The Liebster Award

The wonderfully kind and awesome Ashley over at Cup Of Ash Tea recently informed me that she nominated me for The Liebster Award!...and the Versatile Blogger Award! Let's just talk about how flippin' sweet and amazing she is for a moment. You should go check out her blog :) 

So what are these awards? Well, that's a good question...

I'm borrowing the explanations from Ashley because I had no idea but was flattered all the same that she thought of me! :) First, the Liebster Award! Apparently it's German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved and lovely and is awarded to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers as a way to recognize blogs you like and for discovering new blogs. As part of the nomination, we're supposed to answer 11 questions created by Ashley, as well as nominate other blogs and create new questions of my own. 

The Versatile Blogger Award is similar recognition award. 

The Liebster Award Questions:

1) What is the best book you've read recently?

I'm currently reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King and it's great! I'm really enjoying it. Before that, I read the first book of the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. If you like epic fantasies at all, run, don't walk, and pick up this book. It is so flipping amazing!! 

2) What are your three favorite online shopping websites?

Amazon, Gap, CottonOn

3) How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa Claus?

4th Grade maybe?

4) What did you laugh about today?

Bryce saying something utterly ridiculous and making me laugh at how dumb it is. That's why I keep him around!

5)  If you had to live in a decade other than the current one, which would you choose?

Hmm, maybe the 1920's.

6) Are you left-handed or right-handed?

Right.

7) If you could travel anywhere and money was no option, where would you go?

I've been fortunate to have traveled a bit so far, but I would absolutely love to go to Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand...to name a few from my LONG list. 

8) What's your favorite thing about blogging?

Getting to ramble about how boring my life is ;) And nail polish. I mean, let's be serious. Best thing ever.

9) If you had to choose one food to eat the rest of your life, what would you pick?

My mom makes this INCREDIBLE spinach, strawberry, and toasted almond salad with an incredible dressing that I would eat every day with no issues.  

10) What was your favorite toy when you were a child?

Brown Bear! It was the little...brown bear...that had a rattle inside and I took it everywhere. It's fur is all smushed awkwardly on it's face now. 

11) Tell me something that you like about yourself.

I like that I am open minded. I try and be as open to others as possible, though I'm incredibly awkward so it doesn't always work. 

And my new questions if anyone is up for them: 

1. Where is your favorite place in the world?

2. Favorite way to spend your day off?

3. Any fun nicknames?

4. Any pet peeves?

5. What sort of things are in your fridge right now?

6. Given the choice of anyone, alive or dead, who would you want to have dinner with for an evening?

7. Skirts or Pants?

8. Do you enjoy long walks on the beach under a full moon?

9. Favorite book of all time?

10. Do you have any pets?

11. What do you love about your personality?

For the Versatile Blogger Award I'm supposed to come up with 7 random facts about myself, but this post is getting long so I'll only name some random, random facts ;) 

--Pretty sure I have Misophonia, which is literally the "hatred of sound" (specifically sounds made by other people).

--I LOVE puzzles. Yes, I am an 80 year old woman trapped in a 22 year old body.

--I also love pens! I think hand writing things is so cathartic and being able to write with an awesome pen only makes the experience that much better :) 

Most importantly for this post, however, are the nominees. Only a few, but they are all awesome :)

Kristie @The Yosemite Family Blog

Meghan @Will Paint Nails for Food

Pick A Color blog

Colleen @Luster Lacquer

I'm also reserving one of these for when my friend Erin finally starts what I know will be a fabulous and witty blog. *glares at Erin who I know will read this at some point*

Whew! Okay, that was long! My apologies! I know it's not about nails but I wanted to share once again how great Ashley is! :) 

33 Ways to Stay Creative.

I recently came across this list and I love all of these! I just started carrying a Levenger notebook that my Mom got me for my graduation and I must say that it has made things easier. I'm trying to write down any random thought I tell myself I'll remember because I inevitably always forget it. I've also stated jotting down nail design ideas if something strikes me. It's minimizing a little bit of stress for me and that's all I can ask for! 

Numbers I'm currently doing? 2, 8, 9, 11 (I have been obsessively listening to Macklemore's new album lately...), 12 (I think I'm generally a pretty open person), 21, 25 (I'm making a solid attempt with this blog), 30, 32 (well, I try!). The rest, well those I've got to work on! But I figure I've got some time to do that and I really want to work towards achieving most of these things :)

Day 2 - Where you would like to be in ten years

I would like to know what I want to do with my life in ten years! Is that too much to ask?? :/ 

I would love to be in a career that I love and enjoy most of the time. I don't want to dread going to work. 

