Squidtastic!

Angel Blessings for Week of February 13th

2012-02-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

Naples, Florida Beach in February 2012

Last week I was at the beach in Florida. Where I live, February is a great time to escape to the beach. It's that time when we start longing for spring and warmer weather. So, this week I went searching for lenses about the beach.

In Tropical Beach Pictures, mulberry transports us to the beach with a selection of wonderful images.

I'm not a big fan of sales pages, but the presentation of this lens, Beach Baby Nursery Decor, by KonaGirl, is outstanding. She has a blue-brown-tan theme going on, and provides excellent personal touches to her descriptions of the products.

Jeffryv asks the question, "Olympic Beach Volleyball - Sport or Peep Show?" This is a very timely lens with the Summer Olympics coming up in London. Despite the skimpy beach wear of beach volleyballers, there is no doubt that it is a demanding sport, in my opinion. I love watching the matches.

Another well done and colorful sales lens is Beach Themed Cakes and Cupcakes by whimsey. It will make your mouth water.

When I was in Florida last week, I was amazed at the number of people out in the early morning to collect shells when the tide was out. Dustytoes explores this popular activity in Beach Shells from Florida. She features some very unusual looking shells.

I really enjoyed all of these different takes on the beach. Hope you do too.

Angel Blessings for Week of January 30th

2012-02-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

This week, I stumbled on a number of miscellaneous lenses that I felt compelled to bless. Here they are, in no particular order.

Chinese Kitchen God by elynmac
This is a great example of a lens written by someone who wants to share what they have learned. The author came to live in China and presents the tradition of the kitchen God, in the context of history and present day. It is extremely well written and interesting and reminded me of one of my favorite books, The Kitchen God's Wife, by Amy Tan.

Welsh Lovespoons by resabi
This lens won Lens of the Day this past week and it was well deserved. I love reading a lens about something that I was totally unaware of before, because I learn something new. That is the case with these gorgeous Welsh lovespoons. Resabi explains the history of these spoons and beautifully presents, through images, these amazing works of art and symbols of love.

Where to Travel around Vancouver by TheLittleCardShop
Malu is a photographer and writer, living in Vancouver, and she has created several wonderful travel lenses about this area. This one is beautifully written, like you are on a relaxing tour with an old friend. And, the pictures are gorgeous.

Growing and Caring for your own Bonsai Trees, and Free eBook by Donnette
I have a fascination with Bonsai trees after seeing an exhibit at the Portland Japanese Gardens and seeing them at my local farmers market. So, I went looking for a lens on them. After seeing several really poorly constructed lens, I finally found this one, an educational lens on how to grow and care for a bonsai tree, from someone who actually has experience. How refreshing!

Adele: Essential Blue Eyed Soul by Waxing-Lyrical
I discovered this lens about a year ago, before the phenomenon known as Adele had taken the U.S. by storm. Rich, aka Waxing-Lyrical, is the quintessential writer on music, and he sold me on Adele's latest album. It was the soundtrack for 2011, as it quickly became everyone else's. I can't wait to see her clean up at the Grammy's in a couple of weeks.

And finally, I created a new lens this past week, after being inspired by a wonderful book by John Szarkowski, called The Photographer's Eye.

The lens is called The Roots of Photography, and I am working on a companion eBook/Journal to go with it.

Angel Blessings for Week of January 23rd

2012-01-25T06:38:00.000-08:00

Last week, I created a new lens on an initiative that I felt was worth promoting - From Valentine's Day to Generosity Day.

Generosity Day is an initiative of Acumen Fund, a non-profit that invests patient capital in enterprises in developing countries. A core value of Acumen Fund is generosity, balanced with accountability.

Sasha Dichter, who works for Acumen Fund, inspired Generosity Day when he did his own personal, month-long generosity experiment.

For one month, he said yes to every reasonable request put before him. This attitude of generosity transformed his life.

In the process of doing research for my lens, I came across several Squidoo lenses on the theme of generosity that I wanted to share with you today. Hope you like them.

