Sabrina Nohling Photography

I have been thinking and reflecting the past few days about my years as a photographer. I tried to imagine who I would be if I was never a photographer and I can say I would be a very different person.
When I was in high school, I had no idea what I was good at. Other than playing a clarinet in the band decently, I didn’t have talents, direction, or passion about anything. I considered being a dental assistant because I just wanted to do something. I am laughing so hard now that I even thought that. Then God put a camera in my hand in some of my dark days to follow graduation and then it began.
I am naturally a very shy, introverted person. I used to struggle talking to new people and trying new things. I laugh now because I used to be nervous ordering food because I didn’t know the person and didn’t want to sound like an idiot. Crazy, I know. But once I got started in this career as a wedding photographer all of that was challenged.
Meeting new people and going to new places became a just a given part of life and I just had to do it. And through that I grew so much. I know being an introvert is a part of who I am and I am ok with that but I feel like I have overgrown my shyness in many ways. I can meet new people easily now and have learned that they have incredible stories if I open up and listen. Now I still have shy streaks in me but I have learned to go with it and stop thinking of myself so much.
I have met SO many people because God brought us together through my camera. It is crazy to think about that if I wasn’t a photographer I wouldn’t have any other reason or avenue to meet these people. Kind of blows my mind and leaves me in a place of deep thankfulness. Clients have become friends and I have had small chances to invest in people’s lives.
Through photography too I have flown by myself, gone to places where I knew nobody, have driven to different states, and been in different environments. I jumped out of that comfort zone and was surprise. All because God’s plan for me in this season was to take pictures. It goes so much beyond the camera. It is so cheesy but photography has been lifechanging. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This picture I cherish and if I wasn’t a photographer I would have never met these two.
So to all of my clients, friends, and family, thank you for helping me in my dream. For supporting me and loving me and adding to this lifechanging experience!
Love to you all!

Let us be women who Love.

Let us be women willing to lay down our sword words, our sharp looks, our ignorant silence and towering stance and fill the earth now with extravagant Love.

Let us be women who Love.

Let us be women who make room.

Let us be women who open our arms and invite others into an honest, spacious, glorious embrace.

 

Let us be women who carry each other.

Let us be women who give from what we have.

Let us be women who leap to do the difficult things, the unexpected things and the necessary things.

Let us be women who live for Peace.

Let us be women who breathe Hope.

Let us be women who create beauty.

Let us be women who Love.

 

Let us be a sanctuary where God may dwell.

Let us be a garden for tender souls.

Let us be a table where others may feast on the goodness of God.

Let us be a womb for Life to grow.

Let us be women who Love.

 

Let us rise to the questions of our time.

Let us speak to the injustices in our world.

Let us move the mountains of fear and intimidation.

Let us shout down the walls that separate and divide.

Let us fill the earth with the fragrance of Love.

Let us be women who Love.

 

Let us listen for those who have been silenced.

Let us honour those who have been devalued.

Let us say, Enough! with abuse, abandonment, diminishing and hiding.

Let us not rest until every person is free and equal.

Let us be women who Love.

 

Let us be women who are savvy, smart and wise.

Let us be women who shine with the light of God in us.

Let us be women who take courage and sing the song in our hearts.

Let us be women who say, Yes to the beautiful, unique purpose seeded in our souls.

Let us be women who call out the song in another’s heart.

Let us be women who teach our children to do the same.

Let us be women who Love.

 

Let us be women who Love, in spite of fear.

Let us be women who Love, in spite of our stories.

Let us be women who Love loudly, beautifully, Divinely.

Let us be women who Love.

Written by Idelette McVicker
Taken from shelovesmagazine.com

This past weekend I attended a conference with my beautiful friends and walked away with a refreshed soul and a hunger for more of God in my life.
There are still so many thoughts swirling in my head that I need to sort through but my goodness was it good.
This manifesto was read there and it touched me so much.
These are the women we should strive to be.
Not the jealous, catty, insecure, mean girls that we can be.
We sat around in our pajamas one night sharing out hearts and laying our fears and hurts all on the table to each other. I remember stopping and thinking how sweet of a time that was and thinking this is how it should be. We are all so afraid of being real and open with other people yet when we let our walls down beautiful things happen. God grew us even closer than we were and for that I am so grateful!

