Blog Award!

I woke up this morning to find blog awards from my friends Joanna, Kelly and Janet!  Thank you ladies for the honor! 

Now as part of the award I have to do seven things:

(1)Post the image of the award

(2)Thank the person who gave it to me.

(3)Link to the person who gave it to me

(4)Tell you seven things about myself that you wouldn't know

(5)Choose seven great bloggers to give this award to.

(6)Give a link to their blogs

(7)Leave them a message on their blog.

Hmm. I find that I'm pretty boring in general so I'll have to think a little about this one, lol.

1. I am addicted to books. I love the smell of them, the feel of them... I love to see them all lined up on my bookshelves. I have enough books to last me several years of reading, but I still love to shop resales and book sales for that special one I don't have yet.

2. I have a degree in landscape architecture from Arizona State University and worked for an architect designing million dollar homes. But when I moved back to Illinois I couldn't get a job here so I changed careers midlife. Now I am a teacher without a job!


3. I am a very creative person... if I see something I like, I simply make one for myself. But then I have little interest in making a lot of something. I just have to prove to myself that I can do it at least once.

4. I have a dream of living near the ocean some day. I mean very near, as in walk out the door and across the yard and be on the beach. I love the sea... the salty air, the fishy smell, the sound of the waves crashing, the tide pools and slimy seaweed, the gulls crying... aaaahhh. 

5. I have only one child and can't have any more... when my daughter was younger I was upset about this... but now I LOVE having only one child. Some people would call me selfish... some people have made me feel guilty... but I love my little family and wouldn't trade it for the world! 

6. I love music and have favorite musicians who I find very inspiring. But I have to be in the mood to blast the music. I also love silence and spending time alone.

7.  A BIG pet peeve of mine is cell phones and the people who can't go through life without them. People who talk on the phone while dining with a friend, or walk through the grocery store like they are talking to themselves but have those little ear pieces on. Or TEXT in a movie theater. Or talk and drive. I could go on and on... but you get the picture. What ever happened to being by yourself with your thoughts?

Now to pick seven blogs for you too check out... besides the ladies who nominated me (and the other six each of them also nominated! I'm going to try to avoid doubles and triples :-) here are a few of my favorite blogs I enjoy visiting: 

Elizabeth always has great pictures and great tutorials posted on her blog.

Cheryl has inspiring projects and cool drawings.

Valerie is such a generous soul and offers beautiful pictures to download and use in your art.

Rita intersperses pictures of her beautiful artwork with creative writing and interesting stories.

Toni because she's an amazingly strong and intelligent and inspiring young woman and I love her!

Vicki because she updates her blog more often than anyone I know and it's FUN to read :-)

Fran has some truly lovely art and art journal pages and is an inspiration!

Oh gosh I can think of so many more... I've got about 100 blogs on my blogroll! (Don't even think I can keep up with it all!) I just can't believe all the wonderful people I've met through blogging and the wonderful inspiration I've gotten from everyone!