Girl Talk // The Fashionista

This week we have the pleasure of chatting with Jennifer of Jennifer Marie Photography. I met Jennifer in college; and over the past year or so, we've become great friends through the beautiful world of social networking sites. ha! She is gorgeous, talented, and way inspiring. You know those people you look at and just think, "they're going to be famous." Well, that's Jennifer! I know you're going to fall in love with her.

What is your job title?

I am the sole owner and lead photographer of Jennifer Marie Photography, LLC. I specialize in weddings, but do a little bit of everything else too. Fashion, Portrait, Photojournalism, Landscape... You name it! My business went international this year as I was honored to photograph a May wedding in London, England. I currently live in the ever exciting city of Los Angeles, Califonia and am slowly finding my way in this big ole world. :)

What do you love about yourself? 

I love my imagination. The place I feel most at home is there - wishing and dreaming a world of the beautiful things I hope one day will become my real life. 

Who is your role model? 

Oh, wow. I have had so many different role models. My family is amazing, and I would have to say the person I look up to most is my sister, Melissa. She is one of the few people in my life I know will always, always, always love me no matter what - and real love is a bond that is hard to come by these days. Melissa has a beautiful spirit and is deeply passionate about everything she does. She has a lion-heart personality, a never-say-die attitude, and has taught me so much about standing up for and believing in myself. 

What inspires you? 

Love inspires me. Not the cliche, way overused, careless love that is thrown around, but the stop your heart, make you melt, tell-me-that-story-again kind. Soul mate love, friendship love, family love, love that spends time caring for the down trodden and less fortunate... It all inspires me to live for a bigger purpose. I have a tattoo on my left arm that says, "3:14" and it represents the third chapter, fourteenth verse in the book of Colossians from the Bible. The previous verses urge Christians to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, longsuffering and forgiveness, culminating in the fourteenth verse, which reads: "...And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (NIV). Every day this verse reminds me that just as my clothes are a statement about who I am, my actions are a statement about what I value most... and I want to live a life in love.

What are five words that describe you?

Romantic, Headstrong, Creative, Whimsical, and Loving.

What is your biggest insecurity? 

I never felt very "liked," if that makes sense. I haven't had a lot of friends, any exceptional beauty or any exceptional talent. In fact, I often suffer from the gross disease of feeling average. Blech. This insecurity, you could call it, has manifested itself in a number of ways throughout my life. In junior high, I hid behind glasses and crooked teeth, unwilling to really befriend anyone. In high school, it was anorexia and perfectionism all around. I thought if I could "look the part" of a happy girl, I would become one. In college, I would lose my identity in different relationships, because I thought if I could find one person to really love and accept me the way I am, I could learn to do so as well. Of course none of those things solved the bigger problem, and I began to search for the lost piece of my heart. In the past year and a half, I have been on a tough journey, trying to find my identity and self worth in Jesus Christ. Some moments, days, and weeks are harder than others, but I know that the Love my Savior has for me is the real thing, and he has given me Grace to overcome the things I don't fully understand.

If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be? 

Eeeeeee, I would be an animal. (Am I allowed to say that?) A cool kind of dog (Alaskan Husky), or perhaps a lion. Anyway, it would be nice to gain perspective from a more care free individual... I would revel in my simplicity and surely take time to laugh at how frantically busy the humans look. ;)

Wow, just wow. This girl is so so inspiring. I know that her words have moved me and I have no doubt that she has helped us see a little bit of ourselves in her struggles and find hope in her words of encouragement. I love this girl. If you haven't quite had your fill yet, you can follow the links below to see Jenny elsewhere

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