Inspiration: Giving and Receiving by Quille tells a touching story of two brothers, who have each other's best interests at heart. It reminded me of a quote given to me by a friend, "Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out." Quille also provides a list of quotes about giving and receiving that are good reminders for us.

Comfortdoc (who is a doc), not surprisingly, writes about The Health Benefits of Altruism. Besides providing a list of ways that altruism is good for you, physically and mentally, Comfortdoc also provides a huge list of resources, including quotes, books, and organizations.

Written by njg, The Power of Kindness, is another lens chock full of resources. The overall theme is that it's always good to be kind, because we never know what another person is going through. This is so true! She covers lots of areas (which would make good lenses on their own), including Anne Frank, kindness to animals, and the difference between kindness and being "too nice." Lots to think about.

I believe that saying thank you is a generous act. So, apparently, does Squidoo lens master, mutter. In her lens, The Top 10 Big Heart Thank You Poems, she provides poems for giving thanks on a number of themes. She believes that the simple act of saying thank you is positive for both the giver of thanks and the receiver.

Finally, lens master Rafick, reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Babette's Feast: A remarkable story of generosity. He is so right. This movie is a great reminder that we need to pour ourselves out for the people and the environment that we live in now.

Image: Design for selfless tee. Wear your heart on your sleeve.

Angel Blessings for Week of January 16th

2012-01-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

For the past three years, I have kept track of the books I read using Squidoo lenses. It's a great way to remember what I've read and also share my love for books with others.

This week, I wanted to share other quality book lists with you.

Wilderness Survival and Rescue Reading was written by Ramkitten, a search and rescue volunteer. She loves to read books about search and rescue and it shows in this well written lens with personal reviews.

List of Books on Fareed Zakaria GPS by Zeddicus is a great example of a curated lens. If you are interested in learning more about world events and issues, this is a good place to start. I, personally, really like listening to and reading Fareed Zakaria, so would be interested in books that he would recommend. Besides providing a list of books by month, the author writes short descriptions for some of the books, I presume ones that they have read.

Best Children's Classic Books for Ages 9-12 by Pukeko is a solid resource for gift buying. I know that now that my kids are grown, I am sometimes lost when I am looking for a book for a younger child. I like how she has added a section just on animal stories and highlighted certain popular stories. To add interactive components, she asks what books she may have missed and has a little debate going on about which book is better - Charlotte's Web or Stuart Little.

Looking for a spiritual book? Another example of an extensive, curated lens is spirituality's The Best Spiritual Books of all Time. While this is mainly a list of books, she has them well categorized to cover a variety of spiritual topics. She begins with the top selling spiritual books of 2011, adds books recommended by her readers, and then goes into categories such as Christianity, Strength out of Suffering, Inspirational, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Top 10 Best-Selling Autobiographies is written by one of the best writers about books on Squidoo. LindaJM is a writer who loves reading about other people's lives, just like I do. She begins with the current best-selling autobiographies, and then provides more of her favorites. Short summaries of each book are also included.

And here are mine.

My Book List 2009
My Book List 2010
My Book List 2011
My Book List 2012

Angel Blessings for Week of January 9th

2012-01-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Recently, I went to someone's home, where we prepared a complete meal made only from raw foods. It was delicious and there is a lot of evidence out there that a raw foods diet is extremely healthy and can cure a number of common ailments.

Since then, I read Kris Carr's book, Crazy Sexy Diet, which is based on her experience in changing her diet to deal with cancer. Her switch to a raw, vegan diet has effectively stopped the progression of her stage four cancer.

This week, I have been eating wheat-free and incorporating more raw foods in my diet. So far, I have lost several pounds (without feeling extraordinarily hungry) and feel great. So, I decided to search Squidoo for quality lenses on raw foods.

Raw Food and Hormone Imbalance by OrganicSkin
Now, this is a quality lens. Not only does it explain why raw foods cure ills, it provides several very delicious looking recipes. The author also speaks from experience, making her case very credible.

