My beloved friends! I am so grateful for you! I am still on that gratitude high from Thanksgiving and I am writing to you with a full heart! I truly hope you had a joyful Holiday if you celebrate Thanksgiving, that is! I made the whole Thanksgiving dinner, sans the turkey this year and I really loved our time as a family! One of my very favorite things in life is cooking and baking, so I delighted cooking a large meal for my loved ones! My dad was over when he came in through the door I gave him a hug so hard I choked him! ha! I've been grieving since he got diagnosed with cancer. This week I found so many gifts and gems from this hardship. I realized that I get to love him extra hard. I get to let him in my heart even more so than ever before, even when it almost hurts to think that if I allow him in, when he departs this earth I'll miss him too much to bear. Love is funny, isn't it? My heart sometimes lies to me and tells me that if I shut people out it won't hurt as bad when I am disappointed by them or by life taking them from me. But that's not the case. The more freely I love, the better I am able to accept that precious gift of loving in the present moment. And there is no greater feeling than loving in the present moment without fear.  I get to love and when the time comes for my father to go to heaven, Jesus will help me grieve. 

Style Tip

Here's an outfit I wore on my recent trip to Monterey (vlog coming soon!!) And I was so delighted with how I felt and looked it in! I believe that this could be an outfit so easy to copy and can be edited to suit your own personal style depending on what accessories you choose! You can be comfy and wear flats with it. You can elevate the look and wear metallic heels and have it be more festive. Or you can really dress it down with white sneakers and have it be your very classic and comfortable running errands type of outfit. Whatever you pick, start classic with the base of your style and then add the character with the accessories! It's a tip that I have really appreciated in my own style, especially for those days where it feels like you have nothing to wear, this will come in quite handy! 

Have a gorgeous week. Know whatever you're facing this very moment is not in vain.  Look back at the year darling and see how much you've grown. I know that if you're reading this you are the resilient type. I know that you've done some pretty amazing things and you deserve to celebrate the tinny victories! Heck, i pray that you've had some BIGGENS'  in there as well! I love you so much! Have a great day! 

Photography by: Doug Reynolds

Outfit Details