Liebster Award

I was nominated recently for a Liebster Award by Wondegondigo (one of THE best blogs for product porn; no lies, I live vicariously through her on a weekly basis). The Liebster Award is a prize that recognizes blogs with smaller followings. I'm not quite sure what I did to deserve such an honor, but thank you thank you thank you, to each and every one of you! :D

If you receive this award and accept, you have to answer a short list of questions created by the person who nominated you. And the list I was given is pretty fun, so I'm totally not opposed. Let's get to it!

1)  Your favorite fried chicken joint?  Bonus points if you can deliver it to my house.  You don't eat fried chicken?  Negative points for you.

My favorite fried chicken joint does deliver, but alas, only to my area! It's a local, family-owned joint that's best known for making BOMB sandwiches and delicious hand cut fries. They do have fried chicken and fish from time to time, though, and it is just...*drools* I generally avoid fried food because it wreaks unspeakable havoc on my stomach, but for their chicken? Suffering is so bittersweet.


2) Cake or Pie?  Choose carefully, my friend.  There is only one right answer.

Pie! I mean, I like cake, but I don't feel like you can get the same complexity of flavors and textures unless you go to a specialty cake shop. You can make a blackberry pie at home, though, and get that  flaky crust, the sweet, smooth berry juice, the crunch of the seeds, and what is with these food questions?!


3) What makeup product category is challenging to blog about and why?

Y'know, I was gonna say "eyeshadows because I don't really care for them." But to be honest, I don't think they're hard to review. There are certain criteria that have to be met: texture, color payoff, lasting power, that sort of thing. In that respect, and eyeshadow is no harder to review than a lipstick.

So I'm going to go with fragrances. I refuse to review perfumes because everybody's tastes and body chemistry are so different, and what smells like a delightful musk on me may smell like awful mold to you. Describing a fragrance is also really difficult: you can break down the different notes, but explaining how they work together and interact on your skin is impossible. I applaud fragrance bloggers for their tenacity and attention to detail.

4) Red pill, blue pill.  Pick one and why?

I'll go with red, I suppose. Red is my favorite color and I liked that fish better than the blue fish in Dr. Seuss.

5) Current music in high rotation.
 

6) In junior high / high school, what was super trendy that you had partaken in that you sincerely regret.  Extra bonus points for pictures.

 I hate admitting to this, but: the raccoon eyes. When I was in high school, the whole "pop punk" thing got big, so girls would just coat their eyeballs in fifty layers of eyeliner and walk around looking like pandas. It's a cool look for some people, but you have to have a certain attitude, and it has to feel slapdash and not-perfected. We were Definitely Not There.

I refuse to post pictures and relive the horror, but every once in a while I go a little crazy and decide to cake on tons of liner for old times' sake. It never ends well.

7) On your burger (veggie/ meat/ whatever), what is your cheese topper of choice.

 It honestly depends on the burger! Greasy bacon cheeseburger with barbeque sauce? Gotta be cheddar. Spicy burger with sauteed peppers and onions and a good Cajun rub? I'm going for provolone or pepperjack, depending on how dangerous I feel. I'm a bit of a foodie and I'm willing to try all kinds of crazy flavor combinations.

8) On a quiet evening all to yourself, what three things would you be doing?

These are rare, as my family is usually all home and making tons of noise in the evening. First and foremost, I would just enjoy that quiet. I really do treasure my alone time, and by alone time, I mean there is absolutely nobody around. The entire space is mine. So first, I would bask on it.

Then I would put on a really campy movie most people hate and just blast it. You know, the stuff that makes you cringe with second-hand embarrassment, but you still love it? (Showgirls, I'm looking at you!)

And I would read. I don't get to do enough pleasure reading lately, and I think my tendency to stress myself out is a major part of that. My favorite book is House of Leaves, but I've only read it twice; it's definitely time for a third read-through.

9) Where is the farthest flung place you have traveled?  Where is the next place you plan on traveling to  (far or near)?

I don't have too many future travel plans beyond flying to the midwest to see my boyfriend. But I have been to Hawaii, and that was FANTASTIC. I went there for a conference, and unfortunately, I didn't get to do or see a lot of things because I was working on my (very depressing) project, and because I didn't have a traveling companion (which takes a lot of the fun out of it). But I'm grateful for the experience, and it was absolutely beautiful. I'd go back again in a heartbeat!

10) What's better, a beach vacation or a walking cultural vacation?
 
 Lawd, this is a tough one. It's going to depend on what you want: do you want to relax, have some good food, and read a lot? Or do you want to see new things and learn? But at my current age and with so much left to see, I'd probably go for the cultural vacation. I love love LOVE learning new things, and there are so many places with rich cultural histories: Egypt, India, Poland...I want to see it all!

11) Since blogging, has your taste in makeup changed in any significant way?

I've learned that it's great to have tons of products, especially if you're a makeup artist or you wear a new look every day. But there's nothing wrong with having a much smaller collection. On top of that, it's ok to get rid of a lipstick or a blush that somebody gave you as a gift. I've learned that it was the thought that mattered, not the actual material possession, and that person will usually understand if the product just didn't work for me. Besides, I usually swap my unwanted things away or donate them...so they're still serving a great purpose!

And now for my nominations (and my own list of 11 questions)!

 1. Shameless Fripperies -- She probably has more than 200 readers, because her tutorials are amazeballs and she's unfairly gorgeous, but there's no subscriber count that I can see. ;)
2. My Newest Addiction -- If you want a blog with great photos and reviews written by a lady with exquisite taste, then this is the site for you.
3. The Painted Maypole -- Currently on a bit of hiatus, but hopefully she's ready to fill this out when she gets back! I love her effortlessly chic aesthetic.

YOUR QUESTIONS!

1.What do you do when you're sick? Do you cling to your family or hide in a dark room? Do you try to get work done or do you hide in bed?
2. Who are your beauty icons?
3. What's your favorite form of exercise? (Running, yoga, archery, weight lifting, etc.)
4. What do you eat for breakfast?
5. If you could only use products from 2 specific brands for the rest of your life, which 2 brands would you choose and why?
6. Do you hold grudges?
7. Is there a skill or special talent you wish you had?
8. What was the best day of your life?
9. Name 3 things you really love that start with the letter "R."
10. What discontinued beauty product would you most like to bring back from the dead?
11. Were you a good student in school?

Thank you again to everyone for your continued support and readership! :)