Sharing the love: die Liebe

As mentioned in my first ‘Sharing the Love‘ post, I am a big fan of the caring and sharing aspect of the blogosphere. Imagine my surprise and delight when the lovely and talented Jen Reichle (AKA Jen the Artist, who is behind the fabulous Under Open Skies and Playfully Refined blogs) nominated my little brand-spanking-new blog for a Liebster Award.

Update! Humble thanks must also go to Hogrider Dookes, who has kindly nominated me as well.

I have to admit that at the time (being so new to blogging and all),  I really had no idea what a Liebster Award was – or entailed – but the further I researched, the more honoured and humbled I felt to be nominated. Vielen dank, Jen and Dookes! I am truly grateful. PS I absolutely LIEBE your blogs xo

The Rules

• Acknowledge and link back to the person who nominated you
• Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you
• Share 11 random facts about yourself
• Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.
• Give your nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog when they post about the Liebster Award

Jen the Artist’s questions for me

1. What is the biggest personal change you have ever made?

Building a house with my now-fiancé. It wasn’t something that we planned to do in advance (our main objective at the time was to buy a house and get out of the rental trap, and we’d only just started ‘looking’), but all of a sudden after just one week we had signed our lives away; somehow everything managed magically fell into place, even with two indecisive Geminis making all the decisions.

2. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 29, and find line 4. What is the book and does it say?

Form and Feeling – Poetry for Senior Students: “It’s the electric chair for you” [excerpt from ‘Frankie and Johnnie’].  Funny story behind why I have this book within arm’s reach – it’s a school book from my Year 11 English class which I (accidentally) never returned, but found a use for it last year as part of my online university study!

3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Possibly one of the trickiest questions here. It’s a very tight race between New York, anywhere in Tuscany (a-la Frances Mayes) and Margaret River, here in Western Australia…all three, please!

4. If you could change one thing about the world, what would you do?

The easy answer would be ‘world peace’, but I’d be happy if everyone just showed a little more common sense and compassion for their fellow man.

5. Is the glass half empty or half full?

As someone who is essentially a bit of a worry-wart, the general consensus would be that I would lean to the more pessimistic side of life, but I truly prefer to look for the positives in everything.

6. When is the last time you ate a homegrown tomato?

My own? Never. I am a black-thumb from way back. Even my hardy, self-sufficient rosemary is looking a little worse for wear at the moment. Anyone else’s? Chef Claudio‘s – straight from his Tuscan garden. There is nothing like a fresh, ripe, juicy, homegrown Italian tomato.

7. What did you want to be when you grew up?

For a long time, I wanted to be a teacher, but my own teachers kept ‘warning’ me away from it (why, I’m not sure…) But deep, deep, down I’ve always secretly wanted to be a writer (song, novel, short story…not fussy).

8. What is your favorite time of the day?

Weekends…the moment I wake up and realise I don’t have to go to work

Weekdays…the moment I walk in the door from work

9. What inspires you?

Creativity in all forms – writing, visual arts, music, cooking, photography, film-making…I am always in complete awe of original and exceptional talent.

10. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Fridays. When my family was still living in Adelaide (up until I was 9 years old), I cherished my Friday afternoon ritual. Dad would collect me from school and we’d walk to the local library and spend a good couple of hours there in our own little worlds. Sometimes he’d buy me an icecream or drink on the way to the car, and as Friday was officially mum’s night off from cooking, we’d come home to a yummy fish ‘n’ chip dinner.

11. What three things in nature do you find most beautiful?

Sunsets, autumn colours and new life (e.g. fresh flowers, spring buds, baby birds and animals)

11 Random facts about me

• My favourite movie of all-time is Grease
• My second favourite is Love Actually
• I crossed a long-standing number one item off my bucket list last year
• I have two cats that don’t get along (Jazzy/Jasmine and Rosie AKA Cheeky Girl); at best, they ‘put up’ with each other, at worst they ‘silent fight’ when they think I’m not watching (nothing too drastic…yet)
• I am also one of those crazy cat-people who can spend hours watching funny cat videos on YouTube (Maru, Norah the Piano Cat, Henri Le Chat and the original Supercats 1, 2 and 3 are among my all-time favourites)
• After quite a pathetic attempt last year, I’m trying my best to keep up with FatMumSlim’s “Photo A Day” challenge this year via Instagram (among my other miscellaneous insta-posts)
• My three all-time favourite TV shows – Friends, Sex and the City and Mad Men – have a common theme (can you spot it?)
• My childhood heroes were She-Ra and Jem
• I have seen all but one of my favourite musical artists in concert…c’mon Madonna, come back to Australia!!!
• I’ve had a morbid fascination with true crime stories since the early days of ‘Australia’s Most Wanted’ in the late 1980s, and if I could I’d watch the cable Crime Investigation channel 24/7 (a girl needs to sleep, though…)
• I’m secretly hoping the above revelations don’t put you off reading my blog!

