The Liebster Award 2015! Thank you!

Awe! Just a couple of days ago, I was nominated for the Liebster Award by fellow Mommy blogger, Kristi at mustbeamomblog.com! Which was incredibly sweet of her! An award that I am completely honored to accept, considering how casual I am about my recipe posts. Point in case? Most of my Mommy blogging friends post new entries once or twice a week! Which I most definitely do not, due to a whole slew of time and health related reasonings. So knowing that a Mommy blogger out there in this vast, complex blogging world of ours, considered me for such an honor, kinda floors me. And tinkles me pink! So thank you so very much, Kristi!

For those of you who are as casual or new to the blogging world as I am, The Liebster Award is a Blogging Award for new bloggers, of any genre, who have less than 1k followers, who the presenter would like to recognize and support. And it’s pretty awesome, if I say so myself. What a truly lovely way to find, explore and create like-minded blogging friendships!

When nominated there are 6 things to do:
1- Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you with a link to their blog.
2- Post the Liebster Award badge on your blog.
3- Write 11 facts about yourself.
4- Nominate 5+ bloggers (with fewer than 1,000 followers) who you feel deserve the award.
5- Answer the 11 questions posted by the presenter.
6- Write 11 questions for your nominees.

For those readers here who have just recently been introduced to my blog, here are 11 little tid bits about myself:

1. I’m a word person, at heart. I’d rather have a written conversation between a friend or family member than a verbal one. There’s something magical & incredibly authentic about the way a person shares oneself through the written word. That’s nothing at all like the verbal one.

2. I love being alone, more often than not. Now granted being alone to me is REALLY being alone with my entire family of 6 (4 of whom are not human) but still. My Family is my solace and my reprieve and I rarely feel the need to ask for anything more.

3. Before I went to Pastry School, and well before I became a Mother, I was a children’s literature specialist of 17 years. It was my world and nearly everything else revolved around it. To this day, even though I no longer work within the book industry, nearly 95% of all I read (when I have the time) is still children’s lit. Nothing else gets my heart like that of a children’s novel. There’s nothing else nearly as transcending. You can take the bookstore out of the girl but never the love out the book nerd.

4. Before I underwent my hysterectomy 6 months post birth, and was thrown into full menopause, I was an avid collect of scarves. Scarves were my THING. And even though I’m not able to wear any of them anymore (hot flashes, my friends), I still hold much fondness for my well loved collection, and display them with much enthusiasm.

5. I have a classic Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear who is now nearly 20 years old. Who I still occasionally hug at night, when I’m feeling sad or alone. Not ashamed to admit this at all.

6. Give me a good cup of white chocolate mocha and I will quite possibly be your friend forever. Seriously. It doesn’t take much to make me happy.

7. Even though my little Family is planning on moving to Maui within the next two years, I’m not a water person. In fact, I’m actually rather terrified of vast expanses of water. You know, like an entire ocean of water. In which a tiny little island like Maui sits. Why? Tsunamis. Tsunamis, people.

8. My three closest, best friends are my Mom and two sisters. My Family & I are very close, no matter how different each of us may be, and it’s because of this closeness & combined strength that I’ve braved my way through so many trials and hardships. They are my rock and my shelter. And a blessing unlike any other this world could give. Friends come and go. But Family is forever.

9. I’m a certifiable FB addict. And, no, it doesn’t bother me that I am. Not one bit.

10. I’m pretty hard core about my beliefs about how I parent. I believe in play, free play, for as long as possible for my daughter, and generally let her do anything that she wants within reason. I also believe that no one other than my husband (& sometimes my in-laws) have the right to say anything about the way I parent. I see far too many parents out there in the public thinking that it’s perfectly okay to look at another parent in a disapproving manner. Which I think is entirely disheartening and quite honestly, rather rude. Every parent parents in their own way, and has every right to do what is best for their own child. No matter what anyone else thinks.

