For Love Of : blogging

Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts

one year anniversary giveaway!!

i have two reasons to be happily writing about today.

one, we received a nice little cold front yesterday and spent the most beautiful sunday taking a stroll and eating some of the most delicious tacos. it was swell time.

but the happiest of the two reasons is because of a giveaway. happening here. on the blog. yay-ya!

this is the very first giveaway being hosted here and it's due a pretty great reason.

saturday was my first bloggiversary!!

yep, i've been blogging now for a full year and i'm loving it. i really can't say it enough, blogging has been such a great outlet for me and i've loved making some sweet connections with some beautiful ladies that have blessed my heart.

below are some of the ladies i'm talking about. seriously, you must check them out and become their friend fast, if you are not already.

amy is the sweetest soul. this girl has a passion for Jesus that you wouldn't believe and her heart is pure gold. her blog is so full of encouragement and inspiration. seriously, go make friends with her.

cindy is a great girl i have the pleasure to know in real life and this girl cannot only sing but she plays the drums. i mean talk about girl power! her blog is a lovely space of family topics and crafts. check it out!

katie is the sweetest mom and spends her days with her sweet little girl having little adventures that she shares on her blog. it's the sweetest space with the most gorgeous pictures. She's also a contributor for Real Oilfield Wives.

becky sees life through some love glasses, i swear. she talks about real life, not ever hiding behind her screen, but always, always shows things through a different perspective that lights everything up. i'm awaiting her book. i know she has to write one!

so what's up for grabs, you ask?

$35 Target Giftcard

an original 'The Greatest is Love' painting

So excited for everyone!

Go enter!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xoxo leah

my niche is Jesus.

oh my goodness yall, my heart was so happy yesterday.

it was such the perfect fall weather, and i have a feeling it's going to stick around now. yay!

alright, now that i shared my piece of happy news, time to get this post started.

i'm nearing the one year anniversary of when i began to seriously, seriously blog. it's funny when i began to blog, i had truly no clue what to do. as i think the majority of us don't. although i'm still in the dark about many areas of blogging. but the one thing I had set in my mind on was not to be the 'too serious, too deep, too christian' blogger.

my goal was to be likable. and get big numbers aka followers.
being a debbie downer and writing on heavy stuff was not what people wanted to read.
my niche although i didn't really know what it was, it needed to be fun.
my identity from the get go was being decided upon the expectations my future readers had of me. You know because for a minute there I hit my head thinking I was some famous person and readers were waiting on the edge of their seats for my first post. riiiight.

boy, has my vision for this blog changed.

those 'debbie downer' posts that tell of my story, and of what Jesus is doing in me that I feared to write, have been the most freeing. they've allowed me to be real, transparent and although it's scary because you don't want anyone reading along while doing some eye rolling, writing those posts have been such an encouragement to my heart.
instead of making me feel down, they've uplifted me. they've sparked a passion in me.

i can write about the joys and woes of motherhood, marriage and being a woman knowing that someone out there will be able to relate as well.

the followers i was striving to obtain for the sake of having high numbers, many have become such sweet encouragers and sisters in christ whose posts also uplift me, and motivate me in my walk.
the word followers actually irks me. a community is what i have actually found.
a group of women that love to encourage, support and are truly genuine about it.
you don't find that very often in social media.
what a relief that has been for a girl jumping in to blog with expectations of high hopes of 'fitting in.'

and while i'm still just a year old blog, and hardly know the whole scheme of technicalities, numbers, monetizing, and whatever else comes with it, the one thing i do know is that my idea of who i am, in this blog gig, has changed.

not only am i a mother, a wife, a woman struggling with insecurities at times, and a blogger.

but i am a christian, Jesus passionate, community seeking girl who wishes to shout out and share what God is doing in my life.

for a girl that wanted to put 'too much christianity' on the back burner, that plan has backfired.
because in hindsight this part of me has never really been about me, but about Him.

so if i would have to choose a niche. it would be Jesus.
motherhood, marriage, lifestyle topics all fall freely on paper because my center, my identity comes from Him.

so here's to another year of blogging, should that be where the Lord wants me to be.
let's keep on blogging!

what is your favorite topic to write about?

xoxo leah

twitter / instagram/bloglovin

to be inspirational.

since starting this blog, i've asked myself quite a bit of times where i want this to go?
is this truly for documenting my life for just me and my family, is it just an outlet for my creativity, or something bigger?

over the past few weeks, i've told myself i want this blog, this space to be a source of inspiration. whether it be for mothers, wives, healthy lifestyle seekers, women, believers, etc.
i want to be used to inspire and encourage. yet a lot of the times i don't feel like i have a lot to bring to the table.

when i look at my life, i haven't written a book, i'm not a famous artist, i don't have a perfect marriage, i have self image issues i still struggle with, i don't have motherhood figured out completely, i have horrible grammar, i ramble without really making a concise point.
how can i ever be an inspiration to others when i don't have things together?

and this is where i always get stuck. this is where i stall. and i feel defeated.

these past couple of days, i've been dwelling on that thought. and i have finally realized: who does?

