And the winners are ...

Oh my goodness! I have never recieved a blog award before, and I received two (2!) within 24 hours! I feel sooooo lurved - and blessed. Shout out to Umama (oh mama) for making this moment possible ( this is me at the podium, nervously looking for my notes scribbled in now running ink on my arm) and Girlichef, who so graciously presented me with the second one. And now it is my honor to pass the love forward. And I know you are gonna really enjoy the treats I have in store for you!!!!

I am eclectic - so this is not gonna be your average selection of recipients (he he) - oh, how I love the tension and element of surprise building here...

In my food blog arena, I present -

Love and the Licked Spoon - makes you just wanna go there for the title alone! This woman writes with a passion and humour about food, has some incredible recipes, takes you on vacation with her to handpicked spots that resonate with her because of ingredients and food she will find while there. She makes you wanna eat things you never dreamed of eating before.

Girlichef - this girl has a food palette that just matches mine to a tee (uhmm all the Tex Mex comes first to mind), makes it seem seamlessly easy, talks you through it, takes you through it with step by step photos (she got a new camera - no stoppin' her now!)and, I think, is just one big sweetie! (okay - you may have noticed she gave me this award too - but before I knew that, I had already determined to give her this award - so you see that I have the right away in the regifting of the award, right?)

Just Jenn Recipes - I discovered her when she received recognition for her doughnut/cupcakes. Yep, that's right. She has some entirely too cute and clever baking and cooking skills that she is willing to share with the rest of us mere mortals.

In the Lovely to be a Girl arena -

Rinse.Repeat - Bethany has an easy going way about her, gentle thoughts, heartwarming shared stories and insights. Cozy, comfy and caring. You always wanna drop by and say "hey"

Les Petites Fleurs - La Fee is a thrift minded girl that loves to dress cute - I love her garden shots and the incredible finds she cobbles together to make her cute weekly ensembles.

Chic & Green - this is a must stop for anyone interested in having the safest and best products for your face and body and is interested in DIY bath care/bodycare products. Karley is simple awesome, awe inspiring and I love her line of skincare as well.

In my photo/fiberlicious arena -

grrl + Dog - This is my current blog crush - she makes knitting roguishly fun and is presently preparing a huge art installation at a museum because of her fiber passion became recognized. You go girl!! She makes you wanna get out and create.

Snarky Stitching - a very new find, but irreverent and hilarious! This is stitchwork with lurid flair. Adult themes here - enter immediately!

Binky's Space - the best, the cutest photography and the most inventive lines of thought to pair them together.

The Rules:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. (oops - nine will just have to do!)

3) Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Reinvent your own wheel day!

So, I will let another cat out of the bag - I really am quite the metaphysical maven. I am into intuition, tarot, astrology and the like. So, in this particularly heavy and hard Mercury retrograde, I have been - well - rearranging. Feng Shuing the flat, if you like. Trying to get the mojo a flowin', but in keeping with the times - using just what I have got. One look in my quite large closet dedicated to my "crafts" I would say - that is a whole lot. This is how I basically spent the weekend. In between some very therapeutic bike rides, basking in the glow of the sun for my Vitamin D and eating incredible plates of food that my neighbors (read that, TWO!) gifted me ( Tex-Mex, and some New Orleans inspired Jambalaya and greens - hot damn!).

The house - and more importantly, the "creative corner" feels g o o d. I highly recommend this to anyone feeling particularly stagnant right now in their life. This is a period of reflection and reevaluation. Not the time to start anything new- just look at what you have got and whether or not it serves. Don't get over zealous though, you may find that you threw the baby out with the bath water -and we would soooo not want that right now.

Got some sun tea brewing on the counter right now and maybe another rhubarb creation coming out of the pantry later - maybe a Rhubarb Crunch or Rhubarb Custard Pie. Relatives are visiting - and the weather is nice. Brimming with all sorts of summer strewn wonders and energy for us to tap into. I will garden a wee bit to work it all off (she says, slightly winging).

Oh - and I am making a confession to, while I am at it. I am back to reading some chick books, and I am liking it. I used to turn my nose up at the romance section, and now I find that I sometimes need a little light fare to brighten my mood. Every genre has good writers, even romance. Mary Kay Andrews pairs gutsy,funny, impulsive lead characters with a little mystery on the side to be solved, a whole lot of genuine antique and thrift shopping for the decorator inclined and of course, a romance gurgling around in between. Mary wrote for the Atlantic Journal-Constitution, pens a great story - and was the fire beneath my feet as I was "redecorating" the living room this weekend. She made me want to just get up and go! I am now about to make 6 feet tall curtains (and maybe even sheers) for the new look - and we all know that is some effort to inspire.

BEST news for last - I got a blog award (entitled "One Lovely Blog") What?!!! Yes, from fresh and fun Ms. Umama. Here is the link, check her out and all of the other recipients - who are incredibly inspiring. I am honored, flattered - and I will be playing it forward real soon. Stay tuned.