An Award - If You Want It!

Lovely Helen from the blog "Helens Italia Liv... og litt fra Norge ogsa" has given me an Award!

It works this way:

1. Link back to the blog/person that gave you the ward (done).

Many thanks!

2. Send the award to 5 blogs with less than 100 readers.

Actually, I am going to let that be up to any of you who are on my blogroll.

I enjoy reading and keeping up with each and every one of you!!!

3. Answer 5 questions:

Why did you start blogging?

The first blog I came across was Hvit Stil. I loved what she was doing/writing about and her creativity, and the thought soon came - I want to do this too! So I started blogging as a way of keeping a diary to let our family and friends see what I get up to. But it has become a dear hobby where I have met a lot of lovely people with similar interests.

 

Which blogs do you follow?

It has become a rather eclectic mix and all inspire me in different ways. Some focus on cooking/baking, handicraft, daily life, interior design and some are simply very funny!

Favourite colour?

This is simple - it has always been purple. But my awakened interest for interior design has also shown that I like grey and cream.

 

Favourite film?

Oh, I have no idea. I love any of the British period dramas. I am also weak for romantic comedies.

I am really not too hard to please...

 

Which country do you dream about visiting?

Where to start? I have never been to the Far East nor Australia. North Africa would definitely be on the list. Also, there are so many places here in the UK I have not seen or explored sufficiently.

 

But then there are many places I would revisit given the chance...

 

♥

 

So, go on - feel free to take the award and tell us some things about yourself!

Challenging Award

I have been given another award from the lovely Norwegian blogger Størstepia. It is so nice to know that somebody reads my 'mutterings' and wants to send me an AWARD!

Thank you!!

As these awards go, there are some obligations:

1. Link to the person who gave you the award (done!)

2 Answer 10 questions (see below)

3. Pass it on to 10 other bloggers - well, I think this award has been sent around to a lot of people, but I am happy to pass it on to all those on my blogroll!

They are truly all inspiring each in their own way.

1. Why did you start blogging?

Think I have answered this before, but it is simply my modern take on a (public) diary about me, my interests/life/family. No big philosophy behind it, just trying out a new media and taking up another hobby.

2. Which blogs do you follow?

It is a very eclectic mix, really. More or less as varied as my interests and hobbies. So, anything from craft blogs, to mummy-blogs, to photography blogs, to foody-blogs, to interior blogs.

3. Favourite make up brand?

Clinique & Clarins

4. Favourite clothes brand?

Hahaha... I am probably the least interested of all women in clothes... Couldn't care less about brands, and absolutely HATE shopping for clothes. But I tend to visit East, PhaseEight, and Ann Harvey. Or H&M and KappAhl when I am home in Norway

5. Your must-have makeup product?

Mascara and eyebrow liner!

6. Favourite color

Purple

7. Perfume

It has for many years been Red Door by Elizabeth Arden, but The Professor bought me Chance by Chanel and that suits me well, too.

 

8. Favourite film

Don't think I have any. But I am generally weak for a romantic rom-com.

 

9. Which country would you like to visit and why

Oh, difficult question!

We have been to many countries already, but there is so much to explore!

I would love to go to Egypt. Particularly with Our Boy, I think. Australia is also high on the list as well as India, Dubai and Mexico. The main reason is because I haven't been there!

 

10 What is on your night stand?

A pair of cheap reading glasses. Can no longer read books without glasses and the good ones are always in my bag while these cheapy ones 'live' on my night stand.

There is also a lamp, a radio alarm clock and a book I picked up at the summer fete last summer called 'A Village Diary'.

Not the best book, but it puts me to sleep

;-)

A Stylish Blogger...

Nellie has very kindly awarded me the "Stylish Blogger Award" which originated in the USA, I think.

Thank you so much!!!

The award has the following conditions:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award
- done!

2. Tell 7 things about yourself
- (see below)

3. Send the award to 15 other blogs

- Now, choosing 15 deserving blogs is very hard - particularly since many similar awards has often made its way around Bloglandia before! I therefore nominate all the blogs on my bloggroll, if they wish to receive it!

 4 Contact these blogs and tell them about the award

- Now, choosing 15 deserving stylish blogs is very hard - particularly since many similar awards has often made its way around Bloglandia before! I therefore nominate all the blogs on my bloggroll, if they wish to receive it!
Consider yourself notified!

