And Indeed It Is--To Wilderness Chic and 1Chic Mama--The Two Chicest Women In My Life----I Thank You With All Of My Heart! xoxoxo

Dearest Wilderness Chic and 1ChicMama,

You both gave me this award and I am so thrilled because I feel you both are the chicest ladies in town and I don’t know quite how to handle the suave! 

In all seriousness.  Both of you write unique blogs–but there is a string running throughout both of your posts.  They are both incredibly strong and reflect the tough, resilient bright women that you are.  Basically, when the going gets tough neither of you buckle.  I look up to you both because you are mentors in terms of life experience.  Wilderness, you know I always look to you whenever I need some nutty problem solved or I see that our paths have crossed and that you can give me advice on the road that we have both embarked upon.  Chic Mama.  It’s so interesting.  We are recent friends and yet I feel such an affinity and closeness to you.  An ease.  A feeling of honesty and truth.  You open up your soul in your beautiful writing and with that I feel like I can open up to you without any constraint either.  It breaks my heart that a woman with such wit and charm has to have the plight that you suffer.  But, what makes you so remarkable is how you, through your posts and Tweets, show us how you can hold your head up high no matter how bad it gets.  You show us the power of writing.  The power of being able to express yourself and share through words and therefore help others and maybe let others help you.  I am so lucky to know you.  

Well, with that ode to these brilliant women over and done with, I suppose I am supposed to recommend 5 sites.  I know it’s bad form.  But I AM going to recommend these two sites again.  They mean a lot to me and since I have a different readership, maybe others will be exposed to their writing.

So:

Life the universe and all thats in it

A friend, a new writer to the blogosphere who took to the damned blogging thing so well that I am green with envy.  She writes with sass style and here’s an insider tip (though I don’t wanna give this away because I want her to give me all her attention!) Tweet with her.  That’s just a real insight into her amazing personality.  God, is she a fabulous, kind woman.

Broken Postcard 

I am amazed everytime I visit this site.  I know the bloke and he is always trying new type of artistic endeavors on his site.  He made an amazing video worth watching to homemade music.  He scours the net for amazing art and again, videos from museum you’d never visit.  He draws these brilliant sketches with vivid colors, writes poetry and makes animation.  I’ll warn you, his writing about philosophy etc. is not for everyone, but visually his site IS.  So don’t click away if you can’t hack the read.  Check out his visuals instead.  It is worth it!

chic mama

I have never read about a woman who had gone through hell and back and then straight through hell again and keeps her head so high and manages to even creak out a smile and whip out a joke or two.  I adore this woman.  In the short time we have spoken she has inspired me to realize how precarious life is and to understand the human soul and spirit.  Her posts are inspiring and simply truth.  I honor her and treasure her as a new friend.  She is on my mind often.  Visit her site and lend her some encouragement and make her laugh.  She’d love it!

Sharon-Rose-Style, Thrifting and Me

I know Sharon has had a zillion of these awarded to her, but I needed to say my two cents (probably what she pays for a couture Versace!).  I was so pleased when she started visiting my blog.  I’d been checking hers out for awhile and couldn’t believe the finds she’d gotten–and the prices.  She is the queen of deals.  I’d hate to go shopping with her because she would get  best thing in the shop for a fiver and you’d wanna kill her.  She always leaves kind words on my blog and is cheery, sweet and has the most gorgeous looking kids.  And he her husband looks like “Big” from”Sex and the City!”  Anyway, for a real fashionista who knows how to really work it and get it at a nuts price, visit her site and drool.

Helena Halme

A woman who shall never be off of my list.  A wonderful writer who tells a amazing journey of her life coming to England, meeting the love of her life and just adjusting to a whole new world–a story I can relate to.  She is kind, endearing and never has a comma out of place  Her story will capture you right away and the only thing you’ll hate about her blog is that it’s in installments, so you’ll be killing yourself to read the next one!

Looking Fab In Your Forties

And last, but NEVER least, my darling Fab!!  You killer, you.  Your site is perfection and you know it.  You always have interesting posts.  I love your style.  You are the queen of shoes (guys, she really has an amazing collection…check out her avatar on Twitter) and I just like your jovial and at ease writing-style.  I adore our chats, I love seeing what you are up to….and I just think you are so genuine–the real article, folks.  So if you want to visit a blog that has everything—a real gal with real style and a real life going on…hit her up.  She’s also a kick to Tweet with.  ;)

Thank you again……you know getting kudos from my fellow blog “home-boys” makes me feel like a winner.  I adore you guys and I am mighty grateful.

