Story Challenge: Tagged “U”

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Tagged U

Uri, Uri, look Up there
it’s Ulla in her Underwear
Understand she’s incomplete
pink Unmentionables
in the street
Ultra heels Unlawful high
Unkempt adolescents sigh
Umpteen grannies look in awe
Unbelievable
what they saw

!!!

Unlock the entries in Frizztext’s Story Challenge: Letter “U”.

Two Cents Tuesday Challenge: Bold

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bold

a glorious gift of colour

A meal at our house where we all manage to sit down together can range from the awe-inspiring to the downright incredible – it is not the quantity or quality of food but rather the tone and variety of conversation that bursts forth as if it has been bottled under pressure and kept hidden in a cool, dark cellar until it was worth savouring.  On a good night our witty banter is a fine champagne, measured and inspiring with just the right amount of kick to keep things titillating yet civilized but on others…. discussion erupts with all the force of a can of soda pop shaken and sprayed over an unsuspecting audience by some guffawing, miscreant five-year old.

Not to say that we don’t act appropriately when the occasion calls for it but the personalities that make up this particular family unit are large, they take up copious amounts of space and if one can get a word in edgewise then the game is truly afoot. The range of subject matter and the rapid-fire pace of exchange can bewilder unassuming guests who thought they were in for a nice quiet meal. Miss Z and the Professor know instinctively that anyone they choose to break bread with better be able to hold their own and with flair, no less….

The best of shared times are like the flowers that grace our table – vividly dynamic, impressively coloured and delightfully engaging so The Two Cents Tuesday Challenge lays out it out that we are  - Bold.

“What shape does bold take for you?” –  A flash of chrome, the walls of home, an umbrella bright or neon light, a favourite font, fishing cat or fearless brat, challenging or conspicuous, brave or brassy …

We would love to see your vision.

For all those who are new readers to Across the Bored, here are some guidelines for the challenge: HOW DOES THIS WORK?

  1.  I will post some commentary on a random topic that pops into my head (such as the above) and then ask you to respond on the same.
  2. Your point of view on the current week’s challenge can take any form: a quote, a motto or saying, an essay, poem or opinion of yours or attributed to someone else, a piece of music, a song, a video, a work of art, photograph, graffiti, drawing or scribble – but it has to be about the topic!
  3. Please, don’t just link to an old post… challenge yourself.
  4. The Challenge will be open for 14 days (there will be a reminder post at the 7 day mark) after which I will post another.
  5. ENJOY, have FUN and TELL your friends and fellow bloggers.

 SO – Create your Two Cents Tuesday Challenge post

  1. Then add a link to your blog in my comment box.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your post, title your blog post “Two Cents Tuesday Challenge” and add the same as a tag.
  3. If you would like your reader to see what others are presenting for the same challenge, add a link to the “Two Cents Tuesday” challenge on your own blog.
  4. Feel free to pick up your badge on the Two Cents Tuesday Challenge page
  5. Remember to Follow My Blog to get your weekly (hopefully) reminders.

iPhoneography Monday: Black and White

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knight

knight – no white satin

Shot with the iPhone 5 native camera, edited in Snapseed, WoodCamera and Camera! for iPhoneography Monday: Black and White.

Have a look at Frames & Focus, Lens and Pens by Sally and Watching the Photo Reels to see the originators of this challenge and their interpretation of the theme.  You may also join the challenge by clicking here.

iphoneography-monday

A Word a Week Photography Challenge – Face

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face

not appearing on a stamp anytime soon

Get up close and personal with the entries in
A Word in your Ear’s Word A Week Photo Challenge - Face.

¿

A Word a Week Photography Challenge – Mountain

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mountain

rocky mountain high

Climb to the top with the entries in
A Word in your Ear’s Word A Week Photo Challenge - Mountain.

★

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: The Season of Spring

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spring

blossoms, like our hearts, burst forth with joy that spring is finally here

❀

Celebrate the new equinox in the entries of
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: The Season of Spring.

Story Challenge: Tagged “T”

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tagged t

Talk not to me of Tipsy Cake
Tantric Tiramisu on a Table
Tart Twisted Tagliatelle
Tasty Toddies when you’re able
Taunt me not with Tacky Tapas
Tough guy Tamales by the score
Tawdry Teas Temerity
Tired Toast is such a bore
Tempt me not with Torte or Trifle
Tinned Tamarinds no Treat
My True Love is a Truffle
Tender Tiny sweet

☺

Treat yourself to the entries in Frizztext’s Story Challenge: Letter “T”.

Two Cents Tuesday Challenge: Random – Week 2

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random 2

does anyone remember what this belongs to?

