I graduated nursing school and now work in Cardiovascular Intensive Care where I directly care for a very sick people everyday. This is my greatest passion in life and serves as my greatest source of joy. Seeing patients and family at their most vulnerable points and being able to provide hope and comfort is an incredible feeling.

I hope and pray that Christ’s light shines in all that I do. My greatest desire is to truly make a difference in all encounters, reflecting that I am a child of God and my daily wish is to serve His kingdom. I have included a few scriptures that are dear to my heart and serve as a reminder as to why I am a nurse:

• “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
• “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galations 5:13)
• “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.” (Matthew 10:8)

Although nursing has always been my primary pursuit, I always knew I would love to pursue fashion/home decor/designing as a hobby in some sort way. I truly believe the way you dress is just another expression and representation of yourself. As a small child my mother and father instilled in me the virtue of modesty, and for that I am extremely grateful.

Happily Grey is my personal fashion journal capturing images of expression through effortless style of myself and others. Taking a sustainable approach to fashion, I love the combination of colors, prints, and patterns paired together to give a fresh, trendy look. I am excited to share my inspiration with others, and hope Happily Grey provides genuine enjoyment to all viewers.

What woman inspires you?

I have encountered many inspiring and influential women in my life, however, there is one that surpasses them all. She is my Mother, her name is Pam, and my admiration for her only continues to grow as I get older. Two characteristics in particular come to mind when I think of my mother: strength and dignity. There is a section in my bible I highlighted when I was 13 yrs old because it always made me think of my mother:

“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her; Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all; Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised; Give her the reward she has earned and let her works be her praise at the city gate.” (Proverbs 31:28-31)

I hope one day I can be half the woman she is…a woman of faith, knowledge, and unrelenting strength. She is incredibly hard working, dedicated, and noble. She serves others through all she does and is a devoted to her husband, family, and friends. I excitedly anticipate motherhood and instilling the most important lessons to my kids as she did, the love of Jesus Christ.

When do you feel most alive?

The moments when you take a deep breath and feel so enlightened, rejuvenated, and exhilarated...when I hear sheets of rain pouring down on pavement, belting out praise and worship music, holding a newborn baby, sharing the joy of my sister's healthy pregnancy after a battle with infertility, finishing a run, Listening to Matt Carter preach, watching my best friend get down on his knee and propose, taking care of the sick...

I truly feel most alive when I know I have forsaken everything and giving Christ all for the pursuit of His kingdom.

What do you think is the most challenging thing about following Jesus as a 20-something girl?

I strongly believe life is all about maintaining balance. In your early 20s you have so much going on in your life. College graduation, beginning your career or job searching, dating and trying to find that right person, and perhaps even relocating and starting your life again in a new city. Even though these are all positive, normal events that should and hopefully happen in life, they can quickly become all-consuming.

While going through school, I would always use the excuse that I was too busy to read my bible or meet for that small group to the point where school became my obsession and an idol. It was always so easy to justify since it was school, it had to be ok. Anything that takes away from your spiritual growth in Christ and puts you as the driver rather than passenger, is ultimately going against His plan for you.

All in all, I would say to be careful, the devil can slip in and take something good and pleasing to God and pervert the entire idea to where it becomes the major pursuit in your life.

What do you think is the most rewarding thing about following Jesus as a 20-something girl?

As a 20-something girl there are many influences and images impressed on being that perfect size and looking a certain way in attempt to measure up to completely unrealistic and worldly centered standards. This is a never-ending battle because to the world it's never enough and there is always something missing or something to change.

My relationship with Jesus has shown me I will never be fulfilled by this world and my self-worth is absolutely not measured on appearance. True beauty, radiant and captivating, comes from Christ alone. Strength, confidence, and self-esteem are fulfilled through Christ and not of worldy standards.

I strive to live my life so that other girls may see me as a Godly woman, fighting the temptations of worldly standards and living a life reflective of true beauty fulfilled by Christ.

To stay in the loop with Mary and be inspired by her modest and fun style, follow her on Happily Grey.

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remembering + celebrating.

