ROUND TWO :: LIEBSTER AWARD

eight months in and I figure I'm still considered new by blogger standards. so when arielle ( whose boyfriend is also named mitch, crazy! ) who writes the for the love of sweeties blog nominated me for a second liebster award, I figured I might as well give it another go. you can see my previous nomination here. 

the rules ::

001 :: post eleven facts about yourself.
002 :: answer the eleven questions given by the person who nominated you. 
003 :: pass along eleven questions of your own to your own nominees.
004 :: nominate eleven people and give them a head's up they've been tagged.
005 :: only nominate blogs under 200 followers.

facts ::

001 :: my favorite color is orange. but like a burnt orange, not a bright orange.
002 :: I really get a kick out of the produce section at the grocery store. and I love chopping vegetables. all those garden colors  and smells just make me giddy.
003 :: I think baths warrant a shower afterward.
004 :: I'd choose the mountains over the beach any day ( close your ears fellow floridians! ).

005 :: I buy my husband bags of doritos ( his favorite ) in exchange for him listening to me complain.
006 :: I'm of the belief that everything british is better. and I'm sure you brits get this all the time, but I could really listen to you people talk all day.
007 :: my favorite food is mushroom ravioli. closely followed by lettuce wraps.
008 :: when I was 14, I dreamed of being a professional beach bum and I am now living that dream.
009 :: I want six little munchkins of my own.
010 :: I break into tears every time I see, hear, or think of bullying.
011 :: you probably already figured this out, but I celebrate everything. and I mean everything.

arielle's questions :: 

001 :: How long did you think about starting a blog before you actually did?

years and years. even after livejournal and myspace had hit their expiration date, it took me awhile to board the blogger train. read through this blog for one month and I promise you'll find I'm quite the laggard.

002 :: What is your favourite restaurant?

any hole in the wall pizza place that gives me plenty of refills on diet coke. or you know, something more conventional like p.f. changs.

003 :: What is your favourite makeup brand?

dior, hands down. I know, I know. I have expensive tastes. but I have not found one flaw with any of their products..other than the price tag.

004 :: Are you an indoor or an outdoor person?

I guess that would depend on the season. in the spring and fall, I'm totally outdoor. and during the summer and winter, I reside mostly indoors. I don't like to be too hot or too cold. go ahead and call me goldilocks 'cause I like to be juuuussttt right.

005 :: How do you wear your hair on a day-to-day basis?

since moving to the caribbean, I have been sporting high and low ponies, as well as braids and messy buns almost everyday. though, I'm still in search of the perfect down do whilst living amidst the hot and humid. help here would be much appreciated!

006 :: If you had to move, where would you want to live?

vancouver, british columbia. no doubt about it. I love the rain, the green, the active and organic culture there. I would move there tomorrow and never look back. of course, mitch would have to come, too ;)

007 :: Would you rather have spaghetti for hair or linguini for legs? This is important.

linguini for legs. admittedly, I think I'm a pretty vain person and I don't know what I'd do if I had to look in the mirror everyday and it looked like noodles. particularly, uncooked noodles. no thank you.

008 :: What does your perfect day look like?

the sky would be drizzly and overcast, I would be wearing a comfortable, slightly fitted/slightly slouchy aztec printed sweater paired alongside some skinny jeans and hunters. I'd have hot chocolate in one hand and a munchkin in the other walking to a favorite bookstore for children's storytime or something. I can't think of anything more idyllic.

009 :: What is your favourite or go-to midnight snack?

chocolate cake. you would be proud, though. I rarely ever give into this temptation. midnight usually comes and goes without a trace of chocolate cake to be found.

010 :: Who or what inspires your personal style?

oh my, it's everywhere! it's colors I see on the ground or in the sky. it's fonts and it's crafts and it's furniture. it's idols and shops and flowers. and embarrassingly enough, it's instagram. frequently, I'll ask myself if something is instagrammable.

011 :: Is there anything you consider yourself a master at cooking or making in the kitchen?

why, yes! chocolate cake. or any cake for that matter. in university, I had a whole semester dedicated to baking and decorating cakes, and I guess it stuck.

my questions ::

001 :: how did you get your given name?
002 :: what's your favorite mode of transportation?
003 :: if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be ( and why )?
004 :: do you dream of country hills or city streets?
005 :: if you had to workout some way, what would you choose ( and why )?
006 :: what's your favorite beauty secret?
007 :: we've all experienced little miracles in our lives, tell us about one of yours ( one you feel comfortable sharing, of course ).
008 :: if you had to choose one, what is your favorite vegetable?
009 :: are you more of a brunch or breakfast person?
010 :: what is your favorite blog at the moment?
011 :: in an ideal world, where do you see yourself in five years?

