Liebster Award Part Deux

Yay! I got nominated for another Liebster Award! I really love these things, they invoke such community among bloggers. Stephanie over at Superheroes in Jammies (I love that name) nominated me for this round of the award. 

The rules for the award always change up a little so here's a quick gist of the rules that were on Steph's blog:

1. Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you and display the award. 

2. Give 11 random facts about yourself.

3. Answer the 11 questions from the person who tagged you and create 11 new questions for the people that you tag to answer. 

4. Nominate 11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers for the award and let them know....I don't know 11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers...so I gave you my current favorites that are around that range... 

Random Facts:

1. I really want to get a decent DSLR camera but don't have the money to justify such a big expenditure, so my iPhone camera will have to do for blog pictures.

2. If I could eat dessert every night I would happily. Brownies and cupcakes and Tiramisu, oh my! (that's a play on the Wizard of Oz if you didn't catch that)

3. I dislike thinking up random facts on the fly, I'm better at bringing them up during conversations...I'm on day 3 and fact 3.

4. I went rock climbing in high school  and loved it, but when I tried it a few years ago I was so terrified I only got maybe six feet off the ground (just slightly above my own height), freaked out and decided to keep my feet planted to the ground. Still love ziplining though.

5. Dave and I have a goal to visit all 50 states someday.

6. Sometimes I like to drive around with my radio on scan during the whole drive. 

7. My favorite number is 4. 

8. I have four siblings: one older sister, a step brother and sister who are twins (but you can just take the "step" part out, they're family--blood or not), and a younger half brother.

9. Growing up I had a monkey that was a puppet/stuffed animal, I named him Virgil and carried him everywhere with me. I still have him stored away at my house.

10. I was really creative growing up, I taught myself how to sew, and made up games to play with my little sister. I even created a board game for her and I to play when I stayed at my dad's house on the weekends.

11. I can waste hours on websites like The Meta Picture, looking at memes. I love me my memes....say that ten times fast. 

Here are the questions Stephanie posed:

1. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I would say either down south somewhere (but only if I could have a true Southern home with a wrap around porch) or California. But honestly, wherever Dave is, that's where I live. 

2. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I would say Jumper capability (like from the movie). That way, I could travel anywhere for free...and I can't say I wouldn't live comfortably like Hayden Christensen did in the film.

3. What is your favorite candy?

Milky Way!!

4. What is your biggest fear?

Only one? There's so many....but the first ones that come to mind are being buried alive or drowning.

5. What is the worst injury that ever happened to you?

Knock on wood, I've never broken a bone. KNOCK ON FREAKING WOOD. However, in third grade, I did drop a cup of really hot soup on my thigh and suffered second and near third degree burns. 

6. What was the last book you read?

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. For Bon's book club!

7. What is your favorite season?

It's a toss up between fall and spring. Perfect temperature days....

8. Silver or gold?

Silver

9. What is something that you have recently learned?

 NASA uses the movie Armageddon as part of its training program. 

10. What is your dream job?

Teaching, of course! But full time blogger/writer is a close second!

11. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Mint Chocolate Chip

And here are my questions for the "chosen ones" (feel free to answer any of these in the comment section, even if you aren't nominated!):

1. If you could choose, what would your last meal be? 
2. Name something you hate, why do you hate it?
3. If you had to move to a different state other than the one you currently live in, what state would you choose? Why?
4. Favorite TV show (s)?
5. What is one movie you cannot stand? 
6. What is your preferred form of social media (twitter, pinterest, instagram, etc)?
7. If you  had to listen to one genre of music for the rest of your life, what would it be?
8. Heels or flats?
9. What is one of your pet peeves?
10. What was your favorite subject in school?
11. What is one skill or talent that you have?

Here are my nominees! Check them out!

Luck Fupus

The Aspiring Southern Housewife

Hima Hearts

Let's Drink Coffee, Darling

Mellie Anne

Liebster Award!

Source

I was nominated for the second award for my blog, the Liebster Award, by the awesome Sherrie. 

First I’m supposed to list 11 facts about myself (when looking into this award, I found that the amount varied by post, so I'm listing 7. If you want to see another 7 more, you can check out my post here regarding the Shine On Award):

1. My two favorite books (outside Harry Potter) are A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore and The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers. You want a good replacement for Harry Potter? Check out Walter Moers....amazing.

2. If given the choice, I would happily eat mashed potatoes (no chunks or skins please!) with chicken gravy at every meal. 

3. My very first job was working at my family's gas station. I worked the cash register, handled the full serve customers (where they get you to pump their gas for them), and a ton more. I loved that job, and I would still happily work there to this day if the place was still open.