Easy Raw Food Recipes for Kids by HSSchulte
This is what is called a curated lens. The author went in search of raw food recipes for kids - foods that they would like and would be easy to make. She provides an enticing picture and text for each recipe, along with a link that recipe. This way you don't have to include the whole recipe on the lens. People can pick and click on the recipe that they want to try.

Raw Food Cracker Recipes - Quick and Easy to Make by Raw_Energy
For those missing the sensation of eating carbs, there is a solution - raw crackers. This niche lens provides several recipes for making crackers from seeds rather than wheat. Many raw foodies have dehydrators for making crackers and chips. At my raw food meal, we tasted corn chips made with a dehydrator that were the best I've ever tasted.

The Raw Food Diet 101 by Thrinsdream
This is a very important lens for those interested in raw foods. It explains some of the myths surrounding raw foods and, again, the author speaks from personal experience.

Pear and Parsley Green Smoothie Recipe by SparkleGirl
Just one green smoothie recipe, but with links to others. SparkleGirl does a great job here explaining why the ingredients are so healthy. She also points to books where you can find more green smoothie recipes.

And finally, thanks to RawBill for providing the Raw Food Headquarters on Squidoo. Visit this page to find more great raw food lenses and lens masters.

Image Credit: Raw T-shirt by nanofa -GREEN by Nanofa on Zazzle

Angel Blessings for the Week of January 2nd, 2012

2012-01-04T05:54:00.000-08:00

I am back with another selection of fabulous Squidoo lenses - this time on quirky art.

Let's start with Quirky Art: Food Play by resabi. I, for one, love to photograph fruits and vegetables. They are just wonderfully colorful and sensuous. Rebecca has found several artists who create works of art from food, from landscapes to sculptures.

And, on the same theme, JaguarJulie has selected beautiful posters dedicated to The Art of Food for your viewing pleasure.

Paper Snowflakes, by KarateKatGraphics, is the perfect winter activity for anyone, big or small. Who doesn't love making paper snowflakes? This is a simple lens, yet beautiful and full of resources. I love how she and her children used their snowflakes to make a series of designs for sale on Zazzle. Smart!

Art Cars by relache is a must read. She brings her curiosity about this unique art form and her sense of humor to the writing in this lens. Relache has never owned a car but is intrigued by those who create works of art on their cars. She showcases several examples. I especially liked the Groovalicious Purple Prince of Peace!

The Art of Scruff contains the quirky character designs of the incredibly talented scruff girl. Carla Martelli is scruff girl and she explains that she has been creating since the age of four. The new print on demand sites allow her to share her designs with the world, like the one at the top of this post.

Image Credit: Silly Skateboard Snake iPad Case by scruffshop on Zazzle

This selection of lenses was inspired by the video below by Mathemagician Vi Hart on the art found within food (discovered via the fabulous Brain Pickings).

Angel Blessings for the Week of December 19th

2011-12-19T05:04:00.001-08:00

This will be my last post of the year, as I take a week off to celebrate Christmas with family. I am also taking a week-long sabbatical from reading, which includes the Internet and email.

As a reading addict, this should be interesting. I hope to have some good family time, and to photograph and write.

This week, I would like to introduce you to some of the most interesting and thoughtful writers on Squidoo.

Wordwinder - Ram is a philosopher and artist. His most ambitious project to date? Writing a serialized book on Squidoo. Here is Chapter 1 from "Of Pebbles, Politics, Mind, and Matter."

uebyn_squidoo - This is a new author on Squidoo with only two lenses, but they are impressive. The latest: Why Online Fiction is the Future of Fiction - Reason #1: Layout

grannysage - It is no secret that I think Diane is one of the best writers on Squidoo, so she needs to be on this list. One of the first lenses I ever read of hers is still one of my favorites, because it tells a story, weaving three different subjects into one. Here is Des Moines, Baryshnikov, and Me.

