Inspiring Beauty Quotes: A #BOAW3 Wrap-Up, Part II

Last week thousands of folks visited The Beauty of a Woman BlogFest 3, no doubt finding inspiration. I joked with one participant that the fest could be called The Beauty of a Woman’s Goosebumps, as that’s precisely how the incredible posts affected me! Each blogger exemplified beauty in a unique way, making us laugh, think, smile and even shed a few tears. THANK YOU for making the BOAW BlogFest III a truly beautiful event!

True beauty is timeless!

True beauty is timeless.

Rather than share more of my own thoughts on the fest, I decided to pull clips from the posts that most struck me (of the many!). If you’d like to quote one of the participants in a blog post, article or elsewhere, please attribute and link it up properly.  To view the full post a quote derives from, click on the sayer’s name. Thanks for the support!

The Beauty of a Woman BlogFest 3: Inspiring Quotes!

“Despite their lack of what the world tells us is beautiful, these women were beautiful to me.” — Kathryn Chastain Treat

“Let’s continue to show what a beautiful anthem can be heard when women raise their voices as one!” — Patricia Sands

“To me, the real marks of beauty in a woman are courage, character, kindness, and personality.” — David Walker

“So what is the main ingredient? It’s confidence!”— Kassandra Lamb

“If I could give any message to my younger self, it is that simple truth.  There is beauty in your change.” — Barbara McDowell

Butterfly-Metamorphosis

“Show off your inner activist!” — Jess Witkins

“Wisdom and kindness can make someone more beautiful than someone who is physically gorgeous.”— Susie Sylvester

“For too long beauty required a number on the scale and a specific size of clothing. Now I see how my clothes fit, I feel how my muscles move, and I think this is beauty.” — Kourtney Heintz

“Kat has had a lot of floods in her area of Australia and battled through those times, helping out and staying strong. The embodiment of a strong woman.” — Catherine Johnson

“As long as we continue to put forth the effort in believing in our own beauty, the positivity  becomes lasting aspects of our lives.” Ashley

“This is true beauty: a connection to the universe that transcends the physical, emotional, and intellectual limitations of humanity.” — Audrey Kalman

“Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I catch a glimpse of the inner beauty behind my eyes, and I smile because life is good and life is beautiful, even in the midst of this broken world.” — Lynn Kelley

I Love Me

“There is beauty in a woman’s strength. We wield our strength with a gentle hand. We use our weaknesses to forge new successes.” — Marcia Richards

“There are days when I still have trouble saying, ‘I love you,’ to the woman standing in the mirror, but thank Goddess there are many, many more where I can say it with passion, mean it, and sometimes even throw out a wink.” — Kate Wood

“My mother always said the eyes were windows to the soul, and that old canard was true in Kathryn’s case.  There were depths of pain and wisdom in them, but her wit and kindness also shone through them, pure and blue as the sky after a snowstorm.” — Elizabeth Mitchell

“If you take a moment, you’ll notice who around you is in touch with their inner joy. It can be seen in the sparkle of  someone’s eyes. The lift in their step. The glow of their skin that no amount of makeup or creme could ever replicate.”  — Ingrid Schaffenburg

Joyful woman.

“I’m sticking with my personal claim that selfies are fun, selfies are fearless, and selfies are fabulous. And the girl in that photo? Well, she’s beautiful.” — Kecia Adams

“I’ve realized that you don’t just look for the beauty of a woman. You have to listen for it, feel it, and experience it as well.” — Scott Moon

“If you’ve got your panties in a twist, stuck in an uncomfortable crack, or if they’re flat-out ugly, it’s unlikely you’ll achieve maximum sparkle for the day.” — Jenny Hansen

“From our life experiences we create paintings, prose, sculptures, you name it. But on rare—and awesome—occasions, art can create life.”— Mike Sirota

“Living a beautiful life means sharing your God given talents and leaping out of bed in the morning because you can’t wait to get started with your day.” — Marla Martenson

young woman waking up

“Real beauty can’t be bought, won’t fade, smudge, or decrease with time.  It doesn’t wear out or have to be re-applied.  It has wrinkles, callouses, stretch marks, scars and sometimes loses its hair.” — Dana Myles