Happy Memorial Day dear friends! I hope you're enjoying a day off today, but most importantly that you're taking a moment to reflect on and be grateful for the men and women who have died in their service to our country, protecting our rights and freedoms.

In addition to honoring our fallen troops, this day also marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Although the heat and I are not quite friends yet, I'm looking forward to the smell of sunscreen, more light in the evenings and plenty of fresh watermelon.

How are you celebrating today? What are you most excited about for summer? comments

reader poll: what topics do you want more of?

Good morning and happy Saturday, friends! As you may have noticed, there is a poll on the left-hand side of the screen. While I love to just write whatever I please, I also want to write things that you want to read. So, I'm giving you a chance to speak up and let me know what that is. Feel free to take the poll and/or leave a comment below with what kind of content you wish there was more of, and I'll strive to add more of that to my blog posts.

Thanks!

So, what topics do you want to see more of?

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eye-opening perspective: the story of ian + larissa.

Before watching this video I must warn you: grab some tissues!! Erin shared it with me last week and when I finally got around to watching it, the beauty of the story brought me to tears instantly. It's worth every single one of its 9 minutes, and is absolutely an eye-opener about what really matters in life and what love looks like (in marriage, or otherwise).

What's your reaction to this story?

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to the sea.

This weekend I'm returning to the ocean for just a few days to celebrate the marriage of two of my favorite people: Chelsea Bayley and Carter Sapp.

In addition to their ceremony and reception, I'm looking forward to spending plenty of time with Karen and Greg (who are so kindly hosting me for the weekend), sticking my toes in the sand, sipping a latte at Pannikin, and soaking up as much of the coastline view as possible.

Happy weekend, friends!

What do you love most about the ocean/coastal towns?

Image via High Heels and Moccasins

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lasting friendship.

This week one of my dearest old friends is visiting me in Austin for the week. We've known each other since middle school, and only continued to get closer over the years. We have so many memories from childhood, high school, visiting each other in college, and now in adulthood: being teammates on the cheer squad for years; picking lemons off of Kasey's neighbor's tree in the middle of the night to make lemon ice cream; exploring LA together; her standing next to me on my wedding day as a bridesmaid.

We have both changed in so many ways since were kids. We have totally different professions, and live very different lives in our respective cities: while I write, edit and do marketing here in Austin; Kasey has always been a science-minded girl and is studying to be a Physician Assistant in Denver.

Friendships like this are quite rare. The kind that stand the test of time, and endure no matter which way life seems to go. I'm so thankful that she's here with me this week, helping me through the rough transition I've had to living in this new state, and reminding me that not everything in life changes or goes away.

Tell us all about a lasting friendship in your life...

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rubies and pearls.

Hello my dears! Today I'm blogging at Know Your Value about where we get our worth . You can read the post over there by clicking on the image or on the link below. Today, know that nothing you do make you more or less worthy—your value is a precious gift that just needs to be accepted.

Click here to read the full blog post, then come on back and share your thoughts in the comments section here.

What areas do you tend to get your worth from? How do you remind yourself that your worth comes from God?

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the faux bob.

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Last week I shared six of my favorite summer-worthy hair styles, and today I'm here with even more hair goodness for you to soak up and try for yourself.

I have super long hair, and I'm oh-so-proud of it. I've written all of my deeper thoughts on the topic here, but that's not what I'm talking about today. To my long-haired girls out there: do you ever get this wild temptation to cut off all of your hair even though you love having long hair? If so, I'm with you. Every now and then I neglect to recognize the ease of my long locks and get an itch to try something newer and more fun.

Enter the faux bob.

It's a super easy way to give yourself a temporary change and feel like a chic, hip short-haired girl. I first discovered it on the B.Jones Style blog. In her post, she does a fabulous demonstration that shows just how easy it is to do:

Would you try the faux bob? Why or why not?

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our soul holes.

It's no secret that One Thousand Gifts has become one of my all-time favorite books. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in its pages that I find myself continually returning to, especially this one written above.

Rename us. Return us. Heal us.

That's what Christ does for us. He is a redeemer, restorer, healer, lover, and friend. Through Him, the brokenness is washed away and our true selves are revealed. We become kind, compassionate, generous, and joyful, and it's not because of anything we do on our own.

