I just love having contests over here on the PS Blog! It’s great hearing from each of you and getting your feedback. It was so fun reading all of the different opinions and reasons why you chose your favorite image. I have to say a few of you had a great argument for Option Two that I never thought of. Linda was the first to suggest it, “You can see the dress a lot more to see that it’s the same one mommy wore.” Great point!
Even though it was a great idea and a good argument, the winning image by number of votes was Option One: Best Replica. It seems the majority loved how similar the two were. It is pretty neat to see the similarities between the generations. One of my favorite comments from the contest was from Joanna who said, “I vote for #1 because they look so shockingly similar! Go genes go!” Vitaliy and I are still cracking up at the thought of her cheering on genes.
And since I love saving the best for last. No really, I love saving the best for last. You can ask Vitaliy, I have a whole routine about how amazing the last bite on my plate has to be. He thinks it’s absolutely ridiculous. I find it to be absolutely crucial! Back to my point — it’s time to announce the winner of the Starbucks gift card.
In a random drawing, the winner is AMANDA MUELLER!!! She said, “The first picture, being so close to the original and the sweet face. It’s great.” Thanks so much, Amanda, for coming to hang out with us and sharing your opinion. We loved hearing from you.
Thank you all again for participating and for sharing so much love with baby Charlotte and her family. I bet they have absolutely adored reading all of your kind words. I look forward to the next contest. Have a great weekend!
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My Diamond in the Rough
I perused the aisles of the Alameda Antique Fair searching for the “diamond in the rough”. When I go to antique fairs, I don’t always know what that “diamond” is, until I see it. And that’s exactly how it was when I came across an old beat up brown book called Up From Slavery, an autobiography by Booker T. Washington. I am no history buff, but the name sounded familiar and it had that old mysterious look about it that made me so curious to find out what was inside the old crippling pages barely hanging on to the spine. I had no idea that this book truly would be my “diamond in the rough”.
I could go on and on about all of the things this book has opened me up to, but I wanted to share just one section with you today. It truly encouraged me in my business, but the thing I love about most things I learn in regards to my business — they can usually be applied to other areas of life. So if you are out there starting your own business like us and often find yourself discouraged, I hope you find this inspiring. However, if you are reading and you wouldn’t even think of putting yourself through the torture of starting your own business, I hope you will find some area of your life to apply this great message.
Side note: The copyright in this book reads 1900, 1901. That makes all of this even more incredible. This is what Mr. Washington said that sincerely lifted me up.
The following passage was in regards to Booker T. Washington building a school from scratch.
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As I look back now over that part of our struggle, I am glad that we had it. I am glad that we endured all those discomforts and inconveniences. I am glad that our students had to dig out the place for their kitchen and dining room. I am glad that our first boarding-place was in that dismal, ill-lighted, and damp basement. Had we started in a fine, attractive, convenient room, I fear we would have “lost our heads” and become “stuck up.” It means a great deal, I think, to start off on a foundation which one has made for one’s self.
When our students return to Tuskegee now, as they often do, and go into our large, beautiful, well-ventilated, and well-lighted dining room, and see tempting, well-cooked food — largely grown by the students themselves — and see the tables, neat tablecloths and napkins, and vases of flowers upon the tables, and hear singing birds, and note that each meal is served exactly upon the minute, with no disorder, and with almost no complaint coming from the hundreds that now fill our dining room, they, too, often say to me that they are glad that we started as we did, and built ourselves up year by year, by a slow and natural process of growth.
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