Liebster Award >> Finally

I have been meaning to do this post for forever, but for one reason or another it kept getting pushed aside. You know, silly things like "job interviews" and "grocery shopping so I can eat" kept getting in the way. Pure indulgences.

But here it is, in all of its glory like a month after the phenomenon that was (is!) The Liebster Award has swept the internets. I received nominations from not one, not two, but THREE sweet blogger ladies who were all so kind to think of little ol' me over here - Gypsy in Jasper,  Bodacious Thought, and Marissa Moondaughter. I have loved reading other people's posts for this, because I think it's a really good way to get to know the people you read about a little better. Brace yourselves though, it's a long one. You might want to get yourself one of those marathoner gels to sustain you for the haul.

So, without further adieu...

1> I love writing with Sharpies. In particular, I love writing with fine tip Sharpies. I don't know what it is, but everything seems so much nicer when written with a Sharpie.

2> My husband and I have been together for almost 15 years. That's over half of my life! People always think it's so cute that we're still together. To me, it doesn't really seem so much cute as it does just lucky. He's my best friend, and I'm so glad I met him early on so we'll get extra time together!

3> I majored in American Studies in college, but I really wished I had studied Art History. Not that it would have changed my career path in any way (it's probably equivalent in the "useless" degree category), but art is something that I love and it would have been fun to study.

4> I'm really good at starting things, but terrible at finishing them. Crafts, books, movies...all are candidates for being left in a half-done wake.

5> I am an NPR junkie. I listen to it all. the. time.

6> I didn't fly on an airplane until I was 18. Since then, I've flown dozens of times, including several international trips.

7> I decided to get braces as an adult. Yup, when I was 23 I decided that I wanted to fix a tooth that had bothered me all of my life, and to do that I had to get braces. And not those Invisalign deals, either. Full on, brackets and all, metal mouth braces. I even had 2 teeth pulled. The funny thing was, after I got the braces put on, everyone would ask why I had decided to do it. I had always thought everyone noticed my snaggly tooth and was just too polite to say anything, but it turned out it was only a big deal to me. It didn't matter to me though, it bothered me and I was happy I did it. It took 3 years until I got them off, but my straight teeth make me happy every time I see them.

8> I don't like coffee or beer, but I love hanging out at coffeeshops and brewpubs.

9> I lost 30 pounds when I graduated from college, and have pretty much kept it off for the last 7 years.

10> I could switch off meals between pizza and Mexican food for the rest of my life and be content, I think.

11> I definitely prefer vanilla over chocolate.

Since I recieved three nominations, I thought I would answer the questions from the last blogger to nominate me, which not-coincidentally was the one who got me to get off my butt and do this post finally. Here are Marissa Moondaughter's questions!

How are you today? Today, I am great! I took a little trip into Sacramento for a Yin yoga class, stopped at one of my favorite thrift/antique stores and found a bunch of great stuff, and now I'm working on this. Can't complain, right? Oh, and a couple of our very dear friends had their baby today. So exciting! They're the first of our peers (that we're not related to) to become parents. Eek!

What are you currently reading? I actually have a few things going at the moment. Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh (which is SO SO SO good btw), The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea about illegal immigration and border policy (I just started this so I can't say if it's good or not, but it came highly recommended from a friend), and then the newest issue of Natural Living magazine. Ha, you'd think having three things going would be the reason I don't finish things, but I can assure you, it makes little difference if I'm reading 1 thing or 5. :)

If you are not, what is your favorite book? I could never pick a favorite book, there are just too many good ones to choose. Plus, different moods and times of your life call for different books.

What is your favorite thing about yourself? Don't be modest! Hmmmm, this is a hard one! I guess I'd say I really love my sense of style (I would though, huh?). I love putting together the way I look everyday, as well as making our house reflect my personal style.

What is one thing on your bucket list? I really want to travel to India! It seems a little intimidating, but I think it would be an unbelievable trip.

What helps you get through "off" days? Yoga. For sure. But of course I would say that! It calms me, centers me, ignites my creativity, and clears my head. I can definitely feel it in not just my body, but  mentally when I haven't practiced in a few days. 

What is your favorite holiday? Easter. Best candy, no pressure, good food, it's near my birthday, and it's in my favorite season - Spring!

Dream vacation? The list of places I want to travel gets longer everyday. In fact, there are very few places in the world that I wouldn't want to travel. For the sake of the question though, I'll pick one of my favorite places - the North Shore of Lake Superior. I'd love to hole up in a remote cabin on the shore for at least a month, and not leave except to go on hikes and explore.

What do you find inspiring in your daily life? Oooh, I get inspired all kinds of places, but one of the most consistent is through this here blog-world. Even before I started this blog, I followed dozens of girls all over the country and world. It's so cool to see so many ways of living and being, and all the individual voices from everywhere!

Do you have any morning or evening rituals you do everyday? In the mornings I start the day with a chai latte while I check news/email/facebook/blogroll from bed on my phone. In the evening, I always take all my makeup off before bed, and moisturize with Cetaphil - the greatest lotion ever made.

How would you describe your home decor? I love color, and I love pattern. I buy what I like without thinking too much about what it will look like with everything else. It turns out that when everything is mismatched, it ends up kind of looking like it all goes together anyway. Our decor is a mix of vintage from many eras, clean-lined modern furniture, and pieces that have a handmade touch to them, such as crocheted throws and upcycled furniture. Honestly, the best word to describe our decor is CHEAP, because almost everything has come from the thrift store, Ikea, Target, and antique stores. And even then I'll usually only buy from the clearance rack or sale area at those stores! You just have to have a bit of imagination and patience. After we move, I'll do a home tour here of our new digs, and you'll see my style a bit more.

What is one of your favorite past-times? One of my all-time favorite past-times is taking a drive somewhere pretty on a Sunday afternoon or evening while listening to NPR or a favorite podcast, and just looking out the window watching the world go by.

Make it to the end? Congratulations! I hope you liked learning a little bit more about me. I'm actually not going to do the bit about nominating 11 other bloggers and all, because honestly, I think all of the blogs that I read with less then 200 followers have already done this. But I thought it was fun putting this together ~ ! Now I'm off to start contemplating dinner... I'm thinking quiche.

shanti >> sondra

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