Beautiful Blogger Award (Discover some fabulous blogs & learn more about me.)

A big thank you to Rosy of Sewingadicta for this Beautiful Blogger Award. I am very thankful. 

I am to share ten things about myself and then I will name 17 other wonderful bloggers to pass this award on to. The latter is the hardest part because there are so many wonderful blogs out there that I enjoy. So please understand if I don't pick you this time. It doesn't mean I don't love you. 

About Me: 

1.   My new passion is hula hooping - you heard me correctly - HULA HOOPING!!! My blogger friend Gertie is hooping now too. It is so much fun. I'm learning to dance and do tricks with my hoop. I'll post a video for you one of these days.

2.   I love to sew. Oh, wait you already knew that, didn't you? Okay. I love to do mixed media art. Some of you already know that. But if you don't, my art blog is Artistic Creations With Trudy. I am leading a group of over 100 women through the projects in the book The Artistic Mother. I would love for you to join us. Go here to read all about the group.

3.   I homeschool four out of my five children remaining at home. I've already graduated the oldest. She is in her last year of college. She was homeschooled from Kindergarten through 12th and received a full scholarship to college. Yippee!

4.   My children are ages 2, 7, 10, 17 and 22 in a couple of weeks.

5.   I am 45 years young. 

6.   I do not enjoy hand sewing. I prefer to machine sew because I can get my projects done much more quickly. I love the instant or almost instant gratification of machine sewing.

7.   I really really want to learn to play guitar, but I have so many other interests that I think that will have to wait awhile. My 17 year old daughter is taking lessons from her daddy; so I'm thrilled about that.

8.   I know some ASL sign language. I really enjoy putting signs to songs, song signing. It's very beautiful. You can use it in praise and worship and even along with praise dancing, a mixture of ballet and sign language to worship music, which I have done a little of in years past. My 10 year old daughter and I are planning to do a song signing performance together at church around Christmas. Better get busy if it's going to happen.

9.   I am teaching my 10 year old daughter Emily to sew. She started off with hand sewing. Now she is on the machine She has made two skirts and some pajamas on the machine so far. She is working on some pants and a pillowcase. All of her projects, hand and machine, are on her blog, Super Stitches. She started her blog when she was 8. She's done a wonderful job with it, and she has made so many friends from around the world. Oh, and she also teaches sewing to others, for money. 

10.  I really don't enjoy cooking because that's time I could be sewing. I do cook. We don't eat out. I'm just not the best at it. I would like to learn to cook better one day and actually enjoy it. I know my family would appreciate it. I do have probably five meals that they enjoy, though; so I try to make those as often as possible. I really hate torturing them, and I hate hearing the moans and groans; so I need to make that a priority sooner than later. And who knows, maybe I'll actually learn to enjoy it.

I would like to pass this award on to:

My two beautiful daughters, Kimberly and Emily who have blogs of their own. Kimberly is 17, and her blog is all about fashion and accessorizing, as well as makeup and hair. very cute and informative. Please tell all of the young girls and women you know about Kimberly. She's amazing. And Emily's blog is about her sewing, art and craft projects and fashion. She has many tutorials on her blog as well so that others can make what she has made. She is truly an inspiration. So please pass her blog on to any little girls you know who would love to sew and craft. They can learn so much from Emily. She is an excellent role model for girls, actually both of the girls are.

Next I would like to pass this on to my good real-life friend and blogger buddy, Donna Rodgers of Comin' Home. She has the most amazing homemaking blog. She shares about how to get good deals, cooking, organizing, homeschooling, scheduling, sewing, art, the list is endless. I love her blog. You will learn so much from her. I highly recommend that you go through her older posts.

I wanted to award this to Rayanne of a Lovely Thought, but then I noticed that she has an award-free blog; so I will just do a mention of her. I actually had the wonderful pleasure of meeting her in person. She had me over to her home for tea and a nice chat. She and her blog are so lovely and beautiful. She posts about her love of God, her family and homemaking. If you visit her, you will be so blessed.

And I'll do a mention of Shona Cole of an Artful Life and the author of the Artistic Mother. Her blog is very inspiring as well. I won't actually give her the award because I've nominated her before for another award and she didn't take it; but if she chooses to take it this time, then she is welcome. Again, I will mention that I am leading a group of over 100 women through the projects in this book on my art blog. We are still accepting participants. Whether you join the group or not, every woman, mother or not, needs to read this book. Even if you don't do the projects, the information on fitting your art, whether it be sewing, crafting, painting, mixed media, etc., into your life is invaluable.

Then I wanted to award this to Carolyn of Handmade by Carolyn, but she's already received this one. I will mention her anyway because she inspires me daily. Now if Carolyn wants to accept this award again, it's okay by me. I've actually already received it before, too, and so has Donna, but I am accepting it again, and I know Donna will because I actually called her to ask and she said she would. It's an individual thing.

I also would like to mention that I would like to award this to Gertie of a Blog for Better Sewing and Trina of the Slapdash Sewist, but I don't think they post awards on their blog. Of course, they are welcome to mention that they received this in a post or post it in their sidebar if they would like, but there is no obligation. I'm okay either way. I just wanted to mention them because I love their blogs so much, and they are a daily must-read. I'm sure you will agree. You probably already visit them, too. Who doesn't? They have the most amazing blogs and are such amazing dressmakers.

