Category Archives: Awards

Most Influential Blogger Award

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I’ve been shown yet another kindness and have been nominated for the Most Influential Blogger Award.  Please check out The Magic of Travel as they were kind enough to share this award with me.  A great blog that will take you on all sorts of adventures.

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The rules of this award are:

Display the award logo on your blog.
Link back to the person who nominated you.
Answer eleven questions.
Nominate (no limit on the number of nominations) other bloggers for this award and link back to them.
Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award requirements.

The eleven questions are (with my answers :)):

1. What makes you happiest?  My family.  So lucky to have an amazing husband who is there for me and two kids who both challenge me and make my world a better place.

2. Do you love the Oceans or Mountains more?  I love mountains by the ocean.

3. What has been a special moment in 2013?  The sunrise and sunset on the Med.  It was stunning.

4. What is your favorite quote?  I used to collect quotes and now I can’t think of any!  How lame is that?

5. Do you like yourself? Yes I do.  I never went through a phase where I thought I was a horrible person.  I did go through phases wondering why people didn’t get me.  Now I don’t worry too much about that.

6. Do you stay till midnight on New Year?  Usually.

7. Something you wish could be done ASAP?  The housework.  The laundry never ends.

8. What was your favorite class when still at school?  Shakespeare.

9. What musical instrument have you tried to play?  I played the piano, violin, and flute.  I was passable on the piano, sounded like a sick cow on the violin (the instructor’s words to a 9 year old!), and I did 7 years of flute.

10. Anything you had wished to have learned earlier?  Don’t worry about what people think.  Don’t let their issues drag you down.

11. Do you like to do Crafts, Drawing or Painting?  All three.  Though I haven’t drawn and painted for awhile.  Looking to start that again.

And the nominees are:

Spontaneous Tomato

Enchanted Seashells

Fae Twist and Tango

Sarah the Gardener

Clanmother

Mama Miyuki Easy Pantsy

The Rebel Kitchen

Loving Homemade

Tortore

Frugal Feeding

Enjoy your day everyone!

 

Blogger of the Year Award 2013 – 3 Stars

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Tis the season for awards and a chance to share with each other what blogs we enjoy.   There are many blogs that I really enjoy reading, blogs that I enjoy learning from, and blogs that just make me laugh.  Whenever I get an award I look forward to throwing the spot light on others.

I must thank Fae Twist and Tango once again for being so generous and nominating me for another award.  She is well liked in our blogging community and it is well deserved.  She nominated several of us for the 3 Stars Blogger of the Year Award and it’s worth visiting her blog and those that she nominated.

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It’s with pleasure that I nominate the following blogs for 3 stars:

Welcome Company

My Beautiful Things

Bangers and Mash

Garden Correspondent

Jovina Cooks Italian

Chef Mimi

Enchanted Seashells

Putney Farm

Chica Andaluza

Man Fuel

The instructions for this award are simple:
1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.
3 Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them – (please don’t alter the instructions or the badges!)
4 Come over and say hello to the originator of the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award via this link – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/
5 You can now also join the ‘Blog of the Year’ Award Facebook page – click the link here https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear/ and share your blog posts with an even wider audience.
6 And as a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog … and start collecting stars…

Thank you everyone!

 

 

I’m Part of the WordPress Family Award

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One reason I love blogging so much is the opportunity to connect with people in the blogging world.  I love the stories of every day life, memories connected to food, and the various adventures we invariably find ourselves on. I find receiving an award gives me a chance to pay if forward and acknowledge those that inform me, make me laugh, or make me think.  I feel very fortunate to be in this community.

I would like to thank Fae Twist and Tango for nominating me for the I’m Part of the WordPress Family Award.  I find her to be such a positive person whose blog has some amazing recipes and stories of her travels.  Please, if you have a chance, wander over her way, you won’t be disappointed.

Im a part of the WordPress Family Award

I would like to nominate the following because they each represent why I enjoy blogging.  Some entertain me with every day stories of their farm, animals, memories, and some just make me hungry with their recipes.

Olive Oil and Lemon

The Kitchens Garden

Eat Read Glam

Valerie Davies

Promenade Plantings

Enchanted Seashells

Jovina Cooks Italian

PS I Love Soap

My Little Corner of Rhode Island

The Hungry Mum

 

The rules for I’m a part of the WordPress Family Award are:

1  Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2  Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and a link back.
3  Nominate up to  10  bloggers for I’m a part of the WordPress Family Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
4  Copy and paste the award somewhere on your blog.

