8.04.2011

Inspired By.



Hello, dear readers. The weekend is coming to me a day early again, for some bittersweet reasons. I'm making a trip home to Michigan to visit my dear mama, who has been in the hospital since last Saturday. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

That being said, here is my weekly round-up a day early. [I've been trying to consistently post these on Fridays, this and last week not included.]

This lovely lady has been sweet enough to leave a comment or two on my little blog, which led me to find her blog, which put a huge smile on my face from the first click. Whether donating to Oceana on behalf of sharks everywhere, leaving positive notes on random doorsteps, or giving away her clothes, her Days of Deeds Project is super inspiring.

Among the many things I'm trying to become more disciplined about, prayer journaling and making time for spiritual rest are my top priorities. I found this guest post from Mandy Thompson really encouraging.

My blog is an important part of my life and I want to see it grow, so I'm trying to be more intentional with my content, my social media and my interactions with my readers. Oh, you too? Glad I'm not alone. Some interesting, helpful advice for us bloggers from Vandelay Design: 17 Tips to Get More Exposure for Your Blog and 5 Common Blogging Problems and How to Solve Them.

On the other hand... blogging can be bad for your writing soul. It doesn't mean I won't be blogging, but it does mean I won't write just for the sake of posting it on my blog.

An interesting post on how to talk with young girls.

'You Look Great' and Other Lies. I loved this NYT article about what to say to someone who is sick.

And finally, the lovely image above is borrowed from this heralding post for August, my favorite month. Question : what is your favorite month and why? Are you excited for the coming fall or are you sad to see summer go?

So hug a loved one, down an ice-cold drink, soak up some rays.

Most importantly, have a good weekend, friends. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

:) Good for you, Bethany. Sounds like a lot of things are painting the same picture in your life right now. I loved Jeff's posts about blogging tips & how to do it right & how to scale back. He's brilliant!

Hope your time with your mom is uplifting, even in her circumstances. Sorry to hear she's not well.

Abigail Smith said...

Hello lovely lady!

My thoughts will def. be with you this weekend as you spend time with your mom.

Love the Days of Deeds Project. I love the format of the blog and her voice behind it. Totally makes me look at how I act in situations differently.

Jeff's post is spot on. I just sent the e-mailed the post to my bf who is a long time writer and lover of literature who is new at blogging, like myself, and is having trouble with that balance. So thank you for sharing!

Lastly, my favorite season is fall (with my fav. month prob. being September or October). Growing up I always went to peewee and high school football games. I also enjoyed the changing colors of the leaves. As an adult I look forward to finding pumpkin doughnuts and sipping pumpkin spice lattes. BUT Chicago is amazing in the summer! I will miss the how happy everyone is and the all the outdoor street festivals.

Take care Bethany!

--Abigail

Sam | ashore said...

Bethany, thank you for sharing my photo (& The Southern Girl's Guide. I just spotted that!) I guess we can add "the month of august" to the list of things we both love - right next to the Kate Spade book totes.

Wasn't that article and commentary from Joanna on How to Talk to Young Girls interesting? The feminist in me just loved it.

Carolynn Cecilia said...

You are such a doll! Thank you again for giving me some blog love and a little shout out. I truly appreciate it.

Good luck with the visit home and fingers crossed for the Mama.

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