New Target Designer Collaboration: Missoni

As you know, I'm a huge Target fan. From their stylish, affordable clothing (for mom AND baby) to their elaborate beauty (makeup) department, I just can't get enough. Seriously.

This fall, Target will be collaborating with Missoni from September 13th through October 22nd. The designer will be providing clothing for women, men and children, as well as household items. I've never worn any Missoni clothing and am excited to get my hands on those stylish stripes and zigzags!

Here's a peek at the lookbook of the collection. Are you planning to purchase anything from the new collection? I'm hoping to snag these shorts before the weather cools off. :)

Emonne Markland: Leave YOUR Beauty Mark

My First Vlog!

Hey ladies! I have had so many post ideas in my mind over the past week or so that I decided to do a vlog for now and give you a chance to see me in person! I always love when other bloggers do that so I figured I'd give it a try too :). (By the way, do you have any topics or post ideas that you would like me to address? Let me know if you do!)

In this video, I share the purpose of this blog, as well as my testimony...and introduce you to my baby girl! Hopefully you will find my story encouraging and see the heart behind my passion for women's ministry and re-defining beauty according to God's Word. Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to sharing with you again soon!

Emonne Markland: Leave YOUR Beauty Mark!

The Pink Lid

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of young girls in Sand Springs, Oklahoma at The Pink Lid Purity Conference. It was a wonderful experience and we received great feedback on how the girls' lives were changed by receiving the truth from God's word regarding beauty & purity. On Friday night I shared a message called Breaking the Chains that I have been speaking on for the past two years at various youth events. God gave me new revelation on the subject and it was exciting to share the message of freedom in Christ with the girls in Sand Springs. I also helped model for our modesty fashion show and showed the girls how to have style and still be modest. It was so fun! I even had two girls from the audience walk with me down the runway at one point. They loved it & so did I. :)

On Saturday, I spoke on not settling for less than what God has for you in a mate & explained to them what true loves was based on what God has to say. Through videos about Godly couples and how they met, open panel discussions with me & our entire speaking team, makeup tutorials, dynamic messages on beauty and purity and group discussions that help apply the messages to each girl's specific needs, I know that the girls were blessed and left the conference full of God's truth regarding purity and beauty.

At the end of the conference, the girls made a pledge to remain pure in their thoughts and actions as they wait until the day they say I do to the man that God has for them. I signed as a witness to a few of the girls' purity pledges and was honored to do so. It means the world to me to use my gift of speaking and my testimony to help reach the generation of young women coming up behind me.

Next month, we will be doing another conference in Ada, OK and I can't wait!

Does your church have a purity conference or are you interested in having our team come to your church? Watch this video.

Emonne Markland: Leave YOUR Beauty Mark

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The Message of Freedom

Hello beautiful ladies!! Today has been a fairly relaxing day. I've been at home with the baby and my mom stopped by to visit for a bit. This morning I took some time to study in preparation for my trip to Oklahoma this weekend for The Pink Lid purity conference. It will be my first time preaching as a momma! My perspective on life has changed so much and my passion for young women knowing the truth about beauty and purity has intensified as a result. I'm delivering a message of freedom based on Isaiah 61 and various other scriptures. As women of God that have accepted the free gift of salvation, we are entitled to the freedom that Jesus died to give us!

Isaiah 61:1-3 tells us that God equipped Jesus with anointing and the Holy Spirit in order to preach good news to the poor, set the captives free, proclaim the year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:8-17), heal the brokenhearted, comfort those who mourn, and to give us BEAUTY for ashes! He has also given us the oil of joy in place of mourning and a garment of praise in place of heaviness that we may be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He may be glorified!

I have shared this message numerous times over the past 2 years and every time it is such a joy to deliver. Thank you, Jesus for the freedom that you died to give us! May we stand fast in this freedom and never go back to our former life of bondage (see Galatians 5:1)

This week I encourage you to take time to study Isaiah 61 and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal this message to your spirit like never before. May every weight, every burden and every chain that has held you down from your past be broken THIS WEEK in Jesus' Name! May you receive the freedom and beauty that Christ came to give you & may He be glorified in your walk of freedom!

Be sure to come back and share what God has spoken to you as you read and meditate on this message of freedom!

Emonne Markland: Leave YOUR Beauty Mark

Hair Story: High Bow Bun

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This summer has yielded the most relentless hot weather I have ever experienced. When it comes to my hair, the best hairstyle for this blazing heat is a high ponytail or bun. No bangs, no pretty curls...just swept back and up.

This Saturday, I was putting my hair up and created a fun hair bow bun! Here's how to create your own stylish, hair bow bun:

1) Brush your hair back & up and secure it into a high ponytail with a ponytail holder. 2) Pull your ponytail through the holder just enough to make a loose, hanging bun. 3) Take a small section of your bun from the front & center and pull it forward, releasing it from the ponytail holder. (I used the short section from my bangs) 4) Wrap that section of hair under your ponytail holder and pull a part of it forward to create a small puff. Blend the rest of it into the loose bun. 5) Pull a few strands of hair from both sides of your bun and release them from the ponytail holder, making them the hanging parts of the bow. 6) Style as desired and make it your own, unique hair bow bun!

Let me know if you try it out and how you like the style! I know you'll look beautiful! :)

Emonne Markland: Leave YOUR Beauty Mark

Shopping Testimony!

