a pretty photo shoot...and your turn to be creative

Being in Nepal (and Europe these last few weeks!)

has offered so much inspiration and beauty to my life.

the colors, vibrancy, and patterns have sparked in me something special.

I fully believe that our God is one of beauty.

{as you read in my last post, hehe!}

the expanse and colors of the sunset,

the perfect moment when the waves crash and all colors burst forth from the water and foam,

the intricate shapes and beauty of the wild flowers.

they all speak to his infinite creativity 

and grace that he created a world so beautiful.

Because we are made in his image, creativity is a part of our very core.

our very being is written with a dna code to construct something new,

 to bring beauty to the world.

{even if you are like "I am not creative!" trust me...creativity can be in anything...math, science, design, whatever!}

so I thought in honor of inspiration

I thought it would be fun to celebrate our creativity and host a photo shoot link-up!

no need for a fancy camera or clothes...

just you and a camera!
you can snap away at a local park, a field, or even your home! 

bring a friend to take the pictures of you or a tripod. 

Have fun being creative in your outfits, in your poses, and styling!

God made you gorgeous...

I can't wait to see your creativity shine though!

here are the details....

On Thursday August 15th (so just over a week from today!)

post your pictures from your photo shoot.

Because I'm not techy at all and have no idea how to do a real link-up,

just leave a comment on the 15th that you did the photo shoot, with a link to your blog! 

and just as a little sneak peak to the photo shoot I did with a friend,

you can see the photo up top and below

{more to come on the 15th!!) 

happy photo-shooting friends:) 

love Katie 

beauty

{kev and I in paris} 

this post will be short and sweet, as we are in Europe now, and a girls gotta soak up all she can:) 

but honestly, i've been so saturated in beauty the last week it's been overwhelming. 

we've been in Paris

stayed in a 300 year old farmhouse in northern france

lived in an 800 year old monastery in Belgium for two days

and are now playing house in a 400 year old quaint little dutch abode in Delft, Holland

every where I look, there is so much beauty. 

the house we are staying in now literally has a view of a church from every window you look our of! 

one idea that has given me so much inspiration lately is that 

Beauty is important to God

for,

Beauty was created by God in the first place

{an idea inspired by Edith Schaeffer} 

she says 

"creativity is God's gift to you" 

isn't that a marvelous idea? 

we were made to cultivate and enjoy beauty,

even in the small things. 

a flower on your table, 

a lovely postcard taped to your wall, 

a walk through the park,

or even the smile of a loved one. 

here is a random assorted collage at the beauty I am viewing, 

that is burning a fire deep within my heart. 

enjoy your weekend,

love Katie 

 {walking through fields of wild flowers}

 {flowers growing at the 300 year old farmhouse}

 {home made meals cooked at the monastery}

 {spending time with God at the monastery}

 {the adorable town of Boullion in Belgium}

{handcrafted belgium chocolate...need I say more?}

 {laughter and conversation at an outdoor cafe in Holland}

 {blue skies and striking architecture in Delft, Holland}

 {good food in the plaza}

{or good food on a boat in the canal!}

{secret gardens}

{the night skyline of Mont St. Michel}

happy weekend,

love Katie 

a very special ring

{our first day in paris...I was a happy girl! you can "kind-of" see my new ring!}

in my single days, whenever I thought about an engagement ring,
I pictured antique/elaborate/sparkle!
However, when I actually became engaged and started ring hunting,

a shift occurred that I least expected. 

Kevin was living in Indonesia at the time, coaching basketball at a university there,

and I was taking a class called Perspectives in the World Christian Movement, basically about missions. 

which brought me to two conclusions about our marriage....

1) that we probably would be living abroad at some point

2) that we would probably be living among the poor

and when I really, truly, pictured our marriage doing ministry together,

I realized that what I wanted the token of our marriage to evoke was simplicity. 

lovely simplicity. 

Kev and I found a stunning ring that a local designer in Palos Verdes (LA) created,

and an antique-inspired band for my actual wedding ring. 

and my favorite part about the ring, was that Kevin purchased the diamond through Brilliant Earth. 

if you haven't heard of them...you should! 

they are a conflict-free diamond company that mines their diamonds in Canada! 

after seeing Blood Diamond, I told Kev I didn't want a diamond unless it was mined in North America. 

nice work husband, nice work. 

Fast forward almost two years into our marriage, and we are living in Nepal. 

this experience has literally changed my life.  

these past five months have been an absolute gift from God. 

there has been a lot of healing and perspective in my heart,

new direction for our future, and inspiration,

not to mention it has been like an extended honeymoon with Kev, as we are together 24/7 

(which i love and will probably grieve when we move back to California!) 

a few months ago, I was processing life with Kev and mentioned how much this season has impacted my life, heart and ministry. 

I told him how beautiful it would be to have some piece of jewelry that symbolized our time here.

Because I love turquoise I immediately thought that this piece of jewelry must be laden with said stone! 

 so...as a special 2 year anniversary present, 

Kev lovingly gave me a special ring to add to my wedding and engagement band! 

it's turquoise,

simple,

and matches my other bands!!!!

{I had a local jeweler design it and I'm seriously over the moon about how it turned out!}

I think there is something really powerful and profound about marking the seasons in your life with some special memento. 

whether a piece of jewelry, a journal (which is my go-to!), a nice picture to frame, or a article of clothing;

 it helps us remember a unique time in our lives where we felt alive and raw and transformed. 

this season has been one of transformation, and every time I look at this ring, 

{which is like every other second, at the moment...}

I will remember the beauty and metamorphous that happened in my life while in Nepal. 

do you have any special memento's that mark a specific season in your life? 

love Katie 
ps- we have been staying at a monastery the last 3 days in Belgium, so no internet!
But we just got to Delft, Holland and are loving it:)