blog-tember day 3 // collage of beautiful hope blog

It's day three of the Blog-tember Challenge (hosted by the lovely Bailey at Brave Love Blog)  this September and today's prompt is:

"Create a collage or inspiration/mood board that describes your blog"

reading & tea ||  journaling || travel || chatting with a warm drink 

|| give me jesus || photography || books ||  hope || love ||

Here at Beautiful Hope, I try to keep the focus on encouraging my readers (sometimes it amazes me I even have readers!) in every post. I do not want the focus to be on me or my abilities, nor do I want to paint an unrealistic facade that I lead a fabulous and stylish life (I am typically in my pj's when I write, ha!). Rather, I want to be honest and heartfelt in the content that is shared in this little corner of the internet. I want everything to point to Jesus in some way. Whether I share about Greg and my love story, review books, post about travel adventures, or share my goals, I want Jesus to be get the credit for anything good or useful that is here. Because, really, that's the most beautiful hope I have. 

So, here are some photos (from top right) I chose to describe Beautiful Hope Blog:

>> I want this blog to be warm and inviting, and this photo captured that so well. I just want to jump right into this photo, sip on that tea, read that book, and warm myself by the fire. Yes, please! 

>> This photo serves a twofold purpose: One is that while I do withhold certain topics and experiences sacred & choose to not share everything, I still genuinely want my posts to feel like you're reading a journal of my thoughts, honest and true.  Two, I want it to show that I like to share goals I make every month. I want to live intentionally, and for me, having goals has helped {check out my 2015 goals}

>> I got bit by the travel bug several years ago and I hope it doesn't stop anytime soon. This is a photo I took on top of the Paris' Arc de Triumph during my Europe visit in 2013 . Check out some of the other  travel adventures  I've had.

>> I want the posts of Beautiful Hope to feel like you're sitting with a friend at a coffee shop and chatting about whatever comes to mind. Whether tea or coffee (I'll have herbal tea with a hint of honey, please!), come, grab yourself a cup and sit a while with me.

>> Yes, give me Jesus. I want to learn more and more about Him so that I can love and serve others in a way that points back to His amazing, unfailing love. I love using the blogging world to connect with other female bloggers who also share their faith and encourage their readers in a way that praises Jesus for all He's doing in their lives. 

>> I am no photographer, but I like to carry around a cute Nikon 1 and sometimes pretend I can be one.  I appreciate great photography and would love to grow in photography skills, but at this point I am content with sometimes sharing photos I take that connect to my written content or travel photos. 

>> I love reading and have been challenging myself to read more in the past two years, so it's helped to review books on the blog so that I can keep track of my favorites as well as share recommendations. {Here are some of my favorites and here are the reviews of recent reads}

>> I said it earlier, but it bears repeating: I desire for this blog to be a place of hope. May it bring hope of the beautiful joy and peace found in Jesus.

>> I get to marry this handsome Texan named Greg in October and I cannot shut up about it! Every now and then I share about what I am learning in the engagement season in my journal of a miss to mrs posts, but he pops in every now and then in other ways as well :)