Find Beauty Challenge: Beautiful Video!

Here's another absolutely, truly beautiful video that was uploaded to my FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE.

Check out this touching tribute to friends. Love it. Aren't you inspired to make your own video? I'm working on mine... Remember, contest ends at the end of March.

COMPLETE DETAILS:
Tell the world what you find to be Truly Beautiful! Just upload a 90-second video describing what real beauty means to you...and you could win yourself an iTouch! PLUS, for every uploaded video, I'll donate $10 (up to $1,000) to Global Surgical Outreach, an amazing group that helps kids with cleft lips and palates in the third world.

Here's what to do:
1. Record a 90-second video essay about what's truly beautiful to you!
2. Upload the video onto YouTube.
3. Then...send a link to north@marthabee.com. (Martha Brockenbrough--tech guru and my friend of much wonderosity--will link your video to the North of Beautiful YouTube channel.)
4. Tell all your friends to RATE your video.

The Official Rules for the NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL: FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE:
1) The Top 5 videos will be chosen by YOU based on the most views and highest ratings. So be sure to tell all your friends to vote for you! Any ties will be broken by the North of Beautiful team.

2) The North of Beautiful team will score the five finalists on A) 40 percent emotional appeal (humor, pull-on-the-heartstrings, incites activism, etc.); B) 40 percent content (clean, widespread appeal across audiences, plot – if applicable, scriptwriting – if applicable); and C) 20 percent professionalism (smooth transitions, stable video, non-jarring editing cuts, constant audio levels).

3) All videos must contain original content. Your entry indicates you understand this and have the legal rights to distribute your video.

4) Any videos deemed inappropriate by the North of Beautiful team will be removed. Please don't upload anything that wouldn't, say, be shown on television during prime-time hours, or anything you wouldn't want to watch with your first-grade teacher. So no nudity, profanity, or racial slurs.

5) The contest will run from 12:01 a.m. Feb. 1, 2009 until 11:59 p.m. Mar. 30, 2009. Anything submitted before or after the deadline can't be considered.

6) Justina will donate $10 for every uploaded video (for a maximum of $1,000) to Global Surgical Outreach to help fund facial surgeries for kids in the third world.

7) The Find Beauty Challenge is open to people over 14.

8) The Grand Prize winner will receive one iPod Touch. 3 runners up will receive fabulous gifts, such as an autographed collection of Justina's novels, other free books, etc.

Find Beauty Challenge

I made a pledge to tie all my books to community service somehow. So...in honor of North of Beautiful's imminent release...I give you a sneak peek at the NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL: FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE!

Tell the world what you find to be Truly Beautiful! Just upload a 90-second video describing what real beauty means to you...and you could win yourself an iTouch! PLUS, for every uploaded video, I'll donate $10 (up to $1,000) to Global Surgical Outreach, an amazing group that helps kids with cleft lips and palates in the third world.

Here's what to do:
1. Record a 90-second video essay about what's truly beautiful to you!
2. Upload the video onto YouTube.
3. Then...send a link to north@marthabee.com. (Martha Brockenbrough--tech guru and my friend of much wonderosity--will link your video to the North of Beautiful YouTube channel.)
4. Tell all your friends to RATE your video.

The Official Rules for the NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL: FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE:
1) The Top 5 videos will be chosen by YOU based on the most views and highest ratings. So be sure to tell all your friends to vote for you! Any ties will be broken by the North of Beautiful team.

2) The North of Beautiful team will score the five finalists on A) 40 percent emotional appeal (humor, pull-on-the-heartstrings, incites activism, etc.); B) 40 percent content (clean, widespread appeal across audiences, plot – if applicable, scriptwriting – if applicable); and C) 20 percent professionalism (smooth transitions, stable video, non-jarring editing cuts, constant audio levels).

3) All videos must contain original content. Your entry indicates you understand this and have the legal rights to distribute your video.

4) Any videos deemed inappropriate by the North of Beautiful team will be removed. Please don't upload anything that wouldn't, say, be shown on television during prime-time hours, or anything you wouldn't want to watch with your first-grade teacher. So no nudity, profanity, or racial slurs.

5) The contest will run from 12:01 a.m. Feb. 1, 2009 until 11:59 p.m. Mar. 30, 2009. Anything submitted before or after the deadline can't be considered.

6) Justina will donate $10 for every uploaded video (for a maximum of $1,000) to Global Surgical Outreach to help fund facial surgeries for kids in the third world.

7) The Find Beauty Challenge is open to people over 14.

8) The Grand Prize winner will receive one iPod Touch. 3 runners up will receive fabulous gifts, such as an autographed collection of Justina's novels, other free books, etc.

