VernetteOutLoud

Blog Awards & Newbies

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Thank You Debra for blessing me and nominating me for this award. Please go check out her great blog here.

Thank You Debra!!!

Thank You Debra!!!

I have to be honest and since TRUTH is my “one word” for 2013 I have no choice but to be. When I saw the email about the nomination I was filled with a little dread. You see I have been nominated for Blog awards before.

When I first started this blog, I was nominated for The One Lovely Blog Award by fellow blogger Schalk Cloete who is doing great things over at his blog One in a Billion.

Thank You Schalk!

Thank You Schalk!

I was overjoyed. I remember messaging my friend Lucy about it and we were both super excited about the nomination. I was over the moon that, people other than my friends and family (and not even my family sometimes…I see you Trudy!) were reading and enjoying my writing enough to nominate me for an award.

But I was a newbie. I didn’t know that these nominations had rules. I said, Thank you to Schalk and that was the end of it. Fast forward to now and I still feel so ashamed of my newbie-ness.

Then I got nominated for The Liebster Award. Now folks, I have been following Stephanie’s blog WhenCrazyMeetsExhaustion for a while now. Stephanie is AWESOME!!!! (with not 1 but 4 exclamation marks!)

She is a very talented writer who brings humor to motherhood. I get to live vicariously through her stories and I love it! Stephanie’s brother Mike, recently started his own blog, A Different Kind Of Hero to chronicle his journey towards a healthier, fitter and more vital him. Go check out his blog and give him some support.

Thank You Stephanie!

Thank You Stephanie!

According to Stephanie,

The Liebster (German for “dearest”) Award goes to baby blogs, or blogs with less than 200 peeps, but despite their tiny following, have huge potential.

When I got this nomination, I was seriously cheesing it over here. Like if ya’ll looked at a map of the world at night time…the lil dot of light shining ever so brightly in the Caribbean…would have been me lighting up Trinidad. I kid you not. I really love reading Stephanie’s blog and the honor of having her read mine and nominate me as well…oh man…SHINE ON LITTLE LIGHT!

This was the first nomination I formerly declined.

The rules were exhausting. I could not even begin to wade through them. I felt really bad about it and there was a crap-filled couch somewhere in there too.

Then I got nominated for The Wonderful Team Member Readership Award by the incredible Rarasaur “For the amazing ability to get to the essence of anything, including books.

Thanks Rara!

Thanks Rara!

…and I felt the same dread I mentioned earlier when I was nominated for this award. What were the rules going to be like? How many questions will I have to answer or worse come up with myself? But Rarasaur did a lovely post on graciously accepting Blogger Awards and I think it’s one every newbie should read.

Which brings me back to today’s nomination. Debra simply nominated me. No rules. No questions to answer. Nothing. Just a nomination. Just an honor to my blog. THIS my lazy self I CAN ACCEPT. I was overjoyed and curious.

There had to be some rules somewhere for accepting this nomination. And I found them.

As it turns out the rules for The One lovely Blog award are the same as The Versatile Blogger award.

Versatile Blogger Rules (If you choose to obey them)

    • Display the Award Certificate on your website

    • Announce your win with a post and link to whoever presented your award

    • Present 15 awards to deserving bloggers

    • Drop them a comment to tip them off after you’ve linked them in the post

    • Post 7 interesting things about yourself.

Four outta five ain’t bad…except I didn’t present 15 awards to deserving bloggers…I have said a heartfelt THANK YOU to four exceptional bloggers who I am proud to be in community with. That to me is the greatest honor of all – acknowledging that these people enrich my life and my journey beyond measure. Thank you again.

And now *drum roll please* 7 facts about me:

• I miss my mother everyday.

• I am a hand-sanitizer addict…the Bath & Body Works variety.

• I hold my breath for as long as I can if someone sneezes around me.

• I had a lump removed from my left boob 3 years ago. It was benign.

• January 6th this year was 10 years since I’ve been at my current place of work. EGADS!

• I have wanted to be a writer since I was 8. I got lost somewhere along the way…but I’m finding the path again.

• I am 5’4 but my ID says 5’5…in heels it does not matter.

Super thanks to Debra for nominating me for this no-strings attached award. Bless you.

To my fellow newbies, accept the awards fearlessly and graciously and make your own rules.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
― Marianne Williamson, Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles”

9 Fingers

**Disclaimer: This post contains a graphic photo.**

I slammed my gate on my thumb last Wednesday and it literally popped like a cherry. As in pulp or flesh came out of the top of my busted thumb.

Yes. I almost passed out.

Busted thumb 6 days later

Busted thumb…6 days later.

The pain. The blood. The thought of it…still makes me queasy.

So how does this relate to my “one word”?

Well it has everything to do with it actually.

My one word for 2013 is TRUTH. Which means that this is what I will focus on in all areas of my life. Speaking, walking, writing my truth for 2013.

OneWord2013_Truth150

This busted thumb business proved false not one but TWO things I thought were true.

