SnowDay.

Bon Iver, Bon Iver / Little Broken Hearts, Norah Jones / Born To Die, Lana Del Rey / Babel, Mumford & Sons

Oh, yea. It's a snow day. The bank is closed, so I lock myself away with the elixir of the morning, a good pair of sweats, and the company of my dear musical friends. Oh, yes. The creative juices have started flowing. It shall be a glorious day. 

And don't even get me started on the Harry Potter marathon that shall commence in only a few hours.

#GodIsGood.

-Blessings,

C.

Jake Likewise 3D.

Jake Likewise. This man right here is one of the best and most amazing friends anyone could ever ask for. He's very quiet and serious to most, but when you know him as well as I do, you'll realize that he's the funniest goofball ever. Jake makes me laugh so hard. If you don't know him, you also need to know that he's an athlete. You'll never see him without a fitted baseball cap on his head or without basketball shorts and a t-shirt. I asked him to let me pick out his attire, fix his hair, and take pictures of him. This is the outcome. He cleans up pretty well, huh?

Blessings,

-C.

Be You.

Lately, I've been struggling with the idea that "being me" isn't the greatest. For some time now, I've been feeling that who I am and how I'm wired hasn't been so easily embraced by my some of my friends. We're very different to begin with, but I haven't been able to stop beating myself up with the thought that it's my characteristics that drive us apart. This occurrence with extremely significant relationships has made me very self conscience with all of my relationships. These last few weeks, I've had to step back and just pray about it. I've finally come to a place where I can no longer allow myself to believe that God did not wire me to be who I am. Who I am isn't for me anyways. It's for Him. It's to love and bless others. If I have that mind set, how can I really go wrong? It doesn't really matter how people respond to it. I created this little graphic with a photograph I took as a little reminder of this truth. Each new day that comes, I don't know how to be anyone but me. As should you, in humility, "be you."

Blessings,

-C.

GoldenDirt Logo.

Here it is. The brand new, official logo for GoldenDirt. This is the symbol that will represent what I am calling the "GoldenDirt Movement." That's just a fancy way of saying, "this is how I'm branding my creations." For example, my photography, designs, and other work done by me will be represented by this symbol. Let me share a bit about the design. There have been a few key moments in my life where different people have compared me to a diamond stating that I have many facets that God reflects His light through. I see my gifts and abilities as some of these facets. In the logo, the two slashes represent God's light beaming down and the ring represents His light being reflected from the diamond, ultimately proclaiming Jesus. That is my desire. That all I do, my life, my works, would proclaim Jesus. I pray God takes this somewhere. If not, it's still for Him anyway.

Blessings,

-C.

Matters Of The Heart.

The heart is a weird thing. I mean, how is it that we experience actual pain from things that are said or not said? How do thoughts or non-violent actions from others actually cause your body to ache? Sure, you can tell me about how the mind works and all the chemicals involved and all that, but why is all that there to begin with? Aside from all of it shouting out, "There's a Designer!," I think it makes it clear that we as human beings, we are fragile. Some of us have grown up blocking that all out. Some of us have been taught that matters of the heart are for those who are weak. But I think that the experiences our hearts face are the experiences that shape who we are. Heartbreak gives us opportunity. Opportunity to learn. Opportunity to grow. Opportunity to forgive. Opportunity to hope. Opportunity to see God's hand. Strength is something to strive for, but sometimes, the best thing to do is to just curl up into a little ball, turn off all the up-beat music, and let your heart break. Maybe your life could use some opportunity.

Blessings,

-C.

Anyway.

Yesterday, I had breakfast with my good friend and Albany Young Life Area Director, Jeremy Ito. The day before that, I had lunch with one of my closest friends, Mattea Williams. Coincidentally, both times we were eating some tasty food and both times the reality of our wealth and the poverty of others struck us. Naturally, Mother Teresa came up on both occasions and we began discussing about how she truly understood what love truly is and what a gangster she was and all. All that later reminded me of this awesome quote of hers that I just love. I made this simple design over a photograph I took in attempts to celebrate it. Its a couple years old, but I think someone might still appreciate it. 

Blessings,

-C.

Kylie's Passion For Fashion.

Alright. So here's something really new for me. I have this fabulous and dear friend named Kylie Dalton. Kylie has been going to Oregon State University for Interior Design and graduates this June. An amazing quality of hers is that she is super passionate about fashion. Although Interior Design and Fashion are slightly different, they are both amazing ways to express one's self and that is something Kylie is extremely gifted in. She has an eye for all that is glamourous and chic. All that sparkles and shimmers. She has started a blog called Shimmer Me Pretty on which she offers her readers relatable advice on what's hot to wear and how to make your wallet happy on the way. I have been blessed to be able help her by taking photos of her outfits. This last Thursday was our first shoot, and of course, Ms. Dalton looked fabulous as you can see in the photos I took above. I really believe in my friend. She has a gift. I am excited to see her succeed and am thankful to have the ability to help her in this small way. Make sure to check out her blog: shimmermepretty.com

Blessings.

-C.