INFLUENCE MAGAZINE featuring
holiday issue
31 DAYS WILD & FREE
A SASHES MARKET GIFT GUIDE 路 INFLUENCE CONFERENCE RECAP
IN THIS
issue
14 18
22
4
LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
5
CONNECT WITH US
6
MEET THE TEAM
8
WHAT WE’RE LOVING
14
CONFERENCE RETROSPECTIVE
18
SASHES MARKET GIFT GUIDE
22
31 DAYS
27
HEAVEN ON EARTH
The best part about this community is that the conference is only the beginning for us. We want to invite you over to
THE INFLUENCE NETWORK
to become a member if you’re not already. Year round, day in and day out, women are partnering together to make their online lives mean something and we want you there too. We’ll see you there!
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letter
FROM YOUR EDITOR
The holidays come chock full of expectation. As party invitations and brown paper packages arrive at my doorstep and Christmas lights start twinkling in my neighbors’ yards, it is hard to avoid the rise of hope and excitement. But all the events and expectations can lead to heavy feelings of striving, exhaustion, even disappointment. I know I have felt those in my heart in years past. This season, I even considered not opening up the boxes of decorations, just to avoid some of the hassle. My sweet toddler’s fingers will be reaching for those glittering decorations, and my free time could be spent so much more profitably. Then today, I started listening to the Influence Conference recordings and read through Jessi’s recap of the weekend. And I read through interviews with courageous women who spent every day of October writing about subjects they had passion for. To top it off, my husband carried up the blue bins that hold our holiday trimmings from the basement. And creativity stirred in my heart. I’m ready to dig into the Sashes Market gift guide and start drafting my shopping list for loved ones. After standing in the real-life handmade market at the conference, I’m convinced that this virtual guide should be your one-stop-shop for your nearest and dearest. I’m focusing on the joy of a cozy home filled with loved ones, the excitement of purposeful time with friends and wrapping up presents, and the hope of a tiny newborn who became the Redeemer of the world.
connect
WITH US
@influencenet
TheInfluenceNetwork
@InfluenceNet
influencenet
NEWSLETTER
BLOG
Join me, friend?
Lindsey
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meet
THE TEAM
HANNAH ARNOLD
Photographer
visionspix.com @visionspix
LINDSEY KUBLY Editor in Chief thekublygirl.com @lindseykubly
ANNA WESTBURY Page Editor annawestbury.com feather-fern.tumblr.com
HAYLEY MORGAN Contributor thetinytwig.com @thetinytwig
JESSI CONNOLLY Contributor naptimediaries.com @naptimesdiaries
SARA ACKERMANN
Photographer
saraackermann.com @SAckermannPhoto
CAROLINE RO
Photographer
carolinero.com @carolinehoward 6 \\
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WHAT WE’RE LOVING:
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING If there is one day you're going to run into every person you know, it will be when you're Christmas shopping. If you're in your hometown for the holidays, expect to see your best friend from high school and your first crush. Trust me - wear the lipstick! You'll be glad you did!
JESSI
@naptimesdiaries My earliest memories regarding the holidays all have to do with Christmas shopping. I grew up with two sisters and a mama who liked a deal, so searching for the perfect gift was always about the experience for us! We never started until Black Friday, but you better believe we have always been among the sleepy people at the break of dawn amongst the crowds and the crazy. For us, shopping was never about the stuff or the materialism, but the time spent together laughing and loving on our people. I started with hot chocolate and have graduated to a venti Americano, and I'll be out there this year - coffee cup in hand, with my mom and sisters, soaking up the Christmas shopping experience.
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You've gotta have a list to do some productive shopping! I love this one from Rifle Paper Co!
I love this long plaid shirt from H&M and just ordered one for my shopping uniform! It's long enough to cover your booty in tights, festive, casual, and only ten bucks!
