Another Award! the Leibster Award

I wanted to give Julia from Cuckoo 4 Design a big giant THANK YOU for nominating me for the Liebster award... little old me!  I'm so flattered!  As I understand it, the award is something that new bloggers pass along to other new bloggers as a way to network and expose new talent. So be sure to check out her and the other bloggers she nominated.

So here's how it works:

1.  Answer the 11 questions posed

2. Post 11 facts about themselves

3. Nominate other bloggers

4. Tell them that they have been nominated

5. Create a list of 11 questions for the nominees to answer

Okay, here goes...

Julia's Questions

1. What annoys you more than anything?   

When someone talks about/makes fun of other people in their absence.  Most people have their moments where they gossip or voice their opinion of someone here and there, which can be annoying, but I understand and know that I do the same at times. But what bothers me is when someone does it all the time. Or when an entire conversation in a group turns to ridiculing someone who's not there. I find it particularly irritating if its about someone they don't really know.  I can't stand it! 

2. How do you stay creative?

I'd say mostly by looking stuff up online... especially Pinterest!  When I'm working on a specific project I often gather ideas for layouts by looking at similar spaces online.  When it comes to color and materials, I think I'm inspired by everything around me... colors in artwork, patterns of pretty fabric, textures in nature, you name it!  I also think we're subliminally heavily influenced by trends; I think we start seeing something well done in a lot of spaces and fall in love the look even if we're not quite sure where exactly we got the idea.

3. What is your favorite movie?  
That's a tough one because I really enjoy all movie genres and there are so many good ones!  But... Amelie is definitely a top choice, was obsessed with Now and Then growing up, and love anything with Audrey Hepburn.  On the less girly side, Pulp Fiction and Fight Club never get old for me, and I love a movie with a good twist like Momento or The Machinist.

4. Would you have studied something else in college? If you didn’t attend college, what would you study if someone gave you free tuition?   

I'm studying what I'd love to study right now! And I'd do the same if someone gave me free tuition. Read my About Me page for more info.  Sometimes I wish I would have done interior design the first time since my parents paid for my tuition then (this time I'm on my own), but the reality is that I didn't know what I wanted to do back then and even if I did, I wouldn't have appreciated it the way I do now.

5. Do you speak any other languages?   

Ig-pay atin-lay!

6. Do you have any tattoos? If so, do you regret getting them?   

I do and I love it! It's a symbol my dad made up when he and my mother were dating: two interlocked hearts.  They'd write it on love letters to each other and my dad even had a ring made for my mom a while back. Although they're no longer together, they've remained good friends, and my sister and I got the tattoos as a symbol of our family since it was their love that made us!  My dad later got the same tattoo. Still working on convincing mom to get one.

7. What quality do you find most attractive in others? 

Definitely confidence in being yourself.  I especially like silly people who aren't afraid to act silly.

8. What country would you love to live in or are you happy where you are? 

I'm definitely happy where I live, but I often wonder what it'd be like to live somewhere different (in the states or elsewhere; Southern California is so darn expensive!).  I have a theory that enjoying the place you live is all about the people.  I think I could live anywhere if I took the time to get to know people that I jive with. But for now, I'm happy where I am.

9. Do you love or loathe exercise? 

Love it!  I did gymnastics as a kid, ran track and cross-country in high-school, have tried west and east coast swing lessons, Zumba, Hot Hula, spin classes, Bikram Yoga, ran a marathon and hope to do another some day. I wish I had more time for it, but at the moment I'm only exercising once a week. :(

10. If you could furnish your entire house for free from one catalog/store/website, which would it be? 
Oh man! I don't think I could choose just one. I love the mixed look.  If I had to choose, I'd have to do a lot more research. I'd go with something high-end and quality made if it was free... like Baker maybe.

11. What is one skill you’ve always wanted to learn? 

I really enjoyed wood shop in high school so I'd love to learn to make furniture if I had the time and a place to do it, but that's a whole other career in itself, which I don't really plan to pursue.  Wish I could sing and perform, but am too afraid of any audience other than Spot the fake turtle on my dashboard.  More realistically, I'd love to learn more ballroom dancing... dancing with the stars here I come!

11 Facts About Myself

1. I almost went to Rhode Island School of Design for Architecture, but instead decided to stay in California. 
2. I haven't had cable TV for about 7 years and I like it that way!
3. I used to arrange my barbies into little settings when I was a kid and got angry when my little sister moved them to play with them.  I was kind of a brat.
4. I enjoy many music genres the same way I love many different design styles. You might find me listening to country music one morning, gettin' down to Robin Thicke on the drive home, singing along to Otis Redding, or relaxing to Pandora's "The Girl From Ipanema" Radio station while cooking.
5. I love black jelly beans, but not black licorice. Something about the after taste.
6. I visit the Goodwill or Salvation Army at least twice a month to scour for treasures.
7. I talk out loud to Duchess (my kitty) all the time. Sometimes I think she understands me! ;)
8. When I was a kid I told my dad I was never going to shave my legs. That obviously didn't last, but I'm still a hippie au naturel girl at heart!
9. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Why are eggs a breakfast food and not an any meal food?, that's what I want to know!
10. I was extremely shy growing up. I'm really grateful that for the most part that has changed, but I still struggle with speaking up and being myself at times.  I constantly try to remind myself that I can't control what others think of me and instead direct my attention to being helpful and doing my best. That always helps!
11. I dance and hop around my house nearly every day.

Blogs I'm Nominating

White House Black Shutters
The Peak of Tres Chic
Danielle Oakey Interiors
Little Kitchen Big Bites

My Questions

1. What was your childhood dream job?
2. If you could have lunch with one celebrity from any time period, who would it be?
3. If your fairy godmother could wave her wand and give you a skill you've always wanted to have, what would it be?
4. If you were a Disney character, who would you be?
5. Mountains or beach?
6. What's your favorite project that you've completed?
7. If your house was burning down, what 3 items would you grab first?
8. If someone gave you $10,000 that you had to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
9. Would you take the red pill or blue pill? blue=the blissful ignorance of illusions; red=embracing the sometimes painful truth of reality 
10. If you were an animal what would you be and why?
11. What's the most unusual thing on your bucket list?