Versatile Blogger Award and Sunshine Blogger Award – 7 facts about me

The Versatile Blogger Award and Sunshine Blogger Award

Thank you Giles, from his blog https://gilesmeetsworld.com/, for nominating me for a blogger award – the versatile blogger award. I thought it perhaps was a nice way of including my scattered-ness within the realm of the meaning versatile.

Not so quick note..

Giles has always been very helpful in answering my many, many blogging questions, so you not-so-surprisingly answered what these blog rewards are about. As such, I owe you an additional thank you for explaining this to the very confused blogger (me) and for answering all my other, random, and always scattered questions. It has been very much appreciated.

Even if this award is to get to know other bloggers better, I think you fit the word versatile. Although your blog focuses on the travel niche, it is great at incorporating posts on blogging topics that address questions I am sure many bloggers that are relatively new have – but may not know where to ask.

When starting out, it can be a bit too much and overwhelming once SEO, target niches, any issues on traffic, the right theme, right name, right focus, right platform, categories, categories vs tags, affiliate marketing, mail lists, posting on a schedule, using ads, etc., etc., etc. It felt hard (at least for me) to ask some basic questions towards people that seem to have EVERYTHING so figured out. It is refreshing realizing others will help with what seem like very simple questions if you try to search for the answer online.

Giles’ blog blends his main travel niche with suggestions and ideas for general blogging in a way that does not take away from his main niche nor does it give an unfocused impression. Rather, it comes across very natural. I hope it continues to get noticed – as I have seen the question regarding multiple topics or “niches” pop up among many, many bloggers (or potential bloggers). It can help a lot of readers.

So I encourage others to check out Giles’ blog at https://gilesmeetsworld.com/, as well as his podcast “The Blogging Pod”, which I have mentioned in one of my earlier post here.

Thank you Jina for the Sunshine Blogger Award!

I have to also give a HUGE thank you to another blogger, Jina at https://authorsinspirations.wordpress.com, for the Sunshine Blogger Award that she nominated my blog for (a while back – sorry, I am slow!).

Jina, you are just fantastic and help me with well, life! I am so proud of you and of all that you have accomplished in writing your book! All while being a tremendously amazing friend to people all around the world, a mom, and a guest to hosts in your home! Even though you have gone through a lot, and more than I can comprehend, you push on in a way that is truly remarkable. You do it all and make it look easy. You are truly an inspiration.

Since I included my responses for your blogging award questions in your comments to that post, I will follow the versatile blogger award style with some new questions and include you :). If there are rules for how to do blogging awards like including two thanks on one post…well, I am bad at following the blogging guidelines/rules out there. And you should get a versatile blogger award as well.

It is ironic and fitting that Giles started his podcast while you have now launched your first eBook, Heir of Ashes, along with its prequel The Curse. Both of you have taken being versatile to the next level! And beyond blogging – so it is great.

Speaking of the eBooks by Jina S. Bazzar, which were released only very recently; published on April 15th! Please check them out! I posted about them in an earlier post here, as well as links on where to buy them.

I am SO excited about this book. Please check it out. Also, check out Jina’s blog, her post on “About Heir of Ashes” which is available here: https://authorsinspirations.wordpress.com/about-heir-of-ashes, and gives a general overview of what the book is about, as well as Jina’s post that she released the day her first book was published!

It includes links to where to buy these eBooks and the author’s bio. I have the links for Amazon and Smashwords in my first post on this book (that I hastily posted the second I saw Amazon marking it as officially available/published. I just was SO excited!).  Everyone should read the author’s words from her post on the “about” of this book for a good description of what the book is about. You should also read her author bio – also included on this post of hers. I promise she is more inspirational than she seems to want to admit. But she IS.

And I love her books!!

I am SOOO excited for you Jina. And excited for you Giles for your podcast.

So here we go.

7 Facts About Me

1. I had a horse that did “horse ballet.”

From my earlier post on elegance.

And others…

Best horse ever. 💕

2. I love taking photos – a lot. And editing.

Love it. All of it. I will take a picture of my carpet and edit it to make it look all weird, surreal and different. But the photos I love the most? Those are the surprises that I get when I look at my pics later that day or week. Yet find a gem from something I just sort of snapped, without thinking I was taking a great photo – rather that it caught my eye.

