Beautiful
February 2017 Issue 2
LOVE
Real Life Romance
How to be SINGLE
& Love it
What to say “NOPE” to this Valentine’s Day ...
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@lularoeamandashannon lularoebeautifullycreated@gmail.com
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Letter From
Photography by K Kalista
The
Editor
Hello Beautiful, I hope your goal setting for the new year has been successful. Up to this point, I have successfully kept to my goals for 2017, but I need to get my little anxious self under control. I don’t know if I am the only one like this, but the beginning of a year gets super stressful on me because I am viewing the year as a whole and I need to step back now to take this year one day at a time. If we are going to be honest with each other, I must tell you that I set a 3 year goal for myself to get married. I know, laugh all you want. It is a silly thing to set a goal for because it is not like I have control over that, but it is something that I have been so unsure of for a while and I just need to let my mind know that it is okay to think in that direction. Now, I did not bring up marriage just for the fun of it. It is February now, and I am going to be so cliche and talk about LOVE. It is a part of real life and not discussed like it should be. Love is my favorite word. (That might be kind of weird. I don’t think many people have favorite words). I love to give love and I love to be loved. However, I have been burned by what I thought love was. I have lost hope in love. I am scared of love. Scared to love. I was loved. And I lost love. But when the day is all said and done, I still, secretly love the idea of love. I still hold onto a glimmer of hope that one day, in the near future, I will experience love as it should be. I know my readers are all over the place in their life journey, some are married to the love of their life, some are as single as I am and some are so broken by love that February just makes them sick. There is something in this issue for each of you, no matter where you are. I hope you have a beautiful month and a beautiful Valentine’s Day whether you are spending it on cloud 9 or taking yourself out on a date (don’t judge - that’s what I will be doing!). Share a little extra love to someone that won’t be receiving much this month and share Beautiful if you love it as much as we do!! XOXO,
Beautiful February
9 5 Editors &
Special Thanks
9 Cover Story:
Real Life Romance
17 How to be
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Single & Love It
21 Love Is...
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Karissa Hagemeister
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Photography by Alexis Gauthier
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Beautiful Karissa Hagemeister Editor in Chief IG @karissaluvhagemeister FB: Karissa Hagemeister Twitter: khluv
Karissa Hagemeister is on a life long journey in the pursuit of love, beauty and truth. Not only does she want to discover these things for herself but she desires to share them with anyone willing to watch and listen. Beautiful was birthed out of this desire. She enjoys modeling, acting and singing. She has her own fashion line and partners her business with a jewelry line, Chloe + Isabel. In July of 2016, Karissa published her first book. Her future plans include but are not limited to, obtainging a doctorate in psychology from an esteemed university, as well as taking over and completely revamping the fashion industry with the love, truth and beauty that she discovers by both her fashion business and Beautiful magazine. Photography by K Kalista
Courtney Mack Travel Editor
Courtney Mack is passionate about travel and trying the latest food trends. She has dined her way through more than thirty states and seven different countries. As much as she enjoys eating healthy, the temptations of unique, local flavor will swoon any girls heart. Courtney’s current career has no correlation with food, but more so it is an access to the marvels of travel. Her taste for travel and food are only two of her passions; seeing all people find Jesus as their Savior and gaining a revelation of their value in Him, while communing around great food, is the truest honor to her. If you enjoy learning where to eat when you’re in a certain state, make sure to keep up with her tips and tricks when eating somewhere new in her Tasting Travel section.
Alexis Gauthier Photographer IG @lextakepicstogether
Alexis Gauthier is currently 23 years old. She is a Licensed Minister in the Assemblies of God, she is the founder of LetsBeFrank.co, and aspires to be a Spoken Word Evangelist. In 2015, she completed her undergrad in Church Ministries with a double minor in English and Journalism/Public Relations at Southeastern University. Currently working on her Master's degree, Alexis also works as a Graduate Assistant in the career services office at SEU and as a Social Media Monitor for Media Connect Partners.
Special Thanks to: Poor Porker Lakeland, FL
Drew & Christine Hagemeister
LuLaRoe By Amanda & Shannon
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Chris Sellers Art
Published by Kingdom Dezigns, Inc. 6
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8 @kingdomdezigns
Real Life Romance A Story of:
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Photography by Alexis Gauthier
Real Life Romance
Drew’s
Story
A Story of:
“Drew had been dating for six months and he decided to take us on a picnic at Lake Mirror. I was so excited because he planned the whole thing. It was a really fun time. For the picnic blanket, I think he took one of his bedsheets from his dorm. The food he packed was chips and salsa and different snacky food, like goldfish. He brought sparkling grape juice in plastic cups. We also had a squirt gun fight, got fake pirate tattoos and walked around the lake.
“My favorite times with my wife include adventures, wildlife, going to the zoo or other places to see animals, going on cruises and being outdoors.
Photography by Alexis Gauthier
Christine’s
Story
I remember thinking that it was super fun but cheesy at the same time. Now I realize that is just Drew. I think I enjoyed it the most because he planned it all.”
