Friday Fashionista :: Tulle and Stripes.

Well hello my lovelies! Happppppy Friday! Yay it's the weekend! So by popular demand... Tulle and Stripes is the winner for today's Friday Fashionista :) I hope you enjoy, I had soooooo much fun putting it together. Hello pic above... LOVE those shoes.

So, let me ask you... do you have a tulle skirt? I actually don't have one so that might be one for the Christmas wish list wink wink ;) Which one is your fav? Even if you're not a tulle fan, I know after this little blog post you will love it! My favourite pic is this one above, from Atlantic-Pacific... you can see more pics from the fabulous shoot here. :) 

So why not sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy some 'tulley-stripey' fun! Here's to 18 gorgeous and super stylish ways you can style tulle! xx

Well what do you think?! HOW beautiful right?! Ahhh... makes me want to go out and buy a creamy tulle skirt today! So what's happening this weekend peeps? Whatever it is you do, expect surprises. I'm serious... have you written down what you are believing for this weekend? If not do it (and think BIG), because you never know, anything can happen!  

Be blessed family!!! Love you lots! 

Nat xoxo

Images - Pinterest

Exciting News :: "The Writer's Ink" New Logo and Website Launch.

Hi my friends! How is your week so far? Guess what... it's only 36 sleeps til Christmas woo hoo! :) Soooo, I have some exciting news to share with you today. As you probably know by now, my heart for The Writer's Ink is to encourage you (and everyone else I can possibly find!) and to inspire you. From my very first blog posts in 2012 my vision has been to encourage you to think bigger, to follow the dreams in your heart, to flourish and thrive in all you do and to understand just how amazing you are! For the last two and a half years I have done my best to inspire you to take crazy risks, to ignore fear, to stir up your gifts, to step out in faith, to expect abundance, and truly believe that at any moment, anything can happen. :)

So just as I have been encouraging you guys to step out and believe 'anything can happen' I've also been on this journey myself. For the past three months I have been on my own 'crazy leap of faith', moving to New York for two months, and writing this book. I'll tell you about my NYC experience soon, but I'll just say that it was extravagantly more than I even imagined! A dream come true.

So after such a such an extravagant trip, I wondered, what could be next? Upon returning from my time away, I purposely asked myself "okay, what are my dreams?" As we purposely 'stir up the gifts of God within us', awakening the deep things of our hearts, God loves it and he partners with us. And when he partners with us, things actually happen. When we take the time to stop and really listen to our hearts, it's amazing what we hear :) In the last three weeks I have seen the passion for my vision for The Writers Ink and my book Anything Can Happen grow so much. :) I just love picturing you guys reading this, seeing the gold in you and encouraging you to stir it up and run after your dreams. So... that's why I have decided to step it up and create a bigger platform for me to do this. How? Scroll down for the news :) xoxo

1. Brand New Logo.

So the first exciting news is the fresh new branding of The Writer's Ink. Just before I left for America I had the pleasure of working with my very inspiring friend Rachel McCarthy at Peep Designs to design this fab new logo, and the first element we worked on was my business cards. I took them overseas with me and as it was such an amazing way to connect with people. I wasn't sure what to do with them, but as people asked about my writing, I just handed them out and the response was so lovely. :)

2. New Website and Launch.

And the second piece of exciting news is, I am upgrading this little blog to a full website! I have been working with my fab friend Mark Peric to create this little haven of encouragement, inspiration, beauty and creativity. I also have a few more surprises I am working on at the moment that will be ready for the launch. Eek so exciting. So stay tuned!

So what about you my dear friend, what's bubbling up on the inside of your heart at the moment? We still have six full weeks left of 2014 which means there is plenty of time to see one (or more!) of your dreams come true ;) I love Paul's passion when he says this... 

So let's stir up those gifts and keep them ablaze today okay! Yep, that's what we've gotta do. So be encouraged... write out this scripture and stick it to your bathroom mirror!

