Stylish Blogger Awards

I must say, these dull, dreary days of winter are stifling my creative thoughts.  Nothing outside my window except lots of gray melting mush.  Kind of how my brain feels right about now... 

Even the squirrels are miserable...

 

Not very inspiring...

Bleak..

 My mind was blank this week.  No blog topics...that's a dilemma.....  When I opened my friend Yvonne Blacker's blog "Design Vignettes" www.designvignettes.blogspot.com, she had just been picked as a Top 10 Stylish Blogger, and the idea was to "pay it forward" and name your own Top 10 Stylish Bloggers.  Low and behold, I made Yvonne's list!  Design Vignettes was the first design blog I had ever read (almost the first BLOG I had ever read, if you don't count my son's journal about his escapades in Greece...but we won't go there....my hair is grey enough already...).  Yvonne had urged me to write my own blog.  I was totally clueless.  The Boston Design Center came to the rescue with a 3 part seminar on Social Media and Blogging, given by Linda Merrill, another excellent design blogger.  Linda gave us the why's and how-to's to get started and nine months into it, I'm still writing!

So, ladies and gentlemen...the envelope please!!!  (Sorry, still in Oscar mode...)  Here are the picks for my Top 10 Stylish Bloggers.

1.  www.designvignettes.blogspot.com 
Yvonne Blacker's blog and my blogging inspiration!

2.  ohmigoshblog.blogspot.com
Jen Of All Trades always has great pictures and speaks to her audience like she is talking to you over a cup of coffee.

3.  design4seasons.blogspot.com
Katherine Hawkins has a wonderful way with words!  I wish I could write with her style and flair!

4.  nehomemag.com
New England Home Magazine's blog.  Always filled with great design from the New England area.

5.  finelivingmuse.blogspot.com
Linda Smith's take on design, style, entertaining and how-to's.  If you want to decorate for a fabulous party, this is the blog you want to read!

6.  styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org
Great tips on real estate staging.

7.  northshorehometalk.com
Tina McManus always has the latest real estate trends and great places to visit on the northshore of Boston.

8.  skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com
Linda Merrill - thank you for your seminar that kicked off my blogging!  Linda and cohorts always have great podcasts voicing their opinions on a variety of design issues.

9.  creatgirl.blogspot.com
Julieann Covino, another Boston area blogger with great design tips and pictures.

10.  maisondecor8.blogspot.com
If you love French country, cottage shabby or vintage design, Amy's blog will take you there.

These are just a sample of the ones I read and I never get to all their posts, but check in periodically to see what they are writing about.  If I had my way, I would be reading all day.  But if I didn't go to work, I'd never have anything to write about....its a catch-22...

According to the rules of the award, you are also supposed to list 7 things about yourself....hmmm... Not sure if its supposed to be about things I like, things about my personality, or things you may not know about me.   Here is a little of each...

1.  I LOVE shoes and pocketbooks!
2.  I mostly feel like a dinosaur in this ever changing world of technology.
3.  I love good food
4.  I'm very intolerant of stupidity.
5.  No one makes me laugh like my brother and husband
6.  Some days I wish I could turn back the clock, and other days I am proud of my age and experience.
7.  Everyday I feel blessed for the life I have and the people that are in it.

Yvonne, thank you for putting me on your list and for giving me a topic for this week!  My mushy brain is forever in your debt!

"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." ~Danny Kaye