First and foremost….Hope is my anthem.

Gosh, this world can be hard, right? For so many years, hope in Christ was all I had to tether me in the midst of pain and suffering. Whether it was a long battle with an autoimmune disease, loss of relationship, or emotional challenges, the anchor of my faith has seen me through every season.

Hailing from Northern California, I have spent a good portion of my life living and traveling abroad…
Studying in Europe
Teaching English in SE Asia
Working in the international non-profit sector in East Africa
Setting up an aftercare home for girls rescued out of abuse in Nepal

In 2009, after living and working abroad, I felt God convict my heart that I didn’t need to go abroad to connect with others from different cultures. God led me to an intentional community in Southern California, in a vibrant neighborhood of people from central and south America. It was in this time that God blessed my heart with rich friendship and taught me so much about issues facing immigrants and refugees today. Kevin and I lived in this special community for 5 years.

In 2013, Kevin and I were asked to move to Nepal to help set up an aftercare home for girls rescued out of human trafficking and abuse. This season changed us in all the best ways, as we saw God’s great light cut through the darkness and bring healing. It was also in Nepal where God inspired me to become a therapist, so once we moved back to California, I went back to school to get my masters in Marriage and Family Therapy.

In 2011, newly married and desiring a place to share my thoughts, I started a blog called Hope Engaged. In just a few short years, God completely blew me away as my blog grew to almost 150,000 followers. I was nominated for a prestigious award from Blog Lovin’ (best travel blogger), Kevin and I were partnering with brands who were sending us on free trips around the world, and I was connecting daily with thousands of women worldwide.

It was an absolute dream…and yet, in the Fall of 2015 at the peak of my blog’s popularity, I stopped. I deleted my IG account with thousands of followers, I gave up FB, and I slowly stopped blogging completely.

What happened? I let fear about a certain situation dictate my future. But slowly, the Lord began to pry my heart open, and lead me out of the darkness and straight towards my fears. Together we faced them, and I can honestly say there has been an incredible freedom as a result.

As I’ve stepped back into this special online space, my prayer has been that the hope woven into my story is an encouragement and testimony to others in confusing seasons. I pray Christ’s redemption can be magnified.

I currently reside in Northern California in a cozy cottage (that God miraculously provided) with my husband Kevin. We have 4 precious children who keep me on my toes and fill my heart daily. I run a leather bag company with my family called Lottie Leather, where we support local artisans in Nepal.

My love for all things European runs deep, and I now sell European sketches that my Great Uncle sketched in his travels to raise money for the home we worked at in Nepal.

In my spare time you will usually find me eating tacos, traveling the world, sitting by the fire with tea having a deep conversation with a friend, hosting a costume party, speaking at different women’s events, watching period piece movies (hello Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables!) and reading a good book.

Thank you for being here, please don’t hesitate to say hello!

For more about my life, you can check out my blog Hope Engaged, where I have been documenting my life and travels for over 10 years!

Let’s connect!