I love you lots and am cheering you on always :)

Love Nat xoxo

Images 2 and 6 :: via my Pinterest Page

All other images :: via Natalie Box 

Friday Fashionista :: Summery Palm Print

Hello my lovely Friday Fashionistas :) How has your week been?! I was a bit excited to do this post as it's been a while since I have done a fashion blog, and I know so many of you love it so much! If you have ideas you'd like to see featured next week just let me know ;) I always love the summery ones don't you? Anyway... enjoy this little taste of summer after a gorgeous warm week. It's time to get the BBQs out and have people over I say. Wouldn't you just love to sit back with a summery mag and a cup of tea in this little scene below... I am imagining there are big double french doors to the left that open up to a gorgeous lush garden :) Ahhhh divine. Enjoy this little blog of fun palm wardrobe inspiration! xoxo

I hope you have a beautiful weekend whatever you are doing. If you are overseas in the northern hemisphere... then enjoy Fall :) Ahhhhh... all those pumpkins, leaves, spiced apple cider... and if you are in Summer, enjoy daylight savings, warm air and beach walks! :) xx

Love you guys heaps.... 

Happy weekend!

Nat xoxo

Images - Pinterest 

Trusting in transition.

The definition of trust is "the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Trusting in God is actually pretty easy when life is great, don't you reckon? But when things are messy, uncomfortable, unsettled, uncertain, confusing and completely overwhelming... trusting in God can suddenly become a challenge. I wasn't going to write a blog entry today because I didn't really know what to say. Then I thought that maybe others might be in a similar season of transition or stretching... so I got out my laptop.

I've been back from New York for a week and a half now. (You can read about my NYC journey here and here). After spending two months there (three months travelling in total) I knew it might be a bit difficult coming home, but this past week has been a little bit trickier than I had imagined. After returning from many long trips overseas in the past, I've always settled in quite well and quickly, however this time has been different. 

Have you ever been completely fine one moment, and then the next moment find yourself totally overcome with emotion? Well this has been me all week. So many times I've thought to myself, "What the HECK is wrong with you Nat? People are dealing with much worse situations, pull yourself together!" but when our heart is sensitive to something, we can't just ignore it. Even when we don't know what's going on, we need to slow down, listen and be kind to ourselves. 

God is so faithful though. Whatever season we find ourselves in, he's always right there with us, ready to speak and bring clarity. I've been waking up pretty exhausted since I got back (a mixture of jetlag and emotions I think) and this morning as I lay in bed, half asleep, I offered up a simple one-word prayer to my heavenly Dad: Help. It wasn't until later that I remembered praying it, and I just heard him say...

Ah yes. Jesus. As I heard those words I pictured him and peace came. That's just what happens when we think of him. Peace invades. My mood shifted, my worries faded and I just felt hope. The second we think of Jesus everything changes. Isn't that incredible?

When thoughts and fears cloud our thoughts, we can't see truth. When we're overwhelmed, it's hard to trust. But, the moment we choose to look to our Saviour, hope always comes. So as I continued to focus on him, I felt his comfort so beautifully. I didn't necessarily have all the answers to my questions, but I just felt strengthened. Sometimes we still have to walk through the snowstorm, but he gives us extra strength to walk, and brings other friends around us so we don't have to walk alone :)

And sometimes it feels like we are holding on for dear life to the thinnest most tiniest branch... but he always holds us up.

So when everything is all over the place, when it's messy, when we don't know whether we are coming or going, we can breathe deep and rest assured that he is with us. And he is always doing something NEW.

He creates new things out of NOTHING.

(Romans 4:17)

What are you believing for? Maybe it looks impossible. Well, it's not to God. He's very clever and he always wins.  :)

So today, let's take a deep breath and choose to trust. I pray you have a beautiful day, and that he speaks to you about the things in your heart, bringing clarity and hope. :)

Love Nat xoxo

Images - Pinterest 

Love from NYC :: I did it.

