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“It’s a Major Award”

If you were a child of the 80s, perhaps you were raised on one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, A Christmas Story.  There are too many memorable moments in this movie to choose a favorite, however, one moment in particular was called to mind for me today.  The leg lamp scene.  Here it is if you need a little reminder:

Well, this week, I had the honor of receiving my own “leg lamp” of sorts, the Liebster Blog Award, from two different bloggers: Christine from Decorum DIYer and Bonnie from BonBon’s Beauty.  Two nominations in one week?!  Wowza!  It was such an unexpected surprise.  Thanks to both of you ladies for the love.  (Be sure to check out their awesome blogs.)

Liebster Blog Award

So, what is this all about?  I had to do some research myself because though I had seen the Liebster button before, I was in the dark about the deets.  Well, liebster means “dearest” or “favorite” in German, and it’s an award given to up-and-coming blogs of less than 200 followers (that’s me!).  And of course, there are rules to follow….

Rule #1.  Post 11 facts about yourself.

Rule #2.  Answer the 11 questions posed by the person who nominated you.

Rule #3.  Nominate 5 other bloggers with less than 200 followers for the award.

Rule #4.  Create 11 new questions for your nominees.

Rule #5.  Go to each blogger’s site and let them know about the award.

Rule #6.  Thank the person who nominated you and link back to his/her blog.

I thought this would be a great way to share a bit more about myself with you, my “liebster” readers, as well as to spread the love to some other blogger buddies out there.  So, here we go!  Diving head first into lists, lists, lists.

11 “Random” Facts about Lauren:

  1. I have a scar on my cheek from a knife fight in N.Y.C.  Actually no, that’s just what I tell people.  Really, it’s from my mother’s C-section when I was born.  My doctor, Dr. Love (yes, that was his name), cut my face in the process of bringing me into the world; we call it my “love cut.”  I’m proud of it.
  2. I can recite all of the American Presidents from Washington to Obama at lightening speed, all thanks to my 9th grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Maurer.  “Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe….”
  3. My favorite sport is field hockey.  Whenever the air gets crisp and cool in the fall, my fingers itch for a stick to grab and a ball to thwack…all while wearing a skirt and a mouth-guard.
  4. I believe in God and in things unseen.  Hebrews 11:1.
  5. When I left my teaching job in Ohio this past school year, my musical theatre students performed a flashmob to Usher’s song, “Without You” in my honor.  It was one of the greatest moments of my teaching career, and yes, I sobbed like a baby.
  6. My husband makes me laugh every single day…and hugs me every single day…and I am so thankful for him, it’s not even funny.
  7. I have been to Cuba three times on mission trips; the country and its people are near and dear to my heart.
  8. And on that note, one of the items on my bucket list is to become fluent in Spanish.  I’ve gotten close in the past, but I’m not quite there, yet.
  9. My husband and I love board games!  They got us through many a cold winter in Ohio.  Risk, Dominion, and Settlers of Catan are some of our favorites.  (Shout out to Andy and Liz, our cousins and our gaming buddies.)
  10. I grew up in a very musical family; everyone can play multiple instruments and sing!  My instruments were piano, flute, tenor saxophone, and guitar…though I really only feel confident on the guitar these days.
  11. During our wedding ceremony, right before my husband and I were pronounced husband and wife, an airplane advertising a foot fungus remedy flew through the sky behind us (we were overlooking the beach).  Nothing like a little foot fungus humor to lighten things up a bit!

And here are my answers to Christine’s 11 questions for me; I chose Christine’s because we’re both DIY bloggers, and her questions were a little easier for me to answer, though Bonnie’s would be great for a beauty-blogger.

My Answers to Christine’s Questions:

