Liebster Award Nomination and Five Awesome Blogs

How do you make a grown man blush?  Easy...have a published game author and favored blogger nominate your own little corner of the blogsphere for an award.  Yep, that would be how to do it.  Like myself, I'm sure many readers have seen this photo and accompanying award nomination pass from blog to blog around the gaming/miniature painting sections of the internet.  I had no idea however, that my blog might end up as one of those spots.  Though I certainly don't believe my blog deserves a nomination, I still can't help but be just a tad bit proud that not only does someone actually read this blog, but someone actually likes it enough to be so kind.  Huzzah!

First thing's first:  I want to thank Tim over at Cursed Treasures for the nomination.  As I alluded to above, I am so incredibly honored to even be mentioned by such a talented blogger and author.  The fact that someone like Tim visits my blog from time to time makes all the work I put into it worthwhile.  Maybe there is a reason he likes the blog...actually, he should like it since he may recognize some of himself there.  His was one of the first blogs I found when searching for LotR and LotHS content and have modeled my own blog on his excellent work.  He is a source of inspiration and a hobbyist that I try to emulate.  I visit his blog often to find out hobby news and drool over miniatures but mostly I visit in hopes of one day seeing a headline read something like this: "Legends of the High Seas Supplements Ahead".  Thank you so much Tim for your kindness.

So, after getting over the shock, I decided to read a bit more about this little Liebster thingy going around the internet.  It seems that I should pass along the torch and honor others that haven chosen to sink large chunks of their free time into this strange little pastime.  Here are the rules as I understand them:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog linking it to the blogger who has given it you.

2. Pass the award to your top 5 favourite blogs with less than 200 followers by leaving a comment on one of their posts to notify them that they have won the award and listing them on your own blog.

3. Sit back and bask in the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing you have made someones day!

4. There is no obligation to pass this onto someone else but its nice if you take the time to do so.  

Easy enough right?  Well, I did have a few questions about the rules.  First of all, is it appropriate to list the person that nominated you?  I do not see any reason not to, especially in my case when the blog in question truly is one of the five favorites.  Which leads me to the second question, is it appropriate to nominate a blog which already has a nomination?  Once again, I do not see a reason to avoid listing your favorite blogs just because a particular blog is already listed on another site.  So after a bit of pondering, I decided to list the five blogs I visit the most and hope that my choice honors the true intent of the nomination process.  Here are my five:

Cursed Treasures: See above for my comments on Tim's blog.

Scott's Wargaming: During the same period I found Cursed Treasures, I also came across this beauty of a blog.  Scott is an avid wargamer from the other side of the world to me...quite literally.  However, despite the distance and the fact that he chooses to live in the wrong hemisphere, I've found that we have quite a bit in common.  Just like Tim's blog, it was his love of LotR and LotHS that drew me in.  His painting talents are top notch and I love going back through his archive and getting inspiration on projects I am about to begin.  Beyond piracy and Middle-earth, he is also a fan of the Miami Dolphins, which I consider quite odd and rare for a displaced Brit living in NZ, yet it serves as another connection.  Most of all, Scott seems to be a pretty nice guy.  No matter the subject, he is one of the first to comment on many of the numerous blogs that he and I visit.  That trait goes a long way into making this part of the blogosphere a friendly and community oriented place.

Plastic Legions:  This was another blog that drew me in for the pirate/LotHS content.  Though I may have come for that particular game, the varied content, included LotR, is what kept me coming back for more. His outstanding painting style and terrain making ability never ceases to amaze me. 

Cianty's Tabletop Wargames Blog: A quick spin around this site should indicate why I've included it here.  There's top notch painting and great models, but mostly....there's pure piratey goodness!  For a Legends of the High Seas player, there are few sites better than this one.  I hope I'm not breaking the rules by nominating this blog.  Something as informative and well-polished as this site surely has over 200 followers, but since I could find no information stating that was the case, I felt I was justified included it.

Elhion's Tabletop Adventures:  Be prepared to make frequent use of the Google translate button on this site.  Although the blog is mainly in Greek, the old saying that a photo is worth a thousand words is true here (even if those words are in a foreign language).  This blog dabbles mostly in LotR and Warhammer 40K, but touches on Legends of the High Seas and Warhammer fantasy as well.  I visit this blog frequently mainly for the LotR content but also to see great miniature painting and interesting conversions.  

So there you have it.  These are my five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers.  I hope I was able to pass on the same great feeling upon learning of my own nomination.