Sunshine...on my shoulders!

I've received an award! From my dear, dear friend at Jest Kept Secret. She's totally awesome. You should check her out. I mean, you should check out her blog. (Although if you are male, single, LDS, and awesome, then you should check her out, too!)

Self-Promotional Moment: She, another friend of ours that she also gave this award to, and myself are co-conspirators at The Thursday Chronicles (a guilty pleasure of a blog for me--and I love it!!).

I'm honored (and slightly embarrassed and humbled) to accept

The Sunshine Award

"The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world.”

It's very sweet of her to give this award to me. And very touching to me, as this is the blog that I turned to months ago to help pull me out of the terrible abyss I was in. Focusing on something positive and happy in my life was one thing that got me out. So it means a lot to me that someone else finds this blog positive. Creative? Well, I'm not so sure about that. But I'm grateful just the same!

There are rules, as there always are.

1. Put the logo on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to twelve bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award.

But I must be the spoiler as in all cases. Many of the blogs I read don't really do awards like this. This award is hard to give, as some blogs I read might

1. not be just one person writing on the blog

2. not have direct contact with the readers as with other blogs

3. breach their creativity, style, flow, format, etc by following the blog rules if they were tagged

4. have already received a blog award from me, but then I might include them again because I love their blogs so much and they totally fit the purpose of the Sunshine Award!

However, I tagged some of those anyway! Whether or not they accept the award and/or keep the rules of it don't matter as much to me as sharing these fun blogs with all of you! And so, I move on and magnanimously award The Sunshine Award to these wonderful friends and their blogs:

(in order of who most recently updated their blog as of this post)

1. MBC at Slanted. I've always loved her blog. I especially enjoy it now with all of her amazing, fun, and yet still very real adventures (she lives in Scotland now!). I can't tell you how much I talk to my friends and co-workers about my awesome friend with the life I envy. So I'm glad I can live it vicariously through her blog! :-)

2. Mary at The Sweet Bookshelf. Well, I am a librarian. And I love to see what others are reading--all of the similar and differing viewpoints on books. Or seeing what others read that I am not able to get around to. Or find out about books that I just have to read. Here you go--my dear friend from my youth has one amazing blog that does it all! (And another friend who now lives in Scotland--is this some hint for me?)

3. Christina at Reading Extensively. A blog friend. I love blog friends! So fun to comment, read comments, read posts, etc. and get to know someone I have never met face-to-face. It brings the world a little closer to me. And in Christina's case, it is the reading world. Always interests me what others think of books. Her blog gets me wanting to have a book blog of my own. But I'm reminded of how lazy I am and that my reviews are all on GoodReads anyhow. Her reading challenge sidebars inspired my own (though they are sadly out-of-date).

4. CharleyBrown at Enchanted Serenity Period Films. I love her blog. I can revel in my obsession of period dramas on film, and gain more news and information from her blog than I do anywhere else. Plus, I get to "meet" others who are just as obsessed and don't look at me like I'm crazy. Well, maybe they are looking at me like I'm crazy. But as I can't see it, and they're effusing about how much they love all of it themselves, I'm in good company! Thank you, CharleyBrown!

5. Serene at SereneDesigns. She has some of the best perspective, humor, writing, experiences, talent, creativity, and beauty you could find in just one person. She amazes me over and over, and puts me in awe. She is also very inspiring to me. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have her blog to read in the Blog World of Ours.

6. Mona at Mona's Musings. It was Mona's blog that first inspired me to be more positive (and even a bit creative) in my blog writing. In fact, the 2010 Joy and Gratitude Every Day on my LDS blog is all her doing, though I don't think she ever knew that. Her recently updated blog is awesome and I think everyone can gain the most important positive aspects of their lives from it.

7. Sara Lyn at The Brambler. I love that her blog is positive. A reinforcer of things that are good, lovely, and tender in this world. It's honest, too. Even though she knows there is hardship and trial in this life, she chooses to focus on the bright, happy, uplifting. It takes an amazing strength and best attitude ever to do that. And I've always found that in Sara Lyn--one of my favoritest ever people! (And the one who I think I half write this blog for!)

8. Lynnae at The Little White Attic. A fellow and proud-to-be Janeite enthusiast--I love not feeling alone in the world! This is where I go when I want to see a bit more of the Janeite world than I typically venture into. Because I know I'm obsessed, but I don't have the time to immerse myself in that obsession as I could. So here I get little tastes of it. Don't worry--for my 30th birthday present to me, I will be off to Great Britain where I will include some Austen sites and then my fellow Austen lovers might then agree that I am a true Janeite, too. Until then, I enjoy reading the writing of a truer than true Janeite.

9. SuburbiaMom at Beware of Kids. What can I say? It's all in the family! As my sister is one of my most adored role models ever, it is any wonder that I think anything she does or creates is magnificent? I enjoy her blog because it's a chance for me to see a little more in what occurs in her life. I especially loved when she did her ABCs. That was lots of fun. She helps keep motherhood real for me.

10. Jess at My Log of a Blog. Best Visiting Teacher I've ever had (along with her fellow companion who, well, was the giver of this award to me). Her gentleness, her support, her sweetness, and her strength were things that always pulled me through. Reading her blog reminds me of how much I love her and never could have made it without her!

11. Becky at The World According to Becky. The positivity I find in my friend Becky's blog is her complete honesty with how things are to her. And having been friends and roommates with her, I love her blog even more because it is so her! I love it. I don't always have the time to write my monstrosities of emails (and who has time to read them?!), but I love that I can keep in contact through blogs and comments with some of my good friends. Becky especially.

12. Mindy at Is Anyone Out There???. Mindy makes me laugh like no one else when it comes to her blog. She is definitely what I would call "a cool mom." And her funny experiences never end!

Honorary Recipients:

The staff at PCL Staff Reviews. An entire library staff writing book reviews? I'm in heaven!

Overheard in the Ward. About 75% of the time, I have some of the best laughs from this blog. I love the LDS culture, and I love humans being...human. It all comes together here at this blog and I laugh wholeheartedly at it.

J. Kaye at Home Girl's Book Blog. My inspirer and alerter of all the many Book Challenges you see along the side there. J. Kaye does so much when it comes to books and reading, and it is quite fun and enjoyable.

Freshmen at The First Year. I had so much fun reading this blog over the last 8 months. It reminded me so much of my freshman year, and all of those happy memories helped keep me positive as well as reflecting on how far I've come since then.