Shine On - Blogs

It's so hard to get back into the groove after  reading week! Classes this week have been a bit of a drag. But I've got a German project and a midterm, and three papers coming up in the next 4-6 weeks, so I've GOT to focus. I think chocolate is going to be a necessity...

My friend Shelli nominated me for a Shine On award, for having an enjoyable blog. Thank, Shelli! :) Shelli blogs about all kinds of things, but her influence is largely adjusting to living in Canada after being an American for her whole life. I love her style!

I like rules, so I did a bit of Googling to make sure I was following them properly. It seems like a pretty fluid award - kind of like a chain email, which I find amusing!

The rules:
1. Show appreciation of the blogger who nominated you and link back to them in your post.
2. Add the award logo to your blog.
3. Share 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 or so bloggers you admire.
5. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know.

Seven Things:
1. I'm a maple syrup snob. We used to make our own when I was a kid, and I won't touch that maple-flavoured syrup. Blech!
2. I'm an Anglophile at heart. If I ever got a chance to go to England, I might not come back. :)
3. My current tv watching goal is to watch all the seasons of Monty Python's Flying Circus
4. For Lent this year I'm trying to go to church every Wednesday night as well as Sunday, and to read my Bible more. I've missed one Wednesday, because I went to the Philharmonic. And the Bible reading? Well, I'm trying!
5. In my head, I'm a fabulous gardener and food canner. Maybe one day I will be in real life...if we ever move to BC!
6. I'm working on a steampunk outfit for comic expo. I've been working on it for a long time. This WILL be the year I finish it! :P
7. My favourite thing about the Oscars is looking at all of the dresses in the magazines the week after. Otherwise the only time I've ever watched it was the year Colin Firth was up for best actor for The King's Speech.


Fifteen Blogs:
1. My friend Kristin, the AmeriCandian Gal, also a new Canadian, blogs mostly about the differences between the two countries. I learn things about Canada from her! :)

2. Deborah Niemann has a farm called Antiquity Oaks and I have a bit of farm envy! I'm too squeamish to raise animals, I think, but I really enjoy her blog. Plus, she has LOTS of cute baby goats. She's also the author of a couple of great books - look them up!

3. Club Jade is my source for all things Star Wars. No rumour-mongering there!

4. Drawing Saudade is Saudade's attempt to draw every day for a year. She's pretty great - she posts every night, and I always look forward to seeing what she comes up with. I won one of her pieces in a contest - a cute little baby seal. I'm a big fan!

5. If I had to choose just one blog to read for the rest of forever, it would probably be EPBOT. Jen Yates blogs about Disney, steampunk, books, home decorating, crafting, general geekyness, cats, marriage, cons...I, along with about a million other fangirls, would love to be her real life friend! :)

6. Jen's other blog is Cake Wrecks. If you like snark, have a slightly inappropriate sense of humour, and enjoy life's absurdities, you'll get a giggle out of Cake Wrecks. Warning: do not attempt to eat (some cakes can be quite nausea inducing) or drink (danger of spitting all over your computer) while reading Cake Wrecks.

7. I met Erin at Dog Under My Desk online through our mutual love of Sanctuary, which, alas, has been cancelled, but we've found other things to talk about! I don't sew, but I love her designs. She blogs about sewing and fangirling, and if you are into sewing, she has great purse patterns. I'd call her a Handbag Engineer, because the amount of structural work she puts into them blows my mind.

8. Do you have a friend coming for dinner? Someone who can't eat gluten or dairy? Wondering what on earth to feed them? My friend Heather and her partner Josh between the two of them cover both of those 'special needs'. :) They have a food blog called Going Against the Grain, with great food and great photos. Try the Nanaimo Bars...

9. Continuing with the food theme, I love the Outlander Kitchen. Theresa lives on one of the Gulf Islands off the BC coast, and writes recipes based on Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books. I haven't tried many of them, but her posts are fun to read, and if you're a fan of Diana Gabaldon, this is a rather essential aspect of the fandom. :)

10. My friend Teresa has a freelance photography business, and she does beautiful work. She also lived in New Zealand for a while and has some amazing scenery photographs. Her most recent post is about her nephew, who also happens to be my newest godson. :)

11. Sarah Sundin writes wonderful WWII historical fiction, and everyday she posts a little snippet of what happened on that day during the war. She also posts book reviews and longer essays about life during the war. She appeals to both the English major and the history minor in me!

12. Worldview Everlasting, created by Pastor Jonathan Fisk, is a collaborative blog that answers questions about Christianity in general and about Lutheranism in particular. He also does a weekly vlog, which is usually a treasure trove of geeky references.


Alright, that's not 15, but this is all I've got! Hopefully you can find a new gem to add to your reading list!