A Versatile Blogger

Ooh, I've won a blog award!  The lovely Claire at That In Black Ink has granted me a Versatile Blogger award:

I am, needless to say, flattered.  Protocol dictates that I tell you seven things about myself:

1)  I like being described as "versatile".  An ex-boyfriend once described me as "volatile," which I thought was unfair.  I think he meant "mercurial."  That sounds much nicer.  (Incidentally, he shall now and forever more be known as C*nt Face - it's a despicable tale of breaking a young girl's heart which I won't share with you today.  Suffice to say, if I ever see him again, he's getting a drink thrown in his face.  Or, his face put through a wall, depending if it's his lucky day or not)  

2) I grew up in Portsmouth.  It's a navy town, therefore, I swear like a sailor (see above).  I do apologise if it causes offence and I try to keep my potty mouth under control on my blog, but in real life, I find nothing quite as emphatic as a well-placed f-word.

3) My GCSE English teacher, Mr Tapp, once commented that I needed to expand my vocabulary.  It is a commented that has haunted me ever since, which is why I try and use nice juicy words (like "mercurial" and "emphatic") on my blog.

4) I am pedantic.  I have mentioned before that I keep dictionaries and thesauri bookmarked on my web browser, but unfortunately it extends to an (I'll admit, unkind) inner seething when I see people using the wrong there/their/they're, stationery/stationary, where/were, it's/its, etc, and for God's sake, can everyone stop using this new, made-up word "addicting"?  It's "addictive." 

5) Luckily, I have good manners enough not to point out, or (heaven forbid!) correct other people's spelling/grammar mistakes.  I believe good manners are important.

6) I have hinted at Secret Dream Jobs before.  These include, in no particular order: fashion/costume designer, florist, rock star, vet, therapist, vintage/handmade clothing boutique owner, tea shop proprietor, hairdresser, zoo keeper, and, of course, Lady of Leisure.

7) In real life I am an Office & Warehouse Administrator, which suits me just fine.

And now I must pass this honourable award on to fifteen of my favourite blogs, so, here we go:

Yours Truly, x - looks just like a doll.  She has the sweetest vintage fashion style (although when she va-va-vooms, she sure can va-va-voom, I assure you), takes lovely pictures, and is fond of jaunts in the countryside.  Oh yes, and her hair is amazing.  As is her boyfriend's.  In fact, I would describe his hair as spectacular.

Time Won't Wait For Me - she's working as a nurse for Operation Smile in India.  If, like me, you've always wanted to go to India, then get thee hence to this blog.  Not only does she post plenty of photos of her travels, she is also a very honest writer, which I appreciate.

Pretty Far West - is hilarious and eloquent.  My favourite kind of blog, and, indeed, person.

Hattatt - dividing their time between Brighton and Budapest, the Hattats write as beautifully as they live.  They also happen to be extremely well-connected to all manner of artistic characters, and they are not stingy with their anecdotes.  A treat, every time.

Backwoods Mom - over the pond now, all the way to Alaska.  A foster mum who's building their new home, she is full of heartwarming and heartbreaking stories about how her (dozens of) children have come and gone into her life, as well as some real, intelligent, down-to-earth parenting advice.  And, of course, she's hysterically funny.

Dottie Angel - I'm sure you are already familiar with this one, but she has inspired me endlessly, not only to stay on The Goodly and Righteous Path of craftiness, but also to develop one's own voice through one's blog, and to give cameras, sewing machines, irons, etc, their own names.

Casual Kitchen - a male blogger!  And a food blog, to boot.  The focus is on not wasting your money, and I have adopted dozens of recipes from here already.  There is also plenty of healthy debate to digest, as well - an intelligent and infinitely useful blog.

Dear Friend - an artist, who always has beautifully braided hair, just brought a kitten home, and is in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia.  A real sweetheart.

Needled - crafty bloggers know who Kate Davies is - she designed the Owl Jumper!  She is also fiercely clever and regularly tromps around the Scottish countryside.  Um, she also had a stroke a year ago, and I've learnt more from her honest and insightful posts about her recovery than they probably teach you in medical school.  She's a marvel.

Food Coma - OK, you all know Elsie Larson of Red Velvet fame, but I sincerely hope you are equally familiar with her sister Emma's blog, Food Coma.  Emma's style of writing has so much personality, it's easy to feel like you're really getting to know her just from reading.  And, of course, she's a girl after my own heart: food is always a priority.

Craft Hope - I've mentioned them before, but they organise crafting projects for charity.  Get involved!

An Apple A Day - Amy Merrick writes the Living In posts for Design Sponge.  She posts the most dreamy photos on her blog.  She'll make you wish you had a summer house.

SamARTha - a real-life blog buddy!  We met up on a recent trip to London, and she's every bit as delightful as I'd hoped.  She blogs about knitting, plants, and lindy-hopping.  She has an awesome cat.

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String - she's Australian, she's crafty, she takes excellent photos, and now, she keeps chickens!

Strawberry Fields - she's my real life friend in Bath, and she's just starting blogging but I think she's off to a flying start: she's compiled a list of life goals and is talking us through the process of ticking them off.  We all love a list, right, bloggers?

Phew!  There's always so much to say when extolling the virtues of others.  I tried to go for the less obvious choices, so hopefully you'll find a new blog that you haven't stumbled across before.  Thanks again, Claire!