The Happiness Project Award Show
LIVE FROM THE PARTHENON: Pat Benatar and Tricia Nixon!
— Quote from Mystery Science Theater 3000, Manos the Hands of Fate
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It’s The Happiness Project Award Show
Happy Monday Everyone! I’ve been a lucky girl to receive 3 WHOLE AWARDS this past week! Still, I have a suspicion that the award bearers will try to redact their nominations after my last post’s guilty confession. 😉 So I must make this public NOW!
Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome himself, David N. Walker, nominated me for the WordPress Family Award! I’m very honored to have this title as it was my WordPress family who motivated me to keep writing! David is a part of that family and you should check out his award post because he nominated some of my favorite people in the blogosphere! Big hugs and high fives to all my WP peeps!
Then Mary Wallace, aka ViolaFury, made my Sunday by bestowing me with the Very Inspiring Blogger Award and another Liebster Award (Liebster means ‘friend’)! I really got to know Mary through ROW80, and she’s such a cheerleader for her fellow writers. Her comments and kindness (and Christmas cards) always make me smile! Her award post is chock full of writers I need to check out, so be sure you do too!
One of the fun parts of these blog awards is learning new things about the bloggers you follow. Mary answered 11 questions about herself and challenged me to do the same, so here goes:
1. What is your favorite video game?
The only one I was ever good at was Mario Brothers, but I have a fondness for both Mega-Man and Battle Toads. Therefore, it must be a three-way tie.
2. Do you prefer sleeping on a soft surface or hard surface?
I like a firmer mattress.
3. What is the most unusual food you have tried?
Baby octopus or squid head, both in South Korea
I’m holding a tentacle in my chopsticks!
4. What is your favorite odd food or meal?
When I was little I was a big fan of french toast with gravy…
5. What is the first sense you turn to when describing something in your writing (sight, sound, taste, smell, touch)?
Sight. I’m a visual person, followed by smell. I don’t hear so good, unless I’m trying to sleep and then I hear EVERYTHING!
6. What is one of the cutest things you have ever seen in your life?
My niece and goddaughter, Sonja.
It’s an old shot, she’s four now, but it’s still my favorite one of us.
7. What is the ugliest thing you have ever seen or experienced?
Pooping my pants in public wasn’t exactly ideal.
8. Do you prefer typing or writing with a pen and paper?
When working on my book, I type. It’s just faster. But when thinking up ideas for it, or journaling in general, always pen and paper.
I get to start a new journal soon! Always exciting!
9. What is your favorite thing to drink?
This one’s hard. It depends on what I’m doing.
For writing: Green Tea Lattes
After a workout: Ice water or a Smoothie
Night in: Red wine
Hiking: Red wine in a canteen
10. Do you prefer road trips, airline travel, train travel, other when going long distances?
All of the above – YES! When do we leave?
11. What is your favorite way to watch TV/movies? (as in do you watch on a big screen, your laptop, TIVO…)
I watch some shows on my laptop, but we don’t have TIVO or Netflix. I get all my movies from the library and watch them on the TV.
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Ok, folks, here’s what I want to do! Let’s all nominate 2 bloggers and share links to their sites in the comments! Nominate one for the WordPress Family (or Liebster Award if blogspot’s yer home base – it’s cool) and one for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award!
My picks:
WordPress Family Award: Tiffany A. White – Fellow redhead and movie buff, I’m convinced we’re sisters. Plus – this girl donates proceeds from her AWESOME book Football Sweetheart anytime there’s a disaster. She’s got a heart of gold, and one on her finger now too – CONGRATS TIFF!!!
Very Inspiring Blogger Award: Ingrid Schaffenburg – Ingrid always writes such inspiring posts. She’s got an old soul and faces adversity with poise and acceptance. She is always learning something new, and has so many talents; it’d be easier for me to just hate her, but I can’t, because she’s kind and genuine and beautiful, inside and out.
Who will you nominate?
Blog Awards and Life List News
Get ready for a fly-by week on The Happiness Project! Today I want to say thank you to the writers who bestowed me with some great blogging awards and tell you about this Friday’s upcoming Milestone Party!
First, a big BIG thank you to Amanda Rudd and Gene Lempp who both nominated me for a Versatile Blog Award. Amanda and Gene are such awesome writers, readers, and friends that I am very honored to share this award with them. Amanda is, like me, an example of persistence, and a very encouraging and charming woman. Gene is irritatingly smart about how to set goals and I credit him for getting my nose to the grindstone.
Thank you immensely to all my readers, I wouldn’t be doing this without you! Well, I might, but it wouldn’t be nearly as fun or filled with potential learning opportunities. I’m so humbled to share my day with you and get to know so many of you through your writing, your projects, and of course YOUR COMMENTS-my fave!
Another BIG thank you to Marcia Richards for naming me a recipient of the Liebster Blog Award. Liebster is a german word for Friend, and coming from my Life List Club co-founder, I can definitely say Marcia is a great friend. She’s got the creativity and energy of a toddler chewing espresso beans and at the same time comes off as the wise fairy godmother of all things chocolate and life lessons. Marcia, thank you for being my sound board. I love bouncing ideas around with you!
