(Photo by Miina Savolainen)

Goooood morning GBD!

I know what you’re thinking:  ”What?  Where’s Jenipher and her vlog??  WE WANT OUR VLOGS!”  I feel you GBD, but even Jenipher has to take a break once in a while.  She’s been a real trooper on this blog huh?  And she’ll be back soon, most likely by next week.  So don’t get your panties in a twist.

In the meantime, here’s a little ditty about The Loveliest Girl in the World project.  I heard about this from Chris, so big ups to Chris!

I think this is really cool.  Photographer Miina Savolainen embarked on a community art project in which she uses “empowering photography” to spread the idea that everyone is unique.  The 10 girls featured in the project are from the Hyvönen Children’s Home. It is a labor of love that has taken almost a decade to complete.

Here’s a bit more about the project from the site:

The fairytale quality of the photographs reveals a truth often obscured by the rough and tumble of daily life – the person each young girl feels she really is inside. It allows the girls to regard themselves as strong and undamaged people. These photographs are deeply authentic, revealing the universal desire to be seen as good and valuable.

And here’s what the photographer herself has to say:

Photography can help to show people how they are treasured; how much they mean to me.  Accepting one’s own portrait is a metaphor for accepting one’s own personality. During years the photographing has become an intimate and profound way to interact with the girls. This exceptional long-term relationship can be seen in the special kind of openness and intimacy of the photographs.

Pretty awesome huh?

Check out the site to see more photographs, to read more about the project, or to read more about empowering photography.

Thanks to Chris!