BFuniv.com - Alan is a great writer who always makes you think. Founder of Bastiat Free University (self-crafted, self-directed learning), he trains visionaries. His lens, The Importance of Education, has been near the top of the Squidoo list for years.

RenaissanceWoman2010 - shares her life of personal renaissance, living off the grid. She is someone who really lives her convictions and is a great writer too. Here is one example - Wild Horses in My Meadow.

jaktraks - is a licensed clinical counselor and a poet. What an interesting combination! I adore her poetry lenses as well as the lenses she writes about her clinical practice, like this one - Uniquely Wired: People with Schizophrenia.

Thank you and happy holidays to all of the wonderful people on Squidoo who continue to inspire me.

Angel Blessings for Week of December 12th

2011-12-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

This week I focused on Christmas traditions and learned quite a few new things along the way. Squidoo can be so educational!

From KonaGirl, I learned that it does snow in Hawaii and that Santa wears shorts in Christmas in Hawaii.

From claudiatuli, I learned about German Christmas Traditions. Santa Claus is St. Nikolaus, who comes on December 5th to fill the children's shoes. December 25th and 26th are for visiting and celebrating with relatives, eating tradtional German dishes like sauerbraten and drinking gluehwein.

From traveller27, I learned of the Italian Christmas donkey. Seriously, this is a lens on Italian Christmas songs, and my favorite was Gesu Bambino e Nato, with Luciano Pavarotti and the Vienna Boys Choir - heavenly!

On mistel's lens, I learned about Christmas Traditions in Denmark - including straw goats, basket ornaments, and countdowns to Christmas (calendar candles and the Julekalender).

Finally, gbaggs2 reminds us that every family has their own unique combination of traditions in Top 10 Christmas Traditions Everyone Should Experience. It's good to write down your own family's traditions. You might be surprised at how many you have.

Happy Holidays!

Image: Ho Ho Ho by kimmanleyort on Zazzle

Angel Blessings for Week of December 5th

2011-12-07T08:52:00.001-08:00

Not to leave out Hannukah at this time of year, I went on a search for the best lenses on this Jewish holiday.

How do you spell Hanukkah? by ChapelHillFiddler immediately caught my eye.

I have always wanted to know the answer to this question and knew that Jane, with her meticulous research would provide an informative lens. And she did.

Another thing I struggle with is what to buy for my Jewish friends.

Pukeko comes to the rescue with this great resource - Hanukkah Ornaments are Cool!

Besides a large selection of ornaments, it includes cookie cutters and lights too.

Ever wondered about the history of Hannukah and why it is called the Festival of Lights? All of your questions are answered at this wonderful lens by CityLights - Chanukah: Festival of Lights.

With a combination of text, pictures, video and products, Aliza explains the history behind this annual Jewish holiday.

We move on to a master lensmaster, lakeerieartists, who explains a well-known Chanukah tradition - Playing Dreidel.

Paula includes gorgeous images and video, explains how to play the game, and even provides instructions for making a paper dreidel at home. Can't forget the dreidel song too.

What about Chanukah food? This lens by Jodi_k, Potato Latkes and Chanukah Foods, provides all you need. She explains her own Chanukah food tradition (started by her aunt), as well as recipes for potato latkes and jelly donuts.

Happy Chanukah!

Image: Happy Chanukah Card by rubymonkey on Zazzle

Angel Blessings for Week of November 28th

2011-11-30T07:47:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays by kimmanleyort

Yes, I dread the Christmas bonanza of consumerism every year. So, I went on a search for lenses with alternative gift ideas, gifts that keep on giving the whole year round (and not the jelly of the month club, Clark).

Here are a few good ones I found that include charity ideas, ideas of time and experience, and homemade gifts.

