We love working with artists--writers, photographers, designers. Sometimes, we come across something and we just say, "Yes!" That's what happened with the submission that Sara sent to us of the word "belong" beautifully styled with the props in this pic which you can find in ISSUE 03. Here's a little more about the woman behind the image.

sara francoeur photography belong magazine

WHO ARE YOU? / First and foremost, I am a mother. An incredibly powerful mother, who gave birth to miracle boy/girl twins, Mason and Ellaina, who are almost three. My children are my entire life. I live and breathe for them.

I am a wife to my high school sweetheart who I've been with now for over thirteen years.
I am the wearer of many hats ... an Early Childhood Educator by trade, a photographer and creative by choice.

I have a small photography business: Sara Francoeur Photography. I specialize in children's portraiture, I am absolutely obsessed with still life, and am currently moving into the realm of women's glamour photography and fine art at Sara Francoeur Portraiture. I have recently started an Etsy page, Ella Laine Designs, creating psd card templates for photographers.

I was first called an entrepreneur last year and laughed!

I am a lifelong learner. I crave learning. I think that is one of the huge reasons I am so in love with photography - you are constantly learning.

I am a hoarder of memories. I literally stalk my children with a camera. I am never, and I mean never, without a camera.

I am a DIY and design queen.

WHERE DO YOU BELONG? / I've moved around quite a bit in my life. I am a city girl at heart, living in a small town in Northern Manitoba, Canada.

I belong at home with my children and family.

I also belong behind a camera and a computer editing into the night.

WHAT IS YOUR "WHY"? / I live for creativity. I could never function without creativity. It is my entire life. I craft, I sew, I party plan, I love interior decorating, I hoard Pinterest DIY ideas and actually DO them (lol)!

I am in love with photography because I hoard memories. My biggest fear in life is that I will lose my memory, so capturing memories has become my entire life, and so much more so after I had my children. I want to remember every single thing and I want to help others do the same. I want to leave my children a legacy long after I'm gone. I think photography and documenting your life are so incredibly important.

I am currently moving into glamour photography and am so unbelievably passionate about it. I think women need to embrace their true authentic selves and celebrate themselves and their own kind of beautiful. Especially mothers. They are the ones that are usually behind the camera, and it is so important to exist in photographs because once you're gone, photographs are all that is left behind.

Fine art and still life, for me, are both such a creative outlet. I love taking a photograph and holding an idea in your mind, getting behind the computer and creating something amazing out of it.

HOW DID YOU GET HERE? / Well, I am quickly approaching 30. My journey started because of my mom. She is a crafter at heart. We were always doing some kind of art or craft as children.

In highschool, I took several photography classes, which is actually where I met my husband! I spent hours and hours taking black and white photos and then in the darkroom processing film and developing negatives. All of my money from my after school jobs went to film. I got my first good Nikon camera from my grandad at 16 while on a trip home to Cape Breton. I spent the entire trip taking photos, and from there I never put down a camera.

I was married to my highschool sweetheart, Darnell, at 23. I graduated from college as an Early Childhood Educator at 25, and my husband and mother encouraged to take up photography since I was bored after finishing school. I started my photography "business" as a hobby a few years back and really turned it into something after my children were born three years ago. My mother has been my rock and support system. She encourages me in everything I do. I now live on coffee (lol) since I run a home daycare with the most amazing and rambunctious boys for ten hours of the day so that I am able to stay at home with my children. I do photo sessions for clients during my evenings and weekends and edit into the night/morning. I live life by "The Secrets Philosophy."

IF WE WALKED INTO YOUR LIFE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, WHAT WOULD WE SEE? / Truthfully, if you walked into my life in the middle of the day, you would see beautiful chaos. Toys would be strewn around the floors. The boys I watch would be playing and building something amazing. My children, Mason and Ellaina, newly potty trained, would be barely clothed. My daughter's curly hair pulled back in messy french braid piggies. My son's double crown sticking up in an alfalfa sort of way after just waking from a nap. They would be immersed in their latest painting, art project, or colorful homemade play dough at our kitchen table. My latest creation paused on photoshop after peeling myself away at 3:00 am, would be staring at me from my computer. There would be a sink full of dishes waiting for me to get to them. And I would be calmly sipping my 8th cup of coffee, sitting and watching life, in yoga pants, a stained tank and a open front cardi, preparing myself for our daily afternoon living room dance party. My real work begins after bedtime.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT? / "Strong Women. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them."

"The key is not to worry about being successful, but instead work toward being significant - and the success will naturally follow..." - Oprah Winfrey

FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA TOOL? / Facebook

FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? / Butterscotch ripple ... OR cookie dough

FAVORITE READ? / The Secret, anything from the Sue Grafton alphabet series

WHAT IS YOUR UNIFORM? / Good lord. If you could see my everyday attire - it's sad. A lot of black. Yoga pants, stained tank, open front cardi. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Also, I'm still wearing maternity clothes, so that's great (lol)!

Photo shoots and when I actually need to look professional, cute flowy blouse, tights, mukluk boots.

IN THE INFINITE RAINBOW OF COLORS, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU NAME IT? / I would be a radiant rainbow! I literally love every color.

TELL US A SECRET! / I curse like a sailor. I am a craft supply junky. I work best in organized chaos. I am the absolute worst housekeeper. I am a grammar natzi and I HATE autocorrect. I cannot cook. At all. But I keep unsuccessfully trying.

UMBRELLA OR SUNGLASSES? / Sunglasses

INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT? / Extrovert

COFFEE OR TEA? / Coffee

DIGITAL OR PRINT? / Print

SANDALS OR SNOW BOOTS? / Sandals

HOME OR AWAY? / Away

EARLY BIRD OR NIGHT OWL? / Night Owl

WHAT'S ONE THING THAT YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR? / Have an image published in BELONG magazine ... DONE! ;)

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? / How To Marry A Millionaire - Obsessed with TCM movies

WHAT DO YOU DO TO STAY INSPIRED? / I follow different creatives, photographers, blogs & mags (ahem...BELONG) on facebook. I'm just starting to get more in to instagram, so I'm trying to follow like minded people. I am Pinterest obsessed. I could get lost in Pinterest for hours. I have a million boards. I need a Pinterest intervention. I am constantly bouncing ideas off of my mom, and my incredibly talented and artistic sister in law, Arielle.

CURRENT FAVORITE SONG? / I dont really have favorite songs. I have favorite artists depending on the mood I'm in. I love Grey's Anatomy Soundtracks, anything on the Billboard top 100 that I can dance in my kitchen to, and I seem to think I can sing like Adele

BIGGEST QUIRK? / I am a libra - everything has to be balanced and straight. Also, I think I see everything in the rule of thirds.

GUILTY PLEASURE? / Watching and loving ANY of the Real Housewives Series, whilst eating Chicago Mix popcorn!