One of my dearest bellefriends shared an email with me this month me. It touched my heart and soul deeply. I am delighted to share it with you.

Look at these precious little girls in a line holding hands, facing the immensity of ocean waves. Alone they might be washed away. Together they stand strong.
• All of us girls. old and young… near and far… hold special memories of good times we’ve shared. 

• We’ve had our share of hard times when our friends were there to make us feel better.

• We’ve shared… our hearts, our time, our secrets, our fears, our hopes and our dreams.

Let us never break the chain of friends!

Thank you each for holding my hand somewhere along the way when I was facing a wave of my own. I hope you will reach for my hand when your own wave threatens.

A couple from South Carolina and a couple from the Northeast were seated side by side on an airplane.
 
The girl from South Carolina, being friendly and all, said, “So, where y’all from?”
 
The Northeast girl said, “From a place where they know better than to use a preposition at the end of a sentence.”

The girl from South Carolina sat quietly for a few moments and then replied:

So, where y’all from, bitch?”

I love this! Are you Yankee or Dixie? Take the quiz and see.

My Yankee bellefriend Dena Marino from Staten Island, NY, sent me this quiz. You remember Dena don’t ya? She’s was the woman I blogged about that loves to toot, toot, toot her northern horn full out and on her terms!

Dena is 48% Yankee, that’s according to the quiz, not Dena. Dena would tell you she is 100% Yankee. My score was 61% Dixie, a definitive Southern score according to the computation. I think 61% reflects a little southern rebellion don’t you?

Give it a try….it’s fun! Are you Dixie or Yankee?

100% is pure Dixie and 0% is pure Yankee. 

Access the quiz here. Be sure to let me know your score!

Okay, so… Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me… Happy Birthday to me!

This past weekend, I celebrated my 54th birthday, and it felt FABULOUS! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more comfortable celebrating me and allowing myself to be showered with love, affection and adoration from the people around me. Celebrating who you are IS the Rebel Belle’s first step in Discovering Freedom and Bold Self-Expression, you know. And, these days I’m much better at poking fun at myself and having a boatload of fun.

Last summer, I hosted my first The Rebel Belle Rocks the Weekend party and workshop. A blast was had by all. I tailored the workshop from Suzanne Falter-Barns’ How Much Joy workshop, a fabulous piece of work.

Well, this year for my birthday, I decided to keep the fun going and see just HOW much joy and fun we really could stand. Being that I’m into bold self-expression and all, I asked my guests to create and wear a hat that expressed the essence of who they were.

I’d like to share a few of the pictures with you. Are these hats creative or what? This is truly southern bold self-expression at its finest!

Women at times are so busy taking care of the needs of others, they forget to unconditionally love, honor and nurture themselves. They hesitate to celebrate and openly share their uniqueness with others and fearlessly make themselves #1 in their own lives.Recently, I received this email. It reminded me how fabulous women are, how we love unconditionally and the gift we are to the world.

I share this with you—because it says it all. 

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don’t take “no” for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They’ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH. You are amazing. You are unique. You are a gift to the world.Celebrate you!

In celebration of women, I am offering a free 45-minute consultation with the purchase of my e-guide, The Rebel Belle Guide to Bold Self-Expression – 7 Steps to Discovering Freedom Full Out & On Your Terms! This one time offer and bonus will end December 31, 2006. Order now.