Honored with the Liebster Award

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Sweet Home Pasadena was kind of enough to nominate me for the Liebster Award.  Thank you so much for doing that!  🙂

liebster award

LIEBSTER AWARD RULES:

1. List eleven random facts about yourself.
2. Nominate eleven bloggers for the award.
3. Let them know about the nomination.
4. Answer the eleven questions you were asked when you were nominated.
5. Ask eleven questions for the new award winners to answer.

11 Random Facts about Myself:

1. I love fast cars.  If I won the lottery Bugatti would be getting a call.

2. I resist going down to the humane society and adopting a bunch of animals.  My back and my husband wouldn’t be pleased!

3. My two day jobs are real estate and taxes.  Hence this creative outlet.

4. I love the snow but hate the cold.

5. I love being bonus mum to two amazing kids.

6. I love to dance.  I think it enhances the cooking process.  🙂

7. I cry at sad movies.  I try to watch them at home.  I got caught out with the movie UP.  Definitely got me.

8. Top Gear UK cracks me up.  The other version doesn’t.

9.  I want to know what it would be like to fly first class overseas.  Not to be posh but to actually have the chance to lie flat and maybe get some sleep on the overnight flights!

10.  I hate shopping.

11.  I am grateful for such a wonderful husband who makes me smile every day and who takes such good care of his family.  He’s pretty awesome.  🙂

I’d like to nominate the following 11 blogs:

Spontaneous Tomato

Promenade Plantings

Enchanted Seashells

Life is Short.  Eat Hard

Saucy Pans

Jovina Cooks Italian

Spoon Feast

Cooking from the Heart

PinAddicts Challenge

Olive Oil & Lemon

UK Crochet Patterns

 

Questions from Sweet Home Pasadena:

1. If you could pick one food to eat for the rest of your life and not gain weight by eating it, what would it be? Fish and chips.
2. Are you a morning person or a night owl?  More morning but I don’t do caffeine so the start can be slow.
3. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you achieve your goal?  I wanted to be a fighter jet pilot.  I wear glasses and have asthma.  I didn’t get very far.
4. Would you rather fly like a bird or swim like a fish? Why? Fly like a bird. I’m afraid of drowning and I’d prefer to soar.
5. If you cook, what is your signature dish? If not, what is your favorite meal to order?  Hmm a tough one.  I make a pretty good chili
6. You’re at a karaoke bar. What would your first song be?  An instrumental.  Not sure you want me singing.
7. What is your favorite movie?  I like Princess Bride
8. If you could invite 3 people to dinner (living or dead, real or fictional) who would you pick?  Nelson Mandela, Agatha Christie, and Dr. Who.  Well, someone has to be able to take us back in time!
9. Who is your hero? Why?  Rosa Parks.  Courage isn’t always planned but it makes a big impact
10. If money were no object, where would you go on your next vacation?  I would do a round the world trip
11. If you could travel back in time, what year/era would you travel to?  The roaring 20’s.

 

And now questions for my nominees! 

1.  What is your earliest memory?

2.  What food would you like to try but haven’t had the chance?

3. If you were able to form a charity what would it be?

4. What fashion trend should be banned?

5.  What makes you crack up?

6. What is your pet peeve?

7. How far do you live from where you were born?

8. What is your favourite season?

9. What is your day job?

10. Where do you want to retire?

11.  What is your favourite hobby?

 

 

One Lovely Blog Award and the Very Inspiring Blogger Award

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Thank you so much to the Dorset Finca for nominating me for these two awards.  🙂

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Of course there are guidelines!  Sounds better than rules.  I’m not in a rule kind of mindset today.  😉

1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Add The One Lovely Blog Award / The Very Inspiring Blogger Award to your post.
3. Share 7 things about yourself.
4. Pass the award on to 10 nominees.
5. Include this set of rules.
6. Inform your nominees by posting a comment on their blogs.

This is the tricky part, having to come up with 7 things about myself but here goes:

1) As I get older I  become less of a winter person.  I am ok with walking about in snowpants.  Though my kids think otherwise.

