liebster lovin' again

it seems so improbable to me but this little blog has been getting a little bit of recognition.

one of my readers, a fabulous mommy blogger and colour-gifted crafter in her own right, and who is also fast becoming a good virtual friend, has honoured this little blog with the prestige of being featured on schmutzie.com's five star friday feature for my open birthday letter to the boy.

as if that weren't enough, alma has also nominated my blog with the liebster love award - for the second year in a row.

image src: alma boheme

i am both humbled and mind-boggled by such honours.

i began this blog for so many reasons. most of all, i continue to write to help me feel like a whole person. this space has become a small sanctuary, where i reflect on all the chaos and make friends with all my demons. here, i keep a record of the things that make me happy - which, i tell you, has already come in handy, and on more than one occasion - as  reassurance, when the going got ugly.

i never thought that anyone would visit this space that wasn't my wife - and the few friends and family that like to keep tabs on what my little family is up to. i couldn't have predicted that i would rekindle friendships from long ago as a direct result of the posts they've read. i couldn't have told you that i would make new friends virtually - and actually meet a few of them in person. and i could not have fathomed that anything on my blog would receive recognition of any kind.

such gifts can only be returned by paying them forward.

the liebster love award is about keeping the big blog love chain going. to quote alma, "the point of this award is to get to know more about a new or small blogger and to pass the love onto others that deserve recognition." the rules of the game: 

image src: alma boheme

i'd like to give the some liebster love to the following blogs:

ms. t's clubfoot club
my dearest friend tea is 12. she was born with clubfoot. her life so far has included many surgeries and physiotherapy amid all the coming of age she's doing. as if i didn't already call her my hero, she astounds me again with her decision to begin a blog in which to engage conversations about clubfoot as part of an effort to connect with others who share her experience, and educate the rest of us about the condition. she writes with a maturity that belies her age, a frank sincerity that will pull you in, and a sense of humour that will find you actually laughing out loud.

grettisgrata
julie is one of my oldest and dearest friends.  she lives in toronto and writes about iceland.  her blog reads like a deliciously surreal and witty foreign film: uncanny, visceral, quirky and unabashedly real. 

nook

i followed becca's blog long before i met her at knitsocial last year. i'm pretty sure she recognized me and the wife before i even found her. the wife and i had drinks with her when we were in victoria last and she is now one of my favourite people. if you're a knitter, all you need to know is that she often features yarn porn, works in progress, and seriously beautiful finished projects.

what would lynn may do

lynn is a long-time friend. we met in toronto but became friends in vancouver. she now blogs from canmore, alberta, has exquisite taste and much to share. she just had a sweet baby boy so she hasn't updated in a while but i've already learned a lot from her product reviews and experience! 

ummashin
hannah originally gave this blog some liebster love last year. she doesn't post as often as she once did. she's a momma of 2 littles, too. so i imagine she's as busy as i. if not more. but i enjoy her posts. her little girls are adorable. and don't get me started on her knitterly tastes. she has a knack for choosing colours i would never put together myself but always want to wear!


and now for 10 random facts about me:

1. i have an undergraduate degree in english and theatre.
2. i went on 2 auditions after graduating before deciding that it wasn't the life for me.
3. after working in a call centre for a year, i got myself a job as a corporate trainer.
4. years later, i developed a passion for adult learning. i have been a corporate adult learning professional ever since.
5. because i am an adult learning professional, i am terrible at facilitating toddler crafts.
6. seriously. i give my kids the materials and don't know how to direct them. (i should go back to all those reference books i bought and get inspired)
7. my spirit wants to be a neat freak but my actual person doesn't know how to stay organized so i live in a messy home even though i feel like i'm always cleaning (also, see #6)
8. i have at least 4 projects on my knitting needles at one time.
9. i always want to go to the yarn store. always. 
10. the ocean is my temple.

i totally didn't intend for that to read like a resume/confessional.

alma, thank you again for being so generous with your comments and your faith. i am very much enjoying getting to know you through your blog and beyond. 

and to you who come to visit, stranger or not, it means so much to me that you take the time to do so (if only to withstand my poor editing). do comment. let me know what you think. or not. 

i always appreciate your visits.