Ich liebe dich!

Hello my fabulous Bloggy Friends!

I am thrilled to share with you that I have been nominated by Miss Gabby @ Essentially Eclectic for a
LiebsterAward!  I am embarassed about how long it has taken me to get this post put together but I wanted 
to take mytime with it and put together something nice instead of rushing through it. So Thank you for the 
honor Miss Gabby I sincerely appreciate it!  If you haven't stopped by her blog head on over.  She has 
fabulous homemade soaps and she recently posted a Summer Bucket List Inspiration Link Party!

So what exactly is a Liebster Award? Great question! And it seems to be changing as it floats around the 
blogging world.  Liebster is a German word for "sweetheart" or "dearest." So, the Liebster Award is given to 
up-and-coming blogs of less than 200 followers. Once you have been nominated for a Liebster award, the 
basic blogging protocol is as follows:

• Thank your nominator! Include a link back to their blog. 
• Answer the 11 questions given to you by your nominator
• Post 11 facts about yourself
• Nominate 5-11 {I've seen various numbers} other up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers                      for the award--no tag backs!
• Come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer
• Let your nominees know you nominated them so they too can pass on the love!

Miss Gabby's Questions for Me:

1)  Best book you've ever read? 

     This really isn't a fair question! I love to read so many different kinds of books. And there are several that
I love for different reasons, but I suppose if I were to pick up only one book to read today I would pick 
Divergent by Veronica Roth.

2)  Blog post/project you're most proud of? 
     The blog post that I am the most proud of is my Orange Sweet Rolls.  This is a recipe that my Grandmother used to make for me.  I love them! I love the way that my house smells when they are baking, I love using the fresh citrus, and I love all of the wonderful memories that it brings back to me when I make them.  Since Grandma Betty isn't here with me anymore, I find great joy and bring her back every time I make one of her fabulous recipes!  She was always in the kitchen and she always let me help.  I was touched with how popular the recipe was with my readers because it was such a meaningful post for me.

3)  Accomplishment you're most proud of?
     These two handsome boys!  Who wouldn't be proud of such amazing, talented, young men!

4)  Mac or Windows?
     Windows, simply because that is what I grew up using.  I'm sure I would like Apple if I had it but with two Electrical Engineers for parents using PC's, I grew up with windows :)

5)  Favorite childhood memory?
     I have a lot of really great memories from when I was a little kid, but one of my favorites would certainly have to be sitting up on my Grandfather's lap in his old brown Ford pickup truck.  He would let me climb up on his lap and steer as we drove down the road.  He would never let me go too far off course and he would always take me up to the corner store "The Cracker Barrel" not the chain restaurant but our little town store and buy me a drink and penny candies.  Doing that today would probably land him in jail but I sure loved it.  One because I felt big, getting to drive the truck and all. Two because I got to get a treat.  And Three because I got to spend time with "Papa Gerry."

6)  Your biggest pet peeve?
     People causing unnecessary drama!  I am very involved with my boys.  I attend field trips at school with them, I keep the score book at their baseball games, I am a Den leader and an active parent in their scouting, and I hold a position at church also.  These are things that I love to do and feel blessed to have a husband that can provide for our family without me having to work so that I can do those things for my boys.  What I hate is when people (usually parents) cause problems over little stuff that doesn't really matter.  Life is too short to sweat the small stuff! Relish what is truly important.  

7)  Best experience you've ever had traveling abroad? Or, if you've never been abroad, best vacation you've ever had?
     My all time very favorite experience traveling was going as a sophomore in High School to Coasta Rica with my cousin for her Senior Trip.  I absolutely loved it! We spent a week and I could have stayed a lifetime.  The beaches weren't crowded and stretched beautifully across the horizon. There were iguana's everywhere, just like the squirrels here in my backyard.  The food was simple and delicious made from the local produce and the fresh fruit was amazingly sweet.  The rain forest was mesmerizing.  I loved the orchids and butterflies.   And hearing howler monkeys with the birds was so fascinating for me.  Monkey's were something I'd only seen in the zoo before that.  I loved all the different kinds of wild life and plants that were there, and the quality of life that the people had.  Not quality in physical possessions, but quality in the joy that they had in life.  It is an experience that has stuck with me and that I will always appreciate and remember.
   
8)  Beauty product you couldn't live without?
     Ok I'm probably going to be pretty boring on this one since I don't spend a lot of time with make up and lotions or anything like that.  I would have to say shampoo.  My complexion is really quite oily so I don't wear a lot of make up since it makes me break out.  I live by a philosophy of the less is more.  But I do appreciate a shampoo that does a good job and doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy or overly dry.  Bed Head makes a good one, I also like Dove Intense Therapy when my hair is short and I'm not using a conditioner. 