I need something sassy and fussfree to hold the essentials while shopping. Cards, phone, lipstick. This cross body fits the bill! Love these Minnetonka booties! They're comfy for hours of walking, but also warm in case you're not inside an enclosed mall.
If you're me, you'll likely get flustered waiting in long lines and drop your phone. I picked up this phone case from Target a few weeks back and it's doing a great job of protecting from my clumsy butterfingers! Plus, it's super cute.
WHAT WE’RE LOVING:
CHRISTMAS MORNING
LINDSEY @lindseykubly Christmas morning is a particularly cozy time with family. We like to wear our pajamas for breakfast and gift-opening. I've learned from experience a sloppy t-shirt never photographs well, so I'm shooting for tailored and cute.
We fill our mugs with coffee all morning long. Plus, read the story behind this bag of beans. Pajama sets are making a comeback, and you can even layer the top under a sweater with jeans for a quirky tomboy look.
Slippers are my staple through the cold winter.
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We each grab a piece from the nativity and read through the Christmas story before opening gifts.
Favorite mug from my mom's kitchen.
WHAT WE’RE LOVING:
HOLIDAY PARTY
HAYLEY @thetinytwig Since my life isn't fancy enough to need a "party wardrobe", I try to choose pieces I could wear in everyday life, too. You could wear those green velvet pants with a black t-shirt on date night, and that sweatshirt obviously is just stinkin' fantastic all around. By buying separates rather than an outfit you can really get a lot of mileage out of the excuse to get new clothes!
This playful crewneck pokes fun at the idea of a stuffy holiday party.
Gold Dots? Tell me there is something more festive than that! Plus, these would be great for New Years Eve! A glittery edge to a preppy classic.
The green velvet pants practically shout "Christmas!".
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A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT THE INFLUENCE CONFERENCE
By: Jessi Connolly Photography by: Sara Ackermann and Hannah Arnold
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21, ESV) I think it’s safe to say that we had an Ephesians 3:20 experience at the 2013 Influence Conference. It was absolutely more than we could have asked, imagined, dreamed, or planned for. The community that we’d gambled on last year? Well, we grew. We found our feet. We found our women, and they showed up believing they have Influence and ready to take actionable steps to shepherd it well. Oh, and they brought their friends! And the Lord showed up and did work in our hearts, businesses, and His Kingdom.
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W
e kicked off our conference with a party again, because why not? There is so much to celebrate! This year we wanted to have a party with a purpose, so we invited the team at Sole Hope to guide us through a shoe cutting party. Sole Hope is an organization dedicated to providing shoes for African children who are exposed to terrible foot-related infections that could be easily prevented with shoes. It just so happened that their founder, Asher, was in the states and not in Uganda at the time. So while we cut shoes, she educated our women about what they can do, right where they are in their lives, to get behind Sole Hope. We were also thrilled to kick off our Pure Charity campaign with Sole Hope to raise the salary for two Ugandan nurses – an idea that was born out of Hayley Morgan’s heart being stirred one night for Sole Hope and these sweet kids. It was beautiful to see our women respond immediately and that campaign is still going on! Check it out and be a part of Influence Hope here.
