How My Mom Taught Me the Value of Beauty & Dignity + a $150 Mother’s Day Giveaway from Fashion & Compassion
Bracelet: c/o Fashion & Compassion // Tote: c/o Fashion & Compassion
My mother’s necklace: c/o Fashion & Compassion // Watch: c/o JORD
Vest: Banana Republic (similar here – $30) // Heels: Dillard’s (similar here)
For most of my life, I felt like the ugliest girl in the room. That may seem like a surprising admission for a fashion blogger, but it was my reality during my formative years. My confidence plummeted in middle school, where I primarily studied with financially privileged girls who were perfect physical embodiments of Eurocentric beauty standards. With my kinky hair, round facial features, and average clothes, I looked vastly different from my peers and I was often the only one of me in my classes and social gatherings. On top of my physical differences, I was painfully shy and awkward. Oh, and I had severe acne that left semi-permanent scars on my beautiful melanin-infused skin and eroded the bit of confidence I did have. I struggled to embrace my flaws, the beauty I was born with and even more so the beauty that lied within. In the background of that struggle was one woman who was ALWAYS there to remind me I was beautiful: my mother.
With a little help from my friends at Fashion & Compassion, who gifted us the jewelry and adorable tote featured in the pictures above, I dedicate this post to my rock — the woman who instilled in me the value of dignity and inner beauty.
My mother never saw me as an awkward, pimply faced girl who struggled to make friends. She saw a beautiful young woman with great potential, who was too often weighed down by her perceived differences. Thus, she never allowed me to pity myself or accept that I was the unattractive girl I often felt was. Instead, she discouraged superficial and destructive thinking by teaching me to not place too much value in the physical beauty of myself and my peers. “Physical beauty will fade.” she’d say “The beauty that lasts lies in the strength and quality of your character.” She was the yin to my destructive yang. When someone called me funny looking or weird, she called me beautiful and reminded me of my accomplishments. When my low levels of self-confidence encouraged me to take part in undignified activities with boys, she taught me to demand respect I should receive as a daughter of the King.
In those years, my sense of beauty and worth depended on other people’s (often superficial) standards. Now my beauty and self-respect derives from my identity as a saved disciple of Christ. And I credit my mom with laying a strong foundation before I accepted Christ and his standards into my heart.
Much like my mother, there are many strong women out there who are dedicated to empowering other women through Christ – and several of those special ladies formed an organization I’ve come to LOVE: Fashion & Compassion.
Fashion & Compassion (F&C) is a non-profit boutique that partners with female artisans to help them sell their gorgeous creations globally. Most of the artisans are political refugees, victims of sex trafficking, or overcoming extreme poverty. F&C aims to transform and improve their lives by encouraging dignity — the dignity that comes with economic opportunity and spiritual support — and spreading beauty through the goods they create. Every item is crafted with love and comes with a tag featuring the artisan’s name (so you can pray for her by name).
In honor of mother’s day, I’ve partnered with F&C and other faith-based bloggers to celebrate the special women in our lives and promote the value of Christ-centered beauty and dignity.
We are kicking off this Mother’s Day celebration by giving away a $150 gift card to F&C on Instagram. You can enter to win HERE (giveaway launches at 5pm PDT).
The Comments
Taylor Jones
What a great post and what a beautiful mom you have, inside and out 🙂 Love your outfit and the little pop of cheetah print in your shoes! 🙂
Elizabeth
> Taylor JonesThank you, dear!
Jodie filogomo
Wow….I can totally relate.
When I had my pigtails cut off, I used to get called a boy all the time—such awkward times.
That’s why I love being older—I feel my experiences in life color my outside as well as my inside!
And good for you mom for “having your back”. I love my mother dearly, but I feel that part of my (old) insecurities in appearance stem from her constant dislike with her looks. In our case, it’s now me telling her she’s beautiful when she’s putting herself down!
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Leslie
Lovely post. You and your mom are beautiful! She raised you well.
Elizabeth
> LeslieThank you so much, Leslie!
Gina D
Your mother is beautiful both inside and out and she raised and taught you right … our outer beauty does not matter. God made each of us and everything he makes is beautiful!
I pray God’s riches blessings on both you and your mother.
Thanks for informing about Fashion & Compassion. I had not heard of it until now and I will definitely check it out.
Elizabeth
> Gina DAmen! I couldn’t agree more. Every good gift comes from God (James 1:17), and my beautiful mother is certainly one of them. Thank you so much for the love, Gina! I really hope you check out and support Fashion & Compassion. The work they are doing is so important, and they carry a lot of nice gifts for various occasions.
Barbara
I am a witness to the beauty you both possess, inside and out, Your mom has always been verfy bautiful and humble in her ways. She laid a great! foundation in raising you., and i sincerely applaud her for that.
What a beautiful post and outfits,
Love you two. Auntie
Alecz
What a wonderful mom you have! Also this outfit is too cute. I love the belted olive vest!
https://forsevenseasons.wordpress.com
Elizabeth
> AleczThank you, dear! I’m biased, but yea…she’s the best. 🙂
Elizabeth Williams
Aw, you’re mom!! And yeah, I can definitely relate to those struggles! I often get frustrated that I’m 23 years old and STILL struggling with it. You really are a beautiful girl! I don’t just say that, I mean it! And you’re doing a great job with this blog!
Elizabeth
> Elizabeth WilliamsOh! Thank you so much, Elizabeth. That means a lot coming from you! I guess this issue is truly in our heads because you are so naturally beautiful. I hope you know that. 🙂
Elsie London
This post really touched my heart. You’re a great writer, and I’m grateful you shared some of your story, including your insecurity with your appearance. Sounds like your mom is deeply wise and taught her daughter to prioritize the things that really matter in life. Would that all moms were like her!
Elizabeth
> Elsie LondonMy mom would be so touched by your comment, Elsie! Thank you. She has been instrumental in building my moral foundation. I feel like this post didn’t do her justice, but I appreciate the love. 🙂