This year marked one that was truly blessed and filled with such positivity for me!

To commemorate my thankfulness for all this year delivered to me, I brought to life The Blushed Award. A special prize of amazing proportions! This is the first of many Blushed awards to come, as I intend to make it an annual homage to honor amazing individuals in our midsts.

Much deliberation was needed to make this decision. The panel of judges received so many amazing nominations. We narrowed it down, several times . . . until there was one last difficult choice. Thank you so much to everyone who entered and/or nominated someone they love dearly. Each nomination was emotionally moving!

I read about truly amazing individuals and was given incredible insight to the lives they lead. It was humbling, encouraging and so touching to read every one! There are some huge superheroes out there, and I feel blessed to have had their stories shared with me and The Blushed Award team. This year’s winner was nominated with several heartfelt nominations–some that have continued to come in even after the deadline.

She is clearly someone others value and appreciate dearly. The time so many people took to write about this special lady’s personal touch in their lives was truly inspiring and quickly moved her story to small pile of finalists.

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Here are the submissions that were sent in about our recipient:

Answering the question What makes her special?

[blockquote][She] brings so much light into the world. She regularly hosts resource gathering efforts for Harvesters, and a family each holiday season. She writes a blog and always writes sassy, empowering, down to earth posts that lift folks up and make the world feel like a place you want to do more for. She’s Good People, has a wicked wonderful sense of humor. She is an avid supporter of folks that are less privileged. She is passionate about her loves – her husband, her pets – the Iditarod. She regularly posts "love bombs" on FB for people to have space to spread the love for their friends and also to state what love and support they need. I love her and I love the light she brings into this world.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] hosts multiple donation drives and fundraisers throughout the year, benefitting folks like Harvesters, local shelters, etc. Her doors are always open to anyone who needs somewhere to be for the holidays or any time. She rescues animals, operates a mobile free library to provide books to people, and champions kindness and integrity on her blog. I can think of no one more deserving than [her]![/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] spend her time uplifting, being kind, stunningly witty and funny and doing her damnedest to make her corner of the world a happier, better, more accepting and more loving place. She regularly throws "love-bombs" on Facebook and on her blog, encouraging people to post loving things about friends, uplifting everyone’s spirits in the meantime. She and her hubby regularly host parties for various causes, encouraging friends to become involved. This coming Saturday, the "Buffalo Stampede" will convene at their house, where tons of presents,, having been purchased by the friends, from the wish-lists, sizes and preferences for each of the selected family, will be beautifully wrapped and made ready for delivery. This family will have an amazing Christmas, all due to the organization and thoughtfulness of [her]. She makes the world a better place.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] is the most giving person I know. She is a local pioneer for the Little Free Library, by bucking her neighborhood rules and making hers mobile. Not a holiday goes by that she doesn’t open her doors wide open to anyone feeling orphaned. She hosts multiple food and gift drives a year for harvesters, local shelters, and any local tragedy that pops up, posts a well followed daily "people being nice to each other" feature, hosts a blog that speaks for itself, and often starts love bombs and random acts of kindness that take local Facebook by storm. And she’s funny!!! So very funny! When you meet [her], you meet a good friend for life! She’s truly one, if not the best person I know![/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] is constantly…and I mean CONSTANTLY…trying to make life better for others. Every get together at her home is done with a cause, whether it is a table top game party that functions as a food drive, or a holiday party that serves as a wrapping party for an adopt-a-family drive, she rallies friends together to help others. She encourages people to be better, to DO better. Even on her Facebook page, she drops "love bombs" periodically to challenge people to recognize and share the good they see. She donates time,money, and energy to worthy causes all over KC. I can’t think of anyone more deserving. I truly can’t.[/blockquote]

[blockquote]Her smile! You will never meet a more positive, encouraging, uplifting person than [her]. She dedicates herself to creating a bright spot in the world for anyone who needs it, to bringing attention to those doing good, and making sure people have whatever they may need. [She] has a skill for bringing together people who can help each other. She has a gift with words that she shares via her blog. She coordinates several fundraising gatherings and benefits each year–just among friends–to benefit Harvesters and local shelters. If there is an opportunity to take action she’s leading the charge and we all happily go along with her. Animals, kids, everyone wins because of [her]! I am proud to call her my friend and I look up to her on a daily basis.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] is the kindest most giving person I know. If she is having a bad day she doesnt whine she starts a love bomb on facebook. Picking multiple people she knows and telling them why they are fantastic and asks them to love bomb the people they know. She organizes book drives, food drives, adopt a family for Christmas, etc all year long. She constantly points out people being nice to each other and urges every one to be kind. She is never pushy just living by example. She is a fantastic individual and deserves a little pampering herself![/blockquote]

[blockquote]Oh man, where do I start? I mentioned the loves-everyone piece above, and she really does. I don’t know how the hugeness of her heart and love and unconditional acceptance can even be explained. The past several years I’ve been included in a holiday Angel Tree initiative that [She] not only organizes and leads, but also hosts in terms of a wrapping party for way more gifts than any family would ever even hope to receive, but on top of that, she still sends those of us participating home with little gifts of our own. This woman is ALL LOVE, ALL the time. She maintains a blog of awesomeness, is always up for assisting with helping where needed, has opened her home to several critters in need of a new family to love, and has walked her neighborhood pulling a mobile book wagon to help get literacy out to those who need something new and fun to read. She inspires everyone who knows her to rise above and be awesome every single day. I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t think the absolute world of this amazing woman. Please, please, give [her] the returned love that she so deserves!! :D[/blockquote]