2) Really wished I started the blog sooner.  There are many people in this community that are wonderful and the positive outlook just makes my day.

3) I absolutely love to read.  I devour books and am so happy tablets came about.  Makes it so much easier to bring books on my trips!

4)  If I won the lottery I would love to have a small farm.  A gentleman’s farm where I could afford to have people help with the work.  I couldn’t give up traveling.

5)  I am so proud of our children and how they are growing up.  Our daughter is thinking of becoming a chef which means we’ll eat well!  Our son has an imagination that just won’t quit.  It’s fascinating.

6)  Would love to visit every continent.

7) Would love to figure out how to knit faster without injuring my wrists.  I keep getting tendinitis!  Saying I have a knitting injury seems to lose me some credibility!  🙂

I would like to nominate the following:

Fleur de Sel

Simply Sophisticated Cooking

The Single Gourmet and Traveller

Loving Homemade

My Little Rhode Island Corner

Knitting to Staying Sane

Chef Mimi

Jovina Cooks Italian

Homemade Delish

Fae’s Twist and Tango

Thanks everyone!

 

 

 

 

Blogger of the Year Award – 1st Star!

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I have to thank Fae from Fae’s Tango & Twist for nominating me once again for an award.  This time it is for the Blogger of the Year Award 2012 and a first star.

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It is lovely to be recognized for putting my thoughts to paper so to speak.

I would like to nominate the following for this award.  I chose from those that I had previously nominated on my other awards for this one.  I also don’t know how many stars each may already have so if you choose to “pay” this forward please use the appropriate number of stars.  I know there are some blogs that have 6 stars!

Cindy Knoke – You can travel all over the world with her posts

Tales of a Clyde Woman – A good all around blog.  Recipes, home projects, thoughts about life.

Two Dogs in a Kitchen – There are times when we have similar inspirations for food.  🙂

The Unorthodox Epicure – As I’ve said before this is a great read and fab food.

Petit4Chocolatier – Fun blog and fun desserts.

Frugal Feeding – There isn’t an excuse not to eat well on a budget.

Stefan’s Gourmet – He made white asparagus ice cream sound good.  Enough said.

REMCooks – His recipes have amazing layers of flavours.

 

The rules for Blog of the Year 2012 Award are:

1.  Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ award, include a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.

2.  Write a blog post and inform nominated blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.

3.  Please include a link back to this page ’Blog of the Year 2012 Award’

**-– http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ –

and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)

4.  Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them.

5.  As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

 

I am looking forward to what 2013 brings for blogging.  It has been wonderful connecting with people from all over the world and sharing ideas.

Thanks everyone!

 

 

Kreativ Blogger Award

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Thank you to Fae of Fae’s Twist and Tango for nominating me for this award.  I really appreciate the thoughtfulness.  Please take a look at Fae’s blog when you have a chance.  She has a wonderful outlook and while her blog is newly discovered for me I enjoy her posts.

Kreativ Blogger Award

As many of us mention, awards are a great way to highlight the blogs that make us smile, inform us, and give us the creative spark to try something new.  So this award is aptly named!

First 7 random things about me:

1) Creativity is what keeps me going.  Depending on what my schedule allows I always try to find a creative outlet.

2) I love the connection between gardening and cooking.  It is wonderful stepping out my door to quickly “shop” for my ingredients.

3) I love to draw and paint though I haven’t had time in the past few years to sit down and paint something.

4) Photography is my main medium with art these days.  I love doing up close photos.

5) A big reason I love blogging is it is a great community and it is so positive.  No contentious political debates, no facepalms, etc.

6) I play on a dodgeball team.  We’re not very good so we have to be the funny team.  🙂

7) I try to use my passport once a year.  If I won the lottery, my passport would melt with all the stamping!

 

Without further ado, the nominees are:

Cindy Knoke – This lady has traveled all over the world and it is so fun to look at her photos

A Lot on Your Plate – A fun site with great recipes.  She also does an ingredient of the month where she links recipes from other blogs.

Growing a Homestead – You have to be very creative and think outside the box to start a homestead.

Pillow-A-La-Mode – Creativity oozes out of this blog

Spontaneous Tomato – Yummy recipes

Frugal Feeding – Shows over and over you can eat well and still hold onto your wallet.

