Remember to click the GIVEAWAYS tab to enter the current giveaway!

Monday, May 3, 2010

my 1st giveaway AND more on Yayoi

I know this is a long post
but believe me ... it's worth reading!
and at the bottom of the post is info on this amazing
mother's day giveaway
Let me tell you about Yayoi. Japanese-born, Yayoi has an amazing command of the English language. In fact, she’s done TV work for both Japanese and American stations. From her picture you can see why she’s in high demand. What you may not be able to tell from her picture is that Yayoi has a heart of gold. Which makes what she’s lived through heart-breaking. Not only has Yayoi survived breast cancer, but she has survived losing everything dear to her. She refers to this event as the “Hostile Takeover”. One morning in 2003 she went to work as usual. By the end of the day she no longer had access to her two daughters, her personal belongings, or her house. Her abusive husband had been planning and scheming, and his actions were hostile, to say the least. This man who under NO circumstance should have been awarded custody of his daughers (details left out to honor their privacy) now had full custody. In Yayoi’s words, “I stood as a witness to what a gross misuse of money, power and religion can do”. Of course, losing her daughters was the worst of it. But imagine how she felt as people who didn’t know the truth looked at her and judged. She said, “I saw miracles unfold before my eyes and knew that God loved me. I had to learn to hold my head up high even though I knew that I was being criticized by those that did not know what really happened. I knew that God and I knew the truth and it didn’t matter what anybody else thought.” Yayoi made the determination to find peace and joy in life. And although she didn’t like this particular plot, to “bloom where [she was] planted” that is exactly what she's done. “I only filled my mind with gratitude. If I couldn’t think of anything, then I would go through the alphabet A-Z thinking of people, places, events, food, color, animals … whatever it took to be grateful, until my heart was truly filled with gratitude.” One of my favorite phrases I’ve learned from Yayoi is: “Everything that happens to me is for my highest good and greatest joy”. (Louise L. Hayes) So this Mother’s Day, as was the case for the past many Mother’s Days, Yayoi will not be with her daughters. Here’s what she’s doing instead:

http://www.networkofstrength.org/

http://www.getonthebus.us/

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Yayoi is a survivor in the truest sense of the word!

*********

Ooooh! I’m so excited for our very first GIVE-AWAY!

Color Connection is giving away an

ESSENTIAL COLLECTION (essential for every woman!)

AND a lipstick of your choice (I think that is also essential!)

Here’s how you enter:

1. go to their site and pick out the lipstick color you’d like if you win (button on the right-hand side of this blog post)

2. leave a comment here telling me which lipstick you’d pick

Additional entries by:

1. become a follower of this blog

2. blog about this and leave a link to your blog in a comment

3. email your friends and family about this giveaway and include me in the email:

lovely.silver.strands@gmail.com

4. follow me on twitter (SilverStrandss … yup, there are 2 s’s on strands)

5. tweet about this giveaway (once per day) and let me know you’ve done it

6. use your facebook status to link others to this giveaway and tell me about it

Good luck! Winner will be chosen and announced on Saturday, May 8th .

15 comments:

  1. I just read your new blog for the first time, I had no idea you were doing this for your mom. You are an AMAZING woman and you have raised your daughters to be AMAZING!! When you have a beautiful face like yours, it doesn't matter if your bald or have hair. I am in total awe of you!!

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  2. Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to write some words! It's the only way to know who visits me and gives me the opportunity to get to know something about you - and finding your blog. It's an inspiration what you did to your mother! Kisses for you and i hope your mother get well soon! Kisses from Portugal : *** TrüSka

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  3. I'm a follower and I love the Teaberry truffle color :)

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  4. I am so excited for you!
    Good luck with it!
    Kisses:)

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  5. what a truly brave and inspiring lady. and for letting you share in her story.

    good luck with the shave. don't forget to rub in sunscreen onto your scalp when you go out.

    thanks for stopping by my blog. always love visitors and comments.

    t

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  6. I don't know how you could have possibly navigated to my strange blog, but thanks for visiting. You are always welcome to comment and participate in certain weekly events that The G-Man hosts...

    Or you may 'lurk' to your hearts content...:-)

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  7. Thank You for coming by..I am glad you like my music. You are on a Journey, and it is pushed by your love, that is wonderful. I will return to see how you are doing...You are very brave, and your love carries you! Mary, Idaho

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  8. What a wonderful post about this courageous woman ~ Yayoi!! Thanks for sharing ~ I will keep, remember and use some of her quotes! And to you ~ BRAVO for such special, wonderful thing to do for your Mom!! Will send good wishes, prayers and Karma her way! I am soon to be a 5 Yr.survivor of a very rare type of sub-glottal throat cancer so know from experience that any and all of the seemingly "small' things that people do for you are of such tremendous help and SO appreciated ~ And it all helps in the healing process! Also - thanks for stopping by! :)

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  9. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I too have "silver strands". I've decided that I'm the new female version of Richard Gere. :)

    What a great tribute to this special woman!

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  10. I too and saying thank you for finding my blog :) I am not only an adoptive parent, but a foster parent AND a cancer survivor too. I am one year post surgery next week (wow!) and what you are doing for your mom is so great.

    As far as lipstick goes -- its been so long, someone else would have to choose for me because i havent a clue! :)

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  11. Very inspiring and heart-felt blog you have here! Thanks for stopping by my site!

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  12. thanks for introducing us to another inspiring lady!
    my color of choice? maple sugar, if not only for its name. :)

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  13. Maple Sugar for me, too.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

    terilybb@aol.com

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  14. And I'm a new follower on bloglovin'.

    terilybb@aol.com

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  15. I am new to your blog and love it here...bless you for what you are doing for your Mom...and what an inspiring story about Yayoi. I too am a breast cancer survivor and lost my Mother to breast cancer 7 years ago...we went through treatments together...God works in mysterious ways...we became very close as a result of our illnesses...a closeness we never had. I will keep your Mom uplifted in prayer...thank you for such an inspirning blog...
    HUGS!
    Vicki

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