pensieve.me

Around/About: The "Heros & Parties" Edition :: Week ending 4/2/11

A collection of links I love, sites I like, interesting reads or cool happenings nearby.

"I Couldn't Be Any Luckier" ~ If you haven't been a Phil Mickelson fan, you will be.

The Sage of St. Anthony ~ I was introduced to Coach Bob Hurley in a 60 Minutes segment last week; he defines hero.  Do not miss getting to know this one-kid-at-a-time World Changer.

"the girl and the Genius" ~ A post recently featured on Story Bleed, the spectacular, amazing prose-poetry of Amber Haines.  She makes me want to write better.

Biltmore Estate's Festival of Flowers has begun and from what I hear the grounds are floral fireworks!  If there's any way you can travel to Asheville, NC between now and May 15, treat yourself to breathtaking beauty!

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THERE'S STILL TIME TO BUY YOUR TICKETS!!  A wonderful event benefitting Chattanooga Endeavors, Inc., a local charitable organization I've only recently discovered.  Because my in-laws are deeply involved with prison ministry, I'm thankful to learn about what we're doing locally to help ex offenders.

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Janice and Susan from 5 Minutes for Mom are hosting their annual Ultimate Blog Party.  Especially if you're a newer blogger (or thinking about beginning), you will want to jump in this frantic, fun annual cyber event.  Plus, thousands of dollars in giveaways are up for grabs!  

{And if you're here visiting PENSIEVE from the UBP, skim through my 100 Things imaginary party post & let me know how we're similar/different in comments.} 

Your turn:  Please share a must-read link you've written or seen this week!

Photo credit:  Biltmore Estate

Ultimate Blog Party

Every Spring, Janice & Susan from 5 Minutes for Mom host the Ultimate Blog Party, a week-long blogging tradition designed to encourage "meaningful friendships that grow out of sharing who we are and getting to know one another."  Because over 2000 bloggers participated last year, I'll keep my post short & sweet.

{{Updated:  I deleted most of this post since y'all weren't reading it anyway ;) }}

1)  My name is Robin and I've been blogging as "PENSIEVE" since 2005.

2) The most amazing experience of my blogging tenure was traveling to Calcutta, India with a team of bloggers for Compassion International.

3)  I most definitely believe every girl needs a Princess Dress (and it should be named) and the most wonderful emotion is laughter through tears and visa versa.

4)  My writing covers faith, Southern living, marriage, parenting, aging, poetry, recipes--usually with humor woven in--and I LOVE photography and making up new words.  

5)  If you subscribe in a reader or by email and/or become a new follower on Twitter, would you let me know?  I know you're busy this week reading UBP posts, but it always means a lot when newbies stick around (& "oldies-but-goodes" smack me upside the head and ask where I've been!) :).

6)  Oh, and one party tip that might be helpful:  whatever your number is when you register with Mr. Linky, let the last digit determine the blogs you visit (i.e., if your number is 124, visit all blogs whose Linky number ends in "4").  This is a small way more blogs might be visited--you won't be hitting the first 20 (or 100 or 1000!) and wearing out so soon!

It's not part of the UBP but I also have a $175 giveaway going on; I'd love for you to enter here if you're interested!!

Lady luck times two

Remember the Ultimate Blog Party?

In addition to mingling with some pretty sharp bloggers, I managed to score, not once, but TWICE! 

First, from Crystal at Two Belles & a Bead, I won a pair of triple metal hoop earrings!  Crystal creates jewelry with pizazz, and no doubt you'd find many things you HAVE to have after just a few minutes at her site--gemstone jewelry, Swarovski jewelry, semi precious metals and chain maille (do yourself a favor, click to see for yourself!).

I tried to take a picture to show you, but I'm not so great at self portraits.

Isn't that creepy?  Talk about wild-eyed...!  Not one to give up easily, I gave it the ol' college try--

Anyone looking for a close-up of an ear?  Hmmm, I didn't even know I had a tiny mole on my earlobe.  I wonder what else I'd find if I photographed extraneous body parts.

Never mind, I don't really wanna know.

This one was okay aside from the chicken neck and shiny forehead and that mask-like smile that kinda froze after 274 pictures (you think I'm kidding, don't you?  Never mind about that, too.) and the pesky fact you can't really see the earrings.   

This is what I was going for and FINALLY got after I tried, tried, tried, tried again.

Doesn't it look like it was MADE for me?  The bronze-y colors match my bronze-y hair.  Crystal will be MORE than happy to make a pair that match your [whatever metallic shade your hair happens to be] "natural" coloring.  Even if "natural" comes from a bottle. 

The other surprise is on its way from Alyson at Three Ps in a Pod.  It's Loreal's Bare Naturale Mineral Foundation powder.  I'm thrilled to try this; while I like to sample different make-up, a) I don't like to pay to sample new make-up, because b) more often than not, I don't like the color I end up choosing, and c) there are entirely too many choices to begin with.  What's that thing in math called where you calculate the possible combinations given six choices for "a" and 12 choices for "b" and eight choices for "c"?  That's what the make-up aisles at Target look like to me--visual "white noise".  Find me on that aisle trying to make a decision and ya know those ears you saw above?  Smoke'll be curling out of them.

In other words, I'm thankful Alyson drew my name so I can try something new without frying my brain.  That kind of thing doesn't help when you're already suffering from Momnesiiiiiiiiiiiia.

Thank you Girlie-Qs...two surcies just for cranking the b-sphere made my day--times two!!

Time to party...AGAIN!

Those "Five Minutes for Mom" twins, Susan and Janice, had so much fun with last year's Ultimate Blog Party, they're doing it again.

I came to the party but mere minutes after I arrived, I left.  I was overwhelmed.  I didn't know HOW to blog party!

This year I'm gonna try again, but I'll pace myself and set reasonable goals--visiting a few new interpeeps daily for the week.  Who knows?  I might just make a new BBFF :). 

And guess what?  You're invited, too.  Wanna go with me?  Let's hold hands, close our eyes...and JUMP!

p.s.  There are prizes, too.  Lots and lots of prizes.  I'm even throwing a few into the pile!  Nope...you won't wanna miss out!