The LifeBeats Project Story Search Soiree

in the Spring i hosted a Story Search through my podcast The LifeBeats Project

in conjunction with Diana Putnam Photography's series Rose Colored Lenses

asking my listeners to submit stories of people who inspire them

or to share their own inspirational story

it is part of my mission to be able to share how extraordinary people are with you

i had 20 nominees submit stories

and how could i only share 2 of them with you

reading through each one of their stories was so uplifting and inspiring 

that i decided i would honor them all

welcome to the first Story Search Soiree

at my beautiful new home

keeping it simple was my goal

in order to focus on why we were gathering

people

and their stories

our simply beautiful decorations

felt ball garlands, floral buntings, wooden flatware, and sunburst napkins

were there to add sunshine and feminine fun

provided by the darling party and paper store My Paper Crush

dedicated to having all the pretty things in one place

you have a chance to win a $50 gift card to their darling shop

by simply following the steps shown on my Instagram post of the soiree

giveaway will end Thurs Sept 22 so hurry and enter

our guests were provided with some gifts as little physical reminders of how truly amazing they are

notebooks and pen by My Paper Crush

my favorite heartbeat necklace by Sweet Lemon Boutique

perfect for my brand and a special gift to my interviewed guests

beautifully burned wood leather wrap 'be brave' bracelet by Sweet Saltwater Designs

seven of us gathered together

some arriving after our photos

to share in a delicious meal made by my loving mother who knows how much cooking stresses me out

she used fresh vegetables from our garden as part of her main shrimp pasta dish

strawberry shortcake my favorite for dessert

i am glad we got the women behind the lens out in front

to know Diana is to love her

she has a heart of gold and a magical talent

the darling Ashley Lundgreen of Visage Artistry

when i envisioned this dinner

i imagined it to be for the purpose of coming together in meaning conversations and to share our stories

three of the attendees shared their stories through video

together we watched them and were able to discuss together the underlying stories

each of us shared a piece of our story

and we talked into the dark of the evening

creating connection and learning from one another

it couldn't have gone any more perfectly

here are the videos for you to witness the beauty of each of these stories

the passionate Carissa of Family History Modernized

i am so excited to share with you this coming week on my podcast The LifeBeats Project

about the new social media campaign i will be launching soon

to help give everyone who wants to share their story an opportunity to do so

to share that #lifebeatsforme

the incredible Tami Schlappi, one of our selections to interview on the podcast

hear her full podcast episode here

"Trusting in God and His plan even in times of great loss and when you plan doesn't align with His"

loving your post-baby body

to love yourself is a gift you give yourself

to love the way you look is the bow on top

we all have beliefs within us that shape the way we see the world and ourselves

possibly outside forces turned into inner thoughts

we repeat again and again

for me the way i look right now is a result of lots of those

lots of hard things 

but my smile and the way i carry myself despite my weight

tells me that despite the hard i choose to focus on the joy

yes i initially wince when i see photos of myself still

but i then i look at the happiness that i see in myself and i try to allow it to outshine the shape of my body

i was so happy to have had a studio full of mamas and babies on my podcast

as we candidly discuss experiences and feelings about body image post-baby 

with a panel of three incredible moms. 

Michelle Petersen from The Mumsy Blog 

fashion blogger Brittany Maddux 

and Roxana Baker of Roxana B Photography 

we openly shared our struggles with the way we view ourselves 

and even moments when we have wondered who that girl is looking back in the mirror 

we dive into what experiences and beliefs have shaped our view of what we should look like 

and how we work on safeguarding our own children from an unhealthy body image 

what we struggle with varies but we each relate the things that have helped us through moments of definite discouragement 

and what we would say to someone struggling with this right now 

and for those still planning on having more children, what they 

(because you know I do not fall in that category) 

would do differently during their next pregnancy to prepare for their post-baby body. 

you are not alone

whether you have given birth to children or not – 

it is something we all struggle with

and we hope our very candid responses help you to feel that

listen to our podcast on The LifeBeats Project here
Winning your battle with your post-baby body image | with Brittany Maddux, Michelle Petersen, and Roxana Baker (TLBP #29)

we were joined by lifestyle blogger Alycia Crowley

for an opportunity to work with Shabby Apple

-the clothing store dedicated to celebrating the beauty in you-

to celebrate and honor our post-baby bodies
with a photo shoot by Roxana B Photography

and you can get in on the celebration too 

with our huge giveaway of five dresses

hop on over to my Instagram @lifebeatsproject for more details today Sept 14 at 10 am MST 

giveaway lasts til Sept 17 at 10 am

for me choosing clothes is tricky

i loved how many options Shabby Apple had available and in a variety of sizes

i choose clothes that have some structure like the seaming on the bodice

and have some illusion of angles like the belt wrap and flare skirt

i love color and love the way it makes me feel when i wear it

check out the other girls' blog posts on their thoughts on self-acceptance, body image, 

and their choice in clothing