I first read Sam Levinson’s “The Beauty of a Woman” during a dark time in my life and repeatedly as I journeyed out. In honor of the poem and its message, I’m thrilled to share with you the first ever Beauty of A Woman BlogFest, which took place February 10th, 2012. Each participant shared a story related to Levinson’s poems and quite frankly, they blew me away.
Because so many people made it a wonderful success, I plan to host the fest annually. Stay tuned to participate in 2013! In the meantime, enjoy the stories. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself lost in the words and stories, shed a few tears and laugh until your belly aches…
The Beauty of A Woman BlogFest: Entries
Emma Burcart: What Is Beauty?
Serena Dracis: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest
Cynthia Cheng Mintz: Beauty of a Woman or How I Came to Accept My Petiteness
Cynthia Cheng Mintz: Beauty of a Woman: Trying to Embrace My Cinderella Feet
Louise Behiel: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest 2012
Kara Flathouse: Dear Daughters, A Beautiful Heart is Yours
Shannon Esposito: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest!
Ginger Calem: Dear Thighs…We need to talk.
Julie Hedlund: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest
Sharon Howard: What is Beauty?
Amber West: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest
Kristine Parker: The Beauty of My Mother
Susie Lindau: Reflected Addiction
Karen Koenig: Why Can’t Our Bodies Be Okay?
Tamara (FitNitChick): The Last Time I Felt Beautiful
Nisha (NM): Discovering the Joy of Mascara and Other Fun Stuff
Write On, Jana!: What Makes a Woman Beautiful?
Kecia Adams: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest: The Beauty of Aggression
Coleen Patrick: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest
Marcy Kennedy: The Lie of Helen of Troy
Debra Kristi: Defining Beauty of a Woman
Lena Corazon: Discovering My Beauty Through Writing
Prudence MacLeod: Beauty of a Woman
Myndi Shafer: I Am Beautiful…Just The Way I Am
Liz: the beauty of a woman.
E.C. Stilson: What is True Beauty?
Alicia Street: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest
Sheila Seabrook: The Beauty Within
Ingrid Shaffenburg: Love Thy Temple
Julie Jordan Scott: You Are Beautiful—From the Beauty of a Woman BlogFest
Debra Eve: Unearthing the Beauty of a Woman
Sharon K. Owen: The Beauty of a Woman
Shanjeniah: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest 2012
Patricia Sands: You’re Beautiful, Just the Way You Are
C. Nicole White: Secret Envy
Mollie Player: I Can’t Admit I Like Chubby Girls
Proud2BMe: Everyone is Beautiful!
Katie (Oracular Spectacular): Beauty of Being a Woman: BlogFest 2012
Kristen Lamb: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest—Making Peace with My Thunder Thighs
Stephanie D: New Dimensions – Beauty of a Woman BlogFest
Samantha Warren: Just As You Are
Audrey Kalman: Tribute to a Different Kind of Beauty
Julia B. Whitmore: Beauty of a Woman BlogFest: Dye Baby, Dye
Thanks for making the BOAW BlogFest an uplifting success!
You are all beautiful butterflies.
*****
To view the fantastic reader comments from fest-day, click here.
This is super cool and right up my alley. I’m in for sure! Thanks so much for doing this. It’s something all of us need.
I would so love to participate! What a beautiful idea August, I’m in!
Thanks for not limiting this to female writers. May I submit a blog that has already appeared on my blogsite?
Absolutely. Just make sure you follow the rest of the guidelines (post the logo and link it to my blog on the appropriate date). Glad to hear you’re interested!
I’d love to participate. Can I do this on two different blogs or cross-post?
Sure thing. Please follow the rest of the guidelines with both posts. Thanks for joining us!
You have the best ideas, August. I’m in.
This is a great idea! I can’t wait to take part.
Thrilled you’re joining us, Louise and Kara!
Ok, I’m in!