  1. What is your favorite childhood book?  Argh!  So hard to choose just one.  But a favorite of mine was definitely A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.
  2. Do you have a pet(s)?   If you want to count the lizards and geckos that manage find their way into our house, then yes!  But truthfully, we’re hoping to get a dog someday soon…possibly a Yorkie!
  3. Favorite color?  Pink.  Don’t hate.
  4. Where were you born?  White Plains, N.Y.  A suburb of the big apple.
  5. Coffee or tea?  Chai tea latte is my hot drink of choice.  With whipped cream, please.
  6. What is your special talent?  I suppose I can speak in a variety of accents, including southern, Michigan, New York, Long Island, pirate, Irish, cockney, British, Tanzanian, Spanish, French, Eastern European, and Scottish.
  7. Are you an only child?  No, I was blessed to have one younger sister, named Lisbeth, who is one of the most amazing and inspirational women I know.  I shared 5 fun facts about her in my Denim Skirt Reveal.
  8. If you could go back in time, in which time period would you want to live?  Definitely the 1960s; I know it was a turbulent time, but I think it’d be pretty incredible to be a part of the changes that were happening in our country then…not to mention the music and fashion.
  9. Favorite paint color (name and brand) that you have used?  I had to go out to the garage for this one, but I really like the minty green that we have on our guest room and bathroom walls.  It’s made by Behr and is called Aqua Smoke.
  10. What is your profession?  I am a theatre teacher, and I dare say it’s one of the best jobs in the world.
  11. Favorite subject in school?  Without a doubt, tie score, English and theatre.  Of course, it’s no surprise that I later became an English and theatre teacher…though in many ways, it was a surprise to me.

Now, I have the opportunity to “pay it forward” and nominate 5 other blogs to receive the award.  To my “liebster” nominees, of course, you’re not obligated to accept the award or even pay it forward yourself, but I’m glad to be able to share your blog links with my followers.  Folks, these are definitely blogs to check out!

My Nominees for the Liebster Blog Award Are:

  1. Stephanie at The Driftwood Cottage: A fellow Floridian blogger who can refurbish old furniture like it’s nobody’s business.
  2. Kristin at Little Corbin Hill: Another fantastic Floridian blogger who has also caught the crafting bug.
  3. Robyn at Ruffly Ribbons & Ramblings: (Love her alliteration.)  A new blogger with a knack for cute hairstyles and hair accessories.
  4. Sandy at The Delightful Eclectic Abode: I “met” Sandy through one of her comments on my blog, and after visiting her site, was inspired by her photos and poetic writing style.
  5. Nici at Posed Perfection: You can just tell Nici has such a beautiful spirit…not to mention some amazing recipes and diy projects.

My 11 Questions for My “Liebster” Blogs:

  1. Where are you sitting right this very moment?  Describe your surroundings.
  2. What inspires you?
  3. What is one holiday tradition in your family?  (Any holiday.)
  4. What is your favorite hot drink?
  5. What is one goal you have for the upcoming year?
  6. What is one goal that you accomplished during this past year?
  7. What is one work of art (painting, film, play, poem, book, etc.) that has made an impact on your life?
  8. What is one quote that you live by?
  9. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you want to be?
  10. If you were forced to spend the rest of your life in a library, museum, or zoo, which would you choose?
  11. What never fails to make you laugh?

Whew!  That was a lot of listing, but very worthwhile.  Thanks again, Christine and Bonnie, for your sweetness.  And for anyone who made it all the way to the end, bless you, and have a great weekend!

This is Lauren, signing off.

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38 Comments

  1. Just came across this post and it put a smile on my face because I named my post the SAME thing when I was nominated for the Liebster Award! Great minds think alike 🙂 A Christmas Story is one of my family’s all time favorite christmas movies and we even bought my Dad a leg lamp a couple years ago!

  2. You are just the cutest! I enjoyed all of these tidbits about you, Lauren. I would really like to hear you play the guitar while singing in a Cockney accent and wearing a field hockey skirt. When we do connect live, not only are we going to eat cookie dough, but we are definitely going to get our board games on as I too am a fan. I tend to be more into the trivia/question type games, but am willing to branch out and give your favs a try! Thanks for showing us some fun pieces of your life!

    1. Ooo…I think I may have to try to take on that challenge of playing guitar, singing in a Cockney accent, while rockin’ my field hockey skirt from h.s. (though I probably won’t fit into it anymore, ha ha).

      Excited to hear you’re also into board games. Our latest fave is Small World! We play it at least once a week…sometimes more! 😉

      Thanks for going back and reading this older post. Fun to be able to learn more random facts about each other through these Liebster posts!

  3. Hey Lauren, I have a Liebster question for you …I see you were recognized and your responses were classic! they made me laugh! However, I am in the dark a little- I was nominated but does that mean I need to answer the questions posed and then nominate other blogs? I see you saw that you need to nominate 5 but It looks like 11 now- do you know if there is an actual place with all the facts so I dont look like a super goof when I start answering the questions and posting them if I was really supposed to do something else instead- thanks!

