Growing up, the idea of "becoming a woman," was not appealing. I just associated it with uncomfortable body changes, bras, periods and childbirth. In my eyes, there wasn't much to celebrate. In fact, it seemed like it was a curse to be a woman. Unfortunately, many years of my life were spent operating under the label of "girl" instead of "woman" because it felt more freeing and comfortable. It wasn't until after I had my babies that I embraced my femininity.

Growing, birthing and nurturing children has unlocked this new found strength, respect, and confidence in my body and self. I am PROUD to be a woman. So, I am rocking bold red lips as a symbol of femininity, strength, and confidence for the the Verily Magazine Red Lip Challenge.

You can be a part of the challenge too by posting a photo of yourself wearing red lipstick and saying what it means to you to wear it. See more details on Verily's Instagram post.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

I have the privilege of being Verily Magazine's guest pinner this week. They asked me to share with their readers what I'm inspired by. One would think it would be fashion related, but instead I chose to pin about being a great hostess.

In the past couple of weeks I've hosted a shower and a couple friends from Houston. I've also been doing a lot of home renovations to get my house in order once and for all. I really want to be a great hostess, but most of the time I don't feel like I'm all that great. I get anxiety about whether my house is clean enough, pretty enough and if my food tastes okay...Anyone else out there feel like this? I HATE that feeling! It's an insecurity that needs to be tackled!

As the cooler months approach and the holidays creep up I know I'll be doing more entertaining too. So, instead of anticipating my hostess anxiety I'm sharing what I love about gathering people together, what foods I think would be great to share and what home environments I find most inviting. Follow along with me, and please comment and share pins with me that you think would be great inspiration for others!