All warm and fuzzy :)

I've had a rather good few days in the grand old scheme of things, work's been busy as always but I've now got Friday and Monday off, and then the same again in a fortnight - nice! So why has it been a good couple of days? I know you're dying to find out.

:1: As a new birthday tradition, I bought myself and Jim a lottery scratchcard for his birthday, and then won back the £2 I spent on them (unfortunately, Jim chose the wrong one and got nothing...) I'm still deciding whether to take the money or just get another couple - what do you think?
:2: I was pleasantly surprised when I came on to browse through everyone's blogs last night to find that Nicola over at Smitten Kitten had nominated me for a Stylish Blogger Award! Thanks Nic, I'll be trying to keep up the posting a bit more regularly than I have been. More on this as you read on.
:3: I was also pleasantly surprised to get a message on BeadersOnline to say that I'd won the draw for the Bi-Monthly challenge, which considering I don't normally win anything is amazingly cool. I had entered this piece, you may remember it :)

Now, onto my blog award! Firstly, if you head over to Nicola's blog, you'll find 14 other fabulous blogs to have a browse through, but before you do - I've got to follow the rules of the award:

Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!
Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself 
Step 3 – Award 15 recently discovered bloggers with this award 
Step 4 – Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award

So, 7 random things...
:1: I am a geek for things looking 'just so' particularly when on a computer, spreadsheets, emails, my blog... I can spend hours tweaking the most minor of elements to make things look right (that's why I keep my blog minimalist so I don't have too much to tweak!)
:2: I first rode a horse when I was just two years old and loved it, but I haven't been for almost 2 years now and would really quite like to go again in the summer
:3: I got married in June 2010 to my husband Jim who I met at a sweaty rock festival in 2007 - whoever said romance was dead??
:4: I hate shopping. Unless it's online, but then I get annoyed when things don't look like they do in the photos!  I can't stand walking around town because people are so rude/slow/indecisive and especially those people who just stop dead right in front of you ...
:5: It was an accident that I started making jewellery, my mother in law had bought Make Jewellery so I had a browse, started classes in beadweaving, met two crazy ladies who I love to pieces and couldn't now be without, and have never looked back.
:6: I'm actually quite excited about getting my iPhone this weekend - more to come on that!
:7: I find it hard to switch off from work and really need to do it more - fingers crossed this weekend I can let it go for a few days and absolutely NOT log on remotely. I do feel at the moment that I live to work and not the other way around.

BLOGROLL!!!! (Half an hour to do this before I have to move the car from the free parking zone!)
:1: http://abeadaday.blogspot.com/ Lisa Crone, you never fail to find me a beautiful beady piece of inspiration, and there's so much variety in your blogging - I always look forward to finding out what kind of sparkly/whimsy/glitzy/bright and fantastic item you'll be showing today.
:2: http://cinnamonjewellery.blogspot.com/ One of the first blogs I ever started following, I'd love to give wirework a go, and if anyone could inspire me to do it, it would be this lady here!
:3: http://humblebeads.blogspot.com/ I've not long been following Heather, but the beads she shares are utterly gorgeous and you'd be mad to miss out on this beady porn! Tune in for bead table wednesday with Heather too, lush.
:4: http://justsomethingimade.com/ A huge variety of crafty goodness, you never know what you'll find!
:5: http://kelliechristie.blogspot.com/ Buttons! I love Kellie's jewellery, and her blog is full of pretty pieces, resin designs and all things jewellery
:6: http://labellajoya.blogspot.com/ I love Marcie's blog, it's full of beadwoven beauties that I would love to own. If you've not visited before, it's one for the watch list!
:7: http://lucidmoonstudio.blogspot.com/ I started following Lisa recently when I was browsing the participants of the bead soup blog party, come here for all things crafty, not just jewellery.
:8: http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com/ My favourite find of 2010/2011, Kristen's witty insights and bloggings never fail to make me smile, her tagline is "creating a bracelet for every shirt" and she's on her way to doing it!
:9: http://www.quernuscrafts.co.uk/ Cute polymer clay - anything you want, you can have it seems! I was pulled in by the wee horses over a year ago now, and it never ceases to amaze me what has been made since.
:10: http://songbeads.blogspot.com/ The life and times of a singing beader - lovely jewellery and lots of inspiration
:11: http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com/ wirework, jewellery, pretty things and lots to look at
:12: http://www.beadinggem.com/ fantastic variety, all walks of life are looked at, all kinds of jewellery, techniques and ideas - worth settling down with a cup of tea for!
:13: http://allthosethingsandtheotherstoo.blogspot.com/ Beadies, bracelets, polymer clay - I loved the bead soup reveal Hazel posted, take a peek
:14: http://beadingbipolar.blogspot.com/ stunning bead embroidered projects, and much inspiration to be had
:15: http://beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com/ a more zentangle-based blog, which I found whilst researching ideas before I took the plunge, I wish I had a spare wall to doodle on!

Phew, just in time - got to dash now to move the car but I'll be coming round to send all the lovely comments later on today :) Thanks again Nicola, it's been fun!