A little positivity goes a long way!

So today I want to share the thoughts of my sweet blogging friend, Lesli. I found Lesli's blog through a link on Karyn Bosnak's blog one night while I was looking around for some fun blogs to follow. The first thing I noticed about Lesli is her love of cats and dogs. She has beautiful kitties in her life and the sweetest pug, Noodles. Then I noticed she has just amazing taste in just about everything. But what really impressed me is how upbeat and happy Lesli keeps her blog. Life is definitely not all sunshine and roses, but Lesli doesn't bring daily life drama to her little corner of the web. She shares fun stories, cute pictures, gorgeous fashion, and complete grace. Plus she is tackling the most difficult task of all -- paying off her debt and trying not to spend outside of a list of rules she made for herself. Very admirable!


(Picture borrowed from Lesli's blog. Look at that cute Noodles!)

First, I just want to say I am honored that Michelle asked me to participate in this. She is one of my very best blogging friends and I am excited to be included.

WHO/WHAT INSPIRES ME?

I am inspired by fashion and beauty – I always like to make things pretty and I am inspired by things I see everyday in fashion magazines, catalogues, shopping in the mall, etc. I am inspired by Rachel Ashwell who is the founder of Shabby Chic http://www.shabbychic.com/ who creates the perfect setting with her pastels and slightly distressed looking vintage influenced decors. My other inspiration comes from the whimsy of Anne Keenan-Higgins http://www.annekeenanhiggins.com/ and her illustrations—she illustrates everything from greeting cards to book covers and always manages to convey my love of shoes and handbags and cats and dogs with all of her delightful drawings!

I take my inspiration and use it when I put together outfits and accessories, or decorate a room in my house, or just want to take a picture of something I think is pretty. I take pictures of something almost everyday.

I am also very much inspired by other bloggers, especially Karyn of Pretty in the City http://www.prettyinthecity.com/ for her humor and warmth (and a Yorkie named Bev and a cat named Elvis) , Janet at Slice of Pink http://www.sliceofpink.com/ because she always has fun with life and talks about everything from cupcakes to bicycles, and Chloe of the Chloe Conspiracy http://www.thechloeconspiracy.com/ who shops and creates fashion statements and does it all while making me laugh, plus she has two adorable Chihuahuas. They inspired me to blog and to also write more. While I do love my blogs, you will also find me journaling my more personal thoughts and I have been keeping a diary since I was 23. I just love to write.

WHO/WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

I am especially thankful for a really great life. I have wonderful friends, some going back to high school, junior high and even elementary (thank you Facebook!) and, of course, my everyday, real life friends who have been there for me for years. I also have other great friends I have met through blogging. I have an amazing husband who is my best friend and spoils me rotten. And I can’t forget my cats, Brie, Trista and Sophie (and also Chloe r.i.p – I will love & miss her always), and my Pug, Noodles and my sometimes-dog Roxie (a Shih Tzu) who I dog-sit as often as I can!

Last but not least, I have a really great job as a receptionist at an upscale bath and body company and I am lucky to be surrounded by creative people and people who are more than just co-workers—they really are like a second family. And it is not just a job—I get to see a fragrance line take shape from its very inception to the time it goes out the door to various boutiques.

I think it is important to express gratitude every day from the smallest thing like a great cup of coffee or a pretty flower spotted in someone’s garden to the bigger things like having good health.
Thank you to Michelle for asking me to do this. I hope I didn’t ramble too much! xoxo

(Thank you soooo much, Lesli!! And no, you didn't ramble!! xoxo
You can find Lesli at Pretty Random Thoughts and The Girl in the Kate Spade Mittens (or the year of not shopping). You should definitely follow her!)

Power of the Spirit

I first saw Lilly Melgar back in the 90’s when she joined “General Hospital” as Lily Rivera, where she shone her way through story lines with Ricky Martin, Maurice Benard, and Vanessa Marcil, to name a few. After Lily’s demise on the show, Lilly moved on to a spot on "The Bold and the Beautiful" and most recently has been cast in the two upcoming web series “The Bay” and “Reality Bytes”. She has always been a powerful actress, but it is through interacting with her on Facebook that I have been able to see the power of her spirit. Almost daily she posts something on her page that has me nodding my head in agreement and wanting to chime in (since I am a chatterbox) with my own thoughts on the subject. Lilly is this incredibly vivacious spirit that sparkles with life. That is what inspires me about Lilly. She speaks as someone that is in tune with not only her physical being, but someone that walks in step with her spiritual being. And that is the most powerful thing you could ask to possess in your life. Thank you, Lilly, for not only answering my questions, but sharing your thoughts and words



What are you most thankful for?

