Best Blog Award!

Hello Gorgeous! A little over a week ago Teresa from Teresa - Life and Style awarded me the with the best blog award, but I'm just now getting around to posting it. I was super flattered that she forwarded this award onto me, and I'm glad she was given it was well, because she really does have one of the best blogs around (a must read for me)!

As usual, I must reveal 7 facts about me, so here they are!

1. I think Gibbs (Mark Harmon) from NCIS is pretty good looking for an old guy (shh...don't tell the finace). ;)
2. When I was little I loved to play with Barbies and always wanted to go over to my friend's house because she had an entire Barbie city in her toy room!
3. I took dance lessons for 13 years and learned everything from tap to hip hop and acrobats to riverdance!
4. I really love nail polish, but hate wasting it, so I always have an internal struggle when I see a new color I like in the store (I already have more than I could use in the next two years).
5. I will NOT buy anything full price. Ever.
6. If I weren't in my current career path, I would love to either be an FBI/CIA agent, a bakery owner, an interior designer, or a full time jewelry designer. :)
7. I think baby wombats are some of the cutest animal babies of all. If you've never seen one, here's a picture so you know what I mean:

Definitely one of the cutest animal babies ever, right?!

Ok, so now I'm supposed to forward this award to 15 other blogs:

1. Average Girl's Guide  2. Chic 'n Cheap Living  3. Chicago Quirk  4. Defining Tabitha              5. Defying My Closet  6. The Fabulous Life of the Not-So-Rich & Infamous  7. Feather Factor    8. Glam Kitten's Litter Box  9. Modanista Junkie  10. Oh To Be A Muse  11. Real Girl Glam     12. Red Lip Gloss  13. Scribbles from Emily  14. Smart n Snazzy  15. This Free Bird

Finally, I have to fill out this Q & A:

Favorite Color: All of them, but maybe coral, cobalt blue, and turquoise a little more than the rest. :)

Favorite Song: I'm such a big music lover. I could never limit my favorites down to one, but my favorite Led Zeppelin song, "Fool In The Rain," has been in heavy rotation lately.

Biggest Pet Peeve: Impolite people. If I help you with directions, say "thank you." If a blind girl is walking in behind you (or anyone for that matter), hold the d*** door for her/them (I've seen this happen). If I just had shoulder surgery and my arm is in a sling so I can't hold on to the hand rail on the bus, give up your seat you lazy frat boy (this has also happened to me)!

When Upset I: Cry. :) Sometimes I don't cry, but I want to. In that case I usually just sit quietly and think or take a walk.

Favorite Pet: Sneaker was definitely one of my favorites, as is my current cat, Noodle, but I really love(d) all of my pets. I also adore Sadie, who is my fiance's family's dog.

Black or White: I love to wear black & white together!

Biggest Fear: Snakes, large spiders, scorpions, and large bugs (especially those that are large and have stingers). Ick!

Best Feature: My loyalty and love for my friends and loved ones. Also, I have pretty awesome legs. ;)

Everyday Attitude: Laid back. I am usually in a pretty good mood.

What is Perfection: Non-existent. Many things are close to perfection, but nothing is ever truly perfect nor would I want it to be. Life's little imperfections are what keeps things interesting. :)

Guilty Pleasure: Ice cream!!! I also love this drink at Nordstrom Cafe that's called the Mocha Cookies & Cream Ice Storm (it's made with espresso, chocolate, and oreos...awesome)!

Thanks to Teresa for giving me this award! I hope you all have a fabulous day!

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Awards Galore!

Good Morning, Gorgeous! The lovely Nancy-Lee of FashioCHICsta has graciously given me a plethora of blog awards including the Kreativ Blogger Award, the Versatile Blogger Award, One Lovely Blog Award, and the Stylish Blogger Award! Thank's so much to Nancy-Lee, and be sure to check out her fabulous blog!

