Sunshine Award

Thank you so much to Ashley for nominating me for the Sunshine Award.  The Sunshine Award is given to bloggers who brighten up your day.  She certainly brightens up my day, especially now since we share the common theme of a fall wedding!  I am especially loving all the little ideas I'm borrowing from her for my big day next year!

The Rules Are:

1. Include the award logo in your post.

2. Link to the person who nominated you.

3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.

4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award.

Ashley's questions for me:

1) What is the best book you've read recently? I'm loving Dan Brown lately.  I just read The Lost Symbol and am starting Digital Fortress.

2) What's something that you do every day? Hmmm... shower? Straighten my hair? I can tell you one thing I do NOT do every day... put on makeup [legit... haven't worn anything more than chap stick in over a year].

3) What are you most looking forward to this fall? I loooove cider mills and picking pumpkins!

4) Share a link to your favorite post you have ever written. This is so difficult! Hmmm... I don't know, so I will go with my most viewed post - a cupcake order I did for a baby shower. I miss making cupcakes!

5) If you had to live in a decade other than the current one, which would you choose? Definitely the 1960s... I'd be a great hippie.

6) Starting with the oldest picture on your phone, what is the 6th photo you have saved? Well, my memory card goes back to 2 phones ago, so this photo is circa Julyish 2010: Mike and my parents' cat Bernie.

7) If you could travel anywhere and money was no option, where would you go? Australia and New Zealand

8) If you had to choose one food to eat the rest of your life, what would you pick? Right now, it's Buffalo Chicken Dip.  Mike might be on a business trip today, so I might be making a batch all for myself for dinner. 

9) What was your favorite toy when you were a child? I love this one, Ashley!! I was an Easy Bake Oven girl for sure, but I also loved these little dolls in snow globes. [Looking to try and find their name, I stumbled upon this page with TONS of my favorites!  I totally forgot about Polly Pockets and Sally Secrets!  Oh, and those snow globe dolls were called Krystal Princesses by the way!]

10) Tell me something that you like about yourself. (:  Hmm, I like my life! I'm lucky to have an amazing fiancee, a fun job, and supportive people all around me. 

I nominate:

Madi @ And So I Did
Annalee @ Life, Laughs, and Ladds

Ginny @ Buttergirl Diaries

Heather @ From Here To There

Amanda @ MandaLoves

Patty @ Make It Cozee

Kate @ Daffodils

Nicole @ Adventures of a Semper Fi Family

Casey @ Everyday Adventures

Jen @ Adventures of Our Army Life

My Ten Questions for the Nominated Ladies:
1. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
2. What are you most excited about this fall?
3. What is your favorite dessert? Bonus points for the recipe.
4. What are you going to be for Halloween this year?
5. Share your favorite GIF or Meme of the moment.
6. Favorite article of clothing? More bonus points for a selfie wearing it!
7. What is your favorite post you've ever written?
8. What is your guilty pleasure TV show or movie?
9. Share the fourth oldest photo on your phone.
10. What is one goal you have for this year?

These Kids Killed It!

What an awesome few days at our Northeast Regional Challenge!  Yes, it rained a lot in New Jersey, but my kids and I had a fantastic time!!! They played golf, and in the rain delays we went to the USGA [United States Golf Assoc.] nearby, watched movies, and took them to the mall.  
Well, we came in 2nd place out of 12 teams!!! Our older boys' group participant, Nick, won his age group AND had the best score in the entire challenge, and our older girl, Sadie, received the "Responsibility" award out of the 46 participants.  Seriously, I'm so proud!  I think they've both read my blog before, so make sure to leave your congrats for them!

Check out our box o' bling!!

Even though we got 2nd overall, I would have to say we definitely won 1st for Best Dressed :)

This one from the USGA Museum cracked me up!

As I write [on Tuesday night], Mike and Lindsey are making Mexican Stuffed Shells for dinner - recipe coming soon!  AND he made strawberry shortcake last night!  Yeah, I'm living like a princess.
Anyone have any fun 4th of July plans yet?  For the first time in ages, I have NO IDEA what I'm doing... suggestions?

Another Liebster!

This is awesome!!  It was less than a month ago that I received my first Liebster and now I was nominated for another.  I figured, heck, why not?  I can think of 11 more bloggers I'd like to share with you, so I can muster up a bit more about myself.

This time, I was nominated by Kaeley at My Mind's Lens.  Thanks so much, Kaeley!!

Here are the rules, in case you forgot:

The award is given to new or up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers and then the award is then passed along to other bloggers in the same category to help spread the word and support one another.