By nature, I'm self-obsessed, jealous, and easily irritated. But through Christ, I continue to become more others-focused, encouraging (rather than envious), and patient. As Paul says in Galatians 2:20,

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We pray, ask, seek, and surrender ourselves to Jesus, and he takes care of the dirty work. All he needs is the key, and he'll clean out the entirety of our messy closet. He is the healer of our soul holes.

When have you experienced God's restoration and redemption? How has God healed your soul holes?

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fresh flowers for you.

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Happy Sunday, my dears! If I could see you in person, I'd give you these fresh wildflowers wrapped in paper and tell you, "You look lovely today!" But since I can't do that, you get the digital version. This weekend has been filled with lots of flowers—not for me but for our friends Scott and Lauren who are got married yesterday here in Austin.

We were so thankful have the opportunity to celebrate with them and watch them make such a special commitment to one another. Here's to love!

What did you do this weekend?

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10 years ago.

Ten years ago, this was me. Joyful, soaking wet, and freshly baptized. As my mom shared in her True Beauty interview, I was baptized Catholic as a baby and raised in the Catholic Faith. It wasn't until this very day in 2002 that I decided to take my religious practices into my own hands.

I'd been attending youth group at a local community church, and I yearned for more of the Holy Spirit that I was starting to get to know. As soon as our youth pastor asked who would be interested in taking the baptism class and having the opportunity to publicly declare their faith in Jesus, I put my name on the list.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving me the traditional upbringing that you did and for raising me with such Christ-centered values. Without your decision to share your own faith with me from the start, I may not have known the great love of God that I cherish now until many years later (if ever).

Have you been baptized? If so, what's your baptism story? (If not, feel free to share about that as well!)

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inner beauty.

Happy friday girls! Today I'm blogging about inner beauty at Know Your Value. You can read the post over there by clicking on the image or on the link below. Have the best of weekends, and don't forget to tell that inner beauty that it's beautiful, too.

Click here to read the full blog post!

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summer hair.

As previously mentioned in my maxi dress post, summer has certainly arrived in Texas. And with that in mind, I've moved on from finding just the right kind of clothes to wear (i.e. loose, breezy dresses that do not cling to my overheated body) and am now thinking about hair. Though the heat is not my friend, I can't help but adore the minimal makeup and playful strands that come with the season. These are some of my favorite hot-weather hair styles that are both practical and pretty:

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What's your go-to summer hair style?

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five comforts of home.

These past three months have been a wild ride of transition, and more than ever I'm realizing how valuable small comforts can be. One thing several people have recommended to me is indulging in little pleasures: treating myself to a latte, buying a new candle, taking a walk for no reason at all. I confess, at first I thought that idea was stupid—how could those silly things even start to help me cope with the choas of my life? But then, I tried it. And it's totally working.

In addition to gifting myself all of the above and more (I've purchased more venti iced teas from Starbucks than I care to mention), I've also started to observe the things that I already have that make those feelings of discomfort subside for a bit. Below is a list of my personal comforts—the things that make me feel at home, relaxed and at peace regardless of where I am...

1. Long email chains with girlfriends. (And Google Hangouts, too!) I am a complete extravert, and I thrive on interaction to energize me each day. Any chance I get to interact with the girls in my life who have become sisters to me reminds me that I am connected and supported.

2. Candles. I'm not sure whether it's the flickering flame or the alluring scent, but candles have a way of creating peace, comfort and relaxation unlike anything else. I find earthy scents like firewood and eucalyptus to be especially soothing.

3. Mighty Leaf tea. There's something about this brand—specifically the Green Tea Tropical variety—that instantly comforts my soul. The feeling of warm liquid traveling down my throat is, of course, vey physically calming; however, the taste also brings me to a strange and beautiful place of feeling like it's all going to be okay. I suppose the mix of grassy green tea with sweet tropical fruit flavors is a bit of a metaphor for the ebb and flow of mess and beauty in life.

4. Sweet potatoes. I can't say enough about this favorite food of mine. They are sweet, smooth, nourishing, and the closest thing to pie God created on earth (in my opinion). They remind me of family holidays and home-cooked meals with friends. And did I mention they taste like pie?