Find Beauty Challenge: Miss Erin

When I think of True North, I think of Miss Erin. Just listen to what she and her friends have to say about Beauty for the Find Beauty Challenge.



You've got until March 31 to create your own video essay about True Beauty. So challenge yourself! Tell the world exactly what you think.

Find Beauty Challenge: Another Beautiful Video!

The video essays for the North of Beautiful: Find Beauty Challenge are coming in!

Check this one out!



Remember to vote for your favorite video! Better yet, make your own video essay and tell the world what you think True Beauty really is. The winner gets an iPod Touch...and I'm donating $10 (up to $1000) for ever uploaded video to fund reconstructive surgery for kids with cleft lips in third world countries.

A huge shout out to my in-laws for donating $100 to the Challenge! Thank you, Bill & Robbie!

Find Beauty Challenge: Another Beautiful Video!

I'm so loving the video essays people are composing for the Find Beauty Challenge, telling the world what's truly beautiful! Check this gorgeous one out care of Traci. My favorite line: beauty is jumping into life.



Remember: you've got until March 31 to create your own video. I'm donating $10 a video (up to $1,000) to fund cleft lip surgeries in the third world. So tell the world: what is True Beauty?

Find your way to Your Beautiful. Today.

Find Beauty Challenge: The Playlist!

Little Willow and Miss Erin have unofficially declared themselves the personal mix masters for NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL.

Here's another song that Little Willow has sent to me, which is perfect for the Find Beauty Challenge.



So get yourself together there... Create a 90-second video and tell the world what's truly beautiful to you.

I have the most glorious iPod touch ready to give the winner of the Challenge.

AND my in-laws have contributed to the cause. We're giving away up to $1000 to fund reconstructive surgery on kids with cleft lips and palates in the third world.

So now you think we're ugly,
like I don't have enough to worry about.
Why do you think I'm ugly?
Which magazine did ya read so you could judge me now?

Find Beauty Challenge: My Editor

My editor, Alvina Ling, is Pure and True Beauty. Need proof? Just watch her submission to the Find Beauty Challenge.

Find Beauty Challenge: The Janet + Molly Show!

Check out what two of my critique group partners have to say about True Beauty: Janet Carey and Molly Blaisdell. I love these women. I love what they have to say.



Pull your video essay together for the Find Beauty Challenge. Your 90 seconds can change a kid's life! I'm donating $10 (up to $1,000) for every uploaded video to fund reconstructive work on kids with cleft palates in third world countries.

Find Beauty Challenge: Last Day!

So today is the last day for the North of Beautiful Find Beauty Challenge.



Get your 90-second video essay in! Tell the world what's Truly Beautiful to you. You'll be helping children in the third world since I'm donating $10 (up to $1000) for every uploaded video to fund reconstructive surgery for kids with cleft lips.

Here's some inspiration...a Valentine sent to me from Little Willow, another song about beauty.

Find Beauty Challenge: Last Call!!!

Hello, peeps!

We've got just a few more days before the Find Beauty Challenge officially ends. So take 90 seconds and tell the world what you think is truly beautiful.

You might win an iPod Touch.
AND a child wins, too, because I'm donating $10 (up to $1,000) for every uploaded video to fund reconstructive surgeries on children with cleft lips in third world countries.

Set the world straight on True Beauty.
Help a kid.
90 seconds and you can change someone's world.

Watch this powerful video for proof!

Find Beauty Challenge: Another Beautiful Video!

Judging begins soon for the Find Beauty Challenge where one lucky winner will take home an iPod touch!


Declaring a winner is going to be so tough when all these testimonials on true beauty are so incredibly touching! So get in there and rate your favorite videos at the North of Beautiful YouTube channel here or http://www.youtube.com/northofbeautiful.

In the meantime, check this video essay out by our own readergirlz diva, Holly Cupala:

Find Beauty Challenge: Another Beautiful Video!

I love what the photographer who shot the cover for my debut novel--Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies)--had to say about True Beauty in her video essay for the Find Beauty Challenge. Let's hear it for Heidi Pettit!



Create your video essay today and then send an email to north@marthabee.com. We'll upload it on the North of Beautiful channel on YouTube.

And the Winner of the Find Beauty Challengeis...

The judges of the North of Beautiful: Find Beauty Challenge have spoken. Based on the criteria posted on my website, countless viewings of the video essays on YouTube, the winners are:

Grand prize winner of the iPod Touch is... Miss Erin for her Truly Beautiful, professional, and profound testament to Beauty.


1st prize winner of books is... Too Beautiful for Words.


2nd prize winner of books is... Grace Lin.


3rd prize winner of books is... Beauty Is...