Love to you all and I’ll see you for my fashion “Wish List”  tomorrow.

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365

"I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!" -Sally Field accepting her Oscar in 1985 Best Actress for "Places in the Heart."

Dear Ethers,

You all know that my greatest feeling is when I get love and feedback from you Ethers out there.  So when I get love from my peers in the blogosphere it really is a crowning achievement for me. Ms. Looking Fab In Your Forties  has bestowed this award so kindly upon me and I’m really grateful because she is not just a fellow blogger (and a brilliant one at that) but has become a friend in the wily world that is the blogosphere. She really couldn’t have done me prouder, and I accept this award thankfully because I respect her so much as a writer, a woman and a pal.

So evidently there are some very strict rules that come with this award (and I will gladly agree to abide, Academy).  

They are as follow:

1) Brag about it.
2) Choose seven blogs to receive the award & link to them.
3) List ten honest things about myself.

Well, I’ve done the bragging bit and since you didn’t see me jumping up and down in my underpants when I first got word, I think I’ve done enough of that! So part one, check!

My 7 top-notch blogs (in no particular order) are:

Looking Fab In Your Forties (It’s true.  I can’t deny it.  Even though she awarded it to me I still think she is a top-dog in the game and deserves the award right back at her.  She is the Mom I’d want to be and the woman I’d like to become as sophisticated as one day.  Oh and since she is leaving me her Gina’s and her Santos in her will, I better be awfully nice to her!)

Broken Postcard (This wonderful guy is a soulful blogger that has such an unusual site that is filled with spectacular philosophy, poetry, art and thoughts that you feel like you are visiting an artists salon when you go to his sphere.  A truly spectacular, unusual and inspirational blog.  I cannot believe how multi-talented you are with your artistic abilities and your thoughts which are so clever and deep.   I wonder if you are an old soul trapped in a young man’s body.  I adore you Mr. Crockett.)

Mrs.Trefusis Takes A Taxi (Ahhh Mrs. T! My first friend and guide in the blog world. You took me under your wing and have inspired me with your wit and wisdom ever since.  I adore your witty banter, your class and your good soul.  Your site never is anything but intelligent and quick–just like you.  Thank you for being my beacon in this nutty universe X.)

Helena Halme (A woman who understands the trials and tribulations of love of the English gent and the discovery and adaptation of two whole new  worlds–England and the blogosphere—we have so much in common.  Your blog tells your heart beautifully and you deserve to be read.)

Life The Universe And All Thats In It (Oh Ruth! What a woman! You are everything a gal should be and more. I met you by chance and I am so lucky.  Who knew that a glam lady from Wales and a little set of numbers from Los Angeles would become such fast friends?  You are always so sassy, upbeat, warm, embracing, supportive and your blog reflects your lust for life and your beautiful personality.  You also nominated me, and I feel so lucky. Really, you deserve to be a success in your writing and in any endeavor that you seek out.  To me, you embody beauty inside and out.  You remind me to try and remember the important things in life.)

Let’s Talk About Me (Okay Max.  You bonkers nutter! You are the funniest man on Twitter.  You also write a hilarious blog that reflects your wonderful sense of humor but also your excellent perception of the world and life around you.  I adore your spam fighting and your delightful conversation.  I think you are a diamond in the rough and I feel so lucky to have found you and to have met your acquaintance.  I look to you for a laugh, a smile and a good time.  What more can you ask for from a blog or a buddy?  I know we just started our friendship, but I hope it lasts a long time. Too bad your married, I still have that nice Jewish girl who can cook and knows her SEO for you in Golders Green…the offer still stands.  Lewisham buddies forever! X)

Beauty Editor.ca (This is to my lovely beauty girl Michelle who is out there fighting the beauty fight in another part of North America and doing it damned well.  Her site is beautiful, her writing is excellent and she is a hard-working, no BS Beauty writer who knows her lipsticks from her glosses.  She’ll happily help you with any beauty questions you need (if her site doesn’t already provide the answer).  She’s also a fellow Touche Eclat leper (that’s how we became fast friends) and it’s always great to have a buddy in the biz who is kind and sweet with a good heart and is going through a lot of what you are dealing with work-wise.  I hope nothing but the best for her blog and my hope is to one day meet my fellow foundation friend and talk shop over lattes (skim milk only!) and the death of the biz and maybe collaborating on a dot.com mag where we make billions! Mwah-hahahahaha! X)