The first “truth” is that I can’t stand or handle the sight of blood. This “truth” of course ruined the promising career as a surgeon I once envisioned for myself. Ok, no that’s a lie…I never wanted to be a doctor. A marine biologist sure…but never a doctor. I didn’t grow up to be a marine biologist either.

But blood makes me queasy and my blood gushing out of my busted finger nearly had me out cold. But I survived.

So this lie I keep telling myself: That I cannot handle the sight of blood was proven to be just that.

It turns out folks…a glass of water was all that was needed to calm me down.

The pain however was another story…those required extra strength painkillers.

The second “truth” is that with a busted thumb…I would not be able to write…technically type.

HELLO!!!

I contemplated skipping this month’s “One Word” update, which I committed to write on the 15th of every month for the rest of the year.

I said to myself…it hurts, people will understand if you didn’t post anything. But even to my lazy, procrastination-loving ears…it was a lie.

I can write and I will write…with nine fingers…because I have to.

Look out for my next update on February 15th. To read updates from other bloggers click here!

One word revolution

What do you want to focus on in 2013?

It can be something tangible or intangible. It can be a thought, a feeling, an action, or a character trait. Your word will be a reminder, a nudge. Something you can reflect on, that will challenge you, that will inspire you.

Your word can be anything you want it to be. All that matters is that it has personal meaning for you.

This is your word. It needs to resonate with your heart, no one else’s.

~ One Word 365

This is the “resolution revolution” taking place over at One Word 365.

It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your word will shape you and your year. It will guide your decisions and help you grow.


This is not a new concept to me. At Mass on New Years my priest usually gives a word to focus on for the year. Last year’s word was “Educate” and this year it’s “Peace”.

The problem with this word is that I’ve never considered it the context of my own life. For instance, when I thought about it, my “one word” for 2012 was most definitely TRUST! There were recurring themes and situations where I had to learn to trust. I learned to surrender and trust that everything was happening as it should and at the right time.

Then fellow blogger, Diane Rivers shared her “one word” and I had an AH-HA! moment..this I could incorporate into my own life.

OneWord2013_truth

I have chosen TRUTH for my one word.

Over the next 12 months, I will be exploring and acknowledging and accepting the real me.
I will seek to get comfortable in my own skin because I live there.
I will learn to accept and live in the present, let go of the past,
plan for the future and surrender the outcome.

I will live, walk and speak my truth.

I’ve decided I need to be more open and to share the real me with the people in my life who deserve to know who I am and what that means.

The people in our lives only ever really know what we want them to know about us. I’ve been known to edit an experience or myself for the audience. I think the most real I’ve been is here on this blog. I hold nothing back. I give it everything I have. I’m going to take this approach into the real world this year.

It’s about time I let people see the real me, even when that means being vulnerable. I want to have a truly authentic experience of life in 2013.

I will share the evolution of this journey on the 15th of every month.

Truth

Be impeccable
with your word.
Speak with integrity.
Say only what you mean.
Avoid using the word
to speak against yourself
or to gossip about others.
Use the power of your word
in the direction
of truth
and love.

~ Miguel Angel Ruiz

Already great things have been happening. My awesome custom image of my “One word” above, as well as the “One Word” button in the sidebar was created by fellow Blogger Melanie Moore for me for free and she will make one for you as well. A special, special thank you to Melanie for this gift from the heart.

For more information visit the One Word 365 website or follow @OneWord365 on Twitter.

If you could choose one word to inspire you for 2013, what would it be? Brainstorm and share it with me in the comments below!

Stand upright, speak thy thoughts, declare The truth thou hast, that all may share; Be bold, proclaim it everywhere: They only live who dare.
~ Voltaire

Quote me

I am a quote junkie. I collect them. I print them and put them in places I can see them every day so that they can inspire me all the time.

Today’s Daily Prompt: Quote me is an opportunity to share with you a new favourite of mine.

Do you remember when you were a kid and could not wait to grow up? You longed to be a whole hand, then a teenager…finally 18 and then you got to 21 and realised…wait I don’t “feel” any different?!

It hits you somewhere around this time in your life that “growing up” really has little to do with age!

Photo by: V Superville

Photo by: V Superville

When I first saw this quote it resonated with me because I am at a stage in my life where I am growing and stretching and evolving and it’s SCARY!

It is scary to let go of the past, to move beyond familiar things and to identify and change behaviours that no longer align with the me I want to be.

I like being reminded that living takes courage.

Living out loud, takes a hell of a lot of courage.

Becoming the “me”…or rather evolving into the me
that I was created to be…takes courage.

I like knowing that I have that courage.

I KICKED IT

I have a visual bucket list or as I like to call it Purple Crayon Inspiration over on Pinterest.

Truth be told, I havent looked at it in a while. But today’s Daily Prompt: Kick it made me review it again.

This is the 11th Item on my list!

This is the 11th Item on my list!

And guess what…I kicked it last year!!! WHOO HOO!!!

DONE and DONE and unto the next!