I was nominated for a Liebster Award…

I was nominated for a Liebster Award by Tamara at PenPaperPad.  The Liebster Award focuses on blogs with fewer than 200 followers. It’s bloggers telling other bloggers, “Hey you don’t suck,” and getting them a little more attention. This is my very first blog award so it will always be particularly special to me.

These are the Rules nominees are supposed to follow:

1. The Liebster is given by bloggers to other bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

2. Each blogger should post eleven facts about himself or herself.

3. Each blogger should answer the 11 questions that are asked by the person doing the nominating.

4. Choose eleven new bloggers to nominate for the Award and link to them in the post.

5. Create eleven new questions for your nominees.

6. Go back to their pages and tell them they’ve been nominated.

7. No tag backs.

This is a four step process:

Step one: 11  facts things about me

1. I am an all around creative person: writer, artist, musician and all around beauty surveyor.

2. I am totally and disgustingly in love.

3. I believe in zodiac traits (but not horoscopes).

4. I love to eat but I’m persnickety with my food.

5. This is my third blog.

6. I love animals but will never own a cat because I want to be the only one with attitude in my house.

7. I searched for, found and am now enjoying the writing culture in my city (Birmingham, AL).

8. I had my cable cut off at the beginning of the year to focus on writing my first book.

9. I hate exercise but I having a Buddha belly more.

10. I’ll be 42 years old this October but most people guess that I’m younger. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!

11.  I am one of the silliest, realist and I’m aware that those two things are usually opposites. 😉

Second step: 11 questions about me.

1. Favorite book of all time, and why?

My favorite book is The Coldest Winter Ever by Sistah Soulja.  I love this book because it was the first book I ever read with a dialect similar to my own. As I read it, the voice in my head wasn’t my proper/professional voice and instead was my comfortable/everyday, talking to friends voice.
2. Favorite way to spend the weekend?

A great weekend for me includes one on one time with my man, family time with the children and top it off with some me time relaxation that will get me ready to deal with the week to come.

3. Why did you join the A to Z challenge?

I took up the challenge because I knew it would truly be a challenge for me to blog every day. I’m happy to say that I beat the challenge but most of all it has encouraged me to put more content on my blog more routinely.

4. Why did you start a blog?

I began writing my suspense fiction novella at the beginning of the year but I still yearned to share my relationshipisms. I start my blog to share what I know about relationships and receive what other people felt about what I shared.

5. What methods do you use to de-stress or clear your mind?

I love a great movie or book, add a glass of wine and it’s a de-stress party!!

6. Favorite food?

Italian food is my favorite. I love pastas and sauces.

7. A childhood memory that’s stayed with you?

Receiving a matching umbrella, rain coat and rain boots for Christmas one year and wanting to wear them all the time to reenact Singing in the Rain.

8. Favorite place?

I love to be on a beach with a fruity alcoholic  beverage in hand!

9. Favorite quote?

“Stop to see the best in someone else, rather than always expecting others to see the best in you.” – me

10. Most influential person/persons in your life?

My sons collectively are the most influential force in my life because they motivate me to stretch and reach for the stars just so I can prove that they can too.

11. Is the glass half full, or half empty?

My default outlook is positive and optimistic, so the glass is half full.

Third step: now I pick 11 bloggers to nominate for the

KristenHead: Kristen’s blog is all about her random musings. My favorite post of hers is the one where she tells you why she named her blog “KristenHead”.

AdventuringAtHome: Katie blogs about being home Virginia. I’ve learned more than a few things about her and the state of Virginia.

ReflexReactions: Ida and I are worlds a part (literally since she lives in Denmark and I live in the US) but we’ve often agreed on a lot of subjects.

Write, Clair, Write: Clair shares about fitness, money management and even people. I love how she incorporated a professional touch by adding the “clips” and “resume” tabs to her blog. I’ll be copying her and doing myself here soon!

AngelaMooreBlog: Angela writes about anything from her experiences to her take on shows she watches on television to so much more.

EvolutionOfTheChicken: WARNING, RATED R…I love this blog because I can peek into a world that is not my own. She writes about being polyamorous and anything else that comes to her mind.

LifeAndTimeOfATiredMom:  WARNING, RATED R…Anything she can relate to sex, she does.

Delusionary Cinderella: She blogs about her search for a soul mate but also about women, men and relationships in general.

RenardMoreauPresents: I can count on a post from this blog all through the day. The subject matter can be celebrities, music, books, etc… but my favorite are the quotes.

SheMakesCents: Danielle blogs about money: how to save it, what to spend it on, what not to spend it on, etc… She’s my very own Susie Orman.

Last but certainly not least, NanciScarpulla: I met Nanci at a blogging event in my city (Birmingham, AL), her personality was refreshing and her posts are too!

Fourth step: 11 questions I want the bloggers I nominated for a Liebster Award to answer

1. What inspires you to write?

2. Do you write strictly for fun or do you write professionally also?

3.  What is your blog typically about?

4. What do you like to read?

5. What’s your favorite movie?

6. What color makes you happy?

7. What is your favorite smell?

8. When you’re down or depressed, what cheers you up?

9. What helps you come out of a writer’s block?

10. Who is your favorite author?

11. What is your favorite blog to share with others (can’t be your own blog)?

I am honored to have been chosen for this award, I hope those whom I have nominated feel honored too!! Chow Bella!! Yes I know I spelled it wrong, just laugh. lol

Reflections on my participation in the 2013 A to Z Blog Challenge

I am so glad I happened upon this blog challenge. I found it while searching for an Instagram April 2013 photo-a-day challenge I wanted to participate in for fun. This challenge has really made me dig in and think about my chosen subject matter for this blog. I started off strong. I took the calendar and wrote in suggested topics all centered around relationships in each block for every letter. In the beginning, I even blogged ahead for a few posts. As the challenge progressed and life started to interfere, I wasn’t able to blog ahead but I did blog daily.  Sometimes I even stayed up past my bedtime just to get my blog in for the day. Toward the end I got behind due to a grueling schedule for the weekend of the 26th to the 28th. I got caught up and even submitted my last blog entry on the last day of April. I enjoyed exploring my personal experiences, as well as the feedback from others. In the coming months I will compile my posts into an eBook entitled The ABC’s of Relationships.  This experience has been one that has made me grow as a writer.

Another benefit is that I now follow some awesome bloggers I may not have discovered if it weren’t for our participation in the challenge. I doesn’t hurt that I gained more than a few followers as well. I hope I can continue to peak their interest, even if it isn’t daily. I wish it were a quarterly challenge but as it stands, I’ll have to wait until next year. Who knows, maybe I’ll even come up with my own blog challenge and invite my fellow bloggers to join me.

I am proud to be a survivor of the 2013 A to Z Blog Challenge.  Fellow AtoZ’ers, tell me about some of your challenges and experiences with the challenge.