Liebster Award!

Hello everyone! I don’t do many “chatting about me” type of posts, but I was recently nominated for the Liebster Award! I’ve done a post similar to this with the Versatile Blogger Award, and though they are a little out of my comfort zone, posts like this are a great way to meet and interact with new bloggers! Think of it like speed dating, except I’m answering these questions for the whole internet! We can still see if we have anything in common though, right guys?

So if you haven’t heard of the Liebster award, the rules I was provided with go like this:

-Mention the person who nominated you

-Answer the eleven questions this person gave you

-Come up with eleven new questions yourself

-Nominate eleven bloggers

-Let them know about the nomination

So for starters, I am more than happy to shout out to the lovely Katie who nominated me! She is adorable and sweet and has been so supportive of my blog, and if you haven’t stopped by her blog, you totally should! I think I actually online-met her the last time I did a post like this, so maybe I’ll make some new pals this time around too!

Okay so, yes, the questions:

1.  What's the one place you really want to travel to?

One thing you may not know about me is that I am a geek for the great outdoors. I grew up taking little camping trips with my family, and so I would be cool with traveling just about anywhere with good hiking trails and beautiful scenery!

Within the states, I’d probably say Oregon, mostly because of Alisa Burke’s beautiful snapshots of it, but internationally, Austria or Brazil would be hella cool. (See, I’m so excited that I am trying to use slang to express it!)

2. What’s your favorite book you’ve read?

Sadly, nowadays I mostly only read books if I have to for school (ie: textbooks), simply because of time and my Netflix addiction! However, my senior year of high school I read Beloved by Toni Morrison, and it was one of the most beautifully written and deeply moving books I’ve opened. It’s by no means an easy or light read, but the author’s storytelling, with everything from her movement of the plot to the words she uses, is just so incredibly enchanting. It gives a heartbreaking look into the mental toll of slavery, and the love of a mother for her children, and I am running out of words to describe this book.

Throughout high school, I really got into books with beautiful command of language rather than a fluffy teen storyline. (No offense to some of my old favorites, I promise!) I am currently working on reading (very slowly) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert—I will let you all know how it goes! So far it is beautiful!

3. What’s your favorite blog post that you’ve written?

The very first one I published—it was my very first Monday in Wonderland!! Whenever I read it, it reminds me exactly why I started blogging, and I still love the art I put together to go along with it. I also chatted a little about my very best friend in there, and reading it again makes me both miss her and remember how lucky I am to have her as my friend. AND, she’s in town for this weekend! *Starts humming “Reunited”*

4. Do people ever mistake you for being younger or older than you actually are?

This one is kind of funny for me, because I actually get both. Typically, people think I am younger if they just see me, but once they interact with me, they assume I’m older. I guess I look pretty young but act mature. What’s even funnier is that I have both an older and younger sister, and have been asked if I’m twins with each of them several times, despite the fact that I am 3 years apart from each of them!

5. What is your biggest pet peeve?

I don’t wanna get all ranty on you guys, so I am going to go with disorganized PowerPoints and advertisements, especially when they feature misspelling and poor grammar! I guess it’s my inner designer speaking, but there are so many things in this world that could be so much more aesthetically pleasing with just a little education, effort, and a watchful eye. I just want the world to be more beautiful is all!

6. What is your go-to outfit at the moment?

The second it starts warming up outside, I pretty much live in high-waisted shorts! They are really one of my closet staples to be honest. During the winter, I’ll wear them with tights, and now that it’s already 80° F (thanks, Texas), they get to shine all on their own once again!

I have also been loving quirky “ringer tees” lately, like this patriotic one or this unicorn top I just purchased. I’ve always been a little over-the-top with my outfit choices, but newer, simple, 90’s-inspired pieces and college itself have been having a big influence on my style. I love that I get to bring a little color and weirdness to my outfits with simple tops that I can get dressed in super quickly. (I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I wear PJs up until the 15 minutes before I walk out the door!)

TLDR (Too long, didn’t read): High-waisted shorts and vintage-inspired tees.

7. Share with us a blogger you've recently discovered and are really liking?

Although my posts are never really without color, some of my recent blog obsessions are far more minimalist! I am in love with Me and Orla, written by the gorgeous (inside and out) Sara Tasker, and cannot get enough of Shayla Lillian’s glowing photography over at Golden Years. Love from Berlin also has some amazing posts on conscious living, which is something entirely new and interesting to me. Never fear though—the obnoxious quantities of pastel color will not be leaving my Wonderland any time soon!

8. Coffee or Tea?

I actually try to avoid both, because caffeine does not have the best effect on me. However, after really late nights, I usually opt for milk and sugar with a little coffee mixed in there. What can I say, I’m just not one for super strong flavors! In fact, even when I drink southern-style sweet iced tea, I mix it half with unsweet tea or else its too overpowering for me!

9. Are you more of a morning or evening person?

This semester, most of my classes fall in the afternoon, so I’ve adopted the terrible habit of becoming a little bit nocturnal! I do my best work after 8pm for some crazy reason, and have been known to favor a midnight, mid-study snack. Netflix also tends to get started late at night, so that tells you a bit about my time management.

10. If you could meet anyone and spend a day with them, who would it be?

Nerdy/practical answer: The blogging crew behind Studio DIY or A Beautiful Mess. I adore both of those blogs, and would absolutely love to see what a day behind the scenes for them is like. Although I’m currently going through an “I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE” kind of stage, (sorry, no more nursing school ahead) I admire bloggers such as those guys for making their dreams of creative business a reality!

Silly answer: James Corden’s proposed #squadgoals for Adele, from carpool karaoke. This squad would feature Adele herself, Beyonce, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Schumer, and Emma Stone. And that would probably be the most hilarious day of my life.

11. What's your favorite song at the moment? (Sorry, I couldn’t pick just one!)

-I really love Stressed Out by twenty one pilots because it is so #relatable.

-I frequently jam to Love Yourself by Justin Beiber.

-Death of a Bachelor by Panic! At the Disco gets blasted in my car almost every day. Really, the entirety of Panic’s recent album is unstoppable.

-Okay, last one: Aquaman by Walk the Moon. I’ve loved this song for months, and it just makes me so happy to listen to!

So that’s a lot of drawn-out nonsense about me. Think of it as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s hysterical pre-award banter, ok?! I mean, I know I’ll never be near as hilarious as them, but I’d like to think that maybe you weren’t totally bored reading that… Now, the nominations are:

Beka Ellen

Angelina (Angelina Is)

Alona (Gentle Confusion)

Heather Maisie

Anne (Anne Smiles)

Laura (Artfully Wired)

Regan Gearhart

Jennifer (Make, Create, and Appreciate)

Kim (Silently Free)

Francesca (Bella Momento)

Jen (Amusings and Beauty) (technically this is a YouTube channel but I love this girl, so let me be, ok?)

And your questions, my dear nominees?

1.What is your favorite quote at the moment?

2. Name an album/artist or two that you dance to like no one is watching.

3. What is one the one TV series that you tell all your friends they should watch?

4. Tell us one thing about yourself that not many people know!

5. What’s the last thing you made with your own two hands?

6. Do you even lift… cookies to your mouth? (What’s your favorite flavor of cookie?)

7. Awkward turtle or social butterfly?

8. Come up with (or find online) a nerdy pick-up line that could potentially actually work on you.*

9. Describe 3 things that you absolutely love about yourself!

10. Include a picture that represents you in a unique way! (No, it cannot be a selfie with a weird snapchat filter.)

11. Who is your spirit Disney character and why?

*My favorite pickup line is: Are you my appendix? Because I don’t understand how you work, but this feeling in my stomach makes me want to take you out.

So, will I be making any new friends in this round of blabbing about myself? Let me know if we have anything in common, and leave a link so I can find future nominees! (I’m only kind of trying to buy your friendship...)

Stay lovely,