Award smiles

Wow - I've been getting warm fuzzies from fellow quilters this week! I do love the quilting community and am very grateful for the camaraderie. Three lovely ladies have brightened my days by choosing me for the Versatile Blogger Award and for the Liebster Blog Award. I am honored that they thought of me, and happy that the "tools" I've set up to keep myself moving forward on my projects help other people, too. 

Barbara at Cat Patches, Billie at BillieBee's Blog, Fiona at Celtic Thistle Stitches - Thank you very much for giving me timely fuzzies that lifted my spirits this week!  


Per the award's conventions, here are 7 random things about me:

• I refuse to let Depression rob me of my life. To those of you who also deal with it, keep looking to the light at the other end of the tunnel, because by this age you know that the tunnel does eventually open up! 
• I am working on a Master's in history. 
• When I was in second grade, we left Phoenix, where my teacher was Mrs. Schafer and moved overseas to Tehran, Iran, where my teacher was Miss Schaefer (no relation). This was before their revolution, when most of the people loved Americans, and my favorite activity was riding camels when the merchants came through with their camel trains.
• I am a serious collector of Newbery Award and Honor books. I have read every one of the 259 that I have so far. I lack 129 and periodically surf Alibris and other sites looking for the older ones. I love the multi-faceted views they bring me of human experience.
• I just submitted four quilts to my very first quilt show!
• When we owned horses, our minis had a foal that was as small as our largest cat. Yes, it was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen!!
• Nothing brings me more joy than my daughters.  :)

And now let me share with you 15 bloggers that brighten my days, in addition to the three who sent me this award. There are many others that I also enjoy - I've tried to choose those with smaller followings that you may not have seen yet. And since my world is inundated with quilting, most of these are blogs by fellow quilters. There are a few surprises, though. ;D

1. Em! Celebrates - This lady brings smile after smile with her enthusiasm for life and her jubilant artful style
2. TGIFF - This collaborative blog is a wonderful motivation tool! M-R and Laura started it as a linky coordination for sharing quilt accomplishments on "Thank Goodness It's Finished!" Fridays. Many a UFO's final stitches have been driven by a desire to get it on TGIFF. I rate this right up there with the ever-popular WIP Wednesday linkies.
3. Alicia's Hiding Place - From quilts to stitcheries to wonderful dolls, Alicia has built a world of fun, and in two languages! I love to practice my Spanish at her blog (when she posts she writes it double in Spanish and in English), and she'll converse with you in either language. 
4. The Bunkhouse - Ann's quilting is wonderful to watch, and one of the quilters I follow as avidly as Desley and Green Fairy.
5. Quilts of Love - Margaret's work equally enchants me!
6. Kissed Quilts - I love to watch Marlene's designs emerge.
7. Tamarack Shack - Kathy's quilting and snow dyeing are fabulous.
8. Ivory Spring - Wendy's domestic machine quilting inspires me regularly.
9. Richard Quilts - This guy is new to quilting, but what spirit! It's infectious.
10. My Sweet Prairie - Monika's Canadian prairie thread art amazes me every time, from her quilted and stitched "post cards" to her dress and shoes!
11. Cosmo Quilts - Tutorials from a cat? Seriously, a cat who quilts. How can you not smile while you're eating breakfast? ;D
12. The Savvy Grandma - my cousin has the most fantastic theme parties for her grandkids!
13. Pieces of Contentment - I love the photos she shares of her world. Australia's plant life is every bit as exotic as its animal life !
14. Scratch and Peck - The place to go if you want a good chuckle via some featherly charm. You'll want to visit the archive to start at the beginning.  :)
15. The Dainty Squid - Kaylah is probably a little outside many of your tastes, but darn it if that young gal isn't the cutest thing in every crazy life-loving color she dyes her hair! She's a breath of fresh air in a world that can be too stifling at times. I must secretly wish I had her gumption!  ;D

There are so many other blogs that I love! Surf around every now and then - visit linky parties that folks host, and you'll find plenty of feasts for your eyes in all kinds of styles! You may even find some kindred spirits.  

~*~*~

Here are the rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Add the award to your blog. 
2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.
3. Mention seven random things about yourself. (see below)
4. List the rules.
5. Award to 15 bloggers.
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.