Showing posts with label blogging awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging awards. Show all posts

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Sunshine Blogger Award


A kind thanks to Aathira Jim for nominating my blog for the Sunshine Blogger Award on July 13th. (More about her below.)

According to one blogger, "The Sunshine Blogger Award is a way for bloggers to get to know each other and also get other bloggers to link to their website (very good for SEO!)" (That's 'search engine optimization' by the way.)

See the award rules below.

1. When did you join the blogging world? Did any incident/ person inspire you to do so?

In July 2010: Oh WOW! I forgot to celebrate my fifth blog anniversary! I was inspired to start my blog as I was attempting to initiate a children's co-creative choir. I thought if people google my name, they won't find me! So I thought I would share a bit about me and my choir-to-be (a bit) so people would get a sense of me.

2. What is the best lesson that Life has taught you, till now?

So many of course as I am still learning and re-learning. However, I would say to like, accept, and love myself. This after not one - I needed to really get the lesson! - but two almost "near-death" experiences at the hands of ex-boyfriends. Read a bit about the story here: http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2014/09/part-3-suicide-prevention-week.html and the lesson here: http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2014/09/part-2-suicide-prevention-week.html.

3. What is the role that blogging plays in your life?

Blogging is an outlet for me. Self-/expression is extremely important to me and creativity. Blogging allows me to do both. It also is a vehicle to write about anything and everything and not be censored; thus, I love this medium. I can write about issues that are dear to my heart or local community or worldwide events as I have on occasion.

4. What would you do if you have all the money in the world?

Sing, dance, play, read, write (three books: children's story, poetry, and part of my life story (to empower others), organic farming for three months at least...

5. Which is your all time favorite book that you can never get tired of reading?


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon.

It is a short read, but brilliantly written about an autistic boy's perspective ...don't wish to give it away now do I?!

6. Name a dream city or location that you want to visit someday and why.

There are several but I would say Alaska first and foremost. I would love to experience the pristine wilderness and see the phenomenol Northern Lights (or Aurora Borealis)

Photo from Pixabay

7. Share a hilarious incident of your life.

My two sisters, one brother (at the time), and I used to walk to the bookmobile. No libraries back then I guess! It was close to Christmas time and I was carrying a lot/heavy books. I was struggling to hold them at the same time that I kept rubbing against one side of my pants with my arm to keep my pants up: the waistband was loose. It fell just before I stepped into the bookmobile and Christmas tree vendors noticed and I felt so embarrassed. I was about eight or 10 at the time. It wasn't funny then of course, but now, yes of course! ;)

8. What are your thoughts about my blog?

Aathira writes on her blog titled, Bewitched by words: A place where I dream and let my fingers do the talking (http://awanderingmindofabookaholic.blogspot.ae/2015/07/sunshine-blogger-award.html).

I love your blog's title first of all Aathira. I love your play on words and the word "bewitched" with "witch" in it too! ;) I love the pictures you have on top as I see/collect heart-shaped objects, love chocolate, and books...and is that a reading nook to the far left? ;) I love how your blog is organized in categories on top and easy-to-read font - thank you! - and your profile under the "About Me" tab. And of course, your writings whether fiction or poetry.

Award Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Nominate some other bloggers for this award.
3. Write the same amount of questions for the bloggers you have nominated.
4. Notify the bloggers you have nominated.

I'm nominating the bloggers below for this award (in alphabetical order):

1. Eloquent Mind
2. Parul Kashyap Thakur
3. Rajlakshmi H Boruah

Questions to nominees: no new questions. Just the ones that are mentioned above.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Frolicking Fun Friday: Two (2) Awards?!


This post was originally titled, "Talented Thursday: Supposedly Me!" but then I changed it as I posted Vinodini Iyer's story yesterday.

WOWWWWW! I just (accidentally) discovered that I have been nominated for not one, but two awards! Two blogging awards!! And on the same day, from one blog post! Woohoo!!

