The Leibster Award

I haven't been blogging all that long and I am far from one of those "professional bloggers" (although, I think it is so cool that people can blog about their favorite interests and make it into a career and lifestyle that can financially support themselves).

 

Anyways, I still don't have a set "purpose" in this blog-its more of a place for me to vent, write, have a place to hold myself accountable, and potentially something for me to look back at and reminisce. I haven't really told many people about this (in fact, there are only two people who I have directly told about the blog and the name of it-and Ryan isn't included), so you can imagine my surprise when I found out I have been nominated for a blogging award!

Maria, over at The Brooklyn Fig, has nominated me for a Liebster Award. I'm not even sure what that really means, but it definitely made me giddy when I found out! Thanks Maria!!!

Maria was one of the first people to comment on my blog and after reading hers, I'm pretty sure we would be friends in "real life". I love her blog and look forward to reading about her decorating adventures and her yummy recipes! 

As a nominee, I am supposed to tell you 11 random facts about myself (dude, I had a hard enough time coming up with 100 things about myself, and now I have to come up with 11 more random things?!?!).

So here are my 11 facts:

1. I sleep on the left side of the bed for a few reasons but mainly because it is closer to the bathroom.
2. My pinky toenail on my left foot is deformed from wearing toe shoes
3. I am starting to gain a tolerance for spicy food. Very little tolerance though
4.  In college, I was in a performance that used the entire music from Pink Floyd's, The Wall. It was an entirely student run performance and I loved it
5. My next pole moves that I am working on are these two:
 

 

6. My great-grandmother, who I called Bubbie, came from Russia and spoke Yiddish. I love learning fun Yiddish phrases from my grandmother.
7. Since I graduated from college in 2005, and not counting my parents house, I have lived in 7 different rentals or other various places before we bought our house in March 2013.
8. Because of that, I am an incredible packer-(except for this last move where I just gave up). Usually, I tape on an index card on top the box with the room it should go in and what is inside. It makes it so much easier to unpack)
9. When I was a young child-like 4 years old kind of young-I used to cry at the thought of wearing jeans because I thought they hurt my legs.
10. I also didn't like to wear red and would tell my parents, "red is for crayons"
11. I was a bit feisty growing up and once told my friends parents, "I don't listen to my mother, why should I listen to you" when she asked me to do something. Yeah, not so nice of me.

I also need to answer these 11 questions from Maria:

1. How did you meet your significant other?

      One of these days, I am going to do a long post/series on "how we met" as part of my 101 in 1001 goals, but the short version is we met the first time on Christmas Eve in 2007, although we were not officially introduced. At the time, I was living in Florida for grad school and home for break. We were all at the same Chinese food restaurant with our mutual friends. I noticed him, and I'm pretty sure I didn't get a wonderful impression. 
      The next time we met and were officially introduced was St. Patrick's day, again with the same mutual friends. We were all talking as a group and I got a little feisty and into a debate/argument with his cousin/roommate that night, which prompted Ryan to become interested in me.
       Fast forward a few months later, Ryan had asked our mutual friend Leah, who at that time and still currently is dating his friend Jeff, to work out something so we could all hang out one night because he was interested in me. Next time I came home from school, we were conveniently at the same bar. I knew he was interested in me but I wasn't interested in any sort of dating or relationship with anyone. That night, he asked me for my number that night so he "could call me to ask me on a date" (his exact words) which won me over. I gave him my number, he called the next day, and we set something up for a Wednesday, April 30, 2008. I still wasn't interested but fell partial to the fact that he called it a "date". 
     Leah drove me to our date (my car was still in Florida) and on the way, I asked her to stay local so she could text me with the "something bad happened" line and then come rescue me. An hour or so into our date, I texted her to abort the mission. I knew that night that this was something serious. He offered to drive me home and as we sat in the car in the parking lot, the time changed from 11:59 to 12:00. We had our first kiss at midnight and so began our anniversary date of May 1st. 

One of our first pictures together, Summer of 2008 in Cape Cod

  
That turned out to not be such a short version. Sorry!

2. Do you feel to be a successful blogger you have to fit into a “mold”?

Hmmm, I think there are no official rules to being a successful blogger or even what defines a successful blogger. Just write when you want, what you want to, and how you want to. If someone wants to read it, great. If not, no big deal. 

3. Do you vary your meals or eat the same things everyday?

My breakfast and lunch are typically the same. Breakfast is oatmeal, cran-grape and coffee. Lunch is typically a salad of spinach, cranberry cheese, peanuts, turkey, and avocado. 

4. What is your biggest fear?

Someone breaking in in the middle of the night. 

5. Which season is your favorite and why?

Fall-changing colors of the leaves, crunchy leaves, the colors of everything, the cool weather, boots, scarves, and sweaters. 

6. What fictional character from a book really had an emotional influence on you?

I recently read The Storyteller and the character Minka was a holocaust survivor. It struck me really hard. Beautiful book. 

7. What is a way that you’ve “paid it forward”?
Honestly, I am, in essence, a teacher and I sincerely hope that working with my students pays if forward for the next generation. (How cheesy did that sound!)
8. Do you have a go-to outfit that you live in?
 
Leggings, boots, oversized shirt/sweater. Comfortable is the best way to go.
 
9. If you could go back in time and live in a certain time period, which would it be and why?

I love the look of 1920's flapper girls and I love the 1950's poodle skirts and leather jackets. Either one might be fun.
 
10. What is your favorite blog post you’ve written?

Hmm, I think the one about my dance room because it really highlighted one of my childhood (and recent adult) dreams coming true. Just for a peace of mind-the dance room was a childhood dream; the addition of the pole is a relatively recent addition.
 
11. Are you an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between?

Definitely somewhere in between. In new situations and with new people, I am a bit more reserved  but I am absolutely a loud mouth and have no fear of making a fool out of myself when I am with my friends. 



And now, 11 bloggers/blogs that I am nominating for the award:

Our Freaking Budget
Crystal's Musings
Living Like The Kings
Reluctant Entertainer
Mixing It Up
Runs For Cookies
All The Weigh
Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
A Swell Place To Dwell
The Orange Rhino
The Culinary Couple


And for those who I have nominated, here are your 11 questions:

1. How did you decide on the title or name for your blog?
2. What is your earliest childhood memory?
3. What is one of your guilty pleasures?
4. Were you named after anyone?
5. If there were a fire/disaster in your home and you had the opportunity to grab one item, what would it be and why?
6. How did you meet your best friend?
7. Do you still talk to any of your childhood friends?
8. How did your parents meet? Get engaged?
9. What would be your dream job if money were not a deciding factor?
10. What is your biggest pet peeve?
11. Did you have a favorite teacher, why?


To the nominated bloggers, here are the rules to follow:
1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
4. Nominate 11 bloggers. They should be bloggers that you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love.
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers that you nominated to answer.
6. Let all of the bloggers know that they’ve been nominated. You cannot nominate the blogger that nominated you.

Thank you again Maria!!! I can't wait to read the answers from the nominated bloggers.


Question for you?
What was the last thing you were nominated for?