We’ve got snow on the ground in Vancouver and it doesn’t seem to be melting. There’s not very much of it by the standards of the rest of Canada and the northern U.S., but it almost qualifies as an emergency here. My partner and I have been using it as an excuse to hibernate a little. I am hoping to make it out to some of the hot chocolate festival and I’m trying to think of the snow as added incentive. In the meantime, I’m catching up on my reading, with The Emperor of All Maladies, Ragnarok, and a re-read of Paris 1919 on the stand right now.

I’m also trying to catch up on my rather neglected list of blog reading. I’ve been missing my fellow Doristas, especially. I now have some extra incentive in that regard, too. Cher of The not so exciting adventures of a dabbler… very kindly passed on the Liebster blog award to me. Her blog is one of my favourites, so it was an extra-nice surprise. Getting ready to pass it along has meant browsing the latest posts from some of my other favourites, another pleasure.

Here’s how it works:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them.
2. List your top five picks (who have less than 200 followers) and link to them, telling a bit about each one.
3. Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know you’ve nominated them.

I’ve picked five blogs that I always look forward to reading, but there are plenty of others, some of which you can find here.

When I need inspiration, I just have to look at Patty’s Food. Her photography, styling, and recipes are always beautiful. Her twists on our French Fridays assignments are always inspiring, too.

Elaine at California Living writes about her inspirations in food, art, and gardens. There’s always something to learn from her blog and her love of family, community, and beauty shine through in her posts.

I love making time to cook and bake with my mother, so I admire Tricia and Nana‘s approach to French Fridays. I also love the stories they share about their family traditions and adventures.

I’ve recommended Leslie Robinson’s blog, ¡Me Gusta!, before, but she’s also writing about history and genealogy at 104 Bridge Street. The family stories she’s shared so far are fascinating and tragic.

Tricia McDonald Ward’s photography site isn’t strictly a blog, but it has one. Her photos are gorgeous and often provide a window into the same East Van neighbourhood I like to write about.