Flutter Inspired: Stylish Blogger Nominations and 7 random things about me

I have finally joined the land of the living again! I have had a really nasty case of the flu, that just would not go away. I finally caved and took antibiotics - which I hate to do - but it seems to have done the trick because I'm starting to feel better. Anyway, before my health collapsed I promised to pass the Stylish Blogger torch and list seven random things you don't know about me. So here goes!

Seven things you don't know about me...

1. I speak Italian. I am half Italian on my father's side. His family immigrated to California and settled in North Beach in San Francisco. Though they spoke English, my Nonna pretended to have a hearing problem unless you spoke to her in Italian. So I learned, and communication was much easier. She passed several years ago so I'm out of practice. Maybe I need another trip to Italia to brush up?

3. I am a wine enthusiast. Pinot Noir specifically. I would like to say I'm a connoisseur, but I simply just don't know enough about all the nuances of each varietal to claim to be an expert. I have dabbled in wine enough to know, that I prefer Pinot Noir for it's silky texture and it's smooth, elegant finish. I can easily walk into any grocery store's wine selection and pick out a superb Pinot because I'm quite dedicated to sampling them all! I would love to someday enroll in the Wine Studies program at UC Berkeley... and visit Burgandy, France where the magic began.

4. I am in school right now. In my other life, I'm a marketing professional and working in special events has really allowed my creativity to flourish in a new direction. I love every aspect of marketing and consider myself lucky to have found a career path that thrills and excites me. I am currently finishing the UC Irvine Certificate in Web 2.0 and Social Media.

5. I am an outdoors-woman who hates to camp. I know that doesn't sound like I'm a true outdoors-woman, but hear me out. I love to be outside - the seasons, the sun, the ocean, the mountains and most especially trees. I can identify almost every species of vegetation (in California at least). My best friend's family owns a flower shop in SF so she has taught me everything about flowers too. I love to hike, bike, kayak, swim, picnic and just be outside. Once the sun goes down, I'll readily finish the day with a bonfire. But then I want to return to a warm, comfortable bed with a high thread count, electricity and a hot shower - no exceptions!

6. I am a law-of-attraction junkie. I devour any and every book I can find on deliberate intention and fulfilling your dreams by creating your own reality. My collection includes books by Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Deepak Chopra, JohnAssaraf, Laura Day, Ernest Holmes and of course, The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes.

7. I am an ordained minister. Flutter Events has a few very ZEN go-to non-denominational ministers for the elopement ceremonies, but I am also qualified to marry folks in the state of California. I have studied and can conduct many unorthodox ceremonies including Buddhist, Native American and Wiccan - all of which are incredibly romantic!

Now for the list of bloggers I would like to pass the Stylish Blogger torch onto:

1. Erin at Dandelion and Grey. Erin was my very first blogging friend. She is a big shot in the blogosphere, but still always found the time to encourage and cheer me on. Her lovely blog is an incredibly beautiful and inspiring place to escape and forget your cares. Not only is she a talented blogger, but she is also an incredibly creative events stylist and a genuinely sweet and caring person.

2. Lili at Tigers to Lilies. Lili has a dreamy, ethereal blog infused with a witty sense of humor that shines through in her posts. Lili loves flowers and so do I, so I often drop by to see what is new in the floral arena. She makes her own arrangements that look as though they were all freshly picked from a field of wildflowers.

3. Victoria from A Subtle Reverie, the blog formerly known as City Cradle, is an event stylist and master do-it-yourselfer. There are so many inspiring projects on her blog it would take weeks to go through them all, let alone give one a go. But, if you head over there and take a look around you will see tons of lovely projects you'll be itching to try yourself. Warning: Victoria will make you really, really want to throw a party!

4. Lovely Little Things is a recent discovery for me but once I found this inspiring blog I devoured bunches of posts in one sitting. LLT is a self-proclaimed Cat Lover For Life, a bride-to-be and book worm - three of my favorite things!

Those who are deemed to be stylish bloggers and receive the award must do four things: