Catching Up: An Embarrassment of Riches, with Many Thanks for Three Blog Awards!

We're so behind with blogging, and this is yet another long-delayed post that's been sitting in the drafts folder waiting to be posted for months!  Back in September, Emily of My Vintage Visions nominated us for the "Versatile Blogger" award; in October, Laurie at Teacups among the Fabric honored us with the same award.  Thank you both so much, ladies!

A couple of months ago, Quinn at A Quintessential Clothes Pen nominated us for the "One Lovely Blog" Award.  We're so touched, and thank you prodigiously for the compliment!  Then, just yesterday, Deborah at GeneologyLady.net surprised us with the "Very Inspiring Blogger Award"!  This has (finally!) motivated us to move that "Versatile Blogger" acknowledgement we started after receiving Emily and Laurie's nominations from the "drafts" pile to the posted one, and we figured it would be perfectly appropriate to combine our thanks for all three awards into a single post, since their criteria for acceptance are so very similar!

The criteria for accepting "The Versatile Blogger" award is as follows:
     - thank the person (in this case people!) who nominated you and provide a link back to her (their!) blog(s);
     - paste the award on your blog;
     - share seven things about yourself; and
     - nominate fifteen other blogs.

The criteria for accepting the "One Lovely Blog Award" is:
     - thank the person who nominated you;
     - add the "One Lovely Blog Award" image to your post;
     - share seven things about yourself;
     - pass the award on to seven nominees;
     - include this set of rules; and
     - inform your nominees by posting a comment on their blogs.

The criteria for accepting the "Very Inspiring Blogger Award" includes:
     - displaying the award and linking back to the person who nominated you;
     - stating seven facts about yourself;
     - nominating fifteen bloggers for the award; and
     - notifying the winners.

So here goes!  Fulfilling the requirements of all three awards at once, here are seven random things about us!
     1) Colonial American and Revolutionary War history is a passion of both of ours, unquestionably our "first love" when it comes to historical periods (okay, so that's not too random a fact to share, since you've probably already assumed that much by now!).
     2) We blame the American Girls Collection for our mutual obsession with history.  Felicity was my first (and favorite) doll; I got her when I was 9 and it took me an entire year to save up to buy her.  Ashley's favorite was Kirsten.  She loved her doll so much that her head and two other appendages fell off.
     3) We both share a prodigious affection for all things Peter Rabbit.  It's safer not to ask how many stuffed Peters we have between us.
     4) Mac and cheese is Ashley's favorite food; mine is Thanksgiving (yes, that's a single food).
     5)  When we were younger, we had a Pickwick Society (a la Little Women) in our basement with a couple of friends.  We wore our dad's old suits and ties, made up "Pickwick Portfolio" newspapers, and wrote and acted out plays based on our favorite books.  Can you guess which of us was which March sister?  ;-)
     6) Between the two of us, we play eight musical instruments.
     7) Growing up, our dress-up box consisted of one old pink prom dress covered in tulle, a few of our grandmothers' old skirts, our mother's discarded nightgowns, and a big box of reject curtains, table linens, and bedsheets.  Needless to say, this encouraged much creatively on our part, and we figured out how to create fashions for every character we ever wanted to become, from Laura Ingalls to Anne of Green Gables to Dr. Quinn to Elizabeth Bennett.  This goes a long way towards explaining why we indulge so seriously in recreating period fashion now; the only difference is that dress-up just got a little more expensive as we got older.  ;-)

The next requirement for accepting these three awards is to select additional blogs to pass each on to.  In this case, we've decided to combine the stipulations for all three awards and list fifteen total. 

Our nominees for five blogs that are particularly noteworthy for their stupendous displays of versatility in terms of both subject matter and their authors' talents, and thus are highly deserving of the "Versatile Blogger Award" are (in no particular order):
     1) History Myths Debunked (the range of topics and depth of knowledge is prodigiously impressive here);
     2) Adventures of a Costumer (although this blog also most certainly qualifies for the Lovely" award as well, we're choosing to put it here to recognize Miss Lindsey's incredible talent in costuming across an impressive variety of eras and events);
     3) The Story of a Seamstress (this blog, too, could easily fall into the second category as well, but its author's talents are so versatile and wide-ranging in both the projects she creates and the topics she chooses to blog about, that it only seems appropriate to distinguish her here!).
     4) American Duchess (whose range of interests, post topics, and costuming projects is amazingly versatile; she never ceases to surprise with her newest, exciting venture!);
     5) The World Turn'd Upside Down (a tremendous range of knowledge here, on all sorts of intriguing tidbits to do with history and reenacting).

Our nominees for the "One Lovely Blog Award" continue our list with four additional admirable and quite lovely blogs, including (in no particular order):
     6) My Vintage Visions (for continuing to share her exciting and ever-growing vintage clothing and pattern collection, and for some truly lovely vintage and historical fashion sewing projects and tips);
     7) All the Pretty Dresses (I think the name pretty much underlines the loveliness of this blog!);
     8) Diary of a Mantua Maker (always something lovely and drool-worthy to sigh over here);
     9) Born in 1808 (loads of period images and interesting discussions);
     10) Frolicking Frocks (stunning creations, oh so lovely!).

We would like to offer the "Very Inspiring Blogger Award" to the following bloggers who continue to inspire us with their unfailing passion for all that they do, with thanks for sharing your journeys as a way to encourage others (again, in no particular order):
     11) Teacups in the Garden (inspiring not only for her costuming adventures, but also for her fascinating insights in teaching, particularly when it comes to history);
     12) The Couture Courtesan (who never ceases to inspire with every project she sets her hands to);
     13) Festive Attyre (inspiring costuming projects across three centuries with loads of gorgeous pictures and helpful tutorials);
     14) A Fractured Fairytale (for creating some lovely and (awe-)inspiring historical costumes);
     15) Natalie Garbett's blog (we never tire of looking at the incredible reproduction work Natalie produces!).

Thank you again to both My Vintage Visions and Teacups among the Fabric for honoring us with the "Versatile Blogger" award, to The Quintessential Clothes Pen for sending us the "One Lovely Blog Award," and to Geneology Lady for sharing the "Very Inspiring Blogger Award"!  We're so, so chuffed!  :-)

And while we're on the subject of awards, just one final random bit of news: our Rev War unit awarded me with the "Distaff of the Year" award at our annual meeting a few months ago!  I'm so chuffed and humbled to recognized in such a way.  :-)  And now the pressure is on to live up to it...hence the serious throwing-of-self into learning how to cook properly lately...!