    1. Glad you enjoyed my responses, Kelly! And to answer your question, I’ll just say that I was similarly curious about the breakdown of the rules when I was nominated. The blogger who nominated me had done a great job of spelling out some requirements on her blog, so I followed those, but there are a lot of variations out there. I even looked into the original rules, but the source is uncertain. So I would say, choose the variations that most excite you! I think the main purpose of the award is to celebrate up-and-coming bloggers (like yourself!) and for those bloggers to share a bit more about themselves with their readers…so have fun with it, make up your own rules if you like, and I know I for one will look forward to learning more about you in your Liebster post!

      Congrats!

    1. Wow, Stacy! I’m so glad you shared it with me. Had to share this on facebook and bookmarked it to use with my students, as you aptly suggested. I resonated so much with the article and feel like I could write a novel on each of those items – – especially “understanding the human condition” and “working with a limited budget.” I am so thankful for all of my theatre training…and you’re really encouraging me to find a way to incorporate that part of my life into this blog. Thank you.

  4. Loved your lists sis! And I echo Dad…what you said also brought tears to my eyes. And I never knew you liked the 60’s so much! Wouldn’t of guessed that, but glad to know that about you! I love how there’s always more to know about you and your awesomesauceness. 🙂

  5. ((((Lauren))) Cyber hugs! Thank you so much for nominating me for the Liebster award!!!! Thank you for your kind comments. I’d love to participate but I’ve been dealing with some health challenges. Could I please, please, please take a raincheck??? Going through some major life transitions now and looking forward to a brighter new year (just around the corner). This is the reason I haven’t been blogging very consistently. Life has thrown hubby and I some curve balls this year, but we’re on the home stretch now.

    I love your post, It’s a Major Award. You are spilling over with creativity!!! I love the movie clip! I needed a good gust busting laugh so thank you! Your blog rocks!!!

    Warmest regards,

    Sandy

    1. I am so sorry to hear about your recent health issues; sending hugs back! Glad to hear there’s light at the end of the tunnel and that the new year will provide you with a fresh start.

      I’ll be happy to read your Liebster post whenever you have the time or desire to write it up…whether it’s in January or ten years from now! And know you have complete freedom not to respond at all; I just really wanted to send some people your way and give you a cyber high five. 😉

      Thanks for your kind words; I’m so glad the video gave you a chuckle. Went to the mall yesterday, and it seems leg lamps are all the rage this year, I saw them everywhere I went! Makes me want to re-watch the entire film all the more now….

      With hope of your full recovery,
      Lauren

  6. I loved reading through this post and learning more about you! You have such a great way with words and connecting with people through them. Thank you for nominating me and for your nice mention of my blog!

    1. That’s funny, that’s how I feel about you, Jae! P.S. Had a dream last night it was my wedding weekend all over again, and guess who was in charge of planning all of the events? YOU! Can’t think of a better woman for the job. 🙂

  7. Lauren,
    Your blog made my day! Brought tears to my eyes when you mentioned Lisbeth. I am so blessed by God to have two such thoughtful, creative, and amazing daughters who can mimic so many different accents to make us laugh.

    I thought you’d be interested to know that “A Christmas Story” is hitting B’way as a musical this fall (after a spin in Chicago to get out the frozen flagpole kinks). And not only is there one Major Award, but you can see a dozen dancers hoisting a dozen lady’s leg lamps with fringy shades for a 7-minute dance inspired, no doubt, by Disney’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
    Love ya,
    Dad

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed this post, Dad! And I think it’s the musical ear you gave us that allows us to mimic accents…so fanks, gov’na!

      And that’s awesome to hear about “A Christmas Story” on Broadway! The leg lamp dance sounds outta this world! We’ll have to see that someday….

  8. I have chills reading this entire post and your answers. Are you sure we weren’t separated at birth (maybe that is the true origin of your face scar? HA!). Scary because my second idea for blog post title was “It’s A Major Award”, This past year was the last year I taught dance after two decades of teaching (including one of my favorite styles – musical theatre), “A Wrinkle In Time” is one of my all time favorite books, and I mentally chose the 1960’s when I wrote the question. So cool that we have so much in common. I am happy that you enjoyed the process and participated!

    1. Ha ha! Christine, I like your twin theory. Especially, considering the fact that I noticed several commonalities between us through your answers, as well. Thanks again for thinking of me with the award, my blogger twin!

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