Creative Blogger Award

March 13, 2015 21 Comments

creative blogger awardSo… Ari likes my blog enough to nominate me for the Creative Blogger Award! Yay! I find this very exciting, because Ari is very cool (and, incidentally, some sort of Twitter genius). I like her blog because it’s a random lifestyle blog, like mine. She talks about anything and everything, and is fun to read.

Here’s the spiel:

  • Nominate 15-20 blogs and notify all nominees via their social media/blogs
  • Thank and post the link of the blog that nominated you
  • Share five facts about yourself to your readers
  • Pass these rules on to them

Here are my facts~

  1. If you can get close enough to my face without getting hit, you can see that I have a wavy scar across my top lip. I fell down with a whistle in my mouth when I was four, and my mom had to pull it out of my lip and rush me to the hospital. They decided against stitches so as to not “mar my beauty”. Ah, the hilarity…
  2. I can juggle. I even used to be able to juggle with a ball, a rock, and an apple and eat the apple while juggling- but I am not sure I could still pull that off.
  3. My sister is my best friend. We even have matching tattoos. (ps she just got an A in her psychology class and she thinks that belongs on my blog. Check it out, C-Bear, here it is!)
  4. I don’t believe that blood is thicker than water. I have five siblings, only one of which is blood related to me. They are all still my family.
  5. I was attacked by a dog when I was six or seven. It drug me down the street until we got to my house, and then my dog ran out and saved me. I was afraid of dogs for years, but now I love them and have completely forgiven them all.

The 15 bloggers that I want to hear five random facts about 🙂

Happy reading and happy Friday!

Jillian

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

February 21, 2015 34 Comments

sisterhoodThe idea behind the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award is to recognize the unique voices of women bloggers around the world. How cool is that? Women coming together to make the world a better place is so important to me. We are all stronger together. I am so honored to be nominated for an award that is grounded in girl power! I was nominated by Maitreyi at glamorpolish. She writes a fun beauty blog, with her personality shining through. I like her honesty and the way she writes. I don’t follow a ton of beauty blogs, so hers is special 🙂 However, I am now starting to think I need to follow more. I will start with the blogs in her post!

Here are the rules of the award, should any of my nominees choose to accept!

Thank the blogger who nominated you & link back to their site.
Answer the ten questions sent to you.
Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.
Nominate seven bloggers who you feel deserve the award.

My answers to Maitreyi’s questions:

  • What are your favourite hobbies?
    blogging, playing with my dogs, reading, making new drink recipes
  • How do you make yourself motivated when you are feeling low?
    I just force myself to do something. Once I start, I tend to get wrapped up in it and it’s easier to move on. My go to is minimalizing- going through an area of my house that could be cleaned out. I know that’s nuts, but it works for me.
  • What is your favourite dish?
    Anything Indian or Ethiopian!
  • Jeans or skirts?
    Skirts. I think dresses are more comfortable and more forgiving of figure flaws (real or perceived…)
  • Blush or bronzer?
    Bronzer, for sure. I am very pale, but also have red cheeks. I am mostly German with some Irish, but I look more Irish than anything else.
  • The singer whom you just love to listen all the time?
    Taylor Swift! I know the haters are gonna hate, but I love her anyway. She never fails to cheer me up.
  • Sunrise or sunset?
    Sunset. I love to see both, but if I’m up early enough to see the sunrise, I’m probably grumpy about it.
  • Who is your favourite superhero?
    My friend, K. She accomplishes more than anyone I’ve ever met, and does it with a great attitude. I do realize this probably isn’t what you meant, but she’s still my favorite superhero 🙂
  • What is your nickname?
    Jillian (Jill is my “real” name), Jilliey, Jillybear
  • What is your favourite genre in movies?
    suspense- I love Hitchcock, as well as modern suspense

The winners, that I think are just fabulous. Go check them out and bask in their awesomeness!