Part of receiving such honorary awards is presenting them to others you feel deserve them. The Versatile Blogger Award is for bloggers that are able to write about a broad range of topics with talent and enthusiasm. I must recognize the writing works of Catie Rhodes, who is a woman after my own heart with her posts that range from the paranormal to films from the 80’s-90’s. For starting her own blog not too long ago, Catie has it figured out!
I also award the Versatile Blogger Award to Ellie Ann Soderstrom, another new blogger who regales her readers with fascinating tales of mythological creatures and fairtytales as well as stories about why her husband is so annoying. And if you comment, she may make up a story for you with the character name of your choice. Ellie Ann is pure fun!
The Liebster Award is for bloggers I consider a true friend. There are two people that stick out in my mind who have come to my writer’s rescue and shared their own stories with the world which I always think is a brave and self-aware act. I present this award to Mark Petruska and Renee Schuls-Jacobson.
Mark is my guy, he keeps me in the know on what’s happening in Portland, Oregon, a city I visited 2 years ago and fell in love with. Lately, Mark’s been on some trips of his own and really grown in the past year. He recently fell in love! *communal Awwww* And with this year of change, Mark’s been sharing more about his life with us, and I couldn’t be happier for all he’s accomplished, including his decision to self-publish!
Renee wrote a post called When Writers Meltdown where she was so honest about how we all judge ourselves and think we’re never doing enough. I was SO in that moment then, and Renee not only reached out to me via comments, but did so with e-mail and twitter too. She wanted me to know I was not alone, and that she knew exactly how I felt. What better definition of friend is there than that?
There’s more fun to be had this Friday with the Life List Club‘s Milestone Party! Be sure to come back and comment this weekend while each of us shares an update of our goals and YOU can win a shot at several LLC giveaways! Share your own successes and learning moments with us. We’ll all be offering goodies to win and cyber treats and playing our kind of party music. I’m thinking…CeCe Peniston. You?
Style Tips from the Happiness Project
Surely this day would never come. Me, get a stylish blogger award? And it happened without me having to bargain for it! I mean no one was trapped under something heavy, or starving, or having an allergic reaction, or unable to zip their pants on their own! It just happened! Woohoo! I always new I was stylish!
My Mrs. Peacock costume on Halloween. We dressed up as characters from the boardgame Clue.
So how did this eighth wonder of the world occur? It’s all thanks to Mckenzie at the Unabridged Girl. Always so supportive and genuine, her blog is like checking in with your bff to see what’s up. She shares her struggles, so you ask if you can buy her some chocolate, when she is consumed with sweets, she writes flash fiction, shares writing quirks, and tales of friendship. Thanks Mckenzie, it’s always fun to read your blog!
If I am understanding this blogger award thing correctly, it’s the new century’s popular way of sending a chain letter, right? Only I don’t have to pay any money to a cause that helps gorillas in a zoo or buy girl scout cookies. I can handle that. I do have to share with you some tidbits you might not know about me though. I’ll try to make them interesting.
- I think croutons are a perfectly acceptable snack.
- The sun hates me. I literally break out into hives if I don’t wear SPF 80. Although once, it happened in my childhood bedroom, and the only light on was a nightlight. Nature vs. Jess vs. Nurture?
- I loved the french film, Amelie, so much when I saw it, I rewound it (dvds weren’t out yet), and watched it all over again immediately.
- I love graveyards and walk through them as much as possible. On occasion, I’ve been known to tamper with some graves, but I swear it’s always respectfully. I think graveyards are full of stories.
Last summer in the cemetery attached to Boston Common. I can't help myself, I love creepin' in the crypts!
5. I’m more beatnik than hippy someone told me. I’m quite liberal, I believe in being environmentally friendly, I am pro-diversity, I like to write and listen to music. But, I’m more content with a cup of coffee in my hand than a joint. 🙂
6. In high school, my favorite musician was Tori Amos and I have all her albums! One year for my birthday, my best friends decorated my locker with the lyrics from Raspberry Swirl. They rock! If interested, my new favorite singer is Serena Ryder, she’s pretty rocker!
7. Audio books have become my new favorite way to multi-task. I listen to them while I get ready in the morning or drive home sometimes. I find them especially wonderful when reading a book centered around a different culture or country. I like hearing a native speaker read it aloud, I can appreciate the voice of the characters more this way.
And now, to award the Stylish Blogger Award to some of my favorite bloggers:
Stylish Blogger Award
Mark My Words: Mark is my go to guy for a laugh and a Portland, OR fix. If you love to laugh or love Portland and miss it like I do, you will get along well with Mark.
Mostly Bright Ideas: Charles is my role model wannabee. He writes eloquent, succinct prose and makes it look so easy I want to slap him, but I won’t because his writing is too damn good. Suck it, Charles! You’re amazing!
Conjuring My Muse: Margaret Reyes Dempsey is my roommate in a parallel life. So Madge, (I’m nicknaming you), it’s your turn to buy the TP!
Whenquiet’s Blog: Living my dream life in France and writing beautiful, moving poetry, she knows how to instill peace in her readers. I always find beauty in her blog.
Happy reading and writing!
Jess Witkins' Happiness Project 