Stylish Blogger Award

I am deeply flattered to be awarded the Stylish Blogger award. I will do my best to live up to the expectations which accompany this honor. It's a fun way to connect with other talented bloggers!

Rules for accepting this award are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this.

I am grateful to Michele of Cooking at Home not only for thinking of me for this award, but for her wonderful posts. A former Personal Chef living in New Jersey, Michele is passionate about sharing her delicious Italian-influenced food with her family and friends. I love to look at her fine photographs and imagine that I myself am a guest at her impromptu dinner parties.

2. Share seven things about yourself.

I usually keep my blogs fairly anonymous, so this is a bit intimidating... but I'll do my best!

I have studied French, Spanish and Cantonese, but they all get jumbled in my head now. The Cantonese is still passable... I think! :-)

I have traveled to every continent except Australia and South America, but I hope to remedy these exceptions someday.

I was adopted as an infant, but now enjoy warm relationships with both of my biological parents as well as my adoptive family.

I love to read (a relic of my time spent studying literature in college), and especially enjoy the Russian and English classics.

Fitness is important to me, but I have a phobia of sports. Also, of hospitals and internal organs/blood/guts.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I enjoy eating many diverse foods. Foods I do not like include cheap (quality) hot dogs, strong mustard, black sesame, and my most recent discovery, rutabagas.

3. Pass along this award to 15 stylish bloggers.

I'll be honest, I read a lot of immensely popular blogs that can assuredly do without the honor of my award. I think that David Lebovitz, Joy the Baker, smitten kitchen, Orangette, and Tea & Cookies will do just fine as they are. Also, 15 is a bit much. I'll knock it down to five of my favorites:

I enjoy A Simple Breath because it features a little bit of everything cozy, from beautiful music to crafts to nature to book reviews. Annette is also the master of list making!

Tiffany at Dancing Branflakes is a sweetheart, as well as a dancer, fashion-lover, foodie, and more. Her daily posts are always upbeat and cheery.

Kelly at Make Grow Gather always has great ideas for homemade crafts, and gorgeous pictures that make you feel a part of each post.

If you want to follow the process of writing a novel, check out Mark Noce Stories for insights into a writer's life. This Bay-area writer of historical fiction is a bit of a Renaissance man as well, so you never know what topic he'll write about next.

Speaking of Bay-area artists, I have to mention Chez Danisse. Denise has a unique ability to use her camera and craft her words so as to perfectly capture a moment. Her posts are always lovely and profound, and I constantly look forward to seeing what she will capture next.