liebster blog award

I always say that I’m total small potatoes and a complete newbie in the whole blog world, that I am constantly surprised and excited by every note, comment and kind word I receive about any of the things I chat about here on Jelly Toast. Each and every reader makes me smile 🙂What’s the whole Liebster Blog Award about, anyway? Well, in it’s essence, it’s a great way to get to know new-to-you blogs, and learn a bit more about the people behind them.  When Chelsea & Lesley told me about the nomination, they passed on the fun rules, too:

1. Post eleven facts about yourself.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you and create eleven questions for people you’ve nominated.
3. Choose eleven bloggers with fewer than 2000 followers {for the purposes of this, I’m going with Facebook followers}to give this award to and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.

So, after a few weeks of mulling over my answers I have finally gathered my answers, come up with my own questions and even more importantly, I’ve picked the 11 Bloggers that I will be passing this award on to. It’s a pretty awesome bunch, so be sure to check them out!

Ok! On to my questions and answers!

• My birthday is July 11th and I’m going to be 31. I’m pretty much okay with it.
• I’m not a good runner. Like really, really not good.
• I’m short (5’1″). That 1 inch is very important to me 🙂
• I am, in general, a very disorganized person. Clutter overtakes me.
• I’ve been to Germany and England, but haven’t been on a plane since 2005 for my honeymoon (Miami). It’s way past due for me to fly somewhere.
• I quote Friends like it’s my job. Sometimes I wish it were.
• After years of trying to be a gardener, I finally got bit by the gardening bug last year, thanks to my mom’s encouragement. I’m actually looking forward to weeding my beds which is total crazy pants.
• Photography has been a passion of mine since high school. I was always taking pictures of my feet.
• I have the funniest, smartest kids in the world.
• I love coffee. It’s like this whole ritual and experience in my day that makes me smile.
• I love music, but I’m a terrible singer. I also have this annoying (I like to think endearing) habit of never remembering the names of singers or songs and then asking my husband, “who sang that song? You know, the one that goes….um, well I can’t remember how it goes, but it’s something about ‘bells’…” It’s this really fun game we play.

Here are the questions (and my answers) from Mingle & Rubbish:

What made you start a blog? I’m not totally sure, but a lot of it stemmed from my desire to learn food photography. Plus I love to cook. Always have. I remember standing in my sister-in-law’s driveway saying “I think I want to start a food blog” and she said “I’d totally read that”. She does, too. Or at least she says she does.

What is your favorite magazine? Tie between Everyday Food and Martha Stewart Living. I was crushed when they discontinued EDF. Crushed, I tell ya.

What hair product can’t you live without? Hair straightener. I have curly hair that is cut very short. Without it, I’d look like a chia pet. Although, that might be hip right now with all the chia love going around. Thoughts?

What perfume are you currently wearing? Does Dove anti-antiperspirant/deodorant count? If not, I’ve got nothing.

What is your favorite beverage? Coffee, coffee & more coffee. Did I mention coffee?

What is your favorite place to visit? I realize this is probably supposed to be a city, but I’d have to say The Toledo Museum of Art. I’ve been going since I was a little girl.

What is your favorite food? This is like Sophie’s choice. But if I have to pick one thing, I’d pick chocolate. It’s all encompassing and wonderful. Lifeblood, if you will.

What is your guilty pleasure? Eating handfuls of chocolate chips. Just because. Sometimes a marshmallow sneaks in there, too. And by sometimes, I mean all the time. If we want to get real specific, I love me some microwave s’mores. it combines my first two guilty pleasures all sandwiched between a couple of graham crackers.

What is your favorite book that you have read? Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. I’ve probably read this, like 30x. No exaggeration.

What is the best piece of advice that you have received? Always use oven mitts.

If you are willing to share, what is your most embarrassing moment? I tend to do a lot of crazy (read: not smart) stuff and most of the time don’t get embarrassed by it, but one moment I can think of is when I showed up to my ceramics exam in college on the wrong day. Seriously, totally wrong day. Luckily, my professor was super nice about it and let me have my critique anyway knowing that I wasn’t a slacker. Just not organized, apparently. (see above: facts about me). I’m glad to say I’ve grown up a lot since I was 18, so there’s at least that.

So there you have it. My answers to Chelsea and Leslie’s questions.

Now, here are my questions for the awesome bloggers I will be nominating for this fun award!

What are your favorite and least favorite foods to photograph?

What is the photography prop that you can’t live without?

What is your desert island food?

What is your favorite TV show?

What is your favorite social media?

What would your perfect summer day include?

What appliance in your kitchen could you not live without?

What is your favorite indulgence? 

What is the food/dish that you could make with your eyes closed?

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you order when you go there?

 And finally, to the awesome group of bloggers that I am passing the Liebster award to. This group is unbelievably talented and I know you will love them, too!

Now, who are your favorite bloggers to follow?  Feel free to leave links in the comments (with your blogs, too!)

Happy Tuesday!