Tag: Literary community

#GivingTuesdaySeries: Why I Chose Bess The Book Bus (The Story Behind My Logo)

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

You all already know that I am a huge bibliophile.

Yet, you probably don’t know why I chose Bess The Book Bus as the cause behind the shirt with the main logo design.

It all started when the Sheckler Foundation granted Bess The Book Bus as one of their $10,000 Be The Change grants which they utilized to create the Boards and Books Tour.

You see, there is nothing I love more than skateboarding.

I find the sport and the athletes that participate in it to be very inspiring to me as a writer. There is almost an artistic side to the sport. Have you ever watched a guy in the skatepark flip a board and himself in the air?

That to me is the perfect combination of physics and artistry.

It’s almost like dance but with a small wooden board on wheels.

Don’t believe me? Watch this:

via GIPHY

 

So they won and I thought it was the coolest thing. Boards For Bros. gave out skateboards to kids, and Bess The Book Bus gave out books.

They are a mobile library with books that provide reading material to kids in impoverished communities. They are Tampa based so they are local to my area.

That is why the cookie is reading and boarding at the same time. This was going toward the initiative. Yet, by the time I designed the shirt, the Books and Boards tour was over.

Now I just collect donations for Bess The Book Bus because I believe that all kids everywhere have proper access to books and the knowledge and escape they provide.

Now you know. You can purchase one here and they are available in a variety of colors.

The shirt retails at $21.99 with $6 a shirt being donated to Bess The Book Bus.

And no, the rest goes toward the printing and materials necessary for Teespring to make the shirts.

Other items within this campaign benefit the running and content creation of this site.

All items within my shop are based on the foundational belief that reading is the best activity this world has to offer and they all cater to that notion.

Bibliophiles should have a cute mug to drink their coffee out of.

Bibliophiles should have cute totes to carry their books in.

Bibliophiles should have a blanket that fits them from head to toe while they read.

Bibliophiles should have socks to wear, a beach towel to use while they read oceanside or poolside, and bibliophiles should have a backpack that carries their laptop and textbooks.

Happy Birthday to The Smart Cookie Philes!

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Today, we are two years old. Wow, how fast time flies!

Some people are unaware of the origins of this site and how it came to be so I figured it was appropriate to share the birth story of The Smart Cookie.

Not being able to find a job once out of college was part of it.

Not being able to find a job that was my dream job and also accepted all of my idiosyncrasies was also part of it.

The Smart Cookie Philes was born on MLK day 2016 because like the GREAT changemaker, I too had a dream, and it wasn’t one dimensional or going to be abc-123 easy to achieve.

So I decided that the right opportunity doesn’t wait for no man, so I created the opportunity for me and many others.

To the untrained eye, this looks like a simple book blog and that was the original intention behind it.

Yet, I am a vivacious reader who also loves everything that music does for it’s listener. How it soothes the soul, makes you feel less alone, and connects people.

I realized then that books and music both connect people in similar ways even though they are entirely different mediums, they both start from the same origin: out of the heart and mind of a creative soul who wants to affect change some how some way in a wave, in a ripple, in a surge of hope.

Yet, I also wanted this to be a site where all people not just writers and musicians could feel welcome because society really provides a heavy load with it’s labels and pressures if you don’t exactly mirror every other person that has gone before you.

So this is a community for the rejects, for the weirdos, for the over-caffeinated writer who grew up too shy to do anything but vivaciously read and learn all the lyrics to their favorite songs and yet, had trouble finding solace and acceptance among those in their peer group.

This is a community for those who decide to dare to be different and are unafraid and unashamed to walk a path not yet walked so that by chance, they can lead the way for others who come after who feel the same way.

This is a community for those who become a part of it to ESPRESSO THEMSELVES however that looks no matter what because we only get one life and we should live it in the most genuine and authentic way we know.

Here at The Smart Cookie Philes we are all smart, strong, and enough. After all, when it comes to cookies, flavors and variety always makes for a more delicious experience overall.

THANK YOU for your continued support of my dream and the beautiful works of others.

Here’s to more years being exactly who you were meant to be and expressing yourself authentically.

So much love,

Chelsea DeVries

Creator of The Smart Cookie Philes

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