A day to give thanks

I was visiting dear Alice over at her beautiful Cottage Blessings and read where she was deservedly nominated in the Catholic Blog Awards and as I read her posting I realised someone must have nominated me, as Alice mentioned I was over there.

Upon visiting their site I discovered I had been nominated for the following:

Best Designed Catholic Blog
Most Spiritual Catholic Blog
Smartest Catholic Blog

I am greatly touched that someone has thought to nominate StarryMantle since I spend most of my blogging time being inspired greatly by others, if StarryMantle has returned that inspiration, then I feel I have shown some small thanks.

You do have to log in to vote (took me AGES! These things are often IQ tests for me and that’s why I took so long to start blogging!) and I believe voting finishes on St Patrick’s feast day. (17th March)

Today is also a day to thank friends for their personal appreciation of StarryMantle. Since the birth of our little girl, my dear friend Tina over at Mary’s Muse, my Aussie friend Jenny over at He Knows My Name and the Whitestonenameseeker mum in the UK at Thinking Love, no Twaddle have all have been thoughtful in considering StarryMantle worthy of the Excellent award. Thank you girls, I am just sorry I've taken so long to publicly respond!

Blogging was something I took my time in embarking upon and it sort of happened suddenly and unexpectedly but it has been my own little haven to express and share my thoughts with those who share my ideals. It is through visiting blogs that I have had my world opened up further before me for the better and I liken it to looking into a grace-filled world through a porthole with my nose pressed up against the glass with longing and delight. It was a wonderful discovery, I felt like Columbus and I was overjoyed to see such families living such a life. It enabled me to build further upon what I knew from my childhood. I've painted a beautiful picture. But don’t get me wrong, we are all imperfect and our blogs are not necessarily meant to show those frailities in our lives but as Christians we are expected to support each other along the path to Heaven and I do feel so greatly supported as I go visiting.

Anyway, it was because of what I wrote above that I had started my own blog, to allow God’s grace freely given to me, to pass on to others. Thank you to all the 4Real and Catholic Mothers blogs for your continued inspiration. (Except my blog rolls on both are strangely down at present and I’m missing so many of you!)

Now comes the part of it all that I find stressful and frustrating, as there are so many that are good and I enjoy. The ten ladies I've nominated below have blogs that are all different from each other and I will tell you what I like about each one:

Castle of the Immaculate

Helen’s Castle (just like the picture) is a place where the fresh, bracing air blows freely with plenty of inspiration and grace, it is where I like to ‘sit’ with Helen at the feet of Our Blessed Mother, I feel guided by so much she shares, she is a real blessing to many.

Cottage Blessings

Alice’s Cottage is full of love, just like Alice herself. I go there for inspiration in celebrating feasts and living out the faith in the family and sorts of crafty and arty inspirations. I feel a resonance with her many written articles she shares.

Family in Feast and Feria

Jenn’s Feast and Feria is one that inspired me early, she opened my world to liturgical living and cooking. Jenn is generous in sharing her knowledge and we all get to benefit from her inquiring mind. And what a beautiful name for a family living the liturgical life in the home!

Sweetness and Light

Meredith’s Sweetness and Light is aptly named as I think that it also describes Meredith herself. I love her genuine sweetness to all and that she takes the time to express it. I consistently enjoy her posts and pictures, as it is never slow at Sweetness and Light!

By Sun and Candlelight

Dawn’s By Sun and Candlelight is a well loved haven by many for good reason! It is just a delight to peep into her world with her boys. My husband and children particularly love to pop in too, as they LOVE her nature photos, while they choose which one to put on the desktop for the next week.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Ruth’s Paradise is a place I like to pop in to learn something new and lovely in the living of a liturgical life. She has a BEAUTIFUL garden, and now that spring is returning over there, I’m looking forward to see again!

Real Learning

Elizabeth is an inspiration and mentor to many and I am one of those. I feel she is being a visionary in so many areas of mothering, homeschooling and just beautiful living in general in the home with your loved ones. I go there to continue receiving inspiration, carrying on from the day I finished reading her wonderful book.

A Garden of Roses and Lillies

I like how Donna-Marie’s mind works! If you find yourself reading a long post at The Garden, then let me tell you, you’re in for a treat. Of course along with her witty and intelligent mind is a beautiful heart, so it doesn’t get better than that!

Waltzing Matilda

Matilda’s ‘Waltzing’ is always zany and fun, I go there knowing I’m going to have a good laugh or read something I wasn’t expecting to, of course I enjoy her liturgical postings as well.

“Et Tu?”

Jennifer’s “Et Tu?” has a subheading of “The Diary of a Former Atheist”...now doesn’t that just tell you you're in for a good read? And Jennifer doesn’t let you down, I have enjoyed many of her postings, she has me thinking and I bet a great deal many others, probably from all walks of life!