“Living life the way we choose, on our own terms, whatever our ages, is beautiful. My  surfer-headed boy with his triangle of freckles and treasured Pinkie Pie pendant? My daredevil diva with the dancing eyes and impudent tongue? Perfectly themselves. Perfectly beautiful.” — Shan Jeniah

“Our dreams are expressions of our inner beauty. I’ve learned that it’s completely okay to want whatever you want.” — Sheri Fink

“YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!  Now tell that inner critic to sit down and shut-up!” — Dana Myles

“For me, there is no “most beautiful” woman, unless she is the woman I’d just met and the one I might meet next.” — Eden Mabee

Many hands together: group of people joining hands

“How I live and how I love are what make me beautiful. So I’ll continue to try to convince myself of that fact and not suffer over days long gone.” — Katy Brandes

“Some divas have captured my heart, but maybe not the medal they sought.” — Eli Pacheco

Gift card winners:

I love you all so much, I did MATH for you! 😉 After tabulating people’s entries for reading, posting in and sharing the fest, I did a drawing for gift cards. To find out who won gift cards and radio time in the Girl Boner category, check out Monday’s post.

  • $50 Amazon gift card: Kathryn Chastain Treat
  • $10 Starbucks gift cards: Kassandra Lamb and Lynn Kelley

Congrats, ladies! You’ll receive your prizes via email today.

I hope you all enjoyed the snippets and the whole fest as I much as  I did! I also hope you’ll join us next year for another round.

In the meantime, what did you think of the quotes? Which post or quote most struck you? Any thoughts on the fest overall? I love hearing from you. ♥

The Beauty of a Woman BlogFest III: #GirlBoner Edition

True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows and with passing years only grows!” — Sam Levenson, “The Beauty of a Woman”

BOAW GB edition 14

Welcome to our premiere Beauty of a Woman BlogFest Girl Boner Edition! I’ve perused contributors’ stories, and WOW, are you in for a treat. To say that I’m honored to share my bl0g-living room with such insightful, witty, bold and inspiring writers is a tremendous understatement. Whether you’re participating as a blogger, reader or both, please know that your support means a great deal to all of us!

How to participate and potentially win fun prizes:

Click on the links below to read participants’ stories between Monday, February 24th and Thursday, February 27th. Prizes will be awarded by way of a drawing next week.

To have your name added to the prize drawing**:

  • Post a comment below this post, based on the prompts at the end = 1 entry
  • Tweet this post, tagging me @AugstMcLaughlin = 1 entry
  • Share this post on Facebook, tagging me or the Girl Boner Facebook page = 1 entry
  • Participate as a blogger = 5 entries
  • Read and post a comment on all of the posts below, then let me know you did so in a comment on this post or via Twitter = 10 entries 

PRIZES: Winners from the drawing for each fest category will receive Starbucks and Amazon gift cards, valuing $5 to $50. I’ll also select two BOAW Girl Boner posts to read on Girl Boner Radio! 

Bloggers: If you signed up for this category and your name and post are missing below, I haven’t yet received your link (or somehow missed it!). Please send it to me via email or Twitter and I’ll add it promptly. Thanks!

**For more stories and chances for prizes, check out the original fest here, running from February 27th – March 2nd! I’ll conduct two drawings; one for each category.

1. Susan Lee Miller: The Beauty of an “Older” Woman Is…

2. Ginger: ~Daydream for a Succubus~ (BOAW 3) 

3. Petite Esclave: Beauty

4. Kitt Crescendo: Sacred Sexuality #BOAW3 #GirlBoner

5. Dani Walker: My Sexuality Is Not an Inferior Trait: Embracing Womanhood. Embracing Female Sexuality.

6. Raani York: Revenge of the Ugly Beast

7. Inion N. Mathair: The Era of…Women**

8. Jean Franzblau: A Love Letter to My Clit

9. Susie Lindau: The Boob Report – Sex and Yes! Sex!

10. Beth Teliho: Lexicon of Lust

11. August McLaughlin:  The Orgasm That Changed My Life*

*I read my entry on Girl Boner Radio. If you’d like to leave a comment by way of a review, click the button that allows you to open the show in iTunes. While I appreciate the support, reviews aren’t required for the prize drawing. **Because Inion’s post is on a Tumblr site, comments aren’t required there either.

