Courtney Dellafiora » xocourtney.com

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Posted in my heart

So… this post is about to get real personal. This is something I have wanted to share for a long time, but as we all know… it can be very difficult to open up and share something that is personal and makes you feel vulnerable. I do however feel like if there is anywhere I can share my thoughts, it’s here on my blog. After all, that is what a blog is for right? If you’re here to look for pretty pictures, then I would advise you to skip over this post to the next one. But if you want to read something that is 100% real, from a normal girl who has normal feelings, then keep reading.

As you may already know, I am a dreamer and an extremely hopeful and positive person. The way I portray myself through different means of social media, are truly, the real me. You can ask any of my closest friends and family… I am a very happy person, absolutely love life and always see it through rose-colored glasses. I absolutely feel this way almost all of the time. But there are definitely days every now and then where I might feel discouraged or down about something. See, the truth is… there have been many things that have happened in my life that have hurt me so deeply. Torn me to pieces. Things that have happened that have made me question EVERYTHING. Things that have made me want to completely give up on it all. Things I would never wish upon anyone. And things that could have very easily turned me into a cold, unhappy, bitter and negative person. My life has been far from perfect and I have definitely had my share of pain in life. Through it all though, I was determined to never let anything or anyone change the hope I have always held in my heart. I refused to let bad things define me. It was so hard at times, and I mean hard. The temptation of giving up and becoming unattached, and turned off by the world, was great at many times in my life. But the saying, “what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger” couldn’t be more true. I chose to fight through the pain I have suffered and it truly made me so much better and so much stronger.  When I finally came out on the other side of my “dark time”, I was SO grateful that God allowed me to go through the pain, because I could see such a difference in myself. I came out an even more hopeful and more positive person than ever before and it has only continued to grow ever since. I really believe that God allows us to go through things sometimes that we don’t understand so that he can mold us into the person he created us to be. I believe that with all of my heart. I know that it’s so easy to question and say “Why me!?” because trust me, I have definitely had my times of asking that question. I have for sure had weak moments of doubt and negativity. Things will still happen from time to time that test my strength and hope. I don’t ever expect life to be perfect and I know it never will be… but I am so determined that no matter what comes my way, no matter what hurt is thrown into my life, I will never give up on myself, my dreams and my hopes.

As I grow older, I realize more and more that EVERYONE is hurting or has hurt at some point in their life. Pain is all around us. And I guess the reason I am writing this post is to let you know that there is always hope. There is always a rainbow after the storm. And there is always a reason to NEVER quit… never give up. And that you should never ever let anything or anyone steal your hope or your joy in life. We only get one life to live and I am so determined that mine will be a happy one no matter what comes my way. We are all going to have days sometimes that we may feel hopeless, but just never stop getting up after you have fallen. Never quit no matter how much it hurts. Never stop believing in GOOD and in GOD. He has truly taught me SO SO much through the hardest times in my life but only because I let Him. Yeah sure, I may have fought it from time to time (and still do sometimes!!), but ultimately I know that He is taking care of me. He has never let me down and He has never stopped loving me. He is the true reason I am SO happy and so full of hope and love. In my mind and heart, I cannot imagine living any other way. Even when things seem gray, I know that deep in my heart the best is still yet to come.

I’ve used this quote before in a past post, but I think it’s completely appropriate to post again:

I encourage you that if you are suffering pain… face it, BE INSPIRED by it… and fly high.

I want to share with you a song that inspires the very core of who I am. It’s from my favorite band, Red. I have put the lyrics below and also placed a video from YouTube so you can listen to it. (download the song on itunes to hear a better version though!) Whenever I do feel discouraged or am needing some inspiration, I listen to this song and it brings me right back to where I know I need to be. It’s called The Best is Yet to Come and I believe every bit of that. I hope it inspires you as much as has for me.



