Let me tell you why I blog

I blog because I need it.
I blog because of my mom, my most faithful reader.
I blog because of Nicolas, to help him remember.
I blog because I need to keep a record of my thoughts.
I blog because I take pictures.
I blog because I forget.
I blog because of the amazing community of bloggers out there.
I blog because I can.

Sometimes I wonder how much longer I will blog. I find it sometimes difficult and challenging, but then I get a comment that encourages me, or I get a job offer because of what I do, or I get an award by a fellow blogger, and then I know that I will keep on blogging.

The sweet Lost in Sicilia awarded me with a Honest Scrap Award and to be honest, it made my day! I had been thinking about closing the suitcase for good, and then I get a nice pat in the back. So thank you, thank you very much.


This award requires that I write 10 honest things about me, so here we go:

-I am jealous of those who cook with ease.
-I love to eat, this is the main reason why I run.
-Did I tell you that I like wine too? A lot.
-I am a dog person. Cats are just too cold.
-I have a lot of projects in my mind, few of these see the light of day.
-I am afraid of lightning.
-I am a romantic fool.
-I want a tree house. Again.
-Making things makes me happy.
-I clean while listening to music. The dancing, shake your hips, sing out loud kind of music.

There you have it. Now, time to spread the love and award some special bloggers:

Milanese Masala
Frutto della Passione
Burnt by the Tuscan Sun
Italy Tutto
Scattered Moments

100th post giveaway and blog action in one!

Here at Suitcase Contents we are celebrating the big ONE O O. Please, come on in, have a glass of wine, eat some "salatine," get comfortable, and let's start the conversation and the gift giving.

As far as the conversation goes, I am going to get a little serious first, but I promise we will carry on with the party. Some of you might remember my post about the problem that is electronic waste. When I wrote about it, I mentioned that I was going to design a button that we could post on our blogs, which will be a reminder and a pledge to safely recycle our own computers. It took me a while to figure it all out, but I did it! This is the image:



Now, if you click on it, it will take you to the information page, where you can learn a lot about the solutions to e-waste, AND get the code for the button.

When thinking of a giveaway for this post I decided that I wanted a computer related gift, as I am celebrating the joy of blogging and its community. Bloggers not only use computers, you know, for blogging, work, and keeping in touch with family and friends, but we LOVE the silly things. We take them everywhere we go, and we personalize them as much as we can. (We love them so much, we won't let them end up in a landfill.)
So, what to give? I definitely think that a Unique Skin will be a fantastic addition to any laptop, don't you? I first saw this product at Design Sponge and I decided I had to make one of my own. OK, what if you do not own a laptop? The creative minds behind Unique Skins have created all kinds of products, from skins for your cell phone to your MP3 player and beyond. These skins (adhesive-backed vinyl pieces pre-cut to fit your electronic device) are as original as you want them to be. If you are the creative type, you can design your OWN skin, upload the image to the site, and truly personalize your gadget! They also have a fantastic library full of images ranging from nature shots, to patterns, to flags and solid colors for those of you who focus your creativity in your writing. These folks are so nice, that they have donated a custom laptop skin, shipped anywhere in the world, to one of my readers.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. I will choose one winner from all comments on Friday, June 6, at 8:00 AM (Italian time GMT+2), comments will be open until then.

Before I let you go, I want to share with you one gift that I got recently from the wonderful Nonizamboni at Peacock blue. If you have a moment, take a break and enjoy the wonderful world that Noni creates at her blog, with its eclectic mix of great writing, beautiful images, and random thoughts.

Now it's time for the party favors, and I am more than happy to award the excellence in blogging award to:

The creative Amaretto Girl, a fellow artist, and wonderful spirit. You will be inspired, I promise.

Bethany, excellent writer and fellow expat that brings a smile to my face every time I visit her, while making me think about big and little things.

And my new discovered blog pal Becca and her well written blog, full of insight into everyday life. Worth a visit!

You make my day

What do you know? I have been awarded a *you make my day award* by Nonizamboni which pretty much makes MY day! Thank you very much.
I started reading Noni's blog: Peackock Blue via Sunday Scribblings and I just *love* the precious pieces that this incredible woman writes. You should stop for a visit.
Now it is my turn to pass this award forward, make sure you take some time to browse these great blogs as they are worth every second of your time:
Michelle of Bleeding Espresso needs no introduction. If you have followed my blog for a while you know that I look up to Michelle for inspiration. She is smart, funny, a blogger's blogger. I have fallen in love with Calabria through her words.
My new friend Paola has created a masterpiece of a blog. In My Life is not just a blog about cooking, it is so much more! It is a fresh respite in your daily routine. It is a beautifully crafted place to talk about family, love, health and last but not least mouthwatering food.
Jenn from Something to Say is a mom with many talents: she writes, she sings, she takes photos, and she does it all well. I can count on Jenn to bring a smile to my face any day.
Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy is another source of inspiration. Her energy and talent just burst from the screen. She is a gifted photographer and traveler extraordinaire.
What are you waiting for? Click away!