who honestly has it together? who honestly leads a perfect life that is worthy enough to be of inspiration?

nobody. nobody has it together, nobody has it perfect.

see, what i'm starting to finally realize is that being inspirational doesn't only come from being famous, or having an established business or having numerous book deals. it also comes from having the right perspective. whether you see the glass half full, or half empty. it comes from falling hard but standing up and trying again. it is in those that make mistakes, sometimes ugly ones, but learn from them and next time do better. it can be found in those that choose to be transformed into beauty from ashes. that's inspirational. that's a breath of fresh air.

and for me, that's where powerful stories are born. not in perfect situations, but in the middle of a mess that isn't powerful enough to keep you down. in being honest and raw about our heart and letting others know, hey i'm kinda messy, i got a past, i struggle but i'm pushing through it.
those are the stories my heart seeks. those are the ones that i look up to in being real and allowing me and others in to know i am not alone. that we are not alone.

i'm going to keep it real with you all. sometimes it won't be the right post for you, but for someone else it might. sometimes it will be a little sad but that will be what my heart feels at that moment, in that same token the next day it might be completely lighthearted because that's just how i function.
but i will not hold anything back that my heart feels to pretend i have it perfect.

and that's what i hope for this space to be. for me to share my falls, my struggles and victories with anyone who graces these words. and in the middle of it, even if it's just a small sliver, that i can inspire someone with my words, in sharing struggles that they too might be facing, in sharing my brokenness that i experience from time to time still and encouraging that life is a gift and must be experienced to fullest (see, run on sentence) because we are all in it together, and that is a perfect inspiration in itself.

we are all inspirational. we all have something beautiful to bring to the table. we all have an amazing story to be told. your life is a beautiful inspiration.

#twittermethis.

hi my name is leah and i was once a twitter hater. once being about two weeks or so ago. see the thing about twitter is, it almost felt as though i was in the middle of a room with about a hundred women talking all at once. it was overwhelming! as soon as i got done with the current feed, there were so many more tweets already loaded. it made my head hurt.
then, i read this post by kristin. by the way, she has such a beautiful blog and a beautiful heart. you really need to check her out. anyway, this gave me the push to get out there and be more ~~aggressive~~ interactive with my 'twittering'. the words in the English language that are now socially accepted right?

so i've been tweeting more frequently now, and not just the links to my blog posts but actually engaging with other twitters/bloggers and it's been so much fun!! it doesn't feel like a hundred women talking at once when i'm engaged in the conversation. i feel like a legit tweeter and here's what i've learned so far:

the little star icon = the like button on facebook. you like a tweet, by all means click the little star! let the blogger/twitter know you dig their words! if you totally dig what they're saying and want to share their wit/wisdom, retweet it. just make sure all your tweets are not all retweets, we want to know YOU as well.

#FF means friday favorites. if that's wrong blame it on google. i was too embarrassed to ask what it meant on twitter so i googled it! so on fridays, hashtag (i'm getting to that word. sounds like hashbrown) some of the followers that you heart. and while we're on the subject, i dislike that word, followers. let's call each other friends, no? much more encouraging.

hashtag - the pound sign with whatever you feel like saying in a nutshell. example: i'm hungry and all they brought in to work are donuts. #cantmesswithsummeraroundthecorner. that might be a little too long of a hashtag, but you get the idea. or if there's a movement going on in the twitter world that your tweet is in reference to, hashtag it girl! this will add your tweet to the feed for that hashtag and you'll find others within the same movement giving you the opportunity to connect making new friends, obviously the reason for tweeting!

*are you lost yet? me too. but let's keep going. i have more to say and don't feel like doing a part 2 to this.

okay now questions that i have and here's where you guys come in.

how many times is it acceptable to tweet the same person before falling into a stalker status. i mean if the person tweets pics/statuses that you totally like, do you pass them by or tweet to your heart's content?

if there's a tweet going on between two people simply because nobody else has added a thought to the conversation, is it acceptable to join if you have a thought on the subject yourself. or is it an A and B conversation and you have to C your way out of it? i almost feel like it's when in facebook so and so writes on so and so's wall, and a mutual friend answers the question meant for so and so. you get me?

and lastly, if you begin to follow someone's tweets, do you formally introduce yourself to them before tweeting: 'your baby is adorable girl!'

okay, so i may just be a bit insecure or paranoid about how i may come off to someone, but they're real questions i have, so be a sweetheart and help out a twitter newbie. notice i just called myself a newbie when up top i claimed to be a legit twitter. #idontknowwhoiamanymore! hahaha.

are you on twitter and if you are, are you my twitter friend? if not tweet me! @beautifulmolded.

okay enough twitter talk. how was your weekend? i hope it was lovely! wishing you all a beautiful week. oh and before i forget, new friends around this space - i heart you!

say my name. (link up)

let's start with this.

i'm a christian and faaaaaar from perfect.

before i started blogging again, i knew i wanted my blog to be about my life, things i love, and my faith.

that was the easy part, determining what you would write about.

the choosing of the name, not so much.

i racked my brain for what would sound cute, but not too cute.

what would sound witty, but alas i don't possess too much wit.

but the word molded kept coming back to me.

to me the word molded means to mold into perfection. into the state you want something to be.

