Liebster Award!

I'm so happy to say that I've been nominated for a Liebster Blog Award! Thank you to Tyler at An Aspiring Heroine for the nomination! Cue all the blog warm-and-fuzzies. 
The Liebster Award goes to bloggers with 200 or fewer followers, as a way to showcase them and help them build their audiences. To accept, you must answer the questions your nominator asked, nominate your own Liebster bloggers, and ask them questions, too. It's really fun, and I love sharing random facts about myself.

My questions & answers are:

1. If you could live in any other country, except the one where you're from, which one would you choose?

Probably England or Germany. The countryside in both countries is absolutely stunning, and the people in both places are so nice and welcoming. German food is amazing; I would be perfectly okay eating currywurst and schnitzel pretty often. Also, European coffee is the best. It's not overly sweet and it always got me through the mornings.

London, from the top of St. Paul's Cathedral, June 2013

Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany, June 2014

2. Where did the name of your blog come from?

I'm not really sure, exactly. It was one of those things that just "came to me" when I was thinking about renaming it from 'On a Lighter Note' way back when. I knew I wanted my blog to focus more on what went through my mind on a daily basis, so my new title had to reflect that in some way. 

3. What would be your dream job?

I saw a job posting back in February for "Head of Social Media" for The Weather Channel. Unfortunately I was so most definitely not qualified for it, but I saw it and thought, "That's a job I want someday." Aside from that, does "New York Times Best Selling Author" count as a job title? I want that one, too. 

4. Where is your favorite place to write?

It depends on what I'm writing! I love writing my blog posts at home, usually drinking tea and taking a break from schoolwork. Otherwise, I do my best writing in the mornings after my first cup of coffee has kicked in. Sometimes, when I don't have a specific project or post to write, I like going to coffee shops and observing people, and writing about what I see. I did that a lot when I was in London two summers ago. Best entertainment ever!

5. How old were you when you started your first job, and what was it?

My first job was an ice cream scooper at a local, family-owned dairy farm/ice cream shop! I was hired at 15 and a half and worked there seasonally (April - November) all through high school, and the summer after my first year of college. Still my favorite ice cream! 

6. What's the most important thing new readers should know about your blog?

I write similar to the way I talk, so I aim to make my posts feel like conversations between me and you. Let's talk!

7. Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!

Yes! I have (well, my parents have) a darling Russian Blue cat named Bows. She is the sweetest, most good-natured kitty we've ever had. She talks a lot, though...at all hours of the day and night. We got her in January 2013, and she's been a wonderful family companion. 

8. Where do you find your blogging inspiration?

There's no one place to find inspiration - I like to think it's all around me. In other bloggers, in my peers and friends, in things I see in my daily life, in my favorite pins on Pinterest... you name it, I can (probably) find inspiration in it!

9. Where are you going on your next vacation?

Don't have one planned right now, but I'd love to go somewhere warm and sunny! My family used to go to the beach in North Carolina when I was younger, and we vacationed at St. Simons Island in Georgia when I was in high school. Maybe it's time for another beach visit! 

10. What's your favorite thing about blogging?

Far and away the blog friends I've made. Y'all are some of the coolest people I "know" and I'm so glad we've all connected! 

11. Tell us 11 random facts about yourself.

1. I am notoriously bad at the peg jump game at Cracker Barrel. I'm pretty sure I can count on one hand the number of times I've beaten it. 
2. My favorite ice cream flavors are chocolate chip cookie dough, and cake batter.
3. I have a ticket stub with Daniel Radcliffe's autograph on it. 
4. I'm a Houston Texans fan, yet I have no connection to Houston or the state of Texas.
5. Try as people (read: my boyfriend) might, I will always, always believe that Carolina-style barbecue is the best. I prefer Lexington over Eastern, but I'll never say no to a Smithfield's sandwich.
6. One reason I can't wait to own my home is so I can have my own garden(s) and grow my own herbs, vegetables, some fruits, and my favorite flowers. 
7. Friends is the first show I've ever binge-watched on Netflix.
8. I largely prefer sweet potato fries over regular fries, except at Chick-Fil-A. 
9. I can make really good guacamole and homemade pimiento cheese. 
10. I absolutely love the Fage Greek yogurt with honey. I don't know why; there's nothing special about it, and I could just make that myself. But Fage is just so good! 
11. I have more unused notebooks and journals that I have no idea what to do with.

And now for my nominees:

Nessa @ I Write About You Chesson @ A Southern Twenty-Five Ashley @ Sweet Carolina Belle Lindsay @ Typically Late Kohleen @ Bites of Life Beverly @ Beverly Bean Kercia @ Kercia Jane Design Courtney @ The Everyday Elegance Lauren @ Recent Romantic Caitlin @ And Possibly Dinosaurs

Your questions are:

1. What was your first car?
2. What's the longest you've ever procrastinated on a project or assignment?
3. What places are on your travel bucket list?
4. What's your favorite birthday memory?
5. Have you ever moved (not counting moving to college)? To where, and how old were you?
6. Tell us 11 random facts about yourself!
7. How long have you been blogging, and why did you start?
8. Do you have any guilty pleasures?
9. Have you ever had a hair disaster, or had a dye job go horribly wrong? Tell us about it!
10. Do you have any blogging role models? Give them a shout-out!
11. What did you eat for breakfast today?

Thanks again for the nomination, Tyler! These are always so fun.