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We have been to many cities and a few countries together so far: New York City, Michigan, Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, El Salvador, Nassau, Bahamas and Mexico to name a few. The trip I look forward to taking the most with Christine would have to be to Australia.”
My favorite adventure so far with my wife has to be: “For our one year anniversary, we went to Boone, NC for two and a half days. The first night we went to Appalachian Ski Mountain. It was my first time snowboarding, but not hers. However, we found out that night that neither of us is are too good at it. The whole time we were consistently falling down the mountain together. But we did not break any bones that time. Also, on that trip, we walked the Bridge on Grandfather Mountain. It is one mile high up in the air. The entire way across, she kept her face in the back of my shirt. I think we stopped one time to let her look out.”
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Their Story Drew and Christine Hagemeister met at an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) camp in 2009. They did not like each other at first. Drew was a freshman in college and Christine was a sophomore. Drew played basketball and Christine played for the volleyball team. Christine is originally from Michigan and Drew from Kansas. They went to college in Florida and got married in Florida four years ago this past January.
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Loving Single
Photography by Alexis Gauthier
Real Life Romance 15
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How To Be
SINGLE
By Karissa Hagemeister
Single on Valentine’s Day
&
LOVEIt
Valentine’s Day is probably the worst day to be single. We all know it. When I was younger, I used to get so excited in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, hoping that my current crush would ask me out. Each year, I was disappointed. But I never became bitter towards the holiday. Instead I somehow got into the right kind of industries and started banking on the holidays. For about five years, I worked at different chocolate factories/ stores. Last year, I worked at a jewelry store. So for the past several Valentine’s Days, I would be working from before sun up to way past the sun going down. It never bothered me because I never had a date. In fact, I loved working at the chocolate stores because I could stuff my face with the most gourmet of chocolate all day.
to this Valentine’s Day: By Karissa Hagemeister
Photography by Alexis Gauthier
Hating the Single Life
In all honesty, I used to hate the fact that I was single. (I have been single ever since I was born). I would think horrible thoughts about myself because I did not have a boyfriend. Things like, “You are not worth it,” “You are so boring that is why you are single,” “You are not pretty,” and the list goes on, but you get the point. I would beat myself up about it and allowed it to consume my thoughts. As you can imagine, that is very painful and toxic.
Learning to Love it
After way too many years of living this way, I finally realized that I was the only one making myself miserable. I was the only one that could make the change that desperately needed to happen. All that I needed to do was to change my thoughts. I decided to quit torturing myself over not having a boyfriend and I made the choice to love and accept myself for who I am. I also decided to start living my own life, realizing that someone will eventually come along but I do not need to wait for years, sitting on my hands, until they get here.
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Things Single Ladies Should Say
Since I have made that change in my mind, the world has become a million times brighter and much more exciting. I take weekly adventures, by myself most of the time, to new places or to my old, favorite spots. Right now, I live it up as much as I can. Right now is the perfect time to. I have nothing holding me back. The world belongs to me. It is so freeing. Some people never get to experience this type of freedom because they cannot last more than a day without a relationship. Or some people resemble the old me, being locked in the confines of their mind, waiting for a mate. Whatever your single life may look like right now, I challenge you to free yourself, even if it is only for a month, experience life to its fullest. So you are single right now, enjoy it. Don’t hate yourself or your situation. Life is too short and you are only given one shot at it, make every minute count, whether alone or with a crowd of people.
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The urge to wallow in self-pity
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Wearing all black
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Throwing darts at your Ex’s pictures
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Locking yourself away in your room
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Watching sappy love movies/reading sappy love stories
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Eating an entire box of chocolates in one night
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Posting your hate and disgust for the holiday on social media
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Spending the day with couples
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Trying to reconnect with your ex
10. Drinking to drown your sorrows
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Chris Sellers Art
IG @chrssllrart chrssllrs@gmail.com
Love Is ...
Photography by Alexis Gauthier
Family ... Meet my brother, Drew, and sister-in-law, Christine. Valentine’s Day is the day to celebrate love. Many people just focus on findindg a mate to shower love on for Valentine’s Day or they look for some way to be showered on with love. However, I tend to think that everyone deserves a little extra love on that day. Being single, I tend to shower love on my family and close friends.
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“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
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THE ENDLESS IG @kingdomdezigns FB Kingdom Dezigns www.kingdomdezignsfashion.com
Love Stories From Our
Dennis and Lori met on a cruise. The rest is history. They have been married for 24 years and have raised two, beautiful children. - Dennis in Georgia “My favorite date was back when Jeff and I were dating. We went out to dinner and then went back to his apartment and we were talking. He said ‘Oh Mary Anne, the Lord told me that you are the one for me and I do not want to kiss you until you walk down the isle.’” - Mary Anne in Florida “My favorite date had to have been going out for supper, followed by an evening walk on the beach. This walk led to a marriage proposal and now, a happy marriage.” - Tammy in Florida
Readers Top 3 Favorite Dates Our Readers Have Been On: 1. Movies 2. Disney World 3. Paris, France 28
Photography by Alexis Gauthier