One World-One Heart

PLEASE READ!

TODAY is SATURDAY JAN. 31ST THERE ARE 3 DAYS LEFT - IF YOU HAVEN'T JOINED THE CARAVAN YOU HAVE UNTIL THE LINK CUTOFF TUESDAY FEB. 3RD MIDNIGHT (that is Pacific Coast time)....SO you must calculate where you are and what time it will be where YOU live when it's midnight here.  ANY links I receive after midnight MY TIME will NOT be added and you will be asked to remove your post.  It HAS to be this way - there had to be a cut off sometime.  Really, I'm not mean! Those meeting that deadline will be added - remember that ALL winners will be announced on blogs THURS. FEB. 12th.

PLEASE PEOPLE, I BEG OF YOU...do NOT send me a link to a post that has other things posted with it besides OWOH.  Each link should be a giveaway, event-related post ONLY. No group things, no challenges, no special weekly things....the post MUST be it's OWN entitity to be added to the list. I know that may seem strict or even mean........but you have to realize things are set up this way for a reason...keeping it fair and cohesive and how it was structured from the start.

If someone is actually reading my posts.....I thank you!! XOXO.

I wanted to reiterate a few things, people may or may not read my posts here, but I need to put it out there. In no way do I want to appear harsh (because I'm not) but you must understand with as many emails that I am fielding it would be helpful to me if you read and understood the items below BEFORE asking me to add you.

1. I am adding the links as fast as possible so if yours doesn't appear immediately, be patient, it will get there. I DID have the # of links visible set too low so some weren't visible that were recently added, that has been adjusted.  I NEVER thought it would get this big,WOW!!!!  Be sure to refresh the screen!

2. I am getting partial links without how to list you or your country. I need the FULL link to the actual giveaway post.  Also be sure you have the logo badge in your post.....if you need the code here it is again:

<a = _blank href="http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/"/><img alt="Photo" and border="”0”" photobucket” src=" http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Love2/owohbadgeroundz-1.jpg " hosting at sharing video/></a>

3. You MUST have your giveaway posted with all the proper info/badge, your giveaway etc BEFORE you send me a link.  To say you WANT to be included won't happen without that.

4. You MUST have an easy way for people to leave a comment. There was a problem with one that seemed to be flooding emails with that persons on going comments due to her providers error. She sadly has since had to close her giveaway.   ALSO please don't ask people to jump through hoops asking them to answer a lot of questions or letting you know if they linked back to you. Your link is HERE and IF someone is interested they WILL return again. With now just at 680 it's way too time consuming to stop to answer things in order to enter your giveaway....that's not what this is about. This is an introduction and as such people get a wee taste of you and your blog......the meeting and mingling can go on long after this event is over. The links will remain on this blog.

5. I am trying to answer any and all questions but I am not a Tech person so there are some I am not equipped to answer. I will endeavor to get back to you right away with what help I can give you but when it comes to "how do I post a giveaway on my blog?" you can scroll through the posts here for ALL that information.
ALSO I have added a TRANSLATION button in the upper left corner.......if English isn't your first language you can use that to translate a post to your language to make it easier. Highlight the text and then choose the language.  (I wish I had thought of this sooner)

OK folks, I think that's it.  I truly from the depths of my soul never anticipated this event would grow so wide this year. It's just fantastic and wonderful and magical!

LOTS OF LOVE,
Lisa

image given to me by Lori

FYI:
There is now a translator button at the top of the left sidebar. If English is hard for you then highlight what you want to read and go to the button and choose your language. The text will be translated.

Last minute stuff

Once again here is the code to adding the badge to your post: (for those still coming on board)

<a = _blank href="http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/"/><img alt="Photo" and border="”0”" photobucket” src=" http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Love2/owohbadgeroundz-1.jpg " hosting at sharing video/></a>

Also, if you are still planning to hop on board - you have until FEBRUARY 3RD midnight PST to do so - DO NOT email me your link UNTIL you are ready with your giveaway on your blog.  Be sure ALL your photos and info are contained in ONE post. Please tell me how you want to be listed and what country you are in.

Thank you for your attention!!

Love,
Lisa
Your host AND a participant

Don't forget to stop in at my blog as I am not just the host but I have a giveaway as well! #25
www.awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com



.a   ..

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER!!!