[blockquote]As I said above, she is inspiring to so many people. In addition to her hard work at self-improvement, she is always trying to do good. For her birthday and on several other occasions throughout the year, she organizes a food or clothing drive to donate to local charitable agencies like Harvesters, The Willow Domestic Violence Center, or Headquarters Counseling Center. Each year for Christmas, she organizes a group to adopt a family through The Children’s Place to spread a little bit of joy. Additionally, she takes amazing care of her husband, three cats, and two dogs.[/blockquote]

[blockquote]She is probably THE most selfless person I know. Every year she and her hubby adopt a family for Christmas and rally their friends to give said family a truly spectacular Christmas. She loves giving love-bombs and I am so lucky to count her as a friend.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] has a knack for putting people together to make a difference, for inciting excitement for a cause, and for throwing her whole self into everything.
She gives ceaselessly and hates to feel powerless.
This cool woman will, in the next several weeks, complete her personal goal of walking the equivalent of the Itidarod–as part of her journey to better health and weight loss. She is still adjusting to her changed body and this makeover will give her an added boost.
Plus, she’s smart and always makes us laugh.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] spends a lot of time looking out for others and making sure they are well. Besides that she is just bad ass.[/blockquote]

And entries for the question Why is she in need of a complete makeover?

[blockquote][She] has been on a gentle self loving quest this year to wrangle her health. She’s made epic strides and rewarded herself with a hair cut, that I recall she said was a long time coming. She’s invited her lady friends over for every to "level up their girling" and we talked makeup and makover stuffs. She’s claimed in the past to "not know how to girl" meaning hair and make up and stuff. Though I think she’s being hard on herself.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] puts everyone before herself, and is definitely deserving of some pampering. She’s also been working very hard to lose weight and has come a great distance on that journey. In addition, she’s had a few tragedies recently that take a toll on a woman’s body, so a makeover will surely be a way to help her relax and rejuvenate and feel even more fabulous than she already is!![/blockquote]

[blockquote]As many plus-sized gals do, she suffers from insecurity and self-esteem issues, regardless being married to a wonderful, loving man. I believe that wasn’t raised with a lot of good, supportive tips on how to dress or do make-up but she has one of the most brilliant, sunny smiles anywhere.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She]’s one of those people that does everything for everyone else but seldom anything for herself. She had recently lost A LOT of weight, in her pursuit of extending her family. I’ve heard her say many times that she wants to learn to be more girly. This previous year she suffered a miscarriage, yet she didn’t let her own sorrow slow down her love for others. I think it’s her turn for some loving attention, and I hear that you’re the best![/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] has been working tirelessly to improve her physical health, and has dropped several sizes. As women, we all have times that we feel less than gorgeous. She is beautiful, inside and out. I would love to see her inner beauty completely manifest in a way that SHE can see. Additionally, she has had some really difficult events that take a toll on a woman’s emotional well being and sense of self, and knowing she is a magnificent, gorgeous creature will help her reclaim some of that.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] encourages the world by being her authentic self. She has gone through some physical and emotional battles that would bring people to their knees and yet she maintains her positive outlook. She is on a journey to better health and has lost a significant amount of weight. She doesn’t hide from the ugly in the world but refuses to let it win. This makeover would be an opportunity for her to be in the spotlight and take a few minutes to really allow herself to be spoiled.

[blockquote][She] is about half way through her weighloss goal, becoming more fit and healthy. She always does everything for others and rarely herself.[/blockquote]

[blockquote]In the tried and true, loves-everyone-and-denies-herself hippie fashion, [she] sported lonnnng hair (that was usually hidden up in a clip) until about a year ago, when she decided to cut it all off. Now she’s got the short and cute thing going on, but has admitted on multiple occasions that she struggles with "how to be girly" and has only recently been admitting a newly found love of adorbs fashion that she (still, argh, why??) refuses to indulge in regularly. I would LOVE to see this superstar given a full makeover and shown how her (really, quite spectacular already) brilliance can be taken to the full-out GLAM level.[/blockquote]

[blockquote][She]’s been working hard to improve herself by losing weight and getting more active. Since March of 2015, she’s walked over 700 miles, bit-by-bit, day-by-day, in a concerted effort to improve herself. A couple of setbacks this year in trying to start a family have taken their toll, but she still keeps going. She is truly inspiring to many people around her, including me, her husband. She can be introverted and somewhat self-deprecating, and I know she doesn’t always feel beautiful, despite all the positive changes that have been happening. I think this would be an awesome experience for her to help her feel as beautiful on the outside as she is inside, and to feel as beautiful as I see her.[/blockquote]

[blockquote]She’s lost a bunch of weight (and is still working on losing more), and needs to see herself for the beautiful person we all see her as![/blockquote]

[blockquote][She] works hard for everyone except herself and deserves to pause a minute to know amazing we all think she is. We are all hopeful that, after years of disappointment, that 2016 will bring her the new title of Mom. She needs this respite before her focus shifts to a long-term project![/blockquote]

It is my pleasure to announce the winner of The 2016 Blushed Award . . .

Tricia Rightmire!!!

Your prodigious selflessness and generosity has not gone unnoticed. You inspire and bless all who encounter you and you do it with effortless grace and deep sincerity. I am so humbled to give the first ever Blushed Award to you, as you exude all The Award was meant to be. Please accept this gift of love from all those who cherish you and wanted to honor you with this prize.

Congratulations, and here is to an amazing new year! Thank you again to all who applied and nominated someone. It is my hope that this blessing becomes bigger every year allowing for many amazing people to be honored.

Anyone interested in being involved in next year’s “Award Prizes” feel free to contact me.

May all of you have a year so blessed there is not room enough to contain it!