One is the Sunshine Award - not sure what it means though I love the name of it. I'm guessing spreading sunshine through writing perhaps? Uplifting someone's spirits? Making someone smile? (I later discover it's about "spreading smile and cheer." I'm pretty close, not bad eh? I got the 'spreading' part right! ;)

That award reminds me of my post the other day with a photo of me where I have a wide grin on my face, actually laughing - http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2014/09/world-gratitude-day-part-2.html After all, laughter is contagious and well, smiles can be too sometimes! ;)

The other award I got awarded (couldn't resist that play on words) is The Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

I'm told that my blog (amongst a few others nominated) is "inspiring, entertaining and written with sincerity." I'm tickled pink, yet again! ;)

Both awards have been bestowed upon me by a relatively recent member of my blogging or blogosphere tribe known affectionally as 'eccentricgrandmum' (according to her blog) - http://eccentricgrandmum.blogspot.ca. I think I will start calling her 'Grandma' soon as she oozes sweetness. I just sense that about her.

Her real name is Usha Menon. Check out her fun, sometimes funny, blog in which she writes about various topics. She has a love for haiku poetry which she is naturally brilliant at. I so admire this - totally impressed - as I find that such a challenge to write! ;)

Now for 17 things about me (as part of receiving this award)...not sure why 17, but here goes:

1. I was born in Holland also known formally as 'The Netherlands' in a small town near Belgium. However, I did live for awhile in Amsterdam before moving to Canada.
2. I was born a twin who died shortly after birth, and consider myself 'monkey in the middle' in my family of two older sisters and two younger brothers. (http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2014/08/middle-child-you-are-special-todays.html)
3. I love nature, especially trees and flowers - someone else better take care of the plants than me though! ;) - and also animals, especially cats and lately dogs due to my favourite dog, golden labrador upstairs where I live.
4. I love to look at the moon and stars in the night sky, and the clouds and/or blue sky during the day.
5. I see heart-shaped objects in a lot of things including nature.
6. I love pizza and green beans - NO, not together! ;) Thin crust pizza please to taste the ingredients!
7. I LOVE music, always have, always will especially and including electronic (as it is meditative, puts me in a meditative type of trance) and 'new age' and East Indian with harmonium, sitar, tabla instruments, not necessarily together. ;)
8. I love to sing and have sung from tenor range to soprano, mostly though as an alto in choirs. Alto is my favourite as I love harmony and to harmonize.
9. I love to chant in Sanskrit. One of the best ways for me to feel peace, joy, love, bliss! ;)
10. I love to dance - creative, spontaneous dance to all kinds of music. I have been considered a "Dancing Queen" as in ABBA, one of my favourite rock bands. ;) I can even dance while sitting with my head bopping and/or my toes tapping!
11. I love looking and feeling young-at-heart though chronically I am a senior, albeit a young one next year! However, I'm open to 'senior' discounts! ;)
12. Though I tend to be more on the serious side, I love to tease, joke around, and have fun. Thus, all my winks like so: ;)
13. I love to inspire and empower others. I am a natural 'encourager' and 'supporter' of people to live their life's purpose and passions.
14. I love the creative and performing arts, including the expressive arts - music and poetry are some of my favourite loves. Essentially creativity and self-expression are important to me which is why I love writing/blogging.
15. I love movies. My favourites are comedies, dramas, and documentaries. I love books too: biographies and autobiographies, fiction, poetry ...
16. I get words a lot intuitively, spontaneously, claircognizantly. I just 'get them'...I don't see or hear them. I was told to write by a psychic years ago. (See my profile for details.)
17. I'm told by many that I have a great voice and wonder if I should have explored being a radio announcer or the like.

Follow these instructions if you receive the award(s). You have to
(1) write a blog to acknowledge the award(s). Then (2) copy and paste the photos on your blog/post and (3) write 17 things about yourself.
(4) Nominate six to eight bloggers who you find fit for the award. (5) Inform all the nominees that they have been nominated. You need not nominate every one for two awards. The Sunshine Award represents spreading smile and cheer. That's it! Have fun! :)

I would have nominated Usha Menon with both awards if she hadn't nominated me! :)

DRUM ROLL PLEASE ... I hereby nominate the following bloggers, in alphabetical order, for both awards for various reasons including courage, wit, sincerity, humour, creativity, and twisted plots. I know I missed some bloggers whose writing I also admire. I haven't even gotten to the men yet! ;) Maybe next time?

Amy Bovaird, Asiya Fathima, Judy Yaron, Nabanita Dhar, Nisha Sanjeev, Penny McDaniel, Shailaja Vishwanath, Vinodini Iyer