On the 31^st of January 2014 on my way to a New Years Eve party in Melbourne, I declared that I would go to New York City to write my book. And here I am eleven months later, sitting at Vancouver airport (surrounded with way too much luggage for my liking oh dear) shaking my head with amazement and thankfulness at what has just taken place. I actually did it. I rented an apartment and went to New York on my own and wrote my book. How crazy!

Like many people on New Year’s Eve, thoughts of expectation and anticipation of a brand new year filled my mind. All of a sudden I allowed myself to dream and thoughts possibility overwhelmed me. I love how God is always ready to stir up our dreams. All it takes is for us to stop, and dream and think, “what if….?!” So as I was dreaming, my mind began to expand and I thought, “I should just go somewhere for two months this year and write my book.” Not a bad idea right? Stirred with a passion so great I thought I might explode, I pulled over on the side of the street, grabbed my phone and began writing two emails. 

Thinking without limits allows us to dream. 

“No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it - what God has arranged for those who love him!” (1 Cor 2:9 Msg) 

In this place of dreaming, faith is easy and big dreams actually feel within reach. I thought “what the heck”,  bit the bullet and emailed the wonderful Lynette Lewis and Jen Ramos, two amazing women I had met in 2013 on a trip to New York. Their lives had inspired me so much so I thought I would connect with them and share my heart and let them know I might be coming to the city later in the year. Speaking out your dream is like sowing a seed. I believe those emails written in faith shifted my dream from ‘something in my head’ to ‘something that was actually happening!’. Here's a pic of the lovely Jen and I...

And spending some time with the beautiful Lynette...

And this is when my friend Nic came for a visit!

So with my own little ‘schedule and plan’ in place, I soon discovered that quick answers are not always God’s plan. (Ha!) So as the months went on I kept declaring anything can happen, telling people about this dream and speaking it out, and declaring it over myself. There were days where I openly said to The Lord, “um… okay… I’m not sure what the delay is here? I am not really hearing anything from you, so I guess I’m not supposed to go to New York.” But even on the days when I wasn’t sure, I always had a feeling deep in my gut, drawing me to there. So from January until August my declaration was that “somehow” I was going to New York for two months to write my book. 

So even though I was declaring in faith that anything could happen, many many things were taking my attention and causing me to worry. All of a sudden the initial joy of going on such a wild adventure was overtaken with fear and anxiety. Thoughts like “oh no, Nat you’re not going to make any friends. Where are you going to live? Your apartment is going to be miles from anywhere and it’s not going to be beautiful at all. Um, and how are you going to write a book?” 

What the heck?! Clearly these are lies. I am sure you have experienced something like this as you have stepped out in faith. How annoying is it?! But these lies were just confirmations I was on the right track, and if you are experiencing thoughts like this, then so are you!

So now I am looking back at what has taken place. Honestly my friends, it’s been the most extravagant, ridiculous adventure of my life and I can’t wait to share more of it with you as the weeks go on. I have written so much of the book “Anything Can Happen”, which is great, but as always God has gone above and beyond with friendships, my apartment, and more extravagant and fancy outings and experiences than I could ever have imagined in my lifetime.

So let me encourage you (and me too for this new season!) let’s stir it up and see these amazing dreams in our hearts come to pass!! Here are some things that helped me see my dream happen this year.

1. Understand the power of your declaration.

2. Keep the vision in front of you. (Hab 2:2)

3. Shift your thinking to the point where you believe anything can actually happen.  (Romans 12:2)

4. Take the limits off financially, mentally, emotionally, logistically, geographically and physically.

5. Have specific dreams and be specific with God in asking for them.

6. Picture it in your mind and keep seeing it until it comes to pass.

7. Expect crazy, ridiculous favour.

So be ready, things are shifting in your life and I am excited for you! Well my dear friends, my flight is boarding now so I am on the home stretch... just 20 hours to go lol!

Love you lots and have a beautiful day!

Love Nat xoxo