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Still digging this grungy, edgy, easy look from @denymgrandrapids ? Jeans and a t-shirt is my uniform & the easiest to dress up with a shiny accessory (or 4!) & a statement shoe!

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Guys, I’m so ready for holiday party outfit goodness!! Do you depend on your classic lbd with a pop of red on your lips? Sparkle or fur? Maybe you attend more casual parties, how do you dress up your denim? I’m going to post a handful of holiday party outfit inspiration photos in my stories throughout this week, keep an eye out!! ? @kaleighdsimmonsphoto

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What I wish you could see in this photo is the moment we realized we could feed alpacas that lived directly behind this studio. As in, open a door in the back of the studio and walk right into their feeding area!
They were stinky, adorable, enthralling & I was obsessed with the idea that such a beautiful studio had this unexpected surprise! There was something so honest about it; the collision of this beautiful studio & these wild animals and the fact that they shared a single door. (I’m working on embracing the way my mind works when it comes to this stuff but I do appreciate that Jesus created me with tenderness & insight toward seemingly ordinary things.) We paint a calculated representation of who we are and allow the world to see it but we hesitate to crack the door where, on the other side you’d find the messes of our lives. Reality is that we all have this door, the one hanging in balance of our beauty & our mess. We tell ourselves people will love us less if they knew about the mess on the other side when the truth is it bridges gaps, offers freedom & gives others the opportunity to feed our hearts & feel understood in return. We are all messy & we have all been broken, it’s a part of our story! Just like one success doesn’t cap our ability to achieve, one painful circumstance doesn’t blemish us. John 1:5 says, “Light shines in the darkness and the darkness can not ever come it.” If we crack open the door from our perfect facade into our passing pains then they can’t stay in the darkness & chip away at us. So today I’m aware of my door and the insecurities on the other side & I’m allowing a crack so the light can get in – I am not inadequate, I am enough! I am worthy! I am loved! I am strong! I am not alone! YOU are enough, you are worthy, you are loved, you are strong and sister, you are not alone.

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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We’ve done it!! Eleven years!! Honestly, This guy deserves so much more than an Instagram highlight shout out, he deserve my time and attention. He deserves quiet nights in with my phone turned off and my heart & mind wildly connected to his. He deserves to see me and know me in all of my forms and to be honored for the vast sacrifices he has made to help our family flourish! He protects me physically, mentally, emotionally & invests in my spirit. He challenges me to see my own strengths, to really understand & identify them so that my confidence grows. He guards my mind and remains faithful & transparent. He and I really are better together, but we’ve had so many opportunities to cave and throw in the towel – haven’t we all?! We’ve had to work through some (very) hard situations, we’ve fought & the couch gained a body for the night. We’ve had upsets and disagreements with the best of them but he STILL chooses to love me & hear me. He’s my ultimate person, the one who tells me every day how beautiful I am. I’m grateful and humbled that he is mine. ? @kaleighdsimmonsphoto

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Because this color combo is still giving me liiiiiife & I can’t wait to see the photos from the shoot of this outfit! ✨

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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“So many people love you, don’t focus on the ones who don’t!” – Soyen.
I’m still feeling all the love & still indulging in the 2 lbs bag of sour patch kids I was gifted for my birthday – nom nom nom. I vow to eat them until my tongue hurts from the mysterious sour, totally delicious chemicals dusted all over them!
I’m thinking about all my people, the ones who love me so well & of course, in true Olivia fashion, this took me down a rabbit hole of thoughts! It’s a hard game to play to find your place in the world or even in your own community. Instagram adds insane pressure to change elements of who we are to be more acceptable yet when our engagement is not ideal we feel inadequate because even our ‘perfect mask’ is flawed. Of course this makes us second guess everything we believed about ourselves when we confidently pressed share.
Pause for a second… remember the ones who love you, the ones who support you and believe in you because if you let them be the ones who motivate you, then you will soar. Don’t show up to prove the haters wrong, show up for the ones who need to hear what you have to say & hold on to what those who love you & know you have to say about who you are!

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Photo taken at: Chicago, Illinois

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I’m 32!! #celebrate
Photo: @kaleighdsimmonsphoto

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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I’ll love you forever. Tomorrow I’m 32 years old & 8 days later we cheers to ELEVEN years as Mr. & Mrs. ✨
When I reflect on my life so far I’m humbled that I’ve been so fortunate. Life is messy, it’s hard & full of exhausting battles BUT battles can be won, messes can be cleaned up and hard things take work but get easier with time, understanding and patience. I’m so loved, I’ve never doubted that for a moment in my life – that’s something I have never taken for granted. As I get older I really understand that love offers a safe place – for you, for the refugee, for the abused & broken. A place where we are reminded that we are worthy of being loved. We get broken in relationship but we can also heal in relationship where love is pure. I have learned that love DOES – love isn’t silent, it doesn’t see a hurting person & turn away. Love believes the best, it makes a way for broken people, it offers hope. Pure love has the power to rebuild our brokenness. The way Scott loves me is something he chose to do, he chose to be intuitive & aware of my heart and love me in a way that I’m grateful for every single day.

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Photo taken at: A.K. RIKK’S

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Last falls go-to is this falls go-to! This @motherdenim faux fur jacket has been one of my favorite purchases for a number of years in a row! Our closets should be full of both timeless pieces & current trends. This jacket can easily be worn with a T-shirt (I snaked this one from my husbands closet) & jeans, a little black dress or dressed up with added textures like velvet, leather or sequins for the holidays! Good quality statement jackets are always worth investing in. ✨

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People who stop hiding behind their imperfections and decide to go for it just as they are, are some of the most inspiring people I know of! Imperfection leaves room for growth, trying to attain perfection means you’ll continually wonder why you’re not good enough when mistakes are made. Going after a dream and believing you have what it takes to achieve it regardless of the cards you were dealt, takes loads of courage! But being courageous also means having the grit not to give up when mistakes are made or things get tough. Courage means digging deeper and working harder, not to attain perfection but to attain wisdom. I love this quote by Mark Anthony, I hope it encourages some of you the way it’s encouraged me!

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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