Sunshine Blogger Award Part 2 & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #116

April 2, 2019 / 49 Comments
This is not a sponsored post.

You may have already seen my post a few weeks ago when Rama nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. Well, I have been nominated again by my dear friend Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish! Thanks so much, Jess! I am honored. Since Jess has posed a different series of questions, I figured it was a great way to keep things interesting here on the edge by answering what she is interested in knowing as well. However, I am going to do it a little differently and I am not going to nominate anyone new in this post. Please check out my last Sunshine Blogger post to see who I have nominated along with my list of questions.

I also am sharing an outfit that I just shared on the blog last week for The Fab 40’s in Plaid and Floral. Same outfit but a different photo shoot. This was the first shoot for this outfit and the wind was not cooperating. At all. I figured these pictures illustrate real life blogger problems better than any, so why not share them on a blogger award post. I also didn’t want an entire photo shoot to go to waste! Hopefully, you get a bit of a chuckle from the havoc that the wind is causing!

In case you are not already aware, the Sunshine Blogger award is a peer recognition award given by bloggers to other bloggers for their work that inspires positivity and joy. It recognizes creativity in the world of blogging for those who spread sunshine throughout the community. If you have been nominated by someone for this award, there are a few easy rules to follow. And if you have not been nominated, then I nominate you right here, right now! Because I adore you all and am always happy to learn more about you. Again, just pop back to this post to find the questions to answer for your very own blog post.

And here are the rules:

  1. Give a quick shout out to the person who nominated you (with a link to their blog, of course)!
  2. Answer the questions drafted by the person who nominated you.
  3. Nominate some other blogs of your choosing and draft new questions for them to answer. (According to my research, the traditional number seems to be 11 nominees and 11 questions.)
  4. Be sure to let your nominees know they have been nominated. You can do this through social media, commenting on their blog, or an email.
  5. When you draft your post, be sure to list these simple rules and display a Sunshine Blogger Award logo.

And now to answer the questions that Jess has asked.

1.Why did you start blogging?

Since I already answered this question in my previous post, I am going to just copy and paste right here…

I started my blog in August of 2015 when my husband was deployed to Afghanistan. My kids were 2 and 4, I was a stay at home mom, and quite frankly, I was bored out of my freaking mind. I have always loved fashion and writing has always been a hugely important creative outlet for me. Since moving away from home due to my husband’s military obligations, I had given up my education (I was working towards my Masters in Mental Health Counseling). I was passionate about sharing my own mental health journey in the hopes that it could help someone but now that career path had ended. It was my sister who pushed me in the direction of blogging. I wasn’t even sure what it was all about until I started reading lots of over 40 fashion blogs after my kids went to sleep at night. I quickly found a community and some companionship during those late lonely nights and I thought I could absolutely do this blog thing. My sister found a Groupon for an online course on how to start a blog, so I completed the course and launched my blog. It was also at my sister’s urging that I combine fashion with my mental health story since they really do go hand in hand for me. And so Shelbee on the Edge was born…living on the edge of sanity, midlife, and fashion.

2. What do you love about it? What would you like to change about it?

My very favorite thing about blogging is the amazing community and the connections I have made because of it. I have friends all over the world because of this little internet space that I have created. I also love playing dress up every morning and I have so much fun doing my photo shoots. And it is all really just for the good fun of it. I find my creative outlet through my fashion and my writing. Blogging provides me with a forum where I can combine these passions and share them with the world. My goal is simply to inspire and empower others to live life to the fullest. Each and every day. Honestly, I can’t think of anything that I would change about it right now except simply wishing I had more time and resources to make it bigger and better. But I am fine working within the confines and limitations of my current lifestyle. That’s what keeps it real and genuine anyway.

3. How have you grown as a blogger?

I have always been pretty eclectic with my outfit combinations. Literally for as long as I can remember. I was very bashful when I was younger and this was my silent way to express my creativity. Even though I usually looked very different from the crowd, I still hoped to blend in. Well, blogging has helped me get over that insecurity. And now I just wear what I want with pride and confidence. Sometimes, even I think I look ridiculous, but that is half the fun of it. And I will still wear a ridiculous outfit with my head held high and a huge smile on my face. In fact, I pretty much revel in the ridiculous. It keeps life interesting. So I have definitely grown in self confidence because of blogging and have found my mission and purpose through it…to provide a safe place for others to share and express and come together to empower and support one another.

4. What was your favorite post to write?

Honestly, I have quite a few posts that I loved writing. My favorite ones are always the posts that get a bit more philosophical in nature or the ones where I have shared my Bipolar journey. I will list a few of my favorites below, but I have written over 700 blog posts in this space so I know there are plenty more that I loved writing.

Shelbee Says…”Trust the process”:8 Steps for Managing Bipolar Mood Swings / A Bipolar Battlefield / Shelbee Says…”It is up to you how you respond to your fear.” / Shelbee Says…”the only choice you have is to survive…or don’t.” / The Midlife Sex Conundrum / 39 Things I Have Learned on my Journey Out of the Darkness into my Happiness / Strong Like Me / The Evolution of Love / A Girl Walked into a Bar

5. What makes you happy or “walk on sunshine”?

Well, I am a love junkie and a joy addict! Connecting with other human beings on a deeper level really ignites me from somewhere deep inside my soul. I find inspiration all around me…in nature, in my community, in the people I encounter every day…and that inspiration makes me walk on sunshine. I get the biggest rush and the greatest high from forming these magical connections that seem almost ethereal and mystical in a way. Listening to what the universe is telling me and fearlessly following her lead really is like walking on sunshine straight into a utopian existence.

For more inspiration, head on over and read Jess’s answers to the questions posed to her by Anna of The Glam Adventure.

My Jord watch giveaway is still going on as well. You can read all about it here or go directly to the giveaway entry form here. It will be ending soon, so get your entries in now! It only takes a minute and an email address!

And now your featured favorites from last week’s link party.

Rena of Fine Whatever shared her post, Last Week, This Week: In the Midst, March 18-22, where she showcases her weekly work outfits. Always perfectly styled, Rena gives amazing outfit inspiration with these posts.

Rena of Fine Whatever

Mireille of Chez Mireille shared her post, From basic to interesting, showing us different ways to style a basic black dress. Definitely check it out for ideas to make your basics more versatile.

Mireille of Chez Mireille

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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