I Am Brave And Beautiful

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 Instagram 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!

I admit, I like this picture of myself, taken by Caitlin Nalder Photography.
I mean, I'm all made-up and photo-shopped. What's not to love about that?
But here's the thing...it's not completely who I am.
It's only partly who I am.
Yeah, sometimes I'm an attractive gal all made up,
but the real, everyday, around-the-house mom who likes to
craft, cook and decorate doesn't usually look like that.

I usually look like THIS.

There was a time when I would have NEVER allowed anyone to take a picture like that of me.
When I was in high school, one of my friends said to me, "How can you look so pretty with your make-up on and so ugly with it off?" I was emotionally scarred for years to come. I almost NEVER left the house without my make-up on for DECADES after that. There was one time on a lazy weekend evening I ran over to a video shop to rent a movie (without my make-up on) and I was absolutely convinced people were staring at me in shock of how ugly I must look. I am not making this up. THAT'S how much importance I placed on make-up and my self-image. So sad how we let ourselves believe baloney like that and let it handicap us. I don't stare at people who aren't all made up and think, Ohmygoodness, she looks horrible, so why would I think anyone would have done it to me?
Since I'm baring my soul and face, I'll let you in on another secret. Recently I was diagnosed with skin cancer on my forehead. (As much as I've over-exposed myself to the sun, it's a miracle it took this long!) I wasn't thrilled about having to have a little bit of my forehead skin removed, but I thought, oh, it'll be no big deal. Turns out the skin cancer was much deeper than we thought and by the time the doctor had gotten it all, there was a huge crater in my forehead. The assistant handed me a mirror so I could see it before the doctor stitched it up. I didn't even stop to think what it must look like. I just took the mirror and looked. OH. MY. GOSH. I got light-headed and woozy with the shock of what was in the mirror. I had no idea it would be that bad and I tried for the rest of the day to not cry. I started playing that old message of my youth in my head "I'll never be beautiful again". I cut my bangs shorter and thicker so that they'd cover up the scar. Fast forward a few weeks and I tell ya, I'm over it. I have a scar, so what. I guess that means over the years I've grown. I only let it get me down for a few days instead of decades. Hooray for progress!

If I could just say one thing, it would be this.
You are beautiful, no matter what.
On the inside AND the outside.
We are creations of our Father in Heaven
with the DNA of our earthly parents.

image via

I first saw Colbie Caillat's video TRY
and posted it on my Facebook wall about a month ago.
I ***LOVE*** the message she sends in this song!
I am honored and excited to be a part of this beauty movement
that encourages each of us to be comfortable
in our own skin and love ourselves,
no matter what we look like on the outside!

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. llistyle 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!

Attachments area Preview YouTube video Colbie Caillat - Try Colbie Caillat - Try