ON THE OUTSIDE IT MAY HAVE LOOKED LIKE AN AMAZING NIGHT OF WORSHIP, BUT I PERCEIVED SOMETHING ELSE MAJOR SHIFTING. Our first night was filled with cutting shoes, connecting, and in general just soaking up the beauty
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of our tribe being together in one place! The next morning women grabbed mugs of coffee and their notebooks and found seats for the first session. This was the beginning of an almost non-stop stream of wisdom and life-giving sessions for the next two days. Hayley helped us redefine the idea of work and closely examine how the lies we believe affect our work, our success, and our lives. Lara Casey helped us remember that pursuing God’s dream for our lives is the one thing our lives are too short not to do. Jess Thompson brought the gospel and got us back to our core, our identity as daughters of God. We had an incredible network members-only session with Shauna Niequist, who shared insights from the abundance of her vast writing and creative resources. Friday night brought workshops and mini communities being formed around individual pursuits – fashion blogging, photography, adoption, writing, and more. Saturday we kept it going with an information-packed blogging session with Kate Bryan and expert advice from Jeff Goins. Annie Downs brought the heat when she challenged us to kill the mean girl and then reminded us we could potentially be the mean girl in all areas of life. Jenna Beaugh told us her story, and we fell even more in love with her and even more in awe of the God who sustained her through the loss of her brother. In the midst of it all, we were drinking copious amounts of coffee and running back and forth to the Sashes Market where women from our community were selling some of
the most beautiful items. Those two days were overwhelming in the best possible way. Most women walked around with notebooks filled with quotes and ideas, purses stuffed with business cards, and hearts full of hope and the feeling of being known. This was our second year of ending the conference with worship. That was absolutely not a mistake. As Reeve and Chris led us to humbly and boldly approach our Father together, April painted. During that hour, at least for me, something wild in my heart exploded. There were women praying for one another, raising their hands in praise, and sitting quietly – processing and praying by themselves. On the outside it may have looked like an amazing night of worship, but I perceived something else major shifting. I think 300 women were picking up their influence and holding it open to the Lord for Him to use in a might way. They were believing God’s best for their lives and the lives of the people they love. They were also applying the truths they’d learned to their businesses, pursuits, blogs, and passions. Several hundred women had come to Influence anticipating growth and community, but they left walking in humble influence with a solid community to join them.
CLICK THROUGH FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
INFLUENCE HOPE.
sashes market GIFT GUIDE
FOR THE HOME
FOR THE MISTER
bowties from The Cordial Churchman
$32+
coasters from Eva Marie Typography
FOR THE BABES
$9.50
print from The Lettered Life
$45
state pillows from Emily Steffen
fitted crib sheets from Beautifully Esoteric
$25
print from Laura Casey
$40
$20
FOR THE STUDY floral leggings from Little Suzie
$32
print from BW Prints
children's clothing from Mattie Mae Designs 18 \\
varies
$14
painted notebook from Hello Hue Studio
$21 // 19
FOR THE LADIES
FOR YOUR JEWELRY BOX earrings from The Poppy Chain
ruffle tank from byTavi
$7
$29.95 Carrie bag from Better Life Bags
nest ring from Melody Joy Designs
$30
necklace from Amy Cornwell Kica necklace from Fashion and Compassion
$65
$36
headband from Oh Sweet Joy
scarves from She Does Justice
Infinity necklace from Beautiful and Beloved
$13
$23
$25 necklace from Umba
FOR THE KITCHEN
$110 leather clutch from Live Fashionable
cookie cutter from $35 SoleHope part of shoe cutting kit
custom spoon from Jessica N Designs 20 \\
$138
$17+
$78 CD from Reeve Coobs
mugs from NS Pottery
$15
scarf from Ginger Lane Goods $28
scarf from The Mocha Club
$45
$32 // 21
31 days... BY: HAYLEY MORGAN + LINDSEY KUBLY PHOTOGRAPHY BY: CAROLINE RO
For years, Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester, has been hosting a link up on her blog called "31 Days". This linkup started as a small group of women writing about the same topic for 31 straight days. Since then it has grown to well over 1500 blogs and has become a litmus test for many great eBooks birthed out of the process of writing for 31 days in a row. 22 \\
Each year, it seems the caliber of the posts increases with participants vying for the most eyes on their subject. Participating as either a writer or just a reader can also help you find a community within the vast pool of bloggers. We have highlighted a few favorite series and talked to each writer about their process, subject, and experience. // 23
31 Days of WILD + FREE
31 Days of
Q. WHY DID YOU FEEL COMPELLED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 31 DAYS SERIES THIS YEAR? A. I honestly have attempted the 31 days once before and failed. This year, I was fresh off The Influence Conference and the idea of Wild and Free had been stirring in my heart for months. Hayley and I talk to one another a lot about our desire to be more wild and free and the conflict we see in women when we're not. I thought it might challenge me to really develop my thoughts and also see if this was just as much a thing for other women as it is for us!
