Bloom by Kelle Hampton. Win this book.

There's no hiding the fact that one of my all time favourite blogs is: Enjoying The Small Things by Kelle Hampton. I first came across her blog, late one night in January 2010 and have been completely hooked ever since. I often wonder why her blog posts inspire & amaze me week after week, and really...it's not rocket science...it's quite simple actually: she's positive, she's consistent, she's uplifting, she's an amazing writer, a professional photographer, a dedicated mother, and she gives us honest insights into her life - the ups & downs! 2009 was a rocky year in my life's timeline...Chris & I encountered an array of challenging curve-balls & obstacles. So, when we welcomed in 2010 and we were given a fresh slate....I was motivated & inspired to make it grand & live it bigger & better! Finding Kelle's blog at that time was a huge factor in changing my perspective on life & how I live it. 2010 was grand....and I have to admit that I was drawing a lot of energy & inspiration from Kelle's words. Inspiration to simply look at situations with a different view point.

Her blog still to this day draws me in. The fact that her 2nd daughter has Down syndrome, now goes completely unnoticed by me, because I've been there on her site, reading her journey the whole way, and now see Nella no differently than any other child on a Mumma's blog.

Earlier this month, Kelle, launched her first published book: BLOOM - Finding beauty in the unexpected. Within it's first 2 weeks of launch, it hit number 11 on the New York Best Seller List...WOW! I knew this book was coming out & was anxiously awaiting my pre-ordered copy to hit Australian shores for the past few weeks. It arrived last Thursday, and the delivery woman must have thought there was a million dollars inside that parcel....I was doing a very big happy dance :) And I think Ryder was pretty happy too:

Either that....or he was just laughing at his Mumma looking ridiculous doing a happy dance in the lunge room :)

However, I was truly excited to get my hands on this book.....and I have hardly put the thing down ever since. It's exactly what I expected it to be....but more! It's beautiful.

Why do I love it so much? Because it's honest & raw & acknowledges deep pain....but it's also so positive & inspiring & full of beauty. Kelle talks about the end-of-the-world emotions she had when Nella was born with undiagnosed/unexpected Down syndrome. Her words take you in....as if you're inside that hospital room with her. The story unfolds more......meaning & change starts to happen. The memoir then continues through these emotions {which have had me in tears} to reveal a whole new perspective on life & challenges & living! And that's why I wanted this book so badly.....I wanted to get inside Kelle's head to truly see how she copes, how she thinks & how she has made her life so grand & so beautiful.....after everything!

Being able to change someone's perspective on any given topic is a powerful thing. I'm not an overly opinionated person but I see things through my own eyes. To gain other perspectives, I have to focus more, look further, read more or take a step back and look in. However, with Kelle's blog & her new book....she has changed my perspective on life & motherhood & Down syndrome. I'll be honest here....my view & perspective on having a child with DS has completely flipped in the past 2 years of being inside Kelle's life. If you had asked me about having a DS child when I was pregnant with Ella 4 years ago, my response would've been completely different if you had asked me last year whilst pregnancy with Ryder. Kelle CHANGED my perspective. That's power. And that's power going into a good energy source. Life is rarely how we expect it or plan it to be.....yet how we choose to live it & tackle it, is what matters....it's what shapes us.....it's what defines us!!! I'm now more aware of this! Thank you Kelle.

She's also inspired me to get my butt into action.....to finish the children's book I started in 2008, to finish the memoir I started in 2009, to tick a few more things off my bucket list :) What have I go to loose?!

Heck, I love the book so much...and want to share Kelle's messages with as many people as possible, so I've bought another copy of BLOOM to GIVEAWAY to one lucky reader here!!!!! Simply leave a comment here on this blog post telling me; What makes your life more beautiful?! A comment will be drawn randomly on Wednesday 25th April 2012 {7pm Aus EST} and announced here on my blog and on my FACEBOOK page. For multiple entries into this draw.....simply Tweet, Facebook or Instagram about this giveaway & then come back here & leave a comment telling me you did so.

Tag me on Twitter: @SPRockDesigns. Tag me on Facebook: Scissors Paper Rock. Tag me on Instagram: @clairechadwick, so I see the links :)

Good Luck!

Bloom can be bought here! And you can see the trailer here.

{{"And the older I get, the more I embrace change as an opportunity to learn just what I'm capable of. I'm capable of so much" Kelle Hampton - Bloom.}}

P.S. The MESSAGE TO TEENAGE ME photo project ends this Friday 20th April. Please participate if you haven't yet :)

P.P.S The ipad3 promo is also drawn on April 27th...wow...a big month of prizes & freebies! Soak it up peeps :)

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Update: 25.4.12.... 8pm..... The winner is......

Comment Number 14 {Zoe from Little Swallow Blog}. CONGRATS!!!!!! THANK YOU so much everyone who entered & shared this giveaway link! Zoe, please contact me with your postal address :) Yay!