Top: love J // Black Jeans: Hollister // Shoes: Kenneth Cole Reaction // Bag: Bostanten // Jacket: Decree // Bralette: similar below // Sunnies: Nordstrom

I can't tell you how excited I am to share these photos, taken by my new friend and amazing photographer Sarah Sanchez! If you like these, make sure to follow her on Instagram @ssanchphotography ♡

One of my favorite parts about the blogging community is collaborating with other artistic individuals. Something about working on projects and maintaining that similar mindset has a way of bringing people together to create something beautiful.

As I've grown older, making friends has proved to be harder than it was when we were all younger and playing tag on the playground during recess. We're each trying to find our places in life, working on getting ahead in our careers. And somewhere along the way, we misplace the importance of close friendships. I've done it too. Focusing on doing my own thing so much that I lose touch with people and feel that need for fellowship with others. I could go days just held up inside, working on different things and shutting out the outside world, until the emotions catch up with me as a result of the lack of communication.

You see, we need other people. If not just to keep us from going overboard. God created this intricate system that pertains to the core of humanity. Without others, we tend to rely on ourselves a bit too much and think that we can do it all alone. But then we stumble and can't get up without that helping hand. Yes, we can do some things on our own and do need that independence. As an introvert, it's necessary for me to have that alone time to recharge. But if we stray too far from human interaction, we find that those lonely feelings and unease only escalate.

As I've made it a point in the recent months to attend small groups at church and reach out to friends to get together at least every other week, I have felt tremendous change in my own life. There was a point when I was just so overcome by anxiety that going to any kind of social event left me too nervous to stomach, and sometimes I just couldn't go because of it. But now that I've pushed myself to be a team player in life, my confidence has increased and insecurity dwindled.

That's not to say that there aren't still times when I feel that twinge of apprehension and have to miss different events. But when those times arise, I try to dig myself into the Word and propel forward. We can try to do this on our own, but it's with others that we truly thrive and grow into our best selves.