Some feedback please?!

Hi All,

I've started to fall into a comfortable groove again with blogging and writing. I have some new ideas for this blog and for this online space. I am inspired and motivated and loving the process of regular posts.

However, I'm asking YOU; my readers - What would you like to see on this blog?! What do you want to read about? What kind of posts interest you most? What do you love....what do you loathe - when it comes to blog reading & following?

This blog is mainly my journal as a Mother - our life in words and photos. It's where I come to document our life as a busy, adventurous and love-filled family. It's my free space to write and share freely. That will probably never change.

However I do invest a lot of time and energy into this blog and want my readers to love coming here.

I want it to be more than just a 'journal'. A place where people find inspiration, ideas, resources and more. A place where you can loose yourself in reading post after post with a cuppa in hand.

So....please tell me....What do you want to read here? What do I do well....and not so well? What kinda posts tickle your fancy?

Please be honest. And please leave a comment. Even if you're not a regular commentor. According to my stats - over 1000 of you visit daily. So, please let me know what you want from me and this space :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

2012 Photo Project. A Message To Teenage Me.

 You {yes...YOU} are invited to join in on a fun, inspirational twenty-twelve photo project......

Late last year I was talking to a mourning co-worker. She was telling me that she had attended a 16 year old girl's {a family friends of hers} funeral the day before. The girl that had died was physically beautiful, a talented athlete, attended a well known private school, came from a respectable family, had lots of adoring friends and seemed happy & confident. But at just 16, she took her own life. She was obviously secretly battling her own dark demons & heavily struggling her way through this lifetime. The best option she saw in dealing with her emotions.....was to give up, to not be here anymore! That breaks my heart! I'm almost tearing up just thinking about the bottled up pain she was hiding and now the heartbreak & regret her parents must be living with on a daily basis. 

And this is just one case. Teenage depression & suicide is on the up at scarily fast rates! The amount of teenagers turning to drugs, alcohol, self harm & even suicide in today's society is increasing yearly. 

Thinking about this, gave me an idea.....a little idea.....for a little project....a simple way to reach some of those hurting teenagers......because we all know how hard it is, going through those prickly teen years!!!! I won't lie & say that I had a horrible teenage experience, because I didn't. But, it wasn't all unicorns & rainbows either. I got jinxed with acne, a bit of a podge shape, confidence issues & a lot of self doubt. Thank goodness I had family & friends & a bright future in front of me to help me grow through anything & everything.....and come out the other side bigger, better, more grateful, full of life experiences & a heart exploding with love. But, I know, not everyone is that lucky to come out the other side....!

Ok.....onto the project that's on hand here.....and I hope YOU will participate. 

If you could give your teenage self a message, what would it be?

Simply answer that question & email it me. However, this is a "PHOTO PROJECT", so the catch is:::: your message must be a JPEG. You can be as simple or as creative as you desire. You can add your message as a text box over a photo you've taken, you can write the message down & photograph it, you can scrapbook it, collage it, craft it, write it in the sand, sew it....whatever.....c'mon let your creative juices flow.

How will you present your message to your teenage self?

You do not need to be a professional photographer {hell, we all know I'm far from one.....I'm simply a Mum who has an unhealthy addiction to taking photos....lots of photos lol}. However, if you are a photographer, blogger, business owner etc....feel free to watermark your image & message; for credit back to YOU!!

Here's a few quick examples I put together......

Your message can be as cosmetic, humorous, serious or as deep as you wish! It can even be your favourite famous quote!!! But be honest, be true to YOU! I'd love both women & men of all different ages to participate. 

Your photos {must be appropriate for web content} can be of anything! Or if you're not a fan of your own photography, why not draw, paint, collage then scan & save as a jpeg! Got an idea?.....GO FOR IT!!!

Once you've written your message, added it to an image, watermarked it {if you wish}, email it to me: clairechadwickproject {@} gmail.com and I will be putting all of the photos into a YOUTUBE slideshow/video as well as a PDF DOWNLOADABLE eBOOK which will be available as a FREE download off my website when complete. I will also need YOUR NAME, CURRENT AGE, & OCCUPATION {and business/blog/website address if you have one}; which I can use at the end on a 'credits page'. 

This video & PDF book of PURE INSPIRATION will be online for anyone & everyone to view but I will also send it to & share it with as many high schools, teenage resource companies etc.....and I ask you to do the same! Share it, spread the word.....let's see how many teens we can get to view this!!!!

I hope you will participate. I am accepting images for this project starting 1st Feb 2012 until the 18th of March 2012.....just over 6 weeks to submit your message & image!

And please, especially all you bloggers out there....SPREAD THE WORD. Get your readers to join in too. We'll make more than one video & eBook if we need to :) Share it on Facebook, tweet it, blog about it, send carrier pigeons if you can......C'Mon....help me spread the positivety here :)

And here's a few blog/website buttons that you can use:

And I ask that you link the buttons, shout outs & posts to this post you're reading now, at this link:

http://blog.scissorspaperrockdesigns.com.au/read-our-blog/2012/1/31/2012-photo-project-a-message-to-teenage-me.html

 Make sure you're a follower of my blog to keep up with updates & launch dates, or join my FACEBOOK page to be updated. 

You've got 6 weeks......ENJOY!!!!

