In the past couple days, both Amalia and Deb@RGRamblings have awarded me this super-yummy Happy 101 award. I’m going to copy Deb (because she’s a genius) and award this to bloggers who remind me of my favorite things. I’m also going to attempt to give this to people I haven’t given awards to before- my favorite thing about awards is that it can bring attention to blogs you may never have found otherwise. This is a no pressure award- feel free to acknowledge, pass on, or not!
The rules are that you have list ten things that make you happy and give the award to 10 recipients. For once, I’m going to attempt to follow the rules.
1. Flowers. I love growing them and right now I have a month to wait before I can plant seeds indoors. I have an Amaryllis blooming and some Narcissi sprouted inside. I need more!
Jemi at Just Jemi has a lovely flower as her profile picture. Her posts are always good for a smile!
2. My daughter. No one could have prepared me for the love I’d feel for the little monkey. There’s something special and indefinable about a mother’s love.
Natalie Bahm did a series of posts a while back on what her kids had taught her about writing. They were some of my favorite blog posts ever.
3. History. I am a total history nerd. I remember watching a movie in 1st grade on the Titanic and being mesmerized by the underwater footage of a barnacle-encrusted chandelier. That kind of stuff just captures my imagination.
Gary Corby at A Dead Man Fell From the Sky has an awesome blog, mostly focusing on ancient Greece. He also recently pointed me in the direction of The History Blog which has super-cool articles about all sorts of history.
4. Art. Charcoal, watercolor, acrylic, photography, pottery… I love it all and wish I was better at it.
Ann Foxlee is a writer inspired by art. She has a cool contest going on that I shouldn’t tell you about because I really want to win a print of the third picture she has listed. But you should check it out!
5. Travel. I love to travel. I’ve hit Egypt, France, Italy, Britain, Ireland, Jordan, Greece, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and a whole lot other countries. I want to go to Morocco, Peru, and Cambodia next. But not in the same trip.
Valerie Geary at Something to Write About is doing her month-long genre focus on travel literature. She’s like the Travelocity gnome, only not weird.
6. Poetry. I’m not very good at it, but I love to read it. My favorite part of writing is metaphor and hyperbole. Good poetry is often one big metaphor.
Tricia O’Brien at Talespinning writes wonderful poetry. I always know when clicking on her blog that it’s going to be a beautiful post.
7. Sunshine. So I live in the wrong state for this since Alaska is immersed in darkness a couple months a year and it makes me want to go banana bonkers from November to February. When the sun is out I soak it up.
Steph Damore is like liquid sunshine, only on my computer screen. Okay, that metaphor doesn’t make sense, but you get what I mean.
8. Books. I’ve read four already this year and am poised to finish another tonight. I’m not officially participating in the 100 Books a Year challenge, but I hope I can reach that number.
Shannon O’Donnell at Bookdreaming is an awesome blogger with great taste in books.
Okey dokey. That’s 8 things I love and 9 bloggers. I also love yoga and chocolate covered pretzels, but I don’t know any bloggers who blog about those. I’m not good at math, but I’m going to round up and call that an even 10. Enjoy those cupcakes!
OOOOH! a cupcake covered award– that's the best part!
🙂
Ahhh, Thank you Stephenie! I do love a good cupcake. You are a sweetheart.
Haha. I guess I was just a little too slow 🙂
Ann- Don't they just look scrumptious?
Natalie- Cupcakes are the best! My daughter would like these- everything in her world should be pink.
Amalia- No worries- I love awards! And I realized after I posted that you had already awarded Gary the same award. Oops!
Great Minds Think Alike! 🙂
Um… you totally just made my night!! I have been compared to the Travelocity gnome!! (Whom I have a slight crush on…) I can die happy now. And… actually… I am that weird… I can just hide it better than he can because I'm not made of plastic. 🙂 Thank you for the shout out and cupcakes!
Amalia- Or as I tell my students- Great minds think like me! 🙂
Valerie- Yay! I'm glad I made your night!
Ooh – you're the anti-me… I'm good at Math, but hate Yoga :)… Have you lived in Alaska your entire life? If not, I imagine the darkness must be difficult (even if so, to a lesser extent). I know that was one of the things I wasn't ready when I moved to Portland — 6 – 8 months of perpetual gray (almost as depressing).
That's very impressive company to be listed with.
Thank you Stephanie!
Ooo … pretty list. I have to check out the ones I don't already follow now!
Thanks Stephanie!!
I don't plant seeds indoors – no room or time – anymore so I have to wait a while. Our local rule of thumb is not to plant anything until after the first full moon in June. That's a long ways away!
You're awesome. I love your happy list, too. I love flowers just as much. Actually, all plants. I got the Chia Herb Garden for Christmas (yes, it was on my list) and I can't wait to start planting. I think I'll start today actually.
Oh, and of course, thank you so much for the award and kind words. I'm off to check out the other winning blogs right now!
Nice list and hey, you posted the 101 Award on your 101 post, cool! I love that you sprout bulbs indoors, I've never gotten around to trying that.
Deb did have a genius way to pass out awards! I plan on copying in the near future.
Congratulations Stephanie and to all the winners!
Thanks, Stephanie – you made my day. I checked out some of the blogs that are new to me as I went through your list – great choices!
Congrats! You can never win too many awards. 🙂
Congrats on your award. I'll have to check out soem of those blogs 🙂
What a wonderful day for a cupcake–thank you for the happy-making award!
I don't think of myself as a poet, at all, but I do like to string together images of things that catch my interest. Glad you like my musings!
Congrats to you and I liked your answers. Poetry didn't make my list, but it also makes me happy!
Congrats on the award! You deserve it. I love a lot of the same things you do.
Congrats on the award! Nice presentation, too. 🙂
I wonder why you don't want to visit Morocco, Peru, and Cambodia all in the same trip? Hee! Talk about jet lag…
Okay, I just noticed I wrote a question mark instead of a period in one sentence. Woops!
Congrats to you and the other award winners. I love how you gave them out. 🙂
Katie- I can't take credit for that idea- I copied Deb! 🙂
Dawn- Wouldn't that be a cool trip, at least to take on a private jet? Then you wouldn't have to worry about jet lag!
Susan- Birds of a feather, right? 🙂
Voidwalker- I've just recently begun to appreciate poetry. I wish I could be the next Shakespeare, but that's just not going to happen.
Tricia- I definitely enjoy your musings!
V.S.- They're good ones, I promise.
Shannon- I agree. Awards are great for finding new blogs!
Tamika- I know- Deb's a genius!
Deb- I hadn't even noticed the 101/101 coincidence. That's sooo cool!
Steph- I've thought about a chia, but I think I'll have my hands full with all my veggies and flowers. I'm thinking of planting basil in the next few days. My old ones just got tossed- I get fruit shipped in and they picked up some sort of tiny white bug. Then they died. Grr…
Jemi- I can't wait until summer to plant. That's why I start indoors. And I can't wait to see my tulips this spring- I have 150ish bulbs.
Matt- They're good ones, I promise!
Gary- You're welcome!
Bane- I've lived in Alaska since I was four and the dark didn't bother me until the last five years or so. January and February are the worst.