Today I am excited to share with everyone the all natural way that I take care of my skin.
I have never had horrible acne problems but I have had my fair share of breakouts. In the past few years I have really struggled with breakouts on my chin and jawline. My skin also runs on the dry side but then parts of it are oily. Weird I know.
So once I got myself on the healthy train and cut out gluten and sugar, I saw improvements in my skin immediately. I fully believe that healing starts with the food we put in our bodies. That is the first thing I would reccommend to anyone struggling with acne or skin related problems. So often we have intolerances and don’t even realize it and it can show on our skin. Sugar is the enemy too and I have even noticed if I am eating too many treats my skin will start acting up again.
So while I was thrilled with the improvements in my skin once going Paleo, I still used a lot of chemicals and other things on my face because I didn’t know otherwise. When I heard about oil cleansing I was really interested. I already used coconut oil to remove my makeup and saw how great that worked. So I started researching and experiementing. Now I can say I will never go back to old face washes and acne treatments! I am no expert by any means but I still wanted to share things I have found that worked. And this doesn’t mean I have a flawless face all the time either. So if you see a zit on my face, don’t come up to me saying I thought you oil cleansed and was set to go. Not one bit. If I am touching my face, stressed out, eating too much sugar, or it is just that time of the month, my skin will act up. But even when that happens, my body regulates and it usually goes away in a few days. Huge change from how it used to be!

So to start cocnut oil is the end all be all. I can’t get enough of this stuff. I used it every day first as a makeup remover. It doesn’t sting my eyes and the makeup comes off so easy. So that is my first step. As you can see, our container is a little battered because my family uses coconut oil on and in everything! So I keep a little jar of it in my bathroom.

After taking off my makeup, I mix more cocnut oil with one these two oils: castor oil or jojoba oil. I rotate between those every few days. Those oils can be harsh if used alone so I always mix it with coconut oil. There probably is a exact measurement of how much to use but honestly I have no idea. I just do a few drops of each and that works for me. I then take a hot washcloth and hold it over my face and let the steam do the work. I do this for a few minutes or so. After that I rinse my face and dry it off. Then I add even more oil to sleep in. I like the argon oil just because it feels good and I apply that all over and leave it on all night.

And that is basically it for my daily routine. Sometimes I get lazy and just use coconut oil to wash my face and is fine too! I also put argon oil on in the morning too just to moisturize.

The other two things I can’t live without is tea tree oil and Redmond Clay.
I use the clay as a face mask and this stuff is magic people. Even my brother tried it and was hooked.
I wouldn’t do it every day as it can be drying but I try and do it once or twice a week and I love it!
I also use it as a spot treatment at night.
Tea tree oil is also a miracle worker and I can’t live without that. I use it on my face for zits that pop up but I also use it on every cut or sore I have because it is powerful! I always dilute it though with water because it is so potent. My friends hear me talk about it alot haha and I am warning you that it doesn’t smell good.

So that is my skincare routine! Look up more on oil cleansing to read about the benefits and the science behind it or to find more exact measurements. I just do my own way and I love it! I am even crazy enough to post a picture of my makeup free face on the internet. I will probably regret it because my eyes look so tired but you get the gist of it. In the past I would feel the need to have makeup on to cover things so this shows that you can even go without once you start with oil!

If you have questions I would be glad to answer! There may be an adjustment period for some when your skin gets really bad. I didn’t have that but I know some people do. But push through and give it a few weeks and see how you like it! The nice thing is that these last for so long too because you are using so little. Again I am no expert but I hope some of you may want to try this!

When people hear I from Chicago, they tell me how cool it must be to live close to the city.
My response is lame and I admit that I really don’t know anything about the city and rarely go.
I am a country girl at heart and every time I would go to the city things happen that just stress me out. Like a bucket of water dumping on me from a high rise…. I can laugh now about it!
Anyway, it is a sad thing because Chicago really is a cool city and I now realize I need to go more.
This past weekend my best friend turned 25 and her fiance planned this fun filled trip to downtown Chicago.
It opened my eyes and I can actually say I had a blast in the city!
These two are some of my favorite people and the three of us have fun wherever we go.
So I thought I would share some instagram snaps from our mini get away!

Our hotel was super nice and so we had to celebrate drinking that fancy water

We started the day with lunch at Epic Burger which was sooo good! Such a cool vibe inside too.

Then we went to check out this well known coffee shop Intelligentsia. That’s where the cool people go I think. Except I am the totally uncool one that has to ask for ice cubes after the barista spends 5 min getting my tea temperature exact. Yeah I am a bit odd with the temperature of my drinks

Next we went to the Willis tower. Which was cool after we got up there but the near hour and a half wait was not worth it sorry. It was the never ending line and a patience builder haha but still an experience!

After that we got ready for dinner at this AMAZING brazilian steakhouse. It was my first time at a steakhouse like that and I almost died. It is a joke for Paleo people that all they do is eat a ridiculous amount of meat and if so then I fit the stereotype that night. So good and so much fun!

Our good friend David just moved into a new apartment so we went to check out his new place! Then we went to an improv show that I didn’t get a pic at. That was hysterical and I love shows like that.

That was a full day wowza.

The next morning we went to church at the Harvest Cathedral and I loved it! It was a beautiful building and I loved worshiping there!

Then we hung out a bit more and took top secret pictures in the park that I can’t share until later. But it was good way to end our trip!

And that was our weekend in the city!! I have decided to give Chicago a second chance and I will for sure go more often now

And I had to include a few pictures that Pat took. We like to banter whose the better photographer and don’t tell him but I think these are really good