As you can see we are now over 400 participants for this event..........I am thrilled!  I made this years event a little longer than the last 2 years due to the shear volume and how long it takes to get through the list, see blogs, comment, look around etc.  for everyone. 
Due to the length of time between the start up and winner announcements there is STILL time to get in on this. However I am going to have to give a cut off date for sending me new links. 

FINAL DATE TO EMAIL ME YOUR LINK:  FEBRUARY 3rd before midnight PST.(If you are too late I will be emailing you)  If you hop on by this last day you will have about a week for people to visit you as part of the event. So sooner is better than later if you can. Tell your friends!

DATE YOU SHOULD CUT OFF YOUR OWN COMMENTS (ON YOUR BLOG): Sometime on the FEBRUARY 11th  Give yourselves time to pick a winner and ready your post for announcing the next day.

DATE TO ANNOUNCE YOUR WINNER OR WINNERS: FEBRUARY 12th  Be sure to contact your winner(S) to let them know.

If you aren't sure how to do be a part of this event read HERE.

Due to shear volume there may be mistakes made by me either in the list name, country or even the link..........or maybe you don't even see your blog name. If any of this happens it's important to email me immediately so it can be rectified. I apologize for any problems but I think you understand it can happen with this many. If you know the # to your blog please include that.

I have received such sweet comments and emails, please know I appreciate them but it's just not possible to respond to them all at this point (I'm sure you understand)
I DO THANK YOU SINCERELY and FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for all your positive feedback. It is my true pleasure to put this together each year as more and more are loving the new connections they are making! That's the point folks and it makes me very happy to see and hear. There is a lot of talent out there too, wow! I am less than half way through commenting on your blogs (I need to be able to thank each one of you) and I can't believe the generosity and lovely blogs I've seen for the first time so far.
Don't forget I am not only your host but a participant as well so come on by.

Love,
Lisa
www.awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com

Please note: this event is NOT affiliated with something called Blog Candy. I've seen this mentioned on some blogs and it has nothing to do with OWOH. Just wanted to be sure there was no confusion. Thank You.

♥ ♥ ♥

A Clarification and some general info

This may seem like a terribly shameless plug or a form of self promotion but believe me that is NOT my intent whatsoever.   The thing is that many believe this event blog to be my regular blog when in fact it is only used for this event.  I have a regular blog like all of you and although I am the host of this event I am also a participant like all of you.
So as not to be confused my daily art/life blog is www.awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com.

If you send me a link and all is well I will add you as soon as humanly possible.....IF There is a question I will then email you..... Otherwise watch for your listing to appear. If I make a mistake on your listing let me know but please include your link# so I can readily find you and correct it.  You do not need to email with a link to your blog unless you have already posted your giveaway as part of this event. It is NOT TOO LATE to still participate.....there are roughly 21 days left so there is still time to come on board.

CLICK HERE to learn how to participate!

I am sure you have noticed I have included your country after the name....IF there is not one listed for you it is because I couldn't find anywhere on your blog to let me know where you are from.....you will need to let me know and I will add that. It's nice to see how many countries are represented in this global event.

Word of mouth is the best way to spread the word through Blogland so tell your friends who may not know about this. REMEMBER when trying to come up with a giveaway the best rule of thumb is to ask yourself "would I want to win this?" for whatever it is.
So far I am struck by the diversity and cleverness and talent and generosity out there!

FOR NEWCOMERS: LINKS ARE SENT TO ME VIA EMAIL AT oneworldoneheart@comcast.net  ONLY-
 COMMENTS HAVE BEEN CLOSED HERE SINCE THIS BEGAN! Click next at the end of this post to scroll to other posts that carry ALL the details.

When this event is over the list here will remain up for 6 months to give ample time to do more mixing and mingling but that is all this blog will be used for.  Later in the year, around October there will be information here for the next event in 2010 (fingers crossed).

Ok, enough of my rattling on..............THANK YOU for ALL your positive feedback on this event.........it truly makes me happy that you are all enjoying this and you're finding new and wonderful people!!

In my book you are ALL wonderful!!

Love,
Lisa

It had to mentioned it here.........

I know this isn't my regular blog to speak about life etc. but I couldn't let this go by today.............Let us not forget this day.....
President Obama!!............what a day in our history. What a momentous occasion that will give this country hope and renewal and a new sense of community!!!  I couldn't be happier that this wee little event between bloggers all over the world is happening during this moment in our American history!

