Appreciation

We are honored and very grateful to have been nominated for the following bloggers awards. I know that these types of awards have no official status, but they show that our fellow bloggers are enjoying what we are trying to do, are reading our posts, and in the end isn’t that the whole point! So, thank you very much for letting us know!

ABC Blogger Award

First of all, thank you to corey m. p. for this nomination! Corey’s blog is a self-pronounced writer’s blog. After years of working in the corporate art world, she decided to reshape her career and life toward her love of writing. Her blog reflects her ambition and passion. A great read for all writers.

As per the rules, I am to name one detail about myself corresponding to each letter in the alphabet. Here’s it goes (it’s more difficult than it seems!): (So far…):

• Avid equestrian
• Book lover
• Canadian and American
• Dog lover
• E
• Francophile
• G
• Hard headed
• Introverted
• Keen
• Lawyer by trade
• Madame
• Not patient enough
• Optimist
• P
• Q
• Red head
• Serious
• T
• U
• Vigilant
• Writer
• X
• Y
• Zealous

7×7 Link Award

Many thanks to TakingSnaps for passing this nomination on to us!

As for the rules - 7 links to posts that I have written according to the following 7 categories:

1. MOST HELPFUL
2. MOST POPULAR
3. MOST BEAUTIFUL
4. MOST CONTROVERSIAL
5. MOST SURPRISINGLY SUCCESSFUL
6. MOST UNDER RATED
7. MOST PRIDE WORTHY

And now, 7 very worthy bloggers!

1. clearskies, bluewater
2. Word by Word
3. mobius faith imaging
4. Mandy by Mandy
5. T Hollis
6. One Inch Apart
7. 351 in 365

The Sunshine Award

Many thanks to Brush, Needle & Whisk for this nomination! It’s always a wonderful pat on the back to know people enjoy what we’re doing! Brush, Needle & Whisk is an inspiring blog about life’s little moments and how creativity - through food and craft and art - can rekindle our inner most passion for life. 

As part of the rules for this award, I am to answer the following 10 questions and nominate 10 bloggers who inspire me.  Here it goes:

The Ten Questions:

1. Favorite Color – green
2. Favorite Animal – dogs (tied with horses)
3. Favorite Number – 3
4. Favorite Non-Alcoholic Drink – Diet Coke (I know, I know…)
5. Prefer Facebook or Twitter – Neither
6. My Passion – Writing, Reading, France, History (can’t choose)
7. Prefer Getting or Giving Presents – Giving, receiving makes nervous
8. Favorite Pattern – Paisley on one side Stripes on the other
9. Favorite Day of the Week – Wednesday (big fan of Saturdays too)
10. Favorite Flower – Rose

Ten bloggers I’d like to nominate (in no particular order):

• Lindsey Russell, author of Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde, a smorgasbord of timely topics cleverly presented through the eye of an insightful and intelligent social commentator.
• BinNotes, a wonderful blog which “chronicles one writer’s unabashed appreciation for the art of wine, with occasional forays into  food and travel.”
• Crumpet Kitchen, is a wonderful read. Begun as a blog of a Brunch Club in Switzerland, their self-description gives a taste of the blogs enticement: “The Crumpet Kitchen is a hot cup of tea and a buttery slice of spicy teabread on a stormy day. It’s a warm bowl of home-made soup and a slice of fresh bread when it’s snowy outside. It’s a smile of contentment. It’s a crumpet.”
• French Girl in Seattle is a blog I’m particularly partial to as the author presents life from the point of view of a Frenchwomen living in the States, the reverse of my own situation. Her commentary is as sincere and insightful as it is humorous and thought-provoking.
• Emily in the Looking Glass is a fabulous blog by a lady who spends a good part of her time in France. Between her home in Kentucky and her trips to la Gaule, she explores her passion for “the relationship between French and American cultures” through the lens of an astute and intelligent Francophile.
• Sixtine and the Little Things is a new mommy blog I recently came across written by a Frenchwoman living in Canada. Her candor about life as an expat (in the reverse sense of my own) is insightful and provides a lovely view of what life is as mom and wife in an expat world.
• A little lunch is a marvelous blog written by a fellow writer whose enjoyment of the little things life has to offer is a weekly inspiration. In her own words: “Many of you have full plates and I don’t want to overload you with a five course meal.  Instead, I’m offering a few morsels to savor on your journey – some good-natured humor, food for the soul (including recipes), photos of scenic Oklahoma, and wisdom (or at least another perspective) from my unpredictable life.”
• Have Bag Will Travel is a great travel blog that I look forward to reading on a perpetual basis. The author, Andrew Petcher, is currently exploring the hidden and not-so-hidden treasures of Greece.
• Mobius Faith is a sensational photograph blog which I have been following for some time now. The author not only shows his images, but discusses the context when he took them and “why I was fascinated enough by the source to press the shutter release in the first place.”
• I Heart Mondegreens is a fellow expat, travel blog whose author lives and devours Spain. The author’s insights into the culture and traditions of her new home are spiced with her indelible love of food and travel.