Q. WHY DID YOU FEEL COMPELLED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 31 DAYS SERIES THIS YEAR? A. I attempted to complete the 31 days challenge last year, and life got in the way, and I just never felt inspired to write or finish. I hadn't planned to participate this year, but when I was on my way to the Influence Conference, I was praying about the weekend, and the idea of contentment and margin and white space crept into my thoughts. And I just knew that it was something I should explore for 31 days.
JESSI CONNOLLY
Q2. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC? A. I chose it about a week out from October 1st and decided to write for 31 days. I'm not sure I could have written for 31 days about anything else! Q3. WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND HOPES GOING INTO THE PROJECT? WERE THOSE EXPECTATIONS MET? EXCEEDED? ARE YOU GLAD YOU DID IT? A. My main expectation was to develop the idea of Wild and Free that had been swirling in my head and conversations for months. I just wanted to get ideas on paper and outlined in a way that made sense. I also wanted to push myself as a blogger. I love blogging and having been posting semiregularly for seven years, but I knew that posting intentional content every day for a month would grow my discipline to write, edit, post, repeat! Q4. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE ABOUT THE PROCESS OF WRITING ON THE SAME TOPIC FOR 31 DAYS? A. For me, the biggest surprise was that I genuinely could have kept writing for months on end! I thought I might get bored of it or run out of things to talk about, but in the end, I ended up having to pick and choose from topics. I also didn't perceive how much it would end up affecting other areas of my life. As the idea of wild and free permeated in my heart, it led to starting a huge, new, exciting project with Hayley and forming a little "Wild and Free Collective" of women in my city. I started getting together with other creative-businesswomen that I'd met through various occasions so we could encourage one another. That collective somehow turned into getting my hair chopped off in the middle of my living room with those wild women! 24 \\
Q5. THERE ARE PROBABLY MANY WOMEN WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT WRITING A 31 DAYS SERIES NEXT OCTOBER. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER THEM? A. Do it! Do it! Do it! Don't overthink it, don't feel guilty if you don't hit all 31 days, and don't make a big fuss about it in general. Just get in the habit of getting some words out and sharing them with the world. Blogging as a form of writing is quick and forgiving, don't get bogged down in making sure every day is perfect or even that they all flow together seamlessly. One night I sat down and spent a few hours making batches of graphics for my blog. Doing it that way made me less intimidated to just get a post up, and it made the process go much quicker. But yeah, do it! It was fun and I'll definitely do it again.
CREATING WHITE SPACE ERIN CARROLL
Q2. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC? A. I wrote 31 Days of Creating White Space. I haven't had a lot of white space in this past year. We've been in a temporary living situation without many of our possessions for the past year. We're going to be moving into our home soon, and I was starting to feel a little panicky about being reunited with all of our possessions. I was also looking at my calendar and realizing that there wasn't one more minute in the day to add a single thing. I was constantly running from commitment to commitment. And when I wasn't running, my thoughts were consumed by what I needed to be doing. My relationship with the Lord was the thing that was suffering most. Q3. WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND HOPES GOING INTO THE PROJECT? WERE THOSE EXPECTATIONS MET? EXCEEDED? ARE YOU GLAD YOU DID IT? A. When I chose my topic, I committed to writing slowly about white space. I wanted to finish the project, and wanted to have something to say every day. I wanted a heart change for myself, but as always with blogging, I wanted to find a community of people with the same struggles- or people with testimonies to encourage me. I'm so glad I did this. I learned so much about myself and where I need grace and where I just need to adjust. And I connected with the most encouraging women. Q4. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE ABOUT THE PROCESS OF WRITING ON THE SAME TOPIC FOR 31 DAYS? A. I was very surprised when it was over that I wasn't quite ready to give it up. I don't know exactly what this means for the future, but it is a topic that I am now very passionate about. I prayed for God to remove the need in my heart for more,
more, more. More things in the house. More things on the calendar. More time spent away from my kids. And He did. I wanted to be completely filled by Jesus, and allow Him the space to move in me. And it didn't stop on October 31. Q5. THERE ARE PROBABLY MANY WOMEN WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT WRITING A 31 DAYS SERIES NEXT OCTOBER. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER THEM? A. I think everyone should attempt this. Last year I picked a topic that sounds easy to write about: "getting back to the basics of blogging." And I didn't feel like writing. But by choosing a specific topic that challenged me, it was more than just blogging. It was life. My advice is to start slowly, create a timeline. Write out a list of 1-31 and fill in the gaps. Jot down post ideas that come to your mind. Ask people to guest post. Find scripture and quotes that inspire you. Some days it's okay for a short and sweet post. I used my weekends to write about the good things that happened that week because of the white space I created. My biggest advice is to be organized in the beginning, allow room for flexibility, and don't give up!