5. Anything and everything from Massachusetts. Though so much of my life has been spent in California, Massachusetts is my home. It's where my parents were both born and raised; where my grandmothers, aunts, uncles and cousins live; and where I've always consistently been able to return to, no matter what stage of life. Its consistency and familiarity make it a supreme comfort to me

Friends, candles, food and east coast reminders: these are the simple, everyday things that calm my heart. It must also be noted that while these things provide the temporary soothing my soul has been needing, the real comfort comes from the opportunity to practice more gratitude and prayer (two things that just don't happen as much when everything in life is going your way).

What are your personal comforts that make you feel home away from home?

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a beautiful struggle.

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Life is a beautiful struggle—a statement that could not be more true. Beautiful as each day, each moment, each breath is, struggle is always creeping around the corner. We are never fully at rest. Never fully content. Never fully satisfied because there are always things holding us back from the ideal world our hearts yearn for.

The concept of the beautiful struggle reminds me of this: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Beautiful in time.
Eternity on our hearts.
God's unfathomable works.

We struggle and yearn because we were made to desire more than the everyday. Should we practice contentment and thankfulness even though our hearts long for more? Always! After all, thankfulness is the root of true faith. I don't mean to say that we should ignore the here-and-now, but rather that we need to alter our mindset.

We struggle all the time, but this isn't the end of the road. What we yearn for is something that will eventually be fulfilled. We see small glimpses of beauty here in this life (new babies coming into the world, flowers blooming in the spring, elderly couples holding hands and gazing lovingly at one another), but one day all things will be redeemed, refreshed and renewed by the loving power of the One who made it all in the first place.

Life is messy, but also beautiful. And what's ahead is more than we beautiful than we can imagine. So let's savor each small gift of beauty we get—using each one to help us power through in our struggles—and remember that the best is yet to come.

What small glimpse of beauty have you seen recently?

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getting creative.

This past week I've tried to overcome my extended writer's block by exploring some other types of creativity. Since I'm not much of a painter or a baker, I decided on becoming better friends with Photoshop. While I'm not sure that my writer's block is completely cured (I still find myself stuck with half-finished articles and more awkward paragraphs to count), I certainly feel more creative—and I think that's a good start!

Below are the products of my Photoshop exploration, which are now featured on my Pinterest board titled "originals." I peruse Pinterest so often and am always pinning other people's inspirational prints and quotes, I figured I may as well contribute some of my own goodies to the mix. Stay tuned for more additions to the board in the future, and feel free to pin any of the ones you like :)

What's your favorite way to get creative?

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true beauty: my mom.

Although I reserve this series for 20-something women, I made an exception and interviewed my own mother for three reasons: 1) a chance for us all to learn from a woman who has lived more life than we have; 2) because some of you 20-somethings are, in fact, mothers yourself and possibly looking for some wisdom; and 3) so that we all remember to always see the beauty in our own moms—the women who brought us into the world! Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there—you are doing something beautiful with your lives!

What is your greatest passion in life? How do you live it out?

My greatest passion in life is volunteering for the Greater Gardner Relay For Life as a Team Captain for our team, Herbey’s Harem (there are 7 girls in our family). The team was named after my dad, Herbey Vaillancourt, who died on October 6, 2005, just two weeks before my younger sister, Paula, was diagnosed with breast cancer; thus, we organized a team in his memory and in support of Paula and her fight to win the battle against cancer. I am happy to tell you that Paula is now a 6-year cancer survivor!

This coming June will be the 7th year that I participate in the Greater Gardner Relay For Life with our team, Herbey’s Harem, to show thanks for the blessing Paula received and to support others who are still fighting the battle.

What woman inspires you?

It’s ironic that Natalie has selected to do a story about me, her mom, because the woman that inspires me the most in my life is my mom, Doris Vaillancourt. At the age of 88 years old, she participates on our Relay team by raising money for this great cause, and attends the Relay For Life event every single year. She is a wonderful mother; grandmother; great grandmother; and great, great grandmother; and she makes each one of us in our big family feel special. She, along with my dad, always taught to be kind and generous and to give back whenever we could. I hope I make her proud!

