Liebster Award – what?

Bill & I haven’t been at this blogging thing very long – our Blogiversary isn’t until this summer.  So not all the things about the blogging world have quite set in yet.  I like to think we have the etiquette thing down – giving credit where it’s due, linking back to sources and such, and of course commenting on all of your awesome things we come across on others’ blogs.

But then last week we got a comment from our reader, Salpal, over at WhatImuptotoday, nominating us for a Liebster Award.   …a what?  A quick google search yielded an explanation from Sopphy Says here.  Basically, it’s a ‘your blog’s cool and I enjoy reading it so TAG your it!’  sort of thing.  And in the case of Salpal’s nomination, it’s come with some fun questions to boot.

The basic rules – You have to nominate 11 other bloggers that fit the criteria – those with fewer than 200 followers and that inspire you.  The Blogger that nominated you provides a list of 11 questions to answer, plus you have to list 11 fun facts about yourself, then ask 11 new questions of your nominated bloggers.

Make sense?  Ok, here we go!

First up – 11 Fun Facts about Bill & I

1. Bill & I got to meet John & Sherry Petersik of Young House Love on their first stop of their book tour in Cincinnati, Oh.  I drove from DC to Pittsburgh, then the two of us drove through PA, WV, then to OH before reaching the city.  It was quite the journey! (Read about it here!)
2. Bill is working on his PHD in Information Science so he can one day be a nutty professor.
3. Beth has literally body checked Alex Ovechkin.  On accident.  At the mall.
4. Bill enjoys filmmaking (the CLEAN kind) and participated in a 48 hour film festival in 2007.
5. Beth once had a man dive at her and try to take her foot.  He had cognitive disabilities and apparently a pretty big foot fetish.  And she had freshly painted rainbow toenails.  It was terrifying.
6. Bill enjoys Shakespeare.
7. Beth does not.
8. Bill was a dancer at THON, the largest student run philanthropy in the world.
9. Beth is a brother of Alpha Phi Omega, a national community service fraternity originally associated with the Boy Scouts.
10. Bill enjoys camping and all manner of outdoor activities.
11. Beth likes outdoor activities, so long as there are few mosquitoes.

Now, Salpal’s 11 Questions asked of us:

1. Why do you blog? – – Bill & I started to blog to document all the hard work we do building things for the home we’re creating for ourselves.  We had actually started doing DIY projects prior to even considering a blog of our own, including our Headboard and ikea hacked night stand, so a blog to document it for family far away was a nice way to keep others involved.
2. What in your life really excites you now? – – I asked Bill this without explaining why and his answer was, ‘Planning a life with you’.  Completely unprompted.  He’s a keeper. 🙂  Exciting thing for me (besides a big DITTO on Bill’s answer of course) is gearing up for a trip to England to visit a dear friend.  I’ve never been to Europe so I’m pumped it’s happening.
3. If you weren’t afraid of anything, what would you do tomorrow? – – Our mutual answer is to move to a tropical destination and open up a bar and just live the island life.
4. Who inspires you? – – It’s no secret that I am a huge fangirl of Young House Love, while Bill’s favorite Vlogger is Steve Ramsey of Woodworking for Mere Mortals.  Watch his videos, he’s pretty funny.
5. Who do you want to inspire? – – We look to inspire no-one specifically, we just want to have fun with what we do.  If we inspire anyone, it’s a sweet bonus.
6. What were you doing right before you started answering these questions? – – Staining a storage piece we’ve been working on for MONTHS.  Hopefully it will be on the blog in a week or two.
7. Favorite flavor ice cream? – – Bill’s is Blitzburgh Crunch, a Steelers/Pittsburgh local flavor of Turkey Hill ice cream.  I’m a purist with Mint Chocolate chip (though even better if it’s mint with Oreos instead of chips).
8. Best book you ever read? – – Bill’s is 2001: A Space Odyssey by Aurthur C Clarke.  For myself?  Though I’ve read a lot of the classics and ‘must read’ lists, and I kinda hate myself for this answer, but the Hunger Games series really sucked me in.  I pounded through all three within 2.5 days, I just couldn’t put them down!  Though I don’t think the movie did it justice.
9. What made it best? – – 2001: A Space Odyssey – the realistic space travel and the inventive influence of alien life.  The Hunger Games – like I said, they just sucked me in.  I love a book I can’t put down!
10. Favorite place on earth? – – OBX!
11. Best gift you ever got? – – Bill’s – tickets to see the Pennguins and the Flyers play at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

