I always find it amazing that people actually read my blog, let alone think it worthy of any type of award.  I got back on Friday to find that I had been tagged two times for the same award.  I have two people to thank for that:  Donna at Cottage Days & Journeys… and Karen at Loved and Engraved.  Both ladies are in the Brenda Photo Challenge I joined a couple months ago.  It has been great getting to know both through this connection.  Their photos are wonderful and the explanations that accompany them are rich with thought and perspective.  Aside from the photo days, I have enjoyed sharing in their daily lives and am enriched by it.

Now comes the time when I need to pick seven blogs to receive this award.  Whew!  That is hard!  There are so many blogs I read on a daily basis and truly enjoy.      Brenda at  has become a very good friend, but I see that she has already received this award more than once…. she would definitely be on my list.  There are still so many to choose from, but here goes…

Mel, at Fibermania, was probably my first experience of actually getting to meet a blogger and she was even better than her blog!  Mel is a true artist and viewers get to see her creations daily.  She shares her knowledge, ideas, and creations with everyone.  She is even warmer, funnier and more joyous in person than on her blog and that is saying alot!  While I hated losing her close proximity when she lived in the Chicago area, it has been fun watching her adjusting (quickly) to the hills of Tennessee.  She is literally the first place I go in the morning, because I know she gets up earlier than I do!

Tommy the Material Girl is the second place I go.  This has been my routine since I first started reading blogs.  I found her through Mel.  Tommy is the single busiest person I have ever met.  She is always hosting guests, having parties, going to parties, dreaming up creative food and projects, sharing a funny perspective on some odd new product or just sharing her daily life.  Bella, her trusty little bichon is clearly visible throughout her entries.  That little dog lives better than most cherished children and has quite the personality… as does Tommy.

Brenda, I know you have already gotten this award, but, honey, you deserve it.  At What’s Up Down South, she serves up life with true southern flavor.   She makes me laugh, fume at injustices, smile at the antics of grandchildren, and tear up with commentaries of life in the real world.  Her photography has grown in the time that I have known her and has a true gift.  Brenda is a dedicated mother, grandmother and friend.  I love and respect her perspective on life and look often to find her take on issues.  She doesn’t hold back and I love that.

Jan, at Bemused, has always been one of my favorite reads.  She is an extraordinary artist that expresses herself on her blog mostly in textiles, yarn and fabric.  Her quilts are colorful and beautiful, her knits are intricate and original and her numerous links for our added pleasure are an adventure and informative.  I wish her all the best in her new domain in Chicago.

Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts is my idol!  Not only does she create wonderful quilts, but she goes to great lengths to share her love of quilting with those of us not quite so talented.  She has quite a following of viewers who visit daily to see what marvels she has created today… and she’s a mom with young children!  How does she do it?

Dee at Thea Quilts is another blogger who has become a friend through blogging.  Another talented quilter, do you see a trend here?  Dee also shares snippets of her daily life that show she is a woman of many talents and experiences.  She reaches out and touches all of us who read along with her.  I first discovered her from reading comments on Tommy and Mel’s blogs.  Her comments were so funny and right on that I had to find out who this woman was… I was so glad I did.

And as of late, a result of the photo challenge group, I have found myself visiting Joni at Morning Coffee.  There is a peaceful element in her blog that draws me.  Her photos are very well done and incorporated into her writing.  Her vision is thought provoking, yet simply stated.

There are so many people I read on a daily basis that deserve this award, but limiting to seven makes it tough.  Thank you again, Donna and Karen, for thinking of me.