Ghia, 2017 | Glamour & Contemporary Portraits | Santa Clara, CA

There exists a unique kind of beauty that comes with the broken and the real. Ghia is a woman that possesses that kind of beauty - the kind that laughs out loud, tells it like it is in any and every situation, and is unapologetic about her own need for truth, grace, and love. One of my favorite qualities about her as a friend is that she always somehow reminds me that no matter how far I think I've fallen, I don't have the ability to fall too far away from God's constantly available love. From day one she is real about herself, her life, and how God's grace is constantly shaping her as well.

Ghia is a wife, a mom, a sister, a loyal and longtime friend who is loved by many....and it is my honor to be able to share with you all a glimpse into the heart of this awesome woman as well share  a behind the scenes look into her photo shoot with Heartbox Photography!

Photography: Heartbox Photography

Hair and makeup: Kalani Brown

"There are so many things that make a woman beautiful; her confidence in who she is, the joy she can spread with her laugh, how she looks, and the list goes on.

But what I think makes a woman truly beautiful is a gentle spirit. Kinda crazy, because I'm the exact opposite!"

"There's beauty in women when they can build other women up, instead of tearing them down."

"I wish I could tell my 18 year old self that the opinion I should care about most is God's.

I still have to tell myself this now, and remind myself that God seems me as His precious daughter, that I am loved the way I am, and not for what I think I could be."

 

 

"As a young girl, I compared myself to the images I saw on TV and magazines, and it made me feel bad because I thought I looked so different.

I was also very quiet and shy, even awkward, and I thought that made me look more weird. I basically cared way too much what other people thought."

"Today, although I am still struggling, I would tell young girls now to focus more on figuring out who they are, regardless of who they think the world wants them to be. Outward looks may come to mind immediately when we hear "beauty" but the word means so much more.

Being a woman is hard enough in this world, and I think that if we could encourage each other despite our differences, we would love ourselves more, and each other."

"I think what I appreciate the most is how God continues to remind me just how loved I truly am, just the way I am."