And the Award Goes To...

"Liebster" is German, with the approximate translation of "favorite" or "dearest". The Liebster Award is a fun and friendly way to pay it forward to    up and coming bloggers with less than 300 followers. There's no voting or judging; only appreciation and kindness. These bloggers deserve recognition for their wonderful blogs, and I'm grateful to my dear friend Tracy for nominating mine!

**Here are the details on receiving this award**

1. When you receive the award, and choose to accept it,  you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
2. Pass the award on to 3-5 other bloggers (who have less than 300 followers) and let them know they've been nominated.
3. Create 11 questions for these 3-5 bloggers to answer.
4. Link them in your post.
5. No tag backs!      

11 Random Things about myself:

1. I'm a kid at heart.
2. I married another kid at heart.
3. I love baking, especially anything chocolate.
4. Talking on the phone with my (step-)daughter Alyssa always makes me happy. 
5. My cat Stanley is the coolest cat I know.
6. I recently began meditating and am hooked. 
7. This winter I'm drinking lemon-honey tea, peppermint tea and          yarrow tea.
8. In recent years, to my family's delight, I've really loosened up on           my neat-nick tendencies.
9. I constantly surround myself with color, pattern and texture. 
10. I feel most at peace when I'm creating, and am truly happy when            I'm hanging out with my nephews and niece.                   

11 questions my Liebster Nominator Tracy wants me to answer:

1. What is the one food that you wish you liked, but you just don't? For example, I wish that I liked mushrooms - but I can't stand them.  Ground beef. Ugh.
2. How many books a year (or month or week) would you say you read? Do blogs count?
3. What is one embarrassing memory from your youth that you feel comfortable sharing? That would be the time I unknowingly "stole" from a local restaurant a box of Thin Mints just sitting next to the cash register. My 6 year old self thought they were free for the taking, which they were, but not the whole box at once! By the time we arrived home my parents saw what was in my lap and promptly drove all the way back to town to return them. All the while, I remained in the back seat. 
4. Hellman's Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip?  There's only one right answer here - so be careful! I don't have a preference! Oh no!
5. If you could do something else in your life other than what you are doing right now - what would it be? Walking the hills and valleys of Scotland, through heather and bracken, over lovely old stone bridges and along narrow foot paths carved into the hillside. 
6. Favorite all-time singer or musical group?  Far too numerous to choose just one, so today my favorite is Mumford & Sons.
7. Do you like riding on roller-coasters, and if so - do you have a favorite one? Yes I do, once I work up the courage. They're all the same - a building up of suspense followed by a very long scream!
8. Favorite season of the year? While each offers something special, Spring time makes my heart soar, so that's my absolute favorite.
9. If you could have one talent that you know you don't have, and will never really have, what would it be? To sing and perform on stage. 
10. What is your favorite way to spend time by yourself? Either in my studio with music on, wearing PJs and working my heart out, or curled up in the corner of the couch, knitting in front of a good movie! 
11. Would you rather do the cooking, or do the cleanup afterward?  Both!

11 Questions for my three Award Nominees:

1. What are you too chicken to try?
2. Have you ever eaten a worm?
3. What's your preference: a real book or an e-book?
4. As a child, what was your favorite story?
5. What's the last song you listened to?
6. If you could only eat one food for ever and ever, what would it be?
7. Where is your Mother's Mother originally from, and have you been there?
8. What's the best and worst thing about blogging?
9. What ritual do you turn to when you want to feel all cozy and relaxed?
10. What 3 words best describe you?

The Big Finale...I'm nominating these 3 extraordinary Blogs:

1. Lisa Jordan's lil fish Studios, for her exquisite devotion to natural dyeing, felting, embroidering and for handling life with great care.
2. Lara Smoot's Have Needles Will Knit, for her fun-loving approach to knitting, designing, cooking, sewing and for our long-distance friendship.
3. Bonnie Sennott's Blue Peninsula Knits, for her larger-than-life artist's soul, sublime knit pattern designs, and quest for seeing beauty all around her. 

Congratulations, and I hope you each accept your nomination! 

You deserve it!