I nominate the following…

‘Apologies’ to those who have been nominated before…I hereby exempt you from answering my questions (unless you really, really want to) 🙂

1. Flavoured Lemons
2. Out of Her Suitcase
3. Photographs by Grace
4. Life is Beautiful
5. Wanderlust Em
6. My Infernal Imagination
7. Little Dreams
8. Oh My Glai!
9. Light and Smiles
10. Kate Goes to Paris
11. Playfully Refined 😉

My 11 questions for my 11 nominees

1. Summer or Winter?
2. First paid job?
3. Favourite author?
4. You’re hosting an intimate dinner party and can invite 3 celebrities (living or dead) – who would you invite, and why?
5. Most memorable holiday/vacation meal
6. Favourite photo you’ve taken yourself (feel free to post and/or describe)
7. Write down a line or two of lyrics from the first song that pops into your head right…now!
8. Your number one dream destination that you haven’t visited yet (be as specific or generic as you like)
9. If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be, and what would you ask (or tell) them?
10. Describe what happened the last time you laughed out loud (it’s okay if nobody else gets it – it happens to me all the time!)
11. What was the first movie you remember seeing at the cinema/movie theatre?

Many thanks again, Jen and Dookes – what a fun challenge this turned out to be! I look forward to exploring my nominees’ blogs – and those of their nominees – further in the near future.

*Once again, I must apologise for any errors in translation – they are unintentional!

Addendum: Dookes’ questions for me

1. How do you feel about getting nominated for the Liebster Award?

Humbled, honoured and delighted. I’m a huge fan of the caring, sharing, community aspect of blogging, and this award validates everything I love about it.

2. What made you start blogging?

Short answer? To avoid continually clogging my Facebook friends’ feeds with my incessant food pics, yet still have an outlet for them.

3. Where is your favourite place in the world?

Oh, I’ve been to many of my ‘top spots’, but the sentimental favourite has to be Margaret River, here in Western Australia. Wine, food, forests, wine, beach, food, wine…oh, and my fiancé proposed to me there last year, so it upped itself in the special stakes tenfold. Did I mention the wine?

4. Bungee jump or surfing?

Cripes. Between my extreme fear of heights, and complete lack of balance, I don’t think you’ll ever find me doing either/or…ever! I feel much safer when my feet are firmly planted on the ground, thanks all the same.

5. If you could go back in time and do something different in your life, what would that be?

I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason – but if there was ANYthing, it would possibly be to re-attempt university at an earlier age. I really should have taken a Gap Year after high school rather than go straight into it – I was way too distracted and dropped out before the end of my first year. I’ve only now just managed to ease myself back into online study and it’s so, so hard to manage with a full-time job. I’m determined to do it, though…even if it takes me ten years!

6. Where will your next holiday/vacation destination be?

I’m really, really hoping to do a cooking trip in France, similar to the one we enjoyed in Tuscany in 2013; however, after following Green Kitchen Stories’ Instagram feed lately, I am increasingly being seduced by New Zealand as a more short-term prospect…

7. Dogs or Cats?

I own two cats, but have grown up with German Shepherds my whole life (mum and dad still have them). I’d have both if there wasn’t a slight chance they’d kill each other, but for now I’m happy with my kitty cuddles at home, and a giant puppy love experience any time I visit my parents.

8. Tell us about your favourite food!

Oh, my…this has to be one of the hardest questions I’ve ever had to answer – it’s like choosing a favourite child (even though I don’t have any)! It always tends to change on a daily basis, depending on my mood or where I am/have been.

Ever since I first travelled to Thailand (Phuket) when I was almost seventeen, I have been madly in love with Thai cuisine (which I’m yet to feature on my blog – patience, my pets). Everything you eat in Thailand is a complete taste explosion, due to the magical fusion of sweet, salty, sour and spicy that is essential in Thai cooking. What I would give for a giant bowl of authentic Tom Yum soup, right now…

9. What is your perfect day?

Any day I’m on holiday enjoying a delicious meal, whether it’s ‘pub grub’ or authentic local cuisine. With a camera in my hand.

10. Who would be your dream dinner companion?

As corny/cliché as it sounds, my fiancé. We both have very similar tastes, so if I’m enjoying something, there’s a pretty good chance he is too. He didn’t travel with my family and I to New York, and I admit I missed him most when we were enjoying a delicious meal that I knew he would have loved, too.

11. Do these questions all seem very random to you too?

Not at all! They really got the brain cogs working – thanks, Dookes!