RED – THE BEST IS YET TO COME

Afraid it won’t come round again
Afraid to move on
Wishing I could go back when
Everything was easier and made for me
Wanting all we left behind
Like its the answer
An hour glass we can’t rewind
Holding back the life that I’ve been at for so long

Can I find my way to you
And After all that we’ve been through
And after all we left in pieces
I still believe our lives have just begun
Cause now the past can be outrun
And I know you are the reason
I still believe the best is yet to come

A Photograph’s still in your hands
Afraid to let it go
The minutes rain like grains of sand
And time is just a war that’s stealing dreams from within
So come and take them back again

And After all that we’ve been through
And after all we left in pieces
I still believe our lives have just begun
Cause now the past can be outrun
And I know you are the reason
I still believe the best is yet to come

I won’t turn around
Let it all slip away
I’m never backing down
Cause tomorrow’s a new day
And everything can change

And After all that we’ve been through
And after all we left in pieces
I still believe our lives have just begun
Cause now the past can be outrun
And I know you are the reason
I still believe the best is yet to come

by courtney

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Posted in my dreams

As you’ve probably heard me say before… it is sooooo important for me to do things for myself as an artist, to push myself to be creative and keep the artistry and creativity alive and burning inside of me. I think every artist (graphic designer, video editor, painter, sculptor, stylist, photographer, etc) should always make time for projects for themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I LOOOOOVE shooting for my clients… I’m obsessed with it. But I still need to shoot things for myself, because after all… that’s how this whole dream began anyways. My mind is always dreaming up things that I want to shoot. My latest idea was to create a shoot themed around a “modern, rocker bride”. I wanted to do something a little different than the normal white/cream dress you normally see on a bride. If you know anything about me, I LOVE rock music and I love fashion and bridal couture. I wanted to combine all of those elements and create something different and beautiful, and prove that you can be different, but still elegant and stunning as bride. I immediately thought of sweet Jewel to play the part. If you’ve seen the sneak peeks I have posted from this shoot in the last couple of days, have you recognized Jewel yet? She modeled for me in 2009 for my “twilight” inspired photo shoot (which was another one of my “artist dreams”!) and I knew she would be just perfect to make my vision come to life. After she let me know she was super excited to do the shoot, I got to planning! I asked my mom to make a black tulle skirt and we then paired it with one of Jewel’s tops and belts to create the “wedding dress” for the shoot. It came out better than I even imagined!!

I then asked the genius Valerie of Southern Fete Event Planning to make a bouquet for me. I didn’t want real flowers.. I wanted different. I explained the theme I was going for and inspiration in my mind, and she of course delivered the most amazingly creative bouquet made of black lace and feathers! I wanted to be able to show that a bouquet can be creative as well. It doesn’t have to look like every other bouquet and Val proves that. I gave her a challenge and it pushed her to be creative, and in the end… turned out AMAZING and better than I could have hoped. I knew she would deliver as she ALWAYS does. I love her creativity!

I asked my sweet, dear friend and dream team member of my studio, Courtney Davis, to do Jewel’s hair/makeup for the shoot. I explained my ideas and told her I imagined Jewel’s makeup being a smokey “Kim Kardashian” eye with hints of gold. She OF COURSE brought that to life and created a masterpiece on Jewel’s face and with her hair. I have said this before and I will say it again and again…. Courtney Davis is a hair/makeup genius!!! She is truly THE  most incredibly talented stylist I have ever worked with. And I can say that in full confidence because I have worked with many. Not only is she good at what she does, but she is ALWAYS reliable and professional. Brides, don’t settle when it comes to your hair/mu for the wedding day… I have seen that happen WAY TOO MANY TIMES and it’s never a good thing. Never. Hire Courtney. ; ) (kikisconsulting@gmail.com)

I am SO proud of the result of this shoot. The photos are some of my favorites I have ever taken. I am so grateful that God made me an artist. I wouldn’t have it any other way and I truly give Him all of the credit for creating me with this gift that hold so dear to my heart and don’t take lightly. It’s 100% because of Him that I have the talent of art – I am so blessed.

Thank you Jewel, Courtney, mom and Valerie for helping me make another idea come to life. I couldn’t have done it without any of you. Many xoxoxos to you girls – I am so happy you are all in my life!!

I hope that you enjoy the photos, and that by the time you get to the end of this post, you know me even a little better than before.