' yet you Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands.' isaiah 64:8

although i am imperfect, i know that God is not. His work is perfect, His ways are good and i recognize my life is His hands is the best place to be.

this place is where i want to document what God is doing in my life, how God is transforming me each day, all while sharing it with you.

i'm being molded into a more patient, graceful mom. being molded into a more encouraging, kind and gentle wife. molded into a forgiving and understanding person.

all these things i am not perfect at.

i pass judgement, i am not as patient as i would like to be.

my heart is tarnished and needs cleansing, it needs to be molded according to His will.

beautifully came after.

the process of being molded is sometimes not easy. sometimes it's painful letting go of things you've held on for so long.

it is in trusting though that His ways are good and His plans for us are greater than what we could imagine or hope for, that makes this journey beautiful.

molded isn't just a process of refinement when it's done by God.

it's beautifully done.

plus trying to go for one name wonder wasn't working too well. we'll just leave that to madonna and prince. they can rock it like nobody's business, yes?

now tell me what does your blog name mean to you?

linking up with:

The Vintage Modern Wife: Say My Name Link Up

someone for you to meet.

i think i have mentioned a time or two here before that i love blogging. if not, let me tell you, i heart it a lot.
what i never really thought i would gain from blogging would be friendships. not just the 'hey girl, that's a cute shirt.' friendships but 'heart to heart' talks friendships.

today i just wanted to take the time to introduce you, in case you don't know her already, to a fabulous woman who also has a beautiful heart.

meet Shannon from imperfectly, perfect grace.

you can tell how genuine she is from reading her blog. it's such a positive place where she reminds us to be thankful and to understand the importance of love. her love for her little guy, who is adorable and so funny with his dress up skills (really, check them out here. i died laughing), and for her husband is so transparent. each time i read her posts on her two main guys, it makes me want to run to my crew and squeeze them so, so tight.

many times i find myself nodding as i read what she has to say because she holds true to the Lord's word and strives to walk like Him.

it's too bad we live states apart. this girl here and i share similarities in our stories and don't believe for one second that i encountered her blog out of coincidence.

i mean, think about it for a minute. the fact that someone in another part of the country whom you haven't physically met is praying for you, is powerful and so awesome!

this is the number one reason why i love writing in this little space so much. being able to meet so many of you beautiful women inside and out and share our stories and encourage each other although miles apart is such an amazing experience. thank you to all of you who are so motivating and leave encouraging words.

so go and meet Shannon. I promise you'll love her blog and most importantly her!

tid bits.

reality has a way of setting in on that first full day back at work, doesn't it?
while i'm not too ecstatic to be back at work, i know that we have to work hard to play harder.
and 'play harder' we did. we had a great time, the kids had a blast and now i'm just counting the days until our next vacay. i'll post some pics and talk about our trip later on this week, maybe next. (300+ pics is a lot to edit!) but until then, here are some tid bits on my mind.

first off: i see some new faces around here! thank you all sweet people for becoming a reader on my little blog. i'm so happy to have you all and would love to get to know you all better. leave me a comment or email me! and to my veteran readers, thank you all again for your support and encouraging words. you all are awesome!

second: i am participating in a giveaway of $100 for two lucky winners. please enter, and keep your fingers crossed. oh and if you win, my favorite color is mustard and love some good chocolate. just saying. :)

third: i know i've been babbling about this new series i have up my sleeve. and after much going back and forth, i've decided to bring it to you in a vlog series. to say i'm nervous about it, is an understatement. i've always been shy on camera, but given the topic of the series, i thought it would be much more personable to speak to you in lieu of writing. keep your eyes peeled for an intro vlog to the series next week. yay!!

fourth: the 'healthy you, happy you' link up will still be happening tomorrow. get your posts ready freddies. i love to read how you all are staying refreshed, and loving yourselves. and thanks to all who have been linking up.
if anyone is interested in co-hosting for February, please email me at leahmtz @ gmail (dot) com.

fifth: the site will be having some remodeling done here and there. please be patient with me. i have a vision, but the lack of time and money to have someone else do it for me, takes longer for the vision to unfold.

that's all that i have for now ladies. hope you all are having a fantastic week!

why to blog.

i love blogging. where's it's been all my life? is what i ask myself sometimes.

being 100% truthful, which is what we all want everyone to be, i've thought to myself at one point in time and asked: what is the purpose of this?

well, self, i'll tell you what's the purpose of this.

keep reading...

influenced.

i'm messy (with my feelings and thoughts, not house or self image messy - just to be clear)and this post is probably going to be pretty messy, because I have so many thoughts going on, that i could lay them out and plan them out, but i get too excited about writing.
so here it goes.

influence.

we've read a ton about it in the last couple of days. i know i've read at least a dozen posts on it revolving around the influence conference that just took place a couple of weeks ago.
i didn't attend, but i feel like i did.