The Liebster Award

Hi, friends! Okay, I’ll admit it; I’m totally a slacker. My friend Amanda from Burlap and Babies nominated me for the Liebster award 2 months ago. I’ve had it on my calendar to post, but somehow it kept getting pushed back. I had totally forgotten about it until Kristina from My Own Home Blog e-mailed me and also nominated me! I’m so honored to have been given the award by these two lovely ladies, and I’m FINALLY sitting down and sharing it with you all!

“Amanda, what the heck is a Liebster Award,” you ask? Well, it is an award given by new bloggers to other new bloggers who have less than 200ish followers. It’s basically a great way of everyone getting to know more about you, and a way to connect with other new bloggers! I may have had to Google it, but that’s the gist! There have been lots of different rules circulating around, but here are the rules of the award that both Amanda and Kristin sent me:

1. You have to link back to the person that nominated you.
2. You must answer 11 questions given to you by the person that nominated you.
3. After completing these questions you must nominate 11 bloggers with under 200 followers and give them 11 questions of your choice.
4. You must not nominate the person who nominated you.
5. You must let your nominees know that they have been nominated and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it.

So, since I was nominated by two sweet ladies and they both gave me questions, I’m going to choose 5 or 6 from each of them to answer.

And now, here are some more random facts about the girl behind Dwelling in Happiness!

1. What keeps you motivated to keep blogging?

Getting to connect with new amazing people, bloggers or not, is what motivates me. I also love when something I make inspires others to do something creative too. Blogging has also given me something that is “mine” that is fun for me to do, and helps me keep my sanity from being at home in “mommy brain” all day long. 🙂

2. Do you have any fur babies- or real babies? 😉 Tell me about them and share some photos!

I have both! My sweet baby Jade will be 1 year old in just a few days. Where is the time going?! She’s as sweet as can be, and is quite the energetic active girl. We’ve already had several bumps and bruises from trying to explore EVERYTHING! She’s crawling all over, and ALMOST walking. Here’s our recent family photo at the pumpkin patch:

We have two fur-babies as well, Luna and Weezer. We’ve had Weezer for about 3 years almost, and Luna for 2.

3. What category on Pinterest do you get absolutely lost in for hours?

ONE catergory?! I could get lost in ALL of them!! I love searching the Home Decor, DIY and Crafts, and Kids categories the most. SO much to see! I also just search under “Popular” to see what other stuff is going around! I just wish I HAD the time (I used to!) to get lost in Pinterest for hours!

4. How did you pick your blog’s name and theme?

Picking the theme was easy, I knew I wanted to do primarily a DIY/craft blog, with some few other things thrown in there. David had a great point when he said, “well, you’re going to be doing all these craft projects anyway, why NOT blog about them?” And, he’s right! My blog’s name though was a different story. You guys, Jade didn’t even have a name until about a week or so before she was born. We just couldn’t decide!! I’m SO indecisive. I’d find a name I’d like, but then I’d think, “wait, what if I find another name I like better later on!?” Yeah, I know, crazy right? Anyway, this blog was sadly no different. I had lists of blog names I liked, but it took me a couple months (yes, MONTHS) to actually decide on one! I really liked that “dwelling” could have a double meaning, and I’m a happy person so “happiness” just seemed to fit. And, the domain wasn’t taken either, another deciding factor! 😉

5. Do you have any fun weekend routines? (Waffles on Sunday? Thrifting on Saturday?)

We don’t have any set routines, but we do love making a big breakfast together on one of those days. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, the works! We also try to do some sort of family outing, whether it be a little shopping, taking a long walk around the park, or having a picnic/going out to lunch. Other than that, weekends are for trying to get stuff done around the house!

6. What fall shows are you addicted to?

Well, sadly we don’t have many channels, so we usually just stick to Netflix. Since Netflix doesn’t have shows in their current season, we’re usually a season behind. We are really into The Walking Dead however, which I still question WHY I watch it every time we watch an episode. It’s just addicting! To counterbalance the depressing-morbid-vibe of the show, we usually watch a funny short show after. Right now, we’re re-watching The Office from season 1. Such a classic! We also started watching The Blacklist and have been really enjoying that, too!

7. What is your favorite season of the year?

I’m such a summer person! I just love the warm early mornings, the long days, and all of the summer outdoor activities! I don’t mind fall as much, but only the first week or two when it’s still warm. Because I’m such a summer fan, I used to despise fall. Like, I’d actually get a little depressed thinking about summer ending and the cold/snow coming soon. I would even REFUSE  to decorate anything until the first official day of fall. I’m getting better, and now that I’m blogging and am seeing so many amazing holiday ideas so early on, I’m actually already getting a little excited for Christmas even! But only just a little. 🙂

8. Where is your happy place when you just need to get away and have some time to yourself?

This is a new concept now that I’m a momma, and I haven’t really been able to just “get away” and have time to myself. But, I do like getting together with friends on those rare occasions when we do “girl nights” after Jade’s in bed. If I WAS able to get away just me, I’d probably get a big coffee and head to do some shopping!

9. What was your most favorite vacation?

My most favorite vacation was David’s and my honeymoon a few years ago. Because I was subbing long-term at the time, I wasn’t able to take time off to go on a Honeymoon in May after our wedding. So, we opted to go 6 months later in November. We went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and it was SO nice!! We stayed at an all-inclusive (which is totally the way to go in Mexico!) resort, and literally never left the resort grounds. We had no reason to! We ate all day, drank margarita’s on the beach, and took like 3 naps a day in the sunshine next to the pool. On these busy (and cold) days lately, I find myself wishing we could just escape life and go back!

10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hm, that’s a great question! In 5 years I see Jade being almost 6, and she’ll have a little brother or sister by then. I hope I’ll still be able to be at home with them and still be blogging away at Dwelling in Happiness! I see us in a bigger house that I can customize a little easier, too!

11. You randomly have 4 hours of free time to do what you want, what do you do?

Ha! I wish! But IF I did, I’d be shopping right now. With a coffee. Or, I’d call some friends up and go get pampered with some pedicures!

12. What is your favorite project that you have made since blogging or what is your favorite blog post?

Oh, so many to choose from! Well, not really that many yet.  But I think my favorite so far is my Rustic Arrow String-Art, followed very closely by  my Whitewashed Coastal Pallet Mirror. They were the most fun to make!

Okay, so that was 12 questions. You got a bonus! I’m now supposed to nominate 11 other new bloggers (or as many as I can find), but I’m going to break the rules. I know, I’m totally a rebel. Instead of nominating, I’m going to send you to visit 11 other newer bloggers who have also been given the Liebster award. These ladies are all FABULOUS, and amaze me with their creative projects! They all have WELL over 200 followers by now. I have loved following and getting to know them, so go visit their Liebster award page and leave some love; you won’t regret it!

Amanda @ Burlap and Babies

Kristina @ My Own Home Blog

Sarah @ Little Red Brick House

Emily & Erin @ Elizabeth Joan Designs

Katie @ Little House of Four

Bre @ Average but Inspired

Kristi @ Making it in the Mountains

Bre @ Brepurposed

Erica @ Dwell Beautiful

Cat @ The Rustic Willow

Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom

Amy & Vicki @ Canary Street Crafts

Ok, that was 12 again, but I gave you another bonus! Thank you again to Amanda and Kristina for the nomination!

I hope you all have a fabulous rest of the week!

I link up at these fun parties!