I am Brave and Beautiful – a beauty movement that is sweeping the globe. Colbie Caillat started it with her recent song and video called TRY. My blogging friend Megan of Brassy Apple wanted to push this movement along and invited women from all over to share what they looked like without make up and I joined in!! Colbie’s song says, “Take your make up off. Let your hair down… Look into the mirror at yourself, Do you like you? Cause I like you… “
Megan and her friend Cobi of Peacefrom6pieces have been the team behind this whole project. Their worldwide vision included creating their own video inspired by the song TRY. The talent of Robbins Creative made it possible for them to pull it off. You have to click play and see the beauty and bravery displayed and you might even recognize a few faces in there.
Me along with 101+ other blogging women from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, ages, shapes and sizes have decided to be Brave and Beautiful! You can join in this movement too by sharing what you look like without makeup on. You don’t need a blog either! Just tag your photo with #IamBraveAndBeautiful on Instgram and search the hashtag to see who else has joined in. ALSO, if you tag it with a second hashtag – #ColbieTRY we just might be able to get Colbie Caillat’s attention since she was the inspiration behind it all!
Are you brave and beautiful? I am, here I go!
And minus the makeup…
As the years go by, I notice the appearance of wrinkles, age spots, and the ever present baby bump. But, as I grow up I also realize that these are not things to be ashamed of. I earned every one of them.
My wrinkles are from laughing until I cry with my sisters and crying myself to sleep because I lost a baby and feel completely broken. My spots remind me of times building sand castles at the lake with my kids and growing up in sunny Southern California. My baby bump was earned by creating three precious little lives that I would give anything for, including a flat stomach. They show people that I live my life and wear my emotions happy and sad, beautiful and difficult. This body is not what you would find on a magazine cover, but it created life.
Beauty does not come from the absence of lines, freckles, gray hairs, or muffin tops. It comes from owning who you are and sharing your true self with others. It’s about liking yourself for the things you are and can become, not for the things you put on. I am a daughter of God and my beauty comes from within myself, not within a make up case.
I think this quote puts it perfectly…
“Do you suppose it matters to our Heavenly Father whether your makeup, clothes, hair, and nails are perfect? Do you think your value to Him changes based on how many followers you have on Instagram or Pinterest? Do you think He wants you to worry or get depressed if some un-friend or un-follow you on Facebook or Twitter? Do you think outward attractiveness, your dress size, or popularity make the slightest difference in your worth to the One who created the universe?
“He loves you not only for who you are this very day, but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become.
“More than you could ever imagine, He wants you to achieve your destiny — to return to your heavenly home in honor.” Pres. Dieter F Uchtdorf
Don’t stop here. Get clicking around – its a blog hop! Below are more brave and beautiful women bearing more than their natural beauty. They each have a little bit of their heart to share with you. Some get very personal. Some share stories. For some this was very hard to do yet they gathered their courage and did it anyway. We hope as you click around (and YES pin these different posts!) you will feel the importance of it, the empowering effect it has and that it encourages you in some way.
>>>>>>>Important info! Blog Hops often have glitches the first day. If the link has an ERROR, simply click on the HOME button for each site, or google the blog name next to the link, and you should see their brave and beautiful post there. Links will be updated as soon as possible.<<<<<<<<<<<<
1. BrassyApple 2. Peace from 6 Pieces 3. Is this Really My Life 4. Among the Young 5. Love Me Dani Marie 6. Sweet Charli 7. Kim Orlandini 8. XO, Ashton Tilton 9. She Calls Me Mama Leisha 10. Raising Memories – Canada 11. A Little Tipsy 12. Amy Cornwell 13. A girl and a glue gun 14. My Craftily Ever After 15. Maybe I Will 16. WhipperBerry 17. Paging SuperMom 18. All Things Thrifty 19. Ashlee Marie 20. The Project Girl