As part of these awards, I'm supposed to tell you seven fun facts about myself and forward the award to other deserving bloggers. Since I can't think of seven different facts for each of the awards, I'm going to take the easy way out and give you one list of facts for them all. :)

1. I take longer to go grocery shopping than clothes shopping! I blame it on the wide variety of options for the same item (curse you, bread aisle)!
2. I love that my fiance sends me random pictures of cute animals throughout the day because he thinks they will make me smile.
3. Sometimes when my cat Noodle is sleeping, we pretend we're having a photo shoot for stuffonmycat.com and see who can put the most things on her without her waking up (don't worry, it's only very light, non-dangerous things...like socks)! :)
4. I can't get enough of Mario's Italian Lemonade (e.g. the best Italian lemonade/ice in Chicago) in in the summer. It's always a favorite place to go when taking a break from school work!
5. I am so excited about my new Etsy shop that I keep checking it every other hour to see if I have any messages, or even better, sales!
6. We get to take our first visit to a possible wedding venue this weekend! I will do my best to take photos for you all to see!
7. Due to the extreme heat as of late, my beautiful plants on my balcony (see this post) are really struggling. :( Hopefully they can make it through another week of heat!

Also, instead of picking seven blogs for each of these awards, I'm just going to award my entire "favorite blogs" list, which includes:

All Swamped in Flowers - Archives Vintage - Audrey Allure - The Average Girl's Guide - Bijou & Boheme - Blonde Bedhead - Bon Bon Rose Girls - Cake Wrecks - CC Loves... - Chic 'n Cheap Living - Chicago Quirk - Chicago Street Style - ChiTown Fashionista - Couture Carrie - Curly in the City - Curvatude - Defining Tabitha - Defying My Closet - The Embellished Life - The Fabulous Life of the Not-So-Rich & Infamous - FashionCHICsta - Feather Factor - Fierce | Fabulous | Fit - Glam Kitten's Litter Box - I Look Good Today - Modanista Junkie - Ms. Eggplant's Chronicles - Oh To Be a Muse - Peppermint Lips - Pink Beauty Bliss - Real Girl Glam - Red Lip Gloss -  Sartoriography - Scribble from Emily - Selective Potential - Smart n Snazzy - Teresa: Life & Style - This Free Bird - Thriftaholic - Tick Tock Vintage

I hope you all have a great day! Thanks again to Nancy-Lee for all these fun awards!

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Another Exciting Blog Award

Hello Gorgeous! I'm super excited to inform you that Christina from Red Lip Gloss thinks I'm a Kreativ blogger with a "K" (which is clearly more creative than with a "C")! :) A big thanks to Christina, who's blog is super fun and informative, so be sure to check it out!

As usual, I now have to give you all even more fun facts about myself, as well as pass this award on to 10 other bloggers! Here are my 10 facts:

1. I love chocolate milk!

2. My fiancé and I always DVR Community, The Office, NCIS, 30 Rock, & South Park.

3. We have a glassware collection that includes over 20 wine glasses, 35 beer glasses, and 25 shot glasses!

4. My parents came up with my middle name by turning my dad's middle name, Alan, into a female name- Alaine.  :)

5. I really want to get a Hovawart, which is a German dog that almost became extinct in the early 20th century.

6. I don't like to eat orange segments because the texture of the pulp grosses me out.

7. My favorite item in my kitchen is my espresso maker, closely followed by my Kitchen Aid mixer.

8. The first high end handbag I ever bought was stolen just a month after I purchased it. :(

9. I love to wear dresses during the summer!

10. Out of all the celebrities I've met, I was most excited about meeting and pouring a Jim Beam Black for Bill Murray!

And here are 10 super creative bloggers I'm passing this award onto:

• Chic 'n Chic Living
• Chicago Quirk
• Feather Factor
• Fierce | Fabulous | Fit
• Glam Kitten's Litter Box
• Oh to Be a Muse
• Ms. Eggplant's Chronicles
• Smart n Snazzy
• Teresa: Life & Style
• The Average Girl's Guide

As usual, there are plenty of other fabulous bloggers I could forward this award to, so be sure to check them all out in my favorites list!

