1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (Check!)

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (Check!)

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. (Check!)

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting. (See below.)

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers. (See even further below.)

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate. (Also, um, below.)

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated. (Will do as soon as I hit "Publish.")

1. I've lived in six different states: Kansas, New York, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Illinois, and Michigan. And I don't have a southern-ish drawl, East Coast lack-of-R's accent (think: "Boston Gah-den"), or Yooper (U.P. of Michigan) intonation. Go figure.

2. Confession time! I am currently way into the Twilight series. I'm actually done reading all of the books and have watched the movie (um, a few times), but the whole hunky-vampire-dangerous-love story line has stuck with me. I feel like a 14-year-old girl. Seriously. (It's sad, really.)

3. My degrees are in Technical Communication. Whenever I tell people that, they're like, "Huh? What's that?" and I try to explain my education in a way that does it some justice. I never quite accomplish that, however. The most easily understood description I tend to resort to? "So, you know all those instruction manuals that you never read? Um, yeah, that was me, in a previous life..."

4. For my undergraduate degree, I went to Michigan Technological University in the U.P. of Michigan, which (at least at the time, I'm told) was home to a local store that sold the most alcohol per capita of any store in the U.S. (according to the Guinness Book of World Records). Now THERE'S something to be proud of one's alma mater for. Go Huskies!

5. I'm currently working on a personal writing project that both excites me beyond belief and scares me shitless. Ah, duplicity...

6. Telemarketers sometimes ask me if I'm sure if my name is Ember (rather than Amber). "Um, no, random person who annoys people for a living. I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY OWN NAME IS. Thanks for checking to make sure I'm not a dumb ass." Seriously.

7. I'm currently re-teaching myself Clair de Lune on the piano. Yeah. It's pretty much just as difficult the second time around.

Finally, here are my own nominations of 7 Kreativ Bloggers I admire:

1. Becky at Brilliantly Bitter. Becky is a great friend of mine, and I really enjoy reading her deep thoughts and perusing her latest photographic masterpieces. Though her day job is highly technical, she is an inherently creative person (and I miss her bunches since she left us and moved to D.C.!)

2. Theresa at Blarg. Theresa is infinitely creative in her day job (I'm lucky enough to work very closely with this talented graphic designer), and she can always be counted on to speak her mind. I dig that.

3. Kelli at Doting Over Drew. I love how Kelli includes photos of her darling little boy, Drew, in every post. The love she has for her family comes through in every picture she takes and word she writes. She's also given her blog a cute look with snazzy background and musical selections. Keep up the good work, Kelli!

4. Jilli at All About Mia. I stumbled onto Jilli's blog from Kelli's. Jilli's blog is an inspiring celebration of her daughter, Mia, the little miracle that she and her husband, Marty, prayed and hoped for after a devastating loss. I was blown away and reduced to tears by the story of faith she shares (click on the "Right Side Up" link at the top of her blog) in waiting for her precious daughter. I strive every day to have one ounce of the faith this remarkable woman has...thank you for your words of encouragement, Jilli!

5. Ryan at BJohnson's in the Square. I believe Ryan's was the first blog I ever read that posted a poopy diaper picture without any qualms (or, really, much warning). He never ceases to make me laugh, as he always did as a great buddy in high school, and I dig the commentary he provides as I have the privilege of watching his beautiful family grow from afar. Keep it coming, Johnco!

6. Kira (and Justin) at Life in the Fast Lane. Kira has impressed me with the different types of posts she's tackled on her blog since its inception. From updates and touching tributes of her beautiful baby boy, Jackson, to product reviews for Mommies and Mommies to be, she has taken to the blogging world with a bang! Not only is her blog design creative and cute, but her hubbie, Justin, has also contributed some memorable posts. I'd encourage you to go back and read the "play-by-play" he provided on their blog while Kira was in labor with their son in the hospital. Hilarious! And touching. We're still waiting for a weekly "Daddy" post from you, Justin. I look forward to reading more of you guys!

7. Leslie at the Kole Chronicles. I really admire Leslie's versatility as a blogger. Of course, a lot of her posts include great pictures of her little cutie pie, Owen, but she also does a superb job of re-inventing the overall design of her blog again and again. And I always love reading about her money-saving excursions. That, in itself, is worth an award...how to creatively get the most bang for your buck...Leslie is the Queen of the bargain shoppers!

Thanks, everyone!