I am so excited that Disney of Ruffles and Stuff has done a post after a long blogging break. It absolutely made my day. I adore her blog, and she and her family are so precious. She is a very talented sewer and crafter, a Christian and was homeschooled and will of course homeschool her own daughter. I think that's pretty cool since we are a homeschool family. I would be so honored is she would accept this award from me. Also, awhile back she agreed to be a guest on my blog. We haven't set a date yet. I'm so excited.

Of course, many of you have already received this award; and I am inspired daily by many of you. If you are on my blog roll or if you have received comments by me, you know you inspire me. Of course, I can't comment on every blog and have every blog on my blog roll; so if you don't see yourself there or haven't received a comment yet, it doesn't mean you don't inspire me. If you leave me a comment here, I will come and visit you. I visit everyone who leaves me a comment.

Okay. I need to think of 14 other blogs. It's so hard to choose because love all of YOU!!!

Shannon of Blu Bambu, a very good real-life friend of mine, has an awesome photo blog. She is an accomplished artist and photographer. She has been published in Artful Blogging and participates in several photography collaborations. She posts a photo every day on her blog. It is certainly worth popping over each day to see the photo of the day.

Java of Never Growing Old. She is also 45 years young like myself. She is a gorgeous model and mom. She has great beauty and health tips, fashion tips and how-not-to-look-old tips on her blog and much more.

Needled Mom makes the most gorgeous quilts. She is also one of my very loyal bloggy friends. She comments on practically every post I and my daughter Emily write. For that she definitely deserves a reward.

Victoria of Ten Thousand Hours of Sewing is an expert seamstress with amazing talent.

McVal of Sew Not My Day has a really fun blog. She loves to sew and she also tells the best stories that always make me laugh. She's downright hilarious. Her post a couple of days ago was about her daughter reading her diary from when she was 10 on through college. She had a little scare when her daughter got to the college years. She is also one of my long-time readers and frequently comments and both mine and Emily's blogs.

Lorraine of Love of Collage creates the most amazing art and is another long-time reader and frequent commenter on both my art and sewing blogs and on Emily's sewing blog.

Verity Clothing does the most amazing thrifty reconstructions and retro-inspired designs.

Faye of Faye's Sewing Adventure is a long-time faithful reader of mine and an awesome dressmaker. She has a great blog. She has actually already received this award before, but I wanted to let her know how much I appreciate her; so maybe she'll be willing to receive it again. What do you say, Faye?

Julia of Julia's Sew Sweet and Special Occasion Clothing for Children is another long-time blogger friend of Emily and I both. She has been so very supportive of us and encouraging from the very beginning actually. She makes the most gorgeous children's clothing I have ever seen.

Eugenia of Eugenia's (Fabulous) World of Fashion makes very beautiful and elegant clothing.

New Dress a Day. Each day she finds a garment for only $1 and remakes it into something more wearable. So at the end of the year, she will have 365 new things to wear for only $365. How cool is that? Very fun.

Lauren of Wearing History. This is a very fascinating blog. She has taken vintage patterns and reprinted them in different sizes and put the markings on the pattern pieces and made them available to the public. Many vintage patterns did not have print on them, only punched holes. She makes up these patterns for herself and wears them. She always looks so gorgeous. I want to make them all and look just like her.

Packrat of Swatting at Flies has a sweet little sewing blog. We have been blogging friends forever now it seems.

And Kristin Hassan, The Not-So Desperate Housewife. I never miss a post. She is a very stylish and cute mom (with a brand new beautiful baby girl) and fashion designer with her own line, the Kristen Hassan Collection. She has been on CelebTV Dot Com several times. The videos she has been in on are on her blog. She also does almost daily posts showing what she is wearing.  She is addicted to shopping and pretty things. She conquers the world in her five-inch heels. She is real, funny, sassy, sophisticated and completely fabulous. This is what Pop Tower had to say about Kristin:  (Not sure when this was written, maybe a couple of years ago?)

"Kristin Hassan is one of the contestants on Bravo's reality competition series, "The Fashion Show."Kristin Hassan is from Orland Park, Illinois.

At only 23 years old, Kristin Hassan is already a successful designer and businesswoman. After graduating from the Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago in only three years, Kristin Hassan began her own label, organiK Revolution, where she specializes in creating eco-friendly apparel for contemporary women. Born and raised in Chicago, Kristin Hassan draws her inspiration from both the city and her rock-star family. Her husband and two brothers are in local Chicago bands, and Kristin Hassan likes to describe her style as feminine and fun with a rock-n-roll edge. Often considered "headstrong" by her friends and family, Kristin Hassan says she knows who she is and what she is capable of. Kristin Hassan may be young, but that will not stop this rising Chicago star."

She has agreed to be a guest on my blog. We're just not sure when because she is very busy right now working on her Spring, 2011, collection. She's been teasing us with little peaks and videos now and then. Can't wait to see the collection. You can read through her older posts to get caught up on all of the juicy details.


On Monday, September 27th, I have a fabulous vintage Vogue Fashion shoot post for you. Be sure and stop by. You won't want to miss it. And Emily has some great posts coming up as well in the next couple of weeks on her blog; so sign up as her follower and/or put her on your blog roll so you don't risk missing them. I only talk about her post every so often here; so you'll have to actually visit her blog to see what she's up to.


I'm so sorry if I didn't name you. I know I have missed many of you. 


For more amazing blogs, see my blog roll. 


Enjoy reading all of these fabulous blogs; and please let them know that Trudy of Sewing With Trudy sent you. Thanks so much for stopping by. 


Monday, September 27th, I have an awesome vintage Vogue dress post for you, fashion shoot and all.