take a look at my lovely nominees :: 

001 :: the cashmere kangaroo
002 :: britt & hive
003 :: the what's in between
004 :: owl girl
005 :: broomfie
006 :: rainy london
007 :: from the lion's den
008 :: the peppermint pencil
009 :: amie e
010 :: the teresa nicole
011 :: just like honey.

be sure to let me know when you've answered your questions so that I can see your answers! after all, I am rather nosey :)

love, arielle

**photo courtesy of my friend cydney

21 QUESTIONS: A LIEBSTER AWARD

okay, more like 11...

the stunning j from j.beau nominated my blog for a liebster award. which, in german, literally means cute, darling, dearest, etc. it's just a cute, fun way to get to know each other and make connections. it's pretty simple: you just have to answer 11 questions and then nominate 11 of your own favorite blogs to do the same. 

1. Why did you start blogging?

I have been meaning to start one for a long time. I probably wrote that first post 10 times over the course of a year, but the prose was all wrong. my life wasn't interesting. until we moved to a tropical, exotic locale and now my life seems interesting enough. at least to me. I want to share that. and even more so, I want to remember it for myself. my husband and I are having so many adventures. 

2. What is something this year that you are really looking forward to?

my husband completing a year of medical school. that's a big one. also getting to know this island better. we are looking forward to carnival and swimming with the dolphins and snorkeling with sea turtles. nothing really so monumental but exciting nonetheless.

3. Name one of your biggest pet peeves & why?
lately, I have this newfound annoyance for noisy neighbors. it never bothered me so much before these new people moved in upstairs. now, with their frequent screaming and running around, I am going crazy. go ahead and drop me off at the nearest asylum, s'il vous plait.

4. Photos say a thousand words so share a photo that means the most to you. Why is that picture important to you?

on our wedding day: this picture is totally candid. the dress had like 6layers and in the heat of the september day in slc, I was literally passing out. my husband was so patient and kind and loving and it just reinforced that he is the perfect guy for me. that I made an excellent choice snagging him :) 

here are a few more candid pics from that amazing day:

5. What quote inspires you the most?

"be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you." 

I try to live by these words. it's an easy and quick reminder on how we should treat others and helps put into perspective what is really important.

5. Name a beauty product you can’t live without & why?
the brow wiz by anastasia beverly hills. my eyebrows never quite grow where I want them to and this little tool sort of makes up the difference. I don't feel like I'm ready to go out in public without it.

6. Currently, what is your favorite song?

there are so many. I'm still rocking out to wake me up by avicii. it motivates me to dance, run, whatever I need to get up and do. hopeless wanderer by mumford&sons is another. probably just because of the title {I love the word wander}. and my guilty pleasure is no diggity by blackstreet&dr.dre. mitch and I rock out to this a few times a week and it destresses our whole world.

7. What is your favorite blog?
right now...probably, what olivia did. I love her life in the UK and that she focuses her blog on so many different things {fashion, her life, food, etc}. it makes it more interesting to see so many facets of a different culture.

8. What is your favorite way to work out?
on my mat doing yoga. or running through some place that's beautiful and natural with some good music. anything to get me out of a stuffy gym. 

9. Where do you like to shop?
1. sephora. my husband doesn't get it. I tell him it's like home depot for girls. you just feel girlier and shinier inside. 2. nordstrom. 3. target {what girl my age doesn't love target?} 4. and guiltily, lululemon. it's addicting and terribly expensive which is a horrible combination. I'm lucky I live nowhere near one.

10. What's the best advice you've ever been given?
from my brother: "you need to learn to forgive someone even without an apology." that advice has saved a lot of my relationships.

11. What is your favorite blog post you've written?

I really only have two to chose from. but probably I AM A ROCK. I AM AN ISLAND. just because the pictures are amazing {taken by my husband} and I feel like writing it was necessary to loving my life here.

now for my own nominees:
what olivia did
hey natalie jean
cider with rosie
girl of cardigan
bleubird
the daily debut
the georges
a lil ol georgia peach
a crafty fox
prsd4tim2
afton photography

and for the questions:

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. What is something this year that you are really looking forward to?

3. What is your favorite thing to do to unwind?

4. Photo's say a thousand words so share a photo that means the most to you. Why is that picture important to you?

4. What quote inspires you the most?

5. Name a beauty product you can’t live without & why?

6. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

7. What is your favorite blog?

8. What is your favorite way to work out?

9. Where do you like to shop?

10. What's the best advice you've ever been given?

11. What is your favorite blog post you've written?

I want to see your answers! hit me up when you've finished.

love, arielle