*Each blogger nominated must post 11 things about themselves
*Then answer the 11 questions the tagger has asked
*Blogger must then create 11 questions of their own to ask the bloggers they decide to nominate
*They must choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate and link them on their blog post
*Bloggers must be notified of their award!
*No tag backs!

These are going to be completely random since I used the good ones last time around. 
11 Things
1. I'm the ultimate bargain mall-shopper.  I hate spending money on clothes. 
2. I hate soda - I only drink water and some juices.
3. I love fleece blankets.
4. I drop my phone... a lot.
5. I love all things Nerf.  Scroll down a little here and you'll see that we have a whole Nerf shelf where we should have books.
6. My boyfriend and I have awesome "24" marathons... we're halfway into season 3 right now. We watched 9 episodes on New Years Day.
7. I am an only child [look at my dad's awesome 80's style in the photo below]
8. My current favorite meal is bbq kielbasa and noodles [probably because my boyfriend cooks it for me :)]
9. Mrs. Fields cookies are my fav. 
10. I'm donating my hair to Locks of Love as soon as it's long enough. I've done it twice before in high school and college. 
11. I'm obsessed with my pink bb gun.

 

 It's awesome having an uncle who's a hair dresser - cut my hair right in my parents' kitchen!

[I was trying to stick my hair back in haha]

11 Questions from Kaeley:

1. If you could meet anyone, current or from the past, who would it be? My nona died when I was in 3rd grade, I would want to "meet" her again

2. What is your LEAST favorite task around the house? Folding laundry

3. Where is your favorite place that you have visited? Naples, FL or Luxembourg

4. What do you like to do when you have time to kill? play on my iPad... or bake... or cuddle with my boyfriend and cat [I'm a strange duck]

5. Spots or stripes? Polka dots all the way!

6. What are the top three items on your wish list? a pretty colored KitchenAid stand mixer, a new stainless microwave, and a juicer [Yes, I'm obsessed with my kitchen.]

7. How many different cities have you lived in? Five: my hometown in RI, my college town in MA, 2 times studying abroad: Luxembourg and Paris, and currently in Hartford, CT

8. What is your favorite beverage? Welch's white grape juice

9. Would you rather visit the ocean or the mountains? Ocean - assuming it's a warm climate

10. How many blogs do you follow regularly? I read probably 15 blogs a day and catch up on another 15-20 when I have free time on the weekends

11. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Definitely a morning person. At most, my boyfriend has slept 5 hours later than me on a weekend.

And these are similar to my 11 questions from last time because I really liked reading the answers [but of course I altered the ones about Christmas]:
My 11 Questions:
1. Favorite childhood activity that you wish you could do again?
2. Why do you blog?
3. Do you have any piercings or tattoos?
4. Where will you be 5 or 10 years from now?
5. Where is one place you would love to visit?
6. Summer or winter? Why?
7. If there was one crazy thing you wish you could do in your life, what would it be?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. Any guilty pleasures?
10. Favorite original diy/craft/recipe?
11. What's your typical daily online routine?

And of course, 11 of my favorite bloggers:
Ashlee at I'll Love You Forever
Katy at All It Takes Is Faith and Trust
Emily at Details in the Fabric
Katie at My Crafty Crazy Life
Susan at The Park Ave. Pub
Kelly at The Teeny Tiny Mommy
Manda at Eat Cake
Nicole at Adventures of a Semper Fi Family
Allie at A Couple. A Dog. A Baby. Their Blog.
Sarah at Beyond the Gradebook
Manda at A Drop of Sweetness

My First Blog Award: Liebster

I was so excited when I got an email from Heather that I was nominated for my first Liebster Award!  Thank you so much, Heather!

Here’s how it works:

The award is given to new or up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers and then the award is then passed along to other bloggers in the same category to help spread the word and support one another.

If you receive the award, there are a few rules to follow…

*Each blogger nominated must post 11 things about themselves
*Then answer the 11 questions the tagger has asked
*Blogger must then create 11 questions of their own to ask the bloggers they decide to nominate
*They must choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate and link them on their blog post
*Bloggers must be notified of their award!
*No tag backs!