What do you find most beautiful about your sexuality? What steps have you taken, or will you take, to further embrace it? What most struck you about participants’ stories?

Thanks for festing with us! I hope you’ll join us again later this week, from Thursday to Sunday, for posts in the original Beauty of a Woman category and MORE chances to win prizes. I’ll announce gift card winners and read two of the above stories on Girl Boner Radio next week! ♥

Empowering Facts About Beauty: A #BOAW Wrap-Up

Dior quote

If I had any doubt in Dior’s assertion before, the Beauty of A Woman Blog-Festers wiped it full out. I can’t express how grateful I am to everyone who participated. Your stories, remarks, interaction and exponential, far-reaching support lit up the blogosphere, inspiring thousands. If you haven’t yet done so, please give yourself a huge hug, tell yourself how freaking beautiful you are and know that you done GOOD! I hope you enjoyed it at least a tenth as much as I did.

Before the fest, I shared thoughts on Miss Representation, a powerful documentary that explores the media’s portrayal of women. The starting statistics I posted struck me as sad, eye-opening and motivating. We can’t make positive changes if we fail to recognize the problems, or take pride in the differences we’re making (by for example, telling stories) if we’re unaware of their significance.

Fueled up with gratitude, I’ve decided to highlight positive facts regarding beauty today. Rather than see the glass as half full or empty, I prefer to consider it no longer empty, and rich with potential. Focusing on uplifting facts and positive changes underway instills hope. Without hope, there’s no glass at all.

glass

5 Empowering Facts About Inner/Outer Beauty

1. Happiness breeds beauty. Happiness makes us vibrant inside and out. “When you’re happy your skin will appear healthier, and your hair and nails can actually grow faster,” says dermatologist Richard Fried, M.D., Ph.D. Positive folks also tend to stand taller, he says, and take greater measures of self-care. Studies have also shown that emotional fulfillment and confidence make us more attractive to ourselves and others. So happy people are not only more kind, energetic and grateful, but hot!

2. R&R beautifies. Spa days, vacations and therapy  arguably go further than makeup or chic clothes in terms of beautifying. Stress contributes to everything from low-moods and relationship turmoil to skin problems and unhealthy weight shifts (gains and losses). Real beauty, as so many blog-festers pointed out, relates to personal spirit, gratitude and inviduality. Don’t let stress taint those.

3. Self-acceptance increases sexual satisfaction, making way for increased attractiveness.  Multiple studies indicate that embracing our bodies as they are enhances sexual desire, ability and pleasure. A happy sex life facilitates inner and outer beauty in various ways, by reducing stress, increasing that healthy post-sex “glow,” boosting energy and improving hormone levels.

4. Smiling helps us feel and appear lovelier. “When you smile, even if you’re upset, it feeds the brain signals that make you feel more positive,” explains Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., a happiness researcher at the University of California, Riverside. People who appear happy are more likely to be perceived as beautiful by others, according to her research, and exhibit happiness physically, which cultivates more of both.

5. People are standing up for real beauty and speaking out against demeaning media. And there’s tremendous power in numbers. Over 87,500 people have signed the Miss Representation pledge, supporting fair, empowering media. All over the world, people are tweeting harmful media, using the hashtag #NOTBUYINGIT—and you can, too. Our voices can be heard. What’s yours saying?

depositphotos_7562021_xs

We teach and attract what we believe and reflect.

Last but not least, the winner of a Kindle Fire or Amazon equivalent gift card is…. *drum roll* Jess Witkins! If you missed her uplifting post on what makes a woman “REDHOT,” be sure to check it out. Congratulations, Jess!

How do you celebrate or perpetuate inner beauty? What makes you feel beautiful inside and out? Any highlights or thoughts to share on the fest? I love hearing from you, and am crazy grateful for your support. ♥