With your whole heart – Are you all in or all out?

Posted on by writerchick

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I’m one of those people who does things with their whole heart. I can’t be halfway. I’m either all in or all out. It’s just how I’m wired. Some see it as a character flaw because you know, I take things to heart. I take things personally. Because to me, it is personal. I mean anything that is part of my life is personal, isn’t it?

Sure I’ve tried to develop a thick skin and act like things don’t matter. It’s just a job or a crappy review, or some guy I didn’t want to date anyway – whatever it doesn’t matter. But doesn’t it? If it’s part of your life, it is personal. Doesn’t it have to be? I think so.

I once had a friend who told me she puts things in boxes. In her head. Must be a pretty organized head, right. You know? This argument goes in this box. This catastrophe goes in this box. My grocery list goes in another box. Wow, I sit back in wonder of people who can do this. I can’t.

But the truth is, I don’t want to live in a box. I want to live in the waves that threaten to drown me and tap dance in  thunder storms wearing my tin foil hat. Wail like a banshee when something hurts. Laugh like an idiot when something tickles me. I want all the colors in the crayon box. And I don’t want to color inside the lines either. Vivid, bright colors that make you shield your eyes. I want to talk loud when I’m excited, wear red lipstick just because, and paint my nails purple because it’s pretty. Eat the whole loaf of bread I just pulled out of the oven and slather it in butter.

Life is there to live, to experience, to try, to fail, to sometimes succeed. Maybe even to fly. So…with my whole heart I choose to aim for the skies. I’m all in.Always. Come what may.

What about you? Are you all in? All out? Do you feel with your whole heart? Do you hold back because you’re worried what people will think? Do you take one cookie when you want 10?

Speak with your whole heart (or whatever part you care to share) in the comments.

Writer Chick

Beauty for Beauty

Posted on by writerchick

Not long ago, Michael of Smoke & Mirrors bestowed a very prestigious award upon me/my blog. It is called the Arte y Pico Award. My bad, I’d never heard of it and so I went searching the Internet to discover what it meant.

What I learned was that the originator of the Arte y Pico Award is a fabulous woman named Ana, from Uraguay, who creates hand made cloth dolls that are exquisette and beautiful. Wanting to pass on this beauty into the beast that the blogosphere can be, she created this award to acknowledge the beauty that does exist here.

Ana said this about it:
What is the meaning of the expression: Arte y Pico
What is the meaning of the expression: And basically, ironically, it translates into a wonderful phrase in Mexico, “lo maximo.” LOL! It will never find its counterpart in English, but if it HAD to, it would be something like, Wow. The Best Art. Over the top.

Ana’s wish was to have it paid forward and to propogate a chain of beauty and art throughout cyberspace. And isn’t that the dream of any artist? To see beauty and creativity blossom and grow in all directions? I am honored and humbled to have been given this award, more than I can say.

And now as a recipient, my job is to pay it forward to the other beauties out there. Choosing recipients was a daunting task because I am allowed only five when I can think of many more than that off the top of my head. The people I chose were all women, intentionally so – maybe I am feeling my ‘I am woman, hear me roar,’ mojo but I think that women contribute so much to the blogosphere and are so natural at spreading the love and beauty that it seemed fitting to me.

So…with great respect and admiration, I have chosen:

Christine of All the Elbows. A wonderfully, original writer, whose talent awes me every time I visit her blog. A kind, funny and caring person, a stay at home mom who nurtures her two beautiful daughters and wonderful husband. Whose imagination will captivate anyone who reads her. She is definitely spreading the beauty out there.

J of Not Just a Housekeeper. Funny, quick, razor-tongued and oh so real. A working mom who not only has the most beautiful adventures with her kids and husband, but helps troubled youths get back on track. She has a heart as big as Montanna and a wit that won’t quit. This lady can make you feel like a trip to Walmart is a grand adventure. Creative? Hell, yeah.

Daisies of Moments. What this woman can do with a camera will melt your heart and give your eyes treats they have not yet seen. Also an accomplished poet and writer, who will touch you with her words and make you feel always welcome and safe. Timeless beauty there, folks.

Jade of Pieces of Jade. This is someone very new to me and I’m so excited to have experienced her work and her exquisitte lines. She is suprising, funny, profound and oh so unique. I can’t believe my luck in having found her. She writes hay[na]ku (A poem of six words. The first line = 1 word, the second line= 2 words and the third line= 3 words) a form of poetry I’d never heard of before and am still trying to get my wits around. I may try my hand at it, but I doubt I’d ever rise to her level of execution. Like her name indicates, she is a jewel.

Simonne of Into the Quiet. This plucky Aussie writer is a beauty inside and out. Sweet as honey and her writing, so spot on. It’s honest, brutal sometimes, but clean and cleansing and never ceases to surprise the reader on the journey. Like the name of her blog indicates, she’s a quiet voice but with deep and lasting impact.

I could honestly go on for pages about these wonderful beauties, but I invite you to go experience them for yourself. I am so happy to be able to give them such an award and I know they will pass it on to others who are just as wonderful, beautiful and creative as they are.

So there you have it ladies, go seek your five recipients and pay forward the beauty and creativity.

The rules are as follows:

1) Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award; creativity, design, interesting material, and also a contributer to the blogger community, no matter the language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award-winner, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given them the award itself.

4) Each award winner shows the link to “Arte y pico” blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) The above rules must be posted within the awarding post.