Kreativ Blogger Award!

I'm just so excited that two of my fellow bloggers have recognized me with the Kreativ Blogger Award.

Many thanks to Anne - made and ocasiacasa for letting me know I inspire them - most especially because they inspire me, too. Anne - made is a multi-faceted crafty lady who plays with alcohol inks, copic markers, and generally has fun with ink and stamps.  She has some great ideas and techniques to share with you. ocasiacasa has some of the most stunning photography I've seen on the net, and it is so fun to see how the natural world around them inspires their art work.  I hope you check both of their blogs out.

So, in honor of receiving the award, I will continue the tradition of sharing seven things you probably don't know about me, and seven blogs that also inspire my creativity.

What you don't know about me

1. I'm an only child - but I'm not spoiled!  Honest!  This will probably be the first post my parents or husband comment on...
   
   
2. In just a few days, I will be married for six years to the love of my life.  Paul and I enjoy adventures, and seem to find one no matter where we are.  This photo is just after we got engaged on the top of the mountain in Sun Valley, Idaho.
   
   
3. When I was a teenager, I entered my artwork in a calendar contest and won!  It was such a thrill to see my artwork in print, and I still have the painting I made on the wall in our bedroom.
4. I learned to swim when I was 25, overcoming a life-long fear of the water.  After all of that effort, I decided I didn't really like swimming all that much.
   
   
5. My cooking speciality?  Spaghetti sauce - we make several gallons in a batch, and it is good.  I have people ask me for the recipe, but I really don't have one.  My mom taught me how to make it, and I just keep modifying from there.
6. I'm an engineer by training, but since the titles of my degrees usually makes people stare at me with glassy eyes, I'll leave it at that.
   
   
   
7. I have never lived more than a mile from a lake.  It's seriously strange that I don't like to swim.
   
   

Seven blogs that inspire me

First off, you need to visit Anne - made, and ocasiocasa to see their picks.  We share some of the same great taste!  It was hard to limit myself to seven, but here goes...

1. Bead circle - I don't bead (much), but Mandi makes it look so easy and fun that I have found some supplies and am getting ready to try this hobby out again.  She has such a friendly vibe on her blog, and she really shares her heart with her readers.
2. Wendolonia - The pictures of her bento boxes are just fabulous, and they make me want to make a better lunch for myself. Do they make these boxes in adult size?
3. all things paper - the name pretty much says it all.  I love Ann's eye for finding really unique paper items on the web, and how she showcases quilling.
4. Purple Onion Designs - I've been following Michele virtually for many years now - first on twopeasinabucket.com and now on her blog.  She is a crafty entrepreneur, who has created her own stamp line, and has a really great eye for her design team.  She generously shares a lot of herself in all of her endeavors.
5. Craft Sanity - Love the podcast (although I'm a bit behind in episodes!), and the blog.  The philosophy of crafting to keep sane which ends every podcast really rings true for me.
6. *Craft Chaos* - Among Club Scrap bloggers, who else posts in Dutch and English? To know Hetty is to love her.  Check her out, and you'll love her, too.
7. Flutter by atomicbutterfly - gorgeous eye candy.  I want to bookmark and try everything.  I love her vintage style and how she uses ribbon.

Who are you inspired by?  Why don't you let them know by dropping a comment on their blog.  I can guarantee you'll make their day.