It is a 'project', and similar to ones that I'm sure have been done before.....but I want you to have fun with it.....and do it with passion, knowing that maybe we can reach out to some hurting, confused teens out there!

THANK YOU!

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.” {Karen Ravn}

How can we help?

The Queensland Floods are out of control & each day we are waking up to more sad news, bad news & scary news :( At present, my suburb isn't flooded....it's a mud-slush & has PLENTY of water gushing down the streets, but nothing like the disaster zones that we're seeing all over the news!

I feel gutted for all the people who have lost their homes, possessions, pets & even family members. This is terrible & it looks like there is MORE rain to come! I feel a little helpless....I don't have a lot of money to donate & no words could make the pain & fear these people are experiencing go away!

BUT.....I can help in some ways.....even in little ways....and so can YOU!

How??

Simply donate $$ to the flood appeal here, or support the many businesses who are offering sales, discounts & offers which go towards the appeal, such as my offering for TODAY! Scissors Paper Rock is donating 30% of all PRINT sales from today, to the QLD Flood Appeal. So, please....get shopping {grab yourself an inspirational wall print or some prints for gifts} and help the appeal at the same time. It's the least we can do I feel!

You can buy my prints from here or here!!! Spread the word about this donation......tweet it, Facebook it, Blog it, however.....let's rally :)

Also.....the amazing crew at Sunny Mummy are doing wonderful things to help those in need during this disastrous time! I feel so inspired from the amazing Sunnies who are donating their money, their time, their possessions for complete strangers!!

You can help to.....with:

And here's how:

Sunny Mummy wants to help bring back some sunshine into these mama's lives by sending the little necessities & luxuries, that help us mums take care of ourselves!

 Today we are donating 50% of every Sunny Mummy Sisterhood membership fee, towards Project SHINE, which we will then use to purchase things like toiletries, underwear, skincare and so on.

 If you are not yet a member, today is the day to join!

   We are also seeking direct donations of goods such as:

Shampoo & Conditioner
Skincare
Make-Up
Bras & Undies
Pads & Tampons
Deodorant
Hairbrushes
Haircare
Razors
Body Lotions
Accessories
Stationery
Books
ANYTHING else YOU can think of that helps you feel like a woman and take care of yourself!
Please send all donations directly to:

 Sunny Mummy

PO BOX 488

 Burleigh Heads QLD 4220

 We will arrange the logistics of getting these items to the flood zones!

 {if you are located on the lower Gold Coast, we are also seeking assistance to sort & prepare the donations, please contact stacey@sunnymummy.com.au if you are a local & able to help}

 Things to remember: all items, with the exception of books, must be brand new and sealed/or tags attached, for hygiene and transportation purposes.

 No donation is too small, so if you can pick up a little something extra for a Flood Mummy in your groceries this week, it would be GREATLY appreciated!

Stuck in a Rut?

Have you ever felt like you're stuck in a rut? Maybe you're feeling like this now! Maybe you have before & have come out the other side feeling better for it (or maybe even worse from it!). This post is for all the people who feel like they're STUCK! Stuck in a cycle of bad luck, negativity, depression or loneliness! Maybe you just feel like you're one of those mice/rats on a wheel.....going around & around....day in, day out....with no light at the end of the tunnel, or nothing to look forward to, or nothing that stimulates & motivates you anymore!

I'm no phyciatrist or councillor! But I'm a person who has felt before like I was stuck in a bit of rut! For the last 6 months of 2009, I felt like anything & everything that could go wrong....was going wrong! I felt like the universe was against me! I felt like my world was travelling in a direction that I was not happy with!!

Luckily, I wasn't depressed & being quite the resilient & optimistic person I am, I still managed to wear a smile & get on with my days! I also had amazing family & friends around who supported me & were always there for me!

However, not everyone has the ability to 'bounce back' from set-backs, and not everyone has a support network they can lean on in the cloudy times! My heart goes out to those people....but you can get out of this rut!!

I came across this image & I really believe in it's message:

So to those people out there who feel a little stuck!! HANG IN THERE!! Surround yourself with positive, supportive, non-judgmental people (even if it is only online people) and really analyse what's making you sad or 'stuck'. What can you get rid of? What do you have to persevere with? What do you NEED to change? Who deserves all your energy right now? AND....what makes you happy? Focus on those things and change your way of thinking!! I found 'The Secret' a really inspiring book to help transfer my way of thinking! I also found a lot of sanity & help & sunshine at 'Sunny Mummy' ~ I definitely recommend this site for all Mummies....rut or no rut :)

It's now May 2010 & I'm very happy to say that I'm out of that rut!

Hey, don't get me wrong....My life isn't perfect....but whose is? But I'm happy, my marriage is wonderful, my little girl is growing & learning & bringing us joy everyday, I'm getting a lot of satisfaction from my job as a School Teacher and Scissors Paper Rock is going great guns! Right now...what more could I ask for?! And I thank it all to my beautiful family & friends and my positive way of thinking :)

I also think we all need to experience the 'not so good times' because they make us appreciate the good times even more!! And don't forget to ask for HELP when you need it....even it means seeking professional help...that's ok!

Honestly believe that everything is going to be alright! And then do everything in your power to make sure it happens :)

{This post is dedicated to my lovely friend "S" who feels like she is stuck in a rut at the moment! You're a beauitful soul & everything will be alright soon....just you wait & see!}