I would love to be living in a home that Bryce and I bought together. A home we have fixed up together and put those little touches that we both love but mostly what I love because let's face it, he's a boy and doesn't know what he actually wants ;) 

I would love to be living closer to my family. Currently I'm 4 hours away and it's tough not having my support group nearby. 

More than anything, I would LOVE to just be happy and content with things. I know nothing will ever be perfect, but I hope my days continue to be filled with smiles and laughter. All I can really hope for! :)

I've also got a tumblr going where I throw all the things I would eventually love to have in my future home, places I want to travel, and just pretty things to see, collect, and do. I hope in 10 years I will have done, seen, accomplished some of those things! 

30 Day Personal Challenge - Day 1 Your Current Relationship

Alright! Day 1! Your Current Relationship

Where to begin??! I've been with my boyfriend, Bryce, for 7 years and as I was recently told by someone, our relationship is a 2nd grader! At 22, I've been with him for a third of my life...sounds a bit ridiculous, maybe, but hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I can't believe that 7 years has gone by already! As with any couple we've had our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I still like AND love that crazy/silly/awkward boy who can always make me laugh and is without a doubt my best friend in the entire world.

The two of us are actually high school sweethearts, which always seems to freak people out because finding the love of your life when you're 15 years old doesn't happen very often. Somehow the awkward friendship/attraction that began in study hall my freshman year led to an awkward first date a year later where we saw Zorro 2 (and yes, it was Zorrible...). Somehow that led to our one, two, five, seven year anniversary. Somehow we made it through all the madness, heartache, jealously, and loneliness that goes with leaving for college, getting new jobs, meeting new people and feeling left out. Somehow we figured out how to grow as a couple, but also as individuals (so important!!). Somehow I've learned to deal with his messiness and eating noises and he with my craziness and nagging (I am a girlfriend after all). Somehow we've made it work. Because we wanted to make it work and because somehow we just always sort of knew we were supposed to be together. 

Circa 2006

Alright, enough cheesy, corny, sappiness! Bryce and I currently live together (in a house with a yard and multiple bedrooms/bathrooms! Yee!) with our super awesome and adorable dog, Fonzi. He's our baby and a close second for the love of my life. We adopted Fonzi 2-ish years ago and successfully converted him to a spoiled rotten baby instead of the scared and jumpy dog we first brought home. 

Photo credit to Kristie at Krisitie's Fotos

A brief progression of us through the years and then I'll stop rambling about us. If you've read this far, you're a trooper! :)

Junior Year, 2007

Yosemite Camping, 2008

Prom, 2008

Disneyland date, 2010

My Graduation, 2012

And that's it! Just two awkward kids who found each other and still like each other! :) 

Happy Polishing :)

The gal behind the nails.

Alright, I'll preface this with an apology! This string of posts will be a bit more personal but interspersed with nail posts. If you're here solely for nails, bear with me! The lovely Ashley over at Cup of Ash Tea turned me onto this challenge and I really want to give it a go. It may very well take me all year to get through it though ;) 

30 Day Challenge! 

Day 1 - Your current relationship, or how single life is

Day 2 - Where you would like to be in ten years

Day 3 - Your views on drugs and alcohol

Day 4 - Your views on religion

Day 5 - A time you thought about ending your own life 

Day 6 - Write thirty interesting facts about yourself

Day 7 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality

Day 8 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life

Day 9 - What you hope your future will be like

Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss

Day 11 - Put your music player on shuffle and write ten songs that pop up

Day 12 - Bullet your whole day

Day 13 - Somewhere you would like to move or visit

Day 14 - Your earliest memory

Day 15 - Your favorite Tumblrs

Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music

Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year

Day 18 - Your beliefs

Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents

Day 20 - How important you think education is

Day 21 - One of your favorite shows

Day 22 - How have you changed in the past two years?

Day 23 - Give pictures of five guys who are famous who you find attractive

Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it's about

Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why

Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you

Day 27 - A problem that you have had

Day 28 - Something that you miss

Day 29 - Goals for the next thirty days

Day 30 - Your highs and lows of this month

Happy Polishing and Happy Living! :)