How does what you do for a living fit in with your passions and what you feel is your calling?

Years ago, when Natalie (our only daughter) was born, my husband and I made the decision that I would be a stay-at-home mom, so what I did for a living was raise our beautiful daughter. Being a stay-at-home mom gave me the opportunity to volunteer for the majority of my life, and that is what I want to continue to do as long as I live.

When do you feel most alive?

I feel most alive when I “feel the love” and that’s when our family—my husband David, my daughter Natalie, and my son-in-law Brian—are all together. Because Natalie and Brian live in a different state than us, this doesn’t happen as much as I‘d like it to. But I embrace the times it does happen, and it makes me feel alive and happy!

What do you think is the most challenging thing about following Jesus as a mother?

My husband and I were raised in different denominations (Baptist and Catholic). Although his heart was always open to Jesus, he wasn't much of a church person. On the other hand, I attended parochial school and felt very attached to the Catholic Church, so when Natalie was a baby, we decided to baptize her Catholic and raise her in the Catholic Faith.

As a Catholic mother following Jesus, my world was seriously challenged when Natalie was 12. She decided to "check out" other denominations and quickly concluded that she felt much closer to God in non-Catholic Christian churches. At first I was uncomfortable with her decision, but as I watched her love for God blossom, I knew it was the right thing for her and realized we must all follow our own heart to find our Lord.

What do you think is the most rewarding thing about following Jesus as a mother?

While it was incredibly rewarding to see Natalie's faith grow, the greatest reward was seeing what witnessing her faith did for her father, David. One day Natalie came home and told us a story of Christian love she had experienced feeding the needy. David was so moved that he immediately started going to church with Natalie. That was 2002, and since then his faith has grown in leaps and bounds. Today he operates a small ministry called The Gracious Lunch for people who are homeless—something that might not have happened if we hadn't let Natalie find her own path to the Lord.

NOTE FROM NATALIE: If you would like to make a donation to the Greater Gardner Relay For Life in memory of a loved one who has lost their lives to this terrible disease, in support of someone who is fighting the battle, or in honor of a Survivor, please do so here.

Alright girls, what about you—what makes your mom beautiful?

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one more thought on lifestyle magazines.

I realize that I posted an article yesterday about Seventeen Magazine, and that today I am talking about lifestyle magazines once again; however, sometimes a topic gets in your head and you just can't escape it. You know? Perhaps it's the upcoming print version of Darling Magazine that has my mind wrapped up in all that's wrong with women's magazines these days, but regardless, what I'm about to share with you is something I'll bet every single one of you can relate to.

It's an article I read recently on The Conversation, where contributor Sarah Turley shares her raw, honest thoughts on women's lifestyle magazines. The title is a bit of a giveaway of her feelings, but like I said, I think you'll all relate...

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Women’s Lifestyle Magazines Make My Head Spin
by Sarah Turley

Will you do something for me? Think back to when you last read a women’s lifestyle magazine. Perhaps you were in the bath, soaking its pages to crinkled as you supped on a glass of woozy warm red wine. Or on the bus home from work, gripping it three centimetres from your face because you were rammed up against a hundred other commuters like a tin soldier in a child’s overflowing toy box. Wherever you were, think back. And tell me: how did you feel when you put it down?

Informed? Inspired? Empowered, maybe? Or perhaps simply entertained? Those are certainly the words the editors of these magazines might hope you’d say. But let me tell you a secret: the words I’d use are more along the lines of inadequate. Overwhelmed. Self-loathing.

Some background: I’ve been away from home (that’s London) for the past three months and in that time, I haven’t read one women’s magazine. Then my sister came to visit, armed with precious gifts from England including teabags and two fat and juicy women’s magazines. I thought it would be heaven flicking through those glossy pages. But in fact, they caused my head to spin uncontrollably – very like the way the back wheel on my bike spun when I hit a rogue paving stone and was catapulted over my handlebars wondering why I am cursed with the balance of a three-legged donkey. [continue reading here...]

Can you relate to Sarah? How so?