I am thankful for the gift of knowing God. Knowing that this presence dwells within all of us and therefore we are never alone and always connected. Knowing there is always a divine purpose and therefore trusting enough to let go and let GOD! KNOWING that God's plan is ALWAYS better than my own. I am sooo THANKFUL for this knowledge since i have found it to be true freedom.

Who/What inspires you?

What inspires me? .. I am inspired daily by my daughter's light and love. She makes me want to be a better person. She reminds me of what it's really all about and that keeps me humble and sane. I am inspired by God's grace. The opportunity to receive a new day in which i can do better and maybe even get it right ;) ... I am inspired by experience, knowing that everything eventually really does work out. My mother inspires me by the way she loves us, who she IS and all she's achieved against the odds. I am inspired everyday by knowing that a piece of God dwells within us and therefore we really CAN do ANYTHING ... if we just BELIEVE.

Strength of the heart

(Because I will be out of town next Thursday, I am doing two of my thankful inspirations tonight.)

I’ve known Wendy for a couple of years now, having met her in CA during the summer of 2008, at the annual General Hospital weekend that I attend. The thing about Wendy is she has a lot of strength about her. Of course she has a strong will and a strong opinion, which are awesome traits to possess. But she has this incredible inner strength that she shows admirably. As you will see when you read her answer to who/what inspires her, Wendy has someone in her life that needs someone to be there for her and time and time again when I inquire how things are going, I hear about her friend, Paula. When things seem bleak and dark, Wendy shows how strong the heart is by holding Paula’s hand and sitting through the next wave of the battle with her. A weaker person would falter and eventually scurry away. Not because they don’t have the love for this person anymore, but because the situation has no ending and no solution. The uncertainty may weigh on Wendy, but she holds it together to be there for her friend. We all have problems that we go through, but how inspiring to see someone who puts her heart completely into being strong for someone who is going through a situation that I pray none of us have to go through. Thank you, Wendy. Not only for answering the questions, but for providing inspiration in showing how to be a true friend.




What are you most grateful for?

After surgery on my right shoulder in April, I am thankful that my recovery is progressing well. I am right-handed and had to be off work for 2 weeks after surgery. (Have you ever tried to brush your teeth w/ the opposite hand? Try it sometime, it's hard to do!) Currently I have to do 5 different exercises 2x/day for the next 6 weeks, but the Dr. is optimistic that I will regain full range of motion this Summer! For this, I am thankful!

Who/What inspires you?

My friend Paula inspires me. She was diagnosed with cancer after a routine surgery in March. She enrolled in a clinical trial where she has received radiation and is still undergoing chemotherapy (thru August). Just this week she had to shave her head and start wearing a wig. She blogs about her experience; sometimes I cry when I read her blog updates, other times I laugh. Paula is such a strong person and she reminds me frequently that "life is what you make it". So true, so very true.

A little sanity induced thankfulness!

I "met" Leslie in 2005 through the "General Hospital" community on Live Journal. She was going to be coming to the annual GH Fan Club Weekend and had no one to attend Kelly Monaco's event with so I invited her to come hang with the group I was there with. We officially met in July of that year, when as Leslie will tell you, I caller stalked her. I saw her wandering by the pool with her friends so I called her and told her that I saw her. Haha! I'm such a nerd. The friendship has been strong since the day we met and she is without doubt, one of my closest friends. Leslie is an inspiration to me in the way she loves her friends. Leslie's heart is big and giving. To be a friend of her's is to always know that you have someone in your corner. If you need to laugh or cry, she provides you what you need with such an incredible sense of compassion and love. She inspires me to be a better friend. I asked Leslie to take part in my two questions and these are the answers she gave.

What are you most grateful for?

A place to live in a city that I love, a job that keeps me learning constantly, the people in my life who love me despite my many flaws, patience (not that I have much), my ability to write in a clear and concise way, the many adventures I’ve been on, STARBUCKS, Lolitas, good music, the color red, hot men, laughing so hard it makes my sides hurt, & all the simple joys life has to offer. I’m sure there’s more but with my mind being so scattered lately, I’ll just add “sanity” to my list and keep on moving forward!

