LIEBSTER AWARD 2015

I am pleased to announce that I have been awarded a Liebster Award 2015!

Those of you familiar to the blogosphere will certainly know what that means. However, my guess is that not all of you know that the word "Liebster" is actually of German origin and means something along the lines of "favorite", "dearest", "kindest". So if someone out there thought that I am any one of those things, I gladly accept the award!

But to those of you who aren't familiar with the Liebster Award, here a brief overview:

The Liebster Award is to be understood as similar to a chain letter, in the sense that bloggers pass it along to other bloggers, acknowledging their work. Within the blogging community, the award encourages growth and networking.

THE RULES

1. Post your award to the blog.
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link their blog.
3. Answer the questions you were given by the person who nominated you.
4. Nominate a small group of other bloggers you've recently discovered.
5. Create 10 new questions for the nominees to answer.

I was nominated by Amy from Amy's Apron - thank you so much!

I enjoy being a part of the chain, as it gives me the perfect excuse to discover new blogs and get in contact with new bloggers - precisey what the award is all about!

So without further ado, here the answers to Amy's questions for me:

1. Why did you start your blog?

Though admittedly a scary place, the internet is also a wonderful space filled with opportunities. I liked the idea of putting myself out there and sharing with the world what it is I like to do - to create. Blogging is a great way to receive feedback, share and connect with people. Also, my current job doesn't allow me to be as creative as I would like to be, so I needed to find a balance. I wanted to blog in order to fill a void, and establish a kind of creative outlet.

2. Who are some of your favorite bloggers and why?

I am always checking into other blogs, but my favorites are constantly changing. There is so much wonderful content out there, I wouldn't want to miss out on any of it. I like anything from craft to fitness blogs. I am particulalry obsessed with food blogs though, they are superbly mouth-watering.

3. What are your short-term and long-term blogging goals?

Short-term goals:
Improve on my social media engagement;
Build my blogging network.

Long-term:
Build long-term blogger and reader friendships;
Keep enjoying the creative process on my own terms.

4. What's the easiest and hardest part about blogging for you?

My head is always full of ideas, I certainly have no shortage of those. So that is probably the easier part about blogging, being inspired and coming up with post ideas. But the implementation doesn't always go as smoothly as envisioned. Some crafts are postponed, or don't turn out as planned, others simply end up in the bin.

5. What motivates you to continue blogging?

Like anything, blogging can grow tiring, the writing can be tedious, and the content uninspired. It happens to the best of us. I stay motivated by talking to like-minded friends, reminding ourselves why we do what we do. In any case, it is a good idea to leave the house, take your mind off of the blog for a moment; engage in good conversation, head to the nearest café or to the cinema. Before you know it, something will have piqued your interest and inspired a new post. Reading kind comments helps also. Blogs aren't solely about the content, but the readers too, the possible exchanges and relationships you build.

6. What are your current top 5 favorite things?

Chatting with friends. I've been a little negligent when it comes to staying in touch, but was coincidentally simultaneoulsy approached by several friends lately, and it feel so good to catch up and, well, feel like I'm sixteen all over again. Not that I'd actually want to be sixteen again. Urgh, what a thought!

I must admit, I am overly excited for Christmas; every since it's gotten colder, all I want to do is snuggle up with a cup of tea and watch Christmas movies! While I have not yet done the latter - out of fear of growing tired of them much too quickly -, a pot of tea is a must, and my ginger and lemon tea a hit!

The Cappuccino Truffle candle from Yankee Candle. Yes, I lit my first candle of the season, and it smells absolutely divine!

Crystals. Basically, I want to put gems on everything.

Nights out. I'm not talking about hot pants and night clubs, but theatre, art galleries and the cinema. I've been doing a lot of that lately and it is a great change of pace, and a wonderful place to check out dudes. Typically bookworms with glasses. Or hipsters with man buns.

7. What have you done, so far, that you feel has contributed to your success in blogging?

I just finished my first year of blogging, and what I find the most intruiging about blogging is that it is in fact a journey to self-discovery. Cheesy, I know. But with every blog entry, I can say that I learn something new about myself; become more aware of my preferences, dislikes, certain character traits even.
Blogging is, in a sense, a kind of public diary where every time you look into it you find a piece of the person behind it. With that, blogging gives you a platform on which to experiment. With the way you view yourself and how you wish to be perceived. That to me would be a kind of success in blogging - discovering more of who I am, and being brave enough to put that out there for everyone to see.

8. If you won the lottery... what are the first three things you would spend the money on?

Although I would put most of it in a savings account, I wouldn't actually be that stingy, truth be told. Assuming we're talking about millions and millions of Euros here, I would give a good portion to close friends and family;

I would update my entire wardrobe;

And build my dream house including a craft and photography studio, a tiny theatre space, an outdoor cinema, a wrap-around porch, and a ginormous kitchen. Prefereably by a lake.

9. Do you have another job, besides blogging? If so, how do you balance life, work, and blogging?

Looking back at my blog feed, you quickly see that there have been times in which I had plenty of time to spare and blog regularly, and times in which I simply did not. I work full-time, my hours aren't flexible and I do not get the opportunity to work from home, so it all comes down to managing what time is left in the day after I've returned from work and finished all of my daily chores.
I am a big fan of to-do-lists (the lists, not the to dos, mind you), so I usually plan out what needs to be done ahead of time, and put that in my calendar; when to make, when to photograph, when to write, when to publish.

But most importantly, I try not to force a blog post. I think that is key to successful blogging. In order to create great content, you have to live great content. You shouldn't blog for the sake of it, nor force something that doesn't have your name written all over it. Only then can blogging, work and your social life come together successfully.

10. What are you most proud of? (blogging or otherwise...)

Phew, interesting question. I'm not sure I've ever truly thought about that, pride. But the more I do, I'm not sure I can even pin-point just one thing... But since you ask, I am proud to have taken so many chances in life. I've travelled a lot, put myself into new surroundings and situations, and learned tons from it. I'm proud that although things don't always turn out the way I might have hoped them to, I don't let it scare me, or ever stop trying.


...Wow

I must say, it was very interesting to consider these questions - some of which required thinking about things I hadn't so consciously before; others I had heard so many times, they were easy to grasp by comparison.

For my questions, next to some standard get-to-know-me-and-my-blog questions, I decided to think a little outside of the box and bring in a pinch of humor...

MY NOMINATIONS

To answer these questions, I nominate the following bloggers, to whom I joyfully pass along the Liebster Award 2015:

Enthralling Gumption - a beautiful site filled with colorful DIYs and indoor planting
Sustain my Craft Habit - two sisters creating beautiful projects using natural resources and recycled materials
The Green Cupboard - Suzie's cozy little cupboard filled with home décor, tips for entertaining and lavender lattes

Congratulations, and I look forward to your creative answers!

1. Where do you get your ideas for your blog posts?
2. What have you learned from blogging so far?
3. What, to you, makes a blog successful?
4. What do you believe to be a blogging no-go?
5. If you found yourself on an otherwise deserted island, and stumbled upon two other bloggers, who would you wish those two to be?
6. Who or what inspired you to start crafting/creating?
7. What music/songs do you like to craft along to?
8. What has been your biggest crafting fail?
9. Given the chance, who would you challenge to a craft-off - Taylor Swift or Beyonce?
10. In a zombie apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice, and why- the hot glue gun, or a knitting needle?