Christmas Gifts that Keep on Giving: Charity Gift Ideas by NewChristmasIdeas

20 Unique and Alternative Gift Ideas by lisadh

Simplify the Holidays by hlkljgk

Simplify Christmas and Start Getting Peace and Joy by beckyf

A Handmade Christmas 2011 by Koupie

And here's my addition to the list: Holiday Gifts to Help the World

Contemplative Photography Retreat in 2012

2011-11-27T07:12:00.001-08:00

Seeing With New Eyes Exercises in Contemplative Photography with Kim Manley Ort Bethany Spring Retreat Center (New Haven, Kentucky) April 27 - 29, 2012 Thomas Merton described contemplation as a “long, loving look at the real.” Contemplati

inspiring interview - Shannon Jackson Arnold
Meet Shannon Jackson Arnold and her Flowering Wisdom \| Be Inspired Source: 365daysofinspiration.com Continuing the interview series of inspiring stories with Shannon Jackson Arnold, author of Flowering Wisdom.

Squidtastic!

Angel Blessings for Week of February 13th

Angel Blessings for Week of January 30th

Angel Blessings for Week of January 23rd

Angel Blessings for Week of January 16th

Angel Blessings for Week of January 9th

Angel Blessings for the Week of January 2nd, 2012

Angel Blessings for the Week of December 19th

Angel Blessings for Week of December 12th

Angel Blessings for Week of December 5th

Angel Blessings for Week of November 28th

Contemplative Photography Retreat in 2012

Angel Blessings for Thanksgiving Week

Angel Blessings for Week of November 7th

Angel Blessings for Week of October 31st

A Review of Photo By Design

Squid Angel Blessings for Week of October 24th

Squid Angel Blessings for Week of October 17th

Friday Photo – The Burren in Ireland | Be Inspired

Squid Angel Blessings for Week of October 10th

Angel Blessings for Week of October 3rd

Imagine The Girl Effect

Angel Blessings for Week of September 26th

Friday Photo – Autumn Leaves and Playing Big | Be Inspired

Angel Blessings for Week of September 19th

Have a Little Faith (Video)

Friday Photo – Shapes | Be Inspired

Angel Blessings for Week of September 12th

Purple Star Quest

Angel Blessings for Week of August 29th

Photo By Design Online Workshop | Be Inspired

Friday Photo - Lines and Vines | Be Inspired

Angel Blessings for Week of August 22nd

Angel Blessings for week of August 15th

Meet Shannon Jackson Arnold and her Flowering Wisdom | Be Inspired

Kim Manley Ort has shared: Meet Shannon Jackson Arnold and her Flowering Wisdom | Be Inspired

Top 10 Heroes

Wine Photo - Hofstatter Winery, Italy | Be Inspired

Write a Lens on Your Favorite Fiction Author

From Me to We - The Rise of Collaborative Consumption

Friday Photo - Sunflower | Be Inspired

Angel Blessings for Week of July 18th

Angel Blessings for week of July 11th

Photographing Summer, A Facebook Fan Page Contest | Be Inspired

Angel Blessings for week of July 4th

Angel Blessings for week of June 27th

Angel Blessings for week of June 20th

Sail Away

Angel Blessings for week of June 13th

Photographing Summer Workshop

Angel Blessings for week of June 6th

Memorial Day Blessings

Angel Blessings for week of May 23

Today's Big Tip

Meet MiMi, Helpful Squidooer | Be Inspired

A Story of Following Inspiration

Friday Photo – Remembering Moms | Be Inspired

Angel Blessings for the Week of May 1st

Learning to See – Contemplative Photography | Be Inspired

Angel Blessings for Week of April 25, 2011

A 10 Year Old Teaches About Playing Big | Be Inspired

Blue/Yellow Lotus Art Prints by Kim Manley Ort - Shop Canvas and Framed Wall Art Prints at Imagekind.com

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Playing with Texture | Be Inspired

Angel Blessings for the Week of April 11th

Friday Photo – Purple Wildflowers Chicago | Be Inspired

Meet Thomas Merton – Monk, Mystic, Poet | Be Inspired

Good morning! What's blossoming today?

Angel Blessings for week of April 4th

Celebrating 2 Years on Squidoo

Opportunity for Squidoo Lensmasters - City Walking Tour Apps

Perfection

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Writing a Lens about an Author

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