Sometimes, I later look at them and they end up being some of my favorites…My photo included in my recent post of lines, I would put up there. Or all my photos under the category photography, which I would list if I could? It is on my side bar.

As for editing – that’s just fun! Even if it is a good photo to begin with. Although I like turning some into something very different…

 

P.S. Check out my post on variations on a theme which has my link to Redbubble page – you can buy some of my photos on various objects there! Please do 🙂 . I will add any of my photos if you prefer another!

3. I have a bucket list.

It is a running list. The first thing I thought of was when I was very young, I thought I wanted to visit every continent. So not exactly something I can accomplish overnight. I have not added to it for some time… and to be fair, sometimes when I do cool things, I add them to it and then mark them as completed. Ha.

Top of the list? Hmmm.. you’ll never know. A bunch are a bit extreme. I gave one away already.

So there’s a hint.

ADVENTURE

4. Despite my blog’s name, I cannot say I am an expert (at all) in making any money from my blog. Other things that I write about (sometimes – my blog is scattered), I am better at.

So affiliate marketing… maybe you think thats why I include so many links to songs??? Nope. I am trying to get people to listen to songs I am loving at the time. AND I love the preview function – it is like a background soundtrack to what I am posting. I cannot speak on affiliate marketing in general though. As I am not so great at that.

I am more doing this blog to help people find some side things that can help them when they need it – money-wise or just a distraction or a sense of control. Blogging can be time-consuming. If you want to make money from it, I am likely not your best source. Plus, I excel at saving…spending on marketing? That is the opposite of saving in my opinion. And the opposite of making money too..

I also break a lot of the typical guidelines you see re: find a niche, stick to it, stick to a schedule, etc., etc.  I like it, and will always answer questions from people directly. But I also really like taking pics and including songs with posts??? And that (for me) has not been super lucrative.

It is wandering for money…I will change to finding money when/if that happens.

5. Along the same lines (of the music part)… I feel LOST without my earbuds. I need to be listening to music.

No headphones? Broken headphones?!?!? My first and only thought is: I can’t be left with my own thoughts?! Sometimes I meditate outside (the outside singles that Headspace offers which are great) WHICH REQUIRE HEADPHONES.

But otherwise, I need something to listen to so usually music. It helps ground me and makes nature look beautiful in a new way. Or an angry way.. What is great about music is I can tailor it to my mood and perhaps get *some* of that out via this.

But…pretty lost without them. So sometimes I wonder: when is it acceptable to play songs out loud without headphones… Is it?? I have tried… If its every acceptable…let me know ha.

with that fact said, here’s a song for my

Mood

Skipping Stones – Claire Guerreso 

iTunes:

 

Amazon:

I’m less a versatile blogger as I am just a skipping stone.

6. I love being outside. And love animals. And love the little things.

I think these go together because besides loving to walk around outside and finding the peace and nature in an otherwise very busy area, I love seeing the animals that may go unnoticed. I also just love seeing the little things that go unnoticed. Its so beautiful.

7. I was born in another country.

Far away from the US. I get asked if I have an accent or why don’t I have one…way too much for the fact I moved over when I was one. Nope. No accent. I do love traveling. Perhaps because I started out my life traveling.

Clue:

 

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My Nominations!!!

So I nominate these bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award – Please and ONLY if you feel up to it! include 7 facts about yourselves in a post of your own:

• https://authorsinspirations.wordpress.com/ Jina S. Bazzar – Authors Inspirations
• https://heathertasker.wordpress.com/ Heather Tasker
• https://ceenphotography.com/ Cee’s Photography
• https://foreverandeverly.wordpress.com/ Forever and Everly
• https://stoneronarollercoaster.wordpress.com/ Stoneronarollercoaster
• https://tenthousanddays.blog/ Ten Thousand Days
• http://fotolarioja.com/ 

  La Rioja and the world seen from my guardaviñas

• https://magicandbeauty.wordpress.com/ magicandbeauty
• https://adewumipeterblog.wordpress.com/ Peter Adewumi
• https://jeanswriting.com/ Jean’s Writing
• https://siphosetumqikela.wordpress.com/ So AfroChic!
• https://thegodswork.wordpress.com/ John Snow

If I epically messed up the name of your blog or something – I am sorry. Just tell me!

Otherwise go be a versatile blogger. 🙂

And ping me back because I don’t know how?? or tell me if you want to be added. I’ll add anyone that adds me and my horse 🙂