Today I am thankful for each and every one of you who have taken your time to tell the world what you think True and Real Beauty means.

Find Beauty Challenge: Beautiful Statement

Here's another submission to the Find Beauty Challenge, shot at my North of Beautiful book launch.

Find Beauty Challenge

So...I vowed to tie community service to every book I publish. In honor of the imminent release of NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, I'm giving you a sneak peek at the FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE.


You tell the world what's really beautiful to you.
In 90 seconds.
On YouTube.

You might win fabulous prizes...like an iTouch.
AND you help a child in a third world country.

More soon...

A shout out to:

• Little, Brown Books for Young Readers to helping with the prizes!
• Kim Edberg for creating the logo!
• Martha Brockenbrough for manning the YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/northofbeautiful.

Find Beauty Challenge: Let the Judging Begin!

Judging has begun for the Find Beauty Challenge on YouTube! It'll take my distinguished panel of judges a few days to view and rate all the videos.

Winners will be notified shortly!

Thanks to all who created a video AND those who watched them.

The Most Beautiful Things: Winners!

Last week, I hosted a geocache-o-rama, sending the readers of my blog all over the Internet to the places I found most beautiful. Here's the round up of the answers and winners.

Day 1: Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
A boy with a cleft lip is featured in my novel. So which Oscar-winning short documentary focuses on SmileTrain, the group that fixes cleft lips? And the Oscar goes to Smile Pinki and Seeking Neverland for sleuthing it out!




Day 2: Bedazzled Beauty
So I'm holding a Find Beauty Challenge on YouTube and asked which marvy videographer loaded the first entry? Woo hoo to friendsvslovefans and to Mrs. F-B's Book Blog for winning the challenge!



Day 3: Divas Divine
Who are the four amazingly amazing YA authors who run readergirlz along with me? Let's give it up for Melissa Walker, Lorie Ann Grover, Holly Cupala, and Dia Calhoun. Congrats to Paradox!


Day 4: Shaping Beauty--and I'm Not Talking Spanx
Which high-powered, high-energy, high-intellect woman is rocking the Internet with her lobbying to use media in smart ways? Let's give a shout out to Amy Jussel at Shaping Youth!
Congrats to Stacy Nyikos!

Day 5: Beauty--One Etsy Step at a Time
Who created the beautiful custom jewelry for Girl Overboard and readergirlz? None other than rgz member Gypsy Wings who adores all things Twilight. Congrats to Lisa all the way in Korea!

North of Beautiful Blog Stop: Mythbuster Beauty

I have a thing for lipstick. I really do. Possibly it has something to do with the gorgeous colors. But I suspect it has more to do with the wonderful, whimsical color names: Apocalypse, Hotpants, Buzzkill, Gash. (Those are all Urban Decay, which is itself a fantastic product name.)

Put on lipstick, put on attitude. So it is severely bumming me out that I am down to two (count them, TWO) tubes of lipstick. (That's what happens when you move to two counties in three months: excessive, regretful purging.) As Paula Yoo so aptly proposed when the two of us were having a convergence of BAD DAY blahs: "I'm going out to buy lipstick."

So join me today as the guest blogger at Mythbuster Beauty, the source of all things hip and beautiful. Plus--for the bargain shoppers out there--they always have the scoopola on great deals. Which I love since it means more money to buy books. Ha!

Today I am grateful for small indulgences that boost a woman's spirit. Hmmmm...perhaps I need to record an addendum to my video essay for my Find Beauty Challenge: Ode to LipStick.

North of Beautiful: Geocache-o-rama #2

Welcome to Day 2 of the North of Beautiful Geocache-o-Rama! Today's virtual cache? BEZAZZLED BEAUTY!

How do you play?

• Visit the link that I provide below.
• Read the clue(s).
• Drop me a comment here with the Answer plus your name and email.
• A lucky winner will be chosen at random.
  

What will you win?

• Limited edition readergirlz buttons today!
  

Coordinates:
http://www.youtube.com/northofbeautiful

Clue:
What does beauty mean to you?

QUESTION:
What is the name of the videographer who created the FIRST (and awesome) entry to the FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE?? (Bonus points to those who drop on a comment on her video!)

Grace Lin: A Work of Beauty!

Check out what my friend, Grace Lin, thinks is Truly Beautiful...her homage to happiness in honor of the Find Beauty Challenge.



ONE MORE DAY to create your 90-second video telling the world what True Beauty means to you. For every uploaded video, I'm donating $10 (up to $1,000--thanks to my in-laws!) to fund reconstructive surgeries for kids with cleft lips in the third world.

The winning video will win its creator an iPod touch... ooooooooohhhhhh!

So create your video essay now!