Trust in the Lord

Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

God's Beauty is Everywhere

     "God's beauty is everywhere! Capture it!" Whether by art, photography, decorating, writing, speaking, encouraging or the hundreds of others ways... capture it and share it!!! This little quick artwork was done on a piece of regular ole cardboard. @hippieindisguise you inspired this!! Use what you have and choose to see the whimsical beauty!!

Have a Lovely Day!

     Relax and enjoy this lovely day (even if it's rainy or cold) that God has made!!

Photo - Sara

     Look at this!! @me_and_orla's home is absolutely gorgeous!! So dreamy and whimsical! It looks as though it's straight out of a fairytale!  You must check out her gallery... It's full of beautifully creative photos.

Photo - Kim

     Gorgeous photo by @kimster156 This makes me so happy!! Such a lovely shade of purple!! Make sure to stop by her feed for inspiration!

Photo - Dawne Broadfield

Photo by @adeltadawne

Pumpkin Bread

Today's recipe!  Absolutely amazing pumpkin bread! Thanks sis for the recipe! Also, the adorable mushroom topper is from "A Life So Simple" on etsy. It adds the perfect touch and makes cooking so much more fun!! Make sure you check out their etsy shop!!! www.etsy.com/shop/alifesosimple 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 stick softened butter

3 eggs

1 can pumpkin

1 tsp. ginger

1 drop cloves essential oil

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix sugar and butter until smooth. Add eggs one at a time mixing after each. Add dry ingredients to sugar and butter slowly while mixing. Pour into bread loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean.

Photo - Bec

     LOVE this photo by Bec (@ofheartandhome) Remember to BE KIND today... you never know what circumstances surround someone else's life. Be that person who offers encouragement and shares the "light"!!

Lovely Art - Hannah Faith Whitten

Beautiful art and photo by Hannah Faith Whitten (hannahfaith.w)

Photo - Hurd & Honey

Beautiful photo by @hurdandhoney

Women Entrepreneurs Interview with Sarah Mcaffry

Good Morning everyone! Today I am thrilled to bring you another interview with an incredibly talented friend of mine who has an enormous heart for God!  I am completely inspired by her story and know you will leave feeling the same way.  I'm constantly amazed by how our Heavenly Father leads and guides us when we surrender all and let him direct our lives! So without further ado, I would like to introduce photographer Sarah Mcaffry!

1. Has photography always been a part of your life?

I fell in love with photography in my early twenties. I was given a camera for Christmas and haven't been able to put it down for the past decade! Something inside of me feels a little more alive when I'm taking pictures. It's such a thrill to visualize something and make it come to life. 

2. How did you feel called to start your own business? Was it a process or immediate happening?

Starting this business was very much a God thing. I was a high school English teacher for six years and did photography on the side. One summer, God made it very clear that I was not to go back to teaching in the fall. It was a touch decision because I truly loved my job and felt like it was my calling. I learned quickly that God can give us a calling for a short time period and then move us on to another! My husband was so supportive, so I set up a meeting with my principal to resign. I met with him at 9am one morning and just three hours later, a photographer friend of mine called to tell me she was moving to Haiti and needed someone to rent her studio. I was shocked at how perfectly God orchestrated everything for me to be able to walk right through that open door. It hasn't always been easy, but God has blessed me every step of the way. 

3. Where do you gather inspiration and can you explain a little about your creative process?

Every couple of months I go to the bookstore and stock up on magazine. I don't just flip the pages. I study them. It helps me stay on top of current trends and gives me tons of posing inspiration. I also meet with my clients before their shoot to plan every detail like location and what to wear. Then I have days or weeks to visualize and get inspired for their shoot. Taking a few minutes before each photo shoot to be quiet, to reflect on who my client is and what they want out of the shoot helps me to be in a creative space while I'm working. I've had to practically give up Pinterest altogether because I found it was hindering my creative process by just making me want to do what everyone else was doing. Keeping myself separate from that world helps me to cultivate my own style and creative process.

4. If you had one piece of advice to share with women entrepreneurs, what would it be?

Connect with other women entrepreneurs! Even if it's in your same industry, in your own town, we are all in this together. I live in a place where there are so many groups of photographers who meet together, who pray together and who send each other referrals. Technically, I guess we are competition but by joining together, we actually raise their standard of the industry and can support each other's businesses. It always helps to have someone to vent to as well. Someone who has been there and who understands everything you're going through. Running a successful business is a serious task and I guess it can be done alone, but it's so much better when you have a team of supportive people behind you! 

www.sarahmcaffry.com

www.twitter.com/sarahmcaffry

www.facebook.com/sarahmcaffry

Instagram @sarahmcaffry

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Sarah! If your looking for a photographer in the Knoxville, TN area, definitely check out Sarah's website!

Photo - Ashley Rodriquez

     Doesn't this photo gives you chills?! So much beauty created by our Heavenly Father. Photo by my dear friend @thornandsparrow

Photo - Kaity

Gorgeous photos by Kaity @fareisle

"Beloved" Necklace

     Just finished listing these in the shop www.iwonderoriginal.storenvy.com Have a beautiful day today, friends!!! If you would like to know more about this design and how it came to be, there is a previous post that explains everything. It is a photo of two "Beloved" necklaces. 

Paper Flowers - Suzi

     Look at these paper flowers!! So stunning!! Photo and amazing talent by @sweet_izzi

Photography

     This photo by @thekastenbees is really making me feel that crisp fall breeze and warm cup of hot chocolate in my hands!! Love this photo and can't wait to see the beautiful color changes of fall!! 

Photography - Alexandra

     Stunning photo by @my_piece_of_vintage_prairie Hop over to her feed if you want to see more gorgeous photos of flowers!! 

Photography - Madlyn Jane

     Beautiful photo by @madlynj Her feed is absolutely whimsical and refreshing!!

Photography - Kelli Thompson

    Absolutely stunning photo by Kelli Thompson(@simplekellit).

Photography - Kirsten Rickert

     Take a moment and just gaze at this photo... Doesn't it overwhelm you with creativity? If you aren't following Kirsten's gallery, GO do so NOW! She is one incredibly talented gal Photo by @kirstenrickert Here is what she had to so about this photo: "I love how life blesses us if we look, and listen. Neither of the girls wanted to wear this beautiful crown I made today...so I ended up wandering around 'playing' with it and then this happened and like magic it was just what I was looking for. Excited to take it to the next level for an upcoming editorial when we get home!"