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The Adorable Blog Award

Hello Beauties! I'm so flattered today to receive the Adorable Blog Award from Teresa, who's blog "Teresa: Life & Style" is truly one of the most adorable, sweet, and fun blogs I know of! 

The Adorable Blog Award comes with a few rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award, and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell us 10 things about yourself.
3. Nominate five other adorable bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers, and let them know they received this award.

Again, thanks so much to Teresa for bestowing me with this award. Please check out her blog when you have time. Her wonderful personality really shines through everything she writes!

Next, 10 things about me that you might not know...

1. When the fiancé and I get a dog, I'm seriously going to push to name it Rice solely for the purpose of having pets named Noodle & Rice.
2. I was scared of clowns as a child.
3. I think red lipstick usually looks pretty horrible on me.
4. I can't wait to have Rahm Emanuel inaugurated as the new mayor of Chicago (in less than 90 minutes)!
5. I rarely drink soda, but if I do, it's either diet 7-up or gingerale.
6. My favorite fruits are raspberries, watermelon, and pineapple!
7. I've always loved to wear dresses, even when I was a little girl.
8. Although I have super pale skin throughout most of the year, I can get pretty tan in the summer thanks to my 1/8 Native American ancestry.
9. I love to go on vacation with my family! The last big trip we took was a cruise in the Caribbean- it was so much fun!
10. Although I've always been really into wine, I've learned a ton about beer in the last couple years thanks to my fiancé, who is also a fabulous home brewer!

Finally, it's mine turn to give this award to five other bloggers. Although this is a terribly difficult task because I know SO MANY fabulous bloggers, I tried to base my decision on blogs that capture the essence of being adorable. These blogs truly are adorable, and are written by super sweet gals who you should totally follow! They are:

• The Average Girl's Guide
• Scribbles from Emily
• Fierce | Fabulous | Fit
• Smart n Snazzy
• Glam Kitten's Litter Box

While these blogs are truly adorable, also be sure to check out my links to see a list of lots more amazing bloggers that I absolutely adore! 

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Another Stylish Blogger Award!!!

As Chicago legend Harry Caray would say, "Holy Cow!"  I am absolutely ecstatic to receive a second Stylish Blogger Award today from Lia at Smart n Snazzy: Stylish Without Going Broke!  I recently discovered Lia's fabulous blog and can't get enough of it!  Be sure to check it out!

The rules for accepting this award including thanking Lia, sharing 7 more random things about myself (you all are going to know me very well), and passing this award to 3 other deserving ladies!

1. I am addicted to coffee and drink it 1 to 3 times per day!  I should really cut back. :)
2. I made my sister's wedding cake back in November, which was one of the most stressful things I've ever done!  Check out my recipes page to see a picture of it.
3. I played Goldilocks in our kindergarten play and apparently flashed the audience my frilly undies when I "broke" baby bear's chair.  Haha!
4. My favorite sports teams are the Indianapolis Colts, the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Butler Bulldogs, and the Indiana Hoosiers!
5. I love fashion in general, but really can't get enough jackets, shoes, and handbags!
6. I am the jeans queen!  I love all different styles of jeans and probably have 10 pairs in my closet right now!
7. I'm lucky to have an awesome sister who is a hair stylist and gets me lots of fantastic beauty products at wholesale prices with her stylish discounts!!!

And now for my 3 picks to pass on this award:

• Fierce Fabulous Fit
• Feather Factor
• Peppermint Lips Beauty Blog

Check out these other lovely ladies and thanks again to Lia at Smart n Snazzy! What a fabulous night!!!

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Stylish Blogger Award!

Good evening, gorgeous gals!  This has been a fabulous week for me!  I'm on spring break visiting my family, I hit 150 followers on Google Friend Connect, and I was bestowed my second blogger award just a few days after my first! Today, the lovely Syzia at Peppermint Lips Beauty Blog deemed me worthy of the Stylish Blogger Award, for which I am very grateful and flattered!

