I have been given an Award.

This is cool and fun and I feel honored to be selected by my friend Elizabeth in New Zealand.

Here's what you gotta do:

1. Thanks and link back to the blogger who passed this award onto you

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award other recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

So a big shout out to Elizabeth over at Lizzy's Letters who gave me my stylish blogger award.  I met her at our Christian Women Journaling group on Yahoo groups.

So seven things about me:

1. I met the love of my life when I was 31 years old. He proposed to me on my 33rd birthday on a lobster dinner cruise in the bay of Cancun Mexico. One year later we got married, had a baby and bought a house.

2. We were both told we could not have kids. We have two beautiful children. True gifts from God.

3. I love to cook. I love to cook for others. I love to garden, grow things that I can eat, preserve or give away. If I could not do these two things, I would curl up in the corner and die.

4. I lost my mom when I was 24 years old. I started journaling then and have not stopped. It is one of the greatest tools God has given us.

5. I have two friends from early early childhood, (age 3 and second grade) that I still talk to and stay in contact with their families too.

6. I hated hot dogs, sausage and country music when I met my husband. Now I love country music and can tolerate hot dogs and sausage.

7. Chef Boy R Dee is absolutely forbidden in my house. If you open a can of it near me, I will be physically ill.

Well the first person that comes to mind is my buddy Missy over at Bonkers for Bogos I met Missy when we both sold Pampered Chef. She absolutely makes me laugh, is a great roommate in Chicago and loves sushi.  She is at 80% in savings with using coupons. So if you need a job, think about making money by saving money.

The next person I think you need to know about is my buddy Marshel at Journaling one entry at a time Marshel and I are journal buddies. We have never met, but have talked on the phone plenty of times.  We each keep a journal going, and when we feel the need, we just ship it off to the other. We both belong to the Christian Women Journaling group. She loves prompts and loves to write. I love her.

I love to garden as I have said before. Amy in Texas loves to garden as well. Her blog can be found at Go Away I am gardening I love her writing style and her photos. She makes me want to plant flowers.  Because she lives in a different zone than I do, it makes me feel better that her garden looks better than mine. I just blame it on the heat and lack of shade that I have.

Dolly is a new blogger that I recently found and I want to tell you about. She is over at Journal Addict Right now she is doing 28 days of journaling and posting about her experience. She welcomes guest journalers to contact her to submit ideas or journaling excerpts. I find her a treasure to read. And while we are talking about journaling...

I need to tell you about the elegant Debbie. She is found at Journal Writer Debbie and I have known each other for more than five years at the journaling group. She is the current moderator of our group. She teaches, writes, sings, plays piano, does in depth bible reading/study to share with us. She lives in Canada and loves to read too. I love her writing. I am challenged by her writing. I am encouraged by her writing.

She is a painter and art journaler too.

Speaking of art journaling you have to see Ann's work. I want to be like Ann when I grown up. She has a loyal following and its because she is an amazing art journalist. Check her out at Journaling the Journal. 

Meet Monica at Lick the bowl She is the newest blog I have found and read. I am not a baker, but after reading all her amazing recipes I want to become one. This Texas girl knows how to put it all together and make it sound easy. I know it ain't. I love her cakes, I love her honesty in her reviews of her baked goods. I love her pictures. I love that she is just a cool lady with a hot oven. She really should publish a cookbook of her own, I would buy it.

I hope you find some great reading and I hope you start your own blog one day. If you do send me a link and I will be reading you one day.

This is Girl Schmuck signing off