Love,
Lisa
www.awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com

It's Rockin' and Rollin'

HI everyone................as you can imagine the links are coming fast and furious and I am doing my very best to keep up.  BUT there could be a slip up or two along the line.
IF you have emailed me your link and it's been quite a while and it's still not up PLEASE email me to let me know.  IF I have listed you incorrectly, let me know.  IF a link doesn't work or go to the right blog, please let me know.   IF you do email regarding one of the links please tell me what # it is.
I appreciate all your sweet words about this event.....please know I haven't had a moment since 1:30 this morning to get around to everyone....but I WILL most certainly.
HAVE FUN!
and remember if you don't have a giveaway ready it's NOT too late to join in!!! So think about it.....there's plenty of time as long as you leave yourself time before it ends on February 12th!!

Love,
Lisa

www.awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com

THANK YOU EVERYONE - THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED AND THOSE STILL TO JOIN IN. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE THE TIME TO REVISIT THE BLOGS YOU'VE BEEN SPARKED BY....THAT YOU WON'T JUST LEAVE YOUR NAME IN THEIR GIVEAWAY NEVER TO RETURN. LOOK AROUND, OPEN YOUR EYES AND OPEN YOUR HEARTS TO THOSE KINDRED SPIRITS JUST WAITING TO BE MET! PEOPLE MAY MOVE YOU NOT ONLY WITH THEIR ARTISITC TALENT BUT BY THEIR STORIES...THEIR ABILITY TO ARTICULATE.....BY THEIR HEADS AND HEARTS.  BOOKMARK YOUR FAVORITES, WRITE DOWN THEIR NUMBERS FROM HERE SO YOU CAN GO BACK....MINGLING IS ONE THING....TRULY MEETING ANOTHER!! 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ...DON'T SKIM THROUGH! Last minute wrap up before it all begins on MONDAY!

1/18 EDITED TO ADD: Any links you see added prior to tomorrow are those bloggers who reside in the Southern Hemisphere where it is ALREADY the 19th.
ALSO, I had to close comments starting today so any questions please email me and PLEASE READ below!




PLEASE PLEASE Do NOT send me a link to your blog yet. There is NO pre sign ups and no one will be added to the list until Monday and even then you must be ready with a OWOH giveaway post to be added to the list at that time!!

I wanted to give a couple of instructions for those that don't know how to include the badge in their giveaway post so it is clickable back to this blog - as above.
This is especially important if you are fairly new to blogging AND you've never been part of OWOH before.

<a = _blank href="http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/"/><img alt="Photo" and border="”0”" photobucket” src=" http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Love2/owohbadgeroundz-1.jpg " hosting at sharing video/></a>

In Blogspot...............on your compose page there are 2 tabs, one says Compose and the other says Edit Html.  Click on the HTML tab and copy the code (above) and paste it in there. Then click the Compose tab and the logo will appear.....you can then begin your giveaway post below that.

In Typepad ....................on your compose new post screen there will also be 2 tabs...one sayd Rich Text and the other says Edit Html.  Click on the Edit Html and paste in the code below. then click the Rich Text tab and the logo will appear, as above you can then do your giveaway post below that.

I would assume it's basically the same for blog hosts other than the above two.

On Monday or after your GIVEAWAY post should include the following information:
Let people know you are part of this event
You have a giveaway and that to win people need to leave a comment on THAT post only for a chance to win. Make sure you let them know if it's open to EVERYONE or active bloggers only and you need to be able to contact the winner(s).
Make sure you let people know it will end February 12th when you announce the winner or winners(if you are giving away more than one item)
Show good photos and maybe a wee description of your giveaway items.
Let people know to click the logo if they want to know more about this event.

NOW, once you've done all that email me the link to THAT post ON of AFTER Monday
If you don't know what I mean by that......
click on the title of your giveaway post and it will bring it up in a new window. There will be a URL at the top showing your blog name/date/post title.  It is THAT you will need to copy and paste in the email to me.
Also put OWOH Link in the subject line.
OH AND LASTLY, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW YOU WANT TO BE LISTED ON THE PARTICPANT LIST.  SOMETIMES THE URL NAMES AND THE NAME ON THE BLOG DON'T MATCH!!

I think I have covered everything but you never know. I know it's easy to just skim over all this verbage but you'd be surprised how much people are missing.

SEE YOU ALL ON MONDAY!!
Comments here will be closed starting Monday.....
everything will be done via email
[oneworldoneheart@comcast.net]

Love,
Lisa

I am so excited!