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31 Days of RESURRECTED DREAMS
JESSI CROSS
Q. WHY DID YOU FEEL COMPELLED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 31 DAYS SERIES THIS YEAR? A. I wanted to share our story. I am pretty new to blogging, and I've struggled feeling known online. There is a certain level of trust built in relationships when you know someone's story. Words hit your heart differently when you know the heart they're flowing from. I wanted anyone reading my blog to know more of the story behind my words. The series gave me a chance to share stories I might not share for any other reason, so it seemed like a great place to start. Q2. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC? A. It's easy to believe I don't have a story worth sharing. I often focus on the broken pieces of my life and the moments I've hidden out of fear and miss the thread of the gospel weaving it all together. My topic, Resurrected Dreams, was a chance to pull on the thread He's been weaving. I wrote to see Him moving us from a personal death toward new life. It was a story He was writing and a story worth sharing.
HEAVEN ON
earth
the environment. But this time He was speaking to me. Moments that were painful memories became complete treasures when He spoke grace and truth into them. Q5. THERE ARE PROBABLY MANY WOMEN WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT WRITING A 31 DAYS SERIES NEXT OCTOBER. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER THEM? A. I would say plan well and carve out time. When I went into the series I had a long list of ideas and stories as well as a number of posts prepared. But because of the nature of my topic I found myself shifting with the Spirit's leading. I ended up heading in a completely different direction than I had planned. So I'd say plan well, but leave room for the Spirit to move.
Q3. WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND HOPES GOING INTO THE PROJECT? WERE THOSE EXPECTATIONS MET? EXCEEDED? ARE YOU GLAD YOU DID IT? A. I was a little nervous going into the series. There were things I felt compelled to share that I hadn't been open about in my personal life. I knew there was a good chance people in my life would read it, and I feared what they might think. I sensed the Lord saying, "Write about this, because it will bring freedom." I was expectant that He would use it to bring freedom, but freedom looked different than I had imagined. I had expectations for freedom, and He exceeded them. Q4. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE ABOUT THE PROCESS OF WRITING ON THE SAME TOPIC FOR 31 DAYS? A. I was only a week into the series when I realized I was writing for me. I was finding freedom in every post. I would sit weeping over my keyboard wishing I could stay there for hours, because He was meeting me there. I didn't expect that. I was moved by the power of telling myself my story. Vividly remembering stories that were so familiar to me I could close my eyes and be in that moment again. I could see the sights, feel the emotions, sense myself in 26 \\
FOR TO US A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN; AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER, AND HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. ISAIAH 9:6, ESV // 27
TICKET SALES for THE INFLUENCE CONFERENCE 2014 will go on sale JANUARY 1ST! We are so grateful for all of you, you amazingly influential women. The Influence Team