4. Regardless of the temperature of the room, I HAVE TO be under a blanket when I'm watching TV. Without it, I'll end up getting cold anyway, I guarantee it.

5. Most of my life I've wanted to be a teacher "when I grow up". There were a few times where I deterred from that dream, first when I wanted to be a journalist and then again when I wanted to be a SCUBA instructor in the islands. 

6. The best way for me to fall asleep at night is to have Family Guy or American Dad on. I love those shows and they're like my lullaby at night. Thank God for Adult Swim!

7. I dream of living in a home in the countryside where I'm surrounded by nothing but mountains and land. I imagine playing country songs like "Cowboy Take Me Away" as I walk around my bright, sunny, quiet, humble home. 

Source

Second I need to answer Sherrie’s questions:

1. What do you enjoy reading? A good, well written story. Any good well written stories. 
2. What is your favorite season? Fall and spring
3. Who is the person who makes you laugh? Many people make me laugh, but on a regular basis, it would have to be Dave.
4. Which do you prefer, mountains or ocean? Oooooh tough one, what oceans are we talking about here? Atlantic Ocean near the East Coast? Mountains all the way. Atlantic Ocean right off Turks and Caicos? Sorry mountains, I'm swimming with the fishies.
5. Do you have any pets? Do I even need to answer this one? 
6. What is your favorite meal of the day? Any meal that I can have mashed potatoes
7. Why do you blog? This cannot be answered in a single sentence. I blog to write, to expel my creativity, to connect with other like-minded people, to force myself to live a little, to experience something new.
8. What is your favorite color? Right now? Purple. Next month? Who knows.
9. Do you prefer coffee or tea? Tea all the way, every day. Unless it's with dessert like cake, then coffee with my creamer please!
10. What famous person, living or dead would you like to have lunch with? Anyone who will be okay with some mashed potatoes and chicken gravy.
11. What is your favorite blog? I can't pick just one favorite!! I'll give you the first two that came to mind, but if they're on my bloglovin' roll, they're my favorite. Anyway, it would be The Small Things Blog and The Life of Bon.

Third I have to nominate other bloggers who have less than 300 followers. Have fun and go explore their blogs! (Again, some of the rules say you need to nominate 11 and others as little as 5. But remember, this is a fun way to introduce new blogs, so do what you can!):

Craft Dictator

Hima Hearts

t.o. & fro

The Aspiring Southern Housewife

Where the Love was Found

Thanks again Sherrie for the love!

Follow: BLOGLOVIN ::  FACEBOOK

Shine On Award

Samantha over at Where the Love was Found nominated me for the Shine On Award!

Get it? The sun is shining on me....

Can I just say how absolutely flattering this is? To have someone who has never physically met me, like my blog enough to recognize it for an award is awesome, so thank you Samantha!!

As a part of the nomination I am supposed to share 7 random, interesting things about myself. I can't promise they'll be interesting, but they will be random!

1. I HATE peanut butter. Every aspect of it is incredibly disgusting to me, the look, the smell, the taste, the color, EVERYTHING. 

2. I can't watch animal movies, even cartoon ones. Lion King used to be my favorite movie, now I can't bear to watch it. The thought of any animal being sad or hurt gives me anxiety. I don't know why, but it's kinda annoying. Even when I watched "How to Train your Dragon" I had a mild anxiety attack. Couldn't even get five minutes into "Rio" before I was crying hysterically because the bird was stuck in a box in the cold. 

3. I love to sew and I like to make quilts, mainly baby quilts. I even set up my own Facebook page for it a while ago, Quilts by Nicole. I'm no professional, but it gets the job done. 

4. I taught Nibbler and Squishee how to "kiss" on command and immediately when you pick them up. They just put their nose up to your face and kiss you. I totally take advantage of this. Most nights, Dave will hear me walk around the house, "Squishee!!! Kiss, kiss!" 

5. I like my ice cream microwaved for a bit before I eat it. Before you say this is weird, I'd like to point out that my microwave has a soften button that includes an ice cream setting, so I can't be the only person. The frothy goodness is so delicious!

6. I proudly declare myself a cat lady. Should you choose to insert the "crazy" in the front is fine with me. 

7. I am a certified SCUBA diver and have gone on dives in Jamaica and Turks and Caicos. I loved diving so much, I paid buku bucks for Dave to get certified too so it's something we could do together.

And now, here are the amazing bloggers that I nominate!

Hima of Hima Hearts

Angie Mae of The Aspiring Southern Housewife

Sherrie of Sherrie's Scriptorium

SHINE ON, FRIENDS!

The Shine On Award rules:

1. Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.

2. Acknowledge that blogger on your blog, and link back.

3. Share seven, random interesting things about yourself.

4. Nominate up to 15 bloggers for the Shine On Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.