FROM MY HEART

To all you wonderful bloggers out there, the day is fast approaching for this event (as I call it) and I am excited and oh so joyful that others are excited as well. 
Rather than post all the details again (which you can scroll back and read) I wanted to talk about something else to do with OWOH and that is the connections.  The whole idea behind doing this and trying to get as many as possible to join in, was and is to meet new and wonderful people. Bloggers come from all walks of life, all socioeconomic backgrounds, all areas of the world, female, male......some are artists exclusively, some dabble, some are professionals in various areas, some are stay at home parents, some are teachers, some are very young and some are up in years. The common denominator in blogging is that we all have stories to tell....be it through visual means or life stories or the day-to-day or art work or handwork of varying kinds or poetry and journaling.  We can be inspired or inspire others by finding a blog and taking the time to read/see someones story. Often times a spark happens....this palpable spark of recognition through kindred understanding and shared passions in life. It is in those times when we take a moment to comment and comment again.......when those comments are reciprocated a discovery is made that we share commonolaties which connect us sight unseen.  Sometimes we may live on separate continents or at either end of the same country or even discover you hail from the same general area. By paying attention, by connecting with others, we are creating a circle of amazing individuals who can literally enhance our lives and we can enhance theirs.
In the first 2 years of hosting OWOH I came away with an amazing sense of how genuinely good people are and how open their hearts are.  I've read blogs where since they participated as a fairly new blogger made connections that stuck.....art swaps began, shared stories and so on built to a genuine friendship.  That makes my heart sing as that is precisely the goal here.
The giveaway portion is like hosting an open house......as if we were all living in this gigantic neighborhood where once a year we visit homes to meet, reacquaint and get to know one another. At each home there are samplings of goodies that you have a chance to take home like a door prize. You leave your name and at some point each home choses a winner or winners......and now you not only have met a new "neighbor" and you've seen where they live.....you have something that someone lovingly chose to give..... AND visa versa.
I am not just the host I am also a participant. I will be having a giveaway like everyone else and also entering to win one like everyone else. My chances are no better or worse than yours. BUT for me it truly is much more than that.........it's finding the YOU I haven't met yet or reacquainting with the YOU I may have met in passing.  It's discovering what a truly small planet it is and how fascinating the people are.
Don't let the fact you live in a far off place stop you from participating or entering a giveaway......this is meant to be global and the old saying "the more the merrier" is quite appropriate. We really are ONE WORLD after all.... ONE WORLD of bloggers with a collection of open hearts!

Monday it all begins.......I hope you will hop on board the Gyspy Caravan or at least come and see where it takes you around blogland. 
IF you are NOT ready on Monday that's fine......you can hop on board at any time...just leave some time for people to find you before it ends!

♥ Love ♥,
Lisa

P.s. Four important reminders.........
1. Please be sure your blog has an easy way to leave a comment. We don't want to have to sign up for anything in order to comment......some may have to enter email addys, URLs and your name....that's fine...it makes finding a person easier. It's those that require you to FULLY sign up with home address etc. that turn people away.
2. Be sure that when you leave a comment you can be traced back, if you win something the giver must have a way to let you know!!
3. Please have the badge as part of your giveaway post (with a link to this blog) so it's readily obvious you are a participant even though you are on the list....and those who may visit without knowing about this can see what it's about.
4. VERY IMPORTANT: starting Monday comments will be closed here, you must EMAIL me the link to your giveaway post [oneworldoneheart@comcast.net] and be sure it says OWOH LINK in the subject line!!

WE BEGIN IN ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS EVENT BEGINS IN ONE WEEK ON JANUARY 19TH...........................ANY LINKS SENT TO ME WITH GIVEAWAYS ON THEIR BLOGS NOW WILL NOT BE ADDED. THE INSTRUCTIONS SINCE OCTOBER CLEARLY STATED THE DATE AND THAT NO GIVEAWAYS STARTED PRIOR TO THE EVENT DATE WOULD BE ADDED!!!
SO.....IF YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR OWOH GIVEAWAY UP PLEASE REMOVE IT FOR ANOTHER WEEK SO YOU ARE NOT LEFT OUT!

I know everyone is anxious, as am I, but to keep things cohesive and on track (especially for me who will be adding all the links) I ask that you please, please WAIT my friends............7 more days!!! 

Thank you so much for your patience!!!!

Love,
Lisa
XOXOXOXO