BLOGGER RECOGNITION AWARD!

Today I am very proud to announce that friend and fellow blogger, Monika from Violet Roots has spread the style blogging love in a major way by nominating me for the "Blogger Recognition Award!" What an honor. I am continually inspired by the empowering, encouraging and uplifting women I have the pleasure of meeting through my personal blog. 

SO I'VE BEEN NOMINATED, NOW WHAT?!

1. Select 5 other blogs you want to give the Blogger Recognition Award to. (Excluding yourself and the bomb ass individual who nominated you!)

2. Write a post to show off your award. Write a brief story on how your blog got started, and as always give it back. Provide some advice to new bloggers!

3. Comment on each blog and let them know you’ve nominated them. Provide a link to the award post you created.

HOW DID KELLMENOW HAPPEN? TELLMENOW TELLMENOW

Truthfully, I was working at LinkedIn and bored out of my mind. I was busy with work, yes, but nothing was satisfying my creative edge. A co-worker commented on how into fashion I seemed and why don't I start a blog? I thought to myself, why haven't I done that already? www.kellmenow.com was born. How did I choose "kellmenow?" Funny story, it was actually already my Instagram handle. I remember in 2011 when Instagram first arrived on my doorstep and a good friend of mine was hounding me to make one (isn't that how it always happens?) However, I was real blocked on creating a cool handle, it was actually insanely frustrating. I remember thinking, "Wow just kill me now.." I think you can see what happened :)

ADVICE TO NEW BORN BLOGGERS, PS: WELCOME!

Don't think you aren't good enough, ever. It's normal to have doubts and a lowered sense of confidence in starting something new that's, well a really big part of your creative self. But guess what: you are good enough. It takes a lot to put yourself out there in line for ridicule. Just getting started is half the battle and already something to be really proud of.

NOMINATIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, BUT SERIOUSLY THEY ALL ROCK)

1. AMBER @ ALL THE CUTE
2. KIA @ HOUSE OF KTS
3. ERICA @ EGG CANVAS
4. TIA @ TIA CHERIE
5. IRA @ JOURNAL OF STYLE

XOXO K

my wcw: sophia bush will change the world, and in many ways she already has

I must start out by saying that I follow Sophia on Instagram and was inspired to create this series, when I noticed that every Wednesday she posted a "wcw." It wasn't photos hot girls in bikinis that she was posting (which is what I was used to), it was promoting women that were changing the world. Given my deep admiration of her and her work I figured that by trying to be more like her, I too, could make the world better. All that being said, where do I even begin? Sophia Bush: 33, actress, advocate, activist and overall amazing human being, an inspiration to women everywhere. My role model. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Sophia yet, but I along with the rest of the world have been inspired by the strides that she has taken to change the world as we know it today.

If you're unfamiliar with Sophia, she got her big break playing Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill (2003-2012). Even just watching Sophia's presence on screen you get the feeling that there is something different about her, something special. I always connected with Brooke as a character and that in turn made me curious to know more about the woman that played her; and a few years back I did some digging on the effervescent Sophia Bush. 

Sophia is as devastatingly beautiful as she is tender hearted and her involvement in a multitude of charities is indicative of that. From Invisible Children, Pencils of Promise, Beach Clean Ups, Animal Rights Organizations, Gay Rights, Environmental Awareness Campaigns, Youth Voting Initiatives and of course, Women's Rights. Specifically Women's Rights in terms of global education and body image. Sophia has a hand in it all and she's not stopping anytime soon. 

"I will not stop until every girl in the world has the same right to education that I had."

Sophia recently co-founded a brand i smell great, which is a perfume/mist line for women. After turning down many opportunities to partner with high profile beauty lines, this choice befuddled the public. Sophia's reasoning was her dismay in watching beauty companies tell women they have to change something about themselves to be beautiful. She felt the overall message to be incredibly disempowering. Sophia chose i smell great because it builds women up, unlike virtually every other beauty product that exists today. Each product at i smell great, just by the saying it's name, you say something positive about yourself. This is a different kind of beauty company and I must say, it has my full respect.

Sophia works as a full-time actress but has been quoted saying,

I love my job, but if it ever started to interfere with my ability to help the world, I would have to find a different job.

I believe that if more people were like Sophia Bush, the world would be a better place. It starts with you, one person can make a difference. I honestly believe that because I've seen it. If we all tried to be a bit more like Sophia, I think we would all start noticing the world begin to change. Go on, start today! You have the power :)

XOXO

Kelly