{My 11th Blog Award}

Exactly one week ago I did receive another award from Laura's blog Casita By The Lake, in Canada. She is a very talented blogger friend of mine, whom I admire for her crafts. She too enjoys nature and gardening as much as I do. Thank you so much Laura for passing this on to me!

Well, do I need to tell some more about me? Guess by visiting my blog regularly you by now have figured out who I am and what I love. Still the ROSES and ANGELS score high. And of course people are always of interest. Sharing fond memories, finding virtual soul mates that cherish the same values and high morals as I do, is such a reward! In an economy that is in a downward spiraling mode it is important to find our abilities for creating with our own hands. For stretching the dollar and making use of fine old antiques in a new way. I have been admiring several ladies that manage painting and restoring old pieces of furniture into lovely new family heirlooms. Knitting, crocheting and certainly sewing is on the rise again. That is exactly the way I was raised and taught; luckily. Nowadays the young girls are not being taught all this, unless a parent or grandparent will do so. But this economic downturn is playing a role in reexamining those values and focusing on nesting, making and re-purposing things, to save money.

This is also the aim of my own business: 'Mariette's Back to Basics' as this is what it is all about. Not for showing posts with luxurious dream homes that only a few percent of the population can afford. It is about showing something from ourselves, from our hearts and our own hands. Be it in baking things or creating clothes, gifts, restoring old pieces of furniture and building a nest that reflects oneself. Not copying something from a magazine or posting like some self proclaimed interior designer.

In this respect I always have admired Guy Kawasaki, the former chief evangelist of Apple. He certainly does have some Japanese back ground but he was born in Honolulu.

Guy Kawasaki uses 5 Secrets of Success for trying to stand out from the Personal Branding herd:

• Make Meaning, Not Money.
• Make a Mantra. In three words or less, what are you all about? Kawasaki believes that mission statements are useless. He says, make a mantra instead. FedEx stands for “peace of mind.” What do you stand for, in the simplest terms? Guess my Mantra is: Good Taste and Simplicity.
• Polorize People. He suggests being great for some people rather than trying to please everyone. Do not be afraid to make people react strongly for or against you. As my former business partner used to remind me, you’re not doing something right unless you’re pissing someone off. That doesn’t mean be a jerk. That means just don’t try to appeal to all people, or you’ll end up a mile wide and an inch deep, mediocre to everyone. -- I certainly can attest to that one! Some people who signed out because I do Polorize People!
• Find a Few Soul Mates.
• Don’t Let the Bozos Grind You Down. Not everyone is going to like you. Not everyone will always agree with you. That’s a fact of life. So don’t let criticism or doubters bring you down. As you live out your mantra, it’s your responsibility to be strong in the face of “no,” and “you can’t do that.” Guy says, ignore people who say you won’t succeed. Use negative words as motivation. Prove people wrong. (See a picture of full text at the end of post...)

Now I would like to pass this award on to the following bloggers:

1. A Lovely Journey She suffered a spinal injury in 2009 and needs some visits from all of us!

2. Zaa The Grand Lady from Japan

3. Mari A Pocket Full of Roses She lost her furbaby Pebbles on May 6 and in June her furbaby Bella... Scroll down for following her and leaving her a message to pick her up.

4. Carolyn from ...just one more stitch She has a fabulous GIVEAWAY till midnight October 1st!

5. Denise from All Over Roses

6. Anna from Annashusidingtuna from Sweden

7. Lorraine from Little House in the Hudson Valley

8. Gloria from The Little Red House with the White Porch

Content Creation Tips from Guy Kawasaki