Stylish blogger award

The awesome Sandra at Kiwi Cakes has nominated me for the Stylish blogger award. Aw, shucks!

Naturally, the glory of being a nominated stylish blogger comes with a set of responsibilities. I started writing this post a couple of days ago and have finally managed to finish the 'tasks' involved - well, there are still a few bloggers to notify. Here's what I had to do:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Thank you

Thank you Sandra from Kiwi Cakes - I really appreciate the award. Here's a link to the Kiwi Cakes blog. :-D

Seven things about me

These are scattered all around my blog (I did something similar a couple of years ago, so I'll see if I can think of some different things).

1. Baking is my preferred mode of procrastination. If I have a deadline looming, you can guarantee there will be yummy things in the house. I also love having baking binges, where I will attempt to bake several new recipes within an unrealistic time frame and get frustrated when they don't all magically work out perfectly.
2. Last year, I indulged my addiction of all things ukulele. It continues in 2011.
3. I have an ever-growing TBR list of books I want to read. For every title I finish, I have no doubt added another three to the list. I find it hard to walk into libraries and not leave with an unrealistic stash of books under my arm. Thankfully, I'm not a 'book buyer' so I'm safe to let loose in bookshops.
4. My ongoing affair with cupcakes continues. I have baked lemon cupcakes to decorate for my nephew's birthday party tomorrow night. I love planning what to bake next and how to decorate my creations.
5. I am not a cat person but our little fur baby is adorable beyond belief! In less than three short weeks she has got her human mummy and daddy firmly wrapped around her elegant white-gloved paws.
6. I love winning stuff - I am a true competition junkie. I'll enter anything (with free entry) and am pretty good at picking up prizes. In the last few weeks, I have won a book, kahlua-filled chocolates, movie tickets and a night at the zoo.
7. I hate shopping, especially for clothes, shoes and stuff I really need. I have a mortal fear of gift vouchers. However, I'm surprisingly good at buying baking supplies. A couple of weeks ago, I went out to get shoes and came home with a cupcake stand and a fruit bowl. Go figure.

Awarding 15 recently discovered bloggers

I have gone through my RSS feeds and, although I've been following some of these blogs for a long time, I thought they each merited an award.

1. The Well Read Kitty. If you're a book fan, this blog is for you. I have furnished much of my TBR list with recommendations by Kelly.
2. Cupcakes Take The Cake. Endless ideas and inspiration for decorating cupcakes - an opportunity to dream (and drool) several times a day.
3. The Culinary Explorations of Mrs Cake. Don't read this blog on an empty stomach - you'll be hungry before you finish the first post. Mrs Cake shares recipes, restaurant reviews, cooking tips and a multitude of culinary treats. I have learned so much from her!
4. Reaching For Pink. Donna is on a life journey and is bringing us all along for the ride. Blatantly honest, warm and thoughtful, Donna is someone I really admire.
5. A Little On The Side. Kelle's photography constantly wows me. Her progress on her 101 in 1001 list also keeps me in check with my own 101 project, due to wrap up in a few weeks.
6. Gusty Gourmey - Wellington Food Life. Millie hunts out and reports back on some of the best food haunts in Wellington - lots of great tips if you're a local.
7. Reasons To Smile. Alli has also recently started a 101 in 1001 project. I like the title of her blog; sometimes we need reminding that we have more reasons to smile than we realise!
8. Apparently Jessy. Jessy is a really funky chick with an eye for all things creative and chic. She also shares some pretty yummy recipes.
9. Wellington Road. Reflections of an expat transplanted to just north of Wellington. Painfully honest at times, frequently tongue in cheek and always with a dry wit that only Juli can manage to pull off.
10. 40s - Reasons to Live, Love and Laugh Out Loud. I love reading this blog. La Tonya tells stories about her life and family that will have you in stitches with laughing out loud.
11. Kiwi Cakes. I have learned so much about baking and cake decorating from this blog and made a big list of all the goodies I'd like to buy.
12. PostSecret. I don't know how I'm going to let the author of this blog know that he's won a Stylish blogger award, or that he'll even be interested, but I really look forward to the postcard secrets revealed each Sunday.
13. Seeds of the Heart. Life with two young children has to be challenging at the best of the times, let alone when you're a creative superwoman like Sab. I enjoy reading about what she gets up to and confess to having stolen a few of her craft ideas to try myself.
14. 1001 Book Reviews. Not that I need any excuses to read more books ... I am following this  collaborative book review blog with interest. I have only read a few books on the list but am also looking forward to reading reviews for those books and seeing if we share the same views.
15. Wellington Daily Photo. Scenes from in and around Wellington - great for locals and expats alike.