Unexpected Rewards and Opportunities at Year’s End
As the year ends, an unexpected prize is awarded to What’s Vanishing Next? and an opportunity to pay it forward is bestowed.
Creative mastermind Crysta Icore, writing in Dancing with Fireflies, awarded my blog about the wrecking ball that overtook Austin a Blog of the Year 2013 Award. Never one to turn down praise, I wisely accepted her unexpected gift with gratitude, and with it, the responsibility of naming some deserving blogs I’ve followed this year.
Crysta herself was given a Blog of the Year 2013 Award by Adrian B, and was gracious enough to nominate my blog on Vanishing Austin among a cast of stellar bloggers; I’m very appreciative, Crysta, that you included me in such fine company! The entire notion of paying it forward is the brainchild of The Thought Palette.
My nominees for the Blog of the Year 2013 Award are:
The Victorianachronists are two smart and sexy throwback bloggers who show us “where history, culture, and silliness meet.” Writing with tongues firmly in prim cheeks, they surprise and advise on etiquette mixed with fine literature analysis.
UofMusic, The University of Music, shows real passion for music and all things related, and if you’re a listener of a certain age, you’ll especially enjoy the behind-the-scenes tidbits about classic rockers, though all genres and eras are explored.
Storyshucker Stuart M. Perkins takes obvious joy in finding the message in the mundane; he describes his writing as peeling back, or shucking, layers of ordinary reality to reveal buried and poignant themes. Translation: his short pieces are lovely reads.
Eccentric Roadside is a roadtripper’s dream. Writers Gunnar and Sherry live by the blog’s slogan, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” Follow the forks they take to see Americana in all its bizarre glory, with witty commentary.
Cycle Write Blog, another blog about the journey, appeals with images and stories from Jean, a Canadian writing about her love of cycling and her belief that cycling leads her to other things along the way. (It does.)
Master Dabblers are three creative women with wisdom beyond their apparent years, sharing tips, inspiration, common sense for artists and writers—on everything from using gratitude to dreams to doubt to enhance your creative pursuits.
Be Inspired, Create Something Every Day is Maria Gatling’s cheerful blog based on her book of the same name, and is a simple invitation to rediscover your passions and unleash your creativity with fun, artsy exercises.
Laurel Daniel’s blog, On the Easel, offers her studio and plein air paintings regularly, with her thoughts about the journey, including the stories that inspire the paintings. Always refreshing, always inviting.
It’s been my good fortune this year to have been stretched, inspired, encouraged, delighted, tickled and entertained by the blogs I’ve nominated. As nominees, they can share this award with others whose blogs they admire. From the originator of the award, Alyson Sheldrake, come these instructions to award a Blogger of the Year:
1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.
3 Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them – (please don’t alter the instructions or the badges!)
4 Come over and say hello to the originator of the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award via this link – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/
5 You can now also join the ‘Blog of the Year’ Award Facebook page – click the link here https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear/ and share your blog posts with an even wider audience.
6 And as a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog … and start collecting stars…
Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!
Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!
When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!
There are a total of 6 stars to collect.
Which means that you can check out your favourite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!
. . . . . .
ABOUT JANN ALEXANDER: When I’m not counting stars, I’m writing, painting, photographing, designing, creating and sharing it at AustinDetailsArt.com. I hope you’ll take a look at my work. ♣
BUY THIS PRINT: Or choose from 99+ Vanishing Austin prints and a poster by Jann Alexander, starting at $25.
Shop my Vanishing Austin series: While many Austin landmarks are lost, many are survivors still. Admire them all in a slideshow, HERE. Prints start at $35.
You can marvel at what’s lost and what’s survived in my Endangered Species of Austin poster, featuring 16 Austin icons, and sized at a handsomely large 24 x 36,” available for $25, HERE.
- How the Vanishing Austin project began
- The 99+ photographs in the Vanishing Austin series
- More articles in Vanishing Austin blog series
- The Endangered Species of Austin
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What a great idea of paying it forward. Thanks for doing this and for including me.
Can’t take credit for the idea, but I sure love being a part of it! Can’t wait to see your choices.
I love your take on this and I am very thankful myself for the praise. YOU rock.
Back at you! HNY!