INVEST IN YOURSELF.

Right now, my motto in life is to challenge myself--in the places and seasons that I'm in. So when I went down to San Diego to meet Amy, I knew that I had to challenge myself to get in front of the camera for once. Which, I should say, is probably one of the hardest things I've done in a long time.

You and I both know that nearly all of the photos I post here are ones that I've taken and rarely do they include a photo of myself. Part of it is because I'm not really into the whole selfie thing and the other part is because I'm also so incredibly nervous (read: awkward) in front of the camera. As someone who's fairly self-conscious and has a tendency to strive for perfection, I've never enjoyed having my pictures taken. When my aunt pulls out her camera, my natural instinct is to hide. And I even had my older sister take my senior photos instead of getting them taken by a professional.

But let me just say that having my photos taken was just the challenge my heart needed. Sure, being in front of the camera still isn't natural for me, but I now feel a lot more comfortable in front of the camera and in my own skin, too.

I've seen a lot of blogging and Instagram moms talk about taking photos of themselves with their kids so that their kids get to see them in photos as they grow over the years. And I think that this is true whether or not we have kids. We need to have photos of ourselves to remember moments and seasons by. And I'm not just saying this as a blogger, but as someone who enjoys and loves being behind the camera as well.

You are worth the investment. You are more than your physical imperfections. You are beautiful. You are loved. You are YOU. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. 

p.s. You have to check out Amy's site and instagram--this girl is a natural genius behind her camera. She not only makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera, but she has some magical tricks to make you shine.