Saluting an amazing community of nail bloggers--The Liebster Award and the Versatile Blogger Award

Hello everyone! :)

When I started this blog, I did it because I wanted a place to come practice my adventures in nail art, so I could stretch myself, learn, and maybe pass along tips and whoopsies I learned along the way. It's a creative outlet first and foremost, but as a fellow blogger once said, nobody ever publishes a blog without wanting someone to read it. For me I honestly never thought that 'someone' would ever grow much beyond my IRL family and friends. I hoped it would, of course.

But what I really never thought would happen is that I would stumble on a group of supportive, caring, friendly bloggers who would engage with me on a personal and blog level. In my day job, people can be very competitive and cut-throat at times, and it's not a part of my job that I like. I have been completely floored by how much the nail polish community is NOT like that. For the most part, I've met lovely ladies and gentlemen who just love polish and love talking about it, and can't wait to help another blogger/artist/polish lover learn and grow.

Evidence of how giving this community is came home to me sharply this week when I was nominated for two blog awards, the Liebster Award and the Versatile Blogger award--twice each. I love the fact that these awards exists--acknowledgement of bloggers, by bloggers, designed to support and celebrate each other--and I am deeply moved to have been chosen for them. So, before I post about the awards themselves, I just wanted to say how much of a pleasure it has been to become a part of this blogger community. Nobody has made fun of my (many) mistakes. Nobody has ridiculed me for asking stupid questions. I've been encouraged and supported, and I can't thank you all enough for that.

Okay enough blubbering, hee hee hee! :P On to the awards. I will post about the first one, The Liebster Award, today, and the Versatile Blogger award tomorrow.

So, the Liebster Award! I was nominated by Dina Ramse of Secretary's Nail Art and by Becky of Glam Fiend. I am so incredibly flattered by the nominations, I still can't believe it. :) Here are the rules:

The award is designed to give small blogs some attention, and to qualify you need to have fewer than 200 Followers.

The rules are as following:
1. Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves.
2. They must also answer the 11 questions the 'tagger' has set for them.
3. They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag.
4. They must then choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers and tag them in their post.
5. These lucky bloggers must then be told.
6. There's no tag backs.



Here are 11 things about myself.
1) I am left-handed.
2) I love coffee, especially espresso drinks, and most especially, mochas.
3) I am an MMORPG fan, and have just started playing FPSs.
4) I adore cross-word puzzles and any similar sort of puzzle.
5) I have a non-fiction book published.
6) I am writing a novel.
7) I am a couponer. Not an extreme couponer like the show on TV, but serious enough to use the word 'couponer'. How do you think I afford all da polishez!? :)
8) My really guilty pleasure is watching Real Housewives of New Jersey. Not the others--just that one. Yes, I am ashamed to admit this, but no, I will not stop watching.
9) I love political discussions and debates.
10) I am a professor.
11) I love to read, and have a severely co-dependent relationship with my Kindle. I plug it in, it reads to me at night as I fall asleep. (I also read it the normal way, lol)


Here are the questions Dina had for me:
1) What was your first response to getting this Award?

My first response was that you must have sent it to the wrong person, lol!

2) Name your 3-5 favorite polishes.

OOHHH SOO HAAARRRDDD!!! Nubar Reclaim. Ludurana Show. Hits Ares. Risque Besouro. And so many more...sigh...

3)Tea or Coffee?

Why should I have to decide? You can't make me! I love dem both!!! Okay, if I *had* to pick, it would be coffee, as long as it could be mochas. But I wouldn't be happy about it.

4) Favorite Youtuber.

Without hesitation, Plasmaspeedo. She's fun, she's sweet, she's talented, and she's now proud to be serving her country in the navy. :)

5) If you stamp, whats your favorite stamping polish?

Konad. 

6) What should you be doing now, instead of blogging?

Sleeping.

7) Who`s your favorite poet, and why?

e.e. cummings. I love the way he plays with the conventions of written language to evoke emotion and ambiguity.

8) If you could make a polish, what would it be?

A holographic duochrome with a sprinkle of subtle glitter. Probably red. Possibly green.

9) Your favorite manicure you have ever made (link). What is it about it, that you love so much?

My favorite manicure is this one that I did of a summer sunrise. I love it because it was the first time I tried to recreate a scene, and while it's far from perfect, it actually mostly came out the way I wanted it to. :) You can see it by clicking here.

10) 5 things you have within arms length from where you sit.

3 Cats, 7 bottles of nail polish, a throw blanket, a headset, and a pen.

11) Whats your game?

I want to leave the world a nicer place than it was when I came into it. :)

Here are the questions Becky had for me:
1. What is your all time favorite comedy movie?
Ooo, tie between My Cousin Vinny and A Fish Called Wanda

2. Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
The Search

3. What song always makes you happy when you hear it?
Price Tag by Jessie J, and Fireflies by Owl City. Who doesn't want a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs??

4. Do you like the smell of nail polish?
Yes, but not because it smells good, but because of the positive associations.

5. What do you do on your off time?
Nail art. Read. Game. Scrapbook. Write. Cook. Garden...so...many...hobbies...not...enough...time...

6. Do you ever leave the house without makeup?
Often. :)

7. What is your favorite polish?
See above. :)

8. What is your favorite holiday?
Tie between Halloween and Christmas.

9. What is your favorite mani?
See above. :)

10. Do you have any pets?
Three beautiful cats. :)

11. Do you prefer to be outside or stay at home?
I prefer to be outside at home, in my garden. :)



Here are the questions I have for the bloggers I've selected (many stolen from Dina and Becky!):
1) What is your favorite polish?
2) What is your favorite movie or book, and why?
3) What is your guilty pleasure?
4) What is your favorite manicure, and why? Link please. :)
5) Pick one word to describe yourself.
6) List 5 things within arm's reach of where you sit.
7) Who is your favorite artist, and why? (not nail artist, but painter, sculptor, etc.)
8) What should you be doing now, instead of blogging?
9) Indoor or outdoor person?
10) Name one thing you have or would have on your bucket list.
11) List 3 things that make you happy, other than nail polish.


And here are the bloggers I've chosen:
1) http://macabremanicures.blogspot.com/
2) http://xarisc.blogspot.com/
3) http://www.fancyphalanges.blogspot.com/
4) http://volatilevarnish.blogspot.co.uk/
5) http://www.cute-iclechronicles.com/
6) http://www.valiantlyvarnished.blogspot.com/
7) http://www.timeonmynails.com/
8) http://theclockwisenailpolish.blogspot.pt/
9) http://noholos.blogspot.com/
10) http://maquiclubgirl.blogspot.com/
11) http://www.lacquerbuzz.com/

I know, that was an awful lot of stuff to have to read through about me! So let me end by asking you to check out Dina and Becky's blogs, as well as the blogs I nominated above--tons of great stuff on all of them. And thanks again to all of you out there who have a nail blog, read nail blogs, do tutorials, etc.--this is such an amazing, supportive community, and I'm so lucky to be a part of it. :)

Thanks for reading whether or not you made it this far, lol!! :)

M.