Evie @ The Road Less Traveled has graciously bestowed me with an Excellent Blog award.
Aw, shucks be darn, Evie. I think you’re excellent, too.

As a recipient, I am supposed to pass on this award to 10 other excellent bloggers. I am quite certain those that I choose to bless with this lovely award most likely already have one. Being that they’re so excellent and all.

1. Mrs. Depp G over at Derfwad Manner.
Mrs G found me through the trenches of snotty noses, dirty diapers and the Hudson Flu Epidemic of 2007. And I am so glad that she did. I love Mrs. G’s blog with a passion unmatched by few. Hers is the first blog I visit each day. She updates it on a daily basis.
Her salty, tongue-in-cheek humor hits painfully close to home at times and she makes you laugh until you pee your pants.
Mrs. G is my secret crush #1.

2. Claudia, aka Stitchado.
A sweetheart down to her very core. She makes gorgeous handmade embroidered items that she sells in her etsy shop. Claudia is a young mother and wife and a truly beautiful soul. Stop by her blog and leave a kind word or two.

3. Wende at Evidently.
Wende writes like an angel. Her thoughts flow out from her and onto the page, leaving you breathless at times. I’ve come to know Wende better over the recent months and she is one of the bloggers at the top of my list whom I would love to meet some day. I know, when I do, she will be just as sweet and thoughtful as I imagine her to be.
Wende also had an etsy shop. It’s chock full of thrifty goodness, from vintage fabrics to lovely thriftstore finds such as dishes and linens.
Go check out Wende’s blog and shop. They won’t disappoint.

4. Ahna at Iguana Banana.
Ahna fills my heart with sunshine. She has such an upbeat attitude about raising three beautiful girls, being a working mom and just “keeping it real”.
I’ve met a small handful of women so honest hearted and soulful as her. She writes about things in her life she is grateful for, worries on her mind and memories that make her nostalgic.
One that I can’t forget, is when she reminisces of eating grapefruit, sprinkled with powdered sugar with her grandfather when she was younger. She paints a visual picture of the soft, golden sunlight filling the kitchen with it’s warmth and how she can never forget the smell of his aftershave and the brewing coffee.
I just love her and I know you will too, so go check out what she’s up to today.

5. Jen at The Fabled Needle.
Jen is a fabulous artist, living in California. She illustrates, sews, makes jewelry and creates crochet patterns and sells her creations in her etsy shop.
She’s helped me immensely with my own new pattern, getting the ugly kinks worked out.
She totally didn’t have to do it but being the lovely person she is, she helped me without question. We both have Asian blood flowing through our veins so we can relate to each others fine art of “being anal” in everything we do. It’s hell but it’s what makes us the lovely Artists that we are.

6. Ame. Her blog is entitled, “Don’t Read This” but you certainly should.
Ame has put her previous career on the back burner so that she could take care of her grandmother whose health has recently declined. She calls her “mom” and regularly charts her progress, shares her thoughts and concerns and her love for scrap booking and photography all on her blog.
Swing by and drop Ame a line to let her know just how special you think she is.

7. Sarah at Bits of Life.
Sarah is going to begin to think I am stalking her with all the awards I’ve given her.
Sarah is a young, devoted wife and mother of one very cute, blond boy named Zach. What fabulous taste she has in boy names!
Sarah is a sweet heart and one of my oldest and dearest blogging friends.
Sarah also has her own etsy shop, where she sells her knit and crocheted items and adorable wood collage letters. Go check her out.

8. Melissa is Green Girl in Wisconsin.
I’m fairly new to Melissa’s lovely blog. She shares her adventures of life on her 60 acres of land and she refers, lovingly, to her three sons as “the Bachelors”.
I find it to be undeniably appropriate and adorable.
I think of Melissa as a sweet, dear friend. She’s always there to support my blog and leave a comment or two just when I really need it.
Go drop Melissa a king word or two!

9. Bethany is Qwingk.
I am retarded, apparently, as I cannot for the life of me remember if Bethany is Ahna’s (Iguana Banana) sister or sister-in-law. But at any rate, she is equally sweet!
Bethany is a lovely wife and mother of one beautiful, brown haired girl. Looking at the many pictures of her daughter on Bethany’s blog makes me pray that my daughters’ hair stays brown as she grows older.
Just looking at Bethany’s side bar on her blog, you can see right away what a deep, thoughtful woman she is. Her beauty is not just skin deep. Bethany writes with heart and soul and makes you feel like getting down right literary.
Stop by Bethanys and see what I mean. She is lovely.

Last, but not least is a tie. Between two women who hold extremely busy schedules, so they are both inclined to let their blogs go a while and gather up dust while they save the world with their talent and hard work. I commend them both.

First, is my dear friend Richelle at The Weston Files.
But I just call her “Shelly”.
She is a beautiful and talented wife and mother of two. When her family decided it was time to move across the state line into Oregon, I was truly saddened. It is only 15 minutes away but I feel like she lives 100 miles away. We both have hectic lives and it’s hard to get together half as much as we’d like.
Shelly has recently decided to rejoin the workforce, working as an MA for an Orthopdic Surgeon.
I admire her desire and determination to keep up her blog in spite of her crazy-busy schedule!

Second, is my sister-in-law, Lauren.
Lauren is mommy to Margot Athena.
Lauren is wife to a doting husband named Ben and their daughter, Margot is my daughter’s favorite plaything! Margot is the sweetest 2 year old girl on the planet.
I met Margot’s mommy, Lauren after I married her brother. And I met her future husband, Ben at the same time. They were adorable. And they still are!
Lauren cracks me up every time I’m around her. A sense of humor to match her loving personality. She is also a budding photographer. Go check out her blog and her photographs.
Oh, and please tell her not to beat me up for putting her last on my list. 😉