Y’all, here are your questions:

  1. What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you lately?
  2. Is there something you’re putting off doing that you could start today?
  3. If the average human life span was 50 years, how would you live your life differently? OR If you had five more years to live, how would you live your life differently?
  4. If you had to move to a new state or country, where would you move and why?
  5. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done on a date?
  6. What was the last picture you took on your phone?
  7. If you see a dog running around alone by the road, do you stop to help the dog?
  8. Do you have a favorite sports team?
  9. Would you want to be famous and rich, knowing that you would lose all of your privacy?
  10. What was your first job?

Quick… go! If anyone else wants to answer these, jump right in 🙂

Jillian

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Liebster Award, Part II

February 6, 2015 9 Comments

liebsterI feel so loved! I know I just did a Liebster award post, but Ari just nominated me in this post. It’s funny because I really wanted to nominate her, but she has so many followers I was afraid 🙂 I am glad that I have the opportunity to write about her a little now. I enjoy Ari’s blog because she’s funny, down to earth, a good writer, and posts pretty pictures.

I’m not going to do the whole thing again, because no one wants to read all that. I can’t believe I was nominated twice! Link to my first post here, and below will be my answers to Ari’s questions.

  • What super power would you like to have?
    I would love to have unlimited energy. There is so much I need to get done, and I always just want to sleep!
  • What is your biggest fear. Are you planning on confronting this fear, if so how?
    My biggest fear is not having children and regretting it. I am trying to confront this now by doing a lot of soul searching.
  • What is your biggest  accomplishment?
    I don’t really think of myself as having a biggest accomplishment, is that bad? I try to live every day to the best of my ability. However, I would say that I’m most proud of finishing school, getting a good job, and sticking to a budget.
  • A long term goal you want to achieve?
    One of my main goals is to pay off my student loans and be able to help other people more.
  • What has blogging taught you so far?
    Blogging has taught me that there is a whole world out there that I didn’t even know about! If you thought the Facebook app was addicting and you haven’t tried WordPress, you are in for a shock. I could spend my entire life reading blogs.
  • Finish the phrase: In a perfect world_________________
    In a perfect world, everyone would have access to safe housing, food, and water.
  • Share your favorite post so far.
    My favorite post of mine? Well, I just looked it up, and apparently the internet’s favorite post of mine is Why I Love Stitchfix. That’s bad news, as it just makes me want to get another Stitchfix box!! I like all of my posts, they are my babies! Probably my favorite is my 35 Goals to Meet Before I Turn 35. It is helping me stay on track with becoming the person I want to be.
  • If you were stranded in an island and could pick another person to be stranded with, who would you pick? (it can be someone famous, a fiction character or someone you know)
    This question seems like it’s designed to get me in trouble. Isn’t whoever I don’t pick just going to be mad at me?! Ari, why are you trying to get me in trouble? I would pick my sister. She’s a trooper, she would probably build a house and a boat in about 30 minutes. She has been my best friend since the day she was born.
  • Name one thing that makes you stand out from everyone else. (In business, we call this your unique selling point) What is yours?
    My perspective seems to be a little different than everyone else. Sometimes it just makes me look like a freak, but I think it also draws people in.
  • Tell me about the best place you have ever visited.
    I answered a similar question last time and said Italy. I would also add New York City. NYC has the best energy of anywhere I’ve ever been. I literally want to pack up and move there every time I’m there. I just want to do everything and live up to it’s expectations!
  • What motivates you to get up every morning?
    Typically J is telling me some version of “it’s time to get your a** out of bed!”. He pulls me out of my half asleep state, and then knowing that Riley’s little puppy face is waiting for me to take her out drags me the rest of the way out of bed.

Since it’s the second round, I’m going to just tag three new bloggers (full directions here!)

Jillian

Filed Under: Annual Goals, Blogging, Shibas Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Liebster Award

January 27, 2015 27 Comments

liebster awardI was recently nominated by Sami at Flowers and Wanderlust to participate in the Liebster Award!

Hey Jillian,

I just nominated you for the Liebster award because I thoroughly enjoy your blog and all the love you send to mine, haha. You can find the link below. Have a lovely day!