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seventeen magazine, you disappoint me.

Yesterday I read an article on Hello Giggles called "Not Everyone Looks Like a Supermodel, But That Doesn't Mean Everyone Isn't Beautiful." It's written by 13-year-old Mikaela Foster, a girl who is sick of feeling bad about herself when she looks at models in magazines—along with all of her peers and probably every single woman of any age who reads them, no doubt.

Her article is about fellow teen girl Julia Bluhm, who recently petitioned Seventeen Magazine to to have one non-Photoshopped spread in every monthly issue. It doesn't seem like too much to ask, especially from a magazine that's directed at children, but apparently Seventeen feels differently.

Their response to Julia? In a nutshell, thanks but no thanks. Sure, they invited her to their offices, introduced her to the editor-in-chief, and even invited her to work on the next issue with them. However, they never agreed to consider her petition—not even after 50,000+ girls signed it!

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14-year-old Julia Bluhm (middle) at a "Seventeen" Magazine protest outside Hearst Corp. headquarters.

It's tragic that girls are growing up with more and more pressure to be skinny (rather than healthy), have perfect skin (even though their hormones are insane), and look sexy (when in fact they are, as mentioned before, still children). What has this world come to?

Congratulations, Seventeen Magazine, on playing such a significant role in damaging young girls' self-image and self-esteem. Your irresponsibility and disregard for providing appropriate content for your young readers disappoints me (and a million others, I'm sure) more than words can describe.

Seeing Julia and Mikaela stand up against photoshopped images in teen magazines—as well as having an understanding of what's healthy and realistic versus what's not—literally makes my heart well up with joy. One thing is for sure, these two teeny-boppers are wise beyond their years.

What's your opinion—should Seventeen Magazine continue to photoshop teen girls, or is it irresponsible?

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character.

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Brian and I always joke about his "character-building" jobs—working at a dog kennel, mowing lawns, applying decals to large trucks, and the list goes on and on. We joke not because those jobs weren't valuable, but rather because it's almost comical how simple and seemingly lowly work actually helped Brian become someone of such upstanding and respectable character.

I, too, have had some of those experiences (including being a hostess at a steakhouse in high school to pay for a fender bender I got into—comical now also because I'm a vegetarian!). While I hated most of those character-building opportunities in my past, I'm beyond thankful for what they produced in me. Compassion. Empathy. Acceptance. Gratitude. Kindness. Love without condition.

Our character impacts how we interact with the rest of the world: Will we be women who believe we're the center of it all, or those who choose to be kind and loving to others who can't necessarily help us get higher up the corporate ladder or social scene? Good character makes us more Christ-like women, and true world-changers. It's those small but positive interactions with people that produce some of the biggest change for good.

What have been some of your character-building experiences? How have they impacted who you are today?

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passion.

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“Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us, guides us. Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love, the clarity of hatred, the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we’d know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we’d be truly dead.”

Joss Whedon

What are you passionate about at the moment?

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friday love.

Good morning! It is officially Friday and the weekend is nearly upon us. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some relaxation, socialization and quality time with friends. Since today (and the following non-work days) is one that so many of us love so much, today I give you nothing but LOVE in the form of pretty prints. Dwell on it, soak it up, practice it and have a lovely weekend, dear friends!

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What do you love most about Friday and the weekends?

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almond butter granola.

A month or so ago, Brian and I spent the weekend with our dear friends Patrick and Jenn in Fort Worth. Being the wonderful hostess that she is, Jenn made homemade parfaits for breakfast on Saturday, and I've literally been thinking about that granola ever since. It had just the right amount of crunch and sweetness that paired perfectly with fresh berries and yogurt of your choice (soy for me!).

An ideal breakfast for the warmer spring and summer mornings, here's her recipe for oh-so-yummy granola. I'm certainly making a batch very, very soon...

INGREDIENTS
2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of chopped nuts
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup almond butter (microwaved to soften)
1 tbsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients together, then add the softened nut butter and vanilla into dry mixture. Spread it out on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes, checking on it every 10 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.

Optional: After baking, add chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit for variation.

What's your favorite kind of granola? If you have a recipe, do share!

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