Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Womans World on Facebook


Hey Readers/Contributors/facebookers!

We now have a share button so you all can let everyone know about your favourite blog site!
If you read something you like feel free to share it.
Also if yourself or anyone you know would like to become a contributor to this site please email your details to:

Sunday, August 7, 2011

10 Year-old Vogue Model Controversy

This story is causing a lot of debate! Thylane Lena-Rose Blondeau is the ten year-old model whose on the cover of French Vogue. These pictures are just two of what's inside the magazine.



The outcry is that she's too young and where do we draw the line? What message are we sending young girls/tweens when they see this? Another point of view is that this is art and we should lighten up.

My point of view is that it's one thing if your daughter wants to play dress-up at home - after all it's fun, but this is a different ballgame and it's really the parents we should be asking these questions to as they would have had to sign off on all of this.


In this article Click here it's mentioned that the mother has had to shield her daughter from all of the negativity and the FB fan page was deleted. I actually feel for this child as she would be too young to know any of this would happen and due to her age, obviously too young to face such criticism.

What's your opinion?

Marnie xo 
http://whatsupwithred.blogspot.com/

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Know When It's Time To Let Go (The Birth of a Book)


So I am down to the last bit of editing on my book. During the editing process, quite a number of pages were cut for various reasons, but I think the length is good. I'm currently at 52,781 words (about 185 pages) after editing. Who knows what the final product will look like. Perhaps it will be a bit longer, but this is how it stands today on my computer. I'm really happy with it and almost ready to let it go.


"Let it go" doesn't mean I'm ready to walk away. It means I'm ready to let it be whatever it's going to be in the world. This book is like a baby. It came from me, but it does not belong to me. I authored it, but I cannot know how it will affect each person who reads it.

But I think I'm ready...or getting close to being ready! At least I'm ready to surrender over the written part. There's so much that goes into writing and publishing a book. The book process is far from over, but the "written part" is pretty much DONE! There will be more stories here on the process. After all, it still has to come out.

I feel a mixture of fear and excitement rolled into one. It's my life. I didn't hold much back. I let it all out and soon (7 months from now) it will be on book shelves across North America for all to read. My life will be exposed. I will be exposed. This sort of makes me want to hide under a rock for the next three years or so. But I'm trying to also "let go" of the "I".

If I look deeper, I realize that there really isn't much difference between "you" and "me". Yes, we have different stories, but we have all experienced pain, suffering, love, loss, grief, confusion, joy, etc. My hope is that through sharing my journey, we can connect. Each one of us is so unique, but there is also something universal about our human experience.

So I'm willing to put it all out there. I'm willing to release my story into the world, in spite of all my fears, in order to share part of my journey with you. Because I know writing it was so helpful to me in understanding how I got to where I am right now. If it was helpful to me, perhaps it will be helpful to you. It was not an easy road. I wasn't always a happy person.

But somehow, along the way, I was willing to become a happy person. Somewhere on my journey I decided to let go of the negativity. And somewhere on my journey I not only decided, but came to believe that I could be anyone I wanted to be. And once I made that decision, I stuck by it.

And I'm still sticking by it.

Soon this thing I created will come out. I wonder what it will look like? I wonder how it will be received? I really don't know, but I'm sticking by it.

And I'm also going to let it go.

Lesson from the Monk I Married will be published by Seal Press March 2012. This post also appears on my blog.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Some Lessons from Benjamin Franklin

So I've been reading the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and I am so impressed by this man. Firstly he was raised by a wise father who "liked to have, as often as he could, some sensible friend or neighbor to converse with, and always took care to start some ingenious or useful topic for discourse, which might tend to improve the minds of his children. By this means he turned our attention to what was good, just, and prudent in the conduct of life." I can only imagine what a huge impact this had on Franklin for he seemed on improving himself for the rest of his life. There was no petty gossip in his teenage life. He made friends with those who among himself, loved reading. They would go into the woods and read aloud to each other and discuss ideas, themes, poetry... I can't even imagine a group of boys in high school reading to each other like that. Too bad though, Franklin makes a good point later saying, "Influence upon the private character, late in life, is not only an influence late in life, but a weak influence. It is in youth that we plant our chief habits and prejudices; it is in youth that we take our party as to profession, pursuits and matrimony."