9)  One thing you miss most about the 90s?
     Oh man, the 90s were awesome! What do I pick? The feathered bangs, the flannel shirts, the overalls... I am going to have to go with the music.  I loved the Grunge Rock.  It's still my favorite.  So many good artists were around in the 90s: Nirvana, Live, Creed, Pearl Jam, REM, 3rd Eye Blind, The Goo Goo Dolls, Cranberries, Bush, The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Soundgarden, Radiohead, Blues Traveler, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Collective Soul... Really the list goes on and on.  There is some good stuff out there now, but I'm a sucker for some 90s tunes!

10)  Choose two different scoops of ice cream for one cone. What are they?
      I would definitely pick Pistachio Almond.  It is one of my all time favorites.  Green pistachio flavored ice cream with big almond chunks.  Yum! And Burnt Almond Fudge.  I haven't had it in years but I love it.  Chocolaty goodness.  I may have to go get some ice cream now!

11)  Something you've learned recently?
      That it's ok to fail.  I think I've always know this but as I have gotten older I am seeing that benefits can come from failing.  I was always a perfectionist when I was younger and I always tried to strive for excellence.  I still do, but it is not as traumatic when I don't succeed.  I see how much you can learn from a failed project or a bad recipe, or a boring activity.  You learn what works and what doesn't.  If I never failed at anything I would never get better.  I am trying to more fully embrace all forms of learning.


11 Facts About Me: 

1) I am a Military Spouse.  My husband has been in the Air Force for 10 years now which has moved us from Utah, to Washington State, to Ohio, to Arizona, and Virginia. I have loved watching my family grow! I was married in Utah, we added our first child in Washington, our second in Ohio.  Then we got our sweet and adorable Cocka-Poo in Arizona! I am surrounded by boys!  And I am claiming the nest of birds out in my planter boxes for our latest addition since I am not having any more kids lol.  Regardless, I love my boys!

2) In college I pursued a double major. I have a BA in Management and in Human Resources.  I don't think I will ever work in HR, but I have used a lot of my leadership and management training which I really enjoy.  I am happy that I have my expensive little piece of paper.  I have considered going back to school but I'm still not 100% sure what I want to be when I grow up!

3) I met my husband in college in the Military Science Building.  I was a new Freshman ROTC recruit.  He was a Junior and looked great in that dark blue uniform.  We spent 9/11 together a month later in that same building with the other cadets staring in unbelief at what we saw on TV.  Before my husband graduated I dropped out of ROTC getting all the benefits from him without ever going active duty.

4) I was a perfectionist for a long time, not settling for anything less than an A.  I would work as hard as I could, studying all hours of the night to do well.  Looking back I missed out on a lot of fun... Out of High School I graduated with a 4.0 gpa and Magna Cum Laude from Eastern Washington University.  

5) I was in AP Art and I lettered in Swimming and Academics in High School.

6) I have been to 17 different countries and 42 states. I would love to see more!

7) I love a good action flick! James Bond, Star Trek, Transformers, the Avengers.  I am always up for an adventure :)  

8) My favorite color is Blue.

9) I have my Dad's classical guitar.  I don't get to play as much as I would like, but it is something I really love.

10) I hate dusting.  That was one of the chores I had every week as a kid and I put it off as long as possible.  When my kids start sneezing when the fan is on I know there's a problem.  I really need to do better, I just don't want to!

11) I making things myself.  I get such a sense of satisfaction watching a recipe go from a bunch of ingredients into a finished product that can be shared and enjoyed.  Or watching pieces of fabric come together into a blanket that can be used over and over.  Or watching individual colors come together to create a picture.  You can probably buy all of those things but you miss out on the experience and fulfillment of making them yourself.

I am sharing the Love and Nominating... 

Miss Chrissie D @ Made by ChrissieD
Miss Lorraine @ Cookin' For The Seven Dwarfs
Miss Carissa @ Carissa Miss
Miss Shelley @ Piggy in Polka Dots
Miss Alice @ Mums Make Lists
Miss Christine @ I Dig Pinterest and I Did it Too!
Miss Stephanie @ The Tip Toe Fairy Blog
Miss Tessa @ Tessacotton
Miss Susan @ Fidler's Under One Roof
Miss Heather @ The Unsophisticated Kitchen
Miss Dru @ Teenage Cakeland

I look forward getting to know ya'll a bit better!

My Questions for my Nominee's:

1) If you could do anything tomorrow, what would you do?

2) What is your favorite thing to make?

3) What do you love about your life?

4) What do you wish you did better?

5) Who is an inspiration to you?

6) What quality do you have that others love about you?

7) What are you reading right now?

8) What is your favorite movie?

9) What is the most memorable event from your childhood?

10) What is one thing you never want to forget?

11) What is your definition of success?

Sincerely,
Krista

(Thank you Kirby for letting your Southern Twang finally rub off on me!)