I want to take part in this so bad! I’m going to see if I can come up with something. If I do, I’ll follow all the guidelines. Wonderful idea, August!
Consider yourself penciled in!
I would love to participate, but I have on my calendar that February 8th is a Wednesday. Can you verify the dates? Thanks so much!
Thanks so much, Julie! Posts should go up on participants’ blogs on Thurs., Feb. 9th. The BlogFest itself will take place Fri, Feb. 10th.
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Count me in for this!
Great blog by the way August!
Super! Thanks for the compliment.
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Definitely count me in. Love this idea.
By the way, now that I’ve got the date cleared up, I just wanted to loop back around to say that I’m definitely participating!
Glad to hear it! Thanks, Julie.
I would love to participate, August, but I have no idea what to offer as a prize…let me know if you have an idea
Gift cards/certificates, books, bath/beauty products, flower delivery, chocolates, candles, stationary… Most anything goes. Prize sponsors are responsible for shipping, when applicable, once the fest is up. Once I have a number of donations, I’ll list them here. So glad you’re interested!
Ok, so you gather sponsors donating prizes, then we choose one to offer as a prize on our blog? Sorry, I’m new at this
From August: No apologies necessary. You have 2 main options of participating: donate a prize and/or post a related blog entry on Feb. 9th (linked to my blog, featuring the logo).
On the day of the fest, I’ll post links to everyone’s entries on my blog. Everyone who posts a story or comment about the fest on my page that day will be entered into a drawing for prizes. Does that make sense??
Count me in!! Sounds like a blast!
I’m in. I’m already thinking about what to write and will offer as a prize a free consultation with me by phone or Skype on how to improve your body image. Hmm…
What a FANTASTIC prize, Karen. So glad you’re joining us!
I’m so glad I found this. I love this idea and I’m in. Thanks for doing this!
Thanks for commenting on my post today and leading me here. I love the idea of a BlogFest; count me in!
I think I have an idea for a post, not sure how it would turn out though but count me in anyway! I’ll figure something out!
So thrilled to have you all involved! FYI, I’ve added a link with prize information above…
Of course, I’ll be participating in this! So excited to share in such a worthy blog fest! Now, I just have to narrow down my blog post choices since this is all I seem to be talking about lately…
Hey August – I am trying to come up with a prize idea. MAY have something for you tomorrow. Will let you know!
Hi August! I would love to participate and offer a prize too. I’ll let you know what I decide on for a prize–have to give it some thought. Thanks for the opportunity!
Super! Thanks so much.
Hi August! Count me in too. Also, I have a signed copy of Daughter of Smoke & Bone–could that work as a prize?
Yippee! The book sounds like a wonderful prize. I’ll add it to the list.
That is one beautiful poem August. Believe it or not I had never read it.
Thank you for all your support. I think this is an awesome idea. Yet I am not comfortable writing about this subject. But I wish you all the best with this fest!
No sweat, Karen. I’m grateful for your support and encouragement—involvement enough.
Glad you enjoyed the poem!
I’d love to participate by posting on the theme that day. Count me in
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I’d love to write a post for the blogfest! I’m in as well.
How did I miss this when it first posted? Count me in!
Fantastic! So happy you’re joining us, Marcy, Lena and Debra.
We are excited to participate!
August, this is an awesome idea. Count me in.
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Hey August! Thanks for stopping by my blog! And, as I’ve been perusing your blog, I realized that the Blogfest is an awesome, fun opportunity. I’m in and excited about adding a blog post to the mix!!
Thanks for joining the fun, Liz, Prudence & ProudToBeMe (Sounds right up your alley!). Can’t wait to read your posts.
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I’d love to participate! How fun :0)
P. S. I’d love to offer a hard copy or eBook of “The Golden Sky” if you’re still looking for prizes
So thrilled you’re joining us, Elisa. Your book will make for a fantastic prize!