There are two silver bowls that sit on our desk: one that holds that day’s rings and earrings so we won’t be searching like a wild woman for them in the morning and another that holds various small bits in need of repair, buttons waiting to be sewn back on and unthrowawayables on their way to a project.  Ioanna at life portOfolio wrote unabashedly about her box filled with “unnecessary things”, our neighbour has a garage filled with questionable objects unceremoniously dumped on her by down-sizing relatives, some of us even have warehouse space filled with the flotsam and jetsam of good intentions and plans yet come to fruition.

Everyone has an equivalent, whether it is that odd wedding gift stuffed in the back of a cupboard, the weird plant thriving in the midst of a carefully tended garden or the out-of-place addition on the renovator’s house down the street, we all own, know of or have at least seen in passing things that are right at home in this fortnight’s Two Cents Tuesday Challenge theme, stuff that is – Random. 

Last week, Across the Bored inquired “How does random look to you?” –  A mess on the floor, wildly painted door, clouds in the sky or the reflection in her eyes, an arrangement of fruit or toe of a boot… We would love to see your vision.

For all those who are new readers to Across the Bored, some great entries and the guidelines for this fortnight’s challenge can be found here. Need more info or want to browse past themes? Have a look at HOW DOES THIS WORK.

iPhoneography Monday: Macro

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macro leaves

what the winter left

Shot with the iPhone 5 native camera, no edits
for iPhoneography Monday: Macro.

Have a look at Frames & Focus, Lens and Pens by Sally and Watching the Photo Reels to see the originators of this challenge and their interpretation of the theme.  You may also join the challenge by clicking here.

iphoneography-monday

Story Challenge: Tagged “S”

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tagged s

Sammy was a Sneak thief
Sailed Seven Seas all blue
Sought Sanctuary in the arms
of Stellar Sanguine Sue
This Svelte and Spartan Sceptic
held Swords and Snickersnees
for Safety midst the Snowdrifts Soft
a Sometimes Socrates
So they Sipped Sarsparilla
Savoured love Songs Soulful Spent
Two Spellbound Star-crossed Sweethearts
on a Sunday boat for rent

♥

Regale in the entries at Frizztext’s Story Challenge: Letter “S”.

A bouquet of Awards

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Scrapydo and her adorable dog Trompie sent us a lovely bouquet of 3 Awards! What a lovely Spring surprise to brighten our day and remind us how thankful (and honoured) we should be that yes, we have made a connection with other bloggers who read, benefit in some small way, hopefully laugh and even shake their heads in disbelief at our posts, pictures and postulations! So here they are, in no particular order….

versatilebloggernominations-copy

The Versatile Blogger Award Rules:

  • Thank the person who gave you this award – of course!
  • Include a link to their blog – done!
  • Select and nominate for the Versatile Blogger Award 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly – see below
  • Finally, tell the person who nominated you (and the rest of the world) 7 things about yourself – this is always challenging…

Next up, one we are unfamiliar with:

first-best-moment-award-winner1

Awarding the people who live in the moment
The noble who write and capture the best in life
The bold who reminded us what really mattered
Savoring the experience of quality time

A lovely thought to carry forward and The Best Moment Award Rules are quite simple:

  • Re-post the badge and acknowledgement completely with an acceptance speech (either a video or written post) – done!
  • Pass the award on to 15 other bloggers worthy of the award – these will be the same 15 as the VBA
  • Notify them of the great news -the wonders of the link never cease to amaze…

And last but not least:sunshine-blog-award

The Sunshine Award Rules:

  • Include the award logo in your post or on your blog – of course!
  • Answer 10 questions about yourself (use the ones below or make up your own) – we will fudge this one a bit
  • Nominate 10 other wonderful bloggers – same as above
  • Let the other nominees know they are nominated and include links to their blog – done!
  • Link the person who nominated you – Scrapydo

As these awards were received as a bouquet it seems appropriate that the rules get bundled into a neat little package as well. Below are 7 fun facts about us, 12 questions answered and 15 blogs Across the Bored is nominating for this wonderful trio:

7 things very few people know about Across the Bored:

  • We have shredded enough old, unneeded tax receipts in the last week to fill 6 garbage bags and are still not finished
  • We had a Learner’s Driving Permit for 17 years, don’t ask….
  • Members of the family think it is hilarious to challenge our organizational skills on a daily basis… not funny
  • Given the choice between buying new pants or new shoes, footwear wins every time
  • We can remember where and when 99% of the things we own were acquired, people’s names not so much…
  • We still make the Ghost and Miss Z’s lunch even though they are old enough to do it themselves – this way we know what they are eating and we are up early anyways…
  • We have been accused of being a hipster though judging from appearances one would never guess it

A mix of 12 questions culled from different Sunshine Award sources:

  • What is your favourite Colour – Turquoise
  • What is your favourite Animal – one that doesn’t make a mess in the house or bite
  • What is your favourite Number – 42
  • What is your favourite Drink – almost every flavour of David’s Tea hot or cold
  • What is your favourite Flower – Iris
  • What is your favourite Day – any day that is a good one
  • Who is your favourite Philosopher – Harpo Marx
  • What was your favorite vacation – Maui
  • What is your favourite physical activity – getting out of bed in the morning rested
  • What is your Passion – Art
  • Facebook or Twitter – due to copyright infringement the answer is “no comment”
  • Giving or getting presents – both!