And NOW ….here’s the part where I sheepishly admit  to following only a few really big blogs.  *wompwompwomp*  Thus making tagging 11 other blogs a tad difficult.  So here goes.

1. Our Home From Scratch – Lisa and John are in the Philly area (Yeah yeah Flyers!) and actually I had stumbled on their blog forever ago (like, the dawn of pinterest) while looking for Flyers related snacks.  (Specifically their cake batter rice crispie treats!)  And then seem to re-discover them a few more times before I finally started using a reader and added them to the rotation.  You should too!
2. Two Purple Couches – Emily is pretty rad, down to earth and shares things that are REAL.  Or that make me REAL JEALOUS (like her new digital camera! Niiiiice!)
3. Made In A Day – Kim’s blog might not meet the classifications technically – and I only mention it as I’m betting she gets more than 200 followers.  But either way, she’s always sharing her many talents and crafts, plus her regular link parties always draw such awesome variety.
4. The Buttery Life – This is one of those rare, actually-knew-her-before-blogging scenarios.  Lauren is a friend I met as a result of the group of cool kids that Bill hung out with when he was still in DC..  Lauren was actually there the night that Bill and I first went on a date.  She herself is excitedly planning her wedding and also blogs about the trials and tribulations of getting healthy.  I’m willing to put myself out there for a Dietbet, but to wholly blog about weight loss takes some bravery.  Her adventures will surely inspire you!
5. Homemade Sarcasm – Ok.  I may have a hard time conveying it via text in a blog, but I can be SUUUUPER sarcastic, and typically get along great with those that are also.  Add in a healthy serving of creativity and reality and you get this fun blog that’s certainly worth the read.
6. Thrifthangover – this handy blog does what it says on the label – Sarah shares her scores and adventures while thrifting in California.  And the girl’s got a thing for Milk Glass.  I have a feeling we’d be friends if we met in person – so long as it wasn’t while locking eyes on the same milk glass vase! haha!
7. The Very Best Top 10 – another blog that does what it says on the label.  But the Top 10’s that Russel shares are often quite random, and usually good for a chuckle or two.  I mean, who ever thought there’d be a Top 10 list of Pencil sharpeners?  NOW THERE IS. 🙂
8. …..and 9., 10., and 11.  — OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS!  Seriously, I totally read other’s blogs, I swear!  But I’ve now gotten so distracted from reading back into the blogs I just listed (and gone and pinned from and had craft idea tangents…) that I’m afraid I’ll never get to my 11 questions.  SO, do YOU think you should get a Liebster?  Comment!  Tell me what you’re up to!  Let’s share the love!

Hokay – NOW, here are the all important questions that those bloggers above have to answer.

1. What type of things do you LEAST like READING about on blogs?
2. What type of things do you MOST like reading about on blogs?
3. What type of things do you like writing about the most in your blogs?
4. What is the funniest thing someone has done – to you, for you, or that you witnessed?
5. What are you most looking forward to this summer and why?
6. What is your favorite food to prepare?
7. You have surprise guests come over and you need to slap some sort of snack together.  Quick!  Using what’s actually in your pantry right now, what would you make?
8. Martha Stewart – Genius, or the Devil? (Or Both?)
9. What is your favorite vacation spot?
10. What is your quest?
11. If you could only have 1 TV channel, what would it be and why?

Well, that’s all for now, folks!  Now go share the love some more!

~ Beth

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