Can I say how nice it felt to sleep in over an extra hour this morning? Because it did. Phenomenal actually. Although it did put me a bit behind in getting some things done. I’ll live and the world won’t collapse, so I’m cool with it.

For now, I want to share something my good friend Heather started recently. Her Faces of Beauty site. The site highlights women and why they believe in their beauty. Each post shows a gorgeous woman (because we are ALL gorgeous) with little to no make-up on and her statement of beauty. As this week will start the 30 Days of Self-Love, I feel compelled to share in positive affirmations of all forms. I hope you do as well and give her site a look. Then send your own image in! I already did mine!

My past has scars. Scars of not knowing how to love myself or even the belief that I should. These scars cloaked me until I was no longer visible. I masked my pain with an overwhelming need to control food and punish myself with excessive workouts. I cried myself to sleep so many times that my dreams lost their sense of peace and blurred with the nightmare of my hurt.

Somewhere along the way, though, the blindfold fell off. Something embraced me, solidified me, and showed me the true me. I began awakening each morning to take in the presence of this new sense of self. Those quiet moments helped to reaffirm my beauty. And now I know...

I am beautiful because God created me. I am beautiful because I have purpose, worth, and value in this world. I gave life to my children and the unconditional love that resides within me makes me beautiful too.

I am beautiful because I exude strength. I conquered depression, binge eating, anxiety, and hatred of my body. I am beautiful because I can forgive - myself and the person who caused much of my suffering. I am beautiful because I can lift weights, spin, kickbox, and sweat - pregnant or not.

I am beautiful because challenges do not stop me. I follow my passions to wherever they lead me - from self love challenges on my blog to sharing God's love with friends or strangers. I am beautiful because I am me. No one can take that away, so why on earth would I allow myself to do so? Love you for who you are. YOU are beautiful too!

Please check out the Faces of Beauty!!!

Update on the 30 Days of Self-Love - It’s coming! Day after tomorrow.Let’s get excitement flowing again! 😀 I sent out an email to all who commented on the “Are you in?” post. If you did not receive an email and would like to get the same information I will be sending out to others please let me know below with a comment.

• What makes you beautiful?
• Do you get stressed when you feel behind schedule or are you able to go with the flow? I typically stress myself, but today I knew I needed the rest and refused to let it bother me.

I made it! I survived last night’s shower and bachelorette party. My body may feel hung over today, despite the zero consumption of alcohol, but it sure feels good to check last night off the calendar. It even went better than I anticipated! I laughed hard and “partied” like old times.

The group of eight stayed in a Georgia Game Day condo in Athens (UGA town) for the night. Driving up to town alone left me feeling the old tingling of nostalgia; then staying in a place decorated to the nines in red and black made me downright giddy.

I will always think fondly of my alma mater, even if some of my roughest years took place during that time.

We got the place all set up for the shower and then let the fun begin. We took a few shots – them from a glass and me from the camera. 😉

She opened her lingerie gifts. And I had to laugh at her dad sending a special gift for the shower.

She’ll get more use out of that than any of the other things! 😉

We pinned the “junk on the hunk”. The variety of “junk” options to pin could not have been more hilarious.

We told old stories and quickly passed the time until going downtown to the bars. Oh, downtown!

I have an abundance of memories down there. It seemed I had taken a quick spin in the car from Back to the Future. Everything felt and looked exactly the same. Our first stop on the scavenger hunt (oh yes, there was a scavenger hunt for her to complete) even included a drink we partook in many times back in the day. A “Kill Bill”. Don’t worry - I banged a shot of water into a glass of cranberry  juice.

I also had a flashback to party years with a body shot. You read that right. One of the items on her scavenger hunt was to take a body shot. I jokingly volunteered my pregnant belly as the vessel and then, once the idea got in our heads, we knew it had to be done. Simply for the hilarity of it.

I’m not going to share the picture, but I didn’t want to ignore that part of the night either. Why? Because it reminded me not to take life too seriously, as well as spoke to how far I’ve come. I had done body shots before, but always in the sense of trying to get attention in a sexual way, stemmed from a lack of confidence. Last night, I wanted to have fun with my friend on her special night and not have a care in the world what other people thought. All that mattered lay within our little group and creating a memory for us to laugh over in the future.  

Some people may judge that decision on my part as inappropriate and I don’t mind. I was still the same woman with the same beliefs and values – including the value of living in the moment with a friend that means much to me. So I stayed out with her like old times. I didn’t go to bed until after 3 am. Then, I napped, guzzled water, and smiled over the night I just had today. Worth every moment…including a sticky navel for 1/2 the night. 😉

• Best part of your weekend?
• Where did you (or do you) go to school?