So, here goes 7 things about me

(which is actually really hard to think about - so it has therefore taken a few days):

1. The strangest job I ever had was when I had a summer job minding the public toilet in the park in my hometown... This was my mum's cousin's job and I was once "entrusted" with the duties when she went on holiday. The job entailed sitting in a small hut under ground where the facilities were with a small hatch in to the gents' side and another to the ladies and receive payment for their use of the cubicles (men did not pay if they only used the urinals!). The job was normally shared by two women who divided the opening hours in to 2 shifts and they kept the place spotless - each toilet was thoroughly washed after each visitor! Not that it was the busiest place in town - I had perhaps 5 needy people on my shift... The hut was actually very cosy, with a radio, books and knitting material and friends would pop in to see me.

However, my "career" only lasted two weeks
 - and even if it was easy money, I never asked to do it again. 

2. I love researching into my family background so genealogy is a hobby of mine. Not that I have found anything too exciting, but I find it fascinating piecing it together and thinking about how the times shaped the choices people made and how different life could have been for them with today's choices.

3. Although I "dabble" in a few languages, I would like to learn either Spanish or Italian.

Maybe I find time next fall ...

4. I love yoga - it makes me feel fitter, younger and reconnect with my body again

5. I had planned to study law. Did something different instead. Kind of wish I had done law.

6. I have always wanted curly hair, but at my age I think I have to realise that it won't happen naturally. According to a friend of mine who is a hair dresser, your hair changes every 7 years... not sure what the changes are, but much to my delight Our Boy's hair has changed this last year and gone from dead straight to very wavy and rather curly...
Mine on the other hand has never changed except starting to go very grey and therefore receives regular color treatments...

7. My new luxury treat (or weakness) is watching films in bed.
I have never had a TV in my bedroom, but at times nothing beats a good movie. I got a small tv with a dvd player for Christmas and I just loooove watching a good movie in bed and reaching out for the remote to turn it off before I fall asleep without having to get out of bed. It is not hooked up to the antenna so I can't watch TV, but I finally find time to watch DVDs.
This way a film can last me several days!
Just love it!

Award!

I have got my first award by the lovely Pafrika!
I am a Cherry on the Top ;-)! Thank you, Pafrika!

As I understand how these things go, the award comes with a responsibility.
This time it is to name 3 things I like to do, so here goes:

• 1 - Cooking - not really a surprise when I look at the categories on this blog with the most entries... I have always loved to cook and have a substatial collection of cookery books - never seem to have enough! Fortunately, with a Tenage Boy (who never seems to get enough food but still just gets skinnier but taller - don't know how that works...;-) I have a very grateful recipient of my culinary experiements.
• 2 - I love being a mother. Yes, yes, we all love our children, but I love the whole experience even though I will be the first to admit I don't get it right all the time... and yes, it can be trying on your patience... But seriously, I can't remember my life before I became a mother and I am really grateful for this "role" in my life. Perhaps this lack of memory is a little worrying ... ;-)?
• 3 - For the third point I will put something less "noble" and with the fear of seeming greedy I will actually throw in several things I love to do:
• meeting up with friends - whether for a quick coffee, a meal or just a chat
• yoga - my new passion which makes me feel soooo good 
• reading - there is nothing like curling up with a good book
• travelling - still so many places to see!
• crafts - very gratifying when it works
• listening to good radio programs while cooking - I always have the radio on when in the kitchen
• cuddling with The Cat - yes, some would think he is my second child ;-)
• walking in the country side - it is great to have such a lovely area for walking with the pub at the end of the path ;-)

And then the awards comes with the condition that I show something nice. I have chosen these pictures of the gladioli I picked up to brighten the weekend as they remind me of my bestest friend who had gladioli at her wedding all those years ago
(The Cat was very curious to what I was up too and insisted on joinging the picture):

I am also to pass the award on to 5 other blogs. This is the REAL challenge as there are so many lovely, deserving and creative blogs out there. I was tempted to say "none mentioned, none forgotten", but since this is my first award I think I should be more specific.
So, although many have already received this award, I have not checked if any of them have already received this award, but I would still like to promote

Hvit Stil - simply because this was the first blog I started reading and she inspired me to start my own blog as well as many of my projects. Just wish I had some of her energy...!

Fru Tunheim - started blogging around the same time as me and has a lovely way of using few words to say a lot

Hverdagsthing - because she has such a nice mix of interesting entries and pictures

Mannes hverdag - because she is so creative and I feel a little bit closer to home in her blog and I love it when she uses our local dialect in her entries ;-)

GO Photo - because she takes such lovely creative pictures and really inspires me to want to learn more about photography