I am Brave and Beautiful

Today I'm "un-doing". 

I'm presenting a naked smile. 

I am Brave and Beautiful is a beauty movement that is sweeping the globe. Colbie Caillat started it with her recent song and video called TRY. My blogging friends wanted to push this movement along and invited women from all over to share what they looked like without make up and I joined in. Colbie’s song says, “Take your make up off. Let your hair down… Look into the mirror at yourself, Do you like you? Cause I like you… “

Megan and her friend Cobi are behind this project. Their vision included creating their own video inspired by the song TRY. The talent of Robbins Creative made it possible for them to pull it off. You have to click play and see the beauty and bravery displayed and you might even recognize a few faces in there.

I’ve joined in with 101+ other blogging women from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, ages, shapes and sizes and we've all decided to be Brave and Beautiful! You can join in this movement, too, by sharing what you look like without makeup on. you don't need to be a blogger. Just tag your photo with #IamBraveAndBeautiful on Instagram and search the hashtag to see who else has joined in. ALSO, if you tag it with a second hashtag, #ColbieTRY, we just might be able to get Colbie Caillat’s attention since she was the inspiration behind it all!

Are you brave and beautiful?

I'm not. 

I've been criticized.  I've been told that I'm ugly. My ideas are a waste of time. I'm stupid. I'm just a "hick country girl".  Being that I'm not good enough, pretty enough, young enough and smart enough. And at 54 years old, I'm just old.   Throughout many years, I've spent a lot of time trying to evaluate who I am and why and it shouldn't be based on others' criticism. 

If my appearance can't be socially accepted like this:  

Then it will never be accepted like this: 

And I don't mind. 

I've always accepted the fact that no one could like me for who I am. Now that I've fully matured, I don't even care what others think.  The painful words and actions don't hurt anymore.  I really AM different. Who should give a knick knack patty whack? Me. I need to please myself and realize the beauty around me.  I know who I am and what I love. I’m not perfect and never will be. I put my heart and soul into who and what I love. I just strive to do the best I can. That's enough for me. It seems to be enough for those who love me back. 

I'm brave. I'm tough. I'm a creator. I'm a wife, mother, daughter, sister and conqueror of my self inflicted battles. My appearance is not beautiful, but I know my heart is because it loves so hard it hurts. That is power. That is bravery.  That is my beauty.

Good morning, face! Let's get out there and have another kick ass beautiful day! 

Don't stop here. Get clicking around – its a blog hop! Below are more brave and beautiful women bearing more than their natural beauty. They all have a little bit of their heart to share with you. Some get very personal. Some share stories. For some this was very hard to do yet they gathered their courage and did it anyway. We hope as you click around (and YES pin these different posts!) you will feel the importance of it, the empowering effect it has and that it encourages you in some way.

1. BrassyApple 2. Peace from 6 Pieces 3. Is this Really My Life 4. Among the Young 5. Love Me Dani Marie 6. Sweet Charli 7. Kim Orlandini 8. XO, Ashton Tilton 9. She Calls Me Mama Leisha 10. Raising Memories – Canada 11. A Little Tipsy 12. Amy Cornwell 13. A girl and a glue gun 14. My Craftily Ever After 15. Maybe I Will 16. WhipperBerry 17.Paging SuperMom 18. All Things Thrifty 19. Ashlee Marie 20. The Project Girl

21. One Little Momma 22. Entirely Eventful Day 23. Diary of a Brown Eyed Girl 24. Tips from a Typical Mom 25. Utah Sweet Savings 26. Flats to Flip Flops 27. One Krieger Chick28. What Meegan Makes 29. Simply Kierste 30. Live to be Inspired 31. HoneyBear Lane32. Pretty Providence 33. Ma Nouvelle Mode – in FRANCE 34. MomEntity 35. Serger Pepper – in ITALY 36. Kiki and Company 37. Girl Loves Glam 38. Thrive

39. The Potters Place 40. Crafting in the Rain 41. Cooking With Ruthie 42. Delineate Your Dwelling 43. The Pennington Point 44. Bakerette 45. The Happy Scraps 46. Shannon Baird Photography 47. Tried and Tasty 48. Lionesses at the Gate 49. Fry Sauce and Grits50. Lolly Jane 51. That’s What Che Said 52. Sugar Bee Crafts 53. Your HomeBased Mom54. Happiness is Homemade 55. The Crafted Sparrow 56. R&R Workshop 57. I Should Be Mopping the Floor 58. Sassy Steals

59. Let’s Eat Grandpa 60. Being Spiffy 61. Sumo’s Sweet Stuff 62. Ginger Snap Crafts 63.Bless This Mess 64. Apronista 65. Dreaming About Someday 66. Frenchie 67. Tastefully Frugal 68. Four Marrs and One Venus 69. Your Sister Circle 70. Over the Big Moon 71.See Vanessa Craft 72. Infarrantly Creative 73. Family StoryTelling

74. Albion Gould 75. Life as Mrs. Larson 76. Tried and True 77. Play.Party.Pin. 78. Bite of Delight 79. Ink Happi 80. ObSEUSSed 81. U Create 82. My Mommy Style 83. Find it Make it Love it 84. The Contractor Chronicles 85. Novae Clothing 86. Mommy Makes Things 87.At Home with Sweet T 88. We Like to Learn As We Go 89. House for Five 90. Organize and Decorate Everything 91. Sassy Southern Gurl 92. The Creative Mom 93. Keep Moving Forward with Me

94. The Benson Street 95. Mom 4 Real 96. Sowdering About 97. illistyle 98. The Crafty Blog Stalker 99. A Fiery Red Life 100. Cupcakes & Crowbars 101. One Sweet Appetite102. My DayLights 103. Restless Risa

104. Sypsie Designs 105. Vintage Mother 106. Like Mother Like Daughter 107. 30 Handmade Days 108. Queen B and Me 109. Apples by Ashley 110. Boutique Cafe – in CANADA 111. Just My Little Mess 112. Bombshell Bling 113. Sarah Tyau 114. Taradara Make it 115. Capturing Joy 116. Ivory Lime Photography 117. Jenkins Kids Farm 118.Free Time Frolics 119. Bella Storia 120. Dana Ohlsen Photography

Ready in join in?Snap, hashtag and share! Tag @BrassyApple and @Peacefrom6Pieces if you can too!

Also follow our Bravery and Beauty PINTEREST board for more inspiration!