Since the beginning of my BeautyMarkedMom journey, my posts have been focused on developing your inner beauty and taking time out for yourself on the "Do You!" page. Today, I'm excited to share my first post on style & fashion. For those of you that don't know me well (yet), I am the ultimate bargain shopper and love putting together outfits according to my ever-evolving personal style. I never ever ever pay retail price for any of my clothes, my husband's clothes or my daughter's clothes. My mom taught me a long time ago how to shop for stylish, designer clothing and only pay a fraction of the cost. My motto/goal when it comes to shopping is this: "Buy the most stylish, well-made item for the lowest possible price". That's just how I roll! Not only is it extremely cost-effective to bargain shop, but it's also extremely fun!! Especially when you see that item that you've had your eye on for weeks finally go down to the perfect price. Ahhhh, what a feeling :). This past weekend I got a chance to go shopping at Target and Marshall's, two of my favorite stores, to find great deals on stylish pieces. On Saturday morning I received my monthly Target mobile coupons, which I tweeted to all of my twitter followers (share the love, right?!), and saw that there was one for $3 off any Merona women's item over $10. Now, this coupon was valid on even Merona items that were on sale, so I was too excited to head to Target & see what I could find. When I got to the store I scanned the full-price racks on my way to the sale section. Didn't see anything I couldn't live without. Then I looked thoroughly through the 50% off, 75% off and finally the 30% off racks. In that exact order. (The 30% off rack is a last resort because I've noticed that the items there end up getting marked down to 50% in a few weeks so I just wait it out). Anyways, I found a beautiful coral dress that zips up the back & ended up only paying a whopping $9.00! Shopping testimony! Holla if you hear me! I was so excited. The item was originally $24.99 so I think it was a great deal. And with the whole outfit put together with my Nine West gladiator wedges, Ann Taylor Loft necklace & rose gold stud earrings (I LOVE rose gold), I know that I purchased a quality piece to add to my summer wardrobe. And I have something cute to wear on my next date night!

So, since you've been so kind as to read my entire post, you know I've gotta share the love and jump-start your week with some coupons! Here are a few Target mobile coupons that you can redeem using the barcode right from your smartphone!

Have a wonderful week and please stop by and share your shopping testimony!

Emonne Markland: Leave YOUR Beauty Mark!

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Surrounded by the Word

Surrounded by the Word

Ever since I was in college I have been posting scriptures all throughout my living space. It began as a necessity when I was struggling through a difficult season of my life where the negative thoughts in my mind were so troubling that I had to physically surround myself with the Word in order to make it through each day. I remember friends and acquaintances coming into my dorm and saying, "What's up with the scriptures all over the walls?" I would try to explain to them my reasonings but they usually just shrugged their shoulders or laughed a little to themselves. Nevertheless, I kept myself surrounded by the Word of God and always knew where to turn when I was going through a personal battle in my life. 

Beautiful Stranger

Today, a stranger left her beauty mark on my day. After roughly 3 hours of consistent sleep last night, let's just say that I wasn't having the best day in the world. My sweet baby girl was crying and it seemed like I couldn't do anything to console her. Once she finally fell asleep, I sat on my bed and took a deep breath to clear my head. Some time passed, and before I knew it my husband was home from work for a home-cooked lunch. While he ate and watched Grace, I got myself ready for the day and prepared to head out and run a few errands.

One of my errands for the day was to go to Target and get rice cereal and diapers. As usual, Grace cried the whole way to the store. She hates her car seat. After snagging a great parking spot near the door, I got her secured into the stroller, hooked on my diaper bag, and off we went into the store. Before going to the baby aisle, I quickly browsed through the sale racks (as usual) and didn't see anything I couldn't live without. I then proceeded to the baby aisle and parked the stroller in front of the baby rice cereal. Contemplating which size to get, I opted for the large box since it was the best deal for the price. I then turned around towards the diapers and began my mental calculations of which diaper package was most cost-effective as I thought to myself, Man, I wish I had a coupon. Within seconds, a sweet lady standing in the aisle near me said, "I have a coupon for Pampers. Would you like one?" You should have seen my expression. (I'm such a believer in "the little things" in life). As a huge smile crept onto my face, I replied that I would love to have a coupon. "Hey, Lord knows, every little bit counts when it comes to saving money!" she said with a warm smile as she handed me the coupon. I went on to tell her how I've been trying to make my Target Baby gift card that I received at a baby shower stretch for the last few months, and admitted to using it for a cute top for myself every now and then. We both laughed and I thanked her again as I left the isle and proceeded to the register.

You know, we serve a big God that specializes in the little details of our lives. I believe that God used this situation, and this precious lady, to once again display His love and care for me. I just want to take the time to say thank you to Him, and to the beautiful stranger, for leaving a beauty mark on my day and turning my frown upside down. And now, in the best way that I know to show my appreciation, I will make it my goal to be a beautiful stranger and bless someone else in return.

Emonne Markland: Leave YOUR Beauty Mark!

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Behind the Name

Beauty Marked is a phrase that expresses who we are as women. Every woman on this planet, regardless of the color of her skin, her past mistakes, her body shape or her geographical location, has been beautifully created, fashioned and marked by God. We are beautiful women made in the image of a beautiful God. We are called to do extraordinary things. We are destined for greatness. According to the Oxford American Dictionary, the word "marked" means "to make a visual impression or stain on". I believe that the unique beauty that God has marked every woman with is a visual impression from our Creator and a reflection of who He is. The purpose of this blog is to encourage women to discover their inward beauty and to confidently express it outwardly as we reflect our beautiful God. As a new mom and a fairly new wife of two years, I'm getting a personal crash-course on rediscovering myself amidst the fast-paced life of motherhood. I want to go on a journey with you as I share tips on how to strengthen your inward and outward beauty. This blog is open for moms especially, but is also for women anywhere from the studious college fashionista to the single, career woman that is passionately pursuing her dream. Let's walk together as we journey through the daily joys and challenges of life and learn to unveil the beauty in every situation.