I’ve been so busy I missed this. Hope I’m not too late to join. I can do a post as well as donate an ebook copy of our rom-com mystery Aphrodisiac. Even though it is a comedy as well as a murder story, the underlying theme is about beauty and wanting desperately to be irresistible.
You’re not too late, Alicia. So glad you’ll be joining us! Your book sounds like a fantastic prize and a must-read.
Thanks!
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This is an awesome idea, August. I kept meaning to get back here and tell you that I’m in, so that’s what I’m doing now.
Great! Looking forward to your post.
I’ll be submitting a piece. I post on my blog with a link to yours tomorrow right??
Correct. Stoked that you’re joining us!
Just found out today… I am going to begin writing now! So grateful to have found you! Oh, and I’m off to tweet, too….
So grateful you landed here, too!
Hmm. You have more than enough contributors. I will save my thoughts for some other occasion. I’ll enjoy reading what people have to say. I hope that the blog will reach some younger people. I will ask my sons to clue in the young ladies that they know.
Count me in, August!
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I may be entering too late for prizes…but that’s OK. I am intrigued! I plan on putting together a post of beauty tomorrow, anyway!
I love this idea!
You’re not too late. I look forward to reading your post!
August, I know this is last minute. I really thought I was too old to get involved but I do have some thoughts I want to share and would like to participate if it’s not too late! I’ll check back later to see what you say. Thanks!
I’d love for you to join us, Patricia. Count yourself in!
Great! I’m on it! Thanks.
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A little late to the game. I just posted my piece. I don’t have a prize to give, but I also don’t expect one in return. Just participating in this is enough for me. Thank you!
Stephanie
No need to give a prize, Stephanie. So thrilled you’re joining us!
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Totally missed that this was happening — I’ve donated my blog to V-Day, the global movement to stop violence against women for the week, so the theme fits for sure. I think I’m a bit late to join in on your project, but I will link to your site in my Saturday post, and maybe we could make a sort of Venn Diagram out of this. What do you think?
Sounds great to me, Emmie. And what an important theme! Thanks in advance for sharing the fest with your readers. I’ll be popping by Saturday for sure.
I would like to share a post! It is one I wrote last spring, but reposted for this.
http://nicolewhitespeaks.com/2012/02/09/secret-envy-2/
Very cool! I’m posting now~I have a great one.
August, I am so looking forward to participating in your blog fest.
Sharon
My post is up at http://oracularspectacular.wordpress.com now, and I’m off to promote it on twitter now! Great idea, really made me think.
I didn’t make it in time – but just wanted to say this is a wonderful idea – beautiful!
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August – I’ll donate two e-book versions of my novel, The Bridge Club.
Great. Thanks, Patricia!
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Here is my blog post for the festival! (I am emailing you now about the prize I am donating, too. Thrilled to be involved.)
http://juliejordanscott.typepad.com/julie_unplugged/2012/02/you-are-beautiful-from-the-beauty-of-a-woman-blogfest-.html
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Pressed this – great idea!
Thanks so much!
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I can’t believe I missed this post! It’s too late now at 6pm on Feb 9th to participate, but I do support you and all the others entered in this blogfest. Good luck to all and I’m with you in spirit and look forward to all your posts. Awesome idea, August.
I really found creating this post to be a BEAUTIFUL experience! So happy it found me; so happy you’re welcoming latecomers!
You can find my post at:
http://memismommy.blogspot.com/2012/02/beauty-of-woman-blogfest-2012.html
Thank you August! I must get out (on the ethernet) more. This is fun! I love your post, and am inspired by the many, wonderful contributions. Here’s mine on the delicate subject of hair dye: http://holdouts.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/beauty-of-a-woman-blogfest-dye-baby-dye/
Best wishes,
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I’m so sad I missed this! Are you planning any more such interesting blogfests? I would love to participate!
I sure am! It’s now an annual event, with the second one happening in February, 2013. Hope you’ll join us!