Another quote from him that I thought was very interesting about the religions of that time, "These I esteem'd the essentials of every religion; and, being to be found in all the religions we had in our country, I respected them all, tho' with different degrees of respect, as I found them more or less mix'd with other articles, which, without any tendency to inspire, promote or confirm morality, serv'd principally to divide us and make us unfriendly to one another."

A few years later Franklin tells about 13 virtues which at that time were necessary and desirable to him. He gives his own definition of what they mean and puts them in a specific order at which to work at attaining them.
1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
"Temperance first, as it tends to procure that coolness and clearness of head, which is so necessary where constant vigilance was to be kept up... This being acquir'd and establish'd, Silence would be more easy. This and the next Order, I expected would allow me more time for attending to my project and my studies. Resolution once become habitual, would keep me firm in my endeavors to obtain all the subsequent virtues; Frugality and Industry freeing me from my remaining debt and producing affluence and independence, would make more easy the practice of Sincerity and Justice, ect., ect."
Franklin goes on to say, "I was supris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish."

Now can you imagine any leader of any nations right now having this on their mind? I would be shocked and surprised if any of them were striving like this to better themselves.

Anyways, one last quote.
"In truth, I found myself incorrigible with respect to Order; and now I am grown old, and my memory bad, I feel very sensibly the want of it. But, on the whole, tho' I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it."

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Noise, it's got history

Simply fascinating. Tracing history through noise.




Have a great Saturday everyone!

Marnie xo

http://www.whatsupwithred.blogspot.com/

Sunday, July 3, 2011

~My New Etsy Shop~


Visit my NEW Etsy Shop to purchase my Photographs. My Photography is based on all of the things that I love, landscapes, warm colors and textures, aged stone, scrolled iron, worn and weathered wood and architectural details.
They make a beautiful addition to your home, office or as a gift.


Thursday, May 26, 2011

Hello Everyone!



NAME: Megan
LOCATION: Utah

AGE:  20 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BLOGGING FOR: 
I'm so excited to be a contributor to this blog! I've been blogging for the past few years now and there's really no single purpose to my blogging. But I love introducing the books I've been reading, or new recipes I've tried out, crafts I've learned or anything else that I get my hands into. It's just a smorgasbord of stuff. 


WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION THE MEDIA GIVES OF WOMEN:

Ah that media drives me crazy. If you take the media to heart then you will never ever be happy with yourself. No matter what you do you will still find problems with your face, skin, hair, weight, height, body, voice, personality, talents, experience.... The media teaches you to compare and judge yourself to fake images. You are trying to comparing yourself with someone that doesn't exist. It's terrible. Don't fall into that trap!


WHAT INSPIRES YOU THE MOST: 
Learning! I'll be honest, I'm a flat out nerd. If you question what the picture is under my blog title, oh don't worry. It's just bone tissue. It's pretty much the coolest looking tissue in the body. My favorite semesters in college (as far as classes go) have been during my anatomy and physiology classes. Learning about the human body is the most incredible, eye opening, inspiring thing. It's crazy to see the complex ways the body functions, how even some of the ideas behind our inventions are found to have already been used in the human body by tiny little cells. Every day in class I thought to myself, "Okay, there's no doubt of a higher being in this world. There's no way this could all come together so perfect and not be heavenly. The body is the most amazing machine I have ever encountered and it's here for a purpose."


WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME: 
Spare time involves a number of very normal and usual things, to completely absurd things. Normal: reading, singing, piano, cooking, socializing and the likes... Some absurd or not so normal things: legit sidewalk chalk art, learning the harmonica, learning Italian, trying out mosaic stain glass art, reviewing bones and muscles... you know, stuff like that. 


WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS BLOG: 
I love the idea of a community blog where women from all over the world come to share stories, introduce themselves, and learn and appreciate each other. Good stuff.


DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DISH:
Right now I am addicted to panini's. They are slightly amazing and completely fantastic.


YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SPEND TIME:
Hmm, places are sometimes made good because of the people you find there. Well, I did just re-painted/decorated my room and I love it. But I love being outside on our back deck when it's warm and sunny. It just feels so cozy. 


WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD TO BE A WOMAN: 
Women are made just the way they are for a reason. (Now I'm still coming to grips with the fact that I'm turning into an emotional person. Meaning: crying was a rare occurrence and it seems to be sneaking into my life more then normal for no reason.) I'm proud that in my head, everything connects to everything and that means sometimes I'm a confusing mess. But that's me. And I like me. 


BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED WAS:
My favorite teacher shared this and it made a remarkable impression on me. In the bible, John 3:30, John the Baptist says that "He must increase, but I must decrease." And when you first read that, you're thinking... what the crap is he talking about? But then my teacher put it into perspective. Sometimes in life, we will need to be the one to step back and let someone else advance. Sometimes we'll need to loose a game, so someone can win that time. He made a comment about living with roommates. Maybe you should stop assuming that you have more to do then your roommates, do the dishes for them and let them have the time they need to get their own work done. I thought about that scripture a lot that semester, I did the dishes for my roommates a lot as well. But not just that, it helps you put others before yourself. You are not the center of the universe, there are others out there who are in just as much need as you. Maybe it's your day to decrease, so they can increase. I know it seems like a different type of piece of advice, but when you learn to let others advance and grow, you grow right along with them.  

Sun Safety - how safe are you?

Warm sunny days are now here. Thank goodness for that! I was getting tired of looking at snow, especially when we got a snow dump back in April. 





This is the time of year where everyone usually stocks up on Sun Block and Sunscreen. We take it for granted that we need an SPF 15 or higher. Some companies are making them as strong as they can. Now that seems like a great idea, but is it really? Have you ever wondered what's inside your sunscreen? Better yet, have you ever wondered how an SPF is determined?


Not all Sunscreens or Sunblocks are created equal. A lot of brands out there are masquerading as gentle or healthy. The sad part is that most of the worst offenders are the sunscreens marketed for babies & little children. This can be scary as a lot of the ingredients are found to potentially cause future skin tumors and cancers.

We are in a Catch-22 situation. We need Sunscreen as burning is bad. The products we purchase may stop us from burning, but since a lot of the ingredients are questionable, we are bringing on another slew of potential problems.

EWG's Skin Deep (Environmental Working Group) is a fabulous site to visit. They give the lowdown on every ingredient imaginable. They have just issued their 2011 Guide for Sunscreens, and they explain everything you need to know on the topic. They even have a 'Hall of Shame' for some of the worst sunscreens available on the market today. If you want to find out what sunscreen/sunblock is best for you, or to compare how your brand stacks up,  click here.

Marnie
What Red Said...

Thursday, May 5, 2011

New Poster?

And by that I don't mean a new poster of my future husband, Johnny Depp, hanging on my wall.  I mean, I have been asked to contribute to this blog, aka be a "poster".

My name is Angela and I live in Northern Utah, where spring has FINALLY arrived.  In May.  Just a little late, Ma Nature.

I have been married to my husband Randon for almost 12 years.  We have two kids, boy and girl, 10 and 7, respectively.

I like to make stuff, read stuff, and sleep.  Let me correct that to say I like to make stuff, I like to read stuff, and I LOVE to sleep.  In fact, I love it so much that I get really cranky if I don't have enough.

I am an Americorps Vista, which, for an easy way to explain it, is a federal volunteer.  You can also say that I work for a domestic Peace Corp.  One of these days I will do a post about what it all entails, but I love love love it.

I am also a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and mainly buy things to support my habit.  I do love it though.   I also spend WAYYY to much time on Facebook, enjoy Twitter, and other various forms of social media.

I also blog over at Blowing 7 Different Kinds of Smoke.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Experiencing Arkansas



I've lived in Arkansas pretty much all of my life. There is still so much of it I have yet to see, and enjoy. There are however a few things that I've experienced, that my family has not, and I would like to share with them.

Did you know Arkansas has an elephant sanctuary, caverns, diamond minds, water falls, several mountains, and other natural wonders? We've never been camping, and Petit Jean Mountain is calling my name. In the spring daffodils cover Wye Mountain, and I'd absolutely love see it!

The Trail of Tears runs right through Arkansas, and it's a part of our Choctaw heritage. My children have NEVER experienced Riverfest, and it's been about 25 years since I've been. I would say it's about time that changed!
There's so much to see, do, and experience that one spring and summer won't be enough. But I'm going to do my best to plan the most exciting tour of Arkansas my family will never forget. Join us May through August as we experience Arkansas, one adventure at a time. We'll Tweet with the hashtag #ExpArk.

Originally posted on 40s Reasons To Live, Love & Laugh Out Loud.

LaTonya writes about the adventures of her 40s, and Tweets about everything else