happy 101!

Today I was awarded a little blog award from a certain lovely Country Girl...thanks Country Girl, your blog makes me happy too!

What is this blog award you ask? Well it's quite simple. I'm to list 10 things that make me happy. As Country Girl said, once you start thinking of all the things in life that make you happy, you just can't help but notice that you are blessed indeed! So here it goes...not in any specific order...

Noah

The best way to sum up my feelings for Noah would be for me to say that he makes my heart sing. My heart is full of love for him and he brings so much joy and happiness to Winslow and I. Noah is my little guy. My little sidekick. My little buddy. He's a gift from God and each day I thank God for bringing him into our lives. I honestly savour each and every moment with him, I wish I could bottle his sweet delicious babyness. Everything old is new again when I am with Noah and I feel so lucky to be his Mama.

My one true love

Before I met Winslow I lived a very independent life. It was a good life but very lonely. Its true, I was lonely. I spent holidays on my own, lived in a tiny apartment on my own and was just waiting (patiently) for my one true love to come along. Then one unassuming day Winslow and I met and from there my life changed in so many wonderful ways.

Winslow and I got engaged quickly (only 5 months into our relationship) but as the old saying goes "when you know, you just know".

Winslow has shown me and taught me so much about life and love. He has taught me what it means to trust and to depend on someone. He always keeps his word and does so much for Noah and I. He works hard and comes from a loving and caring family. And most importantly he makes me very happy.

Visits

Visits with my mom when she comes all the way from P.E.I. Visits with friends who I only see when I am in Ottawa. Visits with my niece and nephews where they jump all over me. Visits with my sisters, dad and in-laws. Since moving away from our family and friends having visits with them has become very special to me. Good conversation, good company, tea or coffee...visits make me happy.

Art

Art means so much to me. Art is who I am. It's what I do. It's what I dream of, make with my hands and imagine. It's the one thing that I succeeded at in school. When I did miserably at everything else, Art is where I shined. Art is something I do to unwind. It allows me to escape from the everyday. It helps me to relieve stress. It allows my imagination to run free. It makes me feel good when I share it with others. No matter what, not matter where, I can always turn to Art.

My home

We bought our first house this past summer. It's where we brought Noah home to when we came out of the hospital. It's where we cook our meals and sit down to dinner. It's where we rest our heads at night. It's where we welcome friends and family. It's where we are building our memories as a little family. It's cozy and sweet and full of character. I love our home and feel very lucky to have it.

The little things

What would life be without the little things? Coffee. Cupcakes. A thrift shop treasure. Starbucks. A good haircut. Road trips. Salt and vinegar chips. A pretty set of stationary. A favourite tea cup. A fresh bouquet of sunflowers. A new c.d. Lobster rolls. Picnics. The little things make life so worth living for I think.

Going out for breakfast

Silly as this may sound I love to go out for breakfast on a Saturday morning. This could be categorized under " the little things" but I love going out for breakfast so much that I think it deserves it's own section. Afterall, Winslow proposed to me just after we had a delicious breakfast of smoked salmon eggs benny in Wakefield QC. I also have many fond memories of going out for yummy breakfasts in Montreal when I used to live there. Saturday brunch is an Art in Montreal- they take it seriously. So yes, going out for breakfast is definitely something that makes me happy.

Blogging

Who would've thought that I would be a blogger? When I first started this here lil blog I honestly had no idea what I wanted in my blog except for maybe to have a place to share my Art with others. But now I can honestly say that blogging has become a very special thing to me. I get so much back from doing this. For one, I have "met" so many fantastic people who blog too. People with interesting stories, perspectives, talents...I could go on and on. I am inspired daily by others who have similar interests as me. I also feel lucky to have a place where I can log my thoughts and ideas. A place where I can share my Art, my day to day happenings, or my latest creation in the kitchen. I have to admit it- I'm hooked on blogging.

The ocean

I'm part Maritimer you know. My mom is from down East and ever since I was a little girl I have spent my summers on Prince Edward Island. My mom used to cry when she had to leave the East Coast to return to Ontario because she said she would miss the ocean so much. I used to think that was silly of her until I grew up and started to miss it too. When I lived in Halifax as an Art student I used to fall asleep to the sound of the distant fog horn and I used to take walks to the near by park so that I could get a good view of the water. Being near the ocean calms me. It sends a sense of balance through me, it can be invigorating and captivating. It's part of who I am and being near the ocean makes me happy.

Cooking

Last but certainly not least...cooking. Cooking makes me happy. Actually I don't think anything can make me more happy than pouring over a delicious recipe and then serving it to the ones I love. For me cooking is up there with Art in the sense that I find cooking to be a very creative outlet for. I love to create or invent something and then share it. I love how good food nourishes the body and soul. I love how a good bowl of homemade soup can warm you up after a long day. Or how a certain comfort food can take you back in time to when you were a child. I love food and I love to cook.

And so my 10 things that make me happy post has come to an end. Thank you for bearing with me on what must be my longest blog post ever!

Now it is my turn to pass on the torch. I'm going to choose 10 bloggers whose blogs I enjoy visiting and ask them to give it a go. All you have to do is cut and paste the image at the top of the post and take it away from there. I hope you'll join in.

Desiree from So Fawned

Sarah from The Cure for Boredom

Tia from Christopher and Tia

Kristi from Visible Voice

Sarah from Joyfully Gray

Freckles from Newlywed in the North

Lexie's Mom at Mommy 101

Amanda at Project Simple Life

Desiree at Shabby Serenity

Fiona at Fee-Amore

Thanks so much for reading.

xox