The Liebster Award!

Hello all!

As you know, this is my birthday week, so I'm sharing with you the bloggy gift/award that I just received.  :)

I was happy and a bit surprised to find out that I received a Liebster award nomination from Cloud Nine Kollektiv.  The happy feelings were because someone out there likes me (*blush*).  I was surprised, because technically I don't qualify because I'm over 200 regular followers, unless you're just looking at Bloglovin'.  I squeak by with 197.  :)

Well, I'm not a girl to turn down a gift and I'm a little superstitious, so I'll continue the chain!

Here's the rundown on the Liebster Award!

It's a token of recognition that bloggers award to fellow bloggers who they think deserve more recognition. The terminology "Liebster" roughly translates to "Dearest" from German, and the guidelines of this award are as follows:

• Thank the blogger who gave you the award and link back to them in your acceptance post!
• Share 11 interesting things about yourself.  Don't be shy, and don't worry if they aren't relevant to the topic of your blog.  They aren't supposed to be!
• Answer the 11 questions that the blogger who awarded you asked in their post.
• Create your own set of 11 questions for the next recipients of the award.
• Pass the award to some of your own favorite bloggers!  Each awardee should have less than 200 followers for their blog.

I already sent my thanks, so here we go with the rest of the rules!

11 RANDOM Facts About Me!

I'm just writing these things off the top of my head, so you know they're really from the heart and not uber-planned out.  :)


1. I'm an undercover blogger!  Not even my sister knows the blog address.  :)  The only three people in my life who know the addy are my guy (who doesn't care to read about sewing projects), the friend that I traveled to Europe with, and my other friend from the gym (whose kids read the posts and summarize them for her!).

2. I can put my legs behind my head.  I used to be much more flexible in college when I took yoga, but that's a skill I still have, even years later.  :)

3. I played the harp, piano, steel drum, and violin in my high school orchestra.  At different times of course!

4. Everything in my closet, desk, etc. is organized by rainbow color.  It's the only way that I would be able to find anything that I own!

5. It's a pet peeve of mine when there are recyclable items in the garbage.  At my gym, I set out a recycling bin that I empty out every day (with the owner's permission, of course).  :)

6. People tell me all the time that I need to be on a game show like Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune because I kick butt when I play along at home.  Um, Jeopardy would be too much pressure and Wheel of Fortune requires being lucky with the wheel.  Pass!

7. Growing up, I didn't care for chocolate or dessert in general.  Boy has that changed!

8. I'm a TV addict.  It almost doesn't matter what kind of show.  I'll watch silly comedies like Psych, talent shows like The Voice, dramas like The Killing, and teenybopper shows like Glee.  Don't judge.  :)

9. Everyone thinks that my younger sister is older than me.  For a while when we were younger, people thought we were twins.  It didn't help that my mom dressed us in matching puffy-painted outfits with side ponytails...

10. I'm a puzzle lover.  Jigsaw, crosswords, sudoku, kenken, and everything else!

11. In college, my friend and I organized a doubles tennis tournament.  We were easily the most mismatched team: me at 5'0" and him at 6'5".

My 11 Questions - Answered!

1. What has been the best moment of your life so far?

The best moment of my life was getting into graduate school, with my entire family and my guy behind me.  I'm pretty sure there was lots of crying involved.  :)

2. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your blog?

I can't wait to share my projects and plans, because everyone is always so supportive!  It's fun to see what you guys think and see what you have to share in return!

3. List one thing that's irksome about social media?

Well, sometimes I feel like if I don't check obsessively, I'm out of the loop!  It can be such a time suck too, that it can interfere with real life.

4. Describe one social issue that doesn't have nearly the attention it deserves?

I'm surprised at the state of public schools now, and how it affects the education of children.  I was lucky that I could attend a magnet program at a nearby public school, but my parents told me that they would have paid for private school if I had to rely on the normal program.  As someone who works with children, sometimes I'm shocked at how the curriculum fails to prepare them for the real world.  I must say that I place do not place blame on anyone in particular, but it does sadden me sometimes that we can't take responsibility and/or action on this issue.

5. What is your favorite general beauty product?

I never wear lipstick (shock!), but that's partially because the Smith's Rosebud Salve that I use gives just enough shine and color.

6. When shopping for beauty products, do you consider all contenders or only those with which you've got a fair amount of familiarity?

I don't shop for beauty products much because I'm really low maintenance, and everything lasts me for forever.  Usually, I just refill anything that is low with the exact same item, but I'm open to trying anything if it works better for me!

7. Describe your three favorite hobbies.

I love trying new restaurants, sewing, and watching movies.  A little boring to some, but I'm content with it!  :)

8. What do you often catch yourself thinking about before falling asleep at night?

Terrible confession, but I can't fall asleep without a TV playing.  Otherwise, my thoughts race about what I have to do the next day, how to accomplish it, when would be the best time to get everything done, and so on.  When I bunked with my friend in Europe, I had to plug headphones into the iPad to get to sleep!

9. What would you say is your best talent?

I think it would be listening to others' problems and helping them work through it.  Sometimes I think it's because I'm the oldest child and always wanted to take care of my little sis.  :)

10. Share an embarrassing moment of yours and how you were able to move past it.

I honestly can't think of any highly embarrassing moments right off the bat.  Sometimes I'm awkward in certain social situations, but I figure that if someone bases their opinion of me off of one small slip-up, they're judgmental anyways!

11. When it comes to mainstream media in your locality, what do you find your attention to be focused on?

My news comes from the internet headlines because I honestly can't stand the local news.  They read you the teaser for a story multiple times during a broadcast and never actually tell you anything!  The worst is the 5pm news that would say something like, "What is the new highly contagious disease that's affecting the L.A. area?  Find out at 6pm."  Um, just tell us instead of making us wait 30 more minutes for the next hour of news!




11 Questions for My Awardees

Okay girls, don't be shy and answer truthfully.  :)  Also, just assume that every question says "and why?" at the end of it, because I really want to know why you answered what you answered!

1. If you could have one super-power, what would it be?
2. What is a bad habit of yours that you would like to break?
3. If you were going to compete on any reality show, what would it be?
4. What is your best talent?  (I stole that one from my questions!)
5. What is one skill or talent that you wish you had?
6. Who is your hero?
7. What was the most difficult thing you've ever had to do?
8. If you had to live in any other time period besides now, which one would you pick?
9. What is the one place in the world (or universe) that you'd like to travel to, if money wasn't an issue?
10. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
11. What is your favorite (or least favorite) thing about blogging?

And the Leibster Goes To..

Victoria from Very Blissful
Anthea from Sewing * Vintage * Knitting
Michelle from Michelle Lea Designs
Angela from Bonne Chance
Jackie from City Girl Finding Her Place in the World
Tanaya from The Wardrobe Surgeon
Laura from Sunday View
Simi and Sian from Buttons and Paint
Ashley from My Craftily Ever After
Julie from Julie Unplugged
Jeni from I Got This Martha


If I accidentally broke the rules by nominating a blog that has over 200 followers, sorry.  :(  I didn't have much besides Bloglovin' or GFC to gauge how many followers you all have and I'm not about to add all of those numbers up!  I really enjoy your blogs, even the ones I just started following!

Congrats, and I can't wait to read all of your answers!