11. My Life’s Motto: Just when the Caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a Butterfly.

Questions from Kristi

1. What got you interested in blogging?

While I was working part time at a local bookstore, I decided to go to Pastry School for 3 months. Not long after I had completed my 3 month course, I found that kitchen wizardry was a growing, driving passion of mine, as well as therapy for battling depression and endometriosis pain. Which soon became a recipe blog for all of my friends and family. And has now become a joyful monthly adventure of mine, chronicling the many beautiful experiences that I have found within motherhood.

2.What celebrity would you love to have over for dinner? Why?

The Dahli Lama, who is the true reincarnation of grace, wisdom and selflessness.

3. What is your biggest accomplishment in life up to this point?

Being a Mother and overcoming the many, many obstacles to become one. When my Husband and I first started trying to become pregnant back in 2011, we knew that because of my history with tumors and the severity of my endometriosis pain, the chance to conceive naturally was very slim. In many ways, I chose to put my own physically well being at risk for the chance to become pregnant, no matter the pain and depression I battled my way through. My Daughter was the goal. Nearly 2 years later, right when I had finally conceded in scheduling the unavoidable full hysterectomy, I found out that I was pregnant. Our Miracle became reality. And my Daughter was worth all of it.

4. What is your favorite travel destination? Why?

Maui. As soon as I stepped off of that plane, my heart felt like I had found my true place. My true home. My husband and I are now planning on moving our family of 6 to the island within the next two years. In our 11 years together, we’ve always known that we were not meant to be in the Bay Area and visiting Maui earlier this month, confirmed this sentiment of ours.

5. What blog post are you the most proud of so far?

My Daughter’s Pink Lemonade Birthday Cupcakes. Which represents so much of my Daughter’s bubbly, affectionate, feisty personality.

6. Where do you get your blog inspiration?

Pain and depression and the need to share my story.

7. What is your favorite childhood past time?

Reading. My twin sister and I were true, stereotypical bookworms while growing up. Wherever we were, there was sure to be a book or two in hand.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

My anxieties. Sometimes I live in my head far too much. Which always (always) eventually come out screaming. Which I’m fairly certain, drives my Husband batty at times.

9. Best song on the radio right now?

My favorite two songs are Geronimo by Sheppard, and Conqueror by Estelle and Jussie Smollett. Geronimo gets me dancing. Conqueror keeps me fighting my through my many current physical struggles.

10.Other than writing do you consider yourself creative?

I do. Growing up I loved writing, singing, drawing and now, creating cakes & cupcakes for my pastry business.

11.What is the one adjective that best describes you?

Courageous.

And now to my Liebster Award Nominees! I am so very happy to have run across your blogs and love reading through so many of your posts (when I have the time, that is).

For those who I have nominated, here are my questions to you:

QUESTIONS TO MY NOMINEES:

1. What inspired the creation of your blog?
2. If you could send a letter of advice to yourself back when you were in grade school, what would that advice be?
3. If you were able to choose any dream career, what would it be and why?
4. What is your favorite blog post?
5. If you had an opportunity to sit down to dinner with any important figure within your generation, who would it be? What would you say?
6. What is your all-time favorite novel?
7. What is your favorite word and why?
8. If you could create your own charity, what would it be and who would it benefit?
9. What is your favorite time of day; morning, afternoon or evening?
10. What is the one adjective that best describes you?
11. If you were known for one thing in your lifetime, what would you most like to be known for?

Bloggers who I LOVE following and would like to nominate are:

oddlylovely.com (my favorite lifestyle blogger!)

jenkellerart.blogspot.com (a mommy friend of mine who is an incredibly talented illustrator!)

monkeygal2.blogspot.com (one of the wisest women I have ever met!)

socutephoto.com (a lovely up & coming family photographer who I’ve worked with!)

accidentalhappybaker.com (such wonderful personality!)

thejoyblog.net (this lady is doing something remarkable!)

booksinckidsblog (children’s lit reviews, author interviews, new scheduled releases and much more!)

Thank you so very much for the nomination, Kristi!