What a nice surprise!

Today was a good day. My son did quite a bit of organizing in the garage. It still has a long way to go, but we are making progress. The sun was out, and it was not so humid (a.k.a. not a big hair day for Cathy.) After dinner I made some chocolate dipped strawberries (yum!) which my daughter Laura was eating as fast as I could dip them. I sliced up some juicy watermelon and sat for a few minutes to read the Beatrix Potter article in my beloved Victoria magazine's July/August issue. Even Skittles was in uber-relax mode taking a cat nap; probably because he is, well, a cat. I turned on the computer and oooohhhh! The new Harry Potter movie trailer! Can't wait for November 21st. Laura and I are always among the other crazy fans who have to go to the first midnight show. If you are dressed in a Hogwarts robe or arrive with a lightening bolt scar on your forehead; you are in good company. Hey, what can I say. Those are my peeps. :) Oh yes, back to the surprise....

In my email was a little note from Susan over at the T-Cozy. I met Susan when visiting her awesome T-Party Antiques and Tea shop in Connecticut. If you have ever had the pleasure of visiting T-Party, then you can understand how sentimentally sad so many of us were that it closed. Susan's creativity and lovely personality just filled each and every room. You can see many photos of the shop on her blog. Luckily for us in blogland, Susan has created a presence that is as warm and lovely and fun and kitschy as the original T-Party. Luckily for me, she will still be selling her wonderful teas, pretty creations and fantastic finds. If you like herbal tea, you will have to try Susan's blend. Just trust me on this one :) Susan's email was to let me know that she gave me an award! I'm thrilled and honored that she thought of me. Thank you, Susan! And now about the award, the "Arte y Pico" award; which is meant to be shared.

Dana at the Stone Rabbit passed it on to Susan, and
I am passing on the award to these creative and inspiring bloggers:

#1) Sara at The Winemaker's Wife. You've got to love a girl who has a Hello Kitty toaster :) She is always cooking up something delightful and presents everything so beautifully. Her little dog Remy is just too cute. She's the go-to gal for everything wine! If you have not had a chance to get away this Summer, do lose yourself in her photos from her recent trip to France. Ooooh la la!

#2) Ivy at The Senakams: Corgi + 2. Ivy's not only got awesome Corgis, but she's got creativity to spare. She is a paper and print artist and you can find handmade greetings and more in her Paper Elixer shop, which you can find on her blog. Did I mention she has awesome Corgis? ^..^ ??

#3) Liz at Mabel's House. I just love her blog. She has a fresh and creative outlook, takes awesome photos, and I find her writing style to be warm, honest, fun and inviting. If you want to find out who Mabel is, well, you'll just have to visit her blog!

#5) Suzanne at Blueberry Cottage. Suzanne is my kindred spirit friend. Reading her blog is like sitting down and having a chat with her. She will inspire you and when you finish your morning tea or coffee having read her blog, you will know that home is truly where the heart is. She is a crafter, a knitter and a sewer among her many talents.

#5) LaVonne at Serenity Sheep Farm. LaVonne is my hero! She is another kindred spirit friend. She lives in Montana and raises sheep and chickens and pigs among the other animals on the farm. She carried suitcases full of her wool for us on the airplane to meet us in Vermont to visit Tasha Tudor's garden last year. I wish she lived closer. If you are looking for wool for knitting or a felting project, LaVonne is your go-to gal for sure!

and, I know I was only supposed to choose 5, but I just had to include one more....

#6) Jenna at Corgipants. For those of you who may not have a Corgi (what? horrors!) the long fur hanging below a Corgis little bunny butt is referred to as their 'pants.' Hence, Jenna's clever blog name. Jenna is a crafter and a sewer. I always enjoy reading her blog, especially her detailed accounts of her entries at the county fair.

As Susan did, I now invite these lovely ladies to pick 5 blogs that they feel deserve this award based on creativity, design, interesting material and contribution to the blogging community. The rules are simple: include the name of all five winners and a link to their blogs. Show the award and the name and link of the blog that has given you the award. And lastly, include these rules and link to the origin of this award which is the "Arte y Pico" blog.

I encourage you to visit these lovely bloggers and be inspired! Thanks again, Susan! -CS ^..^