The Liebster Award is given by someone who is inspired by or enamored with another website or blog. I know a little German, but I had to Google this.  The meaning: liebster is a German word that means sweetheart, beloved, or darling in English. I believe that blogging is about getting to know each other and building relationships, along with sharing knowledge. Being nominated to participate is very cool! Thanks, Sami!

Since I accepted this award, I now have to follow these guidelines:
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you, then create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs!

11 Random Facts About Jillian

  • I have three tattoos.
  • I live in the United States, and have visited Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, England, Scotland, Spain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy. I want to go everywhere, but that is definitely a lofty goal.
  • I used to be an actress, but then I decided I wanted a job that actually paid.
  • I was with my husband for seven years before we got married.
  • My first word was kitty.
  • My natural hair color is dirty blonde. I like it dark brown, so I dye it, but the drama of coloring in my eyebrows everyday is awful!
  • I have too much of an all or nothing mentality. I can train for a half marathon, but if you ask me to run three miles I see no point. The struggle with myself is real, people… 🙂
  • Shiba Inus are such trouble makers, but I love them the most of all of the dogs!
  • I have been vegetarian for nearly 13 years. People think I will give up eventually, but I don’t see it happening.
  • I didn’t get my first car until I was 25, and I am still driving it today. I want to drive it forever.
  • I was home schooled from grades 8-11.

My questions from Sami:

  • What is your greatest passion in life?
    Wow, starting off with a bang here… this is kind of a fluid thing for me. Right now my focus is on how I can better use my time on earth. I want to feel like I was here for a reason and was able to make a difference.
  • What three things make you happy?
    My family, friends, and Shibas. Predictable but true.
  • Are there any favorite places of yours that you have traveled?
    I have different favorites for different reasons, but the place I would most love to go back to is Italy. The weather, the beautiful EVERYTHING, the delicious food, the history- it’s just amazing.
  • When is the last time you tried something new?
    I started this blog in December. This is all very new to me, and I never realized how much work it really is. Bloggers are amazing!
  • Is there a quote or lyric that has stuck with you throughout your life?
    Maybe not my whole life, but for the last several years my friend and I have been living by “fake it til you make it”. It’s tough entering the real world and feeling like everyone at work knows more than you, but I have realized that almost everyone feels the same way. If you just keep trying, you will realize that you know more than you think.
  • Where do you find inspiration?
    Anywhere and everywhere, but mostly through watching others.
  • Have you ever met an unforgettable stranger?
    As in someone that is still a stranger to me? I’m kind of thinking no, because nothing comes to mind. I once met the singer Deb Talan though, and I was unbelievably starstruck. She has the voice of an angel! I made an idiot of myself.
  • What is the nicest thing anyone has done for you in the past month?
    Nominate me for a Liebster Award? 🙂 Seriously, I have been so excited about all of the support I’ve had for my new blog!
  • Where do you want to be in five years?
    That’s something that I’m trying to figure out right now. I’m hoping that this blog and My 35 Project will help me with a little soul searching.
  • How did you come up with the name of your blog?
    I spent a lot of time debating with some friends. I wanted the name to reflect the fact that I am still trying to figure things out, but I also wanted it to be strong. We played around with more girl power type things, but this one really stuck. I like that “how to be myself” can apply to me and also to readers. We’re all in this together.

Here are some gorgeous shots that my friend M took in Rome and Venice- see how Italy is the best?

Rome Venice

And now for the nominees (insert drumroll here):

Here are your questions, should you choose to accept this award (tag me if you do, I want to see your answers!):

  1. Do you want kids? If you already have them, did you always know you wanted them?
  2. How did you choose your blog name?
  3. Do you have any pets?
  4. Do you think it’s smart to blog on a set schedule?
  5. What do you think your best feature is (yes, you have to be positive and pick one)?
  6. How do you feel about iPhones?
  7. Do you have a recurring dream?
  8. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
  9. What’s your favorite television show?
  10. Do you work out?
  11. Do you believe in astrology?

Thanks to anyone who read to the end of this long post! I’ll post something a little lighter tomorrow. Maybe. It is Weigh In Wednesday, soooo… could be rough!

Jillian

Filed Under: Annual Goals, Blogging Tagged With: , , , , ,

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