The Liebster Award

"I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!" Well, it's not the Academy Awards and I'm not Sally Field, but I am truly honored that a fellow blogger (Laurie from Vanity and Me) has nominated me for a Liebster Blog Award. I first started to communicate with Laurie through Instagram and she has welcomed me with open arms into the blogging world. She is a huge support and I thank her for recognizing me.

What is the Liebster Award you ask? Since I am such a rule follower I Googled (love that this is now a verb!) many sites for clarification.

I think Genevieve from The Rogue Road sums it up best ~ The Liebster Award is basically an award that is by bloggers, for bloggers. It’s passed from person to person to encourage connection and support within our writing community, and to aid in the discovery of new and upcoming bloggers.

To be precise, the rules are:
1. Mention/thank the blogger who nominated you.  
2. Explain the rules.
3. Nominate 11 new bloggers with no more than X blog followers.
4. Answer the 11 questions presented.
5. Pose 11 questions of your own.
6. Post!
7. Notify bloggers that they have been nominated (usually via Twitter or Instagram).

Wait, wait, wait! This is a chain letter isn't it?

Yes, essentially it is, but in a good way. Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. It is a cyber-award passed along between fellow bloggers and I am honored that Laurie nominated me. 

The only rule I am having trouble with is #3. It seems that the number of followers allowed for nominees have changed throughout the years from 3,000 to 1,000 all the way down to 200! Genevieve says that it is up to the person who is nominating. I like her rule the best, so I will be nominating other bloggers that have less than 500 followers. Now the question arises, followers from where? Twitter, Instagram, the Blog itself, or Facebook? Trying to see how many followers a blog has can be difficult because nowadays bloggers don't have this information public for everyone to see. I went by if the blogger had less than 500 followers in any of the following sites: Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. So even if somebody has 2,000 followers on lnstagram, but their Facebook has less than 500 I included them.

The nominees are...

The Girl In The Mirror
West Coast Aesthetic
Health, Spice, Everything Nice
A Cosy Cup of Life
Hair By Kenn
The German Wanderer
All Things Twice
The Dainty Doyen
Selinista
The Diary of Fashionista
Mummy in the Know

Of course, if you have already been nominated or just choose not to participate I completely understand. This is only for fun and their is no pressure to complete it and you won't have a lifetime of bad luck if you choose not to do it! :)

Here are the 11 questions Laurie asked me to answer and my responses are below each one. Laurie is from England hence the spelling of favourite, which I love. 

1. What is your top tip to give to a fellow blogger?
     Have fun and be yourself! Don’t worry so much about getting followers. You will drive yourself crazy.


2. What was your best bargain buy this year?
     Recently I got ten items for only $105.00 at Joe Fresh. I get so excited when I can get great deals like this! I got 2 skirts, a pair of sweatpants, 3 tee shirts, 1 silk tank top, 2 button down shirts, and 1 pair of pants.


3. What is the beauty item you couldn't be without?
     My eyelash extensions. Now that I have them I can’t imagine being without them.


4. Who is your favourite tv comedy character?
     I just can’t answer this one, sorry. I have so many sitcom characters that I love and have loved. It would be like asking me to pick out my favorite pair of shoes! I love to laugh and I adore anybody that can make me laugh. My son Sullivan is hilarious. I know that he will either write for a comedy show or be a character in a sitcom and when that happens he will definitely be my favorite.


5. Christmas Cheer or Christmas Grinch?
     I always start off the season with tons of Christmas cheer, but there are moments where I turn into a Christmas Grinch. It’s usually when I am on a total Holiday High and somebody brings me down because they are mean or rude. I wish I could just let it bounce off me, but it can disturb me so much that it ruins my whole day.


6. Who is your favourite designer/place to shop?
     I don’t necessarily have a favorite designer (I loved everything Chloe during fashion week), but my all time favorite store is Nordstrom. Their customer service is phenomenal and they are always spot-on with what’s in fashion. I really do not enjoy going to the mall, but I do love shopping at Nordstrom. The smells! The sounds! The ambiance! Perfection! Since I have been blogging they are the only store that has responded to my posts.


7. Have you ever had a hair or beauty disaster?
     The first time I went somewhere to have my hair colored to red it turned out dark purple. For them to correct it they had to put on a stripping product that burnt my scalp. I had scabs for weeks. Needlessly to say, I never went back to that salon. I am so lucky to have a hair colorist, Phoenix, that I have been seeing for 15 years now that always does a beautiful job. My best friend, Michelle, cuts my hair and she is so talented and exceptional in her profession.
     There was also the time I had my husband cut my bangs. Yes, it was that short! Poor guy, he felt terrible.

8. What is your greatest achievement blogging so far?
     I would have to say that my greatest achievement was actually just getting started. I had so much self-doubt that it was inhibiting me to even just begin blogging. I am so happy that I was able to overcome that obstacle because I am having a blast.


9. If you could be someone else for a day who would it be?
     I would be any of the three cats that are currently staying at our house (two are only visiting). I love sleeping and they sleep for about 20 hours a day!


10. Name your top three favourite songs?
      This one was really hard for me because I have so many songs that have become part of my life soundtrack.
Let Down by Radiohead
I Believe in Symmetry by Bright Eyes
Don’t Panic by Coldplay   But my all time favorite artist is my extremely talented son Aiden Vanderford. Here is a video of one of his songs.

11. What have you asked Father Christmas for this year!
      The Promise bracelet from Tacori. I fell in love with it when I watched this promotional video that Wendy’s Lookbook did (the video is so touching I cry every time I watch it). It is quite expensive so I may have to wait a couple of years down the road. I am just not that nice, yet!
      I would also love to have a GoPro camera. I have some great ideas for some video projects for All Fred Up.
      Or an iPad.
Now I just feel greedy… how about World Peace, no more hunger and no violence of any kind. Everyone deserves to be shown love and respect. I would be thrilled if Santa could do that! Please Santa, bring that.

My Eleven Questions to my Nominees:

1. What motivates you to blog?
2. If you could be any superhero who would it be and why?
3. What is your favorite holiday?
4. Stressed or completely carefree?
5. If you could instantly learn something what would it be?
6. Do you have a favorite movie?
7. Your stranded on a desert island, what is the one beauty product that you are so thankful to have?
8. What is your favorite meal?
9. Morning person or no?
10. What would be the first thing that you would do if you won the lottery?
11. What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Thank you again to Laurie for the nomination. This has been a lot of fun. To the nominees - tag your it!

Photo Credits:
Sally Field -  Who2 Biographies
Crying Girl - Becuo
Short Bangs - Missoula Stylist