21. One Little Momma 22. Entirely Eventful Day 23. Diary of a Brown Eyed Girl 24. Tips from a Typical Mom 25. Utah Sweet Savings 26. Flats to Flip Flops 27. One Krieger Chick 28. What Meegan Makes 29. Simply Kierste 30. Live to be Inspired 31. HoneyBear Lane 32. Pretty Providence 33. Ma Nouvelle Mode – in FRANCE 34. MomEntity 35. Serger Pepper – in ITALY 36. Kiki and Company 37. Girl Loves Glam 38. Thrive
39. The Potters Place 40. Crafting in the Rain 41. Cooking With Ruthie 42. Delineate Your Dwelling 43. The Pennington Point 44. Bakerette 45. The Happy Scraps 46. Shannon Baird Photography 47. Tried and Tasty 48. Lionesses at the Gate 49. Fry Sauce and Grits 50. Lolly Jane 51. That’s What Che Said 52. Sugar Bee Crafts 53. Your HomeBased Mom 54. Happiness is Homemade 55. The Crafted Sparrow 56. R&R Workshop 57. I Should Be Mopping the Floor 58. Sassy Steals
59. Let’s Eat Grandpa 60. Being Spiffy 61. Sumo’s Sweet Stuff 62. Ginger Snap Crafts 63. Bless This Mess 64. Apronista 65. Dreaming About Someday 66. Frenchie 67. Tastefully Frugal 68. Four Marrs and One Venus 69. Your Sister Circle 70. Over the Big Moon 71. See Vanessa Craft 72. Infarrantly Creative 73. Family StoryTelling
74. Albion Gould 75. Life as Mrs. Larson 76. Tried and True 77. Play.Party.Pin. 78. Bite of Delight 79. Ink Happi 80. ObSEUSSed 81. U Create 82. My Mommy Style 83. Find it Make it Love it 84. The Contractor Chronicles 85. Novae Clothing 86. Mommy Makes Things 87. At Home with Sweet T 88. We Like to Learn As We Go 89. House for Five 90. Organize and Decorate Everything 91. Sassy Southern Gurl 92. The Creative Mom 93. Keep Moving Forward with Me
94. The Benson Street 95. Mom 4 Real 96. Sowdering About 97. illistyle 98. The Crafty Blog Stalker 99. A Fiery Red Life 100. Cupcakes & Crowbars 101. One Sweet Appetite 102. My DayLights 103. Restless Risa
104. Sypsie Designs 105. Vintage Mother 106. Like Mother Like Daughter 107. 30 Handmade Days 108. Queen B and Me 109. Apples by Ashley 110. Boutique Cafe – in CANADA 111. Just My Little Mess 112. Bombshell Bling 113. Sarah Tyau 114. Taradara Make it 115. Capturing Joy 116. Ivory Lime Photography 117. Jenkins Kid Farm 118. Free Time Frolics 119. Bella Storia 120. Dana Ohlsen Photography
Ready in join in?Snap, hashtag and share! Tag @BrassyApple and @Peacefrom6Pieces if you can too!
Also follow our Bravery and Beauty PINTEREST board for more inspiration!
Heather Lynne says
First of all, you look gorgeous in both pictures.
Second, I almost shared that quote in my post, too, but ran out of time to add it because my Sunday was so busy! I will probably write about it in a separate post. I love to think that you were sitting somewhere else in the world, listening to that talk, making the same connection at the same time I was 🙂
Your Sister Circle says
You are so adorable!! Absolutely love your darling freckles!! We are so thrilled to be part of this campaign for good! #womenneedwomen #hugstimesfive
Kaylynn says
You are STUNNING girl. And I love how you mentioned all your “flaws” and what they reminded you of. A: they’re not flaws – we make that crap up. B: You have beautiful memories to hold onto forever. Love this. Thanks for sharing!
Annette Belnap says
Look at how cute your freckles are! So adorable!
Lisa~ says
So true! Thank you for your encouraging words. Lisa~
Julia says
What a beautiful and important message to get out to all women. It’s so important to love ourselves and to keep it real. This is a great way to start breaking down those wall of unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves. Ive joined the movement as well and am excited about being apart of this.
Becky Marie @ U Create says
Michelle, you are BEAUTIFUL. I love those adorable freckles! And that quote from President Uchtdorf is very fitting!
Ashlee says
you could not me sweeter or cuter. I also love every line, bump, “flaw” as well, because of the story they tell of my wonderful life!
Emily says
I have missed you. When can we see each other? Also, those freckles are freaking adorable. I think you’re beautiful inside and out. Yay for wrinkles, freckles and baby bumps. They’re badges of honor.
Megan/BrassyApple says
thank you for joining in and sharing more than your natural self but your heart and testimony! xoxo