Virtual Hugs (aka Blog Awards!)

I was given a Liebster Award....how lovely!

From 'Simply Beautiful Now' who's blog I

love for the beautiful images and messages.

I am reposting her words as they convey exactly

how I feel about blog awards and the spirit of

helping one another! 

This past summer, as they watched a few beautiful swans

swimming along the shoreline, the kids learned about how

in nature, animals naturally support each other. One of the

swans was hurt, so an on-looker tried to help pull it out of the

water. In an instant, the other swans came to fend off, what

they thought was a perpetrator. 

The hurt swan was whisked away.

In German, the word "liebster" is derived from "liebe"

which means love, friend or dearest. I was recently

awarded the Liebster award, which spotlights

up-and-coming blogs who are still in their early stages

(less than 200 followers), ready to blossom

into beautiful swans. (reposted from Simply Beautiful Now)

Thank you for the lovely image of the swans

and for your thoughtful honour!

I also want to write briefly about what
I find to be the only (so far anyway) difficult or

uncomfortable part of blogging:

Awards

  either you love them or you don't.  (I 
love them because it affirms someone
is reading what I am posting and thinks
it's worthy!) So what I would ask of anyone
who I pay it forward to and "award" is
that you accept it in the

spirit it is intended - read: 

 "I think you and your blog are special!" 

There is not one ioda (is that a word?) of

expectation from me that you will do

anything with it - unless you want to!

It's just me (and others) giving you a shout-out that

"hey, we think you're pretty cool......"

and who wouldn't like that.....?
Some of the bloggers I have sent an
award along to might not even know how
much I enjoy reading their blogs (sometimes
we do forget to comment!) 

Sort of a virtual Hug!!!

So consider yourself "hugged"! 

Cindy @ Art, Books & Tea
Sherry @ Decorating with CENTS
Ashely @ Creating Love & Joy
Toni @ Blue Mountain Rise
Melike @ A Cup of Sparkle

The goal of this award is to spotlight

up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers

The official rules for this award are:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog

2. Thank the giver and link back to the

blogger who gave it to you

3. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them

know by leaving a comment on their blog

4. Hope that your followers will

spread the love to other bloggers