As the recipient of this award, I must do the following:

1. Thank and link to the person who gave me this award.
2. Share 7 facts about myself.
3. Award 15 other stylish bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers to tell them about the award.

So without further ado, here are 7 facts about me you might not know yet:

1. Some of my favorite brands includes BCBG, Citizens of Humanity, & Marc Jacobs.
2. I'm currently contemplating getting a feather extension in my hair (if you haven't heard about these, let me know in a comment below- I may write a post about them).
3. I was the editor of my high school newspaper for a year.
4. My friends think I'm a human juke box because I know the lyrics to so many songs!
5. The first record I had was "Different Light" by the Bangles, the first tape was "Hangin' Tough" by New Kids on the Block, and the first CD was "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em" by MC Hammer!  Ha!  :)
6. One of my favorite things to do on warm evenings is grill with my boyfriend and sip margaritas on the balcony (for my awesome recipe, see the recipes page).
7. I have a one and a half inch scar on my right shoulder from the rotator cuff surgery I had last January.  I wasn't too happy about it at first, but it kind of makes me look tough.  :)

And now for the 15 awardees:

• Audrey Allure
• Bijou & Boheme
• BonBon Rose Girls
• CC Loves...
• Chic 'n Cheap Living
• COCAMIA
• Curly In The City
• Lipstick & Ruffles
• Ms. Eggplant's Chronicles
• Oh To Be A Muse
• Pink Beauty Bliss
• Scribbles From Emily
• Smart n Snazzy: Stylish Without Going Broke
• The Average Girls Guide
• The Fabulous Life of the Not-So-Rich & Infamous

Be sure to check out these other fabulous blogs as well as Peppermint Lips Beauty Blog!  Thanks again to Syzia!  I'm so flattered to receive this award!

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Baby's 1st Blogger Award

Although my mom probably won't add this achievement to my baby book, I am thrilled to announce that last night I received my very 1st mini blogger award! The fabulous Alyson of The Average Girl's Guide deemed me worthy of the Versatile Blogger Award! Check out her award post here.

As part of the award, I am to link back to the individual who bestowed it upon me, write seven facts about myself, and present it to seven other fabulous bloggers!


Here are my 7 fast facts:

1. I have a wonderful boyfriend, Kellen, who gives fabulous foot massages and makes the best mocha latte I've ever had!
2. I was a bartender at a blues club in Chicago for over 4 years, so I can make a mean martini!
3. I'm currently working on my Master's in Psychology, but my previous degrees include a B.A. in Psychology, and more surprisingly, an A.S. in the Culinary Arts!
4. The town I grew up in was so small that it didn't have a movie theatre, a mall, or even a chain restaurant other than fast food places!
5. I love animals and currently have a cat named Noodle, but my previous pets have included Hammie the Hamster, Jamal the Beta Fish, Sneaker, Tiger, & Minor (all cats), Xavier, Jack, & Major (all dogs), and some other fish I can't remember the names of!
6. I have played volleyball for 16 years now, and was fortunate enough to play in college and on a club team that placed in nationals!
7. I love making lists- for everything! My boyfriend thought I it was odd that I enjoy list making so much, but then he met my mother, who has since made several lists in his presence! :)

And now for my 7 lovely, versatile awardees:

1. Audrey Allure
2. Chic 'n Cheap Living
3. Couture Carrie
4. Ms. Eggplant's Chronicles
5. The Fabulous Life of the Not-So-Rich and Infamous
6. Lauren Loves
7. Oh to be a Muse

Congrats to these bloggers, and thanks again to Alyson of The Average Girl's Guide for giving me this fabulous award!


Also, my seven facts listed above will serve as my "Mix & Mingle Monday" for the week, so please feel free to comment about them and tell me some interesting facts about yourself! I love to hear from you all!

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