The bouquet of Awards goes out to:

this man’s journey
Aperture 64
under the skies of arkansas
FrontRangeScribbles
My SweetPaintedDreams
Le Superkikke
mamacormier
the bookshelf gargoyle
West Seventh Freelance
The Day After
MOTION Photography
Richard Sugden Photography
matteringsofmind
Animalcouriers
Vastly Curious

For the many blogs who (understandably) don’t accept accolades although they certainly deserve them, follow, read our posts and leave great comments, we send out an Across the Bored Virtual Award – Thank you everyone!

Two Cents Tuesday Challenge: Random

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random

waiting for the bus

In this part of the world, the seasons dictate just how far Across the Bored strays from the comforts of home. In winter, when everything is literally snowed in, we have every excuse to hibernate and apply ourselves to tasks close at hand (or keyboard) but once the sun exposes dusty corners and dog nose prints on windows those indoor pursuits are quickly abandoned. A northern climate can be intense in its fluctuations – one week we are parking-wearing warriors the next everyone has stripped down. In this city the joke runs that as soon as the temperature hits 50F (10C) everyone takes their clothes off and the first thing they do is get out and about to see what has changed since last summer.

That’s exactly what we did: one day not to any place in particular and the next to a destination decidedly more tourist-oriented but on both occasions good weather made us like a kid in a candy shop –  armed with nothing more cumbersome than a phone camera and a few bucks for a gelato and a cold drink, everything looked vividly different.  Excursions should be veritable voyages of discovery, no matter how dull the reason for going out in the first place, no matter how pedestrian, no matter how routine. We just have to open our eyes to opportunity and see things in a different light. The Two Cents Tuesday Challenge throws down the gauntlet to look at your world and find things that are odd, out of context  - Random.

“How does random look to you?” –  A mess on the floor, wildly painted door, clouds in the sky or the reflection in her eyes, an arrangement of fruit or toe of a boot…

We would love to see your vision.

For all those who are new readers to Across the Bored, here are some guidelines for the challenge: HOW DOES THIS WORK?

  1.  I will post some commentary on a random topic that pops into my head (such as the above) and then ask you to respond on the same.
  2. Your point of view on the current week’s challenge can take any form: a quote, a motto or saying, an essay, poem or opinion of yours or attributed to someone else, a piece of music, a song, a video, a work of art, photograph, graffiti, drawing or scribble – but it has to be about the topic!
  3. Please, don’t just link to an old post… challenge yourself.
  4. The Challenge will be open for 14 days (there will be a reminder post at the 7 day mark) after which I will post another.
  5. ENJOY, have FUN and TELL your friends and fellow bloggers.

 SO – Create your Two Cents Tuesday Challenge post

  1. Then add a link to your blog in my comment box.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your post, title your blog post “Two Cents Tuesday Challenge” and add the same as a tag.
  3. If you would like your reader to see what others are presenting for the same challenge, add a link to the “Two Cents Tuesday” challenge on your own blog.
  4. Feel free to pick up your badge on the Two Cents Tuesday Challenge page
  5. Remember to Follow My Blog to get your weekly (hopefully) reminders.

iPhoneography Monday: Nature

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15

end blooms

for every blossom that brightly blooms
there is an equally beautiful end

Shot with the iPhone 5 native camera, edited in Luminar
for iPhoneography Monday: Nature.

Have a look at Frames & Focus, Lens and Pens by Sally and Watching the Photo Reels to see the originators of this challenge and their interpretation of the theme.  You may also join the challenge by clicking here.

iphoneography-monday

A Word a Week Photography Challenge – Orange

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orange gerbera

nature’s bold and beautiful command attention

Let the bright entries catch your eye at
A Word in your Ear’s Word A Week Photo Challenge - Orange.
…

Story Challenge: Tagged “R”

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tagged r

Rico was a Radical
Ran Rules beyond Reproach
Rode Rickshaws in the evening
Roasted Rabbits he would poach
A Rabble-Rouser Rugged
Reptilian in Repose
threw Relentless and Romantic
Ruminations into prose
Like a Rusty Rollercoaster
Rough and Ready from the start
this Reggae Rocking Raconteur
played Russian Roulette with her heart

♥

Regale in the entries at Frizztext’s Story Challenge: Letter “R”.