11 Things about Me:
1. I've studied abroad twice in college: a summer in Luxembourg and a summer in Paris
2. I'm short... like short.  Only 5 feet tall - and I think I like it that way.
3. I'm an avid golfer and I work for a golf non-profit.  I can't imagine my life without the sport.
4. My parents brought me up on oldies and they are still my favorite music.  My first concert was Crosby, Stills, and Nash.  Since then, some of my favorite concerts have been The Beach Boys, Elton John, and Billy Joel.
5. I have 4 roommates: 3 guys and a girl, and I love it more than anything.
6. I like to sleep a lot.  Even with that many roommates, I'm known for falling asleep in the middle of living room at 9:30 on a Friday night.  I even fell asleep sitting on the kitchen floor once.
7. I love running half-marathons but I STINK at training for them.
8. I love all pasta [especially homemade].
9. My favorite room of a house is a kitchen.  I can't wait for my dream kitchen someday.
10. I have one tattoo [on my foot] and am planning two more [on my back and hip].
11. I love accessories, especially headbands. 

 

11 Questions from Heather:
1. What is your favorite vacation spot? Naples, FL or Disney World
2. What's your favorite childhood memory? Spending every day at the beach with my parents every summer
3. How many siblings do you have?  Are you close? A sister, well, not really, but we share the same last name - she's my best friend! How weird is it to have a best friend with the same last name??
4. Do you have any pets?  If so, what kind and what are their names? I have a cat, her name is Roxy. My roommate also has a cat named Merp. He and Roxy get along great.  I also have a 17 year old cat at my parents house, his name is Stanley - watch a hysterical video of him here. 
5. What's your favorite tv show? How I Met Your Mother... or Full House... or SVU
6. What's your favorite holiday and why? Definitely Christmas, I love decorating for anything, and I think you get to do the most of that with Christmas.  I also love shopping for people!
7. Who is your favorite actor? actress? Neil Patrick Harris
8. What is your favorite thing about blogging? Getting new ideas for crafts/diy projects/recipes from other people and "meeting" new people.
9. How long have you been blogging? I've had this blog for a year and a half but it was completely for myself until about a year ago.
10. What's your least favorite chore? Folding/hanging laundry
11. What kinds of blogs do you enjoy reading the most? Ones with a little bit of everything... people who like to go on adventures, share diy projects, and have a funny/nonsense post every once in a while - lots of photos is a keeper for me too!

My 11 Questions:
1. What are you most looking forward to this holiday season?
2. Why do you blog?
3. Do you have any piercings or tattoos?
4. Where will you be 5 or 10 years from now?
5. Where is one place you would love to visit?
6. Summer or winter? Why?
7. If there was one crazy thing you wish you could do in your life, what would it be?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. Any guilty pleasures?
10. Favorite original diy/craft/recipe?
11. What's your typical daily online routine?

And here's who I'm tagging:
Christine at Amasterism
Adria at The Crunchy Lion
Leah at Challenge Accepted/ formerly The Sweet Treat
Amanda at MandaLoves

Kristen at Few of My Favorite Things

Angi at Into The Forest Dim

Patty at Make it Cozee
Kelly at Honor, Courage, Commitment
Heather at Best of Both Worlds
Amanda at The B's
Monica at Running Happily Ever After

Santa Lucia Day, Christmas, and Hanukkah

Little break from sharing about my trip to let you in on a few things I'm very excited about right now...

First and most importantly - Happy Santa Lucia Day! 

THANK YOU to Heather at From Here to There for my first Liebster Award, so I will be posting my question/answers/tags in the coming days.  Be on the lookout for that!

I'm also guest posting on Kristin's kNook today - so take a look over there for some of my very favorite Christmas things.  There are a few tutorials including one to make ornaments:

Roxy and Merp's paw-prints

To help you get a little more into the holiday spirit, here's a fun game of Where's Waldo... well sort of.  Can you spot what's new/added between the photo below and this? [The photos from 2012 to be exact.]

Did you see it? Look harder...

Look what we found when we returned from vacation! 

A polar bear and Rudolph hand-me-down from our roommate's parents.

As soon as I saw our new decorations, I immediately got back into the holiday spirit.  [I have to admit, even though the palm trees and buildings were decorated in Florida, not seeing your own Christmas tree and decorations every day, in addition to not listening to much Christmas music, takes you a little out of the holiday spirit.]

I wrapped and sent out our first Christmas presents of the year.  They need to get all the way to Adria in Germany, so I made sure to give them plenty of time... I hope.

Roxy approved.

I wrote out ALL of our Christmas cards too!  I can't wait to share them with you, but I am going to borrow Patty's idea of waiting on that until most of my friends/family receive them.  I only used Walmart this year.  They are kind-of joke cards, so I thought 28 cents per card [including envelopes] was the right deal for me.

I'm also very excited to get into more into the holiday spirit today.  My coworker celebrates Hanukkah and is making us latkes for lunch!

Happy Thursday!