Cook. Craft. Love. isn’t my first trip down bloggy lane. Over 2 years ago my wonderful friend Miriam talked me into starting a blog to give myself an outlet. I didn’t care about engaging readers or subscribers or when to schedule pins. Who knew that Pinterest was such a science anyway? I started out on Blogger, changed my blog name four times, and never posted more than probably six times a year. Not much of an outlet.
Last May I started tossing around the idea of blogging again, but for real this time. By complete and utter luck I stumbled across Abby at Just a Girl and Her Blog and her amazing ebook Building a Framework: Everything I Learned My First Year of Blogging. Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or a brand new blogger or someone who wants to start a blog but doesn’t know where to begin you must read this book. It’s worth every penny! If this was a paperback book I’m sure by now my copy would be dog eared and highlighted and look like I’ve owned it for years because I am constantly poking through this thing. And I learn something new every single time.
So 7 months into my real blog life, a big switch to a self-hosted site, and a total name changing, rebranding, relaunch later I am so honored to have my brand new blog nominated for the Liebster Award! I’m considering Cook. Craft. Love. my do over. It is far and beyond more successful than diyfaerie and I am just absolutely floored that other bloggers are recognizing my hard work and nominating me for awards like this! That you so much to Baby Your Babies for this nom! As they say at the Oscars: it really IS an honor just to be nominated!
So now you’re all like…what is the Liebster Award?? I’m borrowing the following snippet from my home girl Katie at Baby Your Babies:
“For those that have never heard of the Liebster Award, it is an award for bloggers given by other bloggers. One blogger awards the Liebster Award to a new blog that they find potential in. Liebster, a German word, means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. ”
Isn’t that just the sweetest? Now, the rules vary loosely depending on which blog you’re reading. Katie’s rules include posting 11 random facts about yourself, nominating other bloggers you think deserve to be recognized, answer 11 questions posed by the nominating blogger, and ask the blogs you nominated 11 questions. Whew! Lucky for me I’ve already written 25 Awesomely Random Facts About Me so pop over there and learn things about me you didn’t even know you wanted to know 😉 And now on to Katie’s 11 questions!
1. Who is your favorite author or what is your favorite book?
I’d say my favorite book is probably Saving Grace by Julie Garwood but my favorite author would be a toss up between Sherrilyn Kenyon and Nora Roberts. I’m a book worm. How could I possibly pick just one??
2. What is your best childhood memory?
I absolutely love my memories of visiting the beach over Thanksgiving with my family. We would wander the beach collecting seashells, playing miniature golf, and enjoying the best seafood I’ve ever had in my life!
3. What is your guilty pleasure?
I love to watch TV. I DVR or catch everything on Hulu Plus and will save it up for weeks at a time. When I’m feeling particularly stressed I will hide under the covers, snuggle my kitties, and spend an entire day binge watching all my shows to catch up on them. Because of this social media is my enemy on Thursday nights when Grey’s and Scandal come on!
4. If you could have coffee (or a drink) with one famous person, who would it be?
I’m not sure I could have a drink with any famous person without totally embarrassing myself fangirling 😉 but I would probably choose author Julie Garwood. She went from being an illiterate single mom to a world famous author and I think hearing her story would be so inspiring!
5. Why do you blog and what do you get out of blogging?
I blog because I absolutely love sharing my recipes, ideas, crafts, and crazy stories and knowing they’ve helped make someone’s day just a little bit easier. Unexpectedly I’ve gotten the most amazing friends out of blogging and even if I never blog another day I know they’ll be friends for life!
6. What is taking up space on your DVR these days?
Please see question number 3 before judging me for this long, looong list of stuff on my DVR! Sister Wives, Downton Abbey, Dr. Phil, Revenge, Scandal, Madam Secretary, Criminal Minds, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Sleepy Hollow. And I’m completely positive there are some I’m forgetting….
7. What is the one food that you could never, ever give up for the rest of your life?
Cheese. Who could possibly live without cheese??
8. If you could go back to high school/your teenage years, would you? Why or why not?
No! All my choices have brought me to where I am today and even though it hasn’t been an easy road I don’t know who I’d be without those choices.
