I need you to marvel at something truly marvelous

Thank you Leigh for bestowing this to me, I laughed so much when I got it and graciously accept as it ties in with the tradition of accepting oscars and awards of the likes - I have done some serious research you see!! So sit down and enjoy - ha ha!!

But first the traditional rules!

Part of this is that I now have to post this button on my Blog and then write 3 things I love about myself!!! After completing this, I must invite 3 bloggers (well I have gone further) that I respect to come and admire my award. Indeed I have gone further as I will invite all of you who read this to read on and marvel at this magnificent award, and learn more about its traditions. I know if you read on you will want one too - all in good time we must follow traditional rituals!!!

So first for some traditional acceptance speech and of course the traditional and obligatory 3 things I love about myself so before you rush on over to Leigh's place to pinch it, finish reading this please no breaking traditions please or you won't get one!

So as an acceptance speech, I thought I would dig deep into the origins of acceptance speeches with 2 very funny British comedians ......

and then I laughed at this one Will Ferrell did. He was a bit too busy to do one personally for me but you get the drift.....

So thank you Leigh for this and I know you said I had to say 3 things I love about myself these humble things are:-

1. I love the fact that after a troubled childhood in Nice, I joined the Foreign Legion and was only thrown out when they discovered I was a female - but only after I had received various medals etc!
2. I love that my skull is made of the finest Murano Glass. I have to be quite careful not to bang my head, but if I gently tap it, there is a delightful ringing noise!
3. I love that I have a wonderful singing voice but it only sounds great at ultra sonic level. When I go swimming in the sea Whales often accompany me!

Now please do feel free to leave a comment and follow along with Leigh's tradition of giving yourself a well deserved award!!!

You too can marvel at having this award that Leigh has given me, you know you want one so join in by pinching it and putting it on your blog and doing the very same. Make sure however to follow her rules which can be found at http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/2010/03/dont-hate-me-because-im-busy-being.html!!!

You are also very welcome to stick around and follow my fabulous blog!!!!

Cherry on the Top!

First a song to get you in an upbeat mood for a Friday!

Last night, before I went to bed, I popped over to Jamie's blog which you can look up here:

http://lyricaljourney.blogspot.com

I think is really charming and really enjoy reading and visiting it. The content is always interesting, her photography is fab and she has introduced me to music that I have not heard before - so it is an all round two thumbs up blog and well worth looking up.

So Jamie told us how she had received an award - yey for Jamie! She then went on to tell us a bit more about her including showing us a fantastic barn her dad built which the photograph she took of it is her favourite because it is such a special place.

Then by Jings - she nominated me and 4 other people to pass the award onto too - no force needed!!!

Double YEY and thank you thank you thank you, so much that I have to sing a happy song!!! Please feel free to sing along - you won't be able to stop yourself - you know it!!!!

Im' warming you up for tropical shores you see!

Here she is, this scrumptious award :-

I am very touched especially as I have only been blogging since April so thank you very much Jamie and perhaps if you do ever come over to Scotland and Edinburgh, I can treat you to an actual cupcake in person!

Having graciously accepted, here is what I have to do

1. Thank the person who gave the award to you - done.
2. Copy the award and put it on your blog - done
3. List three things about you

• My natural colour of hair is blond but I not long after got married to Anders someone asked me if I was his parents daughter! Not a good thought - no I didn't like that at all!!! So I died my hair initially being a redhead and then dark brown! The funny thing was, people didn't think I died my hair, can you believe it! I have now gone back to being blond as it is far less upkeep in terms of having it coloured, however....... (see below)


• I have been married for 18 years this year!


• I have had a big wild spider crawl on my hand and arm when I was in Belize with Anders!

4. Post a photo that you love! Goodness, I have so many photographs that I love - hundreds literally from the past! So as some of you may know, I am prone to not complying all of the time (well probably quite a lot actually) and this was proving to be very difficult. Therefore I have gone into the past into the first photo album I picked up which was our holiday in Belize about 10 years ago. (hence my mentioning point 1).

But before that, here is a picture of Dexter when he was first born playing in his cot. I love this photograph because I remember clearly how he used to get so excited every time one particular bear used to come round to his face (there were 4 hanging from a mobile), and he would squeal with excitement each and every time he saw it.

And now to the Belize photos:

I love these photos because I think they are the few I have which I think looking back on - wow I looked good in a bikini (not something I say often I tell thee)!

I love the 2 photographs below because I managed to find the courage to allow this large spider to crawl up my arm whilst on this same holiday....

And I love this holiday Belize photograph as I am looking at my Anders who took all of these Belize photos - awww!

Finally, tag five people you want to pass this award on to:

Please accept this cupcake (if only it were real) as a token of my appreciation and gratitude for making me smile!

1. http://ourweefarm.blogspot.com/ - Laura because she is the reason I started blogging and she has such a lovely life and blog to go with a lovely husband and together they are one of Dexter's godparents!!! Also, she loves cupcakes and pink so this is one I think really suits her.
2. http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/ - Leigh, I think she is so great, I want to go to flea markets, dance, make jokes and do really silly let your hair down and be girly things with her. I think she has a great sense of humour and secretly want her to be my pal!
3. http://www.divasanddreams.blogspot.com/ - Christina puts together very difficult challenges (well at least I think they are) every Thursday. Her blog is beautiful, very feminine, classy and I think she too would appreciate pretty cupcakes!
4. http://christopherandtia.blogspot.com/ - this blog hosts a Flashback Friday spot which got me into looking through old photographs which I might otherwise not have done. So thank you and please accept this cupcake from me!
5. http://prettylittlegaijin.blogspot.com/ - I love the photographs this girl takes in a country I just love so so much, Japan. It makes me want to go out there again right now - oh if only I could - and I will, just can't right now - boohoo!

I wish I could have given it out to more people, as all of the blogs I read are charming, creative, entertaining, beautiful, funny and well interesting!

Passing on the love

Thank you to Laura (my lovely friend in NZ) and Sam (who kindly awarded me these from just popping in now and again to view my blog) for these 3 awards. I am really touched, especially as I have only been blogging since April - WOW.

Now, part of being awarded these is that I in turn have to pass the love on (love of a blog) to 10 other people! I am therefore passing on all three of these to the following people.

Don't think you have to give all of these 10 in one go (I have not) or all three to the same people (but I have with the exception of Lloyd as you already have one from Laura) but you do have to give the 10 out as and when you feel in the mood to spread some lovin'! Hope this makes sense.

So my first recipients are (and I give them to you because I think you have charming blogs which inspire me and make me laugh). The down side of getting the Beautiful Blogger award is you have to say 10 things about yourself too - I have done it, so apparently you do too!

1. http://www.leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/ - love this blog, Leigh you have inspired me and make me laugh a lot.
2. http://fooddrinkfood.blogspot.com/ - love you and hope we get to taste your lovely food again sometime soon over in NZ and see your place.
3. http://yeahokbye.blogspot.com/ - Love your restaurant "The Saint", Marvin & Carly love Kingston, and I think you are really interesting, cool, creative, charming and funny.
4. http://vizslablog.katestravels.info/ - you have taken some fantastic photographs of your two Viszlas, and when we were getting Marvin & Carly, I stumbled upon your blog which made our decision to get our two Viszlas all the more easy. Dexter & Ditto, you are really funny, and clearly we have a bond as our son is called Dexter too!!!
5. http://ourweefarm.blogspot.com/ - see you have not got two of the awards I have received, and Laura, your blog is the reason I started doing this and you have made me go crazy with it!
6. http://www.theiheartblog.com/ - stumbled upon this blog via "you capture" photography challenge which Leigh vs Laundry let her followers into, hence why I found out about it. Bec's blog is really nice, with lots of genuinely charming posts in it so I think she well deserves these awards too. Bec's your blog is lovely.
7. http://www.theiheartblog.com/ - another blog I stumbled upon like that of number 6. Beautiful pictures here, and I think Laura (number 5 will really like this one too as they both have labradoodles and like taking macro photos which are really lovely). Jane captures nice photographs so well worth having a peep.
8. http://madelinebea.blogspot.com/ - this is the person behind creativity bootcamp which is turning out to be a lot of fun....
9. http://0hbabybaby.blogspot.com/ - I have just come across this post and it is just so beautiful, inspiring and kawaii - love it, love it, love it.
10. http://prettylittlegaijin.blogspot.com/ - And this mother blog to ohbabybaby - equally as kawaii and inspirational - I am so excited to have found you!

So my lovelies, thank you for your inspiration and for making me laugh - spread the love and be happy!