Sunshine Award

I have had the honor of being nominated for the Sunshine Award by Renee Ann of Confessions of a Yarn Addict.  She was so sweet to nominate me and my blog!  Especially considering how lax I've been lately keeping up to date on the blog.  I'm lucky if I remember to post once a week!  Nonetheless, I appreciate the recognition - so THANK YOU Renee Ann!

I know my blog isn't terribly diverse as it's most about knitting.  I share other, more personal tidbits now and then, but it's largely dedicated to my crafty side (although it's a bit deceiving to call it a craft because at this point I think it's more of an obsession...) :)

In turn, I get to nominate some others for this award as well, but first, the rules.

Sunshine Award Rules

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you. Check!

2. Answer the 10 questions on your favourite things. (See below!)

3. Nominate 10 blogs to receive the Sunshine Award and let them know they've been nominated.

1. Favorite animal: Horses.  I remember being told as a child, over and over again that I'd grow out of it. I didn't. (If you've seen the inside of my house, you'd understand...)
2. Favorite number: 3.  I think it's because my birthday is 3/3/83, but I've always liked that number best. 
3. Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider, it's a toss up.  And I don't really drink many alcoholic beverages in general so this was an easy question...
4. Facebook or Twitter: Facebook.  I used to update religiously, but that was in college. Sometimes I remember to log on and see what's happening with other people.  I tried Twitter, but it made me feel old because I didn't "get" it. 
5. My passion: Knitting. I found my niche. :) And reading, I love reading. And I love playing piano but it doesn't happen often. (And of course, it goes without saying my kids are my passion...)
6. Getting or giving: Giving. I do appreciate being on the receiving end, but for some reason, I tend to feel embarrassed when getting a gift.  Giving is fun, especially if you see the person when they get their gift.  The reaction is always the best part. I try to put a lot of thought and effort into giving, perhaps that's why I like it more. 
7. Favorite Pattern: This is a tough one as I tend to have many favorites.  Recently I'm especially proud of the Baby Chalice Blanket.  Although my favorite, go-to pattern for gifts (for kids) is Coffee Bean Cardigan and Wonder Years. 
8. Favorite day of the week: Friday. Work week is done, and I think there may be some residual attachment to TGIF programming from when I was a kid...lol (I usually think of Fridays as a chance to get out of the house, even when we don't go anywhere...)
9. Favorite flower: I've never thought about it a whole lot but I really like lilies. 
10. Favorite country: Italy - I've only been to Venice but it was so beautiful and unique. I felt the same way about Prague.  Unlike anything I'd experienced before and I found it refreshing. 

Okay - now to nominate 10 other blogs... they're probably the same blogs I've nominated for other awards, but that's because I like reading them so much! :) (Based on some of the questions above, it seems as though this award is passed around the crafting community, but not all my nominations are strictly related to crafting...)

1. Fairytale Knits:  Raili has such a cheerful, positive demeanor.  Even when she's not feeling well or her life gets really busy, she's upbeat and I it's like I can feel it just by reading her posts.  She can do some great things with a hook in her hand, and churns out socks like nobody's business!  

2. In Light of the Truth: I went to college with Sarah and I've really enjoyed reading her blogs.  She has great three beautiful children who she loves very much, and tries very hard to raise in a strong, loving, Christian environment.  She has a lot of creativity and mad skills with a camera!  I find her blog to be inspirational and down-to-Earth. 

3. Saucy: Jill is a fun-loving mom who is crazy-fast with a pair of needles in hand.  She cranks out sweaters faster than I can keep track of sometimes!  Many times, I find that what she's knit, I want to knit to, or have also knit myself.  And she has a terrific sense of humor!

4. Knitspiring Odyssey: Stefanie does a wonderful job of having focus and direction in her blog.  I especially enjoy her One-A-Day Tuesdays where she shares progress of her current long-term project.  What I also appreciate is how she incorporates her culture into what she shares with us.  And it's more than obvious she loves her two little girls!

5. MyBricole: This is actually Mr. Man's cousin, Deedrie.  She is wicked-crafty!  She makes these big, amazing quilts, she knits, she sews, she cooks, she bakes and she's very dedicated to her children. She comes from a very talented, crafty family so it's no surprise to me that she can do all these things.  If you're ever looking for yummy recipes, this is a great stop!  

6. Adventures in Fibre, Fabric and Motherhood: Ber is new to the blogging world, but that's what I think is really neat.  It's fun to watch someone grow through their blog (she's on Ravelry, too), to develop a writing style and to be willing to share it with us.  Her son is just a bit older than Lovebug and he's a doll!  Ber is in Ireland - some place I would love to visit one day!  ...Ber recently shared her adventures in learning to steek! (cut her knitting on purpose...)  She is a much braver soul than I!

7. This Wonderful Chaos:  This is another friend of mine from college.  We actually had met before then, on a high school European music tour (Iowa Ambassador's of Music).  Go figure!  I really wish she lived closer (along with a couple other friends of ours), so we could spend more time together, but such is the way of life when you grow up!  I like to read Kass's blog because it helps me keep up with her, even though our small group of friends email one another regularly.  She's working on improving her photography skills and how to use her camera (I think she does great already!) and she has some good, thought-provoking posts that I can sometimes relate to. 

So I know it's not 10 blogs, but these are the ones that currently I check the most often.  I hope there are some new-to-you blogs that entice you to go have a read.