9. Who is your biggest supporter as a blogger?
By far my biggest blog supporters are fellow bloggers! My friend Nicole from Little Blog on the Homestead and Jen from The Easy Homestead. I love these girls to PIECES and would not even know they existed on this planet without blogging. Which seems crazy and lucky all at the same time 🙂
10. Do you have any goals for your blog?
I intend to take giant strides to make my blog my business in 2015! I’ve bought a ticket to my first blogging conference and am taking big risks when it comes to making money with my blog. I put my heart and soul into this blog and every time someone likes, comments, or shares something I’ve created I know I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do.
11. What’s one thing you do or like that most people might consider a bit odd?
I love to knit and cross stitch. Which most people don’t consider to be odd until they find out I’m 27…
Whew. So now that you know a little bit more about me I want to know a little bit more about these fabulous ladies! I nominate:
Nicole from Little Blog on the Homestead
Sydney from Tastefully Frugal
Tracee from Happy 2BA Homemaker
Suzanna from One Hoolie Mama
Erin from No Bohns About It
I can’t wait to learn more about you ladies and see your answers to my questions! Here are the “rules”.
- Link back to the person who nominated you.
- Answer the 11 questions provided to you by the person who nominated you.
- Nominate up to 11 other bloggers with at or around 200 subscribers to answer another 11 questions of your choice.
- Have fun networking with other lovely blogging awesomeness!
My questions
1. What is your favorite food?
2. If you could spend a month in any foreign country which one would it be and why?
3. What’s your favorite movie?
4. Why do you blog?
5. If you had one thing in your life to do over again what would it be and why?
6. Where do you see your blog this time next year?
7. You have 24 hours left to live how do you spend it and who do you spend it with?
8. What is your favorite holiday and why?
9. What is your favorite childhood memory?
10. What character trait do you like most about yourself?
11. What is your favorite season?
Don’t forget to link back to me so I can read your fun answers! Also don’t forget to let the other lovely bloggers you nominate that you’ve nominated them so they can check out your post, learn more about you, and get the rules to write their own Liebster Award post! Go forth and nominate!
BETSY @ HAPPILY EVER AFTER ETC
Friday 23rd of January 2015
I laughed so hard when I got to the part about you loving to knit and crochet but only being 27. I just moved to a new town and my mom and I were talking the other day about how I should join a group or class of some kind to meet some friends. I said "I could join a knitting group!" She just looked at me and said "you're 25 the people in those groups won't be your age!" Haha!
P.S. What blogging conference are you going to? That sounds like so much fun! Jealous!
Meaghan
Saturday 24th of January 2015
Yes! The struggle is real! I joined a scrapbooking group for about 5 minutes last year but eventually quit because I couldn't mesh with all these women who were my mom's age or older haha! And I'll be going to the Midwestern Influencers Conference in Chicago. I'm sooooo excited!
~Meaghan
Aspen jay
Tuesday 4th of November 2014
Thanks for the suggestion of just a girl and her blog's book for getting started blogging.... I need to check that out!
Meaghan
Tuesday 4th of November 2014
I don't know where I'd be without Abby and her book! She's an amazing resource! Good luck with your new blog!
~Meaghan
Sydney @ Tastefully Frugal
Friday 17th of October 2014
Thanks so much for the nomination! That is a totally embarrassing story in 9th grade... I had a similar thing happen... But it was when I was 21 and at work yikes!
Meaghan
Saturday 18th of October 2014
Oh, no! It was bad enough when I was 13 I couldn't imagine being an adult! And you're so welcome for the nomination, you deserve it!
~Meaghan
Erin
Wednesday 15th of October 2014
What an honor to be nominated! Thank you so very much :-)
Meaghan
Wednesday 15th of October 2014
It was my pleasure! You deserve it! I can't wait to see the answer to your questions!
~Meaghan
Nicole @Little Blog on the Homestead
Wednesday 15th of October 2014
You are the sweetest thing!! Thanks for the nomination and I just have to say... Bones is one of my favoritest shows ever! I just got Dustin interested and we're watching it over from the beginning!!
Meaghan
Wednesday 15th of October 2014
You are so welcome! I can't wait to read your answers! You were one of the first ladies who popped into my head when I started thinking about nominations :) My old roommate got me into Bones and I think I caught up on all the seasons in only a few days :P
~Meaghan