Floral In Autumn | What it Means to be Beautiful

Hey there! What do you think about wearing floral prints in September? Personally, I love it! If you do it right, it looks so pretty and perfect for any dressy fall occasion.

I chose to style this dress from Old Navy because I think the black background makes it more appropriate for fall. Darker prints, with warm colors like burgundy, mustard yellow, red, navy blue, and dark green are perfect floral options for this time of year.

I like going with a shorter style dress because it can be paired with both tall and ankle boots. Short dresses also go well with denim jackets or long cardigans, like the one I’m wearing here.

A question that has been on my mind a lot lately is this – what is it that makes a person beautiful? Not just attractive, or pretty, but truly beautiful, inside and out. Is there even a difference between being pretty and being beautiful?

The other day, I was in town taking photos for my blog. It takes a bit of confidence to stand on a busy sidewalk and pose for a camera. It’s taken months for me to become comfortable doing it, and I do it because I love what I do and I love creating content for you guys and sharing style ideas, as well as the ideas that go on in my mind. But it isn’t always easy.

During my shoot, a random guy drove by once, then came by again just to roll down his window to tell me he thought I was ugly. Nice, right?

That’s the second time I’ve been called that in the last two weeks. But honestly, I don’t really care what those random guys think about the way I look. I don’t search for confidence in their opinions of my Instagram or blog photos. What I want to know is this – can you really call someone ugly when you don’t know them? Personally, I don’t think of the word ugly as a way to describe someone’s appearance, but as more of a character description. Ugly is rude and mean. Ugly is choosing to be unhappy, or lazy, or discouraging.

So if that’s what it means to be ugly, what does it mean to be beautiful?

To me, I don’t think it has all that much to do with someone’s appearance. At least, I don’t think it should have much to do with it. I think someone’s beauty comes from their personality, their kindness, and their passion. It’s their light, and the way they radiate God’s love. Sure, taking care of yourself and making yourself look nice is great, but that can only get you so far. Strive to be more than an attractive face. Strive to make a difference in someone else’s life. Compliment them. Encourage them. Listen to them, and ask them questions until you understand them. Strive to be strong and courageous. Strive to be gentle and caring. That’s beautiful.

Joy is beautiful. Kindness is beautiful. Confidence is beautiful. Passion and determination are beautiful. All those things stand out and mean much more than pretty hair and make-up.

Beautiful is who you are, not what you look like.

Love,

Gabriella

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