Jewel, you are exquisite.

A little glitter fun to end the day.  : )

by courtney

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  • SyndeiJuly 23, 2014 - 7:18 pm

    Imagination along with a vision comes this beautiful work of art.ReplyCancel

Posted in inspired

Dear Blog:

I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe everything happens for a reason and I believe God directs our every step. I also believe God really, really loves us. Little things will happen from time to time that remind me of this very thing. It’s incredibly mind blowing at times just how much He will go out of His way to make sure it’s obvious just how much He cares about me. I will tell you a story of how I was reminded recently…

There are a few things I am very very passionate about in life. If you’ve been following me for a while you already know the two obvious ones: photography and traveling. Another one is music. So much of my inspiration in life and photography is drawn from music. And I don’t mean the cookie cutter, surface-y, fun to dance to kind of music. I mean the deep, passionate, heartfelt kind. The kind that has a message and captivates your very being. There are several bands that write this type of music, but one in particular has completely rocked my world. RED. When I was first introduced to them in 2007, I was instantly hooked after hearing one song. You know how we “click” with people? Well, I CLICKED with this band. If I could write music and lyrics, I would be doing it just like them. I feel like they take the very words out of my mouth and play the very music my soul feels inside. I have never been so inspired by a band until Red came into my life. They are so so incredibly talented and obviously gifted by God. Their music is absolutely beautiful and their lyrics inspire me beyond explanation. I’ve actually cried many times to some of their songs!! They are THAT GOOD. (If you’re wondering what type of music they are similar to, Breaking Benjamin comes to mind.)

A little over a year ago on my 27th birthday, I made a list of 100 things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 30. You can read the entire list HERE. #46 is “meet the band RED and tell them how much their music inspires me”. When I wrote this one on the list, I knew I would do it… but I had no idea how. A little over a month ago Red announced they were doing a random giveaway to 50 people to attend their album release party in Nashville. I of course jumped on this opportunity, but highly doubted I would win. It was random drawings, totally by chance. Well, I was one of the incredibly lucky ones to be chosen to go.  You should have seen me when I got the email letting me know I was invited to attend. I was squealing like a teenager! I instantly said a prayer and thanked God because I knew this was his way of telling me he really loved me!! I know this may not seem like a huge deal to most, but I know deep in my heart that it was a huge deal to me and God knew that too. I was going to get the opportunity to cross of #46 and in an AWESOME way!!

So I put on my leather skinny pants, and headed to Nashville. The party was incredible. It was a super intimate event where the band performed a couple of songs of their album that released that very night at midnight, hung out with everyone that attended with one on one time and took photos with each of us. I got to bring one of my best friends Judah with me (who is actually the one who introduced me to them years ago) so that was way cool. When I arrived at the party I was given a VIP tag that had the number 64 on it. I couldn’t believe that. 46 backwards! At one point in the night they had a random drawing for a guitar giveaway and the person who won it was 46! I told myself this is all entirely too weird!! Mind-blowing! But again, God showing me He is there… loving me.. and caring for me. Little signs like these are just so amazing to me.

When I spoke with the band, I told them about my list… and about how they were #46 on it… how much they inspired me… and about the weirdness of my tag and what not. They LOVED it and couldn’t believe they were on my “bucket list”. One of the band members, Randy… signed my cd “#46” with a X through it (as to say “check!”), drew little arrows on tag to switch the numbers and then suggested we all make “4s” and “6s” in our photo. SO RAD.

This night was so amazing for many many reasons. I loved that I got to share such a special moment with the band releasing their 3rd album. I loved meeting them and finally telling them how much their music means to me. I loved hopping on a plane to make one more of my dreams come true.  I love that Randy and I both have “Inspired” tattooed on our arms! (another “coincidence”) I love that I got to share this experience with one of my best friends. I love that I left Nashville feeling even more inspired than ever before. And I love that God loves little ‘ol me… THAT MUCH. I am so so so unworthy.

BE INSPIRED. LIVE THE DREAM.

And while you’re at it, check out the best band in the whole world. www.redmusiconline.com

What inspires YOU?