Who/What inspires you?

Michael J. Fox for his constant positivity. My grandfather (RIP) for the legacy he left in me. My grandmother for instilling in me some really valuable ideals. Anyone who does something out of the kindness of their heart without seeking recognition (REALLY, not just saying so), positivity as a whole (NO NEGATIVE NANCY’S!!), music with powerful lyrics, every single one of my TRUE friends, any challenge, trips to places I’ve never been (and sometimes to places I HAVE been), New York City, the book The Giving Tree, my boss, and books that envelope you and keep you hooked for hours.

I’m sure there’s more….. but again, we’ll just say “sanity” and keep on moving forward!!

Thank you, Leslie!! I am beyond grateful for the presence you have in my life and for the many memories we have shared and are yet to share!

(Leslie can be found at Lady in Red's Challenge.)

Thoughts on gratitude and inspiration...

Last year, I was inspired to take on the 365 Days of Gratitude challenge. I thought this was something I could easily handle and it keeps you in a positive frame of mind, ending each day with a list of five things you were grateful for each day. I started out strong, then stumbled and missed a day…then a couple of days…then a week. It quickly changed from being what I was grateful for each day to feeling like a forced chore. I was resenting the fact that I had to justify, to myself, what I was grateful for. I quit the challenge way before 365 days, obviously. It isn’t that I don’t think that is a worthy challenge, I just couldn’t structure myself to do it and felt that I was struggling to come up with something new each day to post.

However I did learn a lesson and this is it – I am grateful every single day for the fact that I am alive and have an opportunity to live and learn. I am grateful for my family and my friends. I am grateful for the beauty that surrounds me. I am grateful for inspiration in its many forms. I am grateful to be me.

As I have been thinking about the direction I wanted to take my blog, I knew that in some way I wanted to keep the gratitude in there, even if it wasn’t going to be done on a daily basis. And the biggest thing I am grateful is inspiration. With that in mind I looked around at those that inspire me and wondered what exactly inspired them, what they were thankful for. And bazinga, there was my way to keep the gratitude flowing. I am going to ask someone different each week to answer two questions for me – What are you most thankful for and what inspires you? Then I will share with you all what they answer. So be prepared, I will be coming to each of you at some point and asking you those two questions.

Last night I asked Shelley to be my guinea pig and test this out. She graciously agreed to go first. So without further ado, let’s get down to it….

Let me offer some insight into my friend, Shelley, and the impact she has had on my life. I met her when she flew to Arizona to spend the weekend with a mutual friend of ours, Karen. I think that the friendship was born immediately and has definitely grown and blossomed over the years. The first thing you will find out about Shell is the fact that she always has your back in a very quiet, laid back way. She keeps it calm and real. I love that. I am hot and cold. Most of the time I am just as laid back, but when I blow up, I blow up. Her talent...oh my, her talent is amazing! She does beautiful scrapbooks and takes amazing pictures. But where she inspires me is the magnitude of her giving. The charity work, the assistance to her family, and all she does for her friends. After talking to her, you will find yourself lifted up because she gives so much of herself to you. I love you and am so thankful that you are my friend, Shelley!



What are you most grateful for?

My friends and family because they keep be grounded, support me and accept me for who I am. Without them, I couldn't make it through each day. Also thankful for my health and for the things that God has blessed me with.

What inspires you?

Michael J Fox ~ Even though he battles MS each and every day, he doesn't let it get him down. While others in his situation, would just give up, the MS gives him a reason to live each day to the fullest. My favorite quote of his is "Happiness is contagious, you can give it out like newspapers and feel it in everything you do".

My Grandpa Keller - He has been dead for close to 10 years but I will never forget how much love and support he always gave me. He worked hard all of his life and never took anything for granted. He always did for others but never asked for anything in return. To know he helped those that needed it was enough thanks for him. He always told me to "Live life to the fullest and have no regrets". I remember that quote every day and try to stick to it.

My friends - they inspire me each day with their friendship and support.

(Shelley can be found at Shellcapades. And a big thank you to you, Shell, for being my guinea pig and the first one to answer my questions! xoxo)