And now 10 honest things about me (are you sure?):

1. I have a horrible fear of people who sweat too much.  Especially bald men.  Dripping sweat makes me the most nauseous.  I once was on a plane and was sitting in a 2 seat situation next to a corpulent man who was bald, hot and bothered.  I slowly watched as long beads of sweat started to drizzle down from his head onto the lapel of his sport coat making a plopping sound and leaving darkened dots on his jacket.  I almost threw up, and begged the flight attendant for a new seat (it was a long haul journey and I was gonna be using the barf bags the whole way otherwise).  I can hack it at a distance, like at the gym, but if I see you with it dripping, and the drip is hanging there, I feel sick!

2. I am terrified of commitment of any sort.  It can be anything as serious as marriage and kids to a pair of jeans in a store.  I find decision making beyond difficult and I ruminate for hours, sometimes days if I walked away from a shop and didn’t buy something I should have and then call the next day and find out it is gone.  Years can go buy and I can still imagine what THOSE jeans would have been perfect with if only I hadn’t been a fool that day and walked away.

3. I am a RETARD at math.  I cannot do anything past easy addition, subtraction and some multiplication.  If I ever were to have children, I would be humiliated by the fact that I don’t even know what half of the symbols on a calculator mean.  I bombed my SAT’s in math so badly that it screwed me up for UNI’s I wanted to go to.  I am good at knowing when clothes are on a discount (funny, then I am a master at percentages!) but beyond that any math skills I have are that of a vegetable.  Humiliating.

4. I don’t know if I am a good kisser.  Now, you’d say, “why don’t you ask the English gent?” Well, he’ll tell me I am.  But I suspect that I am not his best.  That in the kissing department I have failed.  That I am not a good kisser like others are.  I feel like I am lacking in that department

5.  I love freebies and I think that is one of the reasons why I ended up as a Beauty Writer.  Terrible, I know.  I’ve always loved gifts.  When I was a kid we used to get goodie bags when we would leave a party—loved it!  Halloween was a favorite holiday because of the free candy.  I have this sense of entitlement that I should get discounts and freebies like I am a fucking movie star.  Ridiculous.  But true.

6. I am TERRIFIED of aging.  It scares me more than death.  I am scared of losing my youth, not being able to relate to and talk to young people the same way anymore.  Not being able to dress in certain fashions.  Losing my figure.  Not flirting.  Having things sag.  Losing my young face.  Going gray.  Ailments.  Everything negative with aging, I fear.  I have been frightened of it since I was about 13.  Ask my folks (well, you can’t) but it’s true. I have been afraid of every year that has ticked by.  I wish I had a portrait I could hide in a closet somewhere.

7. I always wanted to be a movie star.  I thought it would be such a thrill to be famous and rich and have the celeb life.  I know it sounds pompous, but it was the closest thing to immortality and royalty that I could imagine and I wish I had pursued acting.  But my esteem as too low and I foolishly never tried.  I have a terrible regret about that and am jealous when I read about famous people. 

8. I have no sense of self.  I have terrible low self-esteem (but most people don’t know because I am very gregarious) and I often let things eat way at me.  I have very few friends and tend to lose them often.  I don’t know why, but girls between the ages of 20-39 dislike me and people think they can take advantage of me.  Really crappy.

9. I could eat candy, cakes, pastries and Mexican food all day and all night if it didn’t mean adult on-set diabetes and obesity.  I love sour candy, chocolate, key-lime pie, nachos…….OMG………HARIBO………TALK TO ME!  

10. Finally, and this is the honest truth, I just want to have a good life.  I want to be free and blissful and know where I’m going.  I want a path carved out for me and know that I’m on the right road.  I’m on this journey with you guys so maybe that will guide me somewhere.  But this being an Honest Scrap Award—it can’t get anymore straight-up—I just want my life to be okay.  

With love to you all.  Thank you for being a part of my routine and my sphere.  And pay your scraps forward.  I can’t wait to see who YOU nominate and what you have to say about yourselves.  Thanks for listening and again, this is a big deal for me! I’ll be donning my black tie gown and popping the champagne later. Cheers!

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365