The Kreativ Blogger Award 

Special thanks to Mike10613 for the nomination!  Your comments through the months and your encouragement have been warmly felt and much appreciated!

Ten things readers may not know about us:

1. Becoming Madame, the name of the blog, was contrived from the film Becoming Jane in 2009.
2. We’re based in Paris, France, but spend a great deal of time in Pau (southwest) and Dordogne.
3. Learned to speak French at 28 years old.
4. Am not particularly good at math.
5. Love to read.
6. Still want that puppy which I didn’t get for Christmas this year.
7. Have immediate family in the American South and Ontario, Canada.
8. My baby sister is looking at universities! It feels like yesterday that I was teaching her how to walk.
9. My first solo book is to be published in 2012.
10. I love living in France.

Six bloggers I admire and would like to nominate:

• Lightbox3d is a beautiful photographic blog. His pictures and the feeling they inspire enliven me!
• Julia, Julia & I is a cooking blog run by Nancy Brown. Her heart spills out all over the pages of her blog and in her delicious recipes.
• Dave’s Delish Dish is a fellow Parisian blog. Dave is a student at the Cordon Bleu and his insights into Parisian life from a culinary point of view are intriguing.
• An Unedcuated Palate is a wonderful food blog by an aspiring foody who is also at the Cordon Bleu. I admire her gumption. She takes life by the reins and sees her dreams come true!
• Have Bag, Will Travel is a fascinating travel blog by Andrew Petcher. Following him around his exciting and eventful life is an exhilarating pleasure.

Versatile Blogger Award and the Liebster Award

A great big giant THANK YOU goes out to Bliss Travel News and Lindsay Field for the nominations!!

Apparently there are a few rules to follow:

1. To Bliss Travel News our nominator: Thank you so very much, indeed! Bliss is a travel blog specializing in travel coordination to France and offers invaluable information for your next trip to le pays français. They also offer a wedding package, so if you’ve ever imagined yourself wed in an ancient French château, on a vineyard in Bordeaux they’ve got you covered. Bliss is definitely worth a peek for all those planning to come our way!

To Lindsay Field for the Liebster Award. Thank you very much for thinking of us!

2. Seven (fun) facts about me, the lady behind Becoming Madame.

• When I moved to France, I knew only three words of the language.
• I’ve lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Palm Beach, Florida; Toronto, Canada; Kingston, Ontario; Boston, Mass; New York, NY; Washington DC; Hanover, Vermont; Paris, France.
• Am married to a Frenchman.
• Want a Golden Retriever puppy real bad (possibly for Christmas! hint, hint.)
• Love to cook, but didn’t realize it until I moved to France.
• Was a lawyer in a past life. Now I’m a writer.
• Love books and art and the feeling I get when I walk into the Opéra Garnier.

3. Fifteen bloggers I thoroughly enjoy reading, find quite brilliant and would like to nominate (with a special nod back to Bliss Travel News and Lindsay Field). In no particular order:

• The Art of Bosartis
• Nate
• Victor Tribunsky
• Mayfair Mum
• No Other Appetite
• The Daily Norm
• Midi-Life Crisis
• Cooking in Sens
• Reflections of a Book Addict
• On the Mayhem
• 1000 Awesome Things
• Velvet & Vino
• Raspberries & Measuring Spoons
• Lucy Dodsworth