Valerie Davies – A wonderful storyteller

Thanks everyone!

Sunshine Award

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Now that the holidays are over I can get back to normal with blogging.  That is if tax season doesn’t derail me too much!  Galley Kitchen Gal was kind enough to nominate me for the Sunshine Award.  This was a couple of weeks ago so I’m behind in responding.  But please check out her blog for wonderful recipes.

Award Acceptance process:

According to the rules, nominees must (i) include a link in your blog to the blog that nominated you; (ii) answer some questions about yourself; (iii) nominate 10 fellow bloggers, linking to their blogs; and (iv) inform them that they have been nominated.

1. Who is your favorite philosopher? I don’t actually have one though I did have to do a paper on Albert Camus years ago.

2. What is your favorite number? 28

3. What is your favorite animal? I love horses but they would take up too much of our bed so we have two crazy dogs and a cat.

4. What are your Facebook and Twitter? I don’t twitter (should I?) and I keep my Facebook private but I do pin!  My pinterest is Britne28.  I love that site.  🙂

5. What is your favorite time of day? Dinner time with the family or Saturday morning

6. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving.  If we are lucky to move back to the UK when we retire I would still keep this holiday.

7. What is your favorite physical activity? I love Zumba and pilates.

8. What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?  Water

9. What is your passion? I have a lot of passions.  I love to cook, travel, garden, do crafts.  Anything that allows me to be creative.

10. What is your favorite flower? I love roses and the columbine flower.

 

Now for the fun bit.  🙂

I nominate the following in no particular order:

Two Dogs in the Kitchen – Great recipes

Stefan’s Gourmet Blog – He uses a lot of interesting techniques.

Enchanted Seashells – Love her wit

My Beautiful Things – Great outlook on life

Big City Little Kitchen – Fun recipes and creative as well.

Petit 4 Chocolatier – Beautiful desserts

REMCooks – Fabulous recipes

The Unorthodox Epicure – This guy is a riot and the recipes are great.

Homemade Delish – Delicious recipes

Flaneur Gardening – Enjoy reading about his gardening posts.

Thank you everyone!

 

Pleasantly surprised to be nominated…….

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I am new to blogging and I woke up this morning to find I have been nominated for the Wonderful Team Membership award.  Thank you Sheila for nominating me.  You never know what the effect of your blog is so this is appreciated.


To pay it forward my 14 nominations for this award are as follows:

Homemade with Mess – I really enjoy the creative recipes that she posts.

Cindy Knoke – Love her photos and stories about traveling.

Sarah the Gardener – I enjoy reading about her garden coming alive as ours is being put to bed.

Putney Farm – Anyone who posts how to make bacon is good in my book.  I mean, seriously.  🙂

Tales of a Clyde Woman – Has some great recipes and home tips.  Also, she just had a trip to the northeast and had some fun posts about  her trip.

Paradise has mosquitoes – She is an expat living in Portugal.  A quirky blog.  I love quirky.

Cooking in Sens – Rosemary is an American who moved to France and is in the middle of moving to Germany.  She blogs about her experiences with food along the way.

Recipes Happen – Bonnie has a great blog about cooking and saving money while cooking.

Food & Foto – Not only does Audrey post about wonderful recipes but her photos are great.

Food, Photography & France – Great sense of humour and fab recipes to boot!

A High School Foodie – Russell is a teenager that is mature beyond his age.  He has posted some amazing recipes and experiences.

Kiran’s Cooking Club – Honest to goodness Indian food.  How can you go wrong with this?

My Little Italian Kitchen – An Italian living in the UK, she follows the same thought I do in that the slow food movement is a good thing.  And I love Italian food.  🙂

PS I Love Soap – I’ve always wanted to make soap and this is a fabulous spot to go to for information.

And now for the guidelines I got from Sheila:

Guidelines for the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award are as follows:

  1. The Nominee of the Wonderful Team member Readership Award shall display the logo on his/her blog.
  2. The Nominee shall nominate 14 readers they appreciate over a period of 7 days, all at once or little by little.
  3. The Nominee shall name his/her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during
    7 day

I have to say I really enjoy the blogging world and connecting with people  around the world.  It has been a lot of fun and I am glad I jumped in and started doing it.  🙂