To RED, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!! Please never ever stop doing what you were so obviously created to do. Your music is changing the world. It already changed mine.

Made a short little clip from my Flip camera from the party:


RED – favorite band ever from Courtney Dellafiora on Vimeo.

 

by courtney

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Posted in adventure

NOTE: this post will stay at the top of the blog for a while. Scroll down further to see new posts. : )

If you’ve been a long time follower now, you have most likely already heard me talk about Peru. I spent most of my teen years living in this amazing country, and without a doubt, it changed my life drastically and played a huge part in who I am today. One of the many reasons I am the positive person I am is because I have seen first hand what it’s like to be “without”. So I know no matter what my circumstance, it could ALWAYS be worse. There are so many amazing people in the world who don’t have food or even a roof over their head. I am so very happy to say that I have never gone a day without either of these things. But as a missionary kid, there were times in my life where we didn’t have very much at all. My parents did the best they could to provide for us, but because you sacrifice a lot to be a missionary, there were times we had to wash clothes by hand, make our own milk from powder, and share a room with all of my siblings. We didn’t have the conveniences most Americans take for granted such as Target, a car, air conditioner, etc. No, for the first couple of years of living there, we shopped at an outdoor market. And not the cutesy kind you’re imagining in your mind right now… No, the kind that smells awful, and looks awful too. Living in Peru was never easy, especially at first. Life in America is SO easy and everything is so super convenient. You have no idea until you live in a 3rd world country just how incredibly blessed we are in the United States.  Peru taught me so much. I will be honest, it was SO hard living there at first. I was 11 years old, didn’t speak Spanish… and had been taken from my easy life in America. But they say what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger and without a doubt, Peru made me stronger. I can look back now and thank God that he brought my family to Peru. The experience of living there molded the very woman that I am today and I am so so so thankful for the adventure I lived in this unbelievable country. I lived in so many different parts of Peru…. the dessert, the mountains and the jungle… yes, the jungle!! I’ve seen more of Peru than most people ever will and I feel SO lucky to have experienced some of the things I have seen. Honestly there are NO words to describe it. I wish I had time to write from beginning to end, the 6 years of my life that I spent in Peru. Maybe one day I will. But for now, just know that I love Peru. I sort of feel like it’s one of those forgotten about countries… but if you ever want to discover beauty, Peru is it. Not only for the visual part of it, but for the AMAZING people that live inside of it.

With that being said, I am SO excited to announce that I will be taking a trip to Peru this August and YOU CAN JOIN ME!!!! It is one of my dreams to take a group of people to visit Peru and this year it’s finally happening!! You may have seen me tweet or facebook about this trip for a couple of months now. Planning a trip like this takes a lot of time, but I have finally gotten everything together. : ) I am SOOO excited and truly hope you’ll consider joining us on this trip of a lifetime.

The trip will be a total of 10 days, beginning August 2, 2011 and ending August 11, 2011. We will be visiting an orphanage the first part of the trip and then visiting Cusco, Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and MUCH more the second part of the trip!

The orphanage is run by Camino De Vida (Life Missions) church in Peru. This is the church I spent a lot of time working under while I lived in Peru and it is one of the most amazing churches I have ever been a part of my entire life. Pastor Robert Barriger started the church about 28 years ago (yeah, pretty much around the time I was born!!), and has done some AMAZING things in the country of Peru. Including starting this amazing home for orphans. You can see their website here. The orphanage has around 40 children. I have been to this orphanage several times in my life and I can honestly say it is the ministry I personally hold dearest to my heart. The children of Peru are so precious… they will melt your heart in a matter of minutes. It’s amazing how different they are from most children in America. It’s generally a lot harder to entertain a child in the states with our day and age of Wii, Xbox, Playstation, etc. All you have to do is simply smile or play with a child in Peru and it rocks their world. Truly. They are in desperate need for love and attention and you now have the opportunity to give it to them. Anyone can donate money to a good cause such as sponsoring a child, but there is nothing quite like going to the actual country and getting to know these beautiful children first hand. You don’t even have to speak the same language as them and they will immediately captivate your heart and change your life forever.

Besides that part of the trip, we’ll be flying to another part of Peru called Cusco, where we will spend 4 days visiting several AMAZING places that will completely blow your mind. Including one of the wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. I’ve personally been to Machu Picchu twice in my life, and to this day, it is still the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed with my own eyes. It truly is a WONDER that I wish everyone could see. Now you have the opportunity to!!!! We’ll also be visiting the Sacred Valley, Urubamba, Sacsayhuaman and so much more.

With this trip you will have the opportunity to see and experience things most people dream about and I guarantee you, it will change your life. Especially if you have never been outside of the United States, this is the opportunity to have an eye and heart opening experience that you will never forget as long as you live.

So what are the details!??! Here is the scoop:

Dates: August 2-11, 2011. (10 days)
We will fly out of New Orleans, Louisiana on August 2nd into Lima, Peru and fly back on August 11th. You will have 8 full days in Peru. Anyone can join us that is 18 years or older. Even if you live outside of the United States, you are welcome to join. : )

Price: $2250
This includes almost everything. All flights, transportation, excursions, hotels and several meals. The only thing it does not include is all dinners, a few lunches and 1 breakfast. Basically the only thing you will need extra money for are those meals, and anything you want to purchase while in the country. Lunch is approximately $8 a day and dinner is approximately $8-13 a day, depending.  You are responsible for getting yourself to the New Orleans airport on August 2nd.

Group limit: 15 is the max amount of people that will be able to go on this trip.
So the sooner you let me know you’re going/pay your deposit, the less likely you will lose your spot on being a part of this adventure!

Deadline: May 1st, 2011
You must let me know by this date if you are coming on the trip. You will need to pay a deposit of $1500 by this date to mark your spot. This is so that flights, hotels and excursions can be booked for the trip. Your balance ($750) is due by July 1st, 2011. All payments must be made via check or there will be a 5% credit card processing fee added to the total if you must pay via credit card.

Very important: You will need a passport to come on this trip.

Ready to sign up?
Email: peru@dellafiora.com to let me know you’re going to be joining us on this trip of a lifetime or if you want to get additional information such as the exact schedule of the trip, etc. Or if you have any questions. : )

If you won’t be able to join us on this trip, but would love to make a donation to help someone else go, please contact me: peru@dellafiora.com — you can of course make donations to the orphanage as well.

I am SO SO SO freaking excited about this trip, you have no idea!! I really and truly hope you will be able to sacrifice your time and money to join me on the trip that I am certain will change your life forever!

I searched high and low for photos of me in Machu Picchu, but no such luck. The last time I was there was when I was 15 and I have no idea where the photos from that trip are. Sad I know. My mom found this one photo of me posing in Machu Picchu at age 13. Oh yeah, I was rocking those pink pants like nobody’s business. *cringe*

The following photos were not taken by me.

Random facts about Peru:

Population: 29,496,000
Capital: Lima – approx. 8.5 inhabitants
Primary language: Spanish
Additional information: Peru is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic upswing. Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country with a high Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 36%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of products such as textiles.
Learn more about Peru here.

by courtney

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Posted in my heart

One of my biggest dreams came true last May when I decided to open a full time studio dedicated to boudoir. To be honest even 8 months later it’s still so surreal to me. I cannot believe that I have a place to call my very own! A place where women can come and feel beautiful and escape their daily responsibilities and have FUN and feel super glamorous, girly and like a SUPERMODEL. I am so so so proud of The Boudoir Vixen Studio here in Southern Louisiana and I am just so excited for all that the future holds. There are no words that could ever express how excited I am about it!!!! There is still SO much I want to do to the studio to make it better but I wanted to show you the current progress by showing you some before and after photos. The photos on the left were shot right when I got my keys and the ones on the right are what we have done so far. I will cherish these photos forever because they are proof that I can do anything I want!!! There are no dreams that are too big!! They will serve as a reminder in my life to never give up on my dreams and I hope they inspire you to do the same. xoxo, The Boudoir Vixen

by courtney

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