Shakespeare Meme!!!!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the work of William Shakespeare. I love the way he takes words & creates images, emotion, philosophy, and rhythm. But most of all I love performing it & watching others perform it. After all, isn't that what he intended? I found this little actor performing on Pinterest. This is not my meme, but wanted to share anyway.

Recently I found a free app for my phone called ShakeShare. The first time I found it & began reading all the memes created using his work, referencing his work, or just referencing the old bard himself, I laughed for HOURS. Literally!
            ....wow, "Literally"? I literally laughed about literature? That was a pun that I did not intend.

This is from Pinterest too.

Anyway, you can find the app here. It's really cool the way you can do things to create a more personalized meme for your use. You can also order paraphernalia from some of the memes, like t-shirts & stuff!

So, after hours of enjoyment, I began getting inspired to create my own Shakespeare memes using my own images. This not only gave me an opportunity to use some really beautiful shots from nature that I have collected, but I also got to revisit some old shots that I forgot I have. These memes might just be the beginning of an addiction! After all, I do have so many images to play with! I just needed an excuse  pull them out of the old digi files, & blow off the proverbial dust so they can breath again.

My memes are not so funny, but more inspirational in some cases, & in others just fit the image. I admit, I did not spend hours digging through the thousands of verses penned by the old man, but I did make decent use of the quotes that I got from ShakeShare.

Enjoy going through them! Let me know your favorites too!

One more thing: William Shakespeare is a bereaved parent too. He lost his 11 year old son. After his son passed, he wrote what I believe to be his four greatest tragedies. At a time in history when photography did not exist, no pictures to look at, no recording of his sweet son's voice, and only a painting for those rich enough to afford one, the pain and emptiness of living without his son must have been monstrous! I found this meme on Pinterest too. I understand totally.

Please, Let Me Explain...

In July of 2011 I posted a blog about why the Lord of the Rings is such a passion of mine. I mentioned an essay I was once given that compared the burden of grief from loosing a child to the burden Frodo carries with the ring he must destroy. I always knew I loved the story, but this hit home. Today I found the essay & want to share it here. This is the original post as well... so now I relish the fact that my sweet 6 yr old boy wants to be Frodo for Halloween, & he is loving his new LOTR Legos. December 14th is a whole new journey when The Hobbit opens in theaters around the world!

I sincerely hope you take the time to read the essay & maybe even my old post. I'm sure you will find inspiration & understanding.

Love & Blessing to all my readers each day.

Passing on the love

Jan 31st, I was awarded the Stylish Blogger Award from Tammy Lee Bradley in her Bliss & Folly blog. It has been nearly two weeks, so I am way over due passing the love forward but I am glad to say I am ready to do it. I spent much of that time pouring over blogs and even the Facebook Notes of a friend and have found my 15 favorite blogs to share with you.

But first I have some rules to include as they were for me.

*Link back to me as the person who gave you the award.  

*Share seven statements about yourself.
*Award fifteen bloggers.

Now for the seven statements about me:
1. I am an identical twin. 2. I love chocolate to the point that I swear I can live off it. 3. I am a twice bereaved mom. 4. I have a Masters of Fine Arts degree with a specialization in Costume Design. 5. I love to travel but don't get the opportunities as often as I'd like. 6. I teach high school theatre. 7. And I am obsessed with Lord of the Rings, LOST, and Star Trek.


Now for the best part. My 15 picks for the Stylish Blogger Award...


Diary of a Mad Fat Woman, by Julianna Wathen is the most inspiring and humorous blog I've ever read....and it's actually not yet a formal blog. Julianna is writing in Facebook Notes & soon to transfer to an official blog. Stay tuned for the announcement when she is up & running.
Little Blue Chairs by Laurie is a major source of my inspiration. She is redoing her house one project at a time and following her before and after shots along with how she does the work is what gets me going on my own home projects.
The Creativity Bug appeals to the crafter in my soul. I love scrapbooking & Sue & Sandy provide great tips and tricks to make crafting even more exciting!
It's a Darn Good Life is simply yummy! Megan's photos are like chocolate for me eyes...so yummy!
Fabienne's brilliant art work with paper crafts & scrap books simply takes my breath away. I adore her work & I'm even learning a little french as I read!
The Mortal Muses are a group of artistic ladies who collaborate on their blog and invite creative input and guest contributors to participate with them. It has been an honor to be chosen as a contributor, and they have the most inspiring work among them.
Shadowhouse Creations, by Jerry is the most amazing resource for PS work. He is creative & generous beyond comprehension. I love everything he offers.
The Coffeeshop Blog is another great source for free downloads & tutorials. Rita is a sweet & creative source of strength. I love reading her blogs, and following her help. It was Rita who helped me create this blog design!
I started participating in a Focus 52 project over at Two Scoopz with Jan. We have quite a talented group & you can join in anytime. Check out what it's all about, It's great fun!
Arlene Harris is a wonderful photographer. I love her blog, Walk With Me On This Journey for the beautiful & very personal images she shares. I find great inspiration in how I live my everyday life there.
The Inspiration Studio, by Kim Klassen is amazing. I love how she turns her photos into such beautiful art. I love the way she shows us where she gets her inspiration and how we can find our own.
At Kat Eye View the reader is invited to share their own images on her blog topic in each post. I love her eye and the world, and her way of taking me to Europe through her images.
For the scrapper in me I love my friend Emily's blog, Through Emily's Eyes. Her paper crafts, great photos, and wonderful sense of humor warms my heart. Go Pink Ninja!
Judy and her AMAZING social networking blog over at Simply Scrapping & Crafts is an entire world of everything you need to know, want to , don't know you know, and even more! SHe has a shop for supplies, tutorials, participation posts & networking opportunities.
And last but certainly not least, Susan, at Mac Thoughts is a brilliant artist trained in traditional film imagery and classic style cameras. She has an incredible way of sharing her city, NY. 


I hope you all find time to brows through these great blogs, full of inspiration for the soul. Be sure to leave them a note & tell them I sent you. And finally, thanks again to TammyLee Bradley at Bliss & Folly for the award, & I am sorry it took so long to Pass the love forward.