Happy 1 year Blogaversary!

WOW WOW WOW! 

All I have to say is that I have come so far with this blog.  Now together, let's review one year of my transformation through blogging! I hope you can make it through all this reading without passing out...or falling asleep... >.<

Fashion has become my artistic expression.  Since I danced ballet(and many others) since I was 3, I have always loved the tulle, rhinestones, ribbons, and colors, but blogging has given me an outlet to make fashion my real life scrapbook.  Each piece is like a part of a story- and the story tells the emotion I want to convey.  Fashion is my artistic Expression- not my lust.

Confidence.

1. Accepting of my body.  Since high school I began to really compare myself to the other ballet dancers around me, and I always seemed to see my body shape as flawed.  I know my blog is all about "be-you-tiful," which may give some people the impression that I am 100% confident in my inner and outer beauty, but that is not in any way true.  I believe that I have inner and outer beauty.  I definitely see it in others all the time.  this blog helps me work on seeing it in myself. And so, I try to live it and seek it out, like the daughter of the Lord I aspire to be.  
2. Recognition of my talents.  Positive feedback from this WONDERFUL blogging community has allowed me to push myself to make my far-out visions become realitites.  For example,  the first time I walked into LACI boutique with my new camera and asked the owner if I could do a photoshoot for her boutique.  This first step out has led to me conducting another photoshoot for her, and now I even conduct photoshoots fro couples and families!
3. My influence.   I initially started blogging because I wanted to see if I could produce content people would respond to.  I wanted to see if I could have an impact on people.  Less than a year later I started an international bloggers network to help raise awareness on human trafficking within the blogger community.  Who knew? Not me one year ago!

Friends. I have met amazingly incredible people through blogging! Blogging has introduced me to people I actually relate to on multiple levels, with similar personalities, interests, motivations, and problems.   I have to say, I never thought blogging would bring me a whole new family.  This new family is from Bloggers Against Social Injustice[BASI], which I started with Stephanie in July.  These people bloggers are SUCH an influence on me:

1. Donna... without her, BASI would not be what it is today! I remember when it first started, I would be on Facebook chat with her almost daily, for up to 3 hours, for almost 3 weeks! What would we do in this time? Marketing, planing, decision making... idea creation!  Donna is a workaholic, like me and all the other BASI girls, which may be one reason I relate to her so much.  I feel like she is part of my family, even though there is so much more to learn about her.   I feel like she has such a kind and inquisitive soul, and it is so awe striking to me. 
2. Andrea is such a ball of sunshine and promise.  I met her though BASI, we relate to each other so well, even if she is in Spain.  She is almost like the little sister I never had.  We  think the same, and have the same problems in life.  When I need encouragement, I know that she can support me and motivate me, in the spirit and love that Jesus Christ had shown us first!  I hope to keep contact with this promising young spirit!  She is an unexpected blessing- and it touches my heart so much!
3. Cassandra. This girl is dedication!  She has such a heart for BASI, that when I think of her, I smile, and giggle in joy.  She is filled with such great ideas, and is so academically driven.  I look up to her.  This Singaporian is one that I expect to touch lives in the way that she will drive them to look outside the box to achieve their goals!
4. Dave is actually local!  He is so fun to work with and really helps support me to be a good leader for BASI.  I know that anytime I need an opinion or any assistance at all regarding BASI, I can without a doubt count on him!  His heart to end human trafficking is growing daily, and he helps remind me how important it is to not shift my focus from the heart of the issue!  Freeing the innocent.  It is such a blessing to have a local friend like him, he is definitely a blessing!
5. Tiana is one of the BASI girls who I am starting to become friends with.  I love being there to encourage her, and I love how she is able to encourage me to be a leader and is allowing me to be Christ's love to her!
6. Addy is the only non-BASI blogger that has touched my life. She was actually one of the first bloggers that I befriended! Through twitter, we are able to keep in contact.  She is so encouraging and helps me grow in my relationship with Christ.   She is such a warm gem.  She is already my sister.

But honestly, right now I am struggling because my closest friend locally has moved away, and it's as though I am going through withdrawal.  I don't want to feel needy, but sometimes I feel so lonely, because I am so use to spending time with her.

TREND ALERT: All the people I actually relate to either move away or I move away from. Life of a relocating family's child who relates to others in the same situation. Irony?

Faith.  I would like to say that my blog has been a platform for me to see my faith transform through. But it is more a place for inspiration and motivation of my faith(which I guess is part of my faith).  When I decided to be a faith and fashion blogger, I thought it meant I would see my faith transform through posts and interaction online, but I think my faith is happening more in my life, and I document it afterwards. Actually, I need to start going to church more than only Sundays again- I need it.  I also need one really close friend who I really relate to who has strong faith to help me. 

I think God just sent a friend like this to me.  I always get so excited to make new friends and give them my all, like a sister.  But the world isn't perfect and I have learned to expect less from potential friends.  I suppose it's a means of self-preservation.

--------And Now, 1 Year of Beyoutiful Hope ---------

[Small captions of my milestone posts!]

When she lived here, Jas helped me start my blog, with all my photos and fashion stylings.

This is from my FIRST BLOG POST! I actually made this dress and had my friend Amber to model it for me!

I won the Maurices Mainstreet Model contest, below is a picture from my photo shoot.

I offered to take a photoshoot for LACI Boutique, with new found confidence I gained from blogging!

This was my first fashion blog post! 

Woohie, this was such a hard BLOG POST for me.  I was truly struggling with who I was, and finding people to really relate to.  This is right after Jas moved away I believe. 

Well, with this BLOG POST... it was one of the first times I accepted how I looked and was pleased with it.  I suppose I began to see my "beyouty" as a young woman.  I also found  a new appreciation for my school, which is where this photo shoot took place. 

This photo shoot was one where I saw how much my photography was improving! Also, I realized that Lookbook is not really based on the outfit and photography...because if it was, this photo would have had hundreds of hypes!

This was post the FIRST TIME I solidified my reason to be a fashion blogger.

This POST was the first where I felt like I was completely honest. 

My first post on BASI !

And this was just one of my favorite BLOG POSTS.  I made this skirt, and bloggers actually liked it. 

This POST covered the first event that I attended because I was a blogger, but more importantly, a blogger with a heart for justice! We traveled to Canada for a Freedom Walk with [FREE-THEM].

I just love this photo... and the POST got so much feedback, it shocked me!

This POST covered my second photoshoot for LACI Boutique!

My latest fashion POST... and there are so many more coming. ^_^

It is kinda fun to see the changes in photography, writing style, and formatting over this past year, anyways...

So, after actually looking through many of my blog posts, I have seen how much I have grown.  This year I have found a community where I feel like I belong and people who appreciate me as well as help me grow.  I have really grown artistically, and have become a much better leader, motivator, and have discovered my major flaws that I am currently working on, so I can better live out love to others.  

But I think the number one thing that has come through this blog is my transformation into a young woman of Christ.  There is one blog post which was my turning point.  In this post, I recognized that I am now a young woman... at this point, I saw the little Christine step into the older Christine shoes with acceptance and gratitude.  So even if I like watching Disney channel still, and still want to be a Disney princess, I feel like I am stepping up to a place where I can be more of a mother figure in life, especially to people younger than me.

"I think beautiful and ugly are just judgments. They are just what people think and their opinions. No one is beautiful and no one is ugly. We all have our differences and we should all appreciate them. So I think to be